Under-funded, under-powered and under pressure: the local government sector is facing a series of crises around the country. Alex Braae looks at the biggest questions for the future. It can be easy to miss the big picture when looking at individual councils and their problems. But across 11 regional councils, 13 city councils and 53 … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Māori wards gather momentum, the managed isolation system is effectively full, and drought on the way again in Hawke’s Bay. In the day since an announcement from local government minister Nanaia Mahuta, the concept of Māori wards has generated both momentum and opposition. In case you … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: School year beginning with added challenges, Mahuta moves against petitions opposing Māori wards, and fishing company could lose vessel over illegal trawling. Schools are beginning to go back after a summer break, and into a year that will present some deep challenges. That’ll be true whether … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Mahuta signals intent to replace Tauranga council with commissioner, Super Fund keen on local infrastructure, and Safety Warehouse panned for idiotic cash drop stunt. Local government minister Nanaia Mahuta has started the term with a big call. After months of dysfunction and infighting around the Tauranga … Read more
That Mahuta’s appointment blindsided people speaks volumes about the way foreign policy is discussed in Aotearoa, write Erin Matariki Carr and Phoebe Matariki Carr of NZ Alternative. The appointment of Nanaia Mahuta as foreign minister should not have come as any surprise. There is no Labour MP with more ministerial experience. She’s been an MP … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Who’s up and who’s down in Ardern’s new cabinet, new Covid-19 community case in Christchurch, and Ngāi Tahu taking Crown to court over freshwater. Throw out all those articles you read predicting who would get what ministerial jobs – they were pretty much all wrong … Read more
Jacinda Ardern today announced an executive line-up without Kelvin Davis as deputy prime minister, but with five Māori in cabinet and another three Māori MPs in the wider executive. Shane Te Pou on what it means – and what must come next. Labour’s new cabinet gives more power to more Māori ministers across a whole … Read more
As the Minister for Māori development faces the music for a poorly-received Māori media sector review, new and contradictory details are emerging. A government review of the Māori media sector released last week that recommended Māori news be centralised into a single service at Māori Television was received poorly by many in the sector. It … Read more
The proposal to ‘rationalise’ Māori media into a single news service is regressive and will further marginalise the Māori voice, writes journalist Mihingarangi Forbes. Those of us who live and work in te ao Māori have clocked up more than a few hours on wooden bench seats on windswept marae, pulling our coats close and … Read more
Following a lengthy review, a government review of the Māori media sector has recommended news be centralised at Māori Television. Many in the sector are deeply troubled by the idea, writes Duncan Greive. A proposal to amalgamate all the diverse Māori news media into a single entity has drawn a furious reaction, with several industry … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Nervousness about latest batch of tourist numbers, Waitangi Tribunal hammers prisoner voting ban, and more refugees heading for smaller provincial centres. The tourism industry is showing definite signs of a wobble, with arrival number growth looking flat and certain key markets dropping away. Despite 2019 being … Read more