Stewart Sowman-Lund 
Last year a swathe of new rental reforms were passed into law. This week, a number of those finally come into effect. So what can you expect? What’s all this? The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2020 delivered one of the most significant updates to our rental regulations in years. While some of those changes are … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for January 29, keeping you up to date with the latest local and international news. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz Our members make The Spinoff happen! Every dollar contributed directly funds our editorial team – click here to learn more about how you can support us from as little as … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for January 28, keeping you up to date with the latest local and international news. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz Our members make The Spinoff happen! Every dollar contributed directly funds our editorial team – click here to learn more about how you can support us from as little as … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for January 27, keeping you up to date with the latest local and international news. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz Our members make The Spinoff happen! Every dollar contributed directly funds our editorial team – click here to learn more about how you can support us from as little as … Read more
He has the perfect moustache, an exceptional mullet, and he uses terms like ‘face hole’ on national TV. Who or what is Dr Joel Rindelaub? I was drawn in by the moustache, but it was the mullet that really kept me there. Watching TVNZ’s Breakfast yesterday morning I was fixated. Often, if I’m honest, the … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for January 26, keeping you up to date with the latest local and international news. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz Our Members make The Spinoff happen! Every dollar contributed directly funds our editorial team – click here to learn more about how you can support us from as little as … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for January 25, keeping you up to date with the latest local and international news. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz Our Members make The Spinoff happen! Every dollar contributed directly funds our editorial team – click here to learn more about how you can support us from as little as … Read more
Pinged $65 for overstaying 10 minutes in a parking block? Put away your hard-earned cash and read this first. Hopefully, by now, I’ve already established myself at The Spinoff as the resident tightarse, determined to avoid all unfair and unnecessary punishments (see: oversize baggage charges). Today, I’m focusing my attention on a similarly evil institution … Read more
It’s a seemingly age old question: why do Auckland’s beaches become unswimmable after every single downpour? Stewart Sowman-Lund investigates. Ah, the beach. A staple of the New Zealand summer. Unless, of course, you’re based in Auckland and it’s raining. The start of 2021 has been a lot like every other New Year: headlines flooding in … Read more
The latest Covid-19 data in New Zealand, and how it compares with the world. If you’re like me, you’ll be back in the office today slowly recovering from three weeks of sun, sea, sand and a distinct lack of thinking about Covid-19. But as the pandemic continues to rage around the world (and with our … Read more
Summer reissue: After a hard fought debate last night, Judith Collins returned to Auckland for a Ponsonby walkabout with local candidate Emma Mellow. Things didn’t quite go to plan, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund. First published on October 07 2020. Since her performance in the first leaders debate of election 2020, Judith Collins has been an energised … Read more
Anecdotally, it’s difficult to access MDMA in New Zealand at the moment. Statistically, that’s probably because a lot of you are buying it. It’s almost New Year’s, which means it’s almost festival season. Despite Covid-19 creating the absolute year from hell, thousands of holidaymakers will soon be converging on muddy fields from the far north … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s final live updates for 2020. It’s December 18. You can reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 3.25pm: Grace Millane’s killer keeps name suppression, for now The identity of the man convicted for the murder of British backpacker Grace Millane will continue to remain a secret, after a last minute appeal request to the … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for December 16. Reach me at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 7.00pm: The day in sum An interim report by the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care was released, detailing systemic failures in the state’s handling of abuse claims. The Treasury’s half year economic and fiscal update (HYEFU) said economic recovery will be … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for December 15. Reach me at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 8.00pm: The day in sum The government unveiled its Covid-19 summer resurgence plan, including an instruction for New Zealanders to isolate in their holiday bubble and not return home, should Covid suddenly return. A Covid-19 vaccine would be ‘unlikely to replace all … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for December 14. Reach me at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 7pm: The day in sum Quarantine-free travel with Australia is expected to be permitted in the first quarter of 2021. A commencement date for the travel bubble will be announced in the new year. Jacinda Ardern refused to confirm if a deal … Read more
Upper Hutt’s library recently became the fifth in New Zealand to abolish late fees. Should others follow suit? In February 2018, American librarian Dawn Wacek delivered a Ted Talk arguing that library late fees should be done away with completely. Her contention: overdue fees do nothing to incentivise people to return their books, but instead … Read more
Move over Simone Anderson, Clarke Gayford has put away his fishing rod and replaced it with his phone… and a sheep? Stewart Sowman-Lund explains. The world of sponsored content is murky at the best of times and downright insane at the worst, with smiling influencers selling everything from teeth whitening kits to Covid-19 conspiracies. Thankfully, … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for December 11. Reach me at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 2.35pm: Disney announces possibly too many new films, TV series Culture editor Sam Brooks breaks down the literal shit tonne of upcoming releases: Today, Disney announced in their classic fashion – a massive Twitter thread – what they’ll be working on for … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for December 10. Get me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 7.15pm: The day in sum For the first time in nine months, no Covid-19 update was released by the Ministry of Health. Going forward, updates are to be released on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. An investigation is underway after two UK … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for December 9. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 7.00pm: The day in sum A ceremony was held in Whakatāne to mark one year since the Whakaari eruption that claimed 22 lives. Parliament adjourned for the year. There were three new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation facilities. A police … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for December 8. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 8.00pm: The day in sum The Royal Commission report into the Christchurch terrorist attacks was released, including recommendations to bolster support for ethnic minorities and expand the security state. Jacinda Ardern apologised on behalf of the government for failings prior to … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for December 7. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 7.00pm: The day in sum The Human Rights Commission is investigating the pay gap and lack of equal employment opportunities experienced by Pacific communities in New Zealand. The Whakaari alert level for the volcanic island has been lowered to 1 (Green) … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for December 4. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 3.10pm: Pakistan cricket team’s MIQ training hopes dashed Ashley Bloomfield has chosen not to grant an exemption to the Pakistan cricket team that would allow them to leave their hotel to train in groups, while in managed isolation. “I have very … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for December 3. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 7.00pm: The day in sum There were nine new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation, four active and five historical. The UK became the first Western nation to authorise a Covid-19 vaccine, with the rollout set to begin next week. The … Read more
In today’s edition: The government’s followed through on a major election promise, charges have been laid over the 2019 Whakaari eruption, and a Covid-19 vaccine could be ready by March. There has been a lot of major politics news over the past 24 hours, so bear with me as I run through some of the biggest developments. … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin for Monday November 30. In today’s edition: An admin failure is to blame for the Christchurch gunman getting a firearms licence, Santa parade organisers say sorry over an anti-abortion float, and a news organisation has been forced to remove a documentary about child uplifts. An exclusive report from Newshub’s Patrick Gower … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 27. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 1.35pm: Seven new cases of Covid-19; six from Pakistan cricket team Updated There are seven cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation today, the Ministry of Health has announced. There are no new cases in the community. Six of the cases are members … Read more
After hearing how much Jetstar charges if you try to travel with a heavy carry-on bag, Stewart Sowman-Lund gets good and mad on behalf of those who have been forced to fork out. There’s nothing more satisfying than beating the system at its own game. Not paying for parking and not getting a ticket, not … Read more