Archive for July, 2010
A July election?
Written By: - Date published: 6:54 am, July 8th, 2010 - 24 comments
First term governments don’t usually go early but this isn’t your average first term government.
Will the tories go early to lock in a second term?
And if they do will we get a blitzkrieg policy run if they win?
Open mike 08/07/2010
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 8th, 2010 - 15 comments
Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
State housing decline will leave families out in the cold
Written By: - Date published: 6:41 pm, July 7th, 2010 - 11 comments
Stuff reports that under Minister Phil Heatley, Housing NZ will manage additions of only 275 houses for each of the next two years. Under the previous government 8000 state houses were added between 1999 and 2008. In a recession, with household budgets stretched, state provision of high quality, affordable housing is even more important for […]
Blubbering into oblivion
Written By: - Date published: 4:47 pm, July 7th, 2010 - 47 comments
I had to laugh at this comment by Mako about my least favorite wingnut… More desperate anti-Brown smearing from Slater. His latest allegation is that ‘Looney Len’ wants every school to plant 500 trees a year. A waste of our precious education budget! he wails. Child slave labour! he howls. ‘Surely one of his backers […]
Bypassing the media
Written By: - Date published: 3:10 pm, July 7th, 2010 - 1 comment
Not long after The White House Correspondents’ Association met with Obama’s Press Secretary to complain about limitations on their access, The White House launched its own weekly video blog. Presidential administrations have always tried to harness new communications technologies to shape a favorable image, says Mordecai Lee, a professor of governmental affairs at the University […]
Supermarket capitalism
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, July 7th, 2010 - 72 comments
Supermarkets are squeezing producers while marking up the prices of fruit and vegetables by up to 500%. The worst side of capitalism in action. Support your local farmers’ market, and the Green’s call for a supermarket code of conduct.
Xenophobia
Written By: - Date published: 7:41 am, July 7th, 2010 - 81 comments
John Key is claiming that we need to defend our shores against a coming wave of boat people by buying into a detention center in Timor.
I don’t know whether he’s trying to flank Winnie or whether he’s just shooting off at the mouth after being influenced by the Aussies but whatever the reason the idea is plainly racist.
Standby for INCIS II… pfzzzt
Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, July 7th, 2010 - 20 comments
For some time now National has been quietly making plans to subsume Archives New Zealand and the National Library within the Department of Internal Affairs. That’s a dangerous plan for all sorts of constitutional and accountability reasons that can’t be justified by any imaginary, vague and as yet uncosted “synergies and efficiencies”. But let’s face it, […]
What’s Key in Korea for again?
Written By: - Date published: 6:32 am, July 7th, 2010 - 17 comments
Key’s worried about us being even more bought out by foreigners. Key’s in South Korea about to sign a Free Trade Agreement. New Zealand already has nearly no tariffs. Everyone knows the sweetener for the other side in these deals is opening up investment in NZ. So, Key’s railing against foreign ownership while making it […]
Open mike 07/07/2010
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 7th, 2010 - 27 comments
Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
World Cup according to genius bankers
Written By: - Date published: 3:15 pm, July 6th, 2010 - 14 comments
Economists, bankers, Treasury officials, financial wizards of various kinds, they like to pretend that they know what they’re talking about. All too often they don’t. Predicting the behaviour of complex systems is hard. Consider for example, the big banks’ predictions on the winner of the Football World Cup…
Labour’s lineup emerges
Written By: - Date published: 1:43 pm, July 6th, 2010 - 50 comments
Labour’s lineup for the next election is emerging, the usual balance between continuity and new talent. There will be some interesting electorate selections coming up. Such personality politics is always very popular of course, but more important than the people is the policy…
Key concedes Left has it right on foreign ownership
Written By: - Date published: 11:16 am, July 6th, 2010 - 46 comments
PM warns against Kiwis becoming ‘tenants’ – The Herald. John Key says that we’ve got to make sure we don’t sell too many of our assets and end up sending the profits overseas. Good stuff, it’s exactly what the Left has been saying and the opposite of National’s policy until now. I guess we’ll have to see if Key backs up his words with action.
Blowhard and the starry eyed suckers at the MED
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, July 6th, 2010 - 12 comments
There are a lot of risks New Zealand will face when more deeper water off-shore oil exploration goes ahead. The more you look, the greater the risks appear. Brownlee and the crazies at the MED don’t look like they know what a risk assessment is. Consequently they’re getting screwed. Perhaps they should read Gordon Campbell…
The Failure of Neo-Liberalism
Written By: - Date published: 8:18 am, July 6th, 2010 - 49 comments
Neo-Liberalism is a failure; not just in human terms, but by its own measures. Since the concepts of neo-liberalism were taken up by Roger & Ruth 26 years ago neo-liberalism has driven down wages as a share of GDP, massively increased inequality and stripped workers rights.
