NZ POLITICS DAILY: February 18th 2014

The main issues in NZ politics today are Shane Taurima, the Greens and solar energy, Colin Craig vs Russel Norman, and John Banks. [Read more below]

Today’s links

Shane Taurima, TVNZ, and Labour Party

Patrick Gower (TV3): TVNZ manager resigns over fundraising revelations

Rebecca Quilliam and Adam Bennett (Herald): Taurima: Meeting didn't influence editorial decisions

Andrea Vance (Stuff): Taurima was unfair to me - Bennett

TVNZ: National MPs slam former TVNZ boss

Simon Wong (TV3): National MPs: Taurima was 'biased'

Waatea News: Taurima quits TVNZ over Labour hui

Paul Henry Show (TV3): TVNZ Labour scandal: How did management not know?

Gay NZ: High-placed gay journo resigns under cloud

Steven Cowan (Against the current): Gone rogue

Shane Taurima (Herald): Shane Taurima's media statement

Dan Satherley (TV3): Shane Taurima: 'I apologise unreservedly'

Pete George (Your NZ): Katie Bradford on political affiliations

Keeping Stock: How deep does the rot go at TVNZLP?

Claire Trevett and Rebecca Quilliam (Herald): Key: Political work by TVNZ staff a 'bad look'

Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Labour links at TVNZ revealed

Radio NZ: TVNZ investigating Maori and Pacific Unit

Newswire: Labour distances itself from Taurima

TVNZ: TVNZ to face further questions over Labour link

Herald: TVNZ manager resigns after Labour Party revelations

Radio NZ: TVNZ resignation over Labour link

TVNZ: TVNZ probes Labour links after Maori Pacific head quits

Keeping Stock: The TVNZLP affair

Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Labour TV

Will Matthews (Left Estate): Does It Even Matter?

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): An appalling breach of neutrality at TVNZ

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): It’s only a conflict of interest at TVNZ when Labour are involved

Dylan Reeve (Also Dylan): TVNZ and Labour Activists

Morgan Godfery (Maui Street): Shane Taurima: political neophyte?

Cameron Slater (Whaeloil): Labour Party corrupts state broadcaster, Taurima resigns, Cunliffe ducks for cover

Greens and solar scheme

Herald: Editorial: Green power worthy but has too few incentives

ODT: Solar worth consideration

Sarah-Jane O’Connor (Stuff): Solar savings not clear cut

Colin James (ODT): Time for new thinking, says fuddy-duddy lord

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): A brief word on the Greens tilt towards the middle classes with solar scheme

Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Industry questions solar economics

TVNZ: Greens' solar policy 'magic money' – Key

Larry Williams (Newstalk ZB): Larry's Memo: 17 February

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Will a $2 a week saving increase uptake by 2000%?

No Right Turn: A sensible policy

Ellipsister: #HERECOMESTHESUN: The Greens solar home project

Pete George (Your NZ): Green Solar Homes – ok but could do better

Michael Sergel (Newswire): Bid to out-green the Greens

Steven Cowan (Against the current): Russell Norman’s ecological denial

Colin Craig vs Russel Norman

John Armstrong (Herald): Running to mum no way to play politics

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Craig v Norman

Rachel Smalley (Newstalk ZB): Colin Craig is politically naive

Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Russel Norman thumbs his nose at threat of legal action

Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Political Report: Conservative Craig will need a thick skin

Greg Presland (The Standard): Russel Norman to Colin Craig – Bring it on

Pete George (Your NZ): Green double standards on personal attacks

Radio NZ: Norman stands by Craig comments

Claire Trevett (Herald): Craig calls in lawyers again

Michael Fox and Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Parker offers Norman aid

Susie Nordqvist (TV3): Greens won't back down against Craig

Matthew Beveridge: Colin Craig, Russel Norman and Social Media

Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): I’m sorry, Colin. Really sorry

Will de Cleene (gonzo): Colin Craig Admits to Transvestism in Bid for East Coast Bays

