Every weekday, The Detail makes sense of the big news stories.
This week, we looked at why we've never nailed down a free trade agreement with India, the looming threat of another "twindemic" of winter illness, what "greedflation" is and whether it can be blamed for the soaring cost of living, the lessons to be learnt from Loafers Lodge when it comes to high-density housing, and the consequences of New Zealand being denied a trademark for the name 'mānuka'.
Whakarongo mai to any episodes you might have missed.
The India dilemma
Free trade deals have long been the backbone to New Zealand's relationship-building with the wider world.
India has recently overtaken China as the world's most populous country and the International Monetary Fund predicts it'll be the fastest-growing economy this year.
So it seems a no-brainer, for a trading country like New Zealand, to court closer ties with this emerging powerhouse.
But it's not that simple.
Sarah Robson speaks to Asia New Zealand Foundation director of research and engagement – and former deputy High Commissioner to India – Suz Jessep, Quality New Zealand executive director Geoff Allott, Griffith University professor of international relations Ian Hall.
Preparing for the winter illness wave
The temperatures are dropping, we're spending more time indoors: winter illness season is upon us.
Last year's flu season, along with a winter wave of Covid-19, put immense pressure on the health system.
So are we better prepared in 2023?
"Looking at the first week of April [2022], last year there were zero influenza-related hospitalisations, but this year there were 120. That tells you the flu is back this year. Whether it is more or less than last year, we'll only find out in the thick of it, but it'll be a similar magnitude for sure," says Newsroom political reporter Marc Daalder.
Tom Kitchin speaks to Daalder, and infectious disease modellers Professor Michael Plank and Emily Harvey.
Greedflation: Is it inflation, or are businesses just greedy?
It's the economics buzzword that's caught on in other parts of the world, as people search for explanations for ongoing soaring price rises – other than supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
"Greedflation is the idea that corporate profit expansion is contributing to high inflation. This has moved from a fringe view to the mainstream in Europe and the US in the last year, and there's a debate going on about it in Australia," Interest.co.nz's managing editor Gareth Vaughan says.
Sharon Brettkelly speaks to Vaughan and Waikato University professor of economics Michael Cameron – a non-believer in greedflation.
Loafers Lodge and the lessons for higher density housing
The fatal fire at Wellington's Loafers Lodge has raised questions about whether building and fire safety regulations have kept pace with the push for more high-density housing.
Over the past decade, our cities have changed dramatically, with more and more of us living in apartments and townhouses.
"Our cities have always been sprawling cities, and our towns too, we just can't go on like that," says Bill McKay, a senior lecturer in planning and architecture at Auckland University.
Tom Kitchin speaks to McKay, as well as RNZ's Phil Pennington and Kevin Frank of the Building Research Association of New Zealand.
Mānuka: The buzz that a word makes
The Australians are calling it a common sense outcome, New Zealanders say it's a huge blow in the battle to protect taonga species – and all native flora and fauna are now at risk.
Kiwi honey producers have lost the latest round in the fight over mānuka honey, after a bid to trademark it was rejected by the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand this week.
The office called it "a trans-Tasman tussle of extraordinary proportions", and said in its ruling that it was "one of the most complex and long-running proceedings" it has handled.
Sharon Brettkelly speaks to Farmers Weekly journalist Richard Rennie and intellectual property lawyer Lynell Tuffery Huria.
Long Read: Talofa and Ni Hao
This is The Detail's Long Read - one in-depth story read by us every weekend.
This week, it's Talofa and Ni Hao by Ollie Neas, published in North & South's February issue.
You can read the full article, with accompanying photos, here.
In Samoa, there are mixed feelings about Chinese influence and the nation’s growing indebtedness to the superpower. Since World War II, the US and its allies have enjoyed a strong influence in the Pacific. But that order is under threat as China’s power and influence in the region grows, provoking anxiety in the halls of power in Washington, Canberra and Wellington.
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