Author Archive
“Extinction Rebellion blanket ban chilling and unlawful”
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, October 16th, 2019 - 74 comments
Amnesty International condemn police blanket ban on Extinction Rebellion protests in London.
Newshub: poll shows Labour/Green could govern alone
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, October 14th, 2019 - 73 comments
Is less spin and more analysis too much to ask?
Extinction Rebellion on Lambton Quay
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, October 7th, 2019 - 76 comments
Extinction Rebellion NZ starts off an international week of Climate Rebellion designed to encourage governments to act in meaningful terms on the climate crisis.
Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick on fire
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, October 2nd, 2019 - 100 comments
“The political status quo is unfit to confront the climate crisis”
Another world is possible
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, September 28th, 2019 - 55 comments
Yesterday’s New Zealand Climate Strike numbers reached a tipping point of climate action going mainstream.
Still not sure what anything National says means?
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, September 28th, 2019 - 13 comments
Gerry Brownlee clarifies.
Local government: who to vote for?
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, September 27th, 2019 - 1 comment
Resources for progressive voters, on candidates in the 2019 local body elections.
Robot creep
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, September 26th, 2019 - 23 comments
Tech is cute, right?
Climate choices
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, September 24th, 2019 - 16 comments
There’s good news and there’s bad news in the landmark United in Science report.
The climate action momentum
Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, September 21st, 2019 - 33 comments
The global School Strikes this week and the upcoming International Rebellions are part of a large wave of change that gives us a chance at preventing the worst of climate disaster.
National gather fuel for their political dumpster fires
Written By: - Date published: 10:17 am, September 2nd, 2019 - 21 comments
Not so much Zero Carbon as Zero Shits. While National look set to monkey-wrench our climate legislation, we can remember that the real power in addressing the climate crisis lies outside of parliament.
We are sailing
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, August 30th, 2019 - 209 comments
Greta Thunberg’s journey was an invitation into a conversation not about deprivation, but how to live well as we change.
Funding radical climate action
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, August 30th, 2019 - 36 comments
The Climate Emergency Fund (CEF) has pledged $350k to Extinction Rebellion, if others will match it.
Why we save rivers
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, August 29th, 2019 - 47 comments
An application to dam the Waitaha River on the West Coast has been declined. When looking at how to meet human needs, we need to do better than ‘how much can we get away with taking from nature?’
photo – Zak Shaw
Why is Jacinda Ardern so popular?
Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, August 28th, 2019 - 239 comments
Boosting the signal to noise ratio.
National are lighting political dumpster fires while the Amazon burns
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, August 27th, 2019 - 47 comments
New Zealand’s poster boys for late stage capitalism’s dying throes are fools of the highest order.
100 Days of climate vigil
Written By: - Date published: 11:54 am, August 23rd, 2019 - 4 comments
Ollie Langridge doing the climate action mahi at parliament.
Kill us now, or choose life.
Written By: - Date published: 7:13 am, August 23rd, 2019 - 27 comments
The Amazon burns. The Arctic is on fire. We won’t be able to eat or breath our electric cars, but we still have time to choose a different path.
Protect Ihumātao hīkoi to Jacinda Ardern today
Written By: - Date published: 11:09 am, August 22nd, 2019 - 55 comments
Protect Ihumātao are taking the invitation to meet to the Prime Minister. The petition is live and can be signed during the hīkoi today.
Labour and welfare
Written By: - Date published: 7:34 am, August 22nd, 2019 - 93 comments
Many of us wanted to believe that the Ardern-led compassion would apply to all New Zealanders, but Labour’s defence of highly punitive benefit sanctions tell us it doesn’t.
What if there were only 34 31 more whitebait harvests left?
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, August 20th, 2019 - 66 comments
If we want to prevent the extinction of whitebait it’s time to stop buying and selling it.
Labour reduces the number of cats getting stuck in trees every month
Written By: - Date published: 4:04 pm, August 17th, 2019 - 14 comments
Meanwhile, National signalled they need a hand with statistics, and the public gladly stepped up.
Fertile land is priceless
Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, August 15th, 2019 - 220 comments
As Labour moves to protect prime food growing land around our cities, we should be having a wider discussion about food security in New Zealand.
Totally shit farming
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, August 12th, 2019 - 47 comments
Farmers blockading environmentalists to stop them taking photos of their degraded farms. Is this really what we’ve come to?
