The main issues in NZ politics today are Shane Taurima, the Greens and solar energy, Colin Craig vs Russel Norman, and John Banks. [Read more below]
Today’s links
Shane Taurima, TVNZ, and Labour Party
Patrick Gower (TV3): TVNZ manager resigns over fundraising revelations
Rebecca Quilliam and Adam Bennett (Herald): Taurima: Meeting didn't influence editorial decisions
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Taurima was unfair to me - Bennett
TVNZ: National MPs slam former TVNZ boss
Simon Wong (TV3): National MPs: Taurima was 'biased'
Waatea News: Taurima quits TVNZ over Labour hui
Paul Henry Show (TV3): TVNZ Labour scandal: How did management not know?
Gay NZ: High-placed gay journo resigns under cloud
Steven Cowan (Against the current): Gone rogue
Shane Taurima (Herald): Shane Taurima's media statement
Dan Satherley (TV3): Shane Taurima: 'I apologise unreservedly'
Pete George (Your NZ): Katie Bradford on political affiliations
Keeping Stock: How deep does the rot go at TVNZLP?
Claire Trevett and Rebecca Quilliam (Herald): Key: Political work by TVNZ staff a 'bad look'
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Labour links at TVNZ revealed
Radio NZ: TVNZ investigating Maori and Pacific Unit
Newswire: Labour distances itself from Taurima
TVNZ: TVNZ to face further questions over Labour link
Herald: TVNZ manager resigns after Labour Party revelations
Radio NZ: TVNZ resignation over Labour link
TVNZ: TVNZ probes Labour links after Maori Pacific head quits
Keeping Stock: The TVNZLP affair
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Labour TV
Will Matthews (Left Estate): Does It Even Matter?
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): An appalling breach of neutrality at TVNZ
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): It’s only a conflict of interest at TVNZ when Labour are involved
Dylan Reeve (Also Dylan): TVNZ and Labour Activists
Morgan Godfery (Maui Street): Shane Taurima: political neophyte?
Cameron Slater (Whaeloil): Labour Party corrupts state broadcaster, Taurima resigns, Cunliffe ducks for cover
Greens and solar scheme
Herald: Editorial: Green power worthy but has too few incentives
ODT: Solar worth consideration
Sarah-Jane O’Connor (Stuff): Solar savings not clear cut
Colin James (ODT): Time for new thinking, says fuddy-duddy lord
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): A brief word on the Greens tilt towards the middle classes with solar scheme
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Industry questions solar economics
TVNZ: Greens' solar policy 'magic money' – Key
Larry Williams (Newstalk ZB): Larry's Memo: 17 February
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Will a $2 a week saving increase uptake by 2000%?
No Right Turn: A sensible policy
Ellipsister: #HERECOMESTHESUN: The Greens solar home project
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Wheels falling off Green’s loony solar power policy
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): More problems for the Green’s solar policy
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Green solar scam is a “dishonest subsidy”
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Green solar nonsense vs. reality
Pete George (Your NZ): Green Solar Homes – ok but could do better
Michael Sergel (Newswire): Bid to out-green the Greens
Steven Cowan (Against the current): Russell Norman’s ecological denial
Colin Craig vs Russel Norman
John Armstrong (Herald): Running to mum no way to play politics
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Craig v Norman
Rachel Smalley (Newstalk ZB): Colin Craig is politically naive
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Russel Norman thumbs his nose at threat of legal action
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Political Report: Conservative Craig will need a thick skin
Greg Presland (The Standard): Russel Norman to Colin Craig – Bring it on
Pete George (Your NZ): Green double standards on personal attacks
Radio NZ: Norman stands by Craig comments
Claire Trevett (Herald): Craig calls in lawyers again
Michael Fox and Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Parker offers Norman aid
Susie Nordqvist (TV3): Greens won't back down against Craig
Matthew Beveridge: Colin Craig, Russel Norman and Social Media
Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): I’m sorry, Colin. Really sorry
Will de Cleene (gonzo): Colin Craig Admits to Transvestism in Bid for East Coast Bays
Grant Duncan (Policy Matters): I Heart Colin Craig
Claire Trevett (Herald): Colin Craig sets lawyers on Green co-leader
Radio NZ: Craig threatens action against Norman
NBR Staff (NBR): Colin Craig threatens legal action against Russel Norman
TVNZ: Colin Craig threatens legal action over women, gay men comments
Andrew Geddes (Pundit): Neknominate: the Colin Craig version
Pete George (Your NZ): Norman hasn’t received Craig’s letter
Pete George (Your NZ): Colin Craig versus Russel Norman
Kim Dotcom
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): A case of schadenfreude
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Suspicions from Cunliffe over how Govt knew of Dotcom visits
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): More shark jumping
Rob Salmond (Polity): Rant: I am so very bored of all this
Pete George (Your NZ): Cunliffe joins Dotcom conspiracy campaign
Lynn Prentice (The Standard): National’s Herald shows its true colours
The Standard: Plausible deniability: Smoke & mirrors
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Crazy David Cunliffe has been reading left-wing blogs too much
Alliance: What’s Dotcom Got The Alliance Hasn’t?
