NZ Politics Daily: 12 June 2023

TAX, GREENS’ TAX POLICY
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Greens’ wealth tax very clever – but income, corporate tax changes are risky
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Greens promise wealth tax as research reveals rich stash $470b in trusts
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): IRD chief says high-wealth project was ‘intrusive’ but important (paywalled)
David Parker (NBR): Right of Reply: The idea of a principles-based approach to tax policy is hardly new or radical (paywalled)
Luke Malpass (Post): What’s the difference between lifting a GM ban and raising a wealth tax? (paywalled)
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Greens’ new tax policies called ‘envy-fuelled’ by ACT, but James Shaw, Marama Davidson say it’s about ‘inclusion’, ‘collective care’
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Greens promise tax cuts for salaries under $125,000, and $385 per week income guarantee
RNZ: Green Party announces ‘Income Guarantee’ plan to help households meet rising costs
Adam Hollingworth (Newshub): Tax the rich, prop up the poor – the main takeaways from Greens’ big election tax announcement
Adam Hollingworth (Newshub): Green Party say New Zealanders can end poverty with wealth tax
Dan Brunskill (Interest): The Green Party would provide a guaranteed income of $385 a week, paid for with a wealth tax on assets over $2m and 45% tax on income over $180,000
Shanti Mathias (Spinoff): Greens come out swinging against Act with expansive tax policy
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): National to reveal how it will pay for tax cuts before pre-election fiscal update, Nicola Willis says

NATIONAL
Farah Hancock and Guyon Espiner (RNZ): Tax, spend and crisis: What hours of interviews reveal about the obsessions of our political leaders
1News: Q+A: Luxon challenged over his 7 houses: ‘Who owns more than you?’
Geraden Cann (Stuff): Christopher Luxon’s properties affected by density laws he plans to scrap
Richard Harman (Politik): Collins paves the way (paywalled)
1News: Q+A: NZ’s GMO laws to be loosened under National govt – Luxon
Isobel Ewing (Newshub): Two top scientists back National’s policy to loosen genetic modification laws
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): National calls to end ‘ban’ on gene edited crops
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): National promises to end Genetic Engineering ban
RNZ: National would end genetic modification ‘ban’ if elected
David Farrar: National to end GE ban
Adam Pearse (Herald): National Party’s unplanned request to film with Christchurch police put officers in ‘difficult position’ – Coster
1News: Q+A: Luxon vows to resign if abortion access curbed under any future govt he leads
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): National’s Nicola Willis unleashes at journalists for taking Christopher Luxon’s ‘have more babies’ comment ‘out of context’
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): Never mind the babies – let’s get building (paywalled)
ODT Editorial: Having babies and being helpful (paywalled)
Alison Mau (Post): If you want more babies, give us universal basic income first (paywalled)
Nicola Grigg (Herald): What the National Party wants for New Zealand women (paywalled)

ELECTION
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Remember when politicians used to kiss babies and do walkabouts?
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Why 2023 is the year of the minor party
Matthew Hooton (The Australian): Angry Kiwis want a better government but they won’t get it (paywalled)
Molly Swift and Simon Shepherd (Newshub): ACT stealing right-wing voters poses risk to National – senior journalist
Dan Brunskill (Interest): An aggressive Act Party pushes politics to the right
Damien Grant (Stuff): ACT, from lost cause to historic comeback
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Chlöe Swarbrick and the Green machine: Can they take another seat off Labour?
ODT Editorial: A genuine contest of ideas (paywalled)
Mike Munro (Herald): Elections can get grubby – spare us the faux outrage about dirty politics (paywalled)
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): 2023 will be a class war election without the political vocabulary

TAXPAYER’S UNION-CURIA POLL, IPSOS NZ ISSUES MONITOR
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): New poll points to National-Act government despite bump for Greens
Cherie Howie (Herald): Political poll: National, Act could form Government
RNZ: New poll shows National, ACT keeping edge ahead of Labour
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Law and order now number two issue for voters, but most still concerned about the cost of living

