NZ POLITICS DAILY: 3rd February 2014

The main issues in NZ politics today are Metiria Turei's clothes and racism debate, the Act Party leadership, the latest opinion poll, the Labour Party, and the economy. [Read more below]

Today’s links

Metiria Turei

Adam Bennett (Herald): Full battle jacket as MPs squabble

Katie Bradford (TVNZ): Jacket spat demeans everyone

Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Claims of racism over designer clothes comment

Adam Bennett (Herald): What the blazers...? Politicians' jacket spat

Radio NZ: MP designer jacket spat goes on

TVNZ: MPs continue to bicker over 'ugly' jacket

Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Collins jumps in 'racist' clothes-fight

David Kennedy (Local bodies): National Attacks the Jacket Not the Message

Ele Ludemann (Stuff): Hypocrisy nothing to do with race

Pete George (Your NZ): What Anne Tolley said

Pete George (Your NZ): Turei’s speech

Pete George (Your NZ): Judith Collins doesn’t help Tolley

Stuff: So how do they dress?  

Pete George (Your NZ): Maori views on Turei and racism

Newswire: Key refuses to reign in Collins' Twitter tirades

Walter Plinge (The Ruminator): The sisterhood of the racist travelling jacket

Jane Bowron (Stuff): It's all rather OTT in the girl armour dept

Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Political Report: Justice Minister the Fashion police?

Kerre McIvor (Herald): The low end of our MPs' high life

Shawn McAvinue (Herald): Metiria opens the doors to her castle - and THAT wardrobe

Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Claims of racism don't stop attacks on Turei's jackets

Frank Macskasy (Daily Blog): New Clothing Standards set by National Party

Alliance: The Left Don’t Want Leftovers; Or Why Metiria Should Keep Her Jacket!

Peter Aranyi (The Paepae): Judith Collins’ ‘really ugly’ attacks echo Muldoon’s tactics

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Metiria and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Pete George (Your NZ): Greens on National nastiness

Greg Presland (The Standard): National’s election year strategy and designer jackets

Pete George (Your NZ): Metiria doth protest too much methinks

Keeping Stock: McIvor on Turei and THAT claim

Cameron Slater (Whaeloil): Since we are talking about dress sense, let’s look at the jacket wars

Cameron Slater (Whaeloil): Dumber than a sack of hammers, Turei calls Collins a racist

Cameron Slater (Whaeloil): Turei nailed. Explaining is losing

Bryce Edwards (Liberation): Top tweets about Metiria Turei’s clothes and racism

The Standard: John Key: telling it like it isn’t

Act Party

Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Nats hold back after ACT leadership change

TVNZ: Act's new leader confident of turning party around

Newswire: Key cool on ACT's new direction

Stuff: Boscawen quits over ACT strategy risk

Laura McQuillan and Sam Thompson (Newstalk ZB): Boscawen refuses to fundraise after losing ACT race

Newswire: Jamie Whyte won't push drug views

Audrey Young (Herald): Act leader set to play it straight

Audrey Young (Herald): New energy driving Act, says hopeful

Radio NZ: ACT split roles 'risky but best way to revive party'

Stuff: Jamie Whyte elected new ACT Party leader

Brook Sabin (TV3): ACT choices huge risk for party

TVNZ: Act names fresh leadership team

Laura McQuillan and Sam Thompson (Newstalk ZB): Hard slog for ACT this election

NBR Staff (NBR): ACT choses Whyte for leader, Seymour for Epsom

Matthew Hooton (NBR): A new ACT starts on Sunday

Audrey Young (Herald): Jamie Whyte elected Act leader

Newswire: ACT Party announces new leader

Radio NZ: ACT elects new leader and Epsom candidate

TVNZ: Jamie Whyte to lead the Act Party

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): So the saviour of ACT is a man who argues for abolition of all labour laws and removal of all health and safety regulations?

