The main issues in NZ politics today are MPs and Twitter, GSCB and drones, housing and immigration, NZ First, John Banks, and the Labour Party. [Read more below]
Today’s links
MPs and Twitter
Claire Trevett (Herald): MP sticks to his guns on Mafia remark
Claire Trevett (Herald): MPs' Twitter use under the spotlight
Katie Bradford (TVNZ): Tweeting habits of MPs to come under scrutiny
Simon Wong (TV3): Green MP's tweet shows 'nasty side' - English
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): MPs' tweeting habits to be examined by Privileges Committee
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Green MP 'mortified' over 'nasty' tweet
Radio NZ: Green MP apologises for tweet
Matthew Beveridge: The Speaker, The House, and Twitter
Parliament Today: Privileges Committee To Look At Implications of Social Media
The Standard: “Twitter sent to the Privileges Committee”
GCSB and drones
Andrea Vance (Stuff): NZ complicit in Afghanistan attacks’
TV3: Key's meeting with GCSB boss revealed
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): The Campbell Live Dotcom conspiracy episode
The Standard: Campbell Live: Fletcher, Key, Clapper et al
John Minto (Herald): GCSB holding doors open while US buddies invade our privacy
Dan Satherley (TV3): Key 'comfortable' with occasional drone mistake
Stuff: Drone strikes justified – Key
Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On New Zealand’s role in the US drone programme
No Right Turn: The true purpose of US "lawful intercept" technology
No Right Turn: Our quisling Prime Minister
Third Culture Commentary: The Prime Minister and Drones
Pete George (Your NZ): Contrasting reactions to Campbell Live on GCSB
Housing and immigration
John Armstrong (Herald): Getting to the bottom of bottom lines
The Standard: National don’t know and don’t want to know about foreign ownership of housing
Michael Fox (Stuff): Council blamed for Auckland housing delays
David Hargreaves (Interest): John Key is a commanding leader - until he starts talking about houses
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Cunliffe not keen to discuss immigration on his watch
Iain Scott (Stuff): Nation needs smart immigration, says Peters
Rob Hosking (NBR): Why the PM 'parked' RMA reform (paywalled)
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Key bites back at Labour over housing
Radio NZ: Labour confirms cut in immigration
Richard Meadows (Stuff): Seven ways to tackle home loan hikes
The Standard: Tilting at windmills
Dominion Post: Editorial: Housing problems no easy fix
Tova O’Brien (TV3): Key plays down housing crisis
Michael Fox (Stuff): Labour considers RMA support
Bernard Hickey (Interest): Key says doesn't accept affordability harder for first home buyers now than when he bought; says plenty of affordable homes in Auckland on Trade Me
Simon Wong (TV3): Labour offers support on RMA changes
Adam Bennett (Herald): Labour would support home affordabilty RMA changes
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Cunliffe not keen to discuss immigration on his watch
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): RMA overhaul dropped
Rob Salmond (Polity): The young ones
Metiria Turei (Frogblog): A house with no land to put it on is not an affordable first home
No Right Turn: Good riddance to RMA "reform"
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Govt doesn’t have the numbers for RMA reform
NZ First
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Nasty exchange in Parliament between Horan, Peters
Adam Bennett (Herald): Bad blood between Peters and Horan reaches new low
Newswire: Peters apologises for Jimmy Savile quip
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): 'Disgusting comments' in Parliament
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Peters smears Horan
Pete George (Your NZ): Wrong dishonourable Winston Peters
Pete George (Your NZ): Winston Peters Q & A
Pete George (Your NZ): Peters selective facing questions
John Banks
Stuff: Mona Dotcom to take stand in Banks trial
Stuff: Bodyguard backs Dotcom's account
Amanda Gillies (TV3): Banks' defence attacks Dotcom's credibility
Jimmy Elligham (Herald): Banks trial: Accusations fly over split donation
Ian Steward (Stuff): Dotcom aide backs mogul's story
TVNZ: Kim Dotcom 'irritated' over donation split
Victoria Young (NBR): Dotcom called a liar at John Banks trial
Robert Kidd (Stuff): Man charged in attack on John Banks
Labour Party
TVNZ: High interest anticipated for Labour electorate nomination
RadioLIVE: Labour dumps Treasury secondment
Vernon Small (Stuff): Tamaki Makaurau nominations this week?
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Covert’s the problem not overt
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Dyson goes electorate only
Pete George (Your NZ): Davidson not contesting Tāmaki Makaurau
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Will Flavell confident he'll get Tamaki-Makaurau nod
Matthew Beveridge: @Maramadavidson, Twitter, and the media
Radio NZ: Flavell judges Maori Party 'old'
National Party
Isaac Davison (Herald): John Key declares ownership of a racehorse
Brook Sabin (TV3): Peters on attack over Key's nag
Radio NZ: Collins back to work
Vernon Small (Stuff): Minister apologises for Gallipoli relative gaffe
Claire Trevett (Herald): Judith Collins returns to Parliament after leave
NZ-US relations
Claire Trevett (Herald): Key confirms new White House visit
Patrick Gower (TV3): Key won't discuss drones with Obama
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): The Soap Box: Golfing buddies to reunite once again
ACC
Adam Bennett (Herald): ACC plan means safer car owners could save $163 a year
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Big drop in petrol prices in ACC plan
Economy and inequality
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Beware the spirit level
Niko Kloeten (Stuff): Workers want more help to keep healthy
Muriel Newman (NZCPR): Budget 2014
Michael Daly (Stuff): No takers for South Island timber assets
Denise Roche (Frogblog): Youth Homelessness in Auckland
Peter Cresswell (Not PC): “The lottery of birth”
Mike Smith (The Standard): Briefing Papers
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): 2014 NZ Council Financial Sustainability League Table
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): A second cable getting closer
Rob Salmond (Polity): English on 2010 tax switch
Matt Nolan (TVHE): ‘Communist’ isn’t the cat call it used to be
Frank Macskasy (Daily Blog): A fair go in New Zealand? The truth about inequality in the land of the wrong uptight crowd
Education and Novopay
Newswire: Novopay problems appear to be sorted
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Tertiary course cuts justified
Gambling
Katie Bradford (TVNZ): Funding relief for Problem Gambling Foundation
Newswire: More gambling profits to be given to community
Other
Stephen Mills (Stuff): A tale of two strategies
Chris Trotter (Stuff): Using green capitalism to save the planet
Ross Patterson (Stuff): Where greenies meet economists
Rob Salmond (Polity): Turnout: I have a deal for Bryce Edwards
Diane White (Public Address): Let's talk about class
Jane Clifton (Listener): Maverick misses the mark (paywalled)
Listener: Editorial: Let well alone (paywalled)
Brian Easton (Listener): Spent forces (paywalled)
Pattrick Smellie (Listener): The book that hit like a bomb (paywalled)
Scott Hamilton (Reading the maps): David Farrar discovers communism
Andrew Geddis (Pundit): Something To Dü
Stuff: Today in politics: Wednesday, May 21
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Diplomats hosted as NZ pursues UN seat
Fundamentally Useless: New Study Reveals Terrifying Truth of Student Politics
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Canon Media Award winning hate speech merchant decides to have a go at the Muslims
Newswire: Spot-fixing allegations 'extremely serious' – Key
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): The Snowdon costs
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Radio NZ well off compared to the ABC
Tim Selwyn (Tumeke): RNZ: Clinging colonials
Stuff: Faces of Auckland: Refugee a 'gift' to MP
Nikki Preston (Herald): The youth who are making a difference
Bob Jones (Herald): Cut sports extravaganzas down to realistic size
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): The secret diaries of comrade Simon, ctd
