Author Archive
Trying to spin the Hagaman donation
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, April 21st, 2016 - 122 comments
Little is doing his job. Dirty Politics Farrar is spinning like mad. The real questions are – who knew about the donations, when did they know, and were they involved in awarding the contract?
The whiff of corruption follows McCully around
Written By: - Date published: 9:09 am, April 19th, 2016 - 89 comments
There is a clear conflict of interest in the Niue resort case.
Kiwi workers are pretty damned hopeless – says Bill English
Written By: - Date published: 4:03 pm, April 13th, 2016 - 205 comments
National are now so convinced of their invulnerability that they have taken to actively insulting us. You couldn’t make this stuff up.
Another Nick Smith fail in Auckland
Written By: - Date published: 2:53 pm, April 13th, 2016 - 9 comments
How’s Nick Smith doing on the Budget plan to round up 500ha of Auckland land for housing? The answer won’t shock you!
Netflix tax – another one for you peasants
Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, April 11th, 2016 - 20 comments
While Key is fighting to make sure our country remains a haven for his rich mates, he’s about to hit you and I with yet another tax. I don’t have a problem with taxes, but I do take issue with the hypocrisy.
A Song from John (All your questions answered)
Written By: - Date published: 3:18 pm, April 8th, 2016 - 4 comments
Okay. So rumoour has it that John was merely a co-writer.
Brownlee is dragging Canterbury down
Written By: - Date published: 11:34 am, April 8th, 2016 - 85 comments
The Christchurch rebuild gets its second fail grade from Treasury. And what of the rebuild work that has been done with failed reinforcing steel?
Who is buying Canterbury water?
Written By: - Date published: 10:08 am, April 6th, 2016 - 71 comments
Billions of litres of Canterbury water are being sold off. Duncan Garner asks if Oravida is the buyer.
Up the republic!
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, March 30th, 2016 - 162 comments
The tory clobbering machine is out to attack Little’s comments on NZ becoming a republic.
Audrey Young trashed in her own comments section
Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, March 28th, 2016 - 64 comments
Young’s spin on the flag fiasco was – not well received.
Nat MP runs over TPP protester’s foot
Written By: - Date published: 4:04 pm, March 24th, 2016 - 82 comments
Nat MP Chester Borrows has injured a TPP protester with his car. Not the first time this sort of thing has happened.
Why are we paying Key’s legal expenses for him?
Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, March 23rd, 2016 - 81 comments
Key backed down on using taxpayer money for his payout to Ambrose – but he is still using it to cover his legal expenses in the case. Why?
Key is on top of the dairy crisis
Written By: - Date published: 3:28 pm, March 15th, 2016 - 107 comments
Or not.
Nats think “pretty legal” is good enough…
Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, March 10th, 2016 - 24 comments
… but the courts may beg to differ.
Key on cyberbullying
Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, March 3rd, 2016 - 48 comments
Any campaign against cyberbullying is going to need a more plausible figurehead than Key.
Charter schools paid ideology bonuses
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, February 29th, 2016 - 30 comments
Charter schools showered with even more money for missing their targets. Something to do with forests, apparently.
Going too far
Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, February 23rd, 2016 - 254 comments
Physical attacks on politicians is going too far. So too is faking a hate-speech outbreak.
Another poverty report to ignore
Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, February 20th, 2016 - 72 comments
Another report on child poverty for the Nats to ignore.
Key explains his broken promise
Written By: - Date published: 12:40 pm, February 9th, 2016 - 71 comments
A broken promise is still a broken promise, no matter how often you explain it.
Key booed by rugby crowd
Written By: - Date published: 3:21 pm, February 7th, 2016 - 81 comments
Key went to the rugby on Saturday, but his grandstanding didn’t go as planned.
ECONOMY IN PERIL! DANGER!! WARNING!!!
Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, February 3rd, 2016 - 149 comments
Nats split on rail link?
Written By: - Date published: 3:59 pm, January 28th, 2016 - 30 comments
Key and Joyce at loggerheads on funding the City Rail Link?
