The main issues in NZ politics today are National and its coalition options, the Labour Party, the latest opinion poll, the Dotcom Internet Party, offshore oil and gas, and the Speakers conference. [Read more below]
Today’s links
National Party and coalition options
Claire Trevett (Herald): Goldilocks problem to the fore in election year
John Armstrong (Herald): Warring parties state terms of engagement in buildup to election
Dominion Post: Editorial: A desperate dance for power
Newswire/RadioLIVE: Key to give State of the Nation speech
Waikato Times: Key plays the numbers
The Press: Peters should show his hand
TVNZ: PM to make state of nation address
TVNZ: Winston Peters not grabbing John Key's olive branch
Grant Duncan (Policy Matters): Winston Peters' worst nightmare
RadioLIVE: Key + Peters = ??
Thomas Mead (TV3): NZF deal only a 'remote possibility' - Key
NBR Staff (NBR): Key's re-election chances improve, inflation surprise won't sway RBNZ – iPredict
Corin Dann (TVNZ): Key and Cunliffe won't be enjoying u-turns
Rob Salmond (Polity): The science of Key's 2014 coalitions
Mike Smith (The Standard): National’s first strategic mistake
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Do National’s aspiring candidates represent modern New Zealand?
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Hon Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
Radio NZ: Lotu-Iiga proud of appointment
Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On National’s election fling with New Zealand First
Michael Cummings (Stuff): Peters 'forgets' his own history
Left Estate: Winston
Audrey Young (Herald): National accepts the risks in going back to NZ First
Russell Brown (Public Address): All John's Friends
Dan Satherley (TV3): Election year battlelines drawn
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): 2014 Coalition Options
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Peters in the mix could be a massive mistake
Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim-Post): Winston Peters is not that unpopular
Rob Salmond (Polity): 2014: Key's personal gamble
Rob Hosking (NBR): Key looks to 2015 (paywalled)
Bayden Harris (Liberal Notes): The Six Headed Monster
Labour Party
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Clearing the decks
Pattrick Smellie (Stuff): Labour's policy better be good to gain votes
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Will the Cunliffe compromises pay off?
Elise Scott (Newswire): Labour open to post-election deals
Michael Sergel (Newstalk ZB): Coalition situation means Labour could lose out
David Cunliffe (The Standard): David Cunliffe on the State of the Nation
Vernon Small (Stuff): Labour axes tax break policies
Simon Wong and Thomas Mead (TV3): Labour drops GST, tax policies
TVNZ: Labour dumps key policies
Adam Bennett (Herald): Labour ditches GST plan for fruit and veges
No Right Turn: “Clearing the decks”
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Labour dumps tax cuts
Radio NZ: Labour ditches two key tax policies
Business Desk: Labour drops tax cuts in favour of $1.5b of new spending
Will de Cleene (Gonzo): Taxing Times with Sticky Housing
Rob Salmond (Polity): Labour dumps some tax policies
Adam Bennett (Herald): Key: Labour's tax plan 'nothing new'
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): No bang, just recycled whimper
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Shearer gets it – partially
Carrie Stoddart-Smith (Ellipsister): Defending the Left-Right dichotomy
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): There’s Plenty Left: Chris Trotter responds to Paul Buchanan’s critique of the New Zealand Left.
Don Franks (Redline): Labour’s GST and conventional weapons
Latest polls
Vernon Small (Stuff): Election too close to call – poll
Newswire: Left coalition ahead in latest poll
NBR Staff (NBR): Labour/Greens start election year with edge over National - Roy Morgan poll
Frank Macskasy (Daily Blog): Latest Roy Morgan poll bad news for National
Greg Presland (The Standard): Latest Roy Morgan – Labour + Green ahead
Pete George (Your NZ): Small party trends with Roy Morgan
United Future
Radio NZ: Dunne denies deal over reinstatement
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): No Dunne deal on RMA reform
Kim Dotcom
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Head of Dotcom's company joins political party
Adam Bennett (Herald): Dotcom's Mega chief executive resigns to join Internet Party
Andrew Koubaridis (Herald): Police, spies seek recordings and transcripts from Dotcom author
Sean Plunket (RadioLIVE): Dotcom's Internet Party amateur and vain
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Dotcom issues
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Kumar resigns as CEO of Mega to get into politics
Chris Keall (NBR): Kumar - the meat in Internet Party's policy sandwich? (paywalled)
Colin James (ODT): Even if National loses Labour might not really win
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): A summer of political headline-seekers
Tim Dower (Newstalk ZB): Internet Party has no chance of winning
Rob Hosking (NBR): The Dotcom Party balloon: empty, frivolous and ultimately fraudulent
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Alastair Thompson standing for internet NZ council elections
Offshore oil and gas
Radio NZ: Community fights for banner
Radio NZ: Cunliffe reiterates drilling stance
Newswire: Labour looks to Norway for oil drilling
Adam Bennett (Herald): Labour promises tougher deep sea oil exploration laws
Patrick Gower (TV3): Labour will honour deep-sea drilling agreements
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Labour looks to Norway for inspiration
Radio NZ: Oil drilling stance no barrier for Greens
Speakers conference
Radio NZ: Speakers from around the world in Wellington
Katie Bradford (TVNZ): Speakers gather to tackle dwindling voter numbers
Dan Satherley (TV3): Speakers from around the world meet in Wellington
James Ihaka and Isaac Davison (Herald): Oz Speaker breaks with Maori protocol
Michael Fox (Stuff): Breach of contentious powhiri protocol
Isaac Davison (Herlad): Front row faux pas at powhiri
Len Brown
Fran O'Sullivan (Herald): Mixed result on mayor's performance
3 News Online Staff (TV3): Len Brown considers third term
Amy Maas (Stuff): Private prosecution against Brown pushes on
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Dear Len, there won’t be a 3rd term mate
Inequality and poverty
Dan Satherley (TV3): Oxfam: It's time to tackle inequality
The Standard: UBI: Addressing Inequality
The Standard: Welfare profiteers
Deena Coster (Stuff): Beneficiaries going straight to get jobs
KJT: UBI (1). Memes and Paradigms.
KJT: UBI (2) Why should we push for a UBI? (Universal basic income).
KJT: UBI (3). Taxes, income and Welfare.
Education
Radio NZ: PM promising new education policies
Audrey Young (Herlad): Schools' principal pay carrot
Nicholas Jones (Herald): Taxpayers fund charter school ads
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Nats plan financial lures to turn around struggling schools
Danyl McLauchlan (Dim-Post): Skinnnerrrr!
Economy
Herald: Editorial: Early move on interest rates best despite risks
Nelson Mail: Editorial: Long-slumbering economy awakens
RadioLIVE: Calls to fast track immigration for skilled migrants
Maori politics
Radio NZ: Ratana Pa prepares for anniversary
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): Psychologist reviews 'for Maori, by Maori'
Other
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Collins to report human rights findings to UN
Rosemary McLeod (Stuff): ACC is all take and no give
James Weir (Stuff): Seismic survey of Pegasus Basin to begin within days
Claire Trevett (Herald): MP vows no political spin in DJ stint
Audrey Young (Herlad): DigiPoll votes NZ to stay clear of East China Sea conflict
Natalie Akoorie (Herlad): Haka stirs up feeling of patriotism
3 News Online Staff (TV3): Collins to meet UK counterparts
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Why is Daljit Singh still an Immigration Advisor?
No Right Turn: Time to ban farm animals from our rivers
Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Making an ass of the law
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Some electoral tweaking
Stuff: Politicians flock to Big Gay Out
Radio NZ: Ryall defends elective surgery measures
3 News Online Staff (TV3): Govt gives more cyclone aid
Judith Guthrie (Stuff): Danone a little shaky on moral high ground
TVNZ: NZ frigate to support anti-piracy patrols
James Dann (Rebuilding Christchurch): Like rats from a sinking ship
