Trump has proven once again that he is an impressive electoral campaigner with a crude but effective grasp of strategy – and shown that scaring people works, writes Timothy J Lynch of the University of Melbourne The good news if you don’t like US President Donald Trump: he has less than 24 months remaining in his first term in office. … Read more
Toby Manhire is joined by iconic duo Annabelle Lee and Ben Thomas to rake the leaves of the JLR saga – and the mini-crises confronting the government, too. The overlord of all successful television in New Zealand, Annabelle Lee, restores equilibrium to the Gone By Lunchtime universe by sitting down with Ben Thomas and Toby Manhire … Read more
Householders are losing out as ‘unjustified’ wholesale prices cause a wave of power company closures, a group of independent power retailers have told the Electricity Authority. Four independent electricity retailers have laid a joint complaint with the sector’s market regulator over prices they say are “threatening the very existence of independent competition”. Industry sources said … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. It’s a huge week for the almighty pod as Jeff’s eyes on Bake Off are officially not as blue as they used to be. Ploughing through another great week of reality TV, we ask more … Read more
Book of the Week: Jane Stafford reviews a vast, thought-provoking study of late colonial New Zealand, when European portrait artists romanticised Māori culture. I have long regarded Roger Blackley as a living taonga, an unfailing resource for anyone working in the field of Aotearoa New Zealand’s colonial culture. There is no enquiry too recondite, no … Read more
Alex Casey scours the internet to assemble the definitive guide to eating like a celebrity in New Zealand. Just like a teacher buying bog roll at the supermarket or a chimpanzee riding a Segway in dungarees, there’s something not quite right about seeing a celebrity eat somewhere normal. Because if celebrities eat at normal places, … Read more
Yesterday corporate boxer Kain Parsons succumbed to a brain injury sustained in a charity bout on Saturday night. He won’t be the last, writes Don Rowe. Content warning: suicide In November 1982, Korean boxer Duk Koo Kim was killed in his championship bout with Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini after collapsing in the 10th round. Four … Read more
A 1999 Waitangi Tribunal report said Māori have rights to the radio spectrum, what we know as the 2G, 3G and 4G mobile networks. The Crown disagreed. Now, 20 years on from the original claim, the government has the opportunity to right past wrongs when it makes its 5G allocation. Next year will mark 20 years … Read more
From better access to New Zealand Sign Language on the marae, to being visible in Parliament – disabled Māori need to be better represented in our democracy, argues disability rights advocate Kera Sherwood-O’Regan. There’s something about making your mark on that clean sheet of paper. It’s the chunky felt tipped markers that hark back to primary … Read more
Has remembrance of Anzac become too commodified? Australian historian Dr Jo Hawkins spoke to Alex Braae about what commercialised commemoration of Anzac means, and whether it has gone too far. At Anzac Day commemorations in Auckland earlier this year, the drummers were sponsored by casino SkyCity. It was just a small moment, but one that … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. This morning, it’s a US midterm elections special edition. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of NZ news and features if you scroll down the page. It wasn’t quite a blue wave, but the Democratic Party has restored some semblance of balance to American politics. The numbers aren’t yet final, but … Read more
In campaigning, Ardern’s party proffered a range of bold railway intentions. Now we’re waiting for the bold coalition blueprint, writes former National cabinet minister Wayne Mapp I am a fan of trains. I have lots of books on lost rail lines in New Zealand. For instance, losing the line to Rotorua seemed the ultimate in … Read more
A New Zealand reviewer thought that a line in a new novel by acclaimed Irish writer Caoilinn Hughes was about a “head-cold”. She has helpfully pointed out it was a period. “Very cool to be reviewed in New Zealand’s Dominion-Post,” Irish novelist Caoilinn Hughes wrote on the Twitter machine on Tuesday. This was in reference to … Read more
Alice partakes of a pineappley pale ale, while Henry pops the cork on some French fizz. BEHEMOTH PRETTY PRETTY PRETTY PINEAPPLEY PALE ALE 5.3%, 330ml, $3.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co Hot on the heels of Kind of a Big Deal, which honoured San Diego’s finest son Ron Burgundy, comes a Behemoth tribute to another … Read more
