NZ Politics Daily: 30 June 2023

GOVERNMENT, PM’S TRIP TO CHINA
Matthew Hooton (Herald): Why this arrogant Government doesn’t deserve Chris Hipkins (paywalled)
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Don’t Walk Away, Chippy – Labour Can Beat National On Tax.
Madeleine Chapman (Spinoff): Kiri and Chippy and the pressure of politics
Derek Cheng (Herald): Labour pains – how much will they hurt Chris Hipkins?
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Chris Hipkins promotes that New Zealand ‘open for business’ during China trip as ministers under scrutiny at home
Amelia Wade (Newshub): Two ministers in spotlight: Kiri Allan dismisses reports of concerns as Jan Tinetti apologises
Imogen Wells (Stuff): Newsable: Labour’s latest ministerial conundrum a ‘snowball that keeps getting bigger’
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): PM has a call to make on Kiri Allan- back her, or cut her
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Chris Hipkins’ China trip: Trouble at home takes wind from PM’s sails (paywalled)
Jo Moir (Newsroom): Hipkins in China: Swimming in the deep end
Herald: PM Chris Hipkins wishes he could stay in China longer, as New Zealand trade trip draws to a close
RNZ: New flights between China and New Zealand announced
Henry Cooke (Guardian): The New Zealand PM’s ancient plane is embarrassing – but an upgrade risks too much of a backlash
Gerhard Uys (Stuff): PM’s China trip paying off for primary sector
Kelvin McDonald (Whakaata Māori): Mahuta’s ‘radically different’ te ao Māori foreign policy approach with China makes prestigious international journal

KIRI ALLAN
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Kiri Allan ‘yelled and screamed’ at me, senior public servant says
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Senior minister Andrew Little responds to claim Kiri Allan ‘yelled and screamed’ at public servant
Andrea Vance (Stuff): The mystery (withheld) text now at the centre of the Kiri Allan situation
Derek Cheng (Herald): ‘Fishing exercise’ and ‘bloodsport’: Kiri Allan hits back at Opposition probing
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Kiri Allan fires back as National Party probes allegation of staffing issues
Derek Cheng (Herald): Cabinet minister Kiri Allan confirms relationship break-up with Māni Dunlop, returns to Parliament after mental health break
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Kiri Allan says no allegations ever put to her about staff, has ‘no evidence’ department heads raised concerns
Anna Whyte and Thomas Manch (Stuff): Kiri Allan denies staffing issues: ‘We run hard while we’ve got the ball’
RNZ: Kiri Allan rejects claims she treated staff badly

JAN TINETTI
Derek Cheng (Herald): Education Minister Jan Tinetti ordered to apologise to Parliament by privileges committee
Anna Whyte (Stuff): Education Minister Jan Tinetti displayed a ‘high degree of negligence’ – Privileges Committee report
RNZ: Jan Tinetti made error of judgement that misled Parliament, Privileges committee finds
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Jan Tinetti not guilty of contempt, powerful Parliament committee says – but she will have to say sorry
No Right Turn: The obvious question

ELECTION, PARLIAMENT
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): National must raise bar in politics as Crusaders have done in rugby
David Fisher: National leader Christopher Luxon on the pre-campaign trail, building political muscle(paywalled)
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Fresh bids and bad blood in battle for the fringe right vote
Felix Desmarais (1News): Inside Parliament: Another minister facing questions
Brent Edwards (NBR): Ministerial conduct, China, saving universities, a prediction
Graham Adams (The Common Room): Close polls puzzle pundits as election looms
Pokere Paewai (RNZ): Māori voters who want to switch electoral rolls urged to do so before 13 July deadline
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): The growing momentum behind Brooke van Velden’s bid for Tāmaki
Maioha Panapa (Herald): Hana Maipi-Clarke, 20, to take on Nanaia Mahuta for Hauraki-Waikato seat
James Perry (Whakaata Māori): Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke to contest Hauraki-Waikato seat
RNZ: Te Pāti Māori selects Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, 20, for Hauraki-Waikato
Phil Smith (RNZ): The House: How select committees tweak bills
RNZ: The House: Parliament’s backstop for extra government spending
Phil Smith (RNZ): Ministerial Grillapalooza: Photos from Parliament’s Estimates Hearings
Johnny Blades (RNZ): The House: ACT’s pile-on Question Time tactic

TRANSPORT
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Waka Kotahi needs an overhaul, politicians say (paywalled)
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown furious at senior Government ministers Grant Robinson and Megan Woods over light rail
Erin Johnson (Stuff): Wayne Brown labels government move ‘bombing run’
Tom Hunt and Erin Gourley (Stuff): Last minute bid to stop Let’s Get Wellington Moving fails
RNZ: Wellington City Council votes against withdrawing from Let’s Get Wellington Moving
RNZ: Drunk-driving deaths hit 10-year high
Will Trafford (Whakaata Māori): Dunedin council backs Waka Kotahi push for bilingual road signage
Emma Hatton (Newsroom): Low uptake of wheelchair fit-out fund blamed on high set-up costs

FUEL TAX, HALF-PRICE PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Krystal Gibbons (RNZ): Fuel tax reinstatement set to bite
Sapeer Mayron (Stuff): Half-price public transport fares in NZ ending – but only for adults
Raphael Franks and Amy Wiggins (Herald): July 1 changes: Fuel price rise, half-price public transport extends, plastics crackdown, clean car discount decrease

