The main issues in NZ politics today are Kim Dotcom's Internet Party, Syria, whaling, the Labour and National parties, education, and plain packaging for cigarettes. [Read more below]
Today’s links
Kim Dotcom
TVNZ: Dotcom's political party faces uncertain future
Andrew Chen (MCDP): Extradition and the Internet Party
Simon Wong (TV3): Greens could get Internet Party's support
Stuff: Dotcom: We'll pull out if unpopular
Laura McQuillan and Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): PM weighs in on Dotcom chatter
Rob Salmond (Polity): Kim Dotcom's 5% gambit
Radio NZ: Dotcom to disband party if polling low
Newstalk ZB Staff (Newstalk ZB): Labour-Green coalition could block Dotcom extradition
Isaac Davison (Herald): Dotcom extradition could be decided by Labour or Greens
Newstalk ZB Staff (Newstalk ZB): Peters won't say whether he's visited Dotcom
Andrew Geddes (Pundit): Will no one rid me of this turbulent German?
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Would Labour and Greens over-rule the court for Kim Dotcom?
Keeping Stock: The Party's over before it began
Syria
No Right Turn: An unlawful violation of freedom of movement
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Labour on NZers fighting in Syria
Claire Trevett (Herald): Key's Syria security details may be smokescreen - Labour
Herald: Editorial: Drastic move to cancel passports is plain wrong
Radio NZ: Aid mission in Syrian city extended
Whaling
Simon Wong (TV3): Key: Apology from Japan 'would be good'
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Benefit of doubt to Japan over whaling incursion
TVNZ: PM demands apology over whaling ship breach
Audrey Young (Herald): PM hoping for Japanese apology
Labour Party
Vernon Small (Stuff): Cunliffe seeks chief of staff
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Finlayson hits out at Labour-Green coalition
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Top Cunliffe staffer quits
Claire Trevett (Herald): Cunliffe's chief of staff Wendy Brandon resigns
Corin Dann (TVNZ): David Cunliffe's chief of staff resigns
Briar Marbeck (TV3): Opposition will 'say anything' in election year - Key
Pete George (Your NZ): Labour labouring under leader labour losses
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Labour loses another Chief of Staff
National Party
Stuff: Conor English to follow Bill English?
Dave Williams (Newswire): Key not an alien, there's no document
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Blue’s better
Patrick Leyland (Progress Report): More National selections
Green Party
Sophia Duckor-Jones (Newstalk ZB): Greens to march across Hamilton
Daily Blog: GUEST BLOG: Gareth Hughes – Deep Sea Oil Drilling, National & Labour are ignoring the facts
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Green Party List Ranking
Ex-pat Party
Corazon miller (Newstalk ZB): Party aims to give expats a louder voice
Michael Safi (Guardian): Expat Kiwis set up political party to fight New Zealand election
Electricity
Pattrick Smellie (NBR): Power report ducks question of fair prices, Bertram says
Radio NZ: Parties dispute power plan report
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Sapere on Labour/Greens power policy
NZ-Australia relations
Newswire: Abbott adopts NZ's careful budget approach
Radio NZ: Boycott would backfire – Wills
Maori politics and Waitangi Day
Gary Tong (Stuff): Our history, our future
Pete George (Your NZ): Waitangi settlement size perspective
Mike Butler (Breaking Views): The autocrat and the treaty
Daily Blog: Waitangi Day: fun, though MASSIVELY over-policed
Plain packaging
Dominion Post: Editorial: Burnt sacrifice to the bully?
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Plain tobacco pack law passes vote
TVNZ: Plain packaging law expected to be long, drawn-out
Audrey Young (Herald): Plain-package law should be passed without delay – Labour
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): The plain packaging law
Flag
Malcolm Mulholland (Herald): Does our flag reflect who we are as a nation?
Chris Trotter (Stuff): A black flag is the colour of death
Education
Newswire: Uni council changes 'silencing students' – Labour
Radio NZ: Reforms to lock in representation
Radio NZ: Charter school funding
TVNZ: Govt accused of 'throwing money' at charter schools
Michael Fox (Stuff): Labour slams charter school funding
David Clendon (Frogblog): Academic Freedom or Free Market?
Matthew Beveridge: #inspiredbyU
Radio NZ: Students, staff to lose seats on councils
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Pay problems spark call for reform
Holly Walker (Frogblog): Uni tackling the wrong issues
TPP
Vernon Small (Stuff): Labour TPP transparency push blocked
Simon Wong (TV3): Labour seeks TPP text for public debate
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Labour won't commit to the TPP just yet
No Right Turn: National hates transparency
Economy
Richard Meadows (Stuff): KiwiSaver not helping NZ – report
Marta Steeman and Michael Foreman (Stuff): '$1.8b extra a year' from more migrants
Stuff: IRD gets more ammo to fight multinationals
James Weir (Stuff): Economic growth no 'flash in the pan' – ANZ
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): More migrants better for all
Inequality and poverty
Mike Smith (The Standard): Economy-wide benefits of Living Wage?
Simon Collins (Herald): Good news on state of our nation
Simon Collins (Herald): State of our nation: Crime, jobs and our kids - things are looking up
Radio NZ: Child poverty seen as timebomb
Lois Cairns (Stuff): Council ponders affordable housing market
Michael Daly (Stuff): Home ownership declines further
No Right Turn: This should not happen in New Zealand
Ben Clark (The Standard): Inequality for all
Radio NZ
John Drinnan (Herald): Radio NZ revamp: Mercep will move to afternoons
John Drinnan (Herald): RNZ confirms big shake-up
Radio NZ: Changes at Radio New Zealand
GCSB
RadioLIVE: Taxpayers billed for GCSB compensation attempt
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Dunne still dodging Kitteridge questions
Gareth Hughes (Frogblog): Why our website has gone black
Nauru
Radio NZ: Deportations prompt New Zealand limits on Nauru aid
Radio NZ: NZ's McCully encourages Nauru to reconsider journalists visas
Other
Stuff: Today in politics: Wednesday, Feb 12
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Plan for cops to wear cameras
Claire Trevett (Herald): Push to get 10-year NZ passports
Pete George (Your NZ): Brendan Horan, Winston Peters, Bruce Bayliss and transparency
Murial Newman (NZCPR): Citizens’ Democracy – the way of the future
Steven Price (MLJ): Harmful Digital Communications Bill submission
The Standard: Role of Government
Jade Cooper (Newstalk ZB): Politicians copping flack for drinking boasts
Jesse Hume (Daily Blog): Sexual Objectification Vs Sexual Attraction
Patricia and David Schnauer (Herald): Chance for Act to rise above rabble