MICHAEL WOOD
Vernon Small (Stuff): Transport minister not out of hot water yet
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Michael Wood not out of wood amid Auckland Airport share saga (paywalled)
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Michael Wood: Wooda, coulda, shoulda sold those airport shares
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald): What’s the point of sacking Michael Wood? (paywalled)
Steve Braunias (Herald): The secret diary of … Michael Wood’s 12 reminders (paywalled)
RNZ: No ‘adequate explanation’ for Michael Wood failing to disclose, dispose of shares – National
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Labour Party ‘ready to move on’ after Michael Wood, Jan Tinetti dramas – minister Ginny Andersen

PARLIAMENT
Peter Wilson (RNZ): Week in Politics: Chris Hipkins’ worst week
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Beehive Diaries: China confronts New Zealand’s One Building Policy (paywalled)
Glenn McConnell (Post): Hang on … What? Baby boom! Dodgy highways, and ruined plans (paywalled)
Mike Houlahan (ODT): MPs pay homage to Hillside pilgrimage site
Bruce Cotterill (Herald): Our politicians are living in a world of their own (paywalled)
Julie Jacobson (Post): Political staffers lacking support, ‘sacrificing personal lives and mental health’ (paywalled)
Oliver Hartwich (The Common Room): Has Ardern altered the course of NZ?
Shayne Currie (Herald): Dame Jacinda Ardern set to sign record book deal, publishing industry abuzz after ‘bidding war’ (paywalled)
Kylie Klein-Nixon (Stuff): What we’d like to see in a Dame Jacinda Ardern memoir
Herald: Ask Me Anything: Sir John Key talks to Paula Bennett about politics, ambition and raising kids
Finn Hogan (Newshub): Newshub Nation Backstory: Labour MP Helen White recounts financial struggles while raising her children

ELECTORAL REVIEW
Grant Duncan (Stuff): Extending the term of parliament isn’t a terrible idea, it’s just one NZ has rejected twice already
Rebecca Wright (Newshub): Newshub Nation: Electoral review chair Maria Bargh on why politicians can’t decide term lengths
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): ‘I would like to hear from all those people’: Electoral review chair responds to critics
Chris Trotter: The Numbers That Matter
Jonathan Leask (Local Democracy Reporting): Lowering voting age a ‘gateway’ to improving education

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
K Gurunathan (Stuff): Central government’s legislation factory leaves councils at mercy of ratepayers
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Wayne Brown lands first budget, selling fewer airport shares and with higher rates
Gyles Beckford (RNZ): Sale of Auckland Airport shares: What you need to know
Finn Blackwell and Jordan Dunn (RNZ): Auckland budget approved: Councillor likens discussions to eating rats
Stuff: Recap: Protesters thrown out for disrupting Auckland Council budget meeting
RNZ: Developers oppose Auckland Council plan to stop greenfield housing development on city outskirts
Damien Venuto (Herald): The Front Page: Ports of Auckland boss Roger Gray on moving the port, changing the ownership model and working with the union
Eric Crampton (Post): Rates for change: How Wellington can be the blueprint for the rest of NZ (paywalled)
Melissa Nightingale (Herald): Wellington City councillor accused of racism for comments on Chinese garden
Nicholas Boyack (Stuff): Wellington could run out of water this summer – again
Libby Kirkby-McLeod (RNZ): Union slams redundancy process at South Waikato Council
Lauren Crimp (RNZ): Wairoa District Council proposes 15.4% rates hike
Tina Law (Press): Christchurch council office burglar stayed for two hours, stole $3000 of personal items (paywalled)

TRANSPORT
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Waka Kotahi gives big bonuses to well-paid staff
Simon Wilson (Heral): All hail Wellington, our cycling capital (paywalled)
RNZ: Next-generation speed cameras launched in Northland
Molly Swift (Newshub): Air NZ CEO warns Auckland Airport upgrade will cost more, further increasing airfare prices

LOAFERS LODGE TRAGEDY, FIRE SAFETY
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Investigation: How local councils score on their building warrants of fitness
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Bay of Plenty emergency housing has not had fire safety inspections for almost a year
Mike White (Stuff): Man who raised Loafers Lodge fire alarm describes horror, and hardship
Kim Meredith (Local Democracy Reporting): Loafers Lodge fire could happen in Auckland, ex-boarding house resident warns

