The main issues in NZ politics today are Colin Craig and smacking, the Act Party, Dotcom's Mega Party, and oil and gas. [Read more below]
Today’s links
Colin Craig and smacking
Dominion Post: Editorial: Slap-happy Craig targets Right's rump
Russell Brown (Public Address): Making it up on smacking
Linda Hall (Hawkes Bay Today): Law does not stop child abuse
Greer Berry (Stuff): Anti-smacking law hitting its targets
Pete George (Your NZ): How big an issue is smacking?
Jessie Hume (Daily Blog): Colin Craig; unilaterally supporting the harm of children
Daily Blog: We don’t need any more of Colin Craig’s Political Sadism
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Smacking law is stupid: Colin Craig
Radio NZ: Smacking comment by Craig appals ex-MP
Rebecca Quilliam (Herald): Colin Craig targets anti-smacking law
Pete George (Your NZ): National could get smacked
Pete George (Your NZ): Will a flick of the finger become a smack on the bum?
TVNZ: Colin Craig admits breaking 'silly' anti-smacking law
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Police side-step political debate over smacking
Pete George (Your NZ): Happy clapper smacker
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Smart move by Craig
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): He’s been hitting Elizabeth, we hear
Act Party
Matthew Hooton (NBR): New leadership team for ACT (paywalled)
Adam Bennett (Herald): Hooton rules out standing for Act in Epsom
Julie Moffett (Newstalk ZB): Profile seen to be problem for ACT
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Hooton won't contest ACT leadership
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Hooton rules out standing in Epsom
Adam Bennett (Herald): Young Act members seek nominations
Dotcom’s Mega Party
Chris Trotter (Stuff): Dotcom's Megaparty of serious fun
Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim-Post): Microparties
No Right Turn: Missing the obvious
Greg Boyed (Newstalk ZB): Greg's Memo: January 13
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Why National have most to fear from Kim Dotcom’s new political party
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Dotcom to launch 'Party Party'
Oil and gas
3 News Online Staff (TV3): Greens send postcard to Anadarko
Pete George (Your NZ): Dunedin oil/gas support and opposition
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): I just can’t stand the hypocrisy
Radio NZ: Govt denies opposition to deep sea drilling is growing
Radio NZ: Greens take anti-drill campaign on road
TVNZ: Protesters jeer oil boss in Taranaki
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Irony or hypocrisy?
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Comparing oil and gas to munitions
Pete George (Your NZ): Turei on offshore exploration
The Standard: Oil Free Otago’s day of action
David Kennedy (Homepaddock): Oil Drilling, A Future For Fools!
Pete George (Your NZ): Mayor and councillor aligned on oil ethics
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Who wants to be a millionaire like the Norwegians?
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Dunedin Mayor squeamish about gas exploration
Radio NZ: Oil protestors say more protests likely
Wilma McCorkindale (Stuff): Dunedin mounts drilling protest
Taranaki Daily News: Comment: Protesters seen as good guys only in movies
Pete George (Your NZ): Oil opponents overstating support
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Hippy flotilla flops
Welfare drug-testing
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Govt defends drug-testing of beneficiaries
Polity: Paula Bennett does the sums
Greg Presland (The Standard): Paula Bennett wastes taxpayers money on drug testing
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Missing the point
David Fisher (Herald): Minister claims low drug result as victory
John Minto (Daily Blog): On a scale from one to 10 how vile is Paula Bennett?
Radio NZ: Drug-testing policy for beneficiaries not being properly tested
Steven Cowan (Against the Current): Mike Hosking: Lying Bastard
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Why Bennett’s drug policy is a screaming success but not in the way Paula pretends it is
Fonterra
Liam Dann (Herald): The world's watching you Fonterra
Laura Walters (Stuff): Fonterra confirms E.Coli present
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): Let's talk about dairying
TVNZ: Farmers could face hefty bill if Fonterra loses case
Alcohol
Colin Espiner (Stuff): Quitting booze culture won't be easy
Michael Cummings (Manawatu Standard): Editorial: NZ needed to see drunken child
Herald: Herald on Sunday editorial: Drunk boy a disgrace to us all
RadioLIVE: Labour renews calls for alcohol law changes
Paul Buchannan (Kiwipolitico): “Its OK–He’s Maori.”
