NZ Politics Daily: 9 May 2023

MEKA WHAITIRI DEFECTION, ELIZABETH KEREKERE RESIGNATION
1News: Exclusive: Meka Whaitiri breaks her silence after defection
Chris Trotter (Interest): Is New Zealand about to experience storm-force winds from a radicalised Māori electorate?
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Why Te Pāti Māori will struggle to be kingmaker at this election (paywalled)
Michael Neilson (Herald): Nanaia Mahuta rules out Māori Party as Meka Whaitiri prepares for big return to Parliament
Glenn McConnell (Post): It’s time for Parliament’s indie MPs to front up
Jacqui Van Der Kaay (Democracy Project): Political integrity lost in resignation
Jo Moir (Newsroom): Meka Whaitiri to break silence on defection
RNZ: Hipkins reallocates Meka Whaitiri’s portfolios
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announces Meka Whaitiri’s replacements in ministerial roles
Anna Whyte (Stuff): MP Jo Luxton promoted in wake of Meka Whaitiri’s Labour exit
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Gordon Campbell: On the wilting of the Greens
1News: Swarbrick reacts to Kerekere resignation after ‘crybaby’ text
Newshub: ‘Crybaby’ scandal: Chlöe Swarbrick tight-lipped on whether there were other incidents with Dr Elizabeth Kerekere

POLITICAL DONATIONS, ELECTION
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): National raises record $5 million in 2022, ten times Labour’s total
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): National Party banks record $5 million in donations in a single year
David Farrar: 2022 donation returns
Damien Venuto (Herald): The Front Page: Is Labour facing ‘coalition of chaos’ amid developments at Te Pāti Māori and the Greens?
Claire Trevett (Herald): A return to reality for PM Chris Hipkins – National reaches for the attack ads as Labour hits turbulence (paywalled)
Herald Editorial: MP ructions rattle the left (paywalled)
Karl du Fresne: Hipkins goes the full sausage roll
Anna Whyte (Post): Speculation grows around former Federated Farmers president’s political intentions (paywalled)

KIRI ALLEN SPEECH TO RNZ
Herald: National and Act hit out at RNZ over refusal to release a full copy of Cabinet minister Kiri Allan’s speech
Katie Harris (Herald): Kiri Allan RNZ speech revealed: ‘Something wrong’ at state broadcaster
Stuff: RNZ releases comments from controversial Kiri Allan speech
RNZ: RNZ releases comments from Kiri Allan speech
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Kiri Allan alleged Radio New Zealand ‘unable to keep Māori talent’, ‘some deep reflection’ needed

OIA ABUSE
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Chris Hipkins says he expects ministers to comply with official information requests after Willie Jackson scolded by watchdog
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Willie Jackson called out over ‘trend of human error’ in office, Ombudsman considered referring case to Solicitor-General
RNZ: Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson’s OIA failures ‘unacceptable’ – Ombudsman
No Right Turn: Total contempt for the OIA
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Proactive release used to circumvent OIA

TAX, ECONOMY, COST OF LIVING
Simon Wilson (Herald): Tax avoidance is the ram-raiding of the uber-rich (paywalled)
Tim Hazledine (NBR): How to reform our hump-shaped tax system (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Politics of TOP’s tax switch policy (paywalled)
Duncan Garner (NBR): Is Labour about to ram raid National’s policy vault on tax?
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Budget plea to Grant Robertson to return NZ economy’s focus to wellbeing
Jamie Gray (Herald): Westpac NZ’s Catherine McGrath sees risks of hard landing for NZ economy (paywalled)
1News: Supermarket supplier costs 10% higher than a year ago

DEFENCE
Richard Harman (Politik): Defence spending on the march (paywalled)
Amelia Wade (Newshub): Defence boost to stop personnel leaving as ‘geostrategic competition in our region’ intensifies
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Chris Hipkins announces $400m for defence personnel wages, after returning from King’s coronation
Russell Palmer (RNZ): New Zealand increases Defence Force pay rates, funding
1News: NZDF personnel to receive pay rise from July 1
Tim Fish (Australian Defence): Australian DSR poses challenges for New Zealand

FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TRADE
Thomas Manch (Post): Power list: Who is leading New Zealand on the world stage?
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Power Play: Hipkins’ fraught coronation trip buoyed by sausage rolls
RNZ: Hipkins tells BBC: Treaty settlement process ‘very powerful … but it isn’t easy’
Simon Shepherd and Gray Gibson: Newshub Nation: O’Connor refuses to make dairy concessions on trade deal with India despite huge trade losses
Brent Edwards (NBR): Business pleased as UK doors open for exporters from May 31 (paywalled)
Nicholas Ross Smith (South China Morning Post): No reason to think New Zealand is shifting its position on China and Aukus
Paul Buchanan: NZ and AUKUS PIllar 2
Nevil Gibson (NBR): Noose or lifeline? China’s role in New Zealand

BANKS
Rob Stock (Post): ‘New Zealanders need to understand how much they are missing out on’ (paywalled)
Rob Stock (Stuff): Westpac announces big fall in profits
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Westpac NZ interim profit falls 33%, bank takes $154m loan impairment charge
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Westpac’s profit falls amid gloomy economic outlook (paywalled)
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): ANZ’s call for caution after $1b half-year profit (paywalled)
Eric Freykberg (Interest): Reserve Bank moves to bolster its understanding of cyber resilience in the financial sector

BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT
Greg Hurrell (BusinessDesk): Govt’s covid subsidy fraud efforts face court challenge (paywalled)
Brianna Mcilraith (Post): Wendy’s back before authority after refusing staff holiday pay (paywalled)
Samantha Gee (RNZ): Sunshine wages: Average income for people in Nelson-Tasman lowest in NZ
Stuff: Newsable: The Kiwi clothing brands scoring poor on transparency, according to Oxfam
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Transpower fined $150,000 over August 2021 power cuts
Rob Stock (Stuff): Commerce Commission ‘prioritising’ probe into Go Car Finance as Consumer NZ criticises lender

HOUSING
Glenn McConnell (Post): Families in ‘crammed’ motels for months, or even years (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): Govt sends $159m lifeline to affordable housing projects (paywalled)
Geraden Cann (Stuff): $85b in home loans owed by pandemic peak borrowers
Miriam Bell (Stuff): Property market correction ‘not over yet’
Greg Ninness (Interest): The average dwelling value is continuing to decline by more than $1000 a week
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): National house prices nearing $900,000 after more value declines – QV
RNZ: National average house prices 13% down on a year ago – QV
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): ANZ NZ boss runs through a range of options for struggling home loan borrowers before the ‘last resort’ of a mortgagee sale

TRANSPORT
Sharon Brettkelly (RNZ): The Detail: How KiwiRail got off track
Finn Hogan and Gray Gibson: Newshub Nation: Disabled Kiwis bearing the brunt of public transport crisis
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): When Auckland buses are late, commuters are paying more for the privilege

IMMIGRATION
Amy Williams (RNZ): Pasifika overstayer detained after dawn raid granted temporary visa
William Hewett (Newshub): Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick slams dawn-raid style tactics, says there should be pathway to residency for overstayers

EDUCATION
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Has sexism suppressed teachers’ pay? Education ministry launches investigation
Gabrielle McCulloch (Stuff): Everything you need to know about the teachers’ strike
Gabrielle McCulloch (Stuff): Schools set to shut as teacher strike confirmed, despite last minute Government offer
Jane Nixon (1News): MoE urges teachers to halt strike action as 11th hour offer made
RNZ: ‘It’s about time’ – Kōhanga reo teachers welcome pay rise

HEALTH
Rachel Smalley (NBR): Dismantle Pharmac to make medicine procurement better run (paywalled)
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Hospitals discharging some very ill disabled people too early, care provider says
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Surgeons frustrated still no national criteria for who gets planned surgery and how quickly
Stephen Forbes (Local Democracy Reporting): Auckland measles cases should be a warning, expert says
Rob Campbell (Newsroom): Imposing health fixes without asking what’s working in the community

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Lane Nichols (Herald): Auckland Council signals it won’t compensate flood-hit homeowners affected by natural disasters, calls for govt buy-outs
1News: Wayne Brown opposes council compensating flood-hit homeowners
Tom Dillane (Herald): Mayor Wayne Brown hits out at cuts to emergency response budget, as Auckland Council considers 1% rates increase to fund $20m boost (paywalled)
Ruwani Perera (Newshub): Whānau impacted by race-based separatism in Pukekohe to receive formal apology
Brendon McMahon (Local Democracy Reporting): Altercation alleged at West Coast Regional Council

ENVIRONMENT
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Government struggles to spend climate money thanks to tight labour market, and disruption of climate change (paywalled)
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): Why the heat is on carbon offsets claiming to protect forest
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): Southland carbon offset project may have overestimated the effect of logging

MEDIA
Gavin Ellis: World Press freedom Index: Did well but could do better
Spinoff: Mediaworks launches DJ-less music radio station following Today FM demise
1News: MediaWorks replaces Today FM with new station in multiple markets

JUSTICE, CORRECTIONS
Benedict Collins (1News): ‘A world of lawlessness’ – Seymour wants thousands more offenders behind bars
RNZ: ‘No free ride’ says Seymour as ACT proposes to build youth detention centres

REPUBLIC DEBATE
1News: Republic debate: ‘Charles is nice, but he shouldn’t rule NZ’
William Hewett (Newshub): ACT’s David Seymour: Why now isn’t the right time for NZ republic debate
360info: Are Aussies, Canadians and Kiwis still loyal to the British crown?

OTHER
Newstalk ZB: New Zealand’s core public service reportedly spending three times more on advertising than 2017
Caroline Williams (Stuff): What is co-governance? Panellists at community discussion don’t seem to know
Verity Johnson (Stuff): We’re sick of Jacinda bashing
RNZ: Oranga Tamariki cuts funding for 130 trusts working with youth
Laura James (1News): NZSL board to ‘monitor and report’ on Government
Dita De Boni (NBR): Supreme Court finds Auckland free to tighten its own liquor laws (paywalled)
Steve Goodlass (Spinoff): While the inquiry drags on, there’s no justice for abuse in care survivors