Author Archive
Green Party female co-leader announcement: Marama Davidson (updated)
Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, April 8th, 2018 - 208 comments
Marama Davidson is the new female co-leader. Speech and transcript, with a bit of analysis of what this means for the party and NZ politics.
Tax is violence
Written By: - Date published: 1:24 pm, April 5th, 2018 - 56 comments
Can we please now save David Seymour from his violent oppression and relieve him of his tax-funded salary?
Climate 2050
Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, March 30th, 2018 - 11 comments
Highlights from the Climate 2050 event in Wellington last night.
“Fight for your lives before it’s someone else’s job”
Written By: - Date published: 6:15 am, March 26th, 2018 - 32 comments
Two speakers from yesterday’s March for Our Lives.
Marilyn Waring still takes no prisoners
Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, March 25th, 2018 - 59 comments
Unpaid labour “is the single largest sector in any nation’s economy and the whole of the market economy only is able to function on top of that.”
Labour ban letting fees
Written By: - Date published: 6:33 am, March 23rd, 2018 - 134 comments
A good start from Labour on rent reforms, but will their bigger plans be enough?
Activists bring Mataura River poo to the Environment Southland
Written By: - Date published: 6:28 am, March 22nd, 2018 - 26 comments
“Epic #ShowDontTell action”
Talking about sexual assault
Written By: - Date published: 6:49 am, March 13th, 2018 - 236 comments
As news unfolds about the sexual assaults that took place at Labour’s Summer School last month, it’s time for political communities to look at how they talk about sexual assault and rape culture.
Post TPPA signing
Written By: - Date published: 6:14 am, March 12th, 2018 - 34 comments
It’s Our Future spokesperson Oliver Hailes was on RNZ yesterday succinctly pointing out the problem with Labour and NZF’s u-turn on the TPPA. He also recently co-authored an article in the NZ Medical Journal on the TPPA, climate change and health.
March 8 2018: the TPPA and our nuclear free moment
Written By: - Date published: 6:17 am, March 8th, 2018 - 18 comments
As Labour picks up the pen to sign the TPPA, environmental critics argue that the new agreement has done nothing to allay fears of New Zealand being sued by corporations to prevent the government from taking action on climate change.
Good Witches Hunting
Written By: - Date published: 1:16 pm, March 6th, 2018 - 114 comments
With the publishing of another misogynistic cartoon, it’s time to ask who were the witches and why are so many men still afraid of them?
Reports from the TPPA protests this week (and please sign the petition)
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, March 6th, 2018 - 44 comments
The message coming out is hold the line, sign the petition, regroup, and protest on Thurs the 8th, the day Labour puts our name to the agreement.
Why gender equity matters: #metoonz
Written By: - Date published: 12:02 pm, March 5th, 2018 - 51 comments
It’s time for progressive men to support women’s politics, in New Zealand and here on The Standard.
Genter and Davidson
Written By: - Date published: 6:08 am, March 2nd, 2018 - 51 comments
The Green female co-leader candidates did a Q and A last night with Stuff political reporter Henry Cooke. They covered a range of topics, including the Budget Responsibility Rules. The interview gives good insight into how the Green Party works and where they are headed, as well as into the two candidates themselves.
Golriz Ghahraman in the House on the TPPA
Written By: - Date published: 6:04 am, March 1st, 2018 - 177 comments
“As Greens, what’s particularly chilling to us is that we know elsewhere in the world where ISDS clauses have been accessed to sue Governments, corporates have used them to stop environmental protection.” … “The Indonesian environmental Minister had to admit, ‘If we shut them down, they will need compensation and Indonesia can’t afford it.’ That is chilling.”
Arctic monkey wrenching
Written By: - Date published: 6:15 am, February 28th, 2018 - 121 comments
“This is more than just a temperature anomaly. It is an off-the-scale event. Why is the Arctic meltdown not headline news in every paper?” – George Monbiot
If someone said hey, your house is going to burn down, we don’t know if it’s in the next hour or next week, what would you do?
Special laws for rich people
Written By: - Date published: 1:19 pm, February 24th, 2018 - 47 comments
Queenstown Lake District Council wants to protect the uber wealthy from Labour’s new overseas house buying ban.
Climate change is not an accident
Written By: - Date published: 6:23 am, February 22nd, 2018 - 110 comments
Snippets from the first day of the 2nd Pacific Climate Change Conference and Cyclone Gita.