Stuff has confirmed that 16 reporter and three news director jobs could be made redundant in community papers. And that’s terrible news, former Rodney Times editor Rhonwyn Newson writes for Newshub. When I was a child my mum would occasionally pop into our local newspaper’s newsroom and drop off a photo of my brother’s water-polo … Read more
A semi-fictional memoir by Jackson C Payne, son of the late Bill Payne, an ex-con busted for drugs, winner of the 1993 Sargeson Literary Fellowship, author of a classic book about New Zealand gangs, and writer in residence at the Alhambra in Three Lamps. The year after he died they sprinkled his ashes at the house of … Read more
Regardless on where you stand on the Owen Farrell Incident, the last 72 hours demonstrate one thing: rugby union revels in confusing its own fans. “Almost everyone believes that should have been a penalty.” This is as close as one can get to the definitive word from World Rugby when it comes to that Owen … Read more
Despite mounting evidence that going meat-free is a pretty good idea, vegans remain the butt of many a joke at best and a target for outright hostility at worst. What’s with the bad rep? More and more people are adopting plant-based diets in Australia and other western nations. But also seemingly on the rise is … Read more
The benefits of a package of drug law reform measures will outweigh the costs – by tens of millions of dollars, finds Shamubeel Eaqub in a new report commissioned by the NZ Drug Foundation. Below, an excerpt from the economist’s findings. Our current criminal-justice approach to drugs is not working. Drug use remains widespread and, crucially, the … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Midwives vote for two weeks of strike action, tourism strategy released by government, and a big day of democracy is coming up in the USA. More than 1000 midwives employed by DHBs have voted to go on strike. Radio NZ reports the members of midwives union MERES voted … Read more
Howdy, and welcome to The Spinoff’s live blog of the 2018 US midterm elections, brought to you by Catherine McGregor, Toby Manhire, Alex Braae, and maybe some of your other mates at The Spinoff. We’ll see how it goes. 9.07pm: Union-busting Wisconsin governor Scott Walker lost his re-election bid. The unions issued this six word statement … Read more
Why are New Zealand women eschewing fertility clinics and looking for sperm donors online? And why are Kiwi men donating to strangers they meet on Facebook groups? Amy Nelmes Bissett uncovers a world of hope and risk, in this feature first published on RNZ. The two-bedroom flat in South Auckland’s East Tamaki could rival a … Read more
There is an enormous mismatch between the size of the damage caused by tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food and the amount invested in preventing that damage. Dozens of professionals have formed the Health Coalition Aotearoa, which launches today, to tackle the issue, explains Dr David Galler. In 2014 the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and … Read more
The time to start tuning in, the races to look out for, the chances of a Democratic ‘blue wave’, and why today’s result could completely alter the course of American politics. READ OUR LIVE BLOG: Some important updates, and some unimportant updates, from America’s big day of democracy. It’s been a long, long time coming. … Read more
Zip yourself into your sourdough onesie and relax into your ciabatta couch, because it’s Bread Week, my little GKBO doughballs of happiness. Tara Ward power-ranks episode four. Bread is both delicious and a science, which means eating lots of it makes you smarter. Don’t question me, my research is flawless and if anyone needs me … Read more
She’s touched all our lives in some way, but she’s only been able to do that by being a totally-up-for-it chameleon. José Barbosa pays tribute to perhaps New Zealand’s brightest star, Suzanne Paul. It’s an accepted mainstay of one’s working life these days that if you’re not prepared to change jobs several times during your … Read more
The star of Wellington’s awesome LitCrawl event this weekend is poet Kaveh Akbar, who has a great haircut. Iranian-American poet Kaveh Akbar will perform at Wellington’s annual LitCrawl event this weekend, and so will his haircut. Many say he has the best haircut in world literature. The evidence certainly strongly supports these claims. He is … Read more
Hundreds of millions of dollars are lost by punters at the TAB every year. Where does it go, asks Don Rowe. It’s the biggest day of the racing year and all around the country hopeful punters are throwing fistfuls of cash at the TAB. Here, the Melbourne Cup and New Zealand’s state-controlled gambling operator are … Read more
There’s a new game in town and it’s bloody good fun to watch. Madeleine Chapman reviews Bowls3Five at New Lynn Bowling Club. This month, for perhaps the first time in their storied existence, New Lynn Bowling Club received a noise complaint. It wouldn’t have been too long after 10pm – and maybe earlier than that … Read more