Political Roundup: 6 October 2022

Items of interest and importance today

LOBBYING BY KRIS FAAFOI
Thomas Cranmer: Political lobbying in New Zealand
David Farrar: From Cabinet straight to lobbying
Giles Dexter and Russell Palmer (RNZ): Faafoi rejects criticism over new lobbying boss role
No Right Turn: Close this revolving door

POLITICAL DONATIONS HIGH COURT TRIAL
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): The dragon in the room
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Yikun Zhang, the millionaire at the centre of the political donations trial
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Jami-Lee Ross acquitted as three found guilty over National Party donations
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Jami-Lee Ross ‘relieved’ at not guilty verdicts in political donations case
Lucy Thomson (Newshub): Ex-National MP Jami-Lee Ross found not guilty of fraud charges relating to party donations made in 2017, 2018
Maria Slade (NBR): Jami-Lee Ross not guilty on political donations charges (paywalled)
David Farrar: Ross found not guilty

GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Concern for John Tamihere-run charities after staff do PR for Māori Party
Deborah Hart (Stuff): Tell us how we can improve NZ’s electoral laws
Morgan Godfery (Stuff): Labour has forgotten what made 2020 possible
Mike Hosking (Herald): Labour mastering the art of the own goal (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): The lessons National can learn from UK’s Tories (paywalled)

ECONOMY, EMPLOYMENT AND INEQUALITY
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Government accounts revealed: New Zealand’s deficit far lower than expected, but more than double 2021’s as Covid-19 spending bites
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Government books healthier than expected as emergency economic Covid response ends
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Corporate profits give Grant Robertson a $9.3b surprise, as Government books inch closer to surplus
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Case for tax cuts grows stronger – but be careful what you wish for (paywalled)
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Healthy Government finances provoke fresh calls for tax cuts
Richard Harman: Beware the English-Joyce trap (paywalled)
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Government’s $108b tax take: What’s behind the haul and are tax cuts on the table?
Brent Edwards (NBR): Disagreement over tax cuts after release of Government finances(paywalled)
Kathy Spencer (Herald): It’s not too late to get income insurance right (paywalled)
Emile Donovan (RNZ): What makes a dollar? Determining the value of a currency
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): ‘Reserve Bank needs to see the pain’: Are OCR hikes too much?
Katie Bradford (1News): OCR rise will have ‘profound impact’ on Kiwi households – economists

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THREE WATERS, AND ELECTIONS
Anthony Doesburg (Newsroom): Most council candidates would maintain or expand co-governance with Māori
Diane McCarthy (Local Democracy Reporting): Local body candidate calls for online and mandatory voting
Eric Crampton (Herald): Why isn’t voting in local government elections simpler?(paywalled)
Matthew Scott (Newsroom): Where are Auckland’s voters?
David Williams (Newsroom): Mayoral candidate told off by council boss
Eva Davies (Stuff): The district where almost all candidates are being elected unopposed
Tom Kitchin (RNZ): Napier mayor admits making mistake over Three Waters investment figures
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Councils sign up for Three Waters funding in final days before voting closes
Hamish Clark (Herald): What will Lianne Dalziel’s legacy be for Christchurch?

HEALTH
Adam Pearse (Herald): Labour Party’s broken breast cancer screening promise costing lives, critics say
Jamie Morton (Herald): ‘Flood of Noah-like proportions’: The studies revealing Long Covid’s hidden toll in NZ
Tim Dower (Newstalk): It’s time we funded Primary Healthcare properly in this country
1News: Modeller warns another Covid-19 wave ‘likely’ in NZ

EDUCATION
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Pressure towards the mean: Do we really want to abolish streaming?
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Education Ministry expects to cut teacher funding due to decreasing enrolment
Waatea News: PPTA wants end date for streaming

OTHER
Maiki Sherman (1News): Human Rights Commission blasts Corrections over face-to-face visits
Michelle Duff (Stuff): Ombudsman finds ‘litany of failings’ in OT treatment of Malachi Subecz case
Richard Prebble: Logic versus emotion
Herald: Editorial: NZ should take pride in our welcome mat for refugees (paywalled)
Lorna Thornber (Stuff): New Zealand named among friendliest – and best – countries in the world