The final week of the election campaign has arrived and there are still questions over what role the smaller parties will play in forming the next government.
For those who haven’t yet voted (and that number is getting much smaller by the day ), TVNZ’s Q+A has asked the minor parties what they would prioritise in any coalition negotiations.
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson says Labour needs them to “go further and faster on climate, inequality and protecting our environment”, saying Labour’s climate change policy doesn’t go far enough.
ACT leader David Seymour says a better approach to the Covid-19 response, the review of Pharmac and mental health are issues he would bring up in potential coalition agreements.
The Māori Party, meanwhile, is pledging to only work with Labour following the election. Co-leader John Tamihere says policies at the top of his list include earlier cancer screening. And a new poll suggests he’s getting closer to returning his party to parliament. The Māori Television/Curia Market Research poll of the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate has Tamihere sitting just 6 per cent behind incumbent Labour MP Peeni Henare.
NZ First declined to appear on Q+A yesterday.
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Political pot shots fired
Of course, the two major parties are still in full campaign mode, too, with Labour’s Jacinda Ardern and National’s Judith Collins swiping at each other over the weekend.
Collins has been pushing the issue of the Green Party’s wealth tax should it get into government alongside Labour, despite Ardern’s denials it would be implemented.
She says Collins’ insistence that the wealth tax would become a reality was “the last roll of the misinformation dice” .
Collins campaigned at an Auckland market yesterday, where she bought a satirical mug featuring herself , while Ardern hit Wellington for a Labour Party rally.
Ardern also took the time to praise a bride who stopped at a polling booth to vote before getting hitched on Saturday.
The electorates to watch
While results for some electorates on polling day will be fairly predictable, others aren’t quite so clear-cut.
Boundary changes, retiring MPs and good old-fashioned hard work by some candidates are promising to make a few electorates that little bit more interesting to watch this Saturday night – you can find out if your electorate is one of them here .
'Near extinction' of influenza
Measures to combat Covid-19 have all but cut cases of influenza in New Zealand this year, according to epidemiologist Michael Baker.
He says this “near extinction” of the flu means people need to pay even closer attention to how they’re feeling and to get tested for Covid-19 if they’re sick.
“Now we’re actually seeing historic low levels of other circulating causes of cold and flu, so it means if you have these symptoms, the chances that it might be Covid is actually increased,” he says.
His comments come as the country passes the milestone of processing more than one million tests for Covid-19. That testing confirmed one more case of the virus in managed isolation yesterday.
Meanwhile, new research in Australia has found Covid-19 can remain on surfaces such as banknotes and phone screens for as long as 28 days . By comparison, the flu virus can survive in the same circumstances for 17 days.
Covid hits Christmas shopping
It might be even harder to find the perfect gift this Christmas, due to Covid-19 induced supply chain issues .
A tough year for retailers is becoming even harder as sourcing product from overseas and freight delays cause headaches.
A Retail NZ survey of 500 members shows nearly half are expecting stock shortages ahead of Black Friday and Christmas.
Financial experts say the issues could push down the level of discounts that normally take place during the holiday season, too.
Meanwhile, Kiwis might want to move fast if they’re yet to organise their Christmas break, too – Stuff reports tourism operators at many popular South Island spots are already fully booked .
Other news of note this morning:
- A second nationwide Covid-19 lockdown is a possibility in the UK as daily cases continue in their thousands.
- The White House says US President Donald Trump is no longer at risk of transmitting the coronavirus, however a senior Washington Post editor has told Q+A Covid-19 is a “reality check hitting Trump square in the face”.
- Fire and Emergency say it's still not safe to allow access to the Lake Ōhau township, a week after a fire tore through the alpine village.
- Commercial water restrictions are being eased in Auckland today – but residential restrictions remain in place as the city’s drought continues.
- All Blacks coach Ian Foster has reflected on the chaotic overtime finish in his team’s match against the Wallabies yesterday.
- And a Kiwi father-of-five has given TVNZ’s Sunday a rare, unflinching insight into the struggles with morbid obesity.
And finally...
Labour’s Jacinda Ardern faced an interview that was quite literally “hard-hitting” as TVNZ’s Late Night Big Breakfast returned to TV screens last night.
When Ardern pointed out that the show’s use of a drone during her interview was “quite distracting”, show co-host Leigh Hart valiantly sprang into action to beat it out of the air with a guitar .
Not to be outdone, National’s Judith Collins also braved an interview on the show last night – one that the hosts quickly regretted holding in the office seating section of their furniture shop set...
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