Don’t mention the fascism
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, August 10th, 2019 - 103 comments
We are frogs in the pot.
Maybe we shouldn’t take the plane
Written By: - Date published: 6:21 am, August 8th, 2019 - 84 comments
The case for reducing mass air travel rests in looking at whole systems rather than counting the carbon emissions of each flight.
What if we let the wilding pines grow?
Written By: - Date published: 1:03 pm, August 7th, 2019 - 129 comments
Take a breath, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. In an age of climate breakdown, where reforesting is a critical component of climate mitigation and adaptation, we need to stop cutting down so many trees, and move to forest-based thinking.
Ihumātao: Today’s Nationwide Day of Action
Written By: - Date published: 12:59 am, August 6th, 2019 - 188 comments
After increased police presence and action at Ihumātao on Monday night, the call went out again for people to come to support the Protectors, and they did. More support can be offered at solidarity events being held across the country today.
Truth-telling and The New Climate Denial
Written By: - Date published: 2:03 am, August 4th, 2019 - 170 comments
James Shaw lays it out in his AGM speech: the new climate denial sounds reasonable and is the gravest danger we currently face.
Institutional poverty
Written By: - Date published: 12:34 pm, August 3rd, 2019 - 32 comments
Christchurch City Council have provided hundreds of social housing tenants with bubble wrap and a mop instead of insulating their houses.
Protect Ihumātao
Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, July 24th, 2019 - 235 comments
“STAND WITH IHUMATAO! This is a call out to all our supporters. Come stand with us as we take back the whenua! Oruarangi Rd, Mangere.”
(Image via Noted).
- Luxon faced with superpower struggle
Comment: The PM has left Lima with headaches waiting for him at home – and diplomatic challenges with China and the US to be navigated The post Luxon faced with superpower struggle appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago - Is Fonterra selling up or selling out?
Business & investing: Fonterra ramps up case to farmers to divest its consumer brands The post Is Fonterra selling up or selling out? appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- No special treatment for NZ casinos in online gambling rules
‘Faceless’ offshore firms may outbid local casinos for online licences but minister says there’s nothing to be done The post No special treatment for NZ casinos in online gambling rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Damning report on residential specialist schools as minister seeks advice
Study on NZ’s three residential specialist schools finally sees light of day The post Damning report on residential specialist schools as minister seeks advice appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 18 November
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('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 18 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Funding is not the central part of our infrastructure crises
Opinion: Govt does not develop trust by just stopping things to save short-term costs The post Funding is not the central part of our infrastructure crises appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Nerves and uncertainty over Trump’s tariff plans
Donald Trump claimed victory in a fair election, voted in by Americans worried about the cost of living and lifted up by his promises to punish countries that are punishing America – by slapping tariffs on the world.“I guess it’s called democracy,” says trade specialist John Ballingall from Sense Partners, ...6 days ago
- The march on Wellington
A redoubt was built on Mr Clifford’s property on Thorndon Flat in anticipation of war in 1846. It was simply a square earthwork with a surrounding trench. All round the parapet were wood-framed loopholes for musket-fire. A more extensive work was constructed at the Te Aro end of the town as a ...6 days ago
- Daily crossword, Monday 18 November
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- Businesses will have to accept cash for essentials under government plan
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government, anxious to prevent a dash from cash by businesses, says it will mandate that they must accept it for essential items. Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones outlined the ...7 days ago - NFP president slams Labour leader for ‘hallucinating’ about Fiji governance
By Anish Chand in Nadi, Fiji National Federation Party president Parmod Chand has described Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry as a “self-professed champion of the poor” and criticised him over “hallucinating” about the country. Chand made the comment when responding to remarks made by Chaudhry during FLP’s Annual Delegates ...7 days ago
- Hīkoi day 8: Significant disruption expected when thousands converge on capital
RNZ News New Zealand’s hīkoi against the Treaty Principles Bill could be one of the largest rallies that the capital has seen for years, Wellington City Council says. The Hīkoi mō te Tiriti will arrive in Wellington tomorrow, and locals are being warned to expect disruption and plan ahead. Yesterday, ...7 days ago
