NZ Politics Daily: 4 August 2021

Housing
Bernard Hickey: Here’s all the levers the Govt is not pulling to fix our housing catastrophe
Chloe Swarbrick (Herald): UN-enshrined human right to housing eclipsed by investor greed
Charlie Dreaver (RNZ): ‘Way too many hoops’: First Home Grant payouts fall short
Toby Morris (Spinoff): The Side Eye’s Two New Zealands: Locked out
Claire Breen (Herald): Housing as a human right (paywalled)
Stephen Forbes (Herald): Housing crisis: Auckland’s wealthy suburbs dodging development ‘burden’, councillor Daniel Newman says
Stephen Forbes (Stuff): Auckland councillor calls for greater development of city’s wealthier suburbs
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): This won’t magic up houses
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Robertson defends time taken to give RBNZ new powers to restrict mortgage lending
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Reserve Bank prepares to crack down on housing
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Too much risky lending’: Reserve Bank tightens lending rules and develops new restriction
Miriam Bell (Stuff): House price increases slowing, but LVR change will speed up the process
David Hargreaves (Interest): RBNZ unloads its housing burden ahead of interest rates review
Anna Whyte (1News): Reserve Bank eyes tighter mortgage lending
RNZ: Govt and Reserve Bank agree on new moves to tighten mortgage lending
Adrian Orr (Herald): Navigating for long-term economic wellbeing (paywalled)
Helen Livingtone (Guardian): New Zealand reserve bank to toughen mortgage-lending rules in bid to tackle housing crisis
RNZ: National average house price reaches $920,000
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): OECD report shows Grant and Adrian overreacted
Ben Leahy (Herald): More older Kiwis are renting, including those who have been forced to sell their homes
Dileepa Fonseka (Stuff): Reining in the ‘risk-free’ property market
Aaron Dahmen (Herald): House building crisis: Government could limit timber exports to ensure local supply
John Weekes (Herald): Leaky homes mega-lawsuit: James Hardie gets $1.25m settlement payout, ‘terrible day’ for homeowners
Jean Bell (RNZ): Claimant devastated James Hardie case ended mid-trial
RNZ: Leaky home class action trial ends in settlement
Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): Leaky home owners wave white flag in James Hardie deal (paywalled)
Waatea News: MP self interest barrier to housing action
Waatea News: Housing crucial for building community
RNZ: Dunedin Council looks at new plan to increase housing capacity
Sophie Cornish (Stuff): Wellington’s sky-rocketing housing market may be stabilising, new figures show
Anne Gibson (Herald): Eighty Flat Bush terrace homes pre-sold in a day, landlord tax change drives demand (paywalled)

Opinion polls, parliament, political parties
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Nothing like a bad poll to spur some action
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): How can Jacinda reset from Woke poll slump?
Richard Prebble (Herald): The polls toll woe for Labour (paywalled)
1News: Labour’s ‘massive’ drop in poll a ‘wake up call’ for Govt – Collins
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Latest Newshub-Reid Research poll ‘very good’ for National, according to Judith Collins
Bridie Witton (Stuff): ‘A lot of people want to bottle her’: Police Minister Poto Williams’ family upset by Judith Collins’ claim
Anna Whyte (1 News): Collins ‘needs to think about what she says’ after bottle comment: Police Minister
Zane Small (Newshub): Judith Collins dismisses ‘nasty’ interpretation of comment about people wanting to ‘bottle’ Police Minister Poto Williams
RNZ: Collins defends ‘bottle’ comments about Police Minister Poto Williams
Zane Small (Newshub): Police Minister Poto Williams hits back at National MP Simeon Brown with sarcastic quip during grilling on gangs
Herald: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern home sick with daughter Neve’s ‘seasonal sniffle’

