NZ Politics Daily: 9 June 2023

MICHAEL WOOD AIRPORT SHARES CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Matthew Hooton (Herald): End of the line for lethally arrogant Labour — and Auckland light rail plans (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): National MPs correct interest register, as investigation into Michael Wood launched
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Michael Wood shares shambles: Jacinda Ardern previously aware of shareholding, was once told he had got rid of them
Jessica Mutch McKay (1News): This is not Labour’s week
ODT Editorial: Full disclosure and all too busy lives (paywalled)
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Chris Hipkins has tough decision to make as Michael Wood’s reputation ‘very tarnished’ – former United Future leader Peter Dunne
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Michael Wood denied any other pecuniary interests, in email to Newsroom
Felix Desmarais (1News): Michael Wood sells Auckland Airport shares
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Michael Wood confirms he’s finally sold his Auckland Airport shares
Lloyd Burr (Newshub): Green font and formatting to blame for Michael Wood’s Auckland Airport shares declaration blunder
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Top official launches inquiry into Michael Wood pecuniary interests after shares shambles emerges
RNZ: Parliamentary inquiry to be held into Michael Wood’s handling of his business affairs
Anna Whyte (Stuff): Parliament’s Registrar opens inquiry into Michael Wood’s Auckland Airport share disclosure
RNZ: Parliamentary inquiry to be held into Michael Wood’s disclosure of assets, other financial interests

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown faces an alternative to selling airport shares when budget meeting resumes today
Dita De Boni (NBR): ‘Dipshit’ councillors clap back at Akld mayor over airport shares (paywalled)
Felix Walton and Finn Blackwell (RNZ): Auckland Council fails to decide on budget, will reconvene Friday
Erin Johnson (Stuff): Auckland budget: Councillors back to the table on airport shares
Justin Hu (1News): Auckland budget: Wayne Brown compromises on airport shares sale
Matthew Scott (Newsroom): No full airport sale but councillors ‘going to have to swallow a dead rat or two’
Joseph Los’e (Herald): Tainui makes an audacious play for Auckland Council’s Airport shares – as Ngāti Whātua puts port deal on the table
Will Trafford (Whakaata Māori): Tainui asks gov’t to buy council shares in airport, for unresolved treaty claims
Erin Johnson (Stuff): Auckland Council’s budget meeting to roll into Friday
Emma Stanford (RNZ): ‘Good decisions take time’: Auckland councillors back to budget debate
Nick Truebridge and Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Councillors Julie Fairey, Chris Darby and Wayne Walker given green light to vote on Auckland Airport shares sales
RNZ: Auckland budget: Councillors with stake in airport can still vote on share sale
Erin Johnson (Stuff): 3 Auckland councillors can vote on budget, despite airport shares links
Newshub: Councillor Wayne Walker declares $3 million in Auckland Airport shares on day of sales vote
Robert MacCulloch: The Auditor General give incorrect legal advice on Councillor Fairey’s Auckland Airport shareholding
RNZ: Auckland Airport shares: D-Day for Mayor Wayne Brown’s budget hopes
Herald Editorial: Airport at the centre of attention (paywalled)
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Erin Gourley (Stuff): Wellington council plan to focus on improving rentals, ending homelessness
Jemima Huston (RNZ): Wellington council to pilot official rental housing inspection service
Rachael Kelly (Stuff): Gore District Council chief executive breaks his silence on bullying claims
Tim Brown (RNZ): Councillor boycotted retreat over charges against Gore mayor’s assistant
Nicholas Boyack (Post): Upper Hutt council loses its controversial boss (paywalled)
Justin Wong (Post): Porirua council confirms 9.7% rates increase with three councillors opposed (paywalled)
Piers Fuller (Stuff): South Wairarapa mayor refuses to publicly apologise to staff after criticising them
RNZ: Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell gives birth, takes swipe at state of health system
Luisa Girao (ODT): Sir Tim’s partner Asha Dutt throws hat in ring