- South Australian Labor gains Black at byelection with big swing
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Twitter A byelection occurred on Saturday in the South Australian Liberal-held state seat of Black. With all election day votes counted, ...7 days ago
- Luxon to ‘push on’ with Trump amid tariff concerns
New Zealand must work with politicians like Donald Trump regardless of any polarising policies, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said at the conclusion of an international summit where the incoming ruler’s plans loomed large.Luxon took part in the annual leaders’ retreat at the Apec summit, held this year in Peru’s ...1 week ago
- Trump win, 1.5C warming breach weigh on UN climate ‘finance COP’
By Sera Sefeti of BenarNews Pacific delegates fear the implications of a Trump presidency and breach of the 1.5 degree Celsius warming target will overshadow negotiations on climate finance at the UN’s annual COP talks that have started in Azerbaijan this week. At the COP29 summit — dubbed the “finance ...1 week ago
- Survey warning on Papua ‘box ticking’ mega estates project goes unheeded
By Stephen Wright for Radio Free Asia Indonesia’s plan to convert over 2 million ha of conservation and indigenous lands into agriculture will cause long-term damage to the environment, create conflict and add to greenhouse gas emissions, according to a feasibility study document for the Papua region mega-project. The 96-page ...1 week ago
- Countries clash over emissions cuts at COP29
A week of late nights, tense exchanges and dozens of pages of draft negotiating texts have failed to make significant progress on the big issues up for discussion at COP29.On key agenda items – finance, carbon trading and how to implement last year’s commitment to transition away from fossil fuels, ...1 week ago
- An Ode to .. Hana
Home alone“OK,” says Chris Luxon, CEO of Bottom Feed Enterprises.“I’m going out now to an important work event.Can I trust you to behave?”“Sure, Dad,” says Seymour. “I’m thirteen now.”“All right,” says Dad.“Call me if you need to – and remember,Whatever you do, don’t hit the Box with the Stick.”“Sure, Dad,” ...1 week ago
- Western media ‘parrots Israeli propaganda’ over Gaza, says analyst
Pacific Media Watch A media studies professor at Qatar’s Doha Institute for Graduate Studies has completed empirical studies examining Western media coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza — and his findings have been highly critical. Professor Mohamad Elmasry found that Western media have failed to do much more than “parrot ...1 week ago
- China plays for power as Luxon manages differences
China is not generally known for its understated approach to diplomacy, but even by its usual standards, the country’s presence at this year’s Apec summit has been unavoidable.Large groups of supporters bearing miniature flags and banners of support have taken up residence outside the hotel accommodating Chinese president Xi Jinping ...1 week ago
- Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi fits: Savage style for seasoned steezers
Māori don’t just hīkoi for change – we dress for it, too. One thing we don’t get enough credit for as Māori (aside a very long list of many other things) is our ability to dress for an occasion, be it a reunion, hui, tangi or hīkoi. You can trust ...1 week ago - Dog of the month: Georgie, who would like The Spinoff to rank peanut butters
Get to know Georgie, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Georgie’s human, Peter, for his support. Dog name: Georgie Age: 2 years, 10 months Breed: An absolute mutt. We think some Staffy, some ...1 week ago
- Crown apology: Three voices from NZ’s shameful recent past
Abuse survivor: It is time to deliver, Prime MinisterKeith Wiffin says the Government needs to commit to concrete timelines for redressWe’ve heard those words from the state before, and they are meaningless because they have not resulted in change or progress.We are called survivors, but firstly I would like to ...1 week ago
- Of Treaties, Cabbages and Kings
During his speech to introduce the Treaty Principles Bill, David Seymour made a number of statements that are either disingenuous or ignorant. Early in his speech, he asked: ‘Where in the world is it a good idea to give different rights based on ancestry? Where in the world has that approach ...1 week ago
- The great lunch debate
Would you call fried chicken and chips at 10am ‘lunch’?“I try and keep as regular a schedule as I can, but that will translate a bit weirdly when I’m on shift work,” says reporter Finn Blackwell, who’s often found in RNZ’s breakroom well before noon, feasting on anything from a ...1 week ago
- The Secret Diary of .. Sheriff Seymour
Monday Sheriff Seymour rode his white horse through the beautiful tree-lined streets of the wealthiest suburb in Dodge, and arrived at the mansion of one of the richest men in the whole state.He rang the doorbell. A servant led him to an oak-panelled room, and gestured for him to sit.He ...1 week ago
