Table of Contents
Republished with Permission
Author: Bryce Edwards
PARLIAMENT, WEEK IN POLITICS
Andrea Vance (Post): Firm owned by Taxpayers’ Union boss behind Green Party attack billboards (paywalled)
Bryce Edwards (The Integrity Institute): Dirty Politics 2.0? Lobbying in the Shadows
ODT Editorial: Lobbying for lobbying controls (paywalled)
ODT: Civis: Orange is a warning light for NZ democracy (paywalled)
GoodIdeas: A major campaign to protect democracy gets underway (paywalled)
K Gurunathan (Post): The Ugly American is in charge; it’s not so pretty at home either (paywalled)
David Farrar: Lobbyists campaign against other lobbyists
Steve Braunias (Newsroom): The Secret Diary of .. Dirty Politics
Press Editorial (Post): Casualties of the 'war on woke’ (paywalled)
Craig Hoyle (Sunday Star Times): It’s not just politicians reading the vile comments online (paywalled)
Liam Hehir (The Blue Review): Secretive Organisation With Troubling Record And Influence Over Public Life (paywalled)
Verity Johnson (Stuff): Chris Hipkins wants to win back Auckland? Yeah, right
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Former Labour MP Stuart Nash not ruling out running for NZ First at next election (paywalled)
Shane Te Pou (Herald): Who is going to fill David Parker’s shoes for Labour? (paywalled)
Adam Pearse (Herald): Senior MP Willie Jackson says Labour Government should’ve taken GST off meat to reduce cost of living
Robert MacCulloch: How does NZ Labour compare to National on State Size?
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): Harder balance to strike between politicians’ safety and access
Tom Rose (Herald): Former MP Paula Bennett rules out Auckland mayoralty run, criticises NZ’s political culture
Ryan Bridge (Herald): Winston Peters at 80: Polls surge as veteran politician remains influential (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Defence boost, tariff pause, Parker retirement, Little for mayor (paywalled)
Mike Houlahan (ODT): It turns out woolly thinking is something to be applauded (paywalled)
Greg Dixon (Listener): Donald Trump to leave brain to science (paywalled)
John Anthony (BusinessDesk): Former National candidate Jake Bezzant sued for alleged fraud (paywalled)
MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA
Colin Peacock (RNZ): Mediawatch: Trust in news survey slump stalls after five years in freefall
Rachel Helyer Donaldson (RNZ): Trust in News in Aotearoa New Zealand report shows media trust freefall ending (paywalled)
1News: Trust in news stabilises after sharp decline over five years
Merja Myllylahti and Greg Treadwell (The Conversation): ‘Trump fatigue’ is putting Kiwis off the news, with trust in media still low – new report
Shayne Currie (Herald); Media Insider: AUT trust in news survey – trust scores bounce back for individual news outlets; NZ’s most trusted media sources revealed (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Trust in media ‘stabilises’ amid discomfort with AI (paywalled)
John Lewis (ODT): ‘ODT’ NZ’s most trusted newspaper, survey shows
Calida Stuart-Menteath (NBR): NBR named NZ’s most trusted business newsroom (paywalled)
David Farrar: 2025 Trust in Journalism survey
Bob McCoskrie: New Report: Still Only 1 in 3 Trust Media
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Post): No, minister: Seymour to maintain Morning Report blackout while deputy PM (paywalled)
Thomas Manch (Post): Former Stuff journalist appointed NZ Herald political editor (paywalled)
Paul Thompson (RNZ): RNZ celebrates 100 years - where to now for the national broadcaster?
RNZ: RNZ launches journalism scholarship programme to celebrate 100 years
David Harvey: The Vicious Face of Mainstream Media: More on the Reporting of "La'Affaire Doyle"
—————
Dylan Reeve (Spinoff): The proliferation of Facebook scam ads continues, now starring Christopher Luxon
Duncan Garner (Listener): Leaving social media open to our young people is tantamount to aiding and abetting child abuse (paywalled)
Pretoria Gordon (RNZ): Calls for legislative change after reports of Snapchat child grooming increase by five-fold
Cecilia Robinson (Herald): Meta’s worst-kept secret, and the Kiwi who exposed it (paywalled)
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TRADE
Richard Harman (Politik): Why Peters has stepped up his undermining of Luxon (paywalled)
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): 'Call me next time': Peters disparages Luxon's tariff talks
RNZ: Winston Peters says talk of 'trade war' is 'hysterical', 'short-sighted'
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): What’s the Government doing about Trump’s tariffs, and are ministers on the same page?