Dave Armstrong (Dominion Post): Real drinking changes are unlikely
Labour Party
Liam Hehir (Stuff): Tricky issues facing Cunliffe
Rachel Smalley (Newstalk ZB): Labour needs to get its running shoes on
Polity: Herald on Labour on tax avoidance
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Herald hypocrisy
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Labour says it is undemocratic to have public sector redundancies!
Womens Weekly: Real Kiwi bodies: Michele A’Court & Jacinda Ardern
Economy
Hamish McNicol (Stuff): Business optimism hits 20-year high
Radio NZ: Business confidence at highest level in 2 decades
Steven Joyce (Herald): NZ must keep moving forward to become 'Pacific Tiger'
Herald: Editorial: Labour right to tackle tax avoidance by online giants
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): Experience slashed in Govt job cuts
Brennan McDonald: Rock Star Economy 2014
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Competition helps all
Inequality and poverty
Mike Treen (Daily Blog): Inequality will be the issue for 2014
Nicola Young (Stuff): Living wage policy is 'poor solution' to complex problem
Tim Watkin (Pundit): At what point does using government services make you a bludger?
Tom Peters (WSW): Unstable economic upturn in New Zealand
Bryan Bruce (Daily Blog): Why Bother Being Good?
Justice
Southland Times: Editorial: Maximum stupidity
Ben Heather (Stuff): Tolley hits back on inmate flights
TVNZ: Prison union, passengers unhappy about inmates on flights
3 News Online Staff (TV3): Anne Tolley slams prison transport leak
Beith Atkinson (Integrity Talking Points):Independence of Judges and the Police Commissioner not just a constitutional nicety
Newswire: Deported criminal will be monitored
Climate change
Nelson Mail: Editorial: Is this the canary in the goldmine?
Steve Kilgallon (Stuff): Failed doubters trust leaves taxpayers at loss
Education
Nicholas Jones (Stuff): The $42 million wasteland
Ruby Sycmore-Smith (ODT): Students get political in run-up to election
Jo Moir (Stuff): School gets aid despite assets worth millions
Dianne Khan (Daily Blog): The real Charter School agenda: Private equity and the silencing of teachers
Man of Errors: The airy fairy fluff of poverty and culture
National Party
Audrey Young (Herald): The backbenchers: MP draws on police wisdom in the House
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Know your fascist – Northland MP Mike Sabin
Monarchy
Ross Henderson (Stuff): Arise NZ, we don't need royalty
John Sargeant (Stuff): Royal link has global benefits
Maori politics
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Jackson sues over Maori board selection
Tariana Turia (Herald): Cultural traditions must remain
Grant Duncan (Policy Matters): Are we really such sticklers for protocol?
Joshua Hitchcock (Ka Tōnuitanga): Why I Do What I Do
Herald: Editorial: Maori trust's thread hurts its own mana
Len Brown
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Battle to fix Len Brown's image
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): The absentee Mayor
Torben Akel (TV3): McCready alleges corruption against Len Brown
Newswire: Brown to answer corruption allegations
Other
Stuff: Objections to electorate boundary changes
Mike Mather and Elton Smallman (Stuff): Who will the Waikato vote for come the general election?
Audrey Young (Herald): The backbenchers: Taking chance to ditch the wheels for sneakers
Dougal McNeil (ISO): Family Court Reforms
NZ Parliament: New Zealand parliamentarians attend regional parliamentary forum
No Right Turn: Missing the obvious
Keir Leslie (Progress Report): The Honours List
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Not realising it is satire
Caleb Morgan (Cut Your Hair): Miscreants
Rachael Goldsmith (Daily Blog): Imagine.
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Are taxpayers funding political and commercial campaigns?
John Lancashire (Dominion Post): A lot on Fonterra's plate
Polity: Matt McCarten on the year ahead
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Waikato seats
Kevin Foley (Timaru Herald): Cheap plonk, sponsorship merit debate
Steve Braunias (Stuff): The best things about Hamilton
Adam Bennett (Herald): British officials dismiss 'Anzac whitewash' fears
Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): Unity!
TVNZ: Christchurch rebirth recognised in New York Times list
Radio NZ: NZ now 15th on broadband league table
Audrey Young (Herald): Ambassador series: Education key link for Thailand and NZ
Toby Manhire (Herald): The moa peril, and other tips for tourists in NZ
3 News Online Staff (TV3): Greens: GE ban 'would help NZ's image'
Jono Hutchison (TV3): New Zealand progressing to becoming smoke-
GPJA: GPJA #488 (1 of 2): WAIHOPAI PROTESTS JAN 24-26