- The case for COPs (even this one)
Every day this week, COP29 has managed to spark international headlines for all the wrong reasons.First, the eight hour agenda fight over what, actually, diplomats will spend time negotiating this year.Then on Tuesday the President of Azerbaijan, which is hosting COP29 in the capital Baku, called oil and gas a ...1 week ago
- The Weekend: In defence of Auckland’s ‘incredibly’ expensive Christmas tree
Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on the week that was. This week I hosted The Spinoff’s Year In Review live event In Wellington. Everything went remarkably well, and you can attend the same (but maybe more refined) event in Auckland on December 11. The welcoming crowd in Wellington even wanted more of ...1 week ago
- ‘Really worried’: What Now’s Chris Kirk on smuggling gunge out of New Zealand
The What Now and Brain Busters presenter takes us on a trip down TV memory lane. Growing up, Chris Kirk was a huge fan of What Now. Every Sunday morning, he would wake up early to watch Carolyn Taylor and Jason Fa’afoi entertain the nation, delighting in every chaotic, gunge-filled ...1 week ago
- The case of the cursed bread: An excerpt from Una Cruickshank’s The Chthonic Cycle
The Chthonic Cycle by Una Cruickshank is a compelling series of essays that explore a wide range of fascinating and unexpected subjects. This excerpt, from an essay called ‘Les Tigres’, tells the story of a massed hallucination event in 1951, France. On a hot August day in 1951, 280 people ...1 week ago
- The slowest city in the world is on the brink of change
New Zealander Tasha Black relays what it’s like in post-revolution Bangladesh from an eight-hour traffic jam in Dhaka. It’s Friday night on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the traffic is stuck. Trucks, auto-rickshaws, private cars, buses, all stuck. A stationary ambulance futilely spins its red and blue lights. It’s ...1 week ago
- The Nobel Prize in Not Beating Up Your Kids
On the most extraordinary human achievements you’ll never, ever notice, and possibly shouldn’t celebrate. The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous support of our members. We’re all in therapy these days, everyone in the Veja-heeled milieu I find myself ...1 week ago
- ‘Theatrical, chaotic and romantic’: Heidi Simpson’s perfect weekend playlist
Indie-pop darling Heidi Simpson shares her perfect weekend playlist. Heidi Simpson is a singer, tune maker, pop music believer and certified cool girl. The Tāmaki Makaurau native typically muses on Saturday nights and the emptiness between waiting for something to happen, but her recently released single ‘Best Kept Secret’ is ...1 week ago
- The Kiwi world champions you’ve heard too little about
The Paddle Ferns are back on top of the world after winning the Canoe Polo World Championships for the second time in eight years.It’s a growing sport that combines kayaking and ball-handling skills in a contact team game, played either indoors or out, with five players a sideSeventeen countries competed ...1 week ago
- Short story: I’ll ask my sister, by Marilyn Duckworth
A chatter of small brown birds rose up from the crippled tree at the street’s end. Muttering. She was reminded of the local Council who were still grumpily debating problems, including those of street verges. Some home owners had been taking it upon themselves to make cheeky personal use of ...1 week ago
- Apec’s ‘elephant in the room’
As business leaders and politicians discussed the major economic issues facing the world at Apec’s annual CEO Summit, there was an unignorable “elephant in the room”, as one moderator put it.Donald Trump’s name was rarely mentioned by the speakers, yet the potential impact of his second term in power was ...1 week ago
- Censorship Is Alive And Well In New Zealand
“What this looks like to us is censorship of anyone who tries to disagree with this Government, which causes a chilling effect” says Cooper Legal Senior Associate, Lydia Oosterhoff. ...1 week ago - Raw Politics: MPs face-off over the Great Divide
Parliament saw two historic days this week, one of great solemnity and unity, the other a raucous and high-stakes stand-off between political foes over the Treaty of Waitangi.Raw Politics looks first at the volatile reception for Act’s Treaty Principles Bill at its first reading, how parties performed to their voting ...1 week ago
- In Cold Water is a must-see for true crime fans
A new documentary series tells the story of a former Napier councillor accused of murder in Canada. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In 2010, New Zealander Peter Beckett was on holiday in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, enjoying a relaxing afternoon fishing on ...1 week ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘FREE TRAMPOLINE’ by Sophie van Waardenberg
A new poem by by Sophie van Waardenberg. FREE TRAMPOLINE If I could, I’d praise the world— how this, how that, how the darling other— but all I do is sit down, hang on, come home. It has to be enough. On the walk from the station all the sidewalk ...1 week ago
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