Heat rises as sitting days before election run out

The valedictories have begun. There’s legislation to get through and legislation that won’t make it. There's still time for questions about the shop though as the frantic final sitting block begins

Mōrena and welcome to The Bulletin for Wednesday, August 16, by Anna Rawhiti-Connell. Presented in partnership with Z Energy.

In today’s edition: win for the court of public opinion on inflation expectations; minister responds as Corrections deputy chief quits; farewell to the Fifa World Cup; but first, the race to the finish line before the election

Sorry, not sorry

Things got pretty heated in the house yesterday as the final sitting block before the election began. Associate housing minister Willie Jackson had to apologise in parliament, while finance minister Grant Robertson refused to apologise after calling National finance spokesperson, Nicola Willis a liar. Robertson is deeply frustrated by the media reporting of Willis’ suggestion that Robertson and Chris Hipkins had disagreed over the date the GST policy would be in place and that being the reason there was an error in the material sent to media. Willis has said she won’t be pursuing the matter. Meanwhile, the Working for Families campaign pledge that accompanied the GST one on Sunday warrants further examination. As the Herald’s Thomas Coughlan writes, Labour has copped criticism for delaying a lift in the abatement threshold for Working for Families credits to 2026 if re-elected. Critics say the adjustment does not account for inflation since 2018. As Coughlan writes, it means some families may still be worse off after the change triggers in 2026, because of how fast incomes have risen. 

Bills, bills, bills

Beyond the theatrics of the House, the pace of legislative work is now at full throttle A bill to lower the voting age to 16 for local government elections was introduced yesterday while the House agreed to move into urgency last night in order to get through 12 bills, all at various stages. Included in that list are the bills to bring about the Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms and the bills linked to the water reforms formerly known as Three Waters. That ties off two chunky pieces of reform for Labour. National is promising to repeal all of it if they win the election, with a promise to move on the RMA reforms bills before Christmas.

Blunt realities for communities at risk

A third proposed statute that the Randerson report recommended form part of the RMA reforms, a climate change adaptation bill, will not be introduced before the election. Earlier this year climate change minister James Shaw had expressed some hope that it would be. Instead, Shaw has requested that parliament's Environment Select Committee look into community-led retreat and adaptation funding and begin that before the election in October. As Newsroom Pro’s Jono Milne writes (paywalled), an expert working group charged with designing a managed retreat system as part of the adaptation bill also delivered its report yesterday, “with very little government fanfare”. Despite that, Milne thinks it's unlikely that the report’s “blunt words” about the very real realities of climate adaptation will remain stifled and that the lack of fanfare reflects the report’s proximity to the election. The report states that “Where the evidence shows a community is likely to be wiped out in as few as 10 years…the only rational response, in the absence of a feasible, cost-effective alternative, will be to relocate the community to a safer place.” The report recommends that be done by persuading people to go in the first instance, but if that doesn't work, it recommends using new legislated emergency powers, with no right of court appeal. 

80-hour weeks, going to the “supermarket all the time actually” and farewells

While there were plenty of heated exchanges in the House yesterday, there was also time for chats about which MPs regularly do the supermarket shopping. It is entirely reasonable to believe this line of questioning has been prompted by Tara Ward’s masterful satire last week on the subject of Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell’s visitation habits. National MP Tama Potaka said he “goes to the supermarket all the time actually”. Coincidentally, on the same day Uffindell said he didn't have much of a chance to shop because he works 80 hours a week, outgoing Green MP Jan Logie also described an 80-hour work week as an MP. As long-time readers know, I love a good farewell interview tour and valedictory speech. MPs of all stripes tend to reveal it’s not all heat and partisanship and speak a few truths. Logie and National MP Jacqui Dean don't disappoint in this episode of The Front Page. Logie and Dean are two of the 17 MPs giving valedictory speeches in the next nine days. Appointment viewing schedule here. Paul Eagle, Marja Lubeck and Jmaie Strange did theirs last night. Former Green MP turned independent MP, Elizabeth Kerekere has told Stuff she won’t be holding back as she gets ready for her valedictory speech tonight saying she wants to “set the record straight” on her fallout with the Greens.

