The main issues in NZ politics today are Labour's 'baby bonus', the flag changing debate', the economy, and parliamentary debate. [Read more below]
Today’s links
‘Baby bonus’
Nelson Mail (Stuff): Editorial: Parties hit the trail running up promises
Vernon Small (Stuff): Time to splash the cash
Tali Williams (Daily Blog): $60 a start, but welfare reforms must go too
Rob Salmond (Polity): Snivelling about media coverage: Ep. 1
Vernon Small (Stuff): Key blasts Labour baby bonus
Simon Collins (Herald): Labour's baby bonus - a waste or a boon?
Brook Sabin (TV3): Cunliffe admits policy speech error
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Labour scores first in election campaign
Radio NZ: Parties opening wallets for election
Patrick Gower (TV3): Opinion: Labour dishonest on 'baby bonus'
Fran O'Sullivan (Herald): Baby bonus clear tilt at ballot box
Greg Presland (The Standard): Gower plays a shocker
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Baby bribe details not made clear
The Standard: Note to Media – check your facts.
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Baby bribe threshold higher than $150,000
Danyl McLauchlan (Dim-Post): Something that’s bugged me for a while
Jade Cooper and Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Think-tank call baby payment 'waste of money'
Russell Wills (Stuff): Children deserve more
Rob Hosking (NBR): Election 2014: achievement vs welfare
The Standard: Useless and venal
Gintearsandcremebrulee: I call bullshit
The Ruminator: How’s yer nation?
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Political pay-back promises piling up
The Press: Editorial – More to come in election year
Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim-Post): Calvinball redux
Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim-Post): Another Orewa?
Parliament speeches
Herald: Editorial: National in no mood to rock the election boat
The Standard: Opposing the PM’s statement
Simon Collins and Adam Bennett (Herald): Key launches scathing attack on Cunliffe's credibility
Dan Satherley (TV3): 'Tricky' Cunliffe has priorities wrong – Key
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Cunliffe under attack for opening speech
John Armstrong (Herald): Labour tries silent tactics
Rob Salmond (Polity): Key in self-parody about lying
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): If Cunliffe repeats his opening speech during the election – Labour will win 2014 election
NBR Staff (NBR): State of the nation speeches good for National, Greens – iPredict
Claire Trevett (Herald): Labour's newest MP Poto Williams gives maiden speech
The Standard: State of Nations
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Cunliffe 'pulling the wool' over tax policies
New flag
Claire Trevett (Herald): After baby-kissing theatrics comes flag waving
Tim Watkin (Pundit): The hasty NZ flag debate – is this the time and place?
Dan Satherley (TV3): Old flag could still fly, say campaigners
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Chief flag waver looking at change
Andrew Dickens (Newstalk ZB): On flags and ferals
Will de Cleene (Gonzo): Black Flag, White Flag
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): RSA opposed to flag change
Peter Cresswell (Not PC): Flagging interest?
Greg Presland (The Standard): The flag diversion
Pete George (Your NZ): Silver fern emblem used in Boer War
Stacey Kirk and Michael Fox (Stuff): NZ flag changes open for discussion
Peter Wilson (Newswire): Labour backs flag referendum
Isaac Davison (Herald): Key suggests vote on New Zealand flag
Herald: Editorial: Key needs to be bolder on flag change
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Time to change the flag. To what?
Isaac Davison (Herald): PM tests water for NZ flag change
TVNZ: New flag for NZ: PM considering referendum
No Right Turn: A referendum on the flag?
Patrick Gower (TV3): Flag change could be Key's legacy
Barry Soper, Felix Marwick, Jade Cooper, and Newstalk ZB Staff (Newstalk ZB): Widespread political support for changing NZ flag
Radio NZ: Flag must be for all cultures – group
Will Matthews (Left Estate): Playing Politics
Paid parental leave
Vernon Small (Stuff): More cash and Key hints at extra leave
TVNZ: Extension to paid parental leave could be this year
Felix Marwick and Laura McQUillan (Newstalk ZB):Paid parental leave Bill may lack numbers
Economy
TVNZ: Overvalued NZ dollar 'a concern'
Newswire: Date set for election year Budget
Adam Bennett (Herald): English announces Budget 2014 delivery date
Radio NZ: NZ economy improving now - Moody's
Radio NZ: NZ businesses confident
Vernon Small (Stuff): Sea change as economy recovers
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Treasury downplays expectations
Parliament attendance
Dan Satherley (TV3): 'Twiddling thumbs' in Parliament not for Hone
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Key scores own goal with attendance
Adam Bennett (Herald): Harawira: Shame over non-attendance sits with Key
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): 68 days off
Radio NZ: Harawira wins Tirikatene's support
John Minto (Daily Blog): Why has John Key sets his sights on Hone Harawira?
