Covid: Govt messaging, blame, compliance Branko Marcetic (Democracy Project): We’ve cut the Govt slack for its own Covid missteps, so let’s do the same for workers Josie Pagani (Stuff): Let’s stop this lockdown blame game, finger-wagging won’t get you anywhere Josh Van Veen (Democracy Project): Bloomfieldian Optimism – The Tragedy of Case M Chris Trotter (Interest): Sunday services Alex Braae (Spinoff): People are confused. So …

Covid: Auckland community outbreak Crystal Wu (Newshub):  Jacinda Ardern refuses to apologise to KFC worker, says family was told to self-isolate 1News: Auckland KFC worker with Covid-19 says she was never told to isolate, wants apology from PM Mandy Te (Stuff): Questions raised over whether people are being told they must self-isolate following Covid-19 tests Stuff: Jacinda Ardern denies KFC worker who …

Covid: Auckland community outbreak Richard Harman: Ardern’s new tough talk Claire Trevett (Herald): When will Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s patience with rule-breakers wear thin?(paywalled) Thomas Manch (Stuff): Blame and fear for the team of five million, as PM pleads for compliance Michael Baker (Herald): Why government is right to yo-yo between alert levels Joel Maxwell and Thomas Manch (Stuff): A confident Government, a spreading virus, …

Housing Luke Malpass (Stuff): Government’s slow crawl on housing continues Jason Walls (Herald): ‘Kiwis can’t outbid Kāinga Ora:’ Government grilled over $750 million house-buying bill Dileepa Fonseka (Stuff): Auditor-General investigates MSD scheme which paid landlords $3k per week for ‘uninhabitable’ houses Stuff Editorial: A clue from the Aussies for Ardern Joel Maxwell (Stuff): Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr warns against ‘the FOMO’ in housing market Dan …

Housing Richard Harman: Government has little to say about housing crisis Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Govt set to bring out big tools to manage housing pressure Miriam Bell (Stuff): Housing affordability at worst point in ‘at least 17 years’ Adam Jacobson (RNZ): New Zealand housing affordability plummets to historically low levels Zane Small (Newshub): National’s Nicola Willis in disbelief as Megan Woods reveals results of Progressive …

Child poverty report and inequality Janet McAllister (Spinoff): What the new child poverty stats tells us – and what they don’t Claire Trevett (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s do-or-die child poverty promise (paywalled) Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Poverty figures a sigh of relief for PM – but will it last? Branko Marcetic (Democracy Project): NZ’s economic “bounce-back” is a myth – but lifting benefits would bring it closer …

Covid: General Tim Watkin (Pundit): The Law Of Diminishing Covid Returns: The Government’s Mood Management Task Liam Dann (Herald): Riding Dr Ashley Bloomfield’s Covid roller coaster (paywalled) Jamie Morton (Herald): Auckland lockdown was ‘frustrating’ but justified, says expert Josephine Franks (Stuff): Experts call for seven-tier alert level system as Auckland moves to level 1 Stuff Editorial: MIQ facility suggestion is poor timing RNZ: Michael Barnett urges ‘more …

Housing Damien Grant (Stuff): Who’s to blame for housing unaffordability? Bernard Hickey (Stuff): Should Reserve Bank overheat economy to blast free of low interest rate trap? Gareth Vaughan (Interest): You can’t lose with property mate Zane Small (Newshub): Housing Minister Megan Woods fires up when quizzed on lack of property shortage figures Gill South (Stuff): Single buyers get it rough when it comes to the housing market …

Covid: General Matthew Hooton (Herald): Jacinda Ardern’s boldest and most adept Covid move yet (paywalled) ODT: Editorial – Trust and politicians in the Covid era Richard Harman: Living with covid Lisette Reymer (Newshub): New Zealand should stop living in fear of COVID-19 – expert Henry Cooke (Stuff): National says move out of alert level 3 lockdown is ‘bold’ and ‘ambitious’ Keith Lynch (Stuff): The ‘edge’ cases and when …

Covid: Auckland outbreak decisions Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Contact tracing ‘Ferrari’ will be enough to contain future outbreaks Jamie Morton (Herald): Shift to Level 2 ‘not cautious enough’ – expert Science Media Centre: Auckland jumps down to Alert Level 2 – Expert Reaction Jason Walls (Herald): Auckland’s lockdown exit comes with a Jacinda Ardern warning Richard Harman (Politik): Living with covid Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Community surprised as Auckland moved …

Australia-NZ dispute over terrorist suspect in Turkey Dan Satherley (Newshub): Judith Collins defends Australia’s move to dump terrorist problem on New Zealand Tova O’Brien (Newshub): How Australia snookered New Zealand and angered Jacinda Ardern Audrey Young (Herald): Australia fails to meet its own ‘fair go’ test (paywalled) David Fisher (Herald): Isis bride grew up in Australia – now they’re sending her to New Zealand(paywalled) …