Open mike 06/07/2010
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 6th, 2010 - 25 comments
Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
Pro-choice responses to Chadwick’s Abortion Bill
Written By: - Date published: 9:47 pm, July 5th, 2010 - 157 comments
Been a bit disappointed that there hasn’t been a post up here yet on the news out on Saturday that Steve Chadwick is seeking support for a Member’s Bill to make abortion truly on demand in NZ, to 24 weeks. Then I remembered that I still have posting rights from doing the 2008 General Election […]
God, she writes like she talks
Written By: - Date published: 2:44 pm, July 5th, 2010 - 55 comments
Paula Bennett in a letter to Tariana Turia: “Because of that sort of addiction it can be really tough on them and you see, certainly, financial hardship being increased and I think also with that sort of stress you can look at domestic violence,”. I don’t think that sentence would pass the national standard.
We need staff to teach new students
Written By: - Date published: 2:12 pm, July 5th, 2010 - 12 comments
There has been extensive coverage recently of universities’ tough new criteria to limit the number of students they will take next semester and next year. The universities of Auckland, Massey, Victoria and Otago have all recently announced criteria to limit the number of students they take. They are being driven to do so by the […]
Sceptics face yawning credibility gap
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, July 5th, 2010 - 34 comments
We know that the vast majority of climate scientists support the explanation of anthropogenic climate change set out by the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change. That majority is now quantified in the first study of its kind published yesterday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Expert credibility in climate change.
Bulk Funding by any other name…
Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, July 5th, 2010 - 56 comments
Roger Douglas has a private members bill to introduce bulk funding. It (hopefully) shouldn’t get through – National are unlikely to support it as they’ve already introduced by the back door.
Open mike 05/07/2010
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 5th, 2010 - 44 comments
Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
Appreciating parenthood
Written By: - Date published: 3:26 pm, July 4th, 2010 - 10 comments
A thought provoking piece from Bryan Caplan ponders “”Having kids—what’s in it for me?” An economic perspective on happiness, nature and nurture provides an answer: Parents’ sacrifice is much smaller than it looks, and much larger than it has to be.”
Slow news day
Written By: - Date published: 2:33 pm, July 4th, 2010 - 9 comments
“Len Brown’s Smackdown” screams the headline in Carolyne Meng-Yee’s story about Len Brown today – and the first para makes it sound even worse: A split has emerged within Manukau Mayor Len Brown’s campaign team over his controversial “Maori gesture”. A split? This sounds serious! Turns out it’s not. Rather it’s just the media making […]
Bagehot is dead, long live Bagehot
Written By: - Date published: 1:54 pm, July 4th, 2010 - 6 comments
The current incumbent of the Bagehot column at The Economist is stepping down with a few relevant comments about current relationships ebtween the politicians, journos, and the public.
The opinions could have been written about the poor state of journalism here.
Aspiration and absurdity
Written By: - Date published: 1:28 pm, July 4th, 2010 - 7 comments
John Key’s government has had many “aspirational goals”. One of them was a secret plan to end whaling. With the recent collapse of the international whaling negotiations in Morocco that plan, if it ever really existed, has failed. In response, Foreign Minister Murray McCully takes the politics of aspiration to a whole new, some would say absurd, level.
The reverse midas touch
Written By: - Date published: 12:01 pm, July 4th, 2010 - 8 comments
David Farrar leapt to a “they did it too” defence of the taxpayer-funded ‘survey’ that National MPs are sending to selected voters around the country. I reckon he wrote the questions. It was Farrar’s dodgy polling that convinced National to run Melissa Lee as the candidate in Mt Albert. I guess Lee getting caught out with a dodgy ‘survey’ is just Farrar’s reverse midas touch striking again.
The Right unravels in Auckland
Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, July 4th, 2010 - 43 comments
Things really are getting desperate for the Right in the super-mayor race. National and its allies keep up the attack but the public aren’t buying. Now, John Banks’ campaign is facing more right-wing candidates and is crapping itself that Stephen Tindell might enter the race.
Open mike 04/07/2010
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 4th, 2010 - 58 comments
Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
Questions the government will not answer
Written By: - Date published: 1:02 pm, July 3rd, 2010 - 10 comments
Over at No Right Turn, I/S I filed an OIA request for specific information on the handling of Cabinet conflicts of interest. The request has been declined. In the following post (reprinted) I/S sets out the “Questions the government will not answer”.
