Author Archive
A letter to Chris Hipkins
Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, July 30th, 2023 - 31 comments
My 2c on what I think Chris Hipkins needs to do to win this year’s election.
Should Labour take GST off fresh food?
Written By: - Date published: 10:53 am, July 28th, 2023 - 87 comments
National’s Nicola Willis has claimed that Labour will soon announce policy to take GST off fresh fruit and vegetables.
Politics is indeed a blood sport
Written By: - Date published: 3:36 pm, July 25th, 2023 - 56 comments
But should it be? Without acknowledging in any way its role in politicising Kiritapu Allan’s issues National has stated that politics is a blood sport.
Allan fired
Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, July 24th, 2023 - 162 comments
This does not help.
Laura norda rides again
Written By: - Date published: 9:47 am, July 22nd, 2023 - 57 comments
This week Labour has announced toughening up of the law dealing with 12 and 13 year olds and National has been playing politics with the shooting incident after earlier saying it was not a day to play politics.
Roger Douglas thinks Act has lost its way
Written By: - Date published: 9:09 am, July 20th, 2023 - 33 comments
Roger Douglas, who as Finance Minister under the fourth Labour Government caused major harm and the founder of the Act Party, has publicly declared that he has lost faith in the Act party and is now a swing voter.
Potholes damned potholes and National Party statistics
Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, July 19th, 2023 - 16 comments
National underlined its complete lack of intellectual grunt and its fascination with passing anxieties as well as its intent to forget what it did by recently releasing a pothole policy.
Why a change of Government would be a bad thing – school lunches
Written By: - Date published: 12:14 pm, July 14th, 2023 - 63 comments
Act has declared its class prejudice by advocating for the cancellation of the free lunch in schools programme even though the benefits are clear and recognised and the programme helps poor kids’ nutrition and education.
Hipkins’ tax gamble
Written By: - Date published: 6:25 pm, July 12th, 2023 - 92 comments
Chris Hipkins today stated that for any future Government he leads after the next election there will be no wealth or capital gains tax implemented. End of story.
Act’s dishonest Youth offending policy
Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, July 11th, 2023 - 56 comments
Act’s newly released policy that suggests all 17 year olds are dealt with in the Youth Court shows a concerning lack of understand how the Youth Justice system actually works.
The very strange election campaign
Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, July 8th, 2023 - 86 comments
With 98 days to go despite large parts of the electorate being very grumpy the polls are neck and neck and Labour can still win. This is what they have to do.
The very Kafkaesque attack on Kiritapu Allan
Written By: - Date published: 4:46 pm, July 2nd, 2023 - 54 comments
Being subject to allegations of inappropriate behaviour the detail of which has not been released by unnamed public servants must make Kiritapu Allan think that she is living in a Franz Kafka novel.
Sepuloni 1 Luxon 0
Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, June 28th, 2023 - 12 comments
Yesterday in Parliament National attempted to embarrass Carmel Sepuloni in question time by asking her detailed economic questions. But the attempt backfired.
National releases uncosted corrections policy
Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, June 26th, 2023 - 12 comments
National has released a hotch potch policy of changes to Criminal Justice that is uncosted and seeks to achieve that which is already in force or proposed.
Why selling Auckland Port Operations is a particularly silly thing to do
Written By: - Date published: 4:30 pm, June 25th, 2023 - 4 comments
It is a given that the right in power want to sell public assets off and the left want to retain those assets. And it appears that the right’s eyes are on Ports of Auckland.
Brown wants to privatise Ports of Auckland Operations
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, June 23rd, 2023 - 22 comments
Fresh from his success at selling off part of Auckland Council’s Airport shares Wayne Brown has proposed another privatisation, that of Ports of Auckland Operations by way of the granting of an operating lease for the Port’s activities.
You can never, ever, have too many Teslas
Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, June 21st, 2023 - 55 comments
Fresh from news that Christopher Luxon ordered a State supplied Tesla when his household already owns one comes news that the household Tesla was upgraded, and that the clean car discount was obtained.
Winning ugly
Written By: - Date published: 7:19 am, June 21st, 2023 - 146 comments
Another week and another example of National using dog whistle racism to stir up hatred and try and gain political advantage. This time it is to attack the notion that our health system should be seeking to look after those most in need.
You can never have too many Teslas
Written By: - Date published: 8:43 am, June 14th, 2023 - 96 comments
Over recent periods National has run a very tightly focused campaign against state support for Tesla owners. But news that Christopher Luxon actively sought a Government supplied Tesla when he already owns one suggests that he thinks that the rules should be different for him.