John Boscawen (Whaleoil): Guest post: John Boscawen

Bryce Edwards (Liberation): Top tweets about the leadership contest for Act

Josie Pagani (Pundit): John Key’s horrible weekend

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Whyte and Seymour elected

Pete George (Your NZ): John Boscawen corrects media comments

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): I’d say ACT is rooted now

Pete George (Your NZ): Act take a big risk

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): The new ACT Leader

Audrey Young (Herald): Whyte set for nod as Act leader

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): ACT decisions

Andrew Dickens (Newstalk ZB): ACT needs to rediscover their mojo

Audrey Young (Herald): Has Act got talent?

Latest polls and the election

Patrick Gower (TV3): 3News-Reid Research poll shows Peters as kingmaker

Herald: NZ First could hold balance of power – poll

NBR Staff (NBR): Labour-Greens edge National in second poll; Winston positioned a kingmaker

Sam Thompson and Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Peters quiet on king maker role

Rob Salmond (Polity): 3news poll

Frank Macskasy (TV3): TV3 Polling and some crystal-ball gazing

Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): An analysis of the 3 News Poll

Danyl McLauchlan (Dim-Post): Brief thoughts on the TV3 poll

Greg Presland (The Standard): Dear RadioNZ – the largest party does not necessarily win the election

Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Don't write off Winston securing the votes

Sam Thompson (Newstalk ZB): Forgetfulness and apathy behind lack of votes

Radio NZ: G20 forum may affect election date

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Why people didn’t vote

Pete Goerge (Your NZ): 3 News poll – Paddy plays king-maker

Rodney Hide (Herald): How to pick your partners

Bernard Hickey (Herald): Vote buying's hidden cost

Colin Espiner (Stuff): It's an election-year lolly scramble

New flag

Nelson Mail: Editorial – Flagging an issue that sparks debate

Matthew Dallas (Stuff): Flagging the real issue

The Press: Flag debate a diversion

The Political Scientist: Flagging interest in ‘folly’ of vexillology

Bryan Bruce (Daily Blog): There is a huge difference between a Brand and a Country

Sam Clements (Herald): Fly a flag for our future and past

RadioLIVE: Much to consider in flag debate - designer 

Southland Times: Editorial: Drape the flag debate carefully

John Roughan (Herald): Seriously, let's look at the flag

Paul Thomas (Herald): Lorde's success gives country another reason to change flag

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): A two stage flag referendum?

Latifa Daud (Daily Blog): The pain beneath changing the flag

Labour Party

Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Cunliffe falters at 'show me the money'

John Armstrong (Herald): Tough-talking Key drapes a flag over rival

Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim-Post): Dark days

Chris Keall (NBR): Labour MP’s Facebook facepalm

Dave Armstrong (Stuff): Labour's Facebook ban threat loony, but it's on the right track

Pat Pilcher (Herald): Labour considered banning Internet for tax avoiding multinationals

Steve Braunias (Stuff): The secret diary of . . . David Cunliffe

Claire Trevett (Herald): Slip-ups a 'small distraction' to a positive week: Cunliffe

Matthew Dallas (Manawatu Standard): Editorial: Facebook warning a stupid game

3 News/Newswire: Key doubts Labour's house price figures

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): The baby bribe goes mainly to the rich and beneficiaries

Greg Presland (The Standard): Media bias

The Standard: Key signals coalition with Labour

Kieran Gainsford (Left Estate): NZ Media Sails off the Deep End

The Standard: No details, please, we’re gallery hacks

Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): By all means let’s blame the media

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Herald on baby bribe

Pete George (Your NZ): Labour and the nasty biased media

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Watkins on Labour’s shambles

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Does Cunliffe stick by shoes claim?

