NZ Politics Daily: 10 February 2022

NZ Politics Daily: 10 February 2022

Protests, anti vaccination, mandates
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Signs of a schism as anti-mandate protesters turn on each other
Luke Malpass (Stuff): The protest that the MPs deliberately ignored
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Parliament’s MPs appear united against protesters camped outside 
Michael Neilson (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Parliament protesters, ‘it’s a part of New Zealand’
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern confirms she will remove COVID-19 vaccine mandates when they are no longer needed
RNZ: National leader Christopher Luxon calls for vaccine mandate timeline, doesn’t support protesters
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Politicians decry protest disruption, say restrictions will end eventually
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Vaccine mandates ‘may have already past their use by date’ – David Seymour
André Chumko (Stuff): What should authorities do about the anti-vaccine mandate protesters?
Eva Corlett (Guardian):  ‘Let’s remember why we are here’: New Zealand anti-vax protest splinters into jibes and jabs
Justin Giovannetti (Spinoff): The global movement fuelling anti-mandate protests
Democracy Project: Photos of Anti-vaccination protests at Parliament
1News: Anti-mandate protesters camp outside Parliament for second night
Stuff:  Anti-vaccine mandate protest: Campers wake to third day of occupation
Erin Gourley, Tom Hunt, Matthew Tso and Sophie Cornish (Stuff): Three anti-vaccine mandate protesters arrested, charged with obstruction
Michael Neilson (Herald): Three arrested amid heated day of protests at Parliament
1 News: Parliament protest arrests ‘extremely disappointing’, police say
Sophie Trigger (Herald): Protesters arrested after trying to breach gates of Parliament
Herald: Mask-wearing 17-year-old egged by aggressive convoy protesters
Erin Gourley and Matthew Tso (Stuff): Protest forces businesses around Parliament to close

David Clarkson (Herald): Chief Judge to consider judge’s anti-vaxxer comments
Marine Lourens (Stuff): ‘Nutcase views’: Judge’s comments to unvaccinated defendant referred to chief district court judge
Conor Knell (Stuff): Kiwibank customer claims he was trespassed for calling out manager’s improper face mask wearing
Cherie Sivignon (Stuff): Concern over ‘noticeable’ division in Golden Bay over Covid-19 rules 
Kate Newton (Stuff): How boosted is your neighbourhood?
Yashas Srinivasa (Stuff): ACC confirms 1708 Covid vaccination injury claims in 11 months

Polls, Parliament, parties, MPs
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Next election shapes up as battle for Labour’s soul (paywalled)
David Farrar: Roy Morgan poll January 2022
Mike Hosking (Herald): Even Labour voters feel shunned, disillusioned
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Christopher Luxon keen on Act policy to curb public sector growth, won’t rule out Act Treaty of Waitangi policy
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Christopher Luxon changes National’s direction on Māori issues
Michael Neilson (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern and National leader Christopher Luxon face off in first Question Time of 2022
Claire Trevett (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern v Christopher Luxon: Ignoring Covid pays in first Parliament Question Time for 2022 (paywalled)
NZ Herald: Labour MP Stuart Nash quits Mike Hosking’s radio show live on-air
Molly Swift (Newshub): Labour MP Stuart Nash quits Mike Hosking’s radio show live on air
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): TOP leader: ‘The time for incrementalism isn’t now’
Sela Jane Hopgood (Spinoff): This social media-friendly Pasifika MP is doing it for her community

Treaty of Waitangi
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Proceeding Without The People: Labour’s Gift To The Right
Jade Kake (Stuff): A credible pathway to return the land to tangata whenua
Morgan Godfery (Stuff): An egalitarian country tied to an undemocratic hierarchy
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Māori Party votes against congratulating Queen on 70-year reign, James Shaw says debate over ‘constitutional arrangements’ overdue
Merepeka Raukawa-Tait (Herald):  When Queen Elizabeth II’s reign ends, New Zealand’s republic question will be back on agenda (paywalled)
Stuff: Supreme Court hears appeal over how tikanga is assessed by the Waitangi Tribunal 

