NZ Politics Daily: 18 August 2021

Covid-19 –  NZ enters Level 4 lockdown
Tim Watkin (Pundit): The Lucky Lockdown? Is This The Kick Up The Bum NZ Needs?
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Best case scenario: This level 4 lockdown looks like an overreaction
Andrew MacFarlane (1 News): Opinion: NZ’s best shot is a tough Covid lockdown
Jo Moir (Newsroom): Cabinet not beating around the bush with Delta
Stuff: Experts praise community case response, but question why no mandatory masks
Zane Small (Newshub): Epidemiologist Michael Baker’s ‘big message we need to recognise’ if Delta is in Auckland community
Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris (Spinoff): Delta makes this a new kind of challenge. But we can smash it again
Derek Cheng (Herald): Why we should be worried, and the signs of optimism to look for today (paywalled)
Michael Plank (The Conversation): After its first suspected Delta variant community case, New Zealand goes into short, sharp nationwide lockdown
1 News: NZ better off against Delta with strict lockdown – expertsRichard Prebble (Herald): What worked last year may not work against Delta (paywalled)
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Four key questions about the likely-Delta case
Kate Newton and Felippe Rodrigues (Stuff): How prepared are we for the coronavirus Delta variant in the community?
Henry Cooke (Stuff): New Zealand plunges back into lockdown after mystery community case ends golden weather
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RNZ: Four new community cases include nurse at Auckland Hospital
1 News: Auckland case is Delta; four new community Covid-19 cases
Mina Kerr-Lazenby (Stuff): Delta confirmed, four new community cases – Jacinda Ardern
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Covid-19 case reported at Auckland City Hospital, among four new cases overnight
Michael Neilson (Herald): New Zealand lockdown – four new Delta cases including Auckland Hospital nurse
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RNZ: Coromandel mayor lax on scanning despite Covid-19 community scare
Newstalk ZB: Coromandel Mayor says there are no testing stations in the area
Molly Houseman (ODT): Southerners warned not to be complacent
Conan Young (RNZ): South Island settles in for level 4: ‘That’s the sacrifice we’ve got to make’
Craig Kapitan (Herald): ‘Children are at home’ even if parents are essential workers — Ardern
Adam Pearse (Herald):23 exposure events for Auckland positive case
Josephine Franks (Stuff): Locations of interest linked to first Delta community case
Herald: Auckland community case – locations of interest; ’70-80′ people in Coromandel bar on same nights
Vaimoana Tapaleao (Herald):Coromandel cafe Umu shocked after hosting Devonport man three times
Herald: What level-4 lockdown means for you: Everyone asked to wear a mask when they leave home
Herald: Level 4 lockdown – what you need to know
RNZ: What the different alert levels mean
Herald: Where to get tested in Auckland tomorrow
Hannah Martin (Stuff): How to set up a work-from-home arrangement that won’t cause you pain
Kimberley Gillan (Stuff): A ‘third space’ is vital for our wellbeing. Here’s how to create one at home during lockdown
RNZ: Covid-19 community case: Nationwide level 4 lockdown
Tess McClure (Guardian): New Zealand to go into national lockdown over one Covid case
Michael Neilson (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces level 4 lockdown for Auckland, Coromandel, New Zealand
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Herald: ‘Moronic’ supermarket shoppers seen sprinting for supplies
1 News: Ardern says panic buying unnecessary – ‘Be kind, courteous’
RNZ: Supermarkets warn against panic buying
Daniel Smith (Stuff): Rush on supermarkets as shops prepare for potential alert level change
Herald: Aucklanders rush to supermarkets despite pleas not to panic-buy
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Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Wage subsidy applications open on Friday as NZ moves to alert level 4
RNZ: Lockdown triggering support payments for businesses
Herald: Wage Subsidy Scheme available nationally – Finance Minister Grant Robertson
Herald: Covid-19: Government to trigger income support
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Charlie Gate (Stuff): Lockdown for New Zealand a blow, but the right thing to do, business leaders say
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Businesses would support ‘short, sharp’ lockdown
Rahul Bhattarai (Herald): Retail and hospitality industry nervous and stressed about lockdown
Melanie Carroll and Susan Edmunds (Stuff): ‘Highest possible price’ paid again by hospitality sector
Jamie Gray and Liam Dann (Herald): Community case hits dollar, raises questions about OCR call
Mike Hosking (Newshub): We’re missing massive economic opportunities
Phil O’Reilly (Herald): The next steps as NZ plans to re-open (paywalled)
Herald: Community case hits dollar, raises questions about OCR call
Graham Skellern (Herald): NZ shares plunge as Auckland Covid case unnerves investors (paywalled)
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Bridie Witton and Rachel Thomas (Stuff): Nurses, hospital midwives call off strikes after Covid-19 lockdown announced 
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Nurses union calls off strike as lockdown looms
Jessica Tyson (Māori TV): Koroneihana celebrations at Turangawaewae Marae cancelled
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): NZ Fashion Week organiser ‘in shock’, working to reschedule 20th anniversary event
Mandy Te (Stuff): Events in Wellington come to a halt, public transport timetable changes as country enters alert level 4
Stuff: How the All Blacks, Black Caps and New Zealand’s Paralympians could be affected
Barbara Dreaver (1 News): Cook Islands suspends all travel from NZ for 72 hours
Torika Tokalau (Stuff): Cook Islands travel bubble suspended after NZ community case

