The main issues in NZ politics today are the royal visit and republicanism, the Countdown supermarket enquiry, Budget 2014 and the economy, Tau Henare's resignation, and the National Party. [Read more below]
Today’s links
Royal visit and republicanism
Vernon Small (Stuff): Politicians swap barbs over royal jockeying
Alexander Bisley (Guardian): Duchess of Cambridge and the meaning of the Maori warrior's tattoo
Stuff: Rain set to continue during the first days of Royal tour
TV3: Maori undies 'prank' a misunderstanding
Pete George (Your NZ): Severely flawed royal tour poll
Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): A statement from Prince George
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Cry-baby Cunliffe upset over royal visit
Countdown
Isaac Davison (Herald): Minister was warned of pressure on suppliers
Simon Wong (TV3): Countdown asks for inquiry evidence
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Nanny state lotto restrictions or welcome to Governing?
TVNZ: Commerce Minister under fire over Countdown allegations
Newswire: Nats block Labour's Countdown move
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Shane Jones takes aim at Lotto
TVNZ: Countdown bosses could be called before MPs
Radio NZ: Progressive accused of more bullying
Vernon Small (Stuff): 'Menacing' supermarket letter to be public
Newswire: Countdown sent 'menacing' letter, MP says
Corin Dann (TVNZ): Commerce Committee to release Countdown letter
Brendan Manning (Herald): Labour plan to remove Lotto from checkouts 'a bit nanny state'
Grumpollie: Initial thoughts on buying lotto tickets at checkouts
Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Hard-nosed duopolists
The Standard: David Farrar…..Busted.
Budget 2015
Vernon Small (Stuff): NZ Budget deficit bigger than expected
Newswire: Govt deficit remains bigger than forecasts
Herald: Govt tax take falls short, again - deficit rises
No Right Turn: Ouch
Danyl McLauchlan (Dim-Post): Politics, lies and the Economy
Economy
James Weir (Stuff): Business confidence hits 20-year high
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Stonking confidence
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): $278b - our lost pot of superannuation gold
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Whyte blames financial crisis on Government
Richard Meadows (Stuff): Foreign currency probe revelation
Liam Dann (Herald): Dr Doom tips markets to tumble
Tau Henare
Isaac Davison (Herald): Hits and misses of Tau's time in politics
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): The right man for National at the time
Michael Fox (Stuff): Tau calls time on Parliament
Rachel Morton (TV3): Henare reflects on life as an MP
Radio NZ: Henare pays tribute to committee
John Minto (Daily Blog): Tau Henare – political driftwood
National Party
Fundamentally Useless: Well, John Key thought it was a GREAT idea
David Kennedy (Local Bodies): The Young Nats Celebrate Wealth and Privilege
Alan Papprill (Irascible Curmudgeon): Judith Collins and John Key as the public see them.
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Young Nats in trouble for anti-Semitism
Rob Salmond (Polity): Armstrong on National on Labour
David Hargreaves (Interest): John Key might have just unintentionally made houses a crucial election battleground
The Standard:Winning song urges Key to leave politics
Julie Moffett (Newstalk ZB): Conor English won't run in Clutha
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Green Taleban fringe division gets enough funding for the John Key Nazi hate campaign
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): National’s strategic stupidity, ctd
Inequality and poverty
Michele a’Court (Stuff): Life on the wings of Paula's dole is a breeze
Herald: Editorial: Travel is not a right for those taking welfare
Simon Buckingham (Daily Blog): Trying to live with disability under Paula Bennett
The Standard: Poverty denial – NZ Herald editorial
Anna Samways (Herald): Sideswipe: April 8: Paula's scream
Cory Anderson (ISO): Protesting National’s War on Beneficiaries
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): If only John Key would welcome the 285 000 NZ children in poverty with as much urgency as he is meeting Baby George
Legal highs
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Doing something about legal highs
Duncan Garner (RadioLIVE): Communities can ban synthetics
Russell Brown (Hard News): The perilous birth of the Psychoactive Substances Act
Pete George (Your NZ): Cannabis and psychoactive substances debate continues
Christchurch rebuild
Peter Robb (Stuff): Future Chch likely to be 'a letdown'
Rachel Dixon (Guardian): Christchurch after the earthquake: risen from the rubble
Tony Milne (Daily Blog): Christchurch must grasp chance to create a better city
Internet Party
Radio NZ: Internet Party seeks political status
NBR Staff (NBR): Internet Party submits list to Electoral Commission, claims 2000 members
TVNZ: MPs deny move to Kim Dotcom's Internet Party
Scott Hamilton (Reading the Maps): Kim Dotcom, Benjamin Work, and the Tongan swastika
Environment
Russell Brown (Hard News): The Language of Climate
Kennedy Graham (RadioLIVE): Greens: The polar bear is us
No Right Turn: Environmental Reporting Bill: The origins of secrecy
Police
Jared Savage (Herald): Top cop's job on the line over prostitute
Rob Kidd (Stuff): No charges after top cop accused of rape
No Right Turn: The police should not be above the law
Maori politics
Simon Maude (Stuff): Subtribe vows no charges
Fightback: Tino Rangatiratanga: What’s it got to do with Pākehā?
Michael Fox (Stuff): Kohanga trust lashes out after contract lost
Newswire: Greens want action on Maori in justice system
Sparrowhawk:“Institutional racism”. Warning: label may smudge with over-use.
Radio NZ: Big change for first Maori radio station
Labour Party
Audrey Young (Herald): Aged to get more funding – Cunliffe
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): The first 100 days of a Labour led Government
Matthew Beveridge: Now is the winter of our discontent…..
Other
Stuff: Today in politics: Wednesday, April 9
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Welcome to the bureaucrat capital
Herald: Editorial: No grounds to ease immigration rules further
Peter Wilson and Alastair Bull (Newswire): Cut Aratere ferry and start again, Peters says
Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Occupational licensing: NZ Edition
Audrey Young (Herald): NZEI unhappy about school leadership package
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): GE has place in NZ
Radio NZ: New Zealand consulting Australia over Solomons aid
Matthew Beveridge: Social media and party office holders
Peter Aranyi (The Paepae): “The more information partisans get, the deeper their disagreements become.”
Brook Sabin (TV3): Report shows 61 dangerous petroleum incidents
Adam Hollingworth (TV3): MPI fishing rulers go out with wrong info