Covid-19
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): Helen Clark didn’t influence Fiji medevac decision, Foreign Affairs minister says
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Judith Collins ‘very concerned’ about COVID-19-positive United Nations worker’s transfer from Fiji to New Zealand
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Opposition MPs question possible ‘political interference’ after Covid-positive UN worker is evacuated from Fiji 
Richard Harman: How Delta changes everything (paywalled)
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Wellington region will be vaccinating until February 2022 – officials
Brittany Keogh (Stuff): Wellington will have mass vaccination ‘festival’ in October to target ‘hesitant’ people
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Ropey’ data causes confusion for DHB bosses over progress of COVID-19 vaccine rollout
RNZ: Human Rights Commission receives 30 complaints about MIQ booking
Derek Cheng (Herald): How Govt aims to beat the bots in race for MIQ vouchers
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Anti-vaccination group Voices for Freedom’s billboards taken down after ‘harassing people’ trying to get vaccines
Adam Jacobson (Stuff): Advertiser pulls anti-vax group’s ‘free speech’ billboard campaign
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): Anti-vax group’s ‘free speech’ billboards pulled from RNZ building
Cira Olivier (Herald): ‘Escalation of poverty’ seen in Rotorua in pandemic linked to job losses, living costs(paywalled)
RNZ: NZ sends 100,000 vaccine doses to Fiji
Hawkes Bay Today: Jeff Whittaker Pharmacy first pharmacy in Hawke’s Bay to roll out Covid vaccine(paywalled)
David Skipwith (Stuff): Hilary Barry cleared by Broadcasting Standards Authority over Covid vaccine comment

Aotearoa or New Zealand?
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): National MP floats ban on public sector using ‘Aotearoa’
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Judith Collins suggests referendum on name of New Zealand, despite using ‘Aotearoa’ while in Government
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): ‘New Zealand’ or ‘Aotearoa’? Judith Collins backs National MP Stuart Smith’s call for referendum
RNZ: National’s call for Aotearoa referendum ‘absurd’ and ‘ridiculous’

Labour market, industrial relations
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Unemployment: Economist predicts ‘barrage of good news’ on the way
Rukuwai Tipene-Allen (Māori TV): Seasonal workers coming back but who will make sure they’re looked after?
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Air NZ holds on to staff despite bubble closure
RNZ: Nursing union, DHBs at odds over impact of Employment Court action
1 News: Dairy farmers working for months at a time amid staff shortages

Immigration
RNZ: Migrant workers protest at Parliament over separation from families
Amelia Wade (Newshub): Reuniting split migrant families on the cards but only when MIQ space opens up – Kris Faafoi
Cherie Sivignon (Stuff): Migrant’s battle to get her family into NZ brings distress and guilt

Commerce Commission supermarkets report
Mike Lee (Newsroom): Subsidies not soft drinks: The brave new world of Kiwishop
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): Political Roundup – Radical reform coming to a supermarket near you
Oliver Hartwich (Herald): Government the real obstacle to supermarket competition (paywalled)

Transport
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Newshub-Reid Research Poll shows how unpopular plan for $785 million Auckland cycle bridge is with voters
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Govt may backtrack on billion dollar bike bridge
Joel MacManus (Stuff): Wellington records more than 3000 bus cancellations for third consecutive month
Nick James (Herald): Wellington bus cancellations ease after some peak services axed
Georgina Campbell (Herald): A Capital Letter: If Transmission Gully is one day late builder must pay $7.7 million (paywalled)
Chris Keall (Herald): Huge spike in EV sales as feebate kicks in
1 News: Government approves $5.7 million in clean car rebates

Health
Damien Venuto (Herald): MedSafe gives Helius Therapeutics licence to manufacture cannabis medicines(paywalled)
Cecile Meier (Stuff): Staff feeling unsafe at mental health emergency department leaving in droves
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): Code red issued for Dunedin Hospital after spike in patient numbers
Herald Editorial: Hospital treatment delays hurt (paywalled)
Mike Houlahan (ODT): ED staff take legal action on work conditions
Louisa Steyl (Stuff): Southland nurse: We need more staff and hospital beds
Tracy Neal (Newsroom): Roger Douglas: Fund human healthcare like veterinary care
Benedict Collins (1News): Kiwi-made cannabis products could hit shelves by Christmas
Stuff: Editorial: Crucible of concerns awaits Aged Care Commissioner

