Toby Manhire 
Jacinda Ardern has not yet had her baby – though check here for the very latest – but deputy prime minister Winston Peters has nevertheless assumed her set-piece duties. And how Winstonianly has he assumed them? Here are some examples from the almost-prime-minister’s answers to questions across the last 24 hours, drawn from the post-cabinet … Read more
Winston Peters has assumed prime ministerial duties from Jacinda Ardern – well, some of them – as she prepares to go on maternity leave. Toby Manhire watches (thanks Newshub) the weekly set-piece post-Cabinet press conference. In late September 2017, Winston Peters stood before the parliamentary press gallery in the Beehive Theatrette and evacuated a bellyful of … Read more
Cheat sheet: According to numerous reports, close to half of the Auckland Council have signed a letter expressing ‘no confidence’ in Phil Goff. But have they really? So nine councillors have signed a letter expressing ‘no confidence’ in Phil Goff? No they haven’t. Less than nine? No. Nine signed the letter. And wasn’t that a … Read more
Seven weeks into Dancing with the Stars, The leader of the ACT Party has collected more votes to keep him on the show than he did in Epsom last September, The Spinoff has learned. The hard-twerking member of parliament for Epsom, David Seymour, has comfortably now received more votes for his efforts on Three’s Dancing with the … Read more
With Jacinda Ardern’s due date just days away, Winston Peters is preparing for the most powerful period of his long, long political life. Toby Manhire surveys an extraordinary, enigmatic career This story originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine. For someone who styles himself as a straight-shooter, Winston Peters is one hell of a puzzle. To mangle the words of … Read more
A rush to assign blame for deaths in police chases can only distort the important discussion around a pursuit policy that should put human life first, writes Toby Manhire. The debate around police pursuits is one of those that can be relied upon to coax out the uglier side of our natures. A chase in … Read more
The National leader will not be happy with just 9% picking him as preferred by PM in a new poll, especially with Judith Collins storming into the scene. But the bigger story is the mire in which Winston Peters finds his party. A funny old morning for Simon Bridges. The party you lead has just … Read more
The race relations commissioner has today voiced an apology for handling of sexual harassment claims, called for resignations and paid tribute to colleagues, following the publication of a ministerial review identifying a ‘schism’ within the Commission Susan Devoy has declared herself “devastated and deeply sorry” over the way the Human Rights Commission handled sexual harassment allegations … Read more
Homelessness in New Zealand is a very serious problem, and it’s too important to be muddied by misinformation, writes Toby Manhire. One of the world’s gold-standard news agencies yesterday shone a light on a big New Zealand problem, homelessness. The headline: “Left behind – why boomtown New Zealand has a homelessness crisis”. And the introduction, … Read more
Commute week: For Sarah Dowie, the commute from Invercargill to work in Wellington typically eats up at least half a day. The most fascinating thing about National MP Sarah Dowie comes in a tantalising line from a since deleted Young Nats post: she is a “a one-time member of a travelling dance troupe in Russia”. … Read more
Given he’s regarded as a leader from the pragmatic centrist side of the National Party, it was puzzling to hear Simon Bridges this morning apparently endorse trickle-down theory. “I think there is some trickle-down effect actually, and a lot of people say no, no no,” said Bridges on The AM Show this morning, when questioned … Read more
A note from the editor regarding the WORLD founder’s response to Spinoff revelations about its ‘Made in New Zealand’ garment labelling Give Dame Denise L’Estrange-Corbet this: she didn’t attempt to hide from the story published on the Spinoff yesterday. The WORLD founder and ethical fashion proselytiser spoke widely to media, scattering arguments in her own … Read more
All this week on The Spinoff, we pick up the NZ commute, shake it and peer at it from every direction. As the tote-bag wisdom teaches, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. Or to be more specific, for our immediate purposes, it’s about the journey to work and the journey back home. … Read more
Yesterday’s bombshell story about a story that wasn’t a story has sent shockwaves through the reckons machine. At least four news organisations have over recent months been following up on the malevolent bullshit being peddled about Jacinda Ardern’s boyfriend Clarke Gayford by anonymous cretins on the internet – but no one was publishing them because … Read more