How not to win votes and influence people
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, June 13th, 2023 - 172 comments
Christopher Luxon has gone onto the charm offensive by describing New Zealand as a negative, wet, whiny, inward looking country that has lost the plot.
The hypocrisy of the attacks on Michael Wood
Written By: - Date published: 1:20 pm, June 12th, 2023 - 13 comments
According to National holding a modest shareholding can open a Minister to allegations of conflict of interest but owning seven investment properties and proposing beneficial tax treatment of landlords does not.
National picks a fight over GE
Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, June 11th, 2023 - 19 comments
National continues to appease Federated Farmers and has just announced a policy of easing up of restrictions and safeguards on Genetic Engineering.
Much ado about nothing
Written By: - Date published: 8:20 pm, June 6th, 2023 - 227 comments
Michael Wood has been attacked today for some slightly sloppy handling of personal paperwork and not getting rid of shares as quickly as he wanted to.
Blowin’ in the wind
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, May 31st, 2023 - 36 comments
National is blowing hard on the racist dog whistle by claiming that replacing signs with a Te Reo English version will affect the number of potholes that can be repaired.
National’s triple backward summersault on RMA reform
Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, May 30th, 2023 - 26 comments
The focus groups have spoken. National has performed a complete reversal on the bipartisan changes to the Resource Management Act amendments designed to improve housing supply and introduced only 18 months ago.
Superannuation policy becomes political
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, May 29th, 2023 - 68 comments
National’s promise to increase the age of retirement and likely cuts to Cullen fund contributions and state Kiwisaver payments have been seized on by Labour as evidence that National does not care about ordinary people.
The fast and the really furious
Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, May 24th, 2023 - 30 comments
Christopher Luxon had no idea that National has recently used artificially generated images in what appears to be a crude attempt to avoid historical issues National has had with respecting the intellectual property rights of artists.
The real coalition of chaos
Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, May 23rd, 2023 - 22 comments
National has hatched on its attack line which we will hear about a lot over the next few months. But it may have a problem. Because the phrase “coalition of chaos” clearly applies to its leadership team.
Government announces project that will significantly reduce coal consumption
Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, May 22nd, 2023 - 102 comments
The Government has done a deal with the owners of New Zealand Steel that will see the company replace its coal fired furnace with a renewable energy supplied electric arc furnace and will significantly reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
National thinks tax cut good, reduction in Government charges bad
Written By: - Date published: 8:13 am, May 19th, 2023 - 77 comments
National has promised to reverse the removal of prescription charges even though it has a strong policy support and is an example of the state taking less of individuals’ private wealth.
Budget day
Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, May 18th, 2023 - 49 comments
Today is Budget Day with the proceedings kicking off at 2 pm.
- Education Ministry must try harder to redeploy as many laid off workers as possible
The PSA is taking action to force the Ministry of Education to comply with its legal obligations to do everything it can to find other roles for staff it is laying off because of the Government’s spending cuts. ...1 week ago - National MP David MacLeod may face police probe over undeclared donations – law professor
New Plymouth's David MacLeod says he made an inadvertent error in his failure to declare $178,000 of donations. ...1 week ago - Five reasons I wrote a ‘quiet’ children’s novel
Poet, editor and former bookseller Jane Arthur’s debut children’s novel Brown Bird is the story of a shy, self-conscious 11-year-old – partly based on her childhood self – venturing out of her quiet comfort zone. Children’s books are close to my heart because mostly I believe that adults are rings ...1 week ago - Plane heading for New Caledonia to bring Kiwis homeWinston Peters has confirmed it is the first in a series of proposed flights. ...1 week ago
- Is a return to LOTR the best or worst thing for Wellington? An argument with myselfPeter Jackson is bringing Lord of the Rings back to Wellington, producing two new Gollum films in Wellington. Madeleine Chapman (Gollum) argues with Madeleine Chapman (Smeagol) about it. First of all, I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation. Of course it’s great news! I don’t know, it gives me ...1 week ago
- The cost of being: A SuperGold Card holder on solar powerAs part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a part-time media librarian and superannuitant explains how he spends and saves. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here. Gender: Male Age: 65 Ethnicity: European Role: Media librarian ...1 week ago
