Author Archive
Who will be to blame if a bridge collapses?
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, August 1st, 2016 - 93 comments
Who will be to blame if untested, undetected, weak steel causes the collapse of a structure?
Republican circus
Written By: - Date published: 2:28 pm, July 19th, 2016 - 52 comments
The Republican convention circus is under way, a four day parade of ignorance and prejudice.
Borrows charged for injuring protestors
Written By: - Date published: 11:48 am, July 12th, 2016 - 114 comments
Nat MP Chester Borrows has been charged over injuring two women with a car during a TPP protest.
Maori health and children not a priority
Written By: - Date published: 3:20 pm, July 11th, 2016 - 77 comments
Essential reading, two pieces highlighting institutional racism today. Someone needs to ask the Maori Party how proud they are to be propping up this government.
Reserve Bank gives Key the fingers on housing crisis
Written By: - Date published: 11:17 am, July 8th, 2016 - 14 comments
In The Herald Liam Dann asks – Did the Reserve Bank just give two fingers to the Prime Minister?. That would be a “yes”.
National’s strike-breaking fail
Written By: - Date published: 3:21 pm, July 5th, 2016 - 23 comments
The Police want no part of the Nats’ plan to use them as airport security. Perhaps instead of bungled attempts at strike-breaking the Nats should consider – dealing fairly with aviation security staff concerns?
Give it a rest Newshub
Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, June 30th, 2016 - 47 comments
After their ridiculous Andrew Little witch-hunt blew up in their faces yesterday, Newshub still can’t let it go. Sad.
Who is knifing Nat MP Paul Foster-Bell?
Written By: - Date published: 1:52 pm, June 27th, 2016 - 56 comments
Foster-Bell seems to be a cross between Aaron Gilmore (vanity), Todd Barclay (people skills) and Bill English (high on the hog). No surprises there then, Nat MP, ho hum. The more interesting question is – who is out to knife him? Two hits in two days?
Dirty Politics Farrar and freedom of speech
Written By: - Date published: 1:45 pm, June 22nd, 2016 - 119 comments
There’s a petition – Get Rid of Hosking – it’s closing in on 16K signatures. Dirty Politics Farrar is a mite agitated about it, so let’s all give the Streisand effect a big hand.
ECAN turning a blind eye
Written By: - Date published: 12:56 pm, June 21st, 2016 - 41 comments
Is ECAN just another typical Nat party fuckup, or are they deliberately turning a blind eye?
The strange case of the disappearance of a Stuff article critical of Lord Mike Hosking
Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, June 20th, 2016 - 54 comments
Are we doing censorship to protect the government’s media assets now?
Housing policy omnishambles rolls on
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, June 16th, 2016 - 64 comments
The government that will pay you $5000 to leave Auckland and $3000 to move to Auckland has been selling state houses so recklessly that it is now considering building temporary ones. Headless chickens make more sense.
Dodgy Niue deal back in the headlines
Written By: - Date published: 7:17 am, June 16th, 2016 - 107 comments
As Bryan Gould put it – “In any other country, and especially in those where such deals are commonplace, no one would be in any doubt as to what had really happened. In New Zealand, however, we are naively inclined to accept the blank-eyed, slack-mouthed assurances that it was all a coincidence and that nothing untoward had happened.”
Paula Bennett leaking to smear again?
Written By: - Date published: 2:52 pm, June 14th, 2016 - 61 comments
Has Paula Bennett leaked details of a police investigation into Te Puea Marae’s Hurimoana Dennis?
Update: Bennett has admitted that “her office” leaked. She should resign.
Key on Pulse nightclub massacre
Written By: - Date published: 10:45 am, June 14th, 2016 - 83 comments
FIFY: Bennett too embarrassed to visit marae
Written By: - Date published: 2:58 pm, June 9th, 2016 - 72 comments
Why not just – build some damn houses?
Written By: - Date published: 3:46 pm, June 2nd, 2016 - 91 comments
Today the Nats released a National Policy Statment (NPS) on housing. It formalises their recent strategy of incorrectly blaming local councils – and it doesn’t build anything.
Key’s housing plan “moronic”
Written By: - Date published: 2:51 pm, June 1st, 2016 - 25 comments
It isn’t often that you here such a blunt assessment of Nat policy. It’s moronic because it isn’t a housing policy at all, it’s a blame deflecting plan.
