The main issues in NZ politics today are legal highs, Shane Jones, and the Labour Party. [Read more below]
Today’s links
Legal highs
ODT: Cheap politics in an election year
The Press: Strict control still best way
Peter O’Neill (Timaru Herald): Editorial: And now we wait
Dominion Post: Editorial: Dunne drops synthetics ball
Herald: Editorial: 'Legal highs' experiment misjudged public anger
Taranaki Daily News: Legal high u-turn: better late than never
Paul Easton and Tessa Johnstone (Stuff): Warning legal high addicts will clog system
Isaac Davison (Herald): Ban on legal highs 'will cost jobs'
Peter Wilson (Newswire): Govt debates testing drugs on animals
Newstalk ZB: Political Report: If you smell a rat
Stephen Franks: Banning chemical highs – illiberal abuse of power?
Mohamed Hassan (Herald): No ethical basis for testing legal highs on animals – Labour
TV3: What does the future hold for legal highs?
Adrien Taylor (TV3): Legal high users stock up before ban
Tova O’Brien (TV3): Labour to put forward animal testing amendment
NBR Staff (NBR): Recreational drug policy in disarray - ACT MP John Banks
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Dunne legal high conflict examined
Isaac Davison (Herald): PM: Leaving legal highs on market was a mistake
Siobhan Downes (Stuff): Legal high ban 'surprising, but thrilling'
TVNZ: Animal testing could snag plan to ban legal highs
Newswire: PM against drug testing on rabbits
3 News Online Staff (TV3): PM admits legal high 'mistake'
Michael Cummings (Manawatu Standard): Highs and lows of petty politics
Dan Satherley (TV3): Dunne slams Opposition, Mayors over legal highs
Lynn Prentice (The Standard): Highs, legal or otherwise
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): A temporary ban of legal highs
No Right Turn: Back to hypocrisy again
Russell Brown (Hard News): Illegal Highs
Tim Watkin (Pundit): Legal highs leave MPs dazed & confused
Mark Hubbard (Life Behind the Iron Drape): Legal Heroin Ban: PSA and the Evil of Politics.
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Dunne didn’t want to ban legal highs, but Labour forced his hand
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Of Grasshoppers and Ants: A Meditation on the Failure of Cannabis Law Reform
Frank Macskasy (Daily Blog): National under attack – defaults to Deflection #1
National Party
Herald: Tobacco lobbyists stand for National seats
Alexia Russell (Newstalk ZB): National unveil new Clutha-Southland MP
Amanda Parkinson (Stuff): Fresh-faced candidate to replace English
Southland Times: From deadly smoke to nice safe seat
Shane Jones
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Serial litigant eyes Jones, McCully
Michael Sergel (Newstalk ZB): McCully threatened with legal action
Waikato Times: Bad whiff to Jones' role
Colin James (ODT): Forget the Jones boy. A much bigger transition looms
Liam Hehir (Stuff): Narrowing of the Labour Party
Steve Braunias (Stuff): Jones quitting Labour the best news in a long time
Philip Ferguson (Redline): Shane Jones and the nature of the Labour Party
Narelle Henson (Stuff): Why Jones' departure hurts Labour
Labour Party
Elton Smallman (Stuff): Labour expounds rural policies
Adam Bennett (Herald): Mortgage advantage with Labour, says Parker
Peter Wilson (Newsire): Key trashes Labour's monetary policy
Claire Trevett (Herald): Taurima seeks Labour nomination for Tamaki Makaurau electorate
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Lies or politics
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): The nasty party makes a return and once again its Darien in the thick of it
Radio NZ: Labour announces KiwiSaver inflation plan
Economy
Pattrick O’Meara (Radio NZ): CORRESPONDENT, with Patrick O'Meara
John Anthony (Stuff): Majority of farmers breaking employment laws – MBIE
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Is this a record?
Housing
Ashleigh Stewart (Stuff): Tent family saga gets political
No Right Turn: National's New Zealand
Workers Day
Simon Wong (TV3): Protestors gather for those killed at work
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): Marchers focus on workplace deaths
Denise Roche (Frogblog): Mourn the dead and fight for the living
Other
Stuff: Today in politics: Tuesday, April 29
Rebecca Quilliam (Herald): Govt boosts ear implant funds
Isaac Davison (Herald): ACC to cover rape therapy costs in full
Radio NZ: Leaders speak at Maori governance hui
Critic: Winston Peters
Eye of the Fish: One year to go
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): A Green City Council
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Key happy with sex offenders list
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Harawira's quarterly bill totals $44k