The Herald has reported that untrue things are being said about Jacinda Ardern’s partner. Here’s what we know so far. Everyone in media and political circles, Steve Braunias notwithstanding, has been gasbagging like mad over the last month about rumours related to Clarke Gayford, the partner of the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern. Most of these … Read more
The AM Show host has unleashed a merciless broadside in response to remarks by the AM Show host. High profile broadcaster and columnist Duncan Garner has this morning spoken truth to power, or more specifically, truth to high profile broadcaster and columnist Duncan Garner. In a blistering attack on Newshub’s simulcast AM Show, Duncan Garner … Read more
If there’s one thing that the National opposition appears keen to signal, it’s that they think a lot of things are virtue signalling In an interview with the Spinoff a little over a year ago, then prime minister and National Party leader Bill English was asked whether he considered himself a feminist. Though he believed in … Read more
Eight snackable facts about the new co-leader of the NZ Green Party and the challenges she faces The Green membership has overwhelmingly backed Marama Davidson to be the party’s co-leader, delivering her a delegate victory of 110-34 over the only other contender, Julie Anne Genter. Addressing an audience in Auckland late on Sunday morning, Davidson … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, the national carrier’s online video mocking the humiliated Australians The Newshub headline called it a “ruthless offer”. Stuff called it as a “cheeky offer”. Friendly local website the Spinoff thinks it was “a bit of a dick-move offer”. That offer, … Read more
It is only a matter of time until the former US president bestows upon a humble nation some upbeat social media content. Here we measure that matter of time. Incontrovertibly, Barack Obama’s recent visit to New Zealand, during which he travelled the length and breadth of two golf courses, was a massive boon to this … Read more
Spinoff cheat sheet: Carol Hirschfeld has left the public broadcaster after misleading her boss over the nature of a meeting with Clare Curran. What’s going on, and what does it mean for the minister? What just happened? Great question. Carol Hirschfeld, a journalist with a formidable career including senior roles at Three, Māori TV and … Read more
An exclusive glimpse into the steel trap psyche of the former health minister and political colossus as he makes for the exit. Thanks to the miracle of modern medicine, SpinoffAnalytica Labs has accessed the internal monologue direct from Jonathan Coleman’s brain. After sending the neuro-data to a Super Computer AI in Christchurch via email, we … Read more
A year after the publication of a book alleging civilian deaths in a botched NZ raid in Afghanistan, the NZ Defence Force has quietly conceded its operation was in the same village depicted by the authors, and it makes the case for an inquiry overwhelming, argues Toby Manhire. “The central premise of Nicky Hager and Jon … Read more
Tomorrow, with the support of Vector, The Spinoff smashes a bottle across the bow of a new email newsletter rounding up the best and most important NZ news of the day. We think it will become an important part of your morning. For all the complaints about the state of journalism, the one you won’t … Read more
With the crucial caucus meeting only hours away, Judith Collins and Steven Joyce top preferred leader numbers – but it’s a different story in assessing leadership chop. As National MPs descend on Wellington to cast their votes in the contest to succeed Bill English as party leader, most observers are calling it a two-horse race. … Read more
A UMR Research survey puts the polarising MP in the lead – but only slightly, and her favourability numbers are dismal, an area in which Amy Adams holds bragging rights. The tussle to lead the biggest party in New Zealand’s parliament will be a tight one, if polling conducted largely prior to Bill English’s resignation … Read more
Mark Mitchell and Steven Joyce have added their names to the ballot for the contest to succeed Bill English as party leader. With a week till MPs make their decision, here are five observations on the race. 1 The newbies What looked like a three-horse race featuring Amy Adams, Simon Bridges and Judith Collins has … Read more
Revelations around the handling of a complaint at the HRC call for independent scrutiny of an organisation that depends on moral authority, argues Toby Manhire. As part of its commitment to “a free, fair, safe and just New Zealand”, the Human Rights Commission has stood firmly and consistently against sexual harassment in the workplace. It … Read more
Once ’twere inevitable, ’twere best done quickly, and so it has passed. Bill English is leaving the National leadership and leaving parliament. That departure triggers a period of intense electioneering within the National caucus – unlike the expansive processes in Labour and the Greens, for example, only National MPs get to vote on their leader. Who … Read more