National party to be banned from future budget lockups
Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, May 31st, 2016 - 6 comments
After a significant security leak National will be forced to ban itself from future budget lockups.
Housing policy omnishambles
Written By: - Date published: 2:45 pm, May 27th, 2016 - 19 comments
The Nats will pay you $3000 to move to Auckland and $5000 to leave it. This is what happens when you have no vision, no plan, and no NFI what you’re doing.
Nick Smith 0.75% successful on Auckland housing!
Written By: - Date published: 7:18 am, May 24th, 2016 - 27 comments
One year later Nick Smith has delivered three quarters of 1% of his promised 430 ha of new Auckland housing land. The Brighter Future strikes again.
Dodgy Niue deal back in the headlines
Written By: - Date published: 11:03 am, May 21st, 2016 - 200 comments
Good of the hotel to keep the Nats’ dodgy deal in the headlines. Andrew Little has called their bluff – of course.
The real reason that politicians will take no action on tax haven corruption
Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, May 16th, 2016 - 22 comments
Random impertinent question: Why did Cameron get diversion?
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, May 11th, 2016 - 32 comments
Why did the police offer Cameron Slater the soft option of diversion when he doesn’t qualify?
Random impertinent question: Did Cameron breach his own name suppression order?
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, May 11th, 2016 - 7 comments
Has Cameron Slater created legal history by being a party to the breach of his own name suppression order?
Peters vs Carter
Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, May 6th, 2016 - 17 comments
Winston Peters is already wielding his kingmaker powers. If National roll over over, I wonder what else Peters can get out of them over the next few months?
Key’s sloppy trust
Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, May 5th, 2016 - 7 comments
An editorial in The Herald today keeps the pressure on Key. Meanwhile his “lawyer” can’t be happy, and Key hits peak condescension.
Key and McClay sorting out their lines
Written By: - Date published: 9:12 am, May 4th, 2016 - 16 comments
On the nobbled IRD tax haven review Key has been sorting out his lines. Then he had to feed McClay his. The concept of just telling the truth probably never occured to either of them.
The wheels on the bus go round and round
Written By: - Date published: 3:28 pm, May 3rd, 2016 - 18 comments
Key chucks his “lawyer” under a bus – Part 2.
Key chucks his “lawyer” under a bus
Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, May 2nd, 2016 - 125 comments
Key has form on lying, you’d hope that his “lawyer” does not.
Rodney Hide – stupid, corrupt or both?
Written By: - Date published: 10:56 am, April 24th, 2016 - 60 comments
Hide’s Herald piece today is straight out of Dirty Politics Farrar’s playbook.
- A new stage adaptation of Peter Carey’s Jack Maggs is a delightful homage to theatrical storytelli...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Campbell, Lecturer, Performing Arts, UniSA Creative, University of South Australia Matt Byrne/STCSA Jack Maggs is a delight and a homage to theatrical storytelling in Australia. Based on Peter Carey’s bestselling novel, Jack Maggs follows the ex-convict as he lands ...5 days ago - The government has introduced laws for its social media ban. But key details are still missing
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Angus, Professor of Digital Communication, Director of QUT Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology Ron Lach/Pexels The federal government today introduced into parliament legislation for its social media ban for people under 16 years. Communications Minister Michelle ...5 days ago
- Archives NZ, National Library to cut 27 roles
The Department of Internal Affairs wants to bring the two organisations under the joint leadership of the Chief Archivist and National Librarian. ...5 days ago - Gang patch ban: Members warn of potential for violence to ‘erupt’ as new laws enforced
"I can't see this lasting unless they have a budget to lock fullas up in jail which I think is absolutely stupid, really it's ludicrous," Ngavii Pekapo, who set up a Mongrel Mob chapter 54 years ago, says. ...5 days ago
- ACT leader David Seymour raises doubts about Waikato medical school
Government documents show ACT leader David Seymour told the government he was "dissatisfied" with a cost-benefit analysis. ...5 days ago
- National’s Erica Stanford allegedly calls Labour’s Jan Tinetti a ‘stupid bitchR...