Mummy! The bad man cut my pre-school’s funding!
Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, July 3rd, 2010 - 9 comments
John Key had a busy day playing rodeo-clown yesterday. Before having the Air Force fly him to Ohakune for the opening of 16 whole kilometres of cycleway Key had photo-op with children. It’s is a John Key favourite. The perfect distraction from lying in the House, the weak economy, and Anne Tolley. But the clown show doesn’t always go off without a hitch 🙂
- NZ’s Human Rights Record ‘Tarnished’ At UN Rights Review
The age of criminal responsibility was one of numerous human rights issues raised during Aotearoa New Zealand’s UPR. Other key themes were racism and discrimination, the disproportionate representation of Māori in prison, and to uphold the UN Declaration ...1 week ago - Reality Check Radio is still ‘off-air’. But was it ever really at risk?
Is the fringe radio station really in a financial crisis, or is it just running a hyped-up donation drive? Fringe internet radio station Reality Check Radio was launched by the anti-vaccine mandates group Voices for Freedom in March 2023. For the next year, it undertook probably the most aggressive promotional ...1 week ago - How a High Court showdown between two Māori culture giants flared and faded in a dayAbove the Fold: On Monday, the biggest Māori screen production company faced down the biggest funder of Māori content at the High Court. It was an incredibly tense moment – then, just as quickly, it resolved. Duncan Greive breaks down a strange day in the screen sector. Yesterday morning, Māori ...1 week ago
- To be competitive in Europe requires modern slavery legislation now
Opinion: An opportunity to raise labour standards, enforce human rights, and foster a culture of responsible business conduct The post To be competitive in Europe requires modern slavery legislation now appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago - A fast track with unprecedented powerWhen it comes to talking about the Government’s controversial fast-track consenting process, political scientist Richard Shaw refers to the famous Chinese sci-fi novel Three-Body Problem, while RNZ’s In Depth journalist Farah Hancock talks about zombie projects. Shaw is referring to the three-party coalition Government and how the proposed legislation is ...1 week ago
- Does gender-segregated schooling make a difference?Opinion: The debate over single gender versus co-educational schooling has long been controversial. I went to a co-ed school and was inspired by a remarkable woman who was my maths teacher, and because of her deep knowledge and passion for the subject, I knew that maths was definitely an option ...1 week ago
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 30 AprilThe post Daily crossword, Tuesday 30 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Vale, Vincent O’Sullivan (1937-2024)He won everything and he earned a knighthood and he was a senior literary figure to the point that he was a living monument to himself until his death in the weekend at 86, but there was something about Vincent O’Sullivan that flew under the radar, that was independent and ...1 week ago
- Europe will not be able to fight the return of conscriptionOpinion: The post-Cold War generation grew up never having to worry about their countries’ security. But that era is over. The post Europe will not be able to fight the return of conscription appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 30 AprilLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 30 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- ‘Barren, toxic wasteland’: Fast-track risks repeating mistakes of the past – Ngāti ToaUnrestrained development poisoned Porirua’s streams and silted up its harbour. Now Ngāti Toa says the fast-track bill could repeat that environmental vandalism. The post ‘Barren, toxic wasteland’: Fast-track risks repeating mistakes of the past – Ngāti Toa appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- KiwiRail apologises for not telling workers about asbestos riskThe Rail and Maritime Transport Union has discovered KiwiRail knew buildings across more than a dozen sites contained asbestos, but never told those who worked in them The post KiwiRail apologises for not telling workers about asbestos risk appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Mother and daughter ride into the world champsIt’s a ride that’s lasted almost 30 years for mother and daughter BMX riders Nancy and Toni James, and the next stop is the World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Almost 27 years ago, Nancy and her husband Gerrard took their oldest child, Daniel, to the Waitākere BMX Club. ...1 week ago
- Unions Mark May Day With Call To Fight Back Against Government AusterityUnions are holding public events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to mark May Day and International Workers’ Day 2024. ...1 week ago
- The Spinoff is looking for a new staff writerA rare opportunity to join our team of award-winning journalists. The Spinoff is advertising for a staff writer for the first time in… maybe ever? This is an extremely rare opportunity to join our small team of award-winning writers, covering a range of topics and tones, from the most serious ...1 week ago
- ‘sheer glitter ringing about’: Emma Neale remembers Vincent O’SullivanNews that the great writer Vincent O’Sullivan has died has spurred a wave of tributes. Here, fellow writer Emma Neale remembers her friend and colleague. I have a bright string of memories of Vince. The earliest moments are of sitting as a young student in his lectures on Katherine Mansfield, ...1 week ago
- Vale Vincent O’Sullivan, 1937-2024We remember one of Aotearoa’s towering literary figures, who died on Sunday 28 April. Sir Vincent O’Sullivan, one of Aotearoa’s most prolific writers, has died in Dunedin at the age of 87. His son, Dominic O’Sullivan, shared the news on social media on Sunday 28 April: “Hei aitua hoki, kua ...1 week ago