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Something Similar: Political skulduggery was rife in 1975 – why not in 2014?
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Key panics and drops Slater in it – why opposition MPs would visit Dotcom
Tim Selwyn (Tumeke): Guess who's coming to dinner?
John Banks
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Public deserves to know more on Banks' donation details – Ombudsman
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): John Banks' police statements 'in public interest'
Matthew Backhouse (Herald): Release of Banks' statement to police ordered
Newswire: Banks' police statement to be released
Radio NZ: Police 'wrong' on Banks' statement
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Cunliffe non-committal over release of MP statements
Flag
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): The flag debate
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): It appears the flag debate could be a good distraction
Grant Stevenson (Stuff): We need a flag that really represents us - and that's not black
Inequality and poverty
TVNZ:'Living wage' rate increases by 40c
TV3: Living wage estimate $18.80 an hour
Simon Colins (Herald): Living wage estimate rises to $18.80/hour
Simon Collins (Herald): Restaurant serves up living wage
Rino Tirikatene (Southland Times): Focusing on child poverty
Giovanni Tiso (Bat, Bean, Beam): The mathematics of welfare
Economy
Stuff: Why New Zealand is the new Ireland
Juliette Sivertsen (Newstalk ZB): Bill English not keen on comparison with Ireland
Khyaati Acharya (Stuff): Where did our foreign investment go?
Supermarket industry
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Key signals Countdown probe
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): John Key goes in to bat for Countdown
Radio NZ: Countdown meets with council
Christchurch Rebuild
Ashleigh Stewart (Stuff): EQC opponent fined for contempt
The Press: Editorial: No place for exploitation
Radio NZ: Blogger fined $5000 over email leak
Junk food tax
Rachel Parkin (TV3): Calls for legislation against unhealthy food
Radio NZ: Tax will change habits – scientist
Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Big Food
Other
Tova O’Brien (TV3): Cunliffe hiding $2.5M mansion from voters – Key
Stuff: Today in politics: Tuesday, February 18
Tim Selwyn (Daily Blog): Close Up and the rise of Seven Sharp – Reprise (Brian Edwards back to the future)
Matthew Beveridge: MPs on Twitter: Asenati LoleTaylor
Dominion Post: Editorial: Discredited claim still wounds
Newswire: John Key backs the Beamers
Lincoln Tan (Herald): NZ politics odd to migrants
Radio NZ: Lawyers hope review protects rights
TVNZ: Privacy boss calls for rebuilding of faith in Govt agencies
Mike Smith (The Standard): Easy Vote or Voter Intimidation?
Paul Casserly (Herald): Willie and Ali - the odd couple
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Opposition to higher taxes broken down
Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Uber opposition
Liam Hehir (Stuff): Issues often not public's passion
Denise Irvine (Stuff): Waitangi Day? It reminds me why it's so wonderful to live here
Dave Burgess (Stuff): Town Hall talk an 'attack on democracy'
Rachel Smalley (Newstalk ZB): Key playing a good game, and the polls show it
Radio NZ: Party wants to 'galvanise' expatriates
Caleb Morgan (Cut Your Hair): I am so sick of this obvious lie
