Political Roundup: 2 March 2023

Items of interest and importance today

ROB CAMPBELL
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): How to save your company director from being radicalised on LinkedIn
Audrey Young (Herald): The Rob Campbell sacking – and why saying sorry wasn’t enough(paywalled)
Newshub: Rob Campbell’s witch hunt accusations are ‘nonsense’, political expert Bryce Edwards says
Cécile Meier (BusinessDesk): Rob Campbell’s sacking a blow for an exhausted health sector
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): Rob Campbell says neutrality rules will scare off board candidates
RNZ: Rob Campbell’s Health NZ sacking an opportunity to gain better leadership – ex-DHB member
Jayden Holmes (Today FM): NZ Nurses Organisation ‘sorry to see’ Rob Campbell go
Boris Sokratov (Herald): What does Rob Campbell’s sacking mean for Māori health outcomes?
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Rob Campbell is not going to go quietly
Rachel Smalley (Today FM): Campbell’s comments don’t impact the lives of patients. Pharmac’s failings do.
Lloyd Burr (Today FM): Where is the line for public servants?
Tova O’Brien (Today FM): I’m gutted, I rated Rob Campbell big time
Anna Rawhiti -Connell (Spinoff): Rob Campbell proves once again that unemployment is always just a post away
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Rob Campbell says he’ll reply to David Parker’s letter tomorrow, Campbell to be fired, Herald understands
1News: Rob Campbell set to be fired as EPA chair, 1News understands
Amelia Wade (Newsroom): Rob Campbell makes bombshell accusation of a witch hunt in Newshub interview
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Rob Campbell set to be fired from Environmental Protection Authority chair role, Newshub understands
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Rob Campbell faces axe from second Government job, after Te Whatu Ora sacking
RNZ: Environmental Protection Authority chair Rob Campbell looks set to lose another role
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Sir Ashley Bloomfield weighs in on Rob Campbell sacking
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Claim’s that the Public Service is ‘Left wing’ misdiagnoses the disease, symptom and patient!
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Sir Ashley Bloomfield weighs in over Rob Campbell sacking, calls it a ‘big story’
Thomas Coughlan and Claire Trevett (Herald): Health chair Rob Campbell sacked by Health Minister Ayesha Verrall – fears co-governance had role in his dismissal
1News: Sacked Te Whatu Ora chair doubles down on Three Waters comments
Newstalk ZB: Former Te Whatu Ora chair adamant he hasn’t crossed a line
RNZ: Luxon says ousted health boss Rob Campbell should be sacked from EPA too

PARLIAMENT OCCUPATION
Luke Malpass (Stuff): A year on from the Parliamentary riots: MPs just get on with life
RNZ: Boiling Point: The violent end of the occupation at Parliament grounds
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Parliament grounds occupation of 2022: Figureheads and factions, one year on
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): March 2nd – One year on from Parliament Lawn Protest – Winners and Losers
Piers Fuller (Stuff): Parliament occupation ‘a scar on NZ’: Vaccine mandates long gone, mistrust remains
Stuff: How the occupation of Parliament came to an end

PARLIAMENT
Mike Hosking (Herald): This Government’s attempts to blame National for their problems is tiresome (paywalled)
David Farrar (Patreon): Timing and Momentum in Politics (paywalled)
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): When the Right pretend their toxicity towards Jacinda had nothing to do with her resigning…

CLIMATE CHANGE
Max Rashbrooke (Spinoff): Saying it’s ‘too late’ to mitigate climate change sounds seductive – but it’s wrong
Cindy Baxter (Newsroom): Cyclone flushes out the new climate denial
Ben Thomas (Stuff): Cyclone Gabrielle: Adaptation no longer climate change’s poor cousin
Steven Cowan: How radical is Chloe Swarbrick?
Newstalk ZB: $12.8 billion will have to be paid out to other countries to slash emissions
Aurora Garner-Randolph (Stuff): In defence of climate protest