Covid-19 – Vaccine rollout
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Where NZ’s vaccine rollout stands as news breaks of Auckland Covid community case
Emma Russell (Herald): Vaccinations suspended for 48hrs
1 News: ACT slams ‘nonsensical’ pausing of vaccinations
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): David Seymour blasts Govt decision to pause vaccinations for 48 hours
RNZ: Why vaccinated must lock down too – Delta’s speedy transmission
Tina Morrison (Stuff): Meat industry ‘frustrated’ at failure to obtain priority Covid-19 vaccinations
Ben Strang (RNZ): Doctor hopeful children as young as 5 can soon be vaccinated
Ella Stewart (RNZ): New Zealand to trial new Covid-19 vaccine
Conan Young (RNZ): Canterbury DHB vaccination rollout making up ground
Whatitiri Te Wake (Māori TV): ‘It’s my choice, God’s got me covered’ – Veronica Allen

Covid-19 – MIQ
1 News: Chief Ombudsman says MIQ complaints have ‘surged’
Felix Desmarais (RNZ): DHB member ‘strongly opposed’ to more MIQ facilities in Rotorua
RNZ: Covid-19 transmission at Jet Park when doors opened for seconds
Stuff: Delta transmission at Auckland’s Jet Park MIQ hotel via opening of doors
1 News: Changes made after Covid-19 transmission inside Auckland MIQ facility
Zane Small (Newshub): Covid-19 transmission at Auckland’s Jet Park quarantine facility likely from room doors being opened simultaneously

