A brief technical explanation about what the ‘hack’ amounted to would be a lot more useful than all the bluster and nebulous waffle we’ve heard so far, writes Danyl Mclauchlan. Treasury’s budget documents are – potentially – very valuable information. They might affect currency valuations, or bond prices, or company share prices, or any number … Read more
Think the dark times of the finance company collapses are well behind us? The regulatory environment that allowed the collapse of South Canterbury Finance exists to this day. Allan Hubbard’s failed investments included $30m lost on the Lord of the Rings trilogy and $10m in a Blenheim company that claimed to have found a cure … Read more
As Treasury says it’s registered thousands of attempts to hack its secure site and Simon Bridges accuses Grant Robertson of maliciously lying, the wellbeing budget is about to become the hell-fleeing budget for someone The press releases started rolling in at 10 on the dot yesterday morning: “National reveals Budget details.” At 1.30pm: “National reveals … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Treasury calls in police after claims their system was hacked, protesters against coal get mayoral support, and massive teacher strike today. Last night, political journalism twitter was nothing but a steady stream of shocked emojis. And the reason for that was a series of dramatic developments in … Read more
An international gambling industry source has told The Spinoff that World Cup warm-up matches are prime targets for the vast subcontinental fixing machine. Warm-up games in the Cricket World Cup are a match-fixer’s paradise, a veteran international gambling industry source has told the Spinoff. The combination of big names and high publicity means a lot … Read more
A watery war zone has emerged in New Zealand’s biggest city, with Waiheke-Auckland ferry cutbacks leaving abandoned souls desperate for home and hungry for retribution. Josie Adams risks everything to experience the nation’s most hostile ferry journey. The mood was set early on by cement walls and wire caging. Blocky orange fencing like industrial Duplo … Read more
There are few book launches more hotly anticipated than a new Nicky Hager work. This time Hager is not the author, but it is introduced by him, with the same publisher, and the same closely guarded leadup to publication. The book, we can now reveal, is by Margie Thomson, and its title is spare and … Read more
Following a roadside birth in an ambulance, the Southern DHB chief said it is ‘important for mothers and midwives to plan well ahead of their delivery’. Emily Writes wanted to find out more about how pregnancy works, so she asked a man who knows. Here at The Spinoff, we had our first piece on the wonderful … Read more
Perceptions of Christianity in New Zealand get shaped by the most extreme voices. So who else could the media go to for comment? Quick, name the most prominent New Zealander you can think of who is a Christian. Chances are if you follow the news at all, that the first name that comes to mind … Read more
Because yet another layer of bureaucracy is just what education needs right now. Yeah right, says Jai Breitnauer. Whenever the issue of teacher pay comes up – which is quite a lot at the moment as New Zealand prepares for Wednesday’s massive strike action – there is always someone who says, ‘what about performance related … Read more
Alex Casey goes down a YouTube rabbit hole to try and find the best New Zealand advertising jingle ever created. It happened without warning. Staring into my simmering bolognese last week, something came over me. I turned slowly, the harsh kitchen lights dimming to a single spotlight. I held the saucy wooden spoon up to … Read more
Whether you’re heading into rabies territory overseas or visiting the measles ward at your local hospital, there’s a shot for that. Without the wonders of modern medicine, many of us would never have reached adulthood. I can already see Darwinists raging against the biomedical machine and insisting that we cull the weak, so I’ve got … Read more
It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the once flourishing company that now owes investors tens of millions of dollars. Don’t follow? Here’s a brief recap of Cryptopia’s historic downfall over the last five months. First thing’s first, what is Cryptopia? Cryptopia is (well, was) a Christchurch-based cryptocurrency exchange founded by Rob Dawson and Adam Clark … Read more
Budget 2019: Should the collection of taxes be the point at which we talk about fairness, or should fairness be part of a completely different conversation, asks Grant Thornton tax partner Oksana Simonoff. It’s counter-intuitive, but when we talk about tax fairness we aren’t really talking about tax. We’re really talking about politics, economics and … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Pressure put on refugee policy over discriminatory clause, man stood down by Parliamentary Services speaks out, and Fox River cleanup going badly. New Zealand’s refugee policy stands accused of being racist and discriminatory, in the same vein as US President Donald Trump’s Muslim ban. This has been … Read more
