Ukraine has elected as its president a comedian with no political experience and not many policies. So what would our comedians do if elected to be the President of New Zealand? Here are their manifestos. Guy Williams Two words: Flag referendum. The last one was a shambles and we need another one! I genuinely think New … Read more
Buying your first home is confusing, stressful, and a huge financial decision – and nobody knows that better than those who have actually done it. Here’s The Spinoff’s advice, gleaned from sometimes brutal first-hand experience. Buying a home is intimidating. Buying your first home can be terrifying. Once the adrenaline rush from bidding at the … Read more
New environmental taxes get the thumbs up, but commentators are as divided as ever on the thorny issue of a capital gains tax. The report is out, and as expected the government’s Tax Working Group (TWG) has recommended introducing a broad-based capital gains tax (CGT). While the social justice community applauds the move, business groups … Read more
To celebrate Valentine’s Day and the launch of DB Export’s new campaign, The Spinoff pays tribute to New Zealand’s most famous love stories. Love isn’t something that’s always come easily to New Zealanders. Our “man alone” colonial history has often demanded feelings be suppressed, and emotions were traditionally something to be bottled rather than expressed, … Read more
Last night The Spinoff deployed a specialist squad of millennials to the 90s nostalgia fest So Pop. This is their story. It was late last year that several copies of a magazine called So Pop arrived at The Spinoff office, complete with splashy 90s fonts, band profiles from B*Witched to Blue, and even a pull … Read more
Our experts think outside the proverbial box and serve up one leftfield prediction for the year to come in politics Alex Braae None of Phil Goff, Lianne Dalziel, or Justin Lester will face a challenger who gets within 20% of them in the mayoral elections. Madeleine Chapman Nikki Kaye will become leader of the National … Read more
Our experts cast their minds ahead to the sweeping politiscapes of 2019. What, we asked, are the three issues on which 2019 could hinge? Alex Braae Climate change politics, specifically how they relate to farming. So, uh, where exactly do we stand when it comes to China and the USA? We haven’t seen the last … Read more
We asked a bunch of smart people in NZ science and technology to tell us their revelation of 2018. Whether in the field of science or something else altogether, what blew them away? See also, Nicola Gaston on science, optimism and cynicism Richard Easther: The climate change brain-trap The biggest revelation to me this year? … Read more
Continuing our review of the year in politics, our firmament of experts offer the definitive summary of 2018 in just one sentence. For more of the political year in review –and 2019 in preview – go here Huh, turns out it can get worse from here. – Alex Braae Too many people, too many opinions … Read more
To kick off our review of the year in politics, we asked our experts to pick the best and worst performing individuals (or parties or institutions or whatever). To come in the next few days: 2018 in a sentence and predictions for 2019. Alex Braae Champs Paul Goldsmith. Constant hits put on the obvious weirdness … Read more
Ahead of Wednesday’s March for Reproductive Rights in Wellington, four people weigh in on why they’ll be supporting the march and what they hope to see from the national discussion around abortion rights. ALRANZ supports Model A by Terry Bellamak, national president of ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa By now, most New Zealanders are familiar with … Read more
Some time in the next two years the public will be asked to vote on whether or not New Zealand should legalise the personal use of cannabis. But how exactly should that question be phrased? We went to the experts to find out. Manu Caddie, Hikurangi Cannabis My suggested referendum questions are: Should adults be … Read more
Bronwyn Hayward, Jim Salinger, James Renwick and other experts respond to a critical report from the International Panel on Climate Change The IPCC’s latest special report, Global Warming of 1.5C, has been released at a press conference in Incheon, South Korea. Its publication follows a week-long session in Incheon. It highlights a number of climate change … Read more
The former National leader and Hobson’s Pledge advocate has become a fresh lightning rod in the debate around free speech and ‘deplatforming’. We asked a range of people to give us their view on the decision. Massey University announced this morning that a planned address by Don Brash this week would not go ahead. In … Read more
To celebrate Wellington on a Plate’s 10th birthday the capital’s party experts have shared their tips on how to nail your next blowout. Throwing a party, whether for four people around the dinner table at home or for 40,000 people at a festival, is a complicated chess game. All the different pieces have to move … Read more
