Table of Contents
Republished with Permission
Author: Bryce Edwards
GOVERNMENT
Farah Hancock (RNZ): The government's targets in charts: More than half behind track
The Post: The Annual Report: The quiet political layers you’ve barely heard of. Part 1. (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Government survives under scrutiny, but crisis in health becoming undeniable (paywalled)
Luke Malpass (The Post): The week that showed how hard 2025 will be for the coalition (paywalled)
Duncan Garner (Listener): Luxon’s flopped by failing to win hearts and minds (paywalled)
Anna Whyte (The Post): Finn Stichbury named prime minister’s new chief press secretary (paywalled)
Kevin Norquay (Sunday Star Times): Why is Christopher Luxon so unlikeable? (paywalled)
Victor Billot (Newsroom): An Ode to .. Duchess Crusher
PARLIAMENT
Danyl McLauchlan (Listener): Hopes of a robust post-recession recovery are fading (paywalled)
Andrea Vance (Sunday Star Times): “We got that wrong,” elections boss admits. Who else will say the same?
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Polling average shows political blocs locked in a dead heat
Steve Braunias (Newsroom): The Secret Diary of .. Xmas office parties
Joshua Greenwood (Newsroom): Amid doubt and uncertainty, democracy slips
John Campbell (1News): 'I'd do it again and again': Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke talks to John Campbell
Brent Edwards (NBR): Tax and user pays, health, getting on your bike, green lending (paywalled)
Tom Hunt (The Post): Watch out Chippy, Ginny is coming after you (paywalled)
GREEN PARTY
Anna Whyte (The Post): Chlöe Swarbrick: Her first year as leader, the tough times and what lies ahead (paywalled)
Adam Pearse (Herald) Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick on ‘probably’ the party’s toughest year
Giles Dexter (RNZ): 'Forged in fire': Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick on the Greens' challenging year
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Chlöe Swarbrick ‘constantly reassessing’, won’t commit to leading Greens after 2026
RNZ: Greens claim they can better NZ's emissions reductions five-fold and improve the economy
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): A ‘Green Jobs Guarantee’ and Ministry of Green Works: The Green Party’s new vision for NZ
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): The Greens try and rev up the climate debate
PUBLIC SERVICE
Andrea Vance (The Post): Anti-red tape ministry advises against anti-red tape bill (paywalled)
Rob Stock (The Post): Is there consistency from ComCom in lending law enforcement? (paywalled)
James Cowan (ODT): Revised Act giving extra protection to whistleblowers
Tim McNamara (Interest): GovGPT chatbot an 'expensive toy pilot project that carries a lot of risk'
Cécile Meier (BusinessDesk): Cutting Costs: Public sector redundancy payments to reach $250m (paywalled)
Shane Te Pou (Herald): Abuse in state care: Sorry Solicitor-General Una Jagose, an empty apology isn’t enough (paywalled)
HOUSING
Luke Malpass (The Post): Govt moves to slash insulation costs, change standards (paywalled)
Nikki Macdonald (Sunday Star Times): Sharp spike in Kiwis being denied emergency shelter (paywalled)
Greg Ninness (Interest): Census data shows the proportion of people owning their own home is increasing
Liam Dann (Herald): Reliance on ‘bank of mum and dad’ is a worrying trend for NZ (Paywalled)
RNZ: The grim picture of homelessness for NZ women
Susan Edmunds (Herald): House prices: Buying at peak continues to sting property sellers in pocket
Herald: Editorial: Kāinga Ora decision to shun wool in state housing is baffling and must be reviewed (paywalled)
ODT: Editorial – Another broken promise (paywalled)
ECONOMY
Andrea Vance (Sunday Star Times): The Aussie exodus: One in three Kiwis consider moving to Australia (paywalled)
Vernon Small (Sunday Star Times): Bad economic news batters National’s ratings (paywalled)
David Hargreaves (Interest): We're nearly through 2024 and New Zealand has done it tough
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Sunday Star Times): NZ doesn’t have to just ‘muddle along’ says Reserve Bank chief economist (paywalled)
Robert MacCulloch: The IMF confirms that Labour Leader Chris Hipkins Put New Zealand Bottom of Asia Pacific Economies in 2023
Herald: Editorial – Job losses cast shadow over season celebrations (paywalled)
John Anthony (BusinessDesk): NZ’s underlying economic momentum is weak, reforms needed: OECD (paywalled)
Robert MacCulloch: New Zealand's Productivity Puzzle: The Plot Thickens
Simon Bridges (Herald): Three policies for growth, that are needed right now (paywalled)
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Phil Pennington (RNZ): NZ joins new group that 'might be answer' to US exhausting weapons in a war
Liu Chen (RNZ): Sir John Key: China is a trading partner worth fighting for
Thomas Manch (The Post): Australia pumps the brakes on New Zealand's Aukus debate (paywalled)