- Ngati Ruanui On Fast Track BallotThe Government’s Environmental Select Committee is refusing to engage meaningfully when it matters the most over new fast tracking environmental legislation, says Ngāti Ruanui. ...1 week ago
- What the future holds for Kāinga OraThe agency was found to be underperforming and ‘not financially viable’, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A damning report A government-ordered ...1 week ago
- Private jet use is increasing in New Zealand, climate crisis be damnedYou’ll never set foot in one. But its emissions still effect you. Shanti Mathias reports on a campaign to make private jet owners pay for their emissions in some way. The private jet passengers saunter down the red carpet, wearing sunglasses and heels; paparazzi cameras flash. The sky is blue, ...1 week ago
- There’s a silver lining to the Ministry of Education job cutsQuality teachers back on the front line can only be a good thing. One of the difficult things we teach in senior English classes at secondary school is the development of an idea. This involves deepening your argument, without instead “going sideways” and merely adding examples while repeating the same ...1 week ago
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 21 May
The post Daily crossword, Tuesday 21 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago - Luxon’s ‘clear-eyed’ stance on China security issuesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon balanced promotion of ‘critical’ trade ties with ‘clear-eyed’ security talk at a China summit The post Luxon’s ‘clear-eyed’ stance on China security issues appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Mega prison would cost mega bucks, so follow the moneyOpinion: As an indication of the eye-watering sums involved for the mega-prison plans announced two weeks ago by Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell, consider that $932 million has already been spent on a separate facility due to open at Waikeria next year – that’s about $1.5 million for each of the ...1 week ago
- How to lessen stigma and gaslighting in the health sectorOpinion: People with certain types of health conditions are more likely than others to have their symptoms dismissed, minimised or disbelieved. These conditions are diagnosed based on the patient self-report of symptoms, where there is no definitive diagnostic test that can prove the existence of disease or demonstrate structural or ...1 week ago
- Restoring fiscal discipline – and trustOpinion: Without an appropriate focus on value for public spending, trust in government is likely to erode The post Restoring fiscal discipline – and trust appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Hit by a digital guillotineThe intensity of it, ironically, can feel like bullying. Social media activism is reaching something of a peak with the war in Gaza, using the hashtag Blockout2024. It started at this year’s MetGala when influencer and model Haley Kalil was caught on video muttering ‘let them eat cake’ – suddenly ...1 week ago
- ‘I will never give birth to a child’It’s 2011 and I am 43 years old. My partner, Christine, and I got together when I was 36. We had been friends for about 10 years before that. One of the first things I asked Christine was whether she wanted to have kids. I had just come out of ...1 week ago
- Phase out mid point: Govt commits to low-energy user charges reviewThe Consumer Advocacy Council is pleased the Government will review the phase out of fixed low-user energy plans The post Phase out mid point: Govt commits to low-energy user charges review appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Problems persist even in environment ministry’s alternative fast-track billAnalysis: The Ministry for the Environment still couldn’t shake concerns about local voices, legal risks and environmental degradation The post Problems persist even in environment ministry’s alternative fast-track bill appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 21 MayLoading…(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 21 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- On the pain and pleasure of cookingA conversation with artist and home cook Prairie Hatchard-McGill, aka @cacioeprairie. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. A few weeks ago, I spotted Prairie strolling down Ponsonby Road at sunset, a bunch of celery tucked under her arm. She was too far away for me ...1 week ago
- Three Kiwis Launch Haka Challenge To Free Assange In LondonThe Haka Challenge invites anyone to learn and record the Ka Mate haka as performed by the All Blacks, to show their support for "the South Pacific's greatest truth teller". ...1 week ago
- Former Shortland Street Actor Will Alexander Goes On Hunger Strike Over NZ Government’s Complicity...At the Christchurch rally in support of Palestine, he started his hunger strike and vowed to continue until the government stops supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza. ...1 week ago
- In stories of unrest in New Caledonia, Kanak voices should not be an afterthoughtWith Nouméa reeling as mainly young, politically active Kanak people take to the streets and protest, a spirit that has been dormant since the 1980s has awoken. Tāmaki Makaurau-based Kanak Joseph Xulué provides some context. As reports continue to emphasise the fires burning through the streets of Nouméa (the capital ...1 week ago