Fourth term Key?
Written By: - Date published: 1:47 pm, January 23rd, 2016 - 122 comments
Key confirms that he will be standing at the next election – he wants that fourth term. Not sure why.
Sir Lynton Crosby and Dame Paula Rebstock
Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, December 31st, 2015 - 106 comments
The British Conservative Government and the New Zealand National Government have both rewarded their friends with titles.
Key – too far even for his fans
Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, December 17th, 2015 - 154 comments
While there is a certain amusement value in having a performing monkey for a PM, his participation in the great rape jape yesterday was too far even for his fans.
Xero doesn’t like being on the receiving end
Written By: - Date published: 1:28 pm, December 11th, 2015 - 16 comments
Xero used to fund hate for hire blog Whaleoil via advertising, because “we like to support the sunlight of good challenging discussions”. But when they became the targets of attack they didn’t like being on the receiving end.
Carter’s last fan
Written By: - Date published: 11:26 am, December 7th, 2015 - 15 comments
How fitting that Audrey Young is Speaker David Carter’s very last fan in the world.
Nats campaigning with public money
Written By: - Date published: 12:22 pm, November 26th, 2015 - 45 comments
Campaigning with public money. Politicising the public service. Cabinet club is cash for access. This is a corrupt government.
Tacky
Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, November 24th, 2015 - 38 comments
“Jonah Lomu tribute shows need for a new flag, PM says”.
Well that’s a new low.
You won’t believe this Herald hack’s hilarious homophobia!
Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, November 13th, 2015 - 87 comments
Really Fran?
- The pick of the Matariki picture books
A selection of beautiful books to relax and reflect with this Matariki. Now is the time for snuggling up on the couch and connecting with loved ones through the power of storytelling. If you’re looking to add bookish rituals to your Matariki celebrations, here’s a selection of Matariki-inspired books for ...2 weeks ago - Anne Salmond: In this waka together
Often, this country is described as ‘New Zealand Inc.’ In a recent article, I argued that this image is mistaken. A democracy is not a business. Rather than making a profit for shareholders – or the funders of political parties – a democracy is about delivering good lives for its ...2 weeks ago - Northland Power Outages Could Be Mitigated With Increased Battery Storage. Government Must Prioritis...
Extreme weather events, increased peak demand, and failures of supply are costing New Zealanders millions of dollars in lost revenue. ...2 weeks ago - A ‘generational win’ for NZ’s seabirdsNew rules to protect seabirds from fishing will help Aotearoa’s threatened albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. The 145 seabird species that frequent New Zealand waters will have stronger protection from capture on fishing lines, with new rules announced ...2 weeks ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Some boys’ by Nicola EasthopeA new poem by Raumati poet Nicola Easthope. Some boys Some boys pass you on skateboards fractionally faster than your smoking hot roller skates so that you don’t so much eat their dust as slowly choke on it. Some boys pass you by— their heads in the clouds, just not ...2 weeks ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending June 21The 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. First, a quick PSA: Unity Books has a flash new website that lets you search and purchase ...2 weeks ago
- High Levels Of Trust And Confidence In Firearms Regulation Undermine McKee’s Justification For Cha...New data from Police shows a big shift in trust and confidence in its work from the firearms community. ...2 weeks ago
- When the siren wails: The comforts of dystopian fictionOn the darkest day of the year, Lucy Black considers the dystopian novels she loves, and why. When I was 22 I moved to a seaside village. My house was next to the ocean and very near the volunteer firefighters station. Regularly the peaceful rush of waves would be disturbed ...2 weeks ago
- A dark day: Five big news stories you might have missed (according to RNZ)Friday June 21 will be remembered as the day Prince Philip died, Cardinal Pell was sentenced and Theresa May’s Brexit deal was voted down. There’s an understanding in journalism that bad news tends to drop on a Friday afternoon. This has been proven indisputably true today after RNZ sent out ...2 weeks ago