Conversion therapy
Zane Small (Newshub): Justice Minister Kris Faafoi unable to confirm if conversion therapy ban covers kids taking hormone blockers
RNZ: ACT, National warn of conversion therapy bill ‘risk’
Michael Neilson (Herald): Act supports conversion therapy ban bill, National holding out over parental concerns

Mātauranga Māori science curriculum debate
Graham Adams (Herald): The criticism of seven professors over mātauranga Māori in science has missed its target (paywalled)
Teuila Fuatai (Herald):  Why pitting mātauranga Māori against Western science misses the point(paywalled)
Dan Satherley (Newshub) The Hui: Māori scientists say ‘slow violence’ of racism drives them out of universities
Kyle Gibson (Stuff): Science can’t be Pākehā or Māori, it’s just science 
ODT Editorial: Time for leadership in science
Emily Parke (The Conversation): Let’s choose our words more carefully when discussing mātauranga Māori and science

Sport
Ben Strang (RNZ): Sports Minister fields dozens of letters about Laurel Hubbard’s Olympics selection
RNZ: Laurel Hubbard’s Olympic debut: ‘Trans athletes don’t feel safe with the media’
Sean Ingle (Guardian): Laurel Hubbard’s Olympic dream dies under the world’s gaze

Local government
Nick Smale (Herald): West Auckland liquor fight: Competition will deliver choice and community funding(paywalled)
Nadine Porter (Stuff): Woman’s life-long goal ‘screwed over’ as dream property turns into nightmare
Lois Williams (RNZ): West Coast Council not in gun over PCR worker poisoned by 1080 vapour
1 News: Govt promising ‘more cost effective’ water infrastructure
Nikki Preston (Herald): Councillor faces longer suspension because he’s ‘not sorry’

Environment and conservation
David Williams (Newsroom): In a corner of Canterbury, poor protection starts to bite
Kim Moodie (RNZ): Unknown coral species hauled up in bottom trawling nets – report
Prem Maan (Stuff): It makes business sense to be GMO-free
Lois Williams (RNZ): Cave Creek remembered in DOC staff induction video
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland losing 1000 trees a week, properties ‘worth more if you bulldoze’

Dawn Raids apology
1News: Ardern wanted dawn raids apology to focus on Pasifika: Ministers
Mariner Fagaiava-Muller (RNZ): Dark days of the 1970s Dawn Raids are at last formally acknowledged

Other
James Kierstead and Michael Johnston (Daily Blog): Why the New ‘Hate Speech’ Legislation Should Be Scrapped
Tim Wilson (Stuff): Prison won’t cure hate speech, so what might?
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): ‘A criminal law in name only’: NZ’s ban on prison labour imports
Derek Cheng (Herald): And Justice For All? – Why change is needed in our criminal justice system and why the Govt won’t front (paywalled)
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Government didn’t report possible hack
Karl du Fresne: In New Zealand this week
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Defence Force hazardous substances audit stalled for years after law changes
David Cohen (RNZ): Abuse in care: How an old pamphlet titled ‘Understanding Polynesians’ underscores a current issue
Chris Leitch (Interest): Returning to economic orthodoxy is like going back to the horse and cart
David Chaplin (BusinessDesk): KiwiSaver as teenager: what does it really want?
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Buyers of financial institutions may soon need to meet a new ‘conduct’ test
Frances Chin (Stuff): Concern at white nationalist flyers seeking recruits (paywalled)
Chris Keall (Herald): A feast of urban broadband but rural internet a ‘stale donut’ (paywalled)
Danielle Clent (Stuff): $35m funding boost for Auckland Film Studios to help screen industry grow
Yashas Srinivasa (Stuff): Protest in Timaru against livestock ship’s visit
1 News: More help needed as student violence grows – Northland principal
Katy Jones (Stuff): Training 4000 teachers won’t reverse sliding literacy, educators say
Eloise Gibson (Stuff): Controversial ‘climate’ projects still waiting for money, a year on 
Kurt Bayer (Stuff): Christchurch mosque attacks: Second controversial movie project, Hello Brother is on hold