Omicron outbreak, cases, public health measures
Herald: Auckland remains epicentre as cases grow across the country
Herald Editorial: How hard has NZ really gone on Covid? (paywalled)
Ian Taylor (Herald): Speed up testing wait times or NZ will grind to a halt
Henry Cooke (Stuff): RAT manufacturer says Government got tests first because it ordered them first, no supplies diverted
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Push to use ‘game-changer’ testing kit in NZ and Tonga to prevent Omicron spread and avoid mass self-isolation of workers
Adam Pearse (Herald): How marae are becoming vital community resources in Covid fight
Matthew Hooton (Patreon): North Africa, Covid Testing and the Parliament Protest (paywalled)

Herald: Customers asked to wear surgical masks at Auckland beauty store
Evan Harding (Stuff): Customer backlash for grocery store owners on Stewart Island
Joanne Naish (Stuff): Omicron modelling shows up to 2200 active cases on West Coast, but most could be managed at home, DHB says

Health
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Omicron to slam a health system at ‘breaking point’
Cate Broughton (Stuff):  ‘Most dangerous place to be’: Nurses buying own N95 masks as Ministry fails to provide them 
Mark Craig (Herald): MIQ doctor’s frontline view as Omicron outbreak threatens
Jo Lines-MacKenzie (Stuff): Waikato Hospital staff test positive for Covid-19 during Omicron outbreak
Maryana Garcia (Herald): Being immunocompromised during a pandemic (paywalled)
Stuff:  Notorious woman offender makes hospital detention Bill of Rights claim
Lexie O’Shea (Stuff): DHB sets record straight as brief HDU merger highlights challenge of summer staffing
Naomii Seah (Spinoff): Asians aren’t as healthy as you think

Border, MIQ
Herald: ‘Infuriated’ MIQ returnees finally released from Rotorua hotel, all test negative
Germana Nicklin and Dee McDonald (Stuff): The biosecurity implications of opening New Zealand’s borders
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Border-busting boss: ‘Is it selfish to want to come home to be close to family?’

Education
Dubby Henry (Herald): School advertising for ‘classroom supervisors’ in case teachers have to isolate
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Government launches Māori education board, as it faces pressure for a Māori education authority
RNZ: Māori education system to be revamped

Adam Pearse (Herald): South Auckland primary schools consider vaccination clinics onsite
Maxine Jacobs (Stuff): Kura kaupapa urged to host vaccination centres as Omicron rises
Nadine Porter (Stuff): Pay it forward group for parents overwhelmed with donations

Economy, Business
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): ASB bank chief Vittoria Shortt’s warning: ‘We haven’t seen full Covid impact’
Arena Williams and Stuart Smith (Stuff): The last two years have been hell on earth for most of us – inflation will make it worse
Andrew Barnes (Herald): The big risk to New Zealand’s longstanding cash cow industry (paywalled)
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): Auckland hospitality businesses call on Finance Minister for support
Herald: Womad, Homegrown festivals cancelled, Auckland Arts festival axes 51 events
Christopher Reive (Herald): Two teams isolating as Covid-19 hits Super Rugby Pacific
Nadine Porter (Stuff): Mosque survivor forced to close business after turnover fell 75 per cent due to Covid-19 
Adam Burns (Local Democracy Reporting): Self-isolation rules not ‘terribly appealing’ for prospective visitors
Ben Groundwater (Stuff): Sorry New Zealand, no one’s going to take a holiday that requires self-isolating
Make Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Businesses are scared of govt retribution

Employment, Unemployment insurance scheme
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): ACC already recruiting head for Income Insurance Scheme
Craig Renney (Spinoff): The winners and losers in the latest jobs data
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Why has the Government not announced the minimum wage rates that start in seven weeks?