Karyn Scherer (NBR): US trade war with China could get ‘quite bouncy’, says Key (paywalled)
George Block (Herald): HMNZS Aotearoa: Chinese military shadowed NZ Navy ship during North Korea sanctions enforcement mission (Paywalled)
RNZ: Chinese Embassy rejects US accusations of 'Salt Typhoon' hacking operation
Mick Hall: NZ's foreign interference Bill 'repressive tool' to intimidate public: former minister (Paywalled)
John Braddock (World socialist website): China’s New Zealand ambassador warns against joining AUKUS
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Aid projects to be cut after NZ digs itself into a hole
BOOTCAMP
Jo Moir (RNZ): Children's Minister not told about second youth boot camp absconder
RNZ: Boot camp pilot not a failure - chief children's commissioner
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Minister 'relieved' boot camp participants found, despite alleged car theft
Adam Pearse (Herald): Children’s Minister Karen Chhour disappointed but ‘relieved’ bootcamp absconders found after alleged carjacking (paywalled)
RNZ: Minister 'relieved' boot camp participants found, despite alleged car theft
Greg Presland (The Standard): Unacceptable
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Alisha Evans (Local Democracy Reporting): Council to discuss fluoride-free water options for Tauranga
RNZ: Mayor admits community anger over Waimate's drinking water ban
Tory Whanau (Sunday Star Times): On why the City to Sea bridge had to go (paywalled)
Wayne Brown (Sunday Star Times): Progress report (paywalled)
Tom Hunt (The Post): Thousands miss first payment of hiked Wellington rates (paywalled)
Hamish MacLean (ODT): Budget blowout expected (paywalled)
FERRY INFRASTRUCTURE
Roger Blakeley (The Post): Roll-on roll off ferries ‘best in national interest’ (paywalled)
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Government to announce future of Interislander’s Cook Strait ferries after year of uncertainty (paywalled)
Arena Williams (Herald): Cook Strait ferries: A second summer and still no solution (paywalled)
The Post: Editorial – Pressure on for ferry decision (paywalled)
INFRASTRUCTURE
Shane Jones (Sunday Star Times): Fresh thinking needed for progress on NZ infrastructure (paywalled)
Nick Leggett (Herald): How asset recycling can boost New Zealand's infrastructure and economy (paywalled)
Justin Tighe-Umbers (The Post): Short stretches of heavy use concrete roads are a savings ‘no brainer’ (paywalled)
EDUCATION; MARSDEN FUND
ODT: Editorial: Dark clouds over blue-skies fund (paywalled)
Robert MacCulloch: Will More Funding for "Core Science" in NZ lead to more "Economic Impact"?
Chris Lynch: “Reimagining” the Marsden Fund back to science
Nicola Gaston (Herald): Funding research for economic return sounds good – but that’s not how science really works (paywalled)
Ben Leahy (Herald): Flat Bush and Rolleston among Education Ministry’s plans for brand new schools over next two years (paywalled)
Chris Eichbaum (Newsroom): It might be time for a ‘third way’ in our tertiary education sector
Mare Haimona-Riki (Whakaata Māori): Living Pā: Victoria University’s groundbreaking building blends Māori culture and sustainability
HEALTH
Bryan Bruce: The Slow death of our public health system
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Psychiatrist shortages putting compulsory patients at risk, doctor warns
Bruce Cotterill (Herald): New Zealand health system needs urgent reform (paywalled)
Ruth Hill (ODT): Health workers say cuts are costing public system more
Flip Grater (The Post): A warning from the women: meddle with Estradot funding at your peril (paywalled)
CLIMATE CHANGE AND EXTRACTION
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Climate Commission recommends carbon negative 2050 target
David Williams (Newsroom): Squirming Environment Secretary spells out climate challenge
Greg Hurrell (BusinessDesk): Government advised to ditch net zero for 'negative zero' 2050 target (paywalled)
Sally Round (RNZ): Country Life: What could be in the farm toolkit for curbing methane emissions?
Greg Hurrell (BusinessDesk): Rod Carr marks final days at Climate Change Commission (paywalled)
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Govt facing embarrassing gas law U-turn (paywalled)
Noel O’Malley (ODT): Don’t even think about it — the answer should be a firm ‘no’
ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY
Dan Brunskill (Interest): OECD says NZ electricity reform needed to tackle ‘feeble’ growth
NBR: OECD recommends gentailer split (paywalled)
Paddy Gower (Stuff): The house with no power bills, guaranteed
Ian Llewellyn (BusinessDesk): Electricity sector warned to sort fuel problems or face the consequences (paywalled)
TREATY
David Farrar: Indigenous government
Matthew Hooton (Patreon): Submission on Treaty Principles Bill (paywalled)
Ganesh R Ahirao: This repulsive Bill
K Gurunathan (The Post): Becoming a citizen without the shackles of colonialism (paywalled)
Cartoons
