The main issues in NZ politics today are the Act Party leadership contest, Labour's 'baby bonus', and the flag changing debate'. [Read more below]
Today’s links
David Cunliffe and the ‘baby bonus’
Chris Trotter (Stuff): Labour sparks, hoping for flame
Herald: Editorial: Labour's $60 promise to high earners inexplicable
Claire Trevett (Herald): Back to school for Labour leader
Radio NZ: Cunliffe accused of misleading voters
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Political Report: Key basking in the clumsiness of Cunliffe
Keith Rankin (Daily Blog): Labour’s Baby Bonus: More Ad-hoc Compensation
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Woeful week for Labour
Tim Watkin (The Standard): What do you value?
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Cunliffe's policies get warm reception at Welly kindergarten
Dan Satherley (TV3): Cunliffe: Govt hypocritical on baby bonus scheme
Julie Moffett (Newstalk ZB): Cunliffe denies misleading people over 'Best Start'
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Cunliffe under fire for Best Start policy
Herald: Cunliffe denies misleading the public
Vernon Small (Stuff): Cunliffe takes rap, but fumbles again
Pete George (Your NZ): Stabbing the Labour puppy
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): The manufactured Cunliffe feeding frenzy with Espiner, Henry & Hosking – it’s just a jump to the right
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Labour admits Cunliffe speech was wrong
Rob Salmond (Polity): Election year coming into focus
New flag
Dominion Post: Editorial: Flag consensus must come first
Peter O’Neill (Timaru Herald): Editorial: Tired of the flag debate
Matt Stewart and Liam Hyslop (Stuff): Let's just get on and do it, says Mateparae
Pete George (Your NZ): Silver fern is NZ history
Rebecca Quilliam (Herald): Black NZ flag not the best option - experts
TVNZ: Silver fern not right for national flag - designer
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Political Report: Chief flag waver looking at change
NBR Staff (NBR): Flag debate: what are the options?
Liam Hyslop (Stuff): Designing a flag isn't black and white
Mark Hubbard (Life Behind the Iron Drape): Golly, Let’s Talk About Flags This Election. #Let'sNot.
Bryce Edwards (Liberation): Top tweets about changing the New Zealand flag
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Will we get to vote on the flag this year?
David Kennedy (Local Bodies): Key Flags a Clever Distraction
National Party education policy
Catherine Woulf (Listener): Raise of hope
Peter Lyons (Herald): School dreams turn to nightmares
Bill Ralston (Listener): promises, promises
Jane Clifton (Listener): shadow boxing
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): More on poverty and school results
Alliance: We Need to Think Big
ODT: Collision course guaranteed
Whaleoil
Radio NZ: Whale Oil site back online
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil):We’re back
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): On being offended
Peter Aranyi (The Paepae): Hate blog gets [comprehensively] jammed. Beats a letter to the editor, I guess.
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Cameron Slater – the wolf that cried boy
1080
Lee Scanlon (Westport News): Debate flares over more 1080 drops
3 News Online Staff (TV3): DOC needs more funding for 1080 plan - Greens
ACT
Laura McQUillan (Newstalk ZB): Three vying for ACT Party's top jobs
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): ACT supporters get to size up potential leaders
Pete George (Your NZ): Act leadership meeting
Simon Day (Stuff): ACT hopefuls state their case
Audrey Young (Herald): Act hopeful: I won't hijack party policy
3 News: ACT's leadership hopefuls vie for support
Radio NZ: Boscawen makes mark at meeting
TVNZ: Act candidates vie for all-important Epsom seat
Corazon Miller (Newstalk ZB): Full house at ACT Party candidate meeting
Radio NZ: ACT candidates hold public meeting
Corazon Miller (Newstalk ZB): ACT supporters hear from men who want to lead them
Economy
Brook Sabin (TV3): Greens: Wood exports highlight crisis
Radio NZ: Low levels of young people with insurance
Radio NZ: OIO ruling awaited on offer for farms
Newswire: Auckland houses more expensive than Melbourne - Labour
Newswire: Govt blamed for looming rate rise
Newswire: NZ has biggest migrant inflow for 10 years
Brian Easton (Listener): growing pains
Matt Nolan (TVHE): Expanding on the idea of “more competition in the services sector”
Donna Hall
Radio NZ: Charge against lawyer Donna Hall thrown out
Rebecca Quilliam (Herald): Donna Hall cleared of conflict of interest charges
Ministerial spending
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Cost of Ministers' international travel revealed
Stacey Kirk and Michael Fox (Stuff): Ministerial credit card spending revealed
Adam Bennett (Herald): Ministerial credit cards: Who are the big spenders?
Metiria Turei
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): MP's clothes jibe leads to racism call
Morgan Godfery (Maui Street): Anne Tolley: an agent of colourblind racism?
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Playing the race card
Pete George (Your NZ): Metiria’s racist claim nonsense
Alistair Thompson
John Drinnan (Herlad): Scoop founder back at website after resigning from Internet Party
Cameron Slater (whaleoil): Alistair Thompson putting the poo back into the donkey
Paid parental leave
The Press: Paid parental leave in reach
Vernon Small (Stuff): Paid parental leave to grow
Other
Stuff: Today in politics: Friday, January 31
Anna Leask (Herald): Roast Buster says he's 'most hated in NZ' thanks to media
Daily Blog: The Daily Blog Watch – 30/31 January 2014
Radio NZ: Mighty River shares at all-time low
Radio NZ: Dunne dodges spy question in House
Michael Fox (Stuff): Parliament backs gay rights in Russia
Listnener: Editorial: a woman’s place
Pete George (Your NZ): Brendan Horan blasts NZ First
Matthew Dallas (Manawatu Standard): Editorial: MPS keeping up appearances
Ian Johnstone (Listener): Shades of grey
Southland Times: Household budget blues
James Dann (Rebuilding Christchurch): Don’t be fooled by the rocks that he got / He’s still Gerry from the block
Mike hosking (Newstalk ZB): Mike's Editorial: Peter Whittall a scapegoat
Geoff Bertram (Herald): History of power charges pure fiction
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): No lack of aspiration in Far North: Jones
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Len Brown shrugs off lone protester
Radio NZ: Christchurch Central MP seeks re-election
Anne Gibson (Herald): Concern over rent system changes