- New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this weekWe round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you love feral robots: Atlas (Netflix, May 24) Look, if you thought This is Me…Now: A Love Story was Jennifer Lopez at her most intense, then ...1 week ago
- Scams are surging – this team blocked 1.3 million in a monthAfter falling victim to a scam over the phone, Russell Brown spent the day with One NZ’s cyber defence and fraud prevention teams to see the work they do to stop millions of scam attempts every year. The only windows in the Cyber Defence Centre at One NZ’s Auckland headquarters ...1 week ago
- Treasury Advice Show Flaws In Fast Track Approvals BillTreasury officials have outlined many ways in which the Fast Track Approvals Bill is deeply flawed, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking says. ...1 week ago
- How are the stocks of the fish on the iconic poster going? ‘Munted’, says one expertAnother technical answer: ‘no one really knows.’ It smells like hot fat and fish. You hug the warm bundle of newspaper, translucent with grease, swaddling it like a newborn babe. Behind the counter is a small child doing her homework, and the grumpiest Chinese lady in the world. Above you, ...1 week ago
- Kiwis Urged To Give Shane Jones ‘The Finger’New Zealanders are being called on to give Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones “the finger” in a cheeky new campaign that aims to dramatically boost marine protection in Aotearoa. ...1 week ago
- The left gears up for 2026 – and beyondLeaders from three of the biggest political parties addressed party faithful over the weekend, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A weekend ...1 week ago
- Ministry for the Environment warns of Fast-Track Bill’s ‘significant risks’Environment Ministry says the fast-track bill poses “significant risks”, despite being neither cheaper nor faster than other options The post Ministry for the Environment warns of Fast-Track Bill’s ‘significant risks’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Treasury warns of Fast-Track Bill’s ‘significant risks’Treasury has said the fast-track bill poses “significant risks”, despite being neither cheaper nor faster than other options The post Treasury warns of Fast-Track Bill’s ‘significant risks’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Half-term report card: Tory Whanau’s wins, losses and re-election chancesKia ora, welcome to Windbag, The Spinoff’s new Wellington issues column, written by me, Joel MacManus. In this first edition, I take a closer look at the first half of Tory Whanau’s term as mayor. If you want to understand Wellington’s local political landscape, you need to start in 2013 ...1 week ago
- The murky past – and unknown future – of a huia feather set to sell to the highest bidderA taonga going under the hammer at an Auckland auction house tonight is expected to fetch thousands. But concerns have been raised about its unclear provenance – and about the law that’s meant to protect it. Eda Tang reports. When Tamatea* received the huia feather they bought from a licensed ...1 week ago
- Seabed miners: What we know and what we don’tUncertainty is an overwhelming theme for two seabed mining projects aiming to use the Government’s controversial fast-track regime The post Seabed miners: What we know and what we don’t appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- New report seeks to measure the value of a corporate crisisCompanies responsible for an environmental crisis are more likely to take a hit to their share price and take longer to recover The post New report seeks to measure the value of a corporate crisis appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- After three decades, Aleh realises Cup dreamIt’s the 38th birthday present Jo Aleh never expected to receive. Last Monday, Aleh and her sailing partner, Molly Meech, flew home to Auckland from Marseille, where they’d been training for their Paris Olympics campaign in the 49erFX. Within a couple of hours of touching down, they were out on ...1 week ago
- Daily crossword, Monday 20 MayThe post Daily crossword, Monday 20 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Who has the monopoly on compassion? Labour, Nats and Greens can’t all be right“It might feel like the country is slogging it up the hill at the moment,” Finance Minister Nicola Willis tells party faithful in Palmerston North on Sunday, “But we’re gonna get to the top of the hill, and it’s downhill on the other side. And the reason it’s downhill is ...1 week ago
- Pacific leaders concerned over seasonal worker exodusOne issue that all the leaders of the coalition Government have agreed on is the expansion of the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme. Established in 2007, the scheme allows workers from participating Pacific countries to come to New Zealand to take up roles on a short-term basis. For the government, it’s ...1 week ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 20 MayLoading…(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 20 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- The mocking of LuxonThe last person anyone expected to see at last week’s Ockham national book awards was Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. He was made to feel as welcome as a plague. He was mocked, and challenged. But good on him for coming. His presence gave the awards an edge, a tension, which ...1 week ago