RNZ: Luxon and Peters need to 'stop their bickering' - Labour
Thomas Manch (Post): ‘Tone it down’: Winston Peters on PM’s US tariff talks
RNZ: Trade Minister Todd McClay writes to US counterparts over 'harmful' tariffs
Danyl McLauchlan (Listener): How NZ could escape Trump’s global tariff war (paywalled)
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Why NZ wants Europe in a coalition of the willing traders
Vernon Small (Post): Christopher Luxon’s free-trade initiative a welcome one (paywalled)
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Christopher Luxon’s free trade ‘fight’: World leaders the Prime Minister is talking to (paywalled)
Stuff: Finance Minister Nicola Willis takes Stuff readers’ questions on how to respond to US trade war
Liam Dann (Herald): Risk of another GFC rises as US-China trade war takes world to the brink (paywalled)
Dan Brunskill (Interest): ‘BE COOL!’ NZ watches nervously as the US wobbles
Patrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): The unlikely way Trump is helping amid trade, tariff blitz
Luke Malpass (Post): Trump’s Manchu court and Luxon’s new club (paywalled)
Claire Trevett (Herald): Forget about David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill, PM Christopher Luxon’s Trump tariffs crisis could be the making of him (paywalled)
Georgina Stylianou (Post): The crisis that Luxon needs (paywalled)
Anna Rawhiti-Connell (Spinoff): Having a CEO for a PM during a global trade meltdown could be a good thing
Ben Thomas (Post): Why a spiralling Trump could provide lift for Luxon (paywalled)
Catherine Masters (One Roof/Herald): How Trump's chaos could affect NZ - great for mortgage rates, bad for job security
Bruce Cotterill (Herald): Why US tariffs won’t unsettle NZ’s market confidence (paywalled)
RNZ: China doesn't want trade war, but will fight back - Ambassador to New Zealand
Antje Fiedler (Post): The US wants to trade less with Asia. New Zealand should want to trade more (paywalled)
Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai (RNZ): NZ's Foreign Minister wraps up Tonga visit now heads to Hawai'i
RNZ: 'Make it easier and cheaper': New Zealand eases visa restrictions for Pacific Island nations
Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai (RNZ): Major changes to NZ visitor visas for Pacific Islanders but opposition MPs say there's more to be done
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): 'They think they can shut me up, but they can't' - India critic facing ban in homeland
DEFENCE
1News: Q+A: Is the US a reliable partner? NZ Defence Minister on security ties
Robert Patman (Post): Defence plans reflect a world where America no longer leads (paywalled)
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Defence Force to embark on drone shopping spree
Katie Kenny (RNZ): The multibillion-dollar boost for New Zealand's military: What you need to know
Jim Rolfe (Politik): The Defence capability plan “an incremental evolution” (paywalled)
Victor Billot (Newsroom): An Ode to .. Admiral Judith
Herald Editorial: For too long many of our veterans have gone unrecognised (paywalled)
RNZ: New national veteran day announced, official term 'veteran' expanded
RNZ: Fallen soldier Rory Malone added to Riverhead's roll of honour
Stuff: Defence Force sells retired C-130H Hercules fleet to American firefighting company for $9m
RNZ: Air Force's retired Hercules planes sold to Coulson for firefighting duty
Ffion Heale (Post): Retired Hercules planes sold to US for firefighting (paywalled)
TREATY, CROWN-MĀORI RELATIONS
Laura Walters (Newsroom): The Treaty principles bill is gone; now Govt’s real Treaty agenda picks up pace
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Why the ‘cremated’ Treaty Principles Bill won’t go away, and how it will rise again
Chris Finlayson (Guardian): New Zealand’s divisive treaty principles bill has been defeated – but the fight against populism isn’t over
Herald Editorial: The many unanswered questions behind Seymour’s Treaty bill (paywalled)
RNZ: The House: The unusual death of the Treaty Principles Bill
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): 'It's over': Luxon rules out entertaining another iteration of Treaty Principles Bill
Don Brash: NZME can get stuffed - the ad they rejected
Vincent O’Malley (E-Tangata): A shallow, unconscionable political stunt
Kassie Hartendorp (E-Tangata): Why the Treaty principles bill had to go down
RNZ: How the world reacted to the demise of the Treaty Principles Bill
ECONOMY, COST OF LIVING
Derek Cheng (Herald): Ipsos Cost of Living Monitor: Kiwis pessimistic despite economy improving (paywalled)
RNZ: Annual report finds more NZ kids living in material hardship than last year
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Inflation tipped to rise for first time in nearly 3 years (paywalled)
Andrew Gunn (Press/Post): Taking the low road in pursuit of a high-wage economy (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): Treasury publishes crisis playbook - favours Official Cash Rate cuts over Government spending and money printing (paywalled)
David Hargreaves (Interest): Inflation riding on turbulent global seas
HOUSING
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): Who benefits from the $2 billion of accommodation supplements paid out annually?
