As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that might arise. One of the key individuals of influence in National is former …

The 2023 general election campaign must be the most hollow in living memory. There really isn’t much that is positive or attractive about the electoral options on offer. This is an election without inspiration. An angry mood for change There is a definite cyncism amongst the public right now – with a perception that not …

The weekend’s surprise and brutal attack on Israel by Hamas fighters has the potential to reshape the Middle East – and will only further increase global geopolitical instability. As of Sunday night NZT, the initial 24 hours of the assault by Hamas on Israel had already taken at least 250 Israeli lives – easily making …

National is not only winning the race towards the general election finish line, but is also miles ahead in raising money to campaign with. So far, the National Party has picked up $8.2m in big donations since the start of 2021. As RNZ reported this week, that’s seven times more money than the Labour Party. …

Labour appears to be in something of an electoral death spiral. The four-point drop in last night’s 1News Verian poll to just 29 per cent – together with National’s bump up to 37 per cent – suggests that the gulf between the left and right blocs is now opening up, and will be difficult to …

ELECTION, PARLIAMENT, WEEK IN POLITICS Chris Trotter (Interest): The practice of New Zealand politics, and the reporting of it, has changed, and the voters have noticed Derek Cheng (Herald): Why don’t voters trust National leader Christopher Luxon – and does it matter(paywalled) John Campbell (1News): Beth and Taxes in election la-la-land Vernon Small (Stuff): National trumpets turning …

TRANSPORT Richard Harman (Politik): The voice in the Minister’s ear (paywalled) Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Welcome to Motorway Appreciation Month Newshub: Transport Minister David Parker confirms road user charges coming for electric vehicles Herald: Government’s $20b transport plan: Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown and the AA support fuel tax hike to pay for major projects Rayssa Almeida (RNZ): …

ELECTION Gordon Campbell: On the elitism framing the election discourse Jessica Mutch McKay (1News): Momentum counts and election clock is ticking William Hewett (Newshub): Peter Dunne says Labour needs to be careful not to create sense of ‘panic’, look ‘desperate’ with policy announcements Audrey Young (Herald): Who takes over as Labour’s leader if it loses the election? …

ELECTION, TAX Luke Malpass (Post): Voters to Labour: key govt services worse since 2020 – poll (paywalled) Duncan Greive (Spinoff): The most popular political combo in NZ is Chris Hipkins as National Party leader Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Not In It For Them Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): ‘No advice’ on measures to prevent supermarkets pocketing GST exemption (paywalled) …

LABOURS TAX POLICY Craig McCulloch and Russell Palmer (RNZ): Tax experts respond to GST-free fruit and vegetables: ‘Populist’ and ‘stupid’ Gordon Campbell: On the “GST off fruit and vegetables” saga Herald: Removing GST from food and veges is not a solution for Māori or poorer communities Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Can a regulator really monitor a …

Who would profit most from Labour’s GST-exemption policy? It won’t be those struggling with the cost of living – the average shopper is unlikely to see any real change in supermarket prices if Chris Hipkins was to implement his tax-off fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables. The real winner would be the supermarket company duopoly …

LABOUR’S TAX POLICY, FOOD PRICES Marc Daalder (Newsroom): On tax, Labour looks to govern by focus group Luke Malpass (Post): GST off fruit and vege: The idiot cousin of Labour’s craven desperation (paywalled) Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Labour tax policy: how do you like them (GST-free) apples? (paywalled) ODT Editorial: Desperate and disappointing Labour (paywalled) Richard Harman (Politik): …

ELECTION Henry Cooke (Guardian): New Zealand’s Labour party is stumbling towards defeat – a scare campaign could save them Richard Harman: He’s back (paywalled) Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Christopher Luxon really doesn’t want to talk about Winston Peters Matthew Hooton (Herald): Will Christopher Luxon rule out dealing with Winston Peters? (paywalled) Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Pundit says it …

ELECTION Audrey Young (Herald): What would Cabinet look like in a Labour-Greens-Māori Party government (paywalled) Tova O’Brien (Stuff): Christopher Luxon’s deficient personal brand distanced from the campaign Newshub: New poll shows ‘huge vote of no confidence’ in Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon, political scientist Bryce Edwards says Peter Dunne: The Election Countdown is On Morgan Godfery …

ELECTION, PARLIAMENT Peter Stahel (Guardian): Most say New Zealand is on the wrong track – can it avoid a drift to populism? Charlotte Graham=McLay (Guardian): Guardian Essential poll New Zealand: National holds clear lead over Labour as election nears Maiki Sherman (1News): Differences between National, ACT under the microscope Derek Cheng (Herald): National sends signal …

TRANSPORT Simon Wilson (Herald): While Labour and National battle to build more roads, the world burns (paywalled) Verity Johnson (Stuff): Last week shows neither party understands Auckland right now 1News: Auckland harbour tunnels: Road tolls on the table – minister Seni Iasona (Newshub): Transport Minister reveals how much cheaper $45b Auckland transport plan could’ve been if …

FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, NATIONAL SECURITY,  Geoffrey Miller (Responsible Statecraft): With China in sights, New Zealand signals major defense policy shift Thomas Manch (Post): Little warns of China’s effort to ‘exclude’ New Zealand from Pacific as Govt plots greater combat readiness (paywalled) Michael Daly (Stuff): Helen Clark fears new defence moves suggest NZ ‘abandoning its capacity to …

DEFENCE, FOREIGN AFFAIRS Adam Pearse (Herald): Threat of China’s Pacific pursuit driving New Zealand’s new defence and national security strategy Thomas Manch (Stuff): Defence Force needs to become combat-ready as security threats worsen, Government says RNZ: Changing global tensions prompt New Zealand to ramp up security and defence resources 1News: NZ Defence Force ‘not in …

NEWSHUB-REID RESEARCH POLL Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Newshub-Reid Research poll results: Labour in downward spiral as public sends party decisive message after scandals  Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Chris Hipkins’ popularity is Labour’s small saving grace, Christopher Luxon’s preferred PM ranking falls further Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Nearly half of Kiwis don’t trust Christopher Luxon, Chris Hipkins’ trust ranking …

TRANSPORT Luke Malpass (Post): Maybe Labour should just rebrand LGWM ‘three transports’ (paywalled) Tom Hunt (Post): Let’s Get Wellington Moving spending rolls on with axe over its neck (paywalled) Andrea Vance (Stuff): Let’s Get Wellington Moving isn’t, says Transport Minister Georgina Campbell (Herald): The Let’s Get Wellington Moving project we shouldn’t mess with (paywalled) Georgina Campbell (Herald): Let’s …

ELECTION, PARLIAMENT Ben McKay (Australian Associated Press): National on track to govern in latest New Zealand poll Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Boom: Roy Morgan Poll: MMP Spectrum Splintering: Labour Party Collapse Audrey Young (Herald): What a National-Act cabinet might look like (paywalled) Graham Adams (The Platform): Should you trust Winston Peters? Jo Moir (Newsroom): PM stuck …