Covid outbreak: Lockdown decisions Michael Morrah (Newshub): New Zealand’s new COVID-19 outbreak ‘detected later than it could’ve been’ – expert Audrey Young (Herald): Political focus turns to whether lockdown was caused by border failure(paywalled) Justin Giovannetti (Spinoff): The critical factors that will determine if lockdown is lifted Marc Daalder (Newsroom): New variants could push Level 3 to its limit Steve Braunias (Guardian): Summer in Auckland …

Covid: New community outbreak Jo Moir (Newsroom): The border will never be unbreachable Audrey Young (Herald): The best place to judge Ardern’s lockdown is from a rear view mirror (paywalled) Josh Van Veen (Democracy Project): Ardern’s Year of Reckoning? Richard Harman: The advisors behind today’s lockdown decision Hannah Kronast (Newshub): Police set up Auckland checkpoints to stop non-essential travel Herald: Covid 19 coronavirus: National, Act respond to Auckland …

Parliament’s tie-wearing rules Metiria Turei (Spinoff): Why the parliament necktie fight is so much more than some petty squabble Peter Dunne: Waititi wins Caroline Daley (The Conversation): The tie that binds: unravelling the knotty issue of political sideshows and Māori cultural identity Jason Walls (Herald): I spy with my little tie: Which MPs embraced the new tie-optional rules in Parliament? Jessica Mutch-McKay (1News): Hei-tiki …

Parliament’s tie-wearing rules Katie Scotcher (RNZ): Speaker rules tie requirement to be dropped from Parliament Scott Palmer (Newshub): Ties no longer required in Parliament as ‘appropriate business attire’ – Speaker Trevor Mallard Claire Trevett (Herald): Parliament’s great tie-breaker and why Rawiri Waititi got no support from Labour’s Māori MPs (paywalled) Jo Moir (Newsroom): Te Paati Māori finds some oxygen after radio silence Stuff: Editorial – To …

Parliament’s tie-wearing rules Rawiri Waititi (Herald): It’s not about a tie – it’s about Pākehā power Amelia Wade (Herald): Tiki vs tie: Parliament neck-tie stoush soon to be tied-up Eleanor de Jong (The Guardian): Māori MP Rawiri Waititi ejected from New Zealand parliament in necktie row Henry Cooke (Stuff): Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi kicked out of House for refusal to wear a …

Air NZ work for Saudi Arabia military Benedict Collins (1News): Air NZ has been secretly helping Saudi Arabian military despite its role in Yemen humanitarian crisis RNZ: Air NZ apologises after revelations it helped Saudi Arabian military Herald: The Green Party slams Air NZ after Saudi Arabian military revelations Waitangi Day and perspectives on the Treaty and race relations Steven Cowan: Anti-racist politics …

Housing and inequality Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Reserve Bank repeatedly warned Government money printing would lead to house price inflation Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Revealed: The official advice Robertson ignored on how QE boosts house prices Talia Marshall (Stuff): Not having secure housing has begun to undo my head Bernard Hickey (Stuff): Property investors ‘working hard, taking risks’ – or are they? David Hargreaves (Interest): The decisions …

Waitangi Richard Harman: Waitangi; challenging sovereignty 1News: Ardern denies switching to ‘foundational change’ was because ‘transformational’ was too hard Jo Moir (Newsroom): National’s tikanga win for women at Waitangi Claire Trevett (Herald): It takes a lot to keep Judith Collins quiet – but Waitangi tried (paywalled) Thomas Manch (Stuff): Political platitudes give way to change at Waitangi: Women will speak on the mahau Michael Neilson (Herald): Waitangi: Ngāti …

New Zealand history and the school curriculum Wayne Hope (The Conversation): In an age of digital disinformation, dropping level 1 media studies in NZ high schools is a big mistake Rachel Sadler (Newshub): National’s Paul Goldsmith hits out at ‘identity politics’ in proposed NZ history curriculum Joel Maxwell (Stuff): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand shouldn’t underplay its own history Henry Cooke (Stuff): National say …

Waitangi  Eleanor de Jong (Guardian): Waitangi Day: New Zealand Labour’s Māori members arrive amid Covid measures Peter de Graaf (Herald): Labour returns to Waitangi’s Te Tii Marae after three-year absence Claire Trevett (Herald): Labour MPs return to Te Tii marae, but Jacinda Ardern’s first visit as Prime Minister is another question (paywalled) Lloyd Jones, Shane Jones (Herald): Treaty of Waitangi and race relations in today’s New Zealand(paywalled) …