RNZ: Moves aimed at lifting efficiency of building new social housing announced
Madeleine Powers (Waikato Times): Ministers say social housing needs to change with the times (paywalled)
Eye of the Fish: Granny Flats
Kelly Makiha (Rotorua Daily Post): Rotorua housing pilot showcases rapid-build, eco-friendly design
Janine Starks (Post): Reasons not to stick your head in the sand around home insurance
BANKS
Bryce Edwards (The Integrity Institute): Banking lobbyists 1, Justice 0
Ryan Ward: Banks, lies, and government favors
Ella Somers (Interest): What is and and isn’t covered under the deposit insurance scheme launching in July
STATE SECTOR
Jo Moir (RNZ): Ministry of Foreign Affairs job relisted without 'tikanga' title after Winston Peters asks it to be pulled
RNZ: AI widely used in public sector, survey finds
Hamish McNicol (NBR): FMA CEO, adviser on $41k trip to Doha (paywalled)
ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION
Eloise Gibson (RNZ): Glaciers have lost volume equivalent to a third of Lake Taupō since 2005
Mark John (ODT): In 100 years, glaciers predicted to shrink 80% (paywalled)
Samantha Gee (RNZ): 'Much, much worse than we thought' - Residents oppose Australian bid to mine in Golden Bay bushland
Davina Zimmer (RNZ): The Detail: New Zealand's estuaries 'in hot water'
Laura Smith (Local Democracy Reporting): Final section of Tarawera Sewerage Scheme pipeline works to restart on Monday
Pokere Paewai (RNZ): Ōhiwa Harbour restoration heralded as triumph for Māori-led campaign
Liam Rātana (Spinoff): A new agreement to protect the Waitākere Ranges is on the table – here’s what it means
Christina Hanna, Iain White, Pip Wallace and Raven Cretney (The Conversation):
As more communities have to consider relocation, we explore what happens to the land after people leave
Greg Sayers (Herald): Kumeū locals win proactive river maintenance to combat flooding (paywalled)
Mary Afemata (Local Democracy Reporting): Flood resilience projects offers Māngere hope
HEALTH, DISABILITY
Ian Powell (Newsroom): He’s not the messiah; he’s a false prophet
Katie Townshend (Stuff): For 15 days in February, Nelson Hospital could not provide enough nursing care
Samantha Gee (RNZ): Nelson Hospital short staffed, run down, 'not good enough for patients', says nurse
RNZ: 'Brink of collapse': Gisborne Hospital services in crisis
Jimmy Ellingham (RNZ): Health NZ insists cardio problems at Palmerston North Hospital are over
Moana Ellis (Local Democracy Reporting): Minister directs Health NZ to revive stalled Raetihi health centre
Moana Ellis (Local Democracy Reporting): ‘Left high and dry’: Ruapehu mayor demands answers over delays to rural health centre
Olivia Caldwell (ODT): Blood test costs frustrate Wānaka locals
Jonny Wilkinson (Herald): Blake Forbes’ struggle highlights healthcare inequities for disabled
Peter de Graaf (RNZ): Manaia House opens in Whangārei after $21.6 million interior upgrades
Laine Priestley (ODT): Former Cadbury workers raise $100k for mental health
RNZ: Christchurch Hospital construction set to restart after toxic fumes leak
Eva de Jong (Whanganui Chronicle): Lake Alice advocate pushes for reform in mental health treatment (paywalled)
Amanda Gillies (RNZ): The Detail: New Zealand's biggest-ever study on dementia reveals startling numbers
LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WATER
Andrea Vance (Post): Change v continuity. Is this Andrew Little’s moment? (paywalled)
Tom Hunt (Post): Wellington’s $6000 appeal to Auckland jobseekers got 12 emails (paywalled)
Tom Hunt (Post): Wellington political group pledges no rates rises, can’t say how (paywalled)
Local Aotearoa: Beware of Greeks [candidates] bearing gifts [pledging zero rates increases]
Harriet Laughton (Post): Flowers through the cracks: Wellington’s empty buildings transformed (paywalled)