Frank Macskasy (Daily Blog): The trivialisation of the News and consequences

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Trotter on Cunliffe, it ain’t flash

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Cunliffe and Labour have some troubled waters ahead

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Cunliffe’s shoe lie now coming out

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Labour says Apple et al plundering NZ economy

Economy

Stuff: Foreign investors shun NZ

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Australia vs NZ with exports to China

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): The false sense of economic confidence

Lindsay Mitchell (Breaking Views): Matt McCarten's claims in the HOS

Stuff: Strong economy boosted by confidence

Alan Wood (Stuff): Canterbury region seen as inflation trigger by Reserve Bank

James Weir (Stuff): Milk powder booms as China now top market

Matt McCarten (Herald): Rose-tinted view cruel fairy tales

NBR Staff (NBR): NZ economy stifled by FDI rules

Newswire:$15M genetics funding bad economics – union

Alan Papprill (The Irascible Curmudgeon): Two Graphics that illustrate the state of the economy.

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Recall those who voted against the China FTA

Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): No exceptions for tariffs under TPP

Brendan Horan

Rebecca Wright (TV3): Brendan Horan's new plans for Parliament

Barry Soper, Jacqui Stanford, and Corazon Miller (Newstalk ZB): Police may investigate Brendan Horan over new claim

Michael Fox (Stuff): Police say no Horan probe

Radio NZ: Horan 'welcomes' police inquiry

Simon Wong (TV3):Horan faces fresh complaint

TVNZ: New complaint laid against Brendan Horan

Adam Bennett (Herald): Brendan Horan says new complaint is 'fantastic'

Newswire: Horan would 'welcome' police investigation

Michael Sergel (Newstalk ZB): Brendan Horan political party a step closer

Pete George (Your NZ): Brendan Horan versus Winston Peters and Barry Soper

Education

Newswire: Key opening first charter school

Jono Hutchison (TV3): Small school, big expectations

Simon Day (Stuff): First charter school opens

Nicholas Jones and Sophie Ryan (Herald): Fees-row pupils kept out of class

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): First charter school opened

Adam Hollingworth (TV3): School gets intl attention for letting kids be kids

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): The popularity of ditch the rules

Ross Henderson (Stuff): Education taking centre stage

John Sargeant (Stuff): National leads on education

Offshore oil and gas

Bruce Munro (ODT): Distant prospects

Pete George (Your NZ): David Clark on Otago gas exploration – yeah, nah

Maori politics

Joshua Hitchcock (Ka Tōnuitanga): This Week in Māori Politics: Friday 31 January

Michael Fox (Stuff): Address Maori male violence says MP

Radio NZ: Maori Party backs Teina Pora

Michael Fox (Stuff): Maori men hit with prostate cancer care

Newswire: Key keen to see Ngapuhi settle claim

Non-voting

Vernon Small (Stuff): Why people don't vote

TVNZ: 'Didn't vote cause I wasn't interested'

Radio NZ: Non-voters just didn't get round to it

Len Brown

Julie Kaio (Herald): Hard questions thrown at Len Brown

Tom McRae (TV3): Brown blasted at 'Mayor in the chair'

MPs expenses

Radio NZ: PM happy with ministers' expenses

Newswire: Ministers rack up $2m in 3 months

Stuff: Key defends Brownlee's San Francisco SUV hire

Inequality and poverty

Paul Walker (Anti-Dismal): But why does inequality matter?

Paul Walker (Anti-Dismal): But why does inequality matter? 2

Brennan McDonald: Why Inequality Is On The Agenda

Human rights

Herald: NZ has 'excellent' human rights record

Newswire: UN gives NZ 155 human rights tasks

Corazon Miller (Newstalk ZB): Calls for NZ to legislate against racism

Andrew Chen (MCDP): What does "155 human rights recommendations" mean?

Electricity

Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Stock Takes: Political bets in energy sector

Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Early Genesis float tipped

Stephen Franks (NBR): Electricity nationalisation as an election issue

Greens

Rachel Stewart (Stuff): Norman's slip let down the people of 'Green' land

Nelson Mail: Editorial: DOC deserves extra cash for 1080 blitz

Southland Times: Editorial: The unlovely best option

Pete George (Your NZ): Fisking Russel Norman’s speech

David Clendon (Frogblog): The Greens are the Bogeymen!