- The return of Kid Sister’s 30-year-old childThere’s plenty to love about season two of Simone Nathan’s comedy series. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. Lulu Emanuel is pushing like she’s never pushed before. Her hospital bed is surrounded by a midwife, Lulu’s mother and the rest of her ...2 weeks ago
- Watchdog Protests Minister Jones VisitCoromandel Watchdog of Hauraki will be protesting the visit from Minister Shane Jones to Kopu, near Thames on Friday June between 11am and 12 Noon. ...2 weeks ago
- Invercargill Mayor’s Behaviour Demonstrates Need For Recall ElectionsFollowing allegations of inappropriate behaviour from the Invercargill mayor, Nobby Clark, the Taxpayers’ Union is renewing calls for the Government to implement a recall option in local government to allow residents to remove embarrassing, inappropriate ...2 weeks ago
- Local Government Minister Right To Put Wellington Regional Council On The Naughty StepLocal Government Minister Simeon Brown has rebuked Wellington Regional Council after discussions were held around purchasing Wellington Airport shares from the City Council. Commenting in support of the Minister, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs ...2 weeks ago
- How the Canterbury Rams became the hottest – and loudest – ticket in townLast year they won their first NZNBL title since 1992. This season they’re on the road to make it back-to-back. As Joseph Harper finds, the electric atmosphere inside Cowles Stadium is both the product of and secret to the Rams’ success. Aranui has a bad reputation in Ōtautahi. It rears ...2 weeks ago
- PSA Takes Ministry Of Education To Employment Relations Authority TodayThe PSA action against the Ministry of Education in relation to job cuts begins this morning at 9.30am at the Employment Relations Authority. ...2 weeks ago
- Marriage, civil union or de facto: In 2024, which one should you choose?The legal status of each type of relationship is similar, so why opt for one over the others? We spoke to three couples on why they made the choice they did. After my Sunday Essay was published, exploring what a forever relationship looks like when you don’t believe in marriage, ...2 weeks ago
- We’ve reached the shortest day, but winter illnesses haven’t slowed downCovid may have peaked (again), but it’s not the only sickness worrying officials, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. It’s the shortest ...2 weeks ago
- A tribute to the best and weirdest community Facebook groupsFrom Avondale to Rolleston, there’s something for every nosy neighbour. There’s that old saying, “never read the comments” about social media. In 2024, it’s still really bad advice. It’s like telling KFC-eaters to throw out the delicious, crispy skin, or cigarette smokers not to inhale that sweet, sweet nicotine. I ...2 weeks ago
- How to celebrate the darkest day of the yearWe’ve made it to the darkest day of the year, an official turning point sanctioned by the earth’s axis. Don’t let this achievement go by without celebrating. Today, the sun rose at 7:48am and will set at 5pm, giving us a measly nine hours and 12 minutes of daylight. It ...2 weeks ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 21 JuneLoading…(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, Friday 21 June appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 weeks ago
- Inside DoC’s restructure on the Chatham IslandsThere’ll be fewer conservation workers on the Chatham Islands, leading to concerns the department’s work will suffer The post Inside DoC’s restructure on the Chatham Islands appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 weeks ago
- Student Nurses Angered By Recruitment RestrictionsNew Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) have voiced concerns about Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora restricting the employment of graduate nurses into their workforce due to budget constraints. ...2 weeks ago
- NZCTU Slams Govt Cutting Disabled Workers Wages As DisgracefulThe NZCTU is slamming a decision by the Government in Budget 2024 to cut a programme which ensured that disabled workers are paid the minimum wage. ...2 weeks ago
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- Marine Protection Bill Encouraging, But More Work Required“The Green Party campaigned on protecting 30 percent of our oceans. We will continue to fight for our marine environment so it can be enjoyed across future generations,” says Marama Davidson. ...2 weeks ago
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- A brief history of New Zealanders featuring on Below DeckAlex Casey and Tara Ward look back at the best and brightest New Zealanders to appear in the greatest reality franchise of all time. It’s the hugely addictive reality show with a little bit of everything. “It’s got the high octane Hell’s Kitchen action in the chef’s galley, the nouveau ...2 weeks ago
