The president of the Labour Party, Nigel Haworth, has resigned following serious allegations relating to a Labour staff member and an inquiry he oversaw which has been angrily criticised by the complainants who took part. “In the last 48 hours I have read incredibly distressing reports of an alleged sexual assault involving members of the … Read more
Hōkai Rangi is a recently-released strategy aiming to drastically lower the ratio of Māori in prison in New Zealand, using Māori strategy to do so. Alice Webb-Liddall spoke with Tuari Potiki, the University of Otago’s director of the Office of Māori Development, about what these changes mean for incarcerated Māori and their whānau. Over half … Read more
Here: Kupe to Cook is an exhibition that challenges the discovery narrative that’s the cornerstone of Pākehā national history. Reuben Friend, director of Pātaka Art+Museum in Porirua, discusses the ethical framework for a show that serves up the skeletons in our collective closet. I had reservations about using Greg Semu’s photograph The Arrival as the … Read more
Lee Henaghan travelled to Canada for a special Gears 5 preview event at The Coalition studios in Vancouver. Could this be a return to form for the game that gave the world the chainsaw bayonet? Franchises, sequels, spinoffs, reboots, remakes and remasters – for an industry supposedly built on innovation and creativity, modern gaming is … Read more
A story about the perils of being a non-drinking university student gave an inaccurate impression of how widespread heavy drinking really is, argues Amy Russell. On Saturday The Spinoff published a good read first published in Critic, the Otago University student magazine, titled “What it’s like to be sober at New Zealand’s drunkest university”. The … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Bridges sparks controversy with China state-TV interview, timeline of events around Labour staffer allegation, and Weta staff concerned about campaign launch. National leader Simon Bridges has been on something of a grand tour around China. In the process, he gave an interview to a state-owned television … Read more
The Young Labour volunteer who says she was sexually assaulted by a Labour staffer has told The Spinoff she is deeply disappointed in the Labour president’s response, as another email emerges showing documents were sent to Labour investigators. The woman who alleges sexual assault by a man currently employed by the Labour Leader’s office has … Read more
All the key dates and critical communications between Sarah* and the Labour Party – including unambiguous references to ‘sexual assault’ from the complainant. Jacinda Ardern has declared herself “deeply concerned and incredibly frustrated” over the allegations levelled at a Labour staffer as well as the party investigation into the man, who remains employed by the … Read more
Facing streaming giants with multi-billion dollar budgets, the state broadcaster has announced it expects a big 2020 loss. Duncan Greive goes to find out why TVNZ CEO Kevin Kenrick is still smiling. Kevin Kenrick is dreaming big. “I think our biggest competition, because of their ability to wrap their hands around the digital revenue streams, … Read more
What is it like to crash a Married at First Sight NZ wedding? Two brave reality TV fans went to Swanson to find out. A couple of months ago, Alex Casey and Tina Tiller of The Real Pod, The Spinoff’s weekly reality TV podcast, headed out to an undisclosed location in West Auckland to watch … Read more
Nancy Silverton is one of the world’s great chefs and for three nights in August, she took over a restaurant in Wellington. Simon Day was there. The first thing legendary Californian chef Nancy Silverton does after she greets the bright-eyed dining room that’s gathered at Wellington restaurant Shepherd to see her in the flesh and … Read more
In the latest episode of On The Rag, based on the podcast of the same name, watch as Alex Casey, Michèle A’Court and Leonie Hayden tackle the issue of abortion and why the law has to change. In the fifth episode of our mana wāhine series On the Rag, Alex, Michèle and Leonie look at the … Read more
In these days of alienation, singletons need all the help they can get. But who is doing love right? Only the hottest couple in Fountain Lakes, explains Don Rowe. There are a lot of unhealthy behaviours on the television folks, a lot of cheating, philandering, and promiscuity. From Game of Thrones to Euphoria, our stars … Read more
Terrace House is so real that it can’t be anything but fake. Uther Dean writes about what makes the Japanese Netflix dating reality show so addictive. Do you know what a parasocial relationship is? Because I promise that you’re in heaps of them. Parasocial relationships are the ones that occur between you and the people … Read more