Bayden Harris (Liberal Notes): Gold star for the Greens

Current affairs shows

Gordon Brown (Stuff): Current affairs' welcome return

Andrew Gunn (Stuff): Paul Henry - tormented by retards

Rachel Glucina (Herald): The Diary: Seven Sharp loses yet another team member

Diana Wichtel (Listener): Back with a thump

Colin Hogg (Herald): TV3's benevolent dictator warm and witty - but serious

Election

Isaac Davison (Herald): Wallets out ... but can votes be bought?

Isaac Davison (Herald): Green MPs drop on leaked list

Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Inequality: Is it growing or not?

Martin Van Beynen (Stuff): Election bribes: When will we ever learn?

Mai Chen (Herald): A good time to keep a close eye on what the politicians are up to

Other

Toby Manhire (Herald): Party leaders' opening salvoes, digested

James Griffin: Conservative Party job application

Rodney Hide (NBR): State depends on bully powers

Taranaki Daily News: Bums on seats no measure of MPs' toil

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Greens call for taxpayer funding of political parties

Peter Bromhead (Herald): Vote for me

Joshua Hitchcock: This Week in Māori Politics: Friday 31 January

Rosemary Overell (Herald): Lorde makes feminism a class issue

Sam Durbin (Recess Monkey): Have the media called the 2014 election for Key already?

Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On Cameron Slater, Lorde and the media’s (lack of) boundaries

No Right Turn: Our unhealthy political landscape

Stuff: Liquor licence mixup forces MPs to BYO

Radio NZ: Appeal over rest home pay to begin

Herald: Editorial: PM's pot-shot attacks on Harawira unjustified

Stuff: Gay parents no disadvantage – study

Daily Blog: The Daily Blog Watch – 2/3 February 2014

Damian Christie (Cracker): How Media Made me a Bad Person.

Bob McCoskrie (McBlog): How did your MP and Party perform in 2013 on the conscience/family issues

Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Real gender wage gap about 5c

Brendan Manning (Herald): Ministers, mayor celebrate Chinese, Korean New Year

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Different reactions

Newswire: Peter Dunne vows to support link road opponents

Radio NZ: Labour claims backlash over Pacific affairs minister outside cabinet

Rosie Mannis (ODT): Booze key driver of crime

Rosie Mannis (ODT): Altering drinking culture

Andrea Fox (Herald): Testing ability queried

TVNZ: US Secretary of the Navy in NZ visit

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Dotcom the debtor: Get paid or get even

Fran O'Sullivan (Herald): Feet on the ground - focus on her dreams

TVNZ: NZ, Philippines to start working holiday scheme

Dominion Post: Editorial: A strong society is tolerant

Stacey Kirk (Stuff):Invitations sent to world leaders

Lincoln Tan (Herald): NZ - a dream home for millions of would-be migrants: poll

Anna Leask (Herald): Three shortlisted to be next Police Commissioner

Herald: Editorial: Leader of the world? Go for it, Helen

Isaac Davison (Herald): Finlayson launches attack on Law Society

Herald: New NZDF chief sworn in

Newswire:Labour wants criminal cases review commission

PMC: NZ: Sublime Group buys key stake in independent news website Scoop

NZ Parliament: Speakers' conference highlights different democracies

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Colin Craig on fluoridation

Gwynne Dyer (Stuff): Radical change a gamble on life

Keendy Graham (Frogblog): Climate policy vs. Princess and the Pea – better to stick with the story-books

The Ruminator: A letter to Minister Anne Tolley and Ray Smith, CEO of the Dept of Corrections

Radio NZ: Unprecedented attack on Whale Oil

Eric Roy (Southland Times): Thanks for letting me serve you

Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Drinking Ed.

TVNZ: Reaction to smacking experiment 'no surprise'