Republished with Permission
Author: Bryce Edwards
GOVERNMENT, PARLIAMENT
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): National decline in 2024
Dave Armstrong (Post): What’s on the box: just more of the usual madness (paywalled)
Heather Roy (Post): The year of the dignity recession (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): Minimum wage increase less than MBIE recommended - again
Jem Traylen (BusinessDesk): On the Money: The ComCom grinch, forecasting fumbles, the downward trajectory of just about everything (paywalled)
Tom Raynel (Herald): Legislation, losers and lessons: Andrew Bayly’s 2024 (paywalled)
Herald Editorial: What should PM Christopher Luxon be asking Santa for Xmas? (paywalled)
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Getting together to address the great offshore wind gap (paywalled)
David Farrar: Scoring my 2024 predictions
Anna Whyte (Post): Summer off politics: Rachel Brooking (paywalled)
HOUSING
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Govt walks away from infrastructure alliance
Marty Sharp (Stuff): Huge increase in evictions of disruptive Kāinga Ora tenants due to new approach
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Grave fears over fate of young people left homeless this festive season
Brianna McIlraith (Stuff): Research shows how investors affect house prices in Auckland
RNZ: Whangārei hapū wins appeal against subdivision
Zita Campbell (Herald): Gisborne council explores medium-density housing to address crisis
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): Minister says more support needed for smaller rest-homes
Carol Shepherd (Post): Retirement village reforms need speeding up, not holding back (paywalled)
ECONOMY, COST OF LIVING
Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): The austerity Government that isn’t and the recession that wasn’t (paywalled)
Cameron Bagrie (BusinessDesk): Outlook 2025: NZ’s credit ratings may come under pressure (paywalled)
David Farrar: A terrible decision by Treasury
David Farrar: Why is NZ in recession?
Herald Editorial: Reflecting on privilege and unity this Christmas 2024 (paywalled)
HEALTH
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): Wait for Dunedin Hospital decision continues as costs mount
Bridie Witton (Stuff): No full-time smokefree officers across eastern North Island
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): Incidence of burnout in South GPs ‘alarming’
LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WATER
Lucy Xia (RNZ): How to pay $1.2m for a Christmas tree
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Tourism heavy hitters told Auckland Mayor Wayne his CCO reforms stood to lose $2m for mayor events (paywalled)
Reynold Macpherson (Herald): Local Government Act reforms needed for transparency and accountability (paywalled)
Susan Botting (Local Democracy Reporting): High Court challenge over Kaipara District Council Māori ward abolition fails
Nick James (RNZ): Wellington Water's changes to limit water wastage this summer
David Farrar: Woke nonsense from WCC
Peter de Graaf (RNZ): Water restrictions leave Dargaville residents frustrated
Richard Davison (ODT): Clutha District councillor quits, reason disputed (paywalled)
Mahe Drysdale (Newsroom): Hopes for 2025: To revitalise Tauranga
INFRASTRUCTURE, FAST-TRACK
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Crafting a menu of infrastructure priority projects and problems (paywalled)
Basset Brash and Hide: Maori Party threats
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE
Sam Smith (Stuff): Government against Cook Islands proposal for own passport
Caleb Fotheringham (RNZ): Cook Islands passport would require giving up NZ citizenship - spokesperson
David Fisher (Herald): NZSAS soldier’s compo taxed higher because he was hurt offshore (paywalled)
Deborah Hart (Newsroom): The Jewish community in NZ needs protecting from antisemitism
TRANSPORT
RNZ: Interislander ferry Kaiārahi resumes sailing after fault fixed
Justin Wong, Kevin Norquay and André Chumko (Post): Ferry fleet under the pump — again (paywalled)
RNZ: What are some of New Zealand's most dangerous stretches of road?
RNZ: Air NZ flight turns back due to mechanical fault
Crux: Are Queenstown's visiting private jets safe? (paywalled)
Paul Gorman (Listener): Can the tech revolution make future air travel sustainable & safer for Kiwis? (Paywalled)
BusinessDesk: NZTA appoints Brett Gliddon as new CEO
MEDIA, COMMS
Paul Deegan (ODT): Lessons from Canadian cousins
Emma Andrews (RNZ): Moana Maniapoto on the sound of the 80s to world-class journalism
Peter Newport (Crux): Our local communications and PR people - compared to the rest of the world (paywalled)
Herald: Media Council upholds inaccuracy complaint against column about Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau
Spinoff: NZ Media Council upholds complaint against The Spinoff article on Palestine exhibition
WESTPAC
RNZ: Westpac Bank admits overcharging nearly 25,000 customers more than $6.3 million
Jamie Gray (Herald): Westpac NZ admits overcharging customers $6.35m
1News: Westpac NZ admits to overcharging customers by $6.35m
SPORT
Dana Johannsen (RNZ): Sport Integrity Commission launch investigation into Yachting NZ following raft of conduct complaints
Alice Soper (Herald): There should be little surprise at sportspeople speaking out on Māori issues (paywalled)
ENVIRONMENT, DOC
Nikki Macdonald (Sunday Star Times): How did the Department of Conservation become the department of defunct buildings? (paywalled)
Jem Traylen (BusinessDesk): NZ Post earns its climate credentials despite ditching carbon neutral goal (paywalled)
Hamish MacLean (ODT): Research set to resume at Foulden Maar (paywalled)
OTHER
ODT Editorial: Corrections v the Ombudsman (paywalled)
ODT Editorial: Undoing what has been done (paywalled)
Greg Hurrell (BusinessDesk): Power to the people? Social Investment Agency goes live (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Competition package may be tougher pill for ACT than Labour to swallow (paywalled)
Layla Bailey-McDowell (RNZ): Signs of the hīkoi: More than just 'words on cardboard'
Craig Ashworth (RNZ): Treaty law submission help honed for future Bills
George Block (Herald): Gang patch ban: Who are the Damned Pirates, Fitus and H-Town 07, subject to the new law? (paywalled)
RNZ: Polyfest scales back: 'They're seeing it as a cost, rather than an investment'
Jamie Morton (Herald): Why do Kiwis fall down the rabbit hole? The surprising things researchers just learned
Catherine Hubbard (Stuff): SovCits with firearms licences ‘concerning’
Shanti Mathias (Spinoff): All I want for Christmas is modern day slavery legislation
David Farrar: Stats NZ needs to be more accurate
Ross Stit (Interest): Superannuation – what might have been for NZ
Press/Post: Engineer requests judicial review of decision to uphold CTV building complaint (paywalled)
RNZ: Former Labour MP, North Shore mayor Ann Hartley dies
Cartoons