Cornell Tukiri sat down with his Te Wānanga Takiura o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa classmate Te Karere to talk about his relationship with te reo Māori, and what the language revival means for his whānau. Cornell Tukiri: Mōrena, why don’t we start with you telling me a little about yourself? Te Karere: Ko … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Pair of stories highlight coastal erosion, PM responds to allegations against Labour party, and report details complex Afghanistan operations for spy agencies. Over the weekend, two incredibly similar stories were playing out on opposite sides of the country. Both related to the fact that coasts are … Read more
A patronising, snide and all-round awful opinion column tried to guilt the celebrity couple for giving birth at home, and Emily Writes is not having it. If you ever want to write an opinion column, I’m pretty sure I’ve found the absolute best way to end it if you know full well it’s a piece … Read more
The judgment on whether David Scott, who is currently campaigning on the Kāpiti Coast, is fit for public office should lie with the voters, rather than the law-makers, writes Andrew Geddis. I hope it is safe to assume that virtually all of you reading this think that a man recently kicked off your local District … Read more
Mahuru (September) is a time of regrowth and rebirth and triggers matiti kura, the first phase of summer. It is Mahuru (September) and many of us are excited about warmer days! The name Mahuru is a shortened version of the name ‘Te ahunga o uruao’ which means the new generation of whitebait. This name aligns … Read more
The prime minister has responded to the allegations made in a Spinoff story this morning, saying she’s expressed ‘complete dissatisfaction’ with the Labour Party investigation. The prime minister and leader of the Labour Party, Jacinda Ardern, has this afternoon responded to questions relating to allegations of sexual assault by a Labour staffer, and the controversial … Read more
A restaurant that began life as a pop-up bartering for crockery has become the latest Kiwi concept to shake up the Australian food scene. Chef Peter Gunn grew up in a typical New Zealand home eating no-frills sausages, steak and mash. His Melbourne restaurant, Ides, is far from typical, and Gunn joins a select and … Read more
Opinion: in a feature published today on The Spinoff, a Young Labour volunteer detailed a traumatic sexual assault she alleges was committed by an influential Labour staffer. It marks the second time in two years that the party has badly let down its most vulnerable. Read The Spinoff’s reporting on the alleged sexual assault within … Read more
As The Block NZ fizzles to an end, psychologist Dougal Sutherland argues that the show now seems designed to destroy relationships, rather than build houses. Over the past few months we’ve watched four couples designing, planning, painting, papering (sometimes poorly), plastering, and dressing the rooms of converted firehouses to auction them off to the highest … Read more
Gabrielle Jackson is a Sydney-based Guardian journalist who has written a book about her pain, and the pain of women, and the ways in which the medical system is making it worse. The book is called Pain and Prejudice: a call to arms for women and their bodies. It focuses on ‘women’s troubles’ – a … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: The Bulletin: Harrowing allegations against Labour and staffer revealed, solo mums on benefit facing terrible choices, and millions put towards Northland rail upgrade. A woman who says she was subject of a sustained sexual assault by a Labour staffer has for the first time described … Read more
A woman who says she was subject of a sustained sexual assault by a Labour staffer has for the first time described the harrowing events and the botched internal investigation which followed. Alex Casey reports. Content warning: This feature contains distressing descriptions of sexual assault, along with its mental health implications, which may be triggering … Read more
Heavy-handed regulation of the vaping industry will only help Big Tobacco, argues economist Jenesa Jeram. E-cigarette regulations are on the horizon to deal with the vaping Wild West, an industry landscape with no legislation or enforcement. For a long time, the lack of regulation didn’t really matter. The vaping industry has managed to get along … Read more
It’s auction night on The Block NZ, and tonight the Firehouse burned with the smell of broken hopes and dreams. Tara Ward recaps the hijinks and heartbreak of this year’s live finale. “IT ALL ENDS RIGHT HERE!” yelled a perky Mark Richardson, as he welcomed the nation to The Block NZ 2019 live auction. Mark was … Read more
Married at First Sight NZ returns to Three tonight in a storm of controversy. Tara Ward takes a closer look at the brides and grooms who will marry a stranger in search of true love. Friends, we are gathered here today to lift the veil on a new series of reality juggernaut Married at First … Read more