- Ariana Stevens wants te reo Māori to thriveAriana Stevens founded Reo Māori Mai in 2018 to help people connect with te ao Māori through the reo. On Friday she was awarded Tū Rangatira, the supreme award at the Ngā Tohu Reo Māori awards. Te Tai Poutini (the South Island’s West Coast) is often characterised by its remote ...1 week ago
- A tipping point is imminent, and it’s time for our boardrooms to get uncomfortableBad, bad records are going to be broken this year, and it’s time for business leaders to accept that the transition to a low-carbon economy is going to be spiky, writes business leader Dame Therese Walsh. When I was on the board of the stock exchange, the NZX, a gentleman ...1 week ago
- Farmers Reject Government’s Plans To Restart The Export Of Animals By Sea1 May marks a year since New Zealand’s world-leading ban on live exports by sea came into effect. Instead of it being cause for celebration the anniversary is marred by the Government’s plan to restart the unpopular trade. ...1 week ago
- The surprising number of babies being injured at the supermarketMore than a thousand claims have been lodged with ACC over children, some younger than a year old, being injured by shopping trolleys in the last five years. Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at why. Madeleine Holden was at her local Countdown when she heard something no mother wants to hear: her ...1 week ago
- Mr Goldsmith goes to GenevaThe justice minister will be grilled on NZ’s human rights record at the UN later today, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. NZ’s turn in front of the class At 7pm ...1 week ago
- Inquest begins into ‘boy in the water’ Gore deathThis week marks the return of Newsroom’s chart-topping investigative podcast, The Boy in the Water, when investigations editor Melanie Reid will take listeners inside the courtroom during the coronial inquest into the death of three-and-a-half year old Lachlan Jones. Lachie was found floating face up in an oxidation pond on the ...1 week ago
- Act’s arts spokesman once watched a musicalIt took Act’s arts spokesman Todd Stephenson 20 minutes to think of a single New Zealand author and a single New Zealand book. The only artistic experience he could think of is that he went to see Hamilton in New York. His only press release on the arts has been ...1 week ago
- Wellington City Council isn’t very good at owning an airportIf the council isn’t sure if it wants a bigger airport, it probably shouldn’t own hundreds of millions of dollars worth of airport shares. Any fan of a professional sports team, especially in the big-money US and European leagues, knows how much team success relies on the right owner. Good ...1 week ago
- Is the health star system past its use-by date?Plagued by industry lobbying and design flaws, the system may be on the chopping block under National. Is it delivering what it says on the box? At the supermarket, a woman with a baby strapped to her front pushes a trolley piled high with groceries, and two young children sit ...1 week ago
- Powering ahead with green hydrogenCrown research institute GNS Science is about to officially open its new green hydrogen lab in Lower Hutt. One day it could contribute to making sure that small rural communities cut off by disaster can still power through, with stored green hydrogen used to establish a kind of micro-grid. Michelle ...1 week ago
- Let’s rewrite the monuments of the futureOpinion: The idea that peace can ever be ‘won’ by war has always been, and remains, a false idea The post Let’s rewrite the monuments of the future appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Consumers increasingly downbeat as economic conditions tightenWellington consumers’ outlook bleak in the face of job cuts The post Consumers increasingly downbeat as economic conditions tighten appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- AI’s huge potential to improve healthcareOpinion: Artificial intelligence is increasingly part of life, and so are anxieties about how it will change life as we know it. How it will change our jobs is just one aspect of the dystopian future we imagine it is creating. Some, if not many, of these concerns warrant serious ...1 week ago
- Defence watchdog survives after NZ First blocks repealA watchdog tasked with overseeing the NZ military has survived repeal plans after the intervention of a coalition partner The post Defence watchdog survives after NZ First blocks repeal appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Reviewers suggest delaying next census ahead of big decisionStats NZ is warned it needs the public’s trust, and to be certain its data will be of sufficient quality, for a census shake-up The post Reviewers suggest delaying next census ahead of big decision appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 29 AprilLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 29 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Daily crossword, Monday 29 AprilThe post Daily crossword, Monday 29 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Fast-track Approvals Bill Presents A Serious Risk To New Zealand Exporters“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...1 week ago
- NZCTU Welcomes Corporate Manslaughter Bill IntroductionNZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...1 week ago
- Inside the home of New Zealand’s greatest crime writerNgaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own. Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...1 week ago
- ‘Apologies to Dvořák’: How a serenade for strings cemented one of New Zealand TV’s strongest...Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...1 week ago
