NZ POLITICS DAILY: March 11th 2014

The main issues in NZ politics today are the general election date being announced, Judith Collins, electricity, and money and politics.

Today’s links

Election date

TVNZ: Labour says new election date 'convenient' for PM

Radio NZ: Peters deflects Key's election challenge

Stacey Kirk (Stuff): NZ flag referendum decision

Greg Presland (The Standard): Key, Peters and the early election

Rob Salmond (Polity): Why announce the election date this week?

Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): The Soap Box: Countdown on to September 20

Michael Sergel (Newstalk ZB): Early election announcement could set precedent

Dominion Post: Editorial: Craig alliance sticky situation

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Why the September 20th election should matter so much to progressive voters

Vernon Small (Stuff): Key's move a convenient one

Simon Wong (TV3): Key election dates

Simon Wong (TV3): Flag referendum decision expected

Peter WIlson and Sarah Robson (Newswire): Peters could be a problem, Key says

Claire Trevett (Herald): Early election avoids clashes: PM

Josie Pagani (Pundit): The left missed a chance to score today

TVNZ: September election avoids clash with G20

Simon Wong (TV3): PM announces election date

The Standard: The Race is Set

Guardian: New Zealand election set for September

Tob Manhire (Listener): Labour in a muddle over election day

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): It’s 20 September

No Right Turn: We have a date

Matthew Beveridge: Rumours, opinion and speculation

Money, business, and politics

Bryce Edwards (Liberation): Using restaurant dinners and other business activity to get around donation disclosure

TV3: Politics: A matter of trusts

Rachel Smalley (Newstalk ZB): Cunliffe getting better, but still plenty to work on

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Geddis on donations

The Standard: Guest post – Who is David Cunliffe?

Bryce Edwards (Liberation): Top tweets about National’s anonymous restaurant dinner donations

Electricity

Adam Bennett (Herald): Rising power prices: PM takes aim

Rob Salmond (Polity): Outside the beltway: Power prices

Stacey Kirk (Stuff): PM defends rising power prices

Radio NZ: Poorest paying more on prepay plans – Labour

Newswire: Greens back Labour on power prices

Judith Collins

David Fisher (Herald): Milk firm has hosted string of Nats

TVNZ: Judith Collins' under fire trip planned weeks ahead – Labour

Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Dispelling The Negatives: Judith Collins refuses to cry over spilt milk.

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Judith Collins: ‘Got Milk?’

Internet policy

Newswire: Labour wants digital bill of rights

Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Labour wants to get more people on the web

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): A digital bill of rights

No Right Turn: Labour's "digital bill of rights" isn't

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Labour’s Digital Bill of Rights

Russell Brown (Hard News): The Web

Countdown

Brook Sabin (TV3): Jones presses Countdown to come clean

TVNZ: Countdown hits back at fish waste claims

3 News/RadioLIVE: Jones: Countdown dumping fish

Politicheck

Pete George (Your NZ): Statement on Politicheck

Pete George (Your NZ): Politicheck NZ – major staff appointments

Daily Blog: Politicheck loses all credibility

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Politicheck

Foreign relations

Newswire: Key plays down nuclear differences

Newswire: Key hoping for White House invitation

Adam Bennett (Herald): 'US ties' behind Oz nuclear stance

No Right Turn: With "friends" like these...

Paul Buchanan (Kiwipolitico): Media Link: Security Concerns in the Malaysian airliner disappearance.

Education

Greer Berry (Manawatu Standard): Student loan plan likely to miss target

Grant Guilford (Stuff): Humanities on path to identity

Radio NZ: Novopay mess needs sorting - union

MPs pay

Herald: Editorial: Greens' pay push makes little sense

Radio NZ: Call to link MP's pay to median income

Frances Cook (Newstalk ZB): MP's raises would still see them paid well

Gender equality

Terry Bell (Redline): The real meaning of International Women’s Day

Idealog: How NZ stacks up on the Women in Work index

Maire Drumm (Redline): International Women’s Day – solidarity and struggle

Christchurch rebuild

Mike Yardley (Stuff): Back off Brownlee and let Dalziel loose

Jane Bowron (Stuff): Time to leave Christchurch and move 'home' to capital

James Dann (Rebuilding Christchurch): Those Left Standing

Maori politics

Stuff: 'Golden age' for Maori businesses

Radio NZ: Maori Party challenged on centre

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Auckland sites needing a cultural assessment grow to 5,500

Economy

Liam Dann (Stuff): China's pain will be New Zealand's gain

Newswire: Workplace laws to be strengthened

Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Taken over by rules and regulations

Wilma McCorkindale (Stuff): Dunedin 5-star hotel back on course

The Ruminator: I have a dream

Rob Crawford Jr (The Watercooler): Opinion: What does the Auckland property market and Canada have in common?

Mark Hubbard (Life Behind the Iron Drape): NZ's Anti-Money Laundering & Countering Financing of Terrorism Act; Trust Law; Bounded Liberty #RedTapeNonsense

Poverty and inequality

Lindsay Mitchell (NZCPR): The politics of child poverty

Ben Clark (The Standard): Where ‘welfare reform’ ends

Environment

Phil McCabe (Stuff): Strip-mining or marine life?

Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Hughes a 'mollyhawk' – Jones

Labour Party

Dougal McNeil (ISO): Matt McCarten and Labour

Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): If party didn’t want her, why would electorate?

Other

Stuff: Today in politics: Tuesday, March 11

The Standard: Beltway blues: serving the public interest?

Michael Field, Siobhan Downes, and Katie Kenny (TV3): Visa-free NZ passports sought-after

David Slack (Metro): John Key: The Queen and I

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Social media tips for MPs

Brendan Manning (Herald): Dunedin man's 99-character name

Peter Aranyi (The Paepae): Snowden’s statement to European Parliament Surveillance Inquiry (Read it for yourself)

Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On Act’s problem with taking personal responsibility

Southland Times: Editorial: Two different ways to do it