On the job: three stories of drug use in the workplace

Using drugs at work is usually well against workplace policy due to their ability to impair judgement and impact safety. On The Spinoff, Sam Te Kani talks to three New Zealanders who have used drugs at work about their reasons, the stigma and how it may be more commonplace than people think. Read the piece, in partnership with The Level, here (sponsored).

Win for the court of public opinion in inflation expectation survey

As interest.co.nz’s David Hargreaves reports a Reserve Bank survey of about a thousand householders has found they expect inflation to fall and house prices to start rising again. Despite the many different sector surveys done by the RBNZ, it’s actually the New Zealand householder that has a very good track record on picking the actual inflation outcome one-year out. That’s according to an analysis the RBNZ did on surveys earlier this year which is winsomely titled “Great Expectations”. There’s an Official Cash Rate announcement today but most are picking it to remain precisely where it is. In other economic data news, median wage and salary increases are now outstripping inflation while The BNZ and Seek employment report for July reveals the number of job ads has declined for the fourth month in a row.

Minister responds as Corrections deputy chief quits

Newsroom’s Aaron Smale reported on Monday that Topia Rameka, the deputy chief executive Māori at the Department of Corrections, had resigned amid allegations about his behaviour. The allegations involve complaints from female employees. Corrections minister Kelvin Davis responded to questions about the resignation yesterday, confirming he had been informed “there was an issue” relating to Rameka two weeks ago during his usual briefing, and he subsequently asked what the response had been to the concerns raised. Ultimately Davis said it was an employment matter for Corrections and not for him to be involved in any of those employment decisions.

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Click and Collect

• The leaders of National and Act are split on offering paid leave to a person’s partner after childbirth following Labour’s promise to do so yesterday

• National Party donations trio appeal convictions

• Airport favourite Wishbone is reportedly in liquidation

• In the interests of continuing to load up your plates with a balanced diet, University of Otago medical school professor Sir Jim Mann said Labour’s GST policy was a “good start” while the Herald’s Simon Wilson says he’ll take the “too complicated” criticism seriously (paywalled) when the critics advocate taxing all wealth and income equitably, whether it’s earned or not.

• “I just hope there are more people who can take an interest in these smart birds” — the world of Northland pigeon racing

Right now on The Spinoff

Duncan Greive argues that if you want a right-leaning, soft-populist government, the good news is that we already have one. Haimoana Gray asks whether there’s ever been a more exhausting, less inspiring election than this. Lisa Meto Fox writes that the recently announced gender pay gap reporting puts Pākehā women ahead of Māori and Pacific workers. Catherine Hart discusses the intense longing of being a ‘childless mother’. A 21-year-old future teacher shares how she spends and saves while studying for The Cost of Being.

Sporting snippets

• What a game. Nil all until the 80th minute, then three goals in nine minutes. The Spaniards head to the Fifa World Cup final after an electrifying finish to their match against Sweden at Eden Park last night.

• I know this is another football story but it’s too funny: Barnaby Joyce and about 80 others watched the wrong Matildas game on Saturday night. Godspeed for Saturday.

‘Haere rā football - you stole my heart’

Suze McFadden writes a fantastic farewell to the Fifa World Cup as last night’s semi-final brings New Zealand’s cohosting duties to a close. McFadden admits to “almost being resigned” not to enjoy the tournament as the last of the “Big Four global women’s sports events” to be hosted here in the last two years. Now she finds herself sad to see it go “yet surprisingly grateful to have made her acquaintance.”

“The sportswomanship (if it’s not a word, it should be) has been tremendous. My enduring memory will be of distraught young Japanese forward Maika Hamano being consoled by experienced Swedish fullback Jonna Andersson – locked in a hug for at least four minutes after Nadeshiko were eliminated in their quarterfinal.”

Got some feedback about The Bulletin, or anything in the news? Get in touch with me at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz.

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