NZ POLITICS DAILY: The burgeoning cost of the Christchurch rebuild

The quality of political debate and the coverage of it in New Zealand is frequently bemoaned by academics, political activists and MPs. There’s very good reason for such critiques – so often political discourse and reporting in the newspapers, television and even on the blogosphere is incredibly shallow, limited and one-sided. Yet it’s also often apparent that in New Zealand there’s also a lot of diverse and excellent debate going on. Today’s NZ Politics Daily, for example, aggregates allsorts of interesting and varied analysis and reporting.

The big issue of day – the Christchurch rebuild (and it’s burgeoning cost) – is covered very well. Starting with the inimitable Chris Trotter (Leaders fail Christchurch people), a valuable critique of the rebuild is provided. And then there’s plenty of in depth and speedy reporting on today’s Government announcement that the cost has skyrocketed – see: Andrea Vance’s Canterbury Earthquake liability more than doubles, and John Hartevelt’s Quake insurance another focus for Govt.

More normative questions about how to pay for the cost are considered in items such as Andrea Vance’s Time for an earthquake tax? and Dan Satherley’s Time for an earthquake levy, say Greens. And then David Farrar nicely summarises some of the Earthquake Facts.

Issues of economics, employment, poverty, and inequality are featured in diverse articles – of which one in particular stands out: Gareth Morgan’s Reviving values of an egalitarian society. But also of particularly value are: Andrea Vance’s That's my mum you're hurting, PM told, economist Eric Crampton’s latest installment on the minimum wage (The younger cohort drives it), and various items on inequality, such as Phoebe Fletcher’s Child poverty in New Zealand.

On more partisan-political issues, there’s plenty to recommend: Bryan Gould’s Why Key's really like Muldoon, No Right Turn’s Excuses, excuses, John Armstrong’s Bloodletting over... now Act 2 begins, and Colin James’ How to get noticed -- and not noticed. All in all, although even more such material would be appreciated, sometimes much of what exists is fairly impressive.

Bryce Edwards, NZPD Editor (bryce.edwards@otago.ac.nz)

Today’s content:

Christchurch rebuild

Chris Trotter (Press): Leaders fail Christchurch people

Andrea Vance (Stuff): Canterbury Earthquake liability more than doubles

John Hartevelt (Stuff): Quake insurance another focus for Govt

TVNZ: Govt tells reinsurers it's trying to cut quake risk

John Hartevelt (Stuff): Revised Canterbury quake bill exhausts disaster fund

Colin Williscroft (NBR): New EQC levies possible - English

Dan Satherley (TV3): Time for an earthquake levy, say Greens

Andrea Vance (Stuff): Time for an earthquake tax?

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Earthquake Facts