Afghanistan
Keith Locke (Spinoff): New Zealand should never have joined the war in Afghanistan
RNZ: The Detail: The catastrophe that is Afghanistan, and NZ’s part in it
1 News: NZDF’s first attempt to get NZ citizens out of Afghanistan has failed
Stephen Hoadley (The Conversation): As New Zealand mobilises to help in Afghanistan, its rescue response faces serious challenges
Emma Hatton (RNZ): ‘We didn’t know we were going to be at this risk’ – Afghans await NZ answers
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Afghanistan: Most of the 37 Afghans to be rescued by New Zealand forced into hiding far from Kabul
Luke Malpass, Lucy Xia and Thomas Manch (Stuff): Number of stranded New Zealanders doubles to 104
Kirsty Lawrence (Stuff): Confusion in Afghanistan around who’s eligible for New Zealand mercy flight 
RNZ: Defence Force will not land in Afghanistan – Peeni Henare
Irra Lee (1 News): Jacinda Ardern: NZDF may help foreign nationals flee Afghanistan
Simon Ewing (Unclas): Ardern’s C130 Gambit: Too Little Too Late
RNZ: Afghanistan: PM says situation is ‘distressing’, focus is on bringing NZers home
Stuff Editorial: Not all that our troops achieved in Afghanistan has been lost
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): A win for humanity
Herald: Taliban seize Afghanistan: 200 locals could be rescued by NZ rescue operation
Sapeer Mayron and Danielle Clent (Stuff): Afghan Kiwis desperate to help family members stuck in Kabul
Negar Partow (Stuff): International legitimacy of Taliban government only tool for protecting Afghan people
Zane Small (Newshub): Judith Collins brands Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ‘staggeringly cruel’ for ‘snail’s pace’ response to Afghanistan crisis
Russell Palmer (RNZ): No women’s rights in Taliban’s Afghanistan – Judith Collins
Dan Satherley (Newshub): ‘Catastrophic’ withdrawal from Afghanistan ‘one of the lowest points of Western foreign policy in decades’ – Helen Clark
RNZ: Former Kiwi soldier unsurprised by unfolding situation in Afghanistan
1 News: ’20 years of sacrifice gone to nothing’ — Kiwi Afghan fears for homeland
David Fisher (Herald): Father of fallen soldier’s message to veterans: You did make a difference – you gave a glimpse of freedom (paywalled)
Sahiban Hyde (Herald): SAS soldier’s widow ‘deeply saddened’ but not bitter after Taliban takeover in Afghanistan (paywalled)

Housing
Rob Stock (Stuff): Hope and despair of ‘Generation Rent’ laid bare in report
Brent Melville (BusinessDesk): Only 40% of ‘generation renters’ own homes (paywalled)
Dan Satherley and Caitlin Ellis (Newshub): Bank makes prediction for when NZ house prices will start falling
Georgina Campbell (Herald): A Capital Letter: It’s going to be a painful wait for new housing in Wellington
Amy William (RNZ): First home buyers to pay thousands more when deposit rules change
Aaron Leaman (Stuff): State housing development gets green light from Hamilton City Council
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Search for new home: ‘The children keep asking where we are going to go’
Riley Kennedy (ODT): Owning home unattainable, young believe
Cherie Sivignon (Stuff): Council backs Tasman developments that may provide 5000 homes
Kelly Makiha (Herald): Wylie Court motel: Glenholme petition launched calling for transparent Rotorua council process (paywalled)

Simon Bridges’ book, National Party
Newstalk ZB: Simon Bridges: Former National Party leader on his new book
Simon Bridges (NBR): Extract: On being ‘born again’ (paywalled)
ODT Editorial: Gloom continues to hang over National

Opinion polls
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Government spend $200k with polling firm months before 2020 election
David Farrar: UMR poll July 2021

Health
RNZ: Nurses pay equity negotiations: Cabinet gives green light, agrees to funding – Andrew Little
Michael Neilson (Herald): Nurses’ pay: Government’s green light for equity negotiations worth ‘hundreds of millions of dollars’
1 News: Govt wants nurses’ pay equity settlement talks to begin
Chloe Blommerde (Stuff): ‘I have no magic answer’: Hospital boss battles lack of staff as expansion looms

Paul Mitchell (Stuff): Mother furious son with life-threatening pneumonia twice turned away from Palmerston North Hospital 
Helen Harvey (Taranaki Daily News): Taranaki waiting lists for specialists longest in the country
RNZ: ACC removes bonuses for executive staff
Will Trafford (Māori TV): Rongoā Māori clinic opens at Bay of Islands Hospital
MIke Houlahan (ODT): Call soon for outpatients building proposals

Energy
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Power cut blame: Government should have answers in October
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Grant Robertson says there will be enough power, but warns cable won’t be fixed tonight
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Contact Energy rejects low-price power initiatives for vulnerable consumers
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Transpower: Power cut risk has passed
RNZ: Transpower issues grid emergency notice for North Island
RNZ: Electricity Authority resets spot electricity prices from December 2019
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Electricity Authority finalises fix for 2019 hydro spills, with few changes
RNZ: Dry weather and plant outages cuts Mercury full year profit by third