- PSNA Issues Notice To The Government For Complicity In Israel’s Genocidal War In GazaThe Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) has issued the government a "letter of demand" for complicity with Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. ...2 weeks ago
- How not to be an arsehole when you don’t like someone’s parkingYou might say the best way not to be an arsehole is to avoid leaving any notes on cars, but if you must, here’s the etiquette. A fun fact that never fails to make me laugh is that something like 90% of drivers believe they’re in the top 5% of ...2 weeks ago
- Govt Cuts Teams Digitising Public Services & Safeguarding PrivacyCuts come as technology companies call for Govt to provide leadership ...2 weeks ago
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- A complete history of New Zealand’s one-term governmentsThe current coalition not lasting beyond this parliamentary term is an idea that’s been seized on by its opponents. History suggests it’s unlikely – but not impossible. Gabi Lardies explains. ‘We have a very good chance of making this a one-term government,” said Labour leader Chris Hipkins at his party’s ...2 weeks ago
- Ambulance Officers Query NZ First’s Broken Promise Of Better Funding For St JohnFIRST Union members at St John have voted to take further strike action that commences today, with the aim of seeking public support for a fully functioning ambulance service before industrial action intensifies to the point of withdrawing labour. ...2 weeks ago
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- Anapela Polataivao on stepping up to the workThe director and actor shares what it means to commit to the work. Anapela Polataivao ONZM is an award-winning director and actor. She is a recipient of the Arts Foundation New Generation Award (2014), the Contemporary Pacific Art Award (2019), and Best Director at the Auckland Theatre Awards (2016). Her ...2 weeks ago
- Help Me Hera: I need my partner to eat some goddamn vegesI’m a vegan who adores vegetables and he’s a big meat-eater totally suspicious of them. Help me! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Kia ora Hera, I need my partner to eat some vegetables and I don’t know how. I have a lovely partner: he’s caring, supportive and meets me where ...2 weeks ago
- The state of the economy, and the power of the ‘R’ wordData this morning will reveal whether or not the country has pulled out of recession, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Have ...2 weeks ago
- Bishop’s house price comments show the mood is shifting. Will we see actual change?A housing minister willing to publicly discuss house price falls is encouraging, but true affordability is likely to remain a long way off, writes Max Rashbrooke. House prices must always rise. For as long as I can recall, this has been one of the core assumptions of Kiwi politics. It ...2 weeks ago
- Live updates: 16/7/84, one of the wildest days in New Zealand politicsLange and Muldoon clash, two days after the election. Our live updates editor is on the case. In a ranking of the most dramatic, unhinged days in New Zealand politics, July 16, 1984 would be right up there. David Lange would later call the day “perhaps the most extraordinary of ...2 weeks ago
- Chinese Community Disappointed About Timeframe Of Five-year Parent Visitor VisaChinese families are disappointed Immigration New Zealand will only start to work on the five-year parent visitor visa next year. ...2 weeks ago
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- Govt Cuts Will Expose Kiwis To More Extremist Content, Scams And Sexual HarmOne in five frontline workers axed from Digital Safety and Anti-Money Laundering groups ...2 weeks ago
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- Government Policies Failing Our EnvironmentA key theme that emerged from the discourse was that we shouldn’t silo our climate and biodiversity responses: we need to address them together and transition our energy systems without causing environmental harm. ...2 weeks ago
- The Ministry of Education boss sent all staff a Sam Hunt poem – what could it mean?Against the backdrop of looming job cuts, an all-staff email from secretary for education Iona Holsted included Sam Hunt’s ‘Beware the Man’. Claire Mabey unpacks it. “We’re seeing the radical decimation of the Ministry of Education, which has been forced on it by the government and executed in the most ...2 weeks ago
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