Democratic burn
Written By: - Date published: 12:37 pm, February 21st, 2018 - 21 comments
“I’m joining whatever political party those kids in Florida just started”
Us and them – what will Labour do about WINZ?
Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, February 20th, 2018 - 106 comments
What we need is a government that shares power with beneficiaries.
An in Vogue Prime Minister
Written By: - Date published: 2:32 pm, February 15th, 2018 - 52 comments
Our PM doing girly stuff is quite ok. It’s what else they’re doing that needs looking at.
Beg packing
Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, February 12th, 2018 - 50 comments
Two people playing at being poor as part of a sociopolitical stance on economics has angered many New Zealanders.
NZ Court of Appeal and the Ministry of Health
Written By: - Date published: 6:27 am, February 8th, 2018 - 66 comments
The government has a responsibility to act fairly, centre its services around the needs of people, and treat NZ citizens as human beings.
Zen and the art of greening the government
Written By: - Date published: 6:25 am, February 3rd, 2018 - 65 comments
Democracy, protest, and what makes this the first ever progressive New Zealand MMP government.
Drip, drip, drip…
Written By: - Date published: 9:59 am, January 30th, 2018 - 112 comments
In the middle of the Southland drought, people in Invercargill are no longer allowed to water their gardens.
Greening the government: economics
Written By: - Date published: 7:39 am, January 29th, 2018 - 92 comments
In his State of the Planet speech, James Shaw lays out the Green Party’s bold vision and plan for a truly sustainable economy to replace the crumbling architecture of the last 30 years.
(image from Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics)
There is a hole left in the world
Written By: - Date published: 12:27 pm, January 24th, 2018 - 17 comments
Ursula K Le Guin has died.
“We are never asking for it”
Written By: - Date published: 6:57 am, January 5th, 2018 - 75 comments
Solidarity with Madeline Anello Kitzmiller.
News stories and NZ rape culture
Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, January 3rd, 2018 - 137 comments
“Public nudity isn’t illegal, but offensive behaviour is.” – Thomas Beagle, Chair of the NZ Council for Civil Liberties
Hello 2018
Written By: - Date published: 6:12 am, January 1st, 2018 - 34 comments
Ngā mihi o te tau hou.
Moving on after FJK
Written By: - Date published: 12:53 pm, December 12th, 2017 - 65 comments
One year after resigning as Prime Minister and nine months since leaving parliament, a look at FJK’s fine legacy.
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending November 15
The 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 Zest: Climbing From Depression to Philosophy by Daniel Kalderimis (Ugly Hill Press, $40) Kalderimis ...1 week ago - The rebuilding of Fazerdaze
Following the release of her sophomore album Soft Power, Amelia Murray (Fazerdaze) tells Alex Casey about heading south and rediscovering herself. Fazerdaze is back in Morningside, but everything has changed. “It’s so strange to be back, ” she says softly, gesturing out of The Spinoff’s office window at the drizzly ...1 week ago
- Where does kai come from? Learning in the māra
Lucinda Bennet reflects on appreciating vegetables and learning through doing. This is an excerpt from our food newsletter, The Boil Up. When you pull a carrot from the ground, there’s a certain sound it makes, a kind of “pop” as the tip detaches from the root cap. It’s something you can ...1 week ago
- The cost of being: A lawyer with two kids, a mortgage and a love of good meat
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a 42-year-old lawyer shares how he and his family approach their finances. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here. Gender: Male. Age: 42. Ethnicity: Pākehā. Role: Lawyer with two ...1 week ago
- Watch live: New Zealand vs Australia in the Trans-Tasman Scrabble Challenge
In an Antipodean first, the Bledisloe Cup of Scrabble is streaming live on YouTube all weekend. Here’s how to watch and everything else you need to know. What’s all this then? It’s Scrabble as you’ve never seen it before! Unless you already watch Scrabble online, in which case it’s Scrabble ...1 week ago
- Treaty Principles Bill will greatly damage National’s relationship with Māori – former minister
This article first appeared at rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission.There is no doubt the Treaty Principles Bill will greatly damage National’s relationship with Māori, former Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson says.The legislation passed its first reading on Wednesday afternoon, but not before extraordinary scenes of opposition that led to the Speaker suspending ...1 week ago - How the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill played out
And why one former MP, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund for The Bulletin, says John Key would never have allowed this to happen. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...1 week ago
- Carol Hirschfeld could be in line for top TVNZ role
The big-cost out strategy at TVNZ could see former news presenter Carol Hirschfeld emerge as a front runner to head both the news and programming departments The post Carol Hirschfeld could be in line for top TVNZ role appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- When home is where the work is, city design should fall in line
Opinion: The pandemic-induced WFH shift is altering the fabric of our built environments, offering unique opportunities to change how we work and live The post When home is where the work is, city design should fall in line appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- All 14 malls in Christchurch ranked from worst to best