Nick Truebridge (Stuff): Ratepayer charged $25k in building consent bungle, sparking council investigation
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Auckland property valuation delays may impact rates for many homeowners this year (paywalled)
Wayne Brown (Sunday Star Times): Candidates Corner: Wayne Brown on the case for council amalgamation (paywalled)
Kerrin Leoni (Sunday Star Times): Candidates Corner: Kerrin Leone on setting stage for change in Auckland (paywalled)
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): Council won’t say why executive leader paid at least $260k has been on leave for almost a year
ODT Editorial: The one more year mystery (paywalled)
Grant Miller (ODT): Dismay at lack of details — DCC probe: update coming (paywalled)
Mary Williams (ODT): Landfill can still receive waste, hearing decides (paywalled)
Grant Miller (ODT): Building ‘affordable convening space’ can be honoured (paywalled)
Grant Miller (ODT): 'I made the wrong decision': Cr's U-turn over South Dunedin library (paywalled)
Olivia Caldwell and Rawan Saadi (ODT): Wānaka's infrastructure ‘not viable’
Alisha Evans (Local Democracy Reporting): Court dismisses injunction on Tauranga Marine Precinct sale
Laura Smith (Local Democracy Reporting): Rotorua Lakes Council adopts first accessibility policy
TRANSPORT
Simon Mercep (1News): Major overhaul of driver's licence system proposed
Adam Pearse (Herald): Driver licence changes: Government proposes to scrap second practical test, reduce eyesight tests
RNZ: Driving licence changes: One practical test instead of two
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Treasury raised concerns about rescoping $1b fund meant to accelerate roads of national significance (paywalled)
Emily Ireland (Local Democracy Reporting): Rule forces speed reconsult
RNZ: Christchurch motorway speed limit goes up to 110km/h
Kate Green (RNZ): Almost 60 new Wellington buses canned, passengers saved from huge fare hikes
RNZ: Auckland passenger trains shut down for most of April
Sam Smith (Stuff): Interislander ferry cancelled 150 times in the last year
Kate Green (RNZ): Why some flights don't get security screening in New Zealand
RNZ: Air Chathams may pull Whakatāne route
SUPERMARKETS
Garth Bray (BusinessDesk): Land-hungry Woolworths told eyes bigger than belly, OIO report reveals (paywalled)
Stuart Smith, Arena Williams (Stuff): New Zealanders need the grocery duopoly to end
RNZ: 'Stabbed in the back': Union on Woolworths restructure, store closures
BusinessDesk: Woolworths' restructure overhauls pay structure (paywalled)
CHILD WELFARE, FAMILY VIOLENCE, ABUSE IN CARE
Tim Brown (RNZ): Abuse survivor speaks out in hopes of encouraging others to come forward
Cate Macintosh (Post): ‘They don’t have a choice’: The rise and rise of kids in childcare (paywalled)
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Saving Grace: Child trafficked and enslaved in New Zealand
Mildred Armah (Stuff): ACT MP Karen Chhour shares experience of childhood sexual violence
RNZ: Government launches partnership to combat domestic violence in Auckland
EDUCATION
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Government considers axing education scheme involving nearly 2000 schools
1News: Education sector hopeful Budget will improve student learning support
Greg Bruce (Herald): NZ teachers concerned over new curriculum, lack of training and resources (paywalled)
Dahlia Malaeulu (E-Tangata): Belonging isn’t optional
Fox Meyer (Newsroom): Student allowance late for thousands despite StudyLink’s record pace
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): $36m borrowed after fee change (paywalled)
Rachel Helyer Donaldson (RNZ): New psychology post-grad one-year course at AUT and UC from 2026
Hanna Varrs (Critic): The National Student Association You Haven’t Heard Of: Rumours of corruption, shoddy elections and owing $80k in GST