Online shopping is great, but sometimes you just can’t beat a good old trip to your favourite local. Why Knot Outlet Shop, Auckland – Duncan Greive There’s an unbelievable amount to love about Why Knot Outlet Shop, an East Tāmaki institution buried near the end of a long string of light industrial buildings alongside Springs … Read more
The S***off panel of experts present their learned assessments of what was said on the nation’s favourite soap. The Broadcasting Standards Authority has ruled on a complaint about the perceived use of a very naughty word on the beloved TVNZ soap opera Shortland Street. The complainant reckoned that “despite the subtitles provided by TVNZ, the actor’s … Read more
We’ve assembled a list of the most exciting startups and tech companies in New Zealand right now, chosen by some of the tech leaders gathered for Techweek’18. It’s Techweek, and there are hundreds of events sprinkled around the country all highlighting New Zealand’s growing tech industry. With so many inspirational technology, and business leaders, keen … Read more
Grant Robertson has completed his first big test as finance minister in publishing the 2018 budget. How did he fare? We asked experts from across a range of sectors to give us their verdict. Read analysis from our business editor, Rebecca Stevenson, here, and from Grant Thornton director Greg Thompson here. Healthcare back on track, … Read more
At Techweek‘18 the people leading New Zealand’s innovation and technological revolution share their secrets. We asked the experts for their festival recommendations. The description of Techweek‘18 as a festival of the future is perfect. The pace that science and technology is reshaping our society and economy is often alarming and overwhelming. Techweek’18 is a diverse … Read more
It’s week two on Dancing with the Stars and one star must combust. Sam Brooks and Alex Casey power rank the contestants with varying levels of expertise and insight. ELIMINATED: Gilda Kirkpatrick (and Shay) – Samba Look, if Gilda’s insta story from last Sunday night is anything to go by, her elimination is a tremendous loss to … Read more
Inspired by the controversy over Facebook’s exploitation of users’ personal information, four Spinoff staffers downloaded their data. Here’s what they found. After revelations that 50 million Facebook users had their personal information improperly obtained by data mining company Cambridge Analytica, Wellington software developer Dylan McKay downloaded his Facebook data, and found some personal information he believes … Read more
Yesterday, Kane Williamson became the first New Zealand batsman to score 18 test centuries. But is he New Zealand’s greatest ever batsman? Cricket is built on statistics. It’s the backbone by which one era can be compared to another. It’s Bradman’s average, Stephen Fleming’s conversion rate, and for a very long time Martin Crowe’s 17 … Read more
Alex Casey and Duncan Greive share ten observations from the premiere episode of an all-new Seven Sharp. 1) Is Jeremy Wells… okay? “It’s lovely to be with you tonight,” said Hilary. I believed her. I believed her all the way to the back of her craft beer fridge, and all the way to the bottom … Read more
In the final part of our series exploring adventures around Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, our writers take a trip through Auckland’s backyard, and further beyond. Scroll to the end of the story for a chance to win a weekend exploring in the new Hyundai Kona. I once fake proposed to my then girlfriend. It was … Read more
Finding a rental in Wellington isn’t only a battle for students and young professionals. Here, single mothers tell their accommodation search stories, and public policy researcher Dr Jess Berentson-Shaw explains why housing insecurity is so damaging for families. Jane It is tough when you are a sole parent. I didn’t renew the lease on my small … Read more
Now that you’ve settled back into work and failed to keep up any of your resolutions, it’s time to turn back to trusty old television. Alex Casey and Sam Brooks introduce some new shows on Lightbox that might take your fancy. Available now: Brooklyn Nine-Nine S4 There’s a conversation to be had about whether a … Read more
Last night marked the return of several key shows to the coveted 7 pm time slot, so we deployed our television moles to watch and report back. Toby Manhire watched Extreme Cake Makers on TVNZ1 With Seven Sharp on an epic, host-switching hiatus, filling the 7pm slot on TVNZ1 is the similarly hard-hitting Extreme Cake … Read more
At least one of these 15 soothsayers is bound to be right … We asked them to name their winners and losers in politics 2017, and so they did. We asked them to describe the year in sentence. They did that, too. We asked what might be the issues 2018 hinges on, and again they … Read more