To celebrate Christchuch Anniversary Day, Joseph Harper ranks every mall in the ‘garden city’. This is the first in the Malls of New Zealand series, where we rank the malls in major centres. Next week: Auckland. When I was growing up in pre-quake Ōtautahi, people used to say that the ...1 week ago
- The climate and human rights crises are indelibly intertwined
At the Cop29 climate conference, the host country’s president called oil a ‘gift of god’. But for many people all over the world, it is in fact a curse. Maria Armoudian, a senior lecturer in politics and international relations, explains. In the first week of the United Nations international climate ...1 week ago
- Peru combats crime as world leaders arrive
While world leaders prepare to talk about lofty trade issues, Peruvians are more concerned about crime The post Peru combats crime as world leaders arrive appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Changes are on the way for NZ Post, and posties aren’t happy
Fewer deliveries every week, a reduced number of postal outlets, and no longer having mail deliveries to letterboxes at front gates are just some of the proposed changes for New Zealand Post.This would mean posties could eventually stop delivering mail to individual letterboxes and instead leave mail in cluster or ...1 week ago
- A House divided, a leader nowhere in sight
Analysis: When David Seymour started talking about the democratisation of Te Tiriti he seemed sure the conversation wouldn’t divide the nation.“I wouldn’t underestimate people’s ability to engage in a high-quality conversation,” Seymour told Newsroom back in August.On Thursday, during the first reading of his Treaty Principles Bill, the division was ...1 week ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 15 November
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- NZ to restart oil and gas exploration one month after COP
While New Zealand diplomats at the COP29 climate summit are pushing for a global phase-out of fossil fuels, legislators at home plan to repeal the 2018 ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling within a month of the conference’s end.A spokesperson for Resources Minister Shane Jones confirmed the legislation, ...1 week ago
- This week’s bestselling books – November 15
FICTION1 The Songbirds of Florence by Olivia Spooner (Hachette, $37.99)A free copy of the author’s latest historical novel – set in 1942, in Egypt, where Kiwi women are sent to provide respite to weary soldiers returning from the front line – was up for grabs in last week’s giveaway contest. Readers were asked to say ...1 week ago
- Havana’s clean sweep in memory of dad
As Havana Hopman walked off the gymnastics floor, her ribbon trailing behind her, she turned her tear-filled eyes to the roof and whispered: ‘Thank you’.It was the final day of the national gymnastics championships in Palmerston North, and for Hopman – New Zealand’s top rhythmic gymnast for the past four ...1 week ago
- Pacific staring down ‘twin storms’ of debt and climate disaster
A ‘vicious cycle’ sees Pacific nations take on debt to recover from disasters, underinvest in resilience and suffer more damage as a result The post Pacific staring down ‘twin storms’ of debt and climate disaster appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Daily crossword, Friday 15 November
The post Daily crossword, Friday 15 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Rocketlab’s Māhia launches linked to Israeli military intelligence
Space Minister Judith Collins is urged to revoke or decline Rocketlab applications with possible links to the war in Gaza The post Rocketlab’s Māhia launches linked to Israeli military intelligence appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Uniformed Defence Force Should Not Be Used As Strike Breakers
“In a modern liberal democracy, any deployment of the armed forces in employment relations is a drastic step, and should be avoided at all costs,” said Wagstaff. ...1 week ago - House suspended as haka interrupts first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill
Speaker Gerry Brownlee has suspended the House of Representatives after a haka, led by Te Paati Māori and performed by members in the public gallery, interrupted the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. As thousands continue to protest and hīkoi around Aotearoa, the first reading of the Treaty Principles ...1 week ago
- Review: Crowded House gets Ōtautahi breaking the rules
Last night at Wolfbrook Arena in Christchurch, Crowded House did the unthinkable – they got a polite New Zealand concert crowd to break the rules. Here’s something I’ve observed about concert attendance in the north vs the south. Where most Aucklanders will bustle in just as the main act takes ...1 week ago
- The case for reading books about animals wearing clothes
In light of Gloriavale’s reluctant acceptance of Winnie-the-Pooh, Claire Mabey argues in favour of the wider canon of anthropomorphic animal literature. There is nothing more bleak than the banning of books and the curtailment of reading. Control what people read and you control what they think, and how they behave. ...1 week ago
- Coldplay and 57,000 babies at Eden Park
Review: Everything happens all at once at Coldplay’s sold-out show. About 15 minutes into Music of the Spheres, I realised that we were all just big babies. When Coldplay emerged for their first song, our compostable plastic wristbands lit up around Eden Park, delighting us all. Minutes later, Chris Martin ...1 week ago
- Dear Donald, here’s why you should cut NZ a break in the tariff torrent
Ten irrefutable reasons for the incoming president to exempt plucky little New Zealand from import tax hikes. The former and future president, Donald J Trump, has been re-elected on a platform pledging new and universal import tariffs of 10%-20%. The challenge for New Zealand politicians and officials is to somehow ...1 week ago
- Help Me Hera: Why do I only befriend people nobody else can stand?