PM Jacinda Ardern will soon have the chance to reverse policy that prioritises Asia-Pacific immigrants over refugees from Africa and the Middle East. But how did that policy get made in the first place? After the attacks on Muslims at two mosques in Christchurch, attention has returned to restrictions on African and Middle Eastern refugees … Read more
With a capital gains tax off the political agenda, the opposition needs to find the government’s achilles heel. Liam Hehir goes looking through the options. This is the week of the “wellbeing” budget. Animating this bold vision for our future is an ironclad certainty that the one thing New Zealanders really need to be happy … Read more
They’re not tiny dancers, they’re Elton John sized! Thank the lord! Sam Brooks power-ranks week seven of Dancing with the Stars. I could have lived my whole life without seeing Dai Henwood play at being Elton John! But here we are in May 2019, readers. The world burns and drowns around us. Sincere question: Do … Read more
Ten years on from its first episode, Sam Brooks revisits all the wild, dumb, and plain terrible things that happened on Glee. Ten years ago, a little show from the brain of Ryan Murphy premiered. Up until this point, he’d had a minor failure with black teen comedy-drama Popular and a minor success with scuzzy hospital … Read more
Last week Hannah Tamaki, Destiny Church co-founder and wife of controversial church leader Brian Tamaki, was announced as the leader of Coalition NZ, a new conservative Christian political party seeking election in 2020. Otago University senior law lecturer Simon Connell remembers another equally controversial leadership bid. In 2011, Hannah Tamaki was nominated for the presidency … Read more
In the wake of the demise of the famous UK chef’s restaurant group, Al Brown and Martin Bosley reflect on how in the hospitality business, being a “name” comes with its own baggage. It must be strange to be no longer simply a man, but also a brand. That, in essence, is Jamie Oliver: a … Read more
Ten million dollars worth of stock in a medicinal cannabis company goes on sale today as Cannasouth aims to be the first company of its kind to list on the NZX. But should you buy in? Don Rowe talks to Simplicity managing director Sam Stubbs. The country’s first medicinal cannabis initial public offering (IPO) launches … Read more
At over five hundred million streams, Ava Max is proving to be one of the biggest popstars of 2019. Not only that, writes Sam Brooks, she might actually be the most perfect. Ava Max is like a Frankenstein of a popstar, which I mean in the best way possible (also yes, I know Frankenstein was … Read more
Crocodiles, gold bars, birds of prey… and boobs. Erin Harrington, an academic specialising in horror and film, reviews the much-hyped new novel by the man who gave us Dr Hannibal Lecter. Cari Mora is Thomas Harris’s first novel in 13 years, and the first since his 1975 debut Black Sunday that doesn’t feature his most … Read more
Good news! We’re launching a free daily newsletter featuring all of the Spinoff’s stories published that day. Read on to sign up now. Social media dominates how many consume content today. Whether it’s via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram stories, our reliance on these platforms gives them immense power over what we see and when we … Read more
Budget 2019: Opposition finance spokesperson Amy Adams on the rhetoric behind the first wellbeing budget, coming later this week. This week will see the Labour-led government produce their much hyped ‘wellbeing budget’. That of course raises the questions of what wellbeing means, how it is assessed and how this budget will be any different to … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Another major day of climate protests puts pressure on politicians, PMs fall in dramatic political weekend, and calls to stop use of remand for young people. If activism in 2019 so far has been defined by any one movement, it is climate change. And there’s every reason … Read more
If you’re gay in the LGBT world, you’re part of the gang. If you’re straight, you’re on the outside. But where do those in between sit? A year ago I was planning my wedding. My fiancé and I had just celebrated our four year anniversary with an engagement party. To everyone who knew me, I … Read more
Organiser Hayley Coles explains why the time is right to launch New Zealand’s first union for legal workers. In 2018, Aotearoa’s legal profession received a wake-up call. The media broke stories of sexual harassment, bullying and other injustices throughout the profession. It was a call for change and it was long overdue. These problems have … Read more