Did a National MP really call a Labour MP a “bitch” in parliament? And if so why did it vanish from the official Hansard record? It was just another ennui-inducing debate in the House of Representatives. A scattering of rostered MPs were debating, if you must know, the Appropriation (2017/18 Supplementary Estimates) Bill and Imprest … Read more
One of this year’s must-see moments of NZ television aired at 10am on a quiet Sunday morning and almost everybody missed it. It’s not often that New Zealand television presents debate as you’d imagine it: critical, emotional, and at risk of derailing at any moment. The last election debates between party leaders, though pitched as … Read more
A NIWA scientist explains what they’ve discovered about the whale in Wellington harbour so far. We’re used to traffic jams in Wellington, but when they come with people lining the harbour foreshore all pointing out to sea, it’s clear you can’t just blame them on the usual city congestion. For the past week, a southern … Read more
Our Q&A introduction to the topic of the moment. Today: Theresa May’s UK government is in crisis following high-profile resignations and disarray around plans to leave the European Union. What’s the latest? The British government has been as sober and stable as a vodka jelly since it voted two years and two weeks ago to … Read more
With the demise of The Opportunities Party, the protest vote they garnered will need a new home. But where? Alex Braae assesses the candidates. Even as the fond memories of TOP’s brief existence fade away, a few defining pictures remain. There’s Gareth Morgan on a billboard, talking about lipstick. There’s Geoff Simmons, chatting away amiably … Read more
Dietary Requirements is our new monthly podcast in which we eat, drink and talk about it too, with special thanks to Freedom Farms and Fine Wine Delivery Company. On the inaugural Dietary Requirements, our hosts Simon Day, Alice Neville and Sophie Gilmour discuss the crispy bacon spectrum, the perfect egg sandwich and memorable dining experiences, … Read more
Rob Campbell chairs three of New Zealand’s largest corporates – yet finds the current narrative around falling business confidence baseless. Here he explains why there should be no second winter of discontent. I have business interests ranging from tourism, to aged care, to commercial property, to electricity, to investment management to accommodation. If the economy … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: British politics loses the plot completely, Gareth Morgan winds up The Opportunities Party, and defence minister Ron Mark gets some new planes. The wheels have completely fallen off British politics, over what the government wants out of Brexit negotiations. Yesterday, Brexit secretary David Davis resigned, just a … Read more
In an election campaign replete with fascinating and colourful moments, the Opportunities Party and its leader, Gareth Morgan, were at the very least the outstanding subplot last September. Yesterday, out of the blue, it was announced that the TOP board had decided not to contest the 2020 election and would be deregistering with the Electoral … Read more
Is New Zealand missing out on the chance to cash in on the gaming boom? And would more government support make a difference? This piece was originally published on Newshub. Video games are a multibillion-dollar global entertainment industry, and experts say New Zealand should be doing more to seize the opportunity. Gaming is worth $524m … Read more
Baz Macdonald has been a children’s storyteller at Vic Books in Wellington for the past three years. He shares some of the reasons why he loves the job, as well as some tips and tricks he has picked up along the way. I started the Vic Books Story Time in Wellington almost three years ago … Read more
A new study by human rights activist Maire Leadbeater looks at New Zealand’s reluctance to do anything to halt the crimes against humanity in our Pacific neighbor, West Papua. A few years ago I wrote about New Zealand’s betrayal of the people of East Timor during the 24 years they suffered under brutal military rule … Read more
Taking over New Zealand’s most