The Education Minister has apologised in Parliament for her remark. ...5 days ago
- Labour backs new Police Commissioner – but warns against routine arming
The alternative to policing by consent would be a police state, which New Zealanders don't want, the party says. ...5 days ago
- Youth on boot camp pilot re-offended five weeks after release
Children's Minister Karen Chhour said while it was disappointing, it would naïve to think none of the participants would lapse. ...5 days ago
- In photos: People of the hīkoi, and why they marched
Hikoi mō Te Tiriti has come to an end, going down in history as the largest march to Parliament in Aotearoa. ...5 days ago
- ‘Everything is becoming a culture war’: Jon Ronson on conspiracies and cycleways
Ahead of his appearance in Aotearoa, the acclaimed British journalist, podcaster and documentarian talks to Stewart Sowman-Lund about why people are still fascinated by the fringes. The last place I would expect to find Jon Ronson is relaxing in the countryside. The iconic British journalist and writer is best known ...5 days ago - Kia kaha Lebanon: NZ media only tell half your story of struggle
The United States has vetoed a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution — for the fourth time — in Israel’s war on Gaza, while Hezbollah demands a complete ceasefire and “protection of Lebanon’s sovereignty” in any deal with Israel. Amid the death and devastation, Joe Hendren reflects on his time in ...5 days ago
- ‘Deserves a Bafta’: After the Party premieres in the UK to five-star reviews
The acclaimed New Zealand drama has just premiered on TV in the United Kingdom, and the five-star reviews are already flowing in. Six months after it was called a “blistering” “tour de force” by Australian critics, and nearly a year since The Spinoff declared it the best drama New Zealand ...5 days ago
- Drugs are getting cheaper and easier to find in Aotearoa
New Zealanders are drinking and smoking less, but most other recreational drugs are becoming cheaper, more popular and more available, two new reports show. Two significant new surveys about drugs in Aotearoa were released this week, offering a rare insight into New Zealanders’ choice of substances, which ones are becoming ...5 days ago
- COP29: ‘climate finance’ for the Pacific is mostly loans, saddling small island nations with mor...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Ratuva, Director, Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, University of Canterbury Lenora Qereqeretabua, the deputy speaker of Fiji’s Parliament, at the COP29 climate summit. IISD/ENB/Mike Muzurakis, CC BY-SA As this year’s UN climate summit reaches its final stage of negotiations, Pacific ...5 days ago
- Review: The magic of Wicked and the curse of corporate greed
The new movie musical is undoubtedly a fun watch, but it’s also proof that bigger isn’t always better, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund. Contains minor spoilers for Wicked. There’s no doubt that Wicked is going to be huge. No other pop culture event this year, save from maybe Charli XCX’s Brat, has ...5 days ago
- Dame Jacinda Ardern to be given United Nations leadership award
She will get the champion for global change award from the United Nations Foundation at a ceremony in New York tomorrow. ...5 days ago
- NZ will resume live animal exports – to low demand
Analysis: NZ is lifting what was supposed to be a permanent ban on live animal exports. But it’s not the lucrative industry it once was. The post NZ will resume live animal exports – to low demand appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago - Financial forms of family violence affect one in seven of us – but the law is lagging
There are calls for New Zealand’s Family Violence Act to name economic harm as a standalone type of violence, rather than a subcategory of psychological abuse, to bring it in line with the United Kingdom and Australia. Economic harm – restricting access to, sabotaging or exploiting another person’s financial resources, ...5 days ago
- Downside Risks To Treasury’s Economic And Fiscal Forecasts
New Zealand is currently running a structural fiscal deficit, with expenditure exceeding revenue. Economic growth falling short of expectations has been making it harder for the Government to bring the books back into balance. ...5 days ago - Science continues to exclude Indigenous communities. Fixing this benefits everyone
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jordan Peter Anthony Pitt, Associate Dean of Indigenous Strategy and Services (Faculty of Science), University of Sydney An enduring challenge facing science around the world is how to best include and engage Indigenous communities. In Australia, for example, 0.5% of Indigenous ...5 days ago
- Why is cricket so popular on the Indian sub-continent?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Cricket originated in England, but has been spread worldwide by British soldiers and settlers in the past few hundred years. It is now the second most popular sport in ...5 days ago
- Disinformation and deepfakes played a part in the US election. Australia should expect the same
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Renee Barnes, Associate professor of Journalism, University of the Sunshine Coast Mladen Zivkovic/Shutterstock As America takes stock after Donald Trump’s re-election to the presidency, it’s worth highlighting the AI-generated fake photos, videos and audio shared during the campaign. A slew ...5 days ago