- A fast track to environmental degradationSir Geoffrey Palmer, author of the seminal book Unbridled Power challenging Muldoon-era decision-making,says the Fast-Track Approvals Bill is a bigger threat to constitutional government The post A fast track to environmental degradation appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- LGNZ launches city and regional deals planLGNZ hopes city and regional deals will help reset the relationship between central and local government. The post LGNZ launches city and regional deals plan appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Taiwanese Community in Christchurch Rallies for Taiwan's WHO ParticipationOn May 18, the Taiwanese community in Christchurch came together for the "Health for All, Taiwan Can Help" march, urging the World Health Organization (WHO) to grant Taiwan participation. ...1 week ago
- What Is Behind The Turmoil In The New Zealand Green Party?The instability comes as the party tries to refresh its brand after six years of being part of a right-wing, pro-imperialist government with both the Labour Party and, from 2017-2020, the far-right NZ First Party. ...1 week ago
- Wake Up Call: Government Debt Hits $90,000 Per Household Today – “$90k Debt Day”Based on the latest Treasury forecasts, New Zealand Government debt will tick above $90,000 per household for the first time ever at 10pm today, Sunday 19 May 2024. The Taxpayers’ Union is calling it “$90k Debt Day”. Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ ...1 week ago
- Government IT Systems Need A $800 Million OverhaulThe government is facing a bill of more than $800 million to overhaul back-office IT systems, and attempts to lessen its impact have hit delays. ...1 week ago
- Bolstering support for Asian personnel in the NZ Defence ForceThe founder of a Pan-Asian network in the New Zealand Defence Force hopes to support Asian personnel in their defence careers. ...1 week ago
- 'Increasingly Activist' Waitangi Tribunal Faces Its Future Under Renewed Attack From Senio...David Seymour has renewed attacks on what he says is an 'increasingly activist' Tribunal as it faces questions about its future. ...1 week ago
- An Ode to .. Shane JonesArawata Shane Arawata Shane had wandered long In the wild tangled hills of the West Coast. He came to a stop on the mighty range And looked down at the wide river flats. He breathed in the clean air, And he took in the shadows playing across The face of ...1 week ago
- ‘Stop laughing, I’m trying to kill someone’: Cohen Holloway on playing a serial murdererThe star of Dark City: The Cleaner takes us through his life in TV, including the VHS revolution and the John Campbell impression that started it all. Best known for his comedic roles, Cohen Holloway says he struggled at times to maintain the stone cold facade of serial killer on ...2 weeks ago
- A life storyDavid Hill remembers an old friend, who you’ve probably never heard of. My friend Doug never travelled; he had little interest in the world beyond his own tiny rural town. I’ve rarely known anyone who radiated such contentment. Doug (I’ll call him that) died in March. You won’t know him. ...2 weeks ago
- Do you recognise anybody in these 150-year-old photographs?Some of the earliest photos of life in Aotearoa are on display at Auckland Museum right now – but the identities of some of the people in them are a mystery. What was it like to be one of the first people in New Zealand to have their photo taken? ...2 weeks ago
- The indie books fest bringing big ideas to small town WairarapaSince its founding almost a decade ago, Featherston Booktown has grown into one of the country’s most interesting and idiosyncratic literary events. Erin Banks reports from the audience. “Come in, have you had lunch? I’m about to make a cheese toastie.” Mary Biggs, operations manager of Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival, ...2 weeks ago
- Enduring the voyage of the tatauAfter 33 years abroad, Loveni Enari recently returned to Aotearoa and Samoa in what a friend joked was an “existential crisis”. He learnt and re-learnt so much about his family, friends and both countries. Almost as an afterthought, he got a Samoan tatau. This is his story. (Accompanying it are ...2 weeks ago
- Bearing witness to a confession of murderNearly 30 years ago, two people told me they’d killed a woman they knew. I thought the truth would come out, that others would tell it. In the end, I had to. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Fact: in 1995, Angela Blackmoore ...2 weeks ago
- The Weekend: A landmark case for trans rights in AotearoaEditor Madeleine Chapman looks back at the week and shines a light on some increasingly rare longform journalism. Mōrena and welcome to The Weekend where there will sadly be no aurora to see. After a busy week last week of short, sharp pieces, this week we swung the other way, ...2 weeks ago
