On March 23 prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced that in 48 hours the country would go into lockdown. New Zealanders had a primal reaction: they called their loved ones. The moment New Zealand was faced with lockdown, adversity did what it always does: acted as a catalyst on some base element of the human psyche, … Read more
Like other viruses, Covid-19 could have health impacts long after a case is declared “recovered”. What those impacts are is only now coming to light. Cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand have mostly been mild. A cough, some aches, a sore throat; symptoms that cleared up within two weeks, enough for many of our 1,154 … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: What comes next after level one move, trade minister takes aim at Europe over deal offer, and harsh report into Oranga Tamariki released. Good morning, and welcome to the strange sense of unbridled freedom that you might have woken up with. The announcement that we would … Read more
Primary schools around New Zealand have asked parents to consider new rules that would prohibit classroom drop-off and pick-up. Some parents think it will hinder communication between parents and teachers, but many teachers believe it helps the children become more independent. “Over the last three weeks our children have developed great self-management skills and independence … Read more
It’s a return to (nearly) normal as New Zealand moves to alert level one and the country is declared free of known cases of Covid-19. Justin Giovannetti reports from parliament as the decision was made. New Zealand will end nearly all Covid-19 restrictions at midnight while maintaining strict controls at the border, making it one … Read more
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level two – read The Spinoff’s giant explainer about what that means here. For official government advice, see here. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this work, join … Read more
This afternoon, on the same day New Zealand recorded zero active cases for the first time since the pandemic began, the prime minister announced the country would move to alert level one at midnight, signalling the end of all domestic Covid-19 restrictions. This is the speech she gave. Today is day 26 of alert level … Read more
An Auckland gym has joined a growing rush of CrossFit branded gyms to cut ties with the international fitness brand, over comments from the founder about the killing of George Floyd in the US. Alex Braae reports. The world of CrossFit is being shaken by comments from founder Greg Glassman connecting Covid-19 to the death … Read more
The Ministry of Health has just announced that, on the 17th day of zero new cases, there are no active cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand. Via the Science Media Centre, the experts give their views on the milestone, and the impending move to alert level one. Michael Baker: The first battle in a long-term … Read more
The elimination strategy has succeeded with the announcement that there are now zero known active cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand for the first time since it arrived in the country in late February. The number of active cases has been dropping since it peaked in early April with 929 active cases, and now, after … Read more
New Zealand has crushed Covid-19, but now the government must devise a resilience strategy that will ensure our independence and sovereignty are protected in the post-Covid world, writes Anne-Marie Brady in this paper for the SSANSE Commission for a Post-Covid Future at the University of Canterbury. New Zealand has emerged from eight weeks of Covid-19 … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Shane Jones confirms run in the crucial seat of Northland, Kiwifruit sales soar amid global pandemic, and questions on colonial monuments erupt around the world. The course of politics over the last five years was arguably set during the tumultuous Northland by-election of 2015. After the … Read more
Amid the economic downturn caused by Covid-19, local government is under serious financial pressure. Alex Braae reports. During his speech to announce the 2020 budget, finance minister Grant Robertson made it clear that there would be no return to the politics of austerity. Central government would borrow huge sums, blowing out debt levels. The massive … Read more
The Side Eye is a monthly non-fiction comic by Toby Morris, supported by NZ On Air. Read the rest of the series here.
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level two – read The Spinoff’s giant explainer about what that means here. For official government advice, see here. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this work, join … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Millions of dollars divvied up by Sport NZ, MSD’s problem with wrongly denied payments grows, and internal coalition battles emerge in time for election. It’s Friday, and there hasn’t been a lot of it recently, so we’re going to start with sport today. Don’t worry, it’s … Read more
When approached by The Spinoff Jeanette Wilson denied having told participants in an online session that the product ‘lined the lungs’, despite clear evidence to the contrary. The Covid-19 crisis has sparked misinformation in every corner of the world. In New Zealand, a “psychic healer” whose fixations read like a conspiracy theorist’s crib sheet – … Read more
The union movement launched a push earlier this week to double the legal minimum of sick leave from five days a year to 10. Is a change likely? What’s all this then? In light of the recent global pandemic putting the focus on health in the workplace, unions have called for changes to how much … Read more
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level two – read The Spinoff’s giant explainer about what that means here. For official government advice, see here. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this work, join … Read more
With roughly 97% of New Zealand enterprises categorised as small businesses – that is, 20 or fewer employees – accounting software platform Xero’s newly released analysis provides a stark picture of the severe impact of Covid-19 throughout the sector. What exactly does the data show? Essentially, the data shows that year-on-year revenue for small businesses … Read more
The biggest danger facing New Zealand under level one will be the border. Justin Giovannetti looks at what the government is doing to increase border defences and prevent another influx of Covid-19. As the elimination of coronavirus appears imminent in New Zealand, the country’s attention turns to its border and the conflicting need to keep … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Decision coming soon on move to level one, housing market in a weird place, and manslaughter charges laid against officers after custody death. As has been the way with these moves, we got an announcement of what the new alert level will be like, before … Read more
With half a million members, the New Zealand Made Products Facebook group has become a national phenomenon, thrusting small-time businesses into the national gaze. But what makes a post stand out among thousands of others? When scrolling through the seemingly endless visual extravaganza that is the New Zealand Made Products Facebook page, you’re likely to … Read more
Jacinda Ardern has unveiled details of the changes New Zealanders can expect when we move from level two to level one. What will it mean for businesses, hospitality and day-to-day life? Level one! At last, life is finally back to normal. Not so fast. We’re still in level two, and will be for at least … Read more
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level two – read The Spinoff’s giant explainer about what that means here. For official government advice, see here. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this work, … Read more
Here’s The Spinoff’s weekly round-up of data tracking the effects and response of Covid-19 around the world – and how New Zealand stacks up. Our weekly summaries of data and visualisations use Our World in Data’s work on the Covid-19 pandemic, which is freely available for re-use. Not all data is complete: measurement techniques vary … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Significant new support announced for trainees and apprenticeships, more level one detail coming, and long-delayed changes made to ETS. Significant new support has been announced for trainees and apprentices, with thousands of dollars worth of costs being removed for each student. The funding, announced yesterday by education minister … Read more
The country’s coronavirus restrictions might be coming to an end sooner than you think. Justin Giovannetti looks at what level one rules mean for you. Crowded stadiums and restaurants filled to capacity could be reality in New Zealand as soon as next Wednesday as the government eyes an early move to eliminating nearly all remaining … Read more
Waitomo is a town built on tourism. But as overseas visitors who have been flocking to its spectacular network of glow-worm caves for over a century dry up, the future looks uncertain. More than 130 years ago, the eruption of Mount Tarawera killed an estimated 153 people and buried Te Otukapuarangi and Te Tarata, the … Read more