ECONOMY, INEQUALITY
Max Rashbrooke (Spinoff): The two poverties
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Punishing benefit claimants harms children, advocates warn
Liam Dann (Herald): If we skip recession, does that let the Government off the hook? (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Banks split on whether NZ recession will be confirmed on Thursday
Gareth Kiernan (Post): We’re headed for recession – technical or otherwise (paywalled)
David Hargreaves (Interest): The Reserve Bank will be content enough if the data shows heat coming out of the economy
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Roy Morgan says the number of New Zealanders worried about interest rates has risen as they’ve risen
Rob Stock (Post): Economic downturn will hit bank margins, ratings agency warns (paywalled)
Cameron Bagrie (BusinessDesk): A closer look at the government’s revenue – on a slippery slope (paywalled)

EMPLOYMENT
Andrea Vance (Post): Inside the pay deal that has caused a row among unions (paywalled)
Shane Te Pou (Herald): Fair Pay Agreements Act will cement equality for hospitality industry [paywalled)
Anna Sargent (RNZ): Uber drivers hit speed bump in fight for employee rights as company granted leave to appeal Employment Court decision
James Halpin (Stuff): Annoying or dangerous: How should managers deal with extremists in the workplace?
Lane Nichols (Herald): WorkSafe forestry death probe stalled by lack of evidence, family fears failings could jeopardise prosecution
Dita De Boni (NBR): Trial periods and probationary periods: easy come, easy go? (paywalled)

BUSINESS
Eric Frykberg (Interest): Business NZ commissioned report says NZ restricts foreign direct investment too much and corporate tax rates are too high
Janine Starks (Stuff): Banks need to pay up for financial scams
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): Is Countdown’s ‘Great Price for Winter’ campaign really a great price?
Glenn McConnell (Post): Public Service Watch: National to release agricultural emissions plan, MPs head to Fieldays (paywalled)
Riley Kennedy and Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): Fieldays 2023: less spending, more politics (paywalled)
Lloyd Burr (Newshub): The New Zealand wool industry needs backing
Seni Iasona (Newshub): Ruapehu hapū says meeting with Miniter Kiri Allan was ‘productive’ as future of ski fields hangs in balance
Karen Rutherford (Newshub): Ruapehu hapū not ruling out high court injunction as ski field stoush with MBIE ramps up
Kelvin McDonald (Whakaata Māori): Ruapehu hapū warn government against selling ski fields without consulting Māori
Brianna McIlraith (Post): Hospitality industry battling skills shortage, food prices and supply chain issues (paywalled)

VAPING
Conor Whitten (I News): Fears confirmed: New data shows vape stores target poorest areas
Sharon Brettkelly (RNZ): First, a smoke-free generation – next, a vape-free one?
Luke Kirkness (Herald): Why we should follow Australia’s lead on clamping down on vaping

HEALTH
Nicholas Jones (Herald): Health Minister Ayesha Verrall targets ‘postcode lottery’, defends waiting list progress (paywalled)
Alex Spence (Herald): Ombudsman rebukes Te Whatu Ora for ‘unacceptable’ OIA delays
Niva Chittock (RNZ): Few guidelines or data over gang conflicts at hospital facilities
Ian Powell (BusinessDesk): GPs: close to death by a thousand cuts (paywalled)
Matthew Ronsenberg (Local Democracy Reporting): ‘We won’t stop’: Medicine petition delivered to Parliament
Teuila Fuatai (E-Tangata): Elana Curtis: We want to see them fly

EDUCATION
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Teacher education programmes report hundreds fewer enrolments
Gianina Schwanecke (Stuff): More strike action as secondary teachers reject latest pay offer
RNZ: Secondary teachers reject latest offer, industrial action to continue
Alwyn Poole (Kiwiblog): PPTA continue to grind students and families into the ground in their own self-interest
Gianina Schwanecke (Post): Primary principals hold ‘crisis summit’ after ‘sobering’ survey results (paywalled)
Stuff: Hundreds of principals could leave the profession within years, survey says
Gianina Schwanecke (Post): Neurodiverse students’ needs not being met, says new coalition (paywalled)
RNZ: Victoria University proposes cuts to country’s only religious studies programme
Gianina Schwanecke (Post): Oh, the Humanities: Vic Uni alumni rally to support threatened arts courses (paywalled)
Fiona Ellis (ODT): Review of uni’s recent financial management called for
Tim Scott (ODT): Uni group calls for more govt funding
Daniel Benson-Guiu (ODT): Hipkins offered nothing when university needs support, funding