Grant Duncan (Policy Matters): I Heart Colin Craig

Claire Trevett (Herald): Colin Craig sets lawyers on Green co-leader

Radio NZ: Craig threatens action against Norman

NBR Staff (NBR): Colin Craig threatens legal action against Russel Norman

TVNZ: Colin Craig threatens legal action over women, gay men comments

Andrew Geddes (Pundit): Neknominate: the Colin Craig version

Pete George (Your NZ): Norman hasn’t received Craig’s letter

Pete George (Your NZ): Colin Craig versus Russel Norman

Kim Dotcom

Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): A case of schadenfreude

Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Suspicions from Cunliffe over how Govt knew of Dotcom visits

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): More shark jumping

Rob Salmond (Polity): Rant: I am so very bored of all this

Pete George (Your NZ): Cunliffe joins Dotcom conspiracy campaign

Lynn Prentice (The Standard): National’s Herald shows its true colours

The Standard: Plausible deniability: Smoke & mirrors

Alliance: What’s Dotcom Got The Alliance Hasn’t?

Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Something Similar: Political skulduggery was rife in 1975 – why not in 2014?

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Key panics and drops Slater in it – why opposition MPs would visit Dotcom

Tim Selwyn (Tumeke): Guess who's coming to dinner?

John Banks

Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Public deserves to know more on Banks' donation details – Ombudsman

Stacey Kirk (Stuff): John Banks' police statements 'in public interest'

Matthew Backhouse (Herald): Release of Banks' statement to police ordered

Newswire: Banks' police statement to be released

Radio NZ: Police 'wrong' on Banks' statement

Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Cunliffe non-committal over release of MP statements

Flag

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): The flag debate

Grant Stevenson (Stuff): We need a flag that really represents us - and that's not black

Inequality and poverty

TVNZ:'Living wage' rate increases by 40c

TV3: Living wage estimate $18.80 an hour

Simon Colins (Herald): Living wage estimate rises to $18.80/hour

Simon Collins (Herald): Restaurant serves up living wage

Rino Tirikatene (Southland Times): Focusing on child poverty

Giovanni Tiso (Bat, Bean, Beam): The mathematics of welfare

Economy

Stuff: Why New Zealand is the new Ireland

Juliette Sivertsen (Newstalk ZB): Bill English not keen on comparison with Ireland

Khyaati Acharya (Stuff): Where did our foreign investment go?

Supermarket industry

Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Key signals Countdown probe

Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): John Key goes in to bat for Countdown

Radio NZ: Countdown meets with council

Christchurch Rebuild

Ashleigh Stewart (Stuff): EQC opponent fined for contempt

The Press: Editorial: No place for exploitation

Radio NZ: Blogger fined $5000 over email leak

Junk food tax

Rachel Parkin (TV3): Calls for legislation against unhealthy food

Radio NZ: Tax will change habits – scientist

Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Big Food

Other

Tova O’Brien (TV3): Cunliffe hiding $2.5M mansion from voters – Key

Stuff: Today in politics: Tuesday, February 18

Tim Selwyn (Daily Blog): Close Up and the rise of Seven Sharp – Reprise (Brian Edwards back to the future)

Matthew Beveridge: MPs on Twitter: Asenati LoleTaylor

Dominion Post: Editorial: Discredited claim still wounds

Newswire: John Key backs the Beamers

Lincoln Tan (Herald): NZ politics odd to migrants

Radio NZ: Lawyers hope review protects rights

TVNZ: Privacy boss calls for rebuilding of faith in Govt agencies

Mike Smith (The Standard): Easy Vote or Voter Intimidation?

Paul Casserly (Herald): Willie and Ali - the odd couple

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Opposition to higher taxes broken down

Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Uber opposition

Liam Hehir (Stuff): Issues often not public's passion

Denise Irvine (Stuff): Waitangi Day? It reminds me why it's so wonderful to live here

Dave Burgess (Stuff): Town Hall talk an 'attack on democracy'

Rachel Smalley (Newstalk ZB): Key playing a good game, and the polls show it

Radio NZ: Party wants to 'galvanise' expatriates

Caleb Morgan (Cut Your Hair): I am so sick of this obvious lie