- How Many Public Sector Roles Are Going, And From Where?Public servants' jobs are on the chopping block as the sector scrambles to meet the Finance Minister's cost-cutting targets. ...2 weeks ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Xiāng’ by Hannah PattersonA new poem by Hannah Patterson. Xiāng There’s a pear tree in our backyard And Xiāng tells me She can’t eat them anymore Not after some things that have happened in her life. She tells me, in Mandarin The word for pear sounds the same as the word for disassociation ...2 weeks ago
- Cycle lanes are good for business, actually‘Cycling Works’ aims to show business support for citywide cycle infrastructure. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, supermarket giant Foodstuffs lost its attempt to block the construction of a cycle lane outside Thorndon New World in Wellington. The Spinoff’s Wellington editor ...2 weeks ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 17The 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 Slow Productivity by Cal Newport (Penguin, $40) Taking out the top spot in Auckland this ...2 weeks ago
- Blazing a trail: the Leonard family legacy in Māori televisionProducer Susan Leonard remembers her father Ernie, a pioneer of Māori television, and how his legacy lives on in Pathfinders. My father was a fabulous man. His name was Ernie Leonard and he started in TV in the 1970s when it was still glamorous – when TVNZ made behind the ...2 weeks ago
- Dr. Eric Chuah Standing For Mayor Of TaurangaDr. Eric Chuah who stood for a centrist NZ political party in the October 2023 NZ Elections for Maungakiekie Auckland will stand as a candidate for Tauranga City Council Ward of Matua-=Otumoetai and Mayor of Tauranga. ...2 weeks ago
- How to enjoy a comedy festival in your own loungeIf you can’t get to the comedy fest, let us bring the comedy fest to you. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. The New Zealand International Comedy Festival is in full swing at the moment, with a veritable smorgasboard of comedy treats ...2 weeks ago
- Poll Shows Three Quarters Of Wellingtonians Oppose Airport SaleA new poll commissioned by Unions Wellington shows an overwhelming majority of Wellingtonians oppose the Council’s plan to sell the 34% public stake in Wellington Airport. ...2 weeks ago
- It’s OK to ask a loved one if they’re feeling suicidalIt’s often the last thing people want to do, but asking someone if they’re having suicidal thoughts is a critical first step to helping them. Content warning: this story discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. For a list of resources that can help if you or someone you know is feeling ...2 weeks ago
- What’s happening in New Caledonia and Vanuatu, and why it matters to NZWinston Peters has been on tour around the Pacific while two unrelated crises unfolded, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Two separate ...2 weeks ago
- Fake bacon, ranked from worst to bestThis is the Mount Everest of artificial meatcraft. Ah, bacon. Pig’s gold. Toast’s consolation. Dawn’s savoury embrace. If meat was a currency, bacon would be the Benjamin Franklin. Or if you’re feeling patriotic, the Lord Rutherford. When it comes to fake bacon, the obvious question is: why bother? In the ...2 weeks ago
- Milking it: The man behind New Zealand’s weirdest legal casesFrom illegal milk to sprinkler bans and airplane ticket scams, Tyrone Barugh is on a one-man mission through New Zealand’s most obscure legal loopholes. I’m deep undercover, investigating Wellington’s criminal underworld. Inside this store, I’ve been told there is a million-dollar trade in illicit substances. A man dressed in black ...2 weeks ago
- Rally Condemns Zionism And The State Of Israel For Ongoing GenocideThey held a noisy but peaceful demonstration against the ongoing genocide being carried out by the State of Israel, condemning the Israeli ambassador who was hosting an invitation-only event to celebrate the establishment of the State of Israel. ...2 weeks ago
- Trump vs Biden round two: The 2024 US presidential election, explainedWith less than six months to go, it’s time to start paying attention to what could be the most consequential election of our lifetimes. It’s less than half a year until election day in the United States, which makes this a good opportunity to review what’s happened thus far in ...2 weeks ago
- MPI slashes 10% of workforce in response to Govt spending cutsThe agency charged with safeguarding and growing our key primary exports has today confirmed it is cutting 10% of its nationwide workforce. ...2 weeks ago
- A conversation with Emily Perkins the morning after winning big at the OckhamsThe biggest winner from the 2024 Ockham book awards talks to Madeleine Chapman about her fascination with stages of life, advocating for the arts, and what’s next. Last night, at a not-as-long-as-expected ceremony at Q Theatre in downtown Auckland, Emily Perkins won the Big Prize for the second time. Her ...2 weeks ago
- ‘All our rabbits are dead’: 10 moments of national insignificance from the NZ ArchivesWith funding ending for Archives New Zealand’s digitisation programme, Hera Lindsay Bird shares a taste of what’s being lost – because history isn’t just about the big-ticket items. On Tuesday morning the PSA held a snap protest outside the National Library in Wellington, urging the government to continue funding the ...2 weeks ago
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