- Is thunderstorm asthma becoming more common?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kira Morgan Hughes, PhD Candidate in Allergy and Asthma, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University When spring arrives, so do warnings about thunderstorm asthma. But a decade ago, most of us hadn’t heard of it. So where did thunderstorm asthma ...5 days ago
- Overwhelmed by ever more clothing donations, charities are exporting the problem. Local governments ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yassie Samie, Postdoctoral Researcher in Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University anna.spoka/Shutterstock What happens to your clothes after you don’t want them any more? Chances are, you will donate them to op shops run by a charity organisation. There are more ...5 days ago
- Friendly fire: a nuclear push by allies at COP29 poses a sticky problem for Albanese
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland IndustryAndTravel/Shutterstock Prime Minister Anthony Albanese didn’t see this coming. At the global COP29 climate talks in Baku, the Australian government was indirectly criticised by two allies, the United States and the ...5 days ago
- Nugget Is Dead brings queer love, multiculturalism and Aussie flair to the Christmas movie formula
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phoebe Hart, Associate Professor, Film Screen & Animation, Queensland University of Technology Julia Firak Stan’s new Christmas film Nugget is Dead is a colourful production that follows the rules of the seasonal genre film to a tee – with an Aussie ...5 days ago
- Help Me Hera: Should I cut contact with my ex-stepdad?
My parents are finally getting divorced. So why do I feel like my stepdad’s feelings are still my problem? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera My parents recently announced their separation. This in itself isn’t a problem. I’ve already gone through this once before in my early childhood, so ...5 days ago
- New Zealand Drops In Global Ranking On Climate Action
If the government won’t hold polluters to account, then people will. People are increasingly taking to the streets and the courtrooms, putting their bodies on the line to shut down polluting industries. This will only escalate further unless New ...5 days ago
- Government’s fiscal policy dragging out recession, economists say
Slashing the budget deficit and reducing public debt are making matters worse for households and businesses, they say. ...5 days ago
- Mongrel Mob member charged 3 minutes after patch ban begins
The new gang patch law came into force at midnight. The first person under the ban was caught at 12.03am. ...5 days ago
- Spending Cuts Need To Stop – PSA Urges Govt To Listen To Economists
The economists, drawn from universities, unions and the private sector, are calling on the Government to urgently revisit its fiscal policy stating the economic rationale for spending cuts and deferral of key infrastructure projects was ‘unclear’. ...5 days ago
- Government proposes law change on name suppression for sex offenders
Convicted adult sex offenders would not get permanent name suppression unless the victim agreed to it, the justice minister says. ...5 days ago
- Insufficient data on restraint and seclusion of children in Oranga Tamariki facilities, watchdogs sa...
The Independent Children's Monitor says it cannot determine if there have been improvements since a 2020 report found both practices were used inappropriately. ...5 days ago
- No mental wellbeing priority in government’s latest child strategy
Mental well-being has been removed as a standalone priority in the government's latest Child and Youth Well-being Strategy - despite officials warning against this earlier in the year. ...5 days ago
- ‘Enforcement action taken’ hours after gang patch ban comes into effect
The Police Minister says gang members in the Hawke's Bay came out at midnight to challenge the law. ...5 days ago
- ‘The deal sucks’: MPs question Tauranga marine precinct sale
Two MPs in Tauranga are calling for the Auditor-General to investigate the sale of the city's marine precinct, which one believes is a "really bad deal for Tauranga". ...5 days ago
- Will banning gang patches actually make New Zealand safer?
Gang members say it will create more problems, but the government argues it’s about improving public safety, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund for The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...5 days ago
- Gang patch ban: ‘Subtle adaptations’ of insignia already being seen
Gang members are already changing their insignia to get around the law that came into effect overnight. ...5 days ago
- Bootcamp bill to have first reading before verdict on 10-boy pilot project
The Govt’s bootcamp bill will have its first reading on Thursday, ahead of a final evaluation of the controversial pilot programme. The post Bootcamp bill to have first reading before verdict on 10-boy pilot project appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Where to find $1.3 trillion for climate finance
Fossil fuel subsidies, solidarity levies and wealth taxes have all been proposed as sources of the trillions of dollars of climate finance needed The post Where to find $1.3 trillion for climate finance appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
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