Nau mai haere mai and welcome to your newsletter.

Last night’s television leaders’ debate between Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins was a sure sign the election campaign is truly up and running, delayed date and COVID-19 alert levels notwithstanding. Immediately preceding the debate the latest 1 News-Colmar Brunton poll showed Labour, while slightly down on previous polls, still able to govern alone. There was plenty at stake, and our panel of five experts was there to analyse the contest and assess the performances.

This week also saw most of New Zealand returned to almost normal life under alert level 1, although Aucklanders will have to stay at level 2 for at least another two weeks. Researchers modelling the spread of the virus say it’s a sensible decision as there may still be undetected cases in the city. They also warn people elsewhere in New Zealand should not become complacent and keep using masks and the tracer app.

And a change in the way we do things. The Conversation’s point of difference has always been that our authors are all academics or researchers, but this definition has not captured people who contribute Indigenous knowledge without having a formal academic position. We have updated our author guidelines so that Indigenous authors can now be credited properly.

As always, many thanks for reading and for supporting the work we do. You’ll find much in this newsletter and on our New Zealand page - until next week, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa.

Finlay Macdonald

New Zealand Editor: Politics, Business + Arts
Hagen Hopkins/Mark Tantrum (Getty)

Contrasting styles, some substance: 5 experts on the first TV leaders’ debate of NZ’s election

Grant Duncan, Massey University; Bronwyn Hayward, University of Canterbury; Morgan Godfery, University of Otago; Richard Shaw, Massey University; Siouxsie Wiles

From policy to performance, a panel of five political experts analyses the first televised leaders' debate of the 2020 New Zealand election campaign.
www.shutterstock.com

The major parties’ tax promises are more about ideology and psychology than equity or fairness for New Zealanders

Jonathan Barrett, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

With their different but equally conservative income tax policies, both Labour and National ask voters to consider their own appetite for risk.
Elliott Brennan/Unsplash

A new way to recognise Indigenous knowledge at The Conversation

Misha Ketchell, The Conversation

We want to make sure our editorial team is set up to make the most of the deep expertise of Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand and Indigenous Australians.

Ardern versus Collins: ahead of their first TV debate, how much will charisma and eloquence matter?

Theodore E. (Ted) Zorn, Massey University

Policy and promises matter, but the way politicians articulate them can be just as important — especially on live television.
Professor John Long, Flinders University

Climate explained: humans have dealt with plenty of climate variability

Frédérik Saltré, Flinders University; Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Flinders University

We have had to adapt to several changes to our climate since we started our migration out of Africa many thousands of years ago.
Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

New Zealand relaxes COVID-19 restrictions, except for Auckland. How much longer will the city have to wait?

Alex James, University of Canterbury; Shaun Hendy

The latest COVID-19 modelling shows New Zealand will have a 50-50 chance of eliminating the virus again by the end of the month, provided the Auckland cluster stays contained.
Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

New Zealand will make big banks, insurers and firms disclose their climate risk. It’s time other countries did too

Ivan Diaz-Rainey, University of Otago

I have criticised this government’s climate policy in the past for being big on promise but short on concrete policies. But this financial disclosure policy has some real teeth.
Shutterstock/ronstik

We need a code to protect our online privacy and wipe out ‘dark patterns’ in digital design

Cherie Lacey, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Alex Beattie, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

There are calls for better web design standards to ensure greater personal data and privacy protection.
GettyImages

Stardust and substance: New Zealand’s election becomes a ‘third referendum’ on Jacinda Ardern’s leadership

Stephen Levine, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

With a month to until polling day on October 17, the 2020 general election defies conventional analysis.
Shutterstock/corners74

New Zealand invests in growing its domestic recycling industry to create jobs and dump less rubbish at landfills

Jeff Seadon, Auckland University of Technology

New Zealand's potential to expand its domestic recycling sector is enormous. It could create jobs and divert millions of tonnes of waste from landfills, as long as there are clear, measurable targets.

From our international editions

How presidents have shaped the US Supreme Court – and why the choice of its next justice is so crucial

Emma Long, University of East Anglia

With a new vacancy on the US Supreme Court, Donald Trump has the opportunity to alter the court's direction for decades. He's not the first.

Coronavirus vaccine: why it’s important to know what’s in the placebo

Jeremy Howick, University of Oxford

Researchers rarely report what's in a placebo.

SARS-CoV-2 infection can block pain, opening up unexpected new possibilities for research into pain relief medication

Rajesh Khanna, University of Arizona

The SARS-CoV-2 virus usually infects the body via the ACE2 protein. But there is another entry point that allows the virus to infect the nervous system and block pain perception.

Google News favours mainstream media. Even if it pays for Australian content, will local outlets fall further behind?

Axel Bruns, Queensland University of Technology

Research shows Google News results often prioritise mainstream media over smaller news businesses. It's a double-edged sword. While local outlets suffer, it's actually better for readers.

Can Trump and McConnell get through the 4 steps to seat a Supreme Court justice in just 6 weeks?

Caren Morrison, Georgia State University

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death has sparked a battle over the future of the Supreme Court. Against that backdrop, a nominee faces prescribed steps towards a confirmation vote in the Senate.

If we realised the true cost of homelessness, we’d fix it overnight

Vivienne Skinner, University of Technology Sydney; Phillippa Carnemolla, University of Technology Sydney

When the moratorium on evictions ends, even more Australians will face housing insecurity and homelessness. Beyond the moral and health cases, there's a powerful financial reason to end homelessness.

Why China may want a military base in Indonesia — and why Indonesia is right to reject the idea

Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII)

A recent report rom the US Defence Ministry says China has likely considered a military base in Indonesia, among several other countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Will Chrystia Freeland lead a feminist post-coronavirus recovery?

Gabriela Perdomo, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa; Pascale Dangoisse, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

As the finance minister of a G7 nation, Chrystia Freeland has entered a club of political leaders whose entire world view is shaped by neoliberalism. Will she find a way to promote real feminism?

Thousands of unidentified Zimbabweans lie in secret mass graves – and I want to find them

Keith Silika, Staffordshire University

A forensic archaeologist and former Zimbabwe police officer uses his investigative skills to find the missing and the dead in his homeland.

COVID-19 and HIV: so far it seems the outcome is not what was feared

Burtram C. Fielding, University of the Western Cape

Some insights into previous outbreaks of human coronaviruses may be useful in explaining the comparatively 'low' numbers of COVID-19 infections and mortality in people with HIV in South Africa.