Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Monday, June 2

Jacinda Ardern’s first big interview since resigning; Poll finds Budget 2025 least popular in 30 years; Auckland nearly triples some development contributions; Willis’ misleading health funding claim

My ’Picks ‘n’ Mixes’ of news and other links from Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, June 2 include:

1. Jacinda Ardern’s first major interview since resigning, including an alarming anecdote about the abuse she faced near the end of her time as PM. See more below in The Top Pick ‘n’ Mix Six and Top Scoops & Deep-Dives.

2. Talbot Mills finding the Budget was the least popular in nearly 30 years. See more below in Top Politics news.

3. Auckland Council deciding to charge developers $6 billion in development contributions to pay for $19 billion of infrastructure over the next 30 years, including some charges almost trebling to $72,000 per section. See more below in Top Housing & Infrastructure news.

4. Nicola Willis claimed last week that the 6.2% increase in health funding in Budget 2025 showed spending was rising faster than the population and inflation, but Auckland Uni’s Tim Tenbensel says that’s misleading because much of the increase was repaying past Holidays Act underpayments. He says the actual rise was 3.6%, which equalled 1.2% in real terms. That was also before last year’s 1.7% population growth. See more in below in Top Poverty & Health news.

5. New research shows New Zealand’s obesity rate of over 30%, the third highest in the world behind the US and Mexico, causes over 1,400 cancer cases each year and costs the health system $2 billion a year. See more below in Top Scoops & Deep-Dives & Top Poverty & Health news.

6. A survey of Vic Uni students just before Budget 2025 found 86% said they were considering moving overseas to find work and 78% of those who had applied for graduate or internship had failed to find work. See more below in Top Scoops & Deep-Dives.

Top Pick ‘n’ Mix Six at 6am on Monday, June 2