How do I end this cycle of misery, once and for all? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera How do I break a lifelong pattern of forming close friendships with people that nobody else can stand? Ever since I was about 12, I have had a succession of very ...1 week ago
- One NZ learns the hard way, don’t rely on Elon Musk
The Commerce Commission files criminal charges against the telco for over-promising, after SpaceX failed to deliver its much-vaunted direct-to-cell satellite service on schedule The post One NZ learns the hard way, don’t rely on Elon Musk appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- First the Ferraris, then the mansion – tech leader takes record property hit
Multi-million dollar houses in exclusive private estates have been the biggest winners, and the biggest losers, in the three-year property downturn The post First the Ferraris, then the mansion – tech leader takes record property hit appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- On the frontlines of Hīkoi mō te Tiriti
Thousands converged on Auckland, the day before the first reading of the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund for The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...1 week ago
- You’re gonna miss the post office when it’s gone
Despite it dwindling locations and reduced service, NZ Post remains a pillar in every community, writes Hera Lindsay Bird. Every Saturday morning I arrive at 7.30am, and enter the post office box lobby. Behind the narrow corridor of identical red letterboxes, there is a locked room, full of ancient Christmas ...2 weeks ago
- ‘Whaka round, find out’: When the hīkoi came to Auckland
The Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi reached Auckland on Wednesday, seeing thousands cross the Harbour Bridge and walk around the coast to Bastion Point. Lyric Waiwiri-Smith joined them. Atop Bastion Point, a crowd of red, black and white gathered at the end of what we’ve been told is a history-making moment. ...2 weeks ago
- When women hit the grass ceiling of coaching
There’s a subject Alice Soper wants to stop writing about.It’s the sidelining of women when it comes to rugby coaching.But she can’t, as long as the problem still exists.“So often we get caught up in the good news,” she says.“There’s like a toxic positivity that’s attached to a lot of ...2 weeks ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 14 November
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- Labour needs to learn the art of the deal
Opinion: Unless the Democrats and Labour trim their policy sails accordingly, they will lose elections that matter The post Labour needs to learn the art of the deal appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 weeks ago
- Trump II and the coming ‘golden age’ of tyranny in the Middle East
In his rambling victory speech on November 5, Donald Trump, having stoked the fears of Americans throughout his campaign, and sporting extra fake tan for the occasion, spoke of a new ‘golden age’.In terms of Middle East foreign policy, with whom will Trump look to build this ‘golden age’?In May ...2 weeks ago
- Book of the Week: Day of the lizard
When I first spotted the new illustrated book Geckos & Skinks: The remarkable lizards of Aotearoa in the window of a Wellington bookstore in October (I was visiting with my wife Fi who was going to WOW with her cousins and niece. I wasn’t. I went once in 2002 and ...2 weeks ago
- Government Will Not Say If Gang Members To Be Excluded From Abuse In Care Compensation
The government is refusing to say whether gang members could be excluded from compensation for abuse they suffered while in state care. ...2 weeks ago
- Fair News Bargaining Bill In Limbo As Minister Says It Is Not Ready
It was supposed to have its second reading on Wednesday, but on the final order paper appeared at 13th, meaning it was effectively postponed for the week. ...2 weeks ago
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