Political pundits hoping for fireworks in Parliament’s debating chamber as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern squared off against new National leader Judith Collins for the first time were probably a little disappointed with the muted proceedings that eventuated.
With a National sexting scandal bringing their new leader’s momentum to a sudden halt, Ms Collins showed little of her characteristic smirk during Question Time.
Instead, it was Ms Ardern who landed the best zinger of the session with a well-timed barb about Ms Collins’ long wait for the National Party leadership.
The Prime Minister was also deflecting a few political punches being thrown by her own coalition partner.
NZ First’s Winston Peters used a speech to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce to attack Labour and the Greens yesterday, saying the past three years have been “difficult” for him due to being “surrounded by plain inexperience”.
Ms Ardern put the comments down to “parties starting to differentiate” ahead of the election, but Green Party co-leader James Shaw took the bait and retaliated by calling NZ First “chaotic and inconsistent and very unhelpful to good governance".
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Falloon fallout piles up
Police are re-investigating the actions of disgraced former National MP Andrew Falloon now that four women have come forward to accuse him of sending them sexually explicit images.
The scandal follows two weeks of upheaval for National, however MPs say Mr Falloon’s actions don’t point to a wider problem in the party.
MP Chris Bishop says Mr Falloon’s “appalling” behaviour was a mistake made by one person, not the whole caucus. Fellow MP Mark Mitchell says National is still a strong team with “some weak players” having been moved on.
M. bovis 'all but gone'
New figures show Mycoplasma bovis is all but eradicated in New Zealand, saving an estimated $1.3 billion in potential economic losses.
Three years on from the country first detecting the cattle disease, the number of infected properties is now down to just four from a peak of 250.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says the low numbers are a testament to the country’s world-first efforts to eradicate the disease.
He says the “hard and early approach” was key “to protect our national herd, the economic base of our primary sector and the social good of the country”.
Concern over major privacy breach
More than a month after stopping its website from inadvertently leaking sensitive files, Lambton Property Management has started reaching out to those affected.
1 NEWS last night revealed LPM hadn’t been in touch with former tenants who have had their passports or driver licences exposed.
The company has previously claimed nobody had unauthorised access to the documents, despite two tech researchers claiming to have now seen them.
LPM says it’s investigating the issue and has shut its website down in the meantime
Covid testing criteria changes
The Government is changing its Covid-19 testing criteria following low testing numbers over the weekend.
Medical professionals will once again be offering tests to all patients showing coronavirus symptoms. Testing is also being ramped up at the border, including for those working at managed isolation facilities.
Other news of note this morning:
Severe weather is expected to batter the upper North Island today with warnings in place for Northland, Auckland and the Coromandel.
Stuff reports a single word in a police document has seen alleged drink-drivers escaping conviction – and thousands more could do the same .
An inquiry has found Russia poses an “immediate and urgent threat" to national security in Britain.
Climate change is the likely cause of Northland's extreme weather woes, according to one climate and weather researcher.
Anti-smoking campaigners are calling for the Government to stop plans to ban oral nicotine products in the Vaping Amendment Bill.
Yesterday, it was lamington chips (which Breakfast’s John Campbell labelled as “staggeringly bad” ). Now New Zealand can lay claim to the world’s largest lamington .
And is it still the case that house prices will double every 10 years ?
And finally...
Debate has been raging this week about whether to charge returning New Zealanders $3000 for their two weeks in managed isolation – so Seven Sharp’s Laura Daniel thought she’d find out what quarantined Kiwis thought of that plan.
Using a system of answering questions by flashing hotel light switches, she decided to interview a whole quarantine hotel live on TV.
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