ELECTION
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): A new poll plots the crunchy terrain for the election ahead
Luke Malpass (Post): National considered more capable on top three areas voters care about: Ipsos
Damien Venuto (Herald): The Front Page: David Seymour on what Act wants from National and his coalition expectations
Newshub: The Opportunities Party gunning to take Labour’s seat in Christchurch electorate
Josie Pagani (Stuff): When politicians over-promise and under deliver, democracy dies a little bit
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Temperature turns up on Michael Wood after probe launched, Jan Tinetti grilled, Christopher Luxon makes off-colour joke
Brent Edwards (NBR): Errant ministers, airport shares, bureaucracy and infrastructure
Anna Whyte (1News): PM Chris Hipkins returns to Wellington to face the political storm (paywalled)
Jack Tame (1News): Luxon wasn’t seriously urging us to have babies
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Christopher Luxon has a point: New Zealand needs more people
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Is Luxon saying we need more babies controversial?
Anneke Smith (RNZ): Christopher Luxon urges Kiwis to have more babies, saying it ‘would be helpful’
Bridie Witton (Stuff): National leader Christopher Luxon says we should ‘have more babies’

PARLIAMENT
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): The top five most complained about ministries when it comes to Official Information requests
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): A hard balance to strike between revolving door politics and old timers
Lamia Imam (Post): What do we want from our politicians? (paywalled)

JAN TINETTI
Jacqui Van Der Kaay (Democracy Project): The privilege of power
RNZ: Jan Tinetti tells Privileges Committee she regrets delay in correcting statement
Felix Desmarais (1News): Tinetti says she had ‘absolutely no intention to mislead’ Parliament

HOUSING
Tom Hunt (Post): Wellington council drew up a housing list after Loafers Lodge fire. Why we still can’t see it (paywalled)
Sarah Robson (RNZ): The Detail: Men without a safe place to call home
Eric Crampton (Newsroom): On the housing crisis Labour and National need to grow up (and grow out)
Don Brash: In defence of “urban sprawl”
John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): Kāinga Ora needs to be more upfront about its plans
Matt Porter (Mountain Scene): ‘Horrendous situation’: Queenstown council under fire over vacant cabins
RNZ: Queenstown council-owned cabins empty, despite rental crisis
Don Franks and James Robb: The Housing crisis and how workers can solve it
Cameron Murray and Tim Helm: The Auckland myth: There is no evidence that upzoning increased housing construction

POLICE, CRIME
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): New retail crime unit has ‘about eight’ cops in it, Police Commissioner and Minister reveal
Lloyd Burr (Newshub): Eye-rolling aplenty at politicians’ ram raid select committee full of tit-for-tat point scoring

HEALTH
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Health data out of date after inaccurate figures pulled from Te Whatu Ora website
Janet Hoek, Jude Ball, Richard Edwards, and Anaru Waa (Public Health Communications Centre): Do Aotearoa’s new vaping regulations go far enough?
Rachel Thomas (Stuff): Govt to announce Māori will lead efforts to tackle rates of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
Will Trafford (Whakaata Māori): Call for government to protect pēpi against alcohol-related harm
RNZ: Pharmac to switch from Herceptin to cheaper breast cancer treatment
Emma Hatton (Newsroom): Alzheimers NZ calls for urgent cash injection
James Perry (Whakaata Māori): Study shows positive outcomes in prioritising Māori and Pasifika diabetes treatments

FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Thomas Manch (Post): ‘We do not seek a new Cold War,’ senior US diplomat promises Kiwi audience (paywalled)
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Nanaia Mahuta says New Zealand will partner ‘not exclusively with those mirroring our views’
Jeremy Moses and Sian Troath (The Conversation): AUKUS is already trialling autonomous weapons systems – where is NZ’s policy on next-generation warfare?
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Ministers meet for first Australia New Zealand Climate and Finance summit
RNZ: New Zealand and Australian ministers meet for first Climate and Finance summit
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): NZ pushed to take stronger stance on Iran

BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT, MIGRANT WORKERS
John Weekes (Herald): Modern slavery: Anger at lack of action as EY, union, National all call for better law(paywalled)
1News: Unable to find Kiwis, employers are hiring from overseas
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Uber granted right to appeal drivers’ employment status
Hanna McCallum (Post): Public Service Watch: Strippers fighting for better contractor rights – radical, or not?
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Ministers still not ready to release supermarket break-up advice (paywalled)
Kate Hawkesby: Calling out supermarkets on dodgy pricing may work, but I’m concerned it won’t
Ian Powell: Affectional empathy and the living wage
Rob Stock (Stuff): AA Insurance becomes latest insurer facing court action
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): FMA files court proceedings against AA Insurance for allegedly overcharging tens of thousands of customers
Jamie Gray (Herald): Tiwai Point: NZ’s biggest power user becomes its biggest battery (paywalled)

PRIMARY INDUSTRIES
Anneke Smith (RNZ): Agricultural emissions plan in jeopardy as National walks back support
Monique Steele (RNZ): Federated Farmers issues list of demands for next government
Herald: Federated Farmers’ 12 policy changes for NZ’s next government

EDUCATION
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Majority of universities report deficit for 2022, call for government to reinvest savings
Colin Jackson (Stuff): Time for radical action to save our universities
Tim Scott (ODT): Slip-up announces uni cuts prematurely
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): University of Otago programmes at risk of cuts begin to emerge
Geroge Heagney (Manawatū Standard): University staff feel ignored over Massey restructure decision
Elizabeth Rata (World University News): Indigenisation threatens the university’s very foundations

TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE
Bernard Hickey: The holes (still) in National’s (not so) new infrastructure policy
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Local government wants certainty over $6b fund (paywalled)
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Congestion charging love-in among politicians (paywalled)
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Business welcomes Govt step to get cities moving with congestion charges
Tina Morrison (Stuff): Air NZ lifts profit forecast a second time, says airfares likely to ‘moderate’ from current peaks
Grant Bradley (Herald): Battle lines redrawn: Why airlines and Auckland Airport are back at war over pricing (paywalled)
Will Mace (NBR): Air NZ, Qantas demand pause in Auckland Airport development (paywalled)
Justin Hu (1News): KiwiRail confronted over passenger ‘safety risk’ in century-old tunnel
Rob Campbell (Herald): I’m all for infrastructure but what about nation building?

CYCLONE GABRIELLE
Nick Wilson, Ben Payne, John Kerr, and Matt Boyd (Public Health Communications Centre): Embracing downward counterfactual analysis to navigate future cyclones
Ian Powell: Timely public health advice over Cyclone Gabrielle requires action
Henry McMullan (1News): Vital Gisborne transport link nears completion, PM checks in
1News: ‘A nightmare’ – Hawke’s Bay locals ‘in limbo’ months after cyclone
Matthew Rosenberg (RNZ): ‘Just don’t give up’: Gisborne residents brace for winter in temporary accommodation
Lauren Crimp (RNZ): Tenants now eligible for payouts from Napier’s Cyclone Gabrielle Mayoral Relief Fund

ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION
Jonathan Milne and Andrew Bevin (Newsroom): Conservation Dept can file $100m contingency claim to remediate Ruapehu skifields
Angela McGaughran (The Conversation): New Zealand needs to up its biosecurity game to protect the country from the next devastating pest threat 
Brendon McMahon (Local Democracy Reporting): Conservation Minister outlines expectations to West Coast board

OTHER
Thomas Cranmer (The Common Room): From comrade to Dame in a New York minute
Samuel Hume (Arena Online): World’s biggest spying alliance issues warning about spying
Eric Frykberg (Interest): Falling tax revenue causes the Government accounts to dip further into the red for the first 10 months of the financial year
Brent Edwards (NBR): Slowing economy impacts Government’s books (paywalled)
RNZ: NZers in Australia looking forward to citizenship status
David Harvey: Regulating the Printing Press
Shayne Currie (Herald): Media Insider: Kate Hawkesby on Willie Jackson’s ‘lame’ awards dig; Today FM stars’ employment action; Ian Smith backs Justin Marshall (paywalled)
Jerry Coyne: The indigenization of New Zealand’s Space Policy