RNZ’S PRO-RUSSIA EDITING CONTROVERSY
Thomas Mead (1News): Exclusive: RNZ received complaint over Russian ‘propaganda’ months ago
Gabrielle McCulloch (Stuff): RNZ saga may be related to disinformation from overseas, says security analyst
RNZ: RNZ Editorial Audit
Caroline Williams and Michael Daly (Stuff): Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson briefed by RNZ board chair over Russian propaganda claims
Tess McClure (Guardian): Radio New Zealand investigates Russia-friendly editing of Ukraine articles
Hayden Donnell (RNZ): RNZ investigating Kremlin-friendly story edits
RNZ: RNZ investigating after publishing story including false account of events in Ukraine
Steven Cowan: Is RNZ providing distorted coverage of the war in Ukraine?

FOREIGN AFFAIRS
John Minto (Post): An independent foreign policy means detaching from global superpowers (paywalled)
Steven Ratuva (E-Tangata): Big power posturing in Oceania
1News Q+A: Top diplomat denies US trying to militarise the Pacific
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Cooling talk of ‘a new Cold War’
Troels Sommerville (Stuff): Australia deports 21-year-old with 70 convictions to NZ, despite only living in Aotearoa as a month-old baby

CLIMATE CHANGE
1News: Q+A: ‘We can’t avoid 1.5C’ – Climate scientist warns we’ll miss key target
James Renwick: The coast is under threat
David Williams (Newsroom): National cringes at climate spending
Rachael Kelly (Stuff): Is the Government’s He Waka Eke Noa agricultural emissions legislation on its last legs?
Tess McClure (Guardian): New Zealand’s warming seas threaten Māori food sources relied on for generations
Ian Llewellyn (BusinessDesk): Carbon auction is set to fail
Rod Oram (Newsroom): Hoping for an effective COP28? Bonn chance!

ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION
Kate MacNamara (Herald): Department of Conservation tackles budget shortfall with a half-million-dollar spend on consultants (paywalled)
Anna Whyte (Post): Officials don’t know how much of NZ’s plastic waste is dumped or reused overseas (paywalled)
Laura Mills (Greymouth Star): MPs to Doc: Get advice on mining permits
RNZ: Antipodean albatross could be flying towards an ‘extinction vortex’

POLICE
David Fisher (Herald): Police automatic surveillance of number plates – new accountability and privacy rules mooted
Zane Small (Neshub): Revealed: Police increasingly laying charges for refusing access to digital devices

CRIME
Michael Neilson and Chris Knox (Herald): What is soft on crime? And how do Labour and National’s political claims stack up? The Herald takes a look at the data (paywalled)
Tom Pearce (Stuff): The other side of talking tough on retail crime
Hayden Donnell  (RNZ): Mediwatch: Digging out the facts on crime and punishment

CYCLONE GABRIELLE, AUCKLAND FLOODS
Adam Pearse (Herald): ‘Unfair’: About $7m of cyclone business support will be returned unless Govt intervenes
Simon Shepherd (Newshub): Newshub Nation: No time frame for buyout decisions on red-stickered Muriwai homes

ELECTRICITY
RNZ: Electricity sector working to minimise risk of winter blackouts
Kaysha Brownlie (Newshub): New Zealand’s hydro lakes at record levels heading into winter, but challenges remain

OTHER
Janet Wilson (Stuff): Adversarial justice system remains unfair on survivors
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): Not In anybody’s backyard, even when we plan it (paywalled)
Karl du Fresne: On Michael Woods, the precarious future of universities and the media
Andrew Bevin (Newsroom): Law change empowers a new consumer advocacy agency for water
Brian Easton (Pundit): Accountability And Archives New Zealand
David Fisher (Herald): Jacinda Ardern pitches Christchurch Call as world’s answer to risks posed by artificial intelligence
Kate Green (RNZ): Allowing greyhound race to go ahead ‘disappointing’, animal welfare group says
Will Trafford (Whakaata Māori): 95 Māori, Moriori remains including 6 Toi Moko repatriated from Germany
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): ‘Someone is taking this right from us’ – Families broken as relatives denied visits to NZ
Katie Doyle (Stuff): Incoming Stuff CEO Laura Maxwell talks whakapapa, news and whānau