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Wellington City Council votes for a sister city in Palestine
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Local councils review big card payment surcharges on ratepayers
RNZ: Eight percent rates rise for Marlborough amid cost-of-living crisis

BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT
Tom Kitchin (RNZ): The Detail: The cancer-causing dangers in our workplaces
Dita De Boni (NBR): Wherefore art thou, changes to the Holidays Act? (paywalled)
RNZ: Checkpoint: Complaints about energy providers up 27% on previous year
RNZ: Banks make not-for-profits clear ‘hurdles’ that are ‘onerous’, study finds
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Guarantee for savers’ bank deposits due by end of next year
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Businesses wondering whether ‘we’ve dodged a bullet’
RNZ: Business confidence up 13 points in June – ANZ monthly survey
David Hargreaves (Interest): ANZ’s latest Business Outlook Survey shows a big lift in confidence and overall sentiment, while cost and inflation expectations have dropped
Rebecca Stevenson (Interest): Banking Ombudsman gets fast-track fraud resolution undertaking from NZ banks
Maria Slade (NBR): NZ banks look to Singapore in fight against online crime (paywalled)
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): New Zealand ranks first globally for work-life balance

HEALTH
Jack Tame (1News): Why don’t politicians act on our most harmful drug?
Ian Powell (BusinessDesk): The cruelty that lies behind the health equity adjuster (paywalled)
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Doctors give Te Whatu Ora a fail mark for its first year
Kiah Radcliffe (Stuff): ED staff after better communication from Te Whatu Ora as winter illness takes its toll
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Construction inflation, insufficient planning add to hospital project cost blow-outs
Caleb Fotheringham (RNZ): Pasifika contracting meningococcal in NZ set to increase this winter
Larua James (Herald): Disability Ministry gets New Zealand Sign Language name

EDUCATION
Tim Hunter (NBR): Gilding the ivory towers (paywalled)
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Staff fear big job cuts as Massey University reconsiders courses with low enrolments
George Heagney (Manawatū Standard): Third university signals big job cuts despite new funding
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Documents expose Microsoft’s relationship with NZ education and hopes for AI in schools
Michael Johnston (Herald): The Ministry of Ignorance strikes again (paywalled)
RNZ: Primary principals give pass mark to 6% pay rise, more increases to come
Kate Nicol-Williams (1News): Dyslexia advocate interrupts select committee, says Govt is failing

HOUSING
RNZ: Government agencies to assess boarding house stock after fatal Loafers Lodge fire
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Finance Minister removes house prices from Reserve Bank remit
Matthew Scott (Newsroom): Auckland Councillors livid at surprise public housing directive
Janine Rankin (Manawatū Standard): Kāinga Ora plans to replace old homes with even more new ones in Rangitīkei

CORRECTIONS
RNZ: ‘We know we need to do better’: Corrections CEO responds to damning report
Soumya Bhamidipati (RNZ): ‘Utterly frustrated’: Prisoners’ poor treatment sparks call for chang

EXTREME WEATHER, CLIMATE CHANGE
Michael Neilson (Herald): Cyclone Gabrielle response: Govt launches inquiry, sets aside $240m in finance, will underwrite loans up to $10m
Kate Green and Lauren Crimp (RNZ): Support for farmers and growers following severe weather, government inquiry announced
Kate McVicar (NBR: ‘Anger and frustration’ from growers following cyclone support (paywalled)
Susan Botting (Local Democracy Reporting): Coastal retreat may be the best long-term option for some Whangārei residents
Matthew Rosenberg (Local Democracy Reporting): Gisborne council scientist provides sobering update on region
Basil Sharp (Newsroom): Property rights, wrongs and the Emissions Trading Scheme

ENVIRONMENT
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): With single-use plastic gone, paper isn’t the greenest choice for your fruit and veg
RNZ: Next step of the single-use plastics ban: What you need to know
Jane Nixon (1News): Plastic’s out, recycling’s in – How NZ is getting rid of waste
Tom Kitchin (RNZ): The Detail: Kicking the single-use plastic habit

CENSUS
RNZ: Census declared ‘success’ despite return estimates short of target
Louise Ternouth (RNZ): ‘Be accountable’ – Last-minute dash to complete census forms

JAMES WALLACE
Damien Venuto (Herald); The Front Page: The sordid plots and schemes behind Sir James Wallace’s crimes
Kurt Bayer and Bernard Orsman (Herald): Sir James Wallace case: Top NZ institutions move to distance themselves from unmasked convicted offender

OTHER
Denise Cosgrove (Stuff): The plight of the poor elderly has barely improved in 70 years
Zane Small (Newshub): Trust in police falls most among men, straight people and Pākehā
David Williams (Newsroom): Christchurch terror attacks board ‘a waste of time’
Newshub: Far-right conspiracy theorist Avi Yemini allowed entry into New Zealand after originally being denied
Lydia Lewis (RNZ): Rarotonga Treaty could be ‘undermined’ if Pacific leaders don’t oppose Japan’s nuclear dump
Newshub Nation: Disillusioned skilled migrants share their nightmare Immigration NZ stories
Toby Morris (Spinoff): The Side Eye: Sticking your neck out
RNZ: Addressing historical grievances in Waimakariri
Shayne Currie (Herald): Media Insider: SENZ radio set to lose up to $3.3m; sports star’s media awards valet carpark dispute; big changes at Stuff, NZME (paywalled)