Environment, climate change, conservation
Hannah Skelton and Andrew Geddis (Spinoff): Why are so many climate activists taking legal action, and does it do any good?
Todd Niall (Stuff): Emission reduction: Submitters back transport plan but demand more
Joe Bennett (Stuff): ‘There’s no way I can responsibly bring a carnivore into the house.’
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Wellington City Councillor Tamatha Paul says MPs acting ‘too slow’ on climate change, should lose their jobs if they don’t move fast
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): Why the Treaty of Waitangi is crucial to our plan to cut greenhouse gas
Stuff: Appeals against water bottling consents confront Environment Canterbury processes

Tourism
Liz McDonald (Stuff): Officials did not refer multimillion-dollar yachting event bid to ministers
Dan Lake (Newshub): Government details where ‘significant’ extra funding for regional tourism operators is going as borders remain closed
RNZ: Main centres biggest winners from regional tourism fund
Skara Bohny (Stuff): Fund for Nelson Tasman tourism welcomed

Local government
Logan Savory (Stuff): Ceo says she should not have shared contents of Sir Tim’s email
Luisa Girao (ODT): Email intercept wrong: CEO
Ben Kepes (Herald): Why the Three Waters Reform makes sense for the regions (paywalled)
Evan Harding (Stuff): Rob Scott to stand for Southland District mayoralty in 2022
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): New Plymouth councillors reject free hour of parking amid rates increase concerns

Transport
Bernard Orsman (Herald): ‘It’s a bad situation’: Auckland councillors worried about $400 million transport funding hole (paywalled)
Oliver Hartwich (Herald):  The ‘Green Paradox’ in Government’s CentrePort investment (paywalled)
Janine Rankin (Manawatū Standard): Distraught KiwiRail neighbours want compensation options
Nikki Preston (Herald): Hamilton’s $1.33m innovating street trial upsets businesses, forces council staff to resign
Simon Wilson (Herald): At last, is this safe cycling on Dominion Rd? (paywalled)
Thomas Bywater (Herald): Regional air links prepare to electrify airports for electric aircraft network
Maia Hart (Stuff): ‘Couldn’t be prouder’: Sounds Air locks in electric plane deal

Labour market, industrial relations
Anne Gibson (Herald): SkyCity workers get pay $2.90/hour base rate rise, company and Unite welcome boost (paywalled)
Sandy Eggleston (ODT): Employment scheme given more funding
Greg Ninness (Interest): The number of people in New Zealand on work visas has declined by 40,000 since March last year

Auckland
Herald Editorial: Crime in the city editorial: How can we can tackle the problem (paywalled)
John Weekes (Herald): Crime in the City: Life-or-death decisions frontline cops face on the job
Elizabeth Binning (Herald): Crime in the City: Kiwi cops with guns – What do the public really want?(paywalled)
Michael Neilson (Herald): Crime in the city: Political and city leaders respond to the rise in violent crime

Other
No Right Turn: Public Servants, the OIA, and independent oversight
Gordon Campbell (Werewolf): On The Media’s Handling Of (A) The Afghan Crisis, And (B) The Hacked DHB Material
Sam Stubbs (Stuff): Are economists wrong on interest rates again?
Dileepa Fonseka (Stuff): Official cash rate hike won’t end winter of discontent
David Capie (Incline): New Zealand Finds its Voice on the South China Sea. But was anyone listening?
1 News: Woman takes fight to pyramid schemes targeting Auckland Pasifika
Louis Ashworth (Telegraph): UK-NZ trade deal ‘highly possible’ by end of August (paywalled)
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Spies: Covid-19 ‘grievances’ could motivate terror attack
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (Herald):  Wāhine Māori must lead dismantling of colonialist mindset in Aotearoa
Tina Morrison (Stuff): Rural real estate boasting best returns in over a decade, fuelled by low interest rates, PGW says
Herald: America’s Cup: Auckland still a small chance to host America’s Cup says Team New Zealand’s Grant Dalton
Rachael Kelly (Stuff): Improvements in Southland winter grazing practices ‘a good start’
Grant Miller (ODT): Public to have say on future of Forbury
ODT: MP Clark moves to new office
Christine Macfarlane (Herald): Raising the ratio of school counsellors (paywalled)