Conversion therapy
Richard Harman (Politik): The political cynicism of Judith Collins (paywalled)
Stuff Editorial: Conversion therapy ban deserves its broad, not uncritical, support
Zane Small (Newshub): National MP Simon O’Connor receives backlash for voting against conversion therapy ban but activists fear law needs urgent changes
Sapeer Mayron (Stuff): A parent’s suggestion of conversion therapy doubles risk of suicide, self harm
Anna Whyte (1 News): 18K petition calls for stronger conversion practices bill

Housing, Lending rules
Irra Lee (1News): National and Greens grill Government on rising rent
Zane Small (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern challenged on ‘eye-watering’ rent increases, ‘skyrocketing price of living’
Herald: Nicola Willis and Andrew Bayly promise bill to fix credit crunch
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Government home ownership scheme has housed just 58 families in 19 months
Stephen Ward (Stuff): New lending rules threaten to scuttle ‘flagship’ sustainable homes scheme
Rob Stock (Stuff): National’s plan to fix home loan crunch caused by new responsible lending rules
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): New lending law the reason ASB said no to 7% of borrowers
Nikitin Sallee (BusinessDesk): Saving Porirua: when treaty rights meet government policy (paywalled)
RNZ: Smaller centres becoming more attractive for homeowners – Westpac report
Lane Nichols (Herald): Kāinga Ora announces new measures to crack down on unruly state housing tenants
Anneke Smith (RNZ): Other agencies discourage Kāinga Ora from evicting misbehaving tenants, select committee told
John Weekes (Herald): Housing chief says Auckland gun violence among reasons thousands of tenants feel unsafe
Kiri Gillespie (Herald): Tauranga’s Parau Farms and Greerton Maarawaewae Study housing plans get ‘little support’ (paywalled)

Local government
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Efeso Collins or Richard Hills. Labour can’t decide who to back for Auckland Mayoralty (paywalled)
Felix Desmarais (Local Democracy Reporting): Code of conduct breaches: Rotorua councillor Reynold Macpherson removed from committees
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): Ratepayers foot $869,000 bill to fix museum’s life-threatening sprinkler system

Environment, Climate Change
Amelia Wade (Newshub): Majority of Kiwis don’t think NZ should reduce livestock numbers to combat climate change
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Govt seeks overseas trees to meet Paris climate pledge
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Does climate change really matter when push comes to shove?
Matthew Scott (Newsroom): Dolphin death reports delayed by DoC

Transport, Fuel prices
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Don’t be fooled. Transmission Gully was not and is not ready to open
Joel MacManus (Stuff): Calls for inquiry into Transmission Gully delay ‘fiasco’
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Auckland Light Rail: Planning will take another four years

Primary and Extractive Industries
Virginia Fallon (Stuff): Dude, where are our cows? NZ’s live export trade must end now
RNZ: Heat concerns for livestock being transported prompt 18 complaints over summer
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Learning to love Rio Tinto – can it be done? (paywalled)
Tom Kitchin (RNZ): Growers fear worst ever season about to be surpassed

Media
RNZ: The Detail: Why the ‘team of $55 million’ is in the public interest
Amberleigh Jack (Stuff): Michael Laws and Martin Devlin join Sean Plunket on The Platform

Other
Herald: Disabled child killed at notorious Catholic school in Christchurch after wrongly being given medicine, Royal Commission witness claims
RNZ: Oranga Tamariki apologises for incorrect information on $4m sexual violence programme underspend
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): New Zealand condemns ‘attacks on freedom of press’ in Hong Kong, China hits back
Northern Advocate: Northland marae to get $64 million of vital renovation work
RNZ: Privacy Commissioner’s office looking into cleaning business’ photos posted online as ‘potential privacy breach’
Sam Olley (RNZ): Existing law could be used to take action against crime scene cleaning company – Jacinda Ardern