- In the studio with artist power couple Claudia Kogachi and Josephine JelicichThe pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like. ‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...1 week ago
- An ode to the muesli bar, a national treasureThank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...1 week ago
- Waste not, want not: New series Food Waste Kitchen turns food trash into treasureTara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...2 weeks ago
- Dog of the month: Scout, who is so independent she could be a catScout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...2 weeks ago
- ‘I don’t know if we were brave or stupid’: Megan Alatini on changing reality TVMegan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...2 weeks ago
- Behind the counter: Wellington shopkeepersA new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...2 weeks ago
- Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand Condemns Toomaj Salehi's Death Sentence And The New Aggres...Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...2 weeks ago
- I saw ‘The Sign’, and it opened up my eyes: All the fuss around Bluey, explainedTara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...2 weeks ago
- ‘The worst piece of law proposed since 1979’: Reactions to the Fast-track Approvals BillA brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...2 weeks ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Cereal giving’ by Robin PeaceA poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...2 weeks ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 26The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38) A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...2 weeks ago
- Te Rūnanga O Ngāti Whātua Welcomes Commissioner's Decision Regarding Awataha MaraeThe Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...2 weeks ago
- ‘A hell of a lot of fun’: Our reviews of Chris Isaak’s dazzling Auckland showThe ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...2 weeks ago
- Hear me out: All I want is a TrueBliss T-shirtTara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...2 weeks ago
- Oranga Tamariki Axes Specialist Māori Roles, Weakens Commitment To Te Ao MāoriThe PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...2 weeks ago
- A guide to Wellington’s best BYO restaurantsWondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...2 weeks ago
- Media industry sheds few tears for minister LeeThe sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...2 weeks ago
- Aotearoa Party Merges With Rock The Vote NZ Party And John Alcock Elected As Party LeaderRock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...2 weeks ago
- An afternoon at the Repair Café, where everyday objects get a second lifeNearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...2 weeks ago
- Dreaming of my not-wedding dayWhat does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...2 weeks ago
- David Seymour: Auckland Grammar School ANZAC Day AddressThis speech was delivered to Auckland Grammar students, family, Old Boys, and staff on ANZAC Day 2024 by David Seymour ’97, MP for Epsom. ...2 weeks ago
- David Seymour: Auckland Grammar School ANZAC Day AddressThis speech was delivered to Auckland Grammar students, family, Old Boys, and staff on ANZAC Day 2024 by David Seymour ’97, MP for Epsom. ...2 weeks ago
- Response To ANZAC Day ProtestsACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...2 weeks ago
- Die In for Palestine Marks ANZAC dayPōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...2 weeks ago
- Don’t mention the war: On grandparents and Anzac biscuitsAmanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits. First published in 2021. All my ...2 weeks ago
- Governor-General's Anzac Day Dawn Service AddressWith our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...2 weeks ago
- Angling-Conservation Group Sees Fast Track Bill As UndemocraticPrincipal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...2 weeks ago
- Remembering the great TrueBliss vs Bardot national anthem sing-offNever mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff. First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...2 weeks ago
- Help Me Hera: Do I even want the public sector job I might be about to lose?I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera, May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...2 weeks ago
- ANZAC Day Wreath Calls For No Future Deaths From AUKUS“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...2 weeks ago
- Seize the dayWhile Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell. First published in 2022. The high school’s head girl and ...2 weeks ago
- The first, forgotten Anzacs, more than 50 years before GallipoliAustralian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association. First published in 2018. When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...2 weeks ago
- Poem for Anzac Day: ‘Hoki Mai’ by Tayi TibbleA poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble. Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...2 weeks ago
- Poem for Anzac Day: ‘My World War I Poem’ by Bill ManhireA poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin. My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...2 weeks ago
- Anti-Poverty Groups Urge New Minister For Disability Issues To Reverse Funding CutsThe Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...2 weeks ago
- New Media Minister Must Rule Out State Intervention In Private MediaThe Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...2 weeks ago
- ‘Emily Dickinson made me into a writer’: Lauren Groff on the power of readingWelcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff. The book I wish I’d written If I wish I’d written a ...2 weeks ago
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