FORESTRY SLASH, TIMBER INDUSTRY
Andrea Fox (Herald): Forestry slash inquiry: Debris-battered East Coast sees red over minister’s measure of pine plantation content (paywalled)
Rebecca Stevenson (Interest): Gisborne forestry company Aratu says it has lost trees worth tens of millions in Cyclone Gabrielle
Waatea News: Forestry workers need voice in slash inquiry
David Schiel and Chris Battershill (Stuff): Sediments are wrecking our coastal ecosystems
Clemens Altaner (The Conversation): Despite restrictions elsewhere, NZ still uses a wood preservative linked to arsenic pollution

CYCLONE GABRIELLE, FLOODING
Thomas Manch (Stuff): State highway repair and red-zoning communities ‘immediate issues’ for cyclone recovery
Phil Pennington (RNZ): To stay or go: Is managed retreat on the cards for some cyclone-hit areas?
Anna Whyte (Stuff): Call for $257m Government investment to strengthen rivers, stop flooding
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Why do we have race-based flood funds?
Simon Bridges (NBR): We need to rebuild, whether it’s inflationary or not (paywalled)
Roger Partridge (Herald): Cyclone Gabrielle: How to build back better (and how not to)(paywalled)
Peter Griffin (BusinessDesk): Rebuild yes, but with a side of innovation, too (paywalled)
Brooke van Velden (Herald): Govt needs courage to get cracking on rebuild
Simon Mercep (1News): MP urges some flood-hit homeowners to wait for a buyout option
Rob Stock (Stuff): Will the banks ever lend on flooded Auckland homes again?
Susan Botting (Local Democracy Reporting): Cyclone Gabrielle: PM’s promise north won’t be forgotten angers Northland leader
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Brian Tamaki blames porn use in Gisborne and Hastings for Cyclone Gabrielle disaster
Anita Wreford (The Conversation): Cyclone Gabrielle hit NZ’s main fruit-growing region hard – now orchardists face critical climate choices
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): Orchardists tell PM they need financial help after cyclone devastation

CYCLONE GABRIELLE – CRIME CONCERNS
Adam Pearse (Herald): Cyclone Gabrielle: Why police didn’t tell Prime Minister Chris Hipkins that road workers were threatened with guns
Newshub: Dismissal of crime after Cyclone Gabrielle ‘a really bad look’ for Chris Hipkins – Bryce Edwards
RNZ: Police have accurate picture of crime in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle – Coster
Newshub: Jenna Lynch says Prime Minister, Police Minister must call in Police Commissioner Andrew Coster over latest crime revelations
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Andrew Coster apologises to Prime Minister over comms breakdown that led to Chris Hipkins dismissing crime story
Karen Rutherford (Newshub): Chris Hipkins visits decimated Hawke’s Bay orchards, promises community fearful of looting that he’s listening
Mitchell Hageman (Hawke’s Bay Today): Cyclone Gabrielle: Police deploy mobile bases amid Hawke’s Bay crime concerns
Denis O’Reilly (Herald): A view on lawlessness from my evacuation shelter (paywalled)

ENVIRONMENT
Ian Llewellyn (BusinessDesk): Upton scathing about RMA reform (paywalled)
Anna Whyte (Stuff): MP labels environment ministry outrageous and hypocritical over flight use

HOUSING
Richard Harman (Politik): Housing intensification backfires on National
Geraden Cann (Stuff): Wellington now ‘most affordable’ city to buy in following sharp price falls
Greg Ninness (Interest): Latest figures from Realestate.co.nz suggest a growing mountain of unsold properties for sale
Zoe Hunter (Herlad): Cost of living: Tauranga rents rise $30 in year to January, landlords ‘bombarded’ by tenants (paywalled)
Rob Stock (Stuff): ASB matches BNZ’s 4.99% one-year fixed mortgage rate in behind-closed-doors deal

COST OF LIVING
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): Kiwis spend 13 hours of work time a month worrying about money, research finds
Cameron Smith (Herald): Financial pressures forcing workers to delay retirement(paywalled)
1News: Kiwis ‘cutting back further’ amid inflation – expert
Andrew Bevin (Newsroom): Ecommerce dropping away ‘markedly’

BUSINESS
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): Banks’ net interest margin hits 8-year high (paywalled)
Debbie Jamieson (Stuff): Harassment and bullying concerns revealed in plan to transform tourism workforce
RNZ: Government announces plan to strengthen tourism workforce
Nona Pelletier (RNZ): What’s holding up an energy supply deal on Tiwai aluminium smelter?

MEDIA
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Questions over AM network’s funding despite its essential status in disasters
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (Stuff): RNZ interview about trans rights with UK philosopher was ‘freedom of expression’ – BSA
Poppy Clark (Stuff): ‘Ridiculed’ teen felt apology wasn’t a priority for Heather du Plessis-Allan
Shaun Bamber (Stuff): Julian Wilcox joins Māori current affairs series The Hui

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Damien Venuto (Herald): The Front Page: Why the next Auckland Budget could shape the city for years
Ben Strang (RNZ): Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s diary almost empty day of the flood
RNZ: I know it’s tough’ – Wellington Mayor on 12% rates rise
Grant Miller (ODT): DCC supports giving 16-year-olds the vote (paywalled)

THREE WATERS
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Three Waters reform explainer: Contrasting Labour and National’s initiatives (paywalled)
Liam Hehir (The Blue Review): National’s 3 Waters alternative is… actually pretty good
Rebecca Stevenson (Interest): The financial winners and losers from NZ’s water reforms
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Credit agency warns NZers are blind to ‘astronomical’ costs of fixing Three Waters
Brent Edwards (NBR): Further kerfuffle over funding Three Waters infrastructure(paywalled)
Stuff: Marlborough mayor reiterates opposition to Three Waters

HEALTH
Virginia Fallon (Stuff): New Zealand’s health system is keeping something important private
RNZ: Changes to Dunedin Hospital build will not affect care patients receive – advisory chair
Georgia O’Connor-Harding (Herald): Christchurch mum left with bleeding gums, holes in teeth as dental costs take a toll
Anna Whyte (Stuff): Public, organisations have say on proposed changes to alcohol rules
Stephen Forbes (Local Democracy Reporting): Counties Manukau waiting list jumps 46 percent in a year
ODT Editorial: Being rash about measles
Jody O’Callaghan (Stuff): Christchurch health worker faces employment backlash after racist social media posts
Mana Wikaire-Lewis (Whakaata Māori): Country’s first rare disorders month begins

TRANSPORT
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Expert advised WorkSafe to prosecute NZTA, VTNZ after faulty truck handbrake failed
Brook Sabin (Stuff): The big problem at Air NZ few people are talking about

TUSIATA AVIA
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): F…ing Things Up
Newstalk ZB: Creative New Zealand CEO defends controversial Tusiata Avia project
Chris Lynch: Human Right Commission receives complaints over Christchurch poet

EDUCATION
Tom Kitchin (RNZ): The Detail: Keeping kids in school
RNZ: University of Auckland staff strike action continues over pay talks dispute
Evan Harding (Southland Times): Southland primary and kindergarten teachers fight for better conditions
Alwynn Poole (Kiwiblog): Two Election Year Reports in the NZ Education System – Part 1

OTHER
David Fisher (Herald): The author who mapped New Zealand’s far right – then went into hiding because they wanted to murder him (paywalled)
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Modern slavery: Kiwis overwhelmingly support action by Government, new poll reveals
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): Gaming machine profit surpasses $1b for the first time in nearly 20 years
RNZ: GCSB does not have legal mandate to ban TikTok on government devices
David Williams (Newsroom): Flood risk casts shadow over feedlot plans