Dominion Post: Editorial: Attendance a part of any job
Whaleoil DOS attack
Matthew Backhouse (Herald): Blogger moves family after death threats
Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): In the newsroom
Andrew Geddes (Pundit): Don't talk to me about heroes ...
Radio NZ: Lots of calls to MP about blogger
Pete George (Your NZ): On Whale Oil versus West Coast
Health
Newswire: Extra $10m for elective surgery
TVNZ: Government drives funding into elective surgery
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Elective surgery gets boost
Newswire: $10m surgery funding boost 'not enough'
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Health agency hamstrung on legal high advice
Human rights
Corazon Miller and Tyler Adams (Newstalk ZB): NZ's human rights record could be improved
TV3: Govt has 'pattern' of ignoring human rights - Amnesty
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Greens think NZ is shameful when it comes to human rights
Electricity
James Weir (Stuff): Academic attacks electricity report
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Another made up figure
Inequality and poverty
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Days of zero pay rises should be over – English
Radio NZ: English rejects claims inequality worse
Adam Bennett (Herald): Disputed statistics on income inequality
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Mitchell on income inequality
Graeme Aitken (Herald): Focus on social inequality will aid teachers
Tracy Watkins and Georgina Stylianou (Stuff): English backs boost in wages
Pattrick Smellie (Stuff): Gap between rich and poor a muddy margin
Louise Berwick (Stuff): Homeless problem 'worse than believed'
ODT: Mind the gap
RadioLIVE: Workers encouraged to ask for a raise
Mike Treen (Daily Blog): Billions of dollars stolen from the unemployed
MCDP: Income Inequality - Better or Worse?
1080
Newswire: New 1080 plan should be the new standard – Forest & Bird
Newswire: Environment watchdog praises 1080 move
Bill More (Stuff): DOC to increase 1080 drops in 'battle for our birds'
GCSB
Adam Bennett (Herald): Watchdog's warning on data harvest
Radio NZ: No free lunch with apps – Shroff
No Right Turn: Mass-surveillance is illegal II
Forestry
Adam Bennett (Herald): More forestry prosecutions tipped
Helen Kelly (The Standard): Is it always better late than never?
Rebstock report
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Call for apologies to senior diplomats
No Right Turn: A total witch-hunt
Religious education
Danielle Street (Stuff): School Bible studies challenged
No Right Turn: School religious education goes to the HRC
NZ FIrst
Newswire: NZ First researchers 'unfairly sacked'
Pete George (Your NZ): Winston Peters versus John Key
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Drug use spreads at the Herald
‘Facebook ban’
Tova O’Brien (TV3): Facebook ban ridiculed by Govt
Peter Wilson (Newswire): 'We won't ban Facebook' - Labour
Other
Scott Pickering (Stuff): ACC 'can and will do better'
Ellipsister: National signs NZ up to Ethiopia land grab
Caleb Harris (Stuff): Public invited to comment on legal high ban
Stuff: Today in politics: Thursday, January 30
Isaac Davison (Herald): Pacific people need to bring back entrepreneurial spirit
Tristram Clayton (TV3): Cash-for-residency: My Group Ltd owner denies knowledge
Radio NZ: Training groups named
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Productivity Commission suggests overhaul
Richard Meadows (Stuff): New lending rules
Talia Carlisle (Stuff): 1981 Springbok tour revisited
Lesley Deverall (Newstalk ZB): Predictions of a September election
Catherine Harris (Stuff): Bill shakes up accounting sector
Michael Fox (Stuff): Training organisations concerned about law change
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Getting overly excited over a Guardian story
No Right Turn: Charter schools are funded at triple the rate of state schools
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Does Labour think RNZAF should stick with analog planes?
Karl du Fresne: Accepting the intolerable
Bill Wells (ODT): Oil users cannot deny drillers
Lauren Priestly (Stuff): Leaky home's $550k repair bill not the worst of it
Sue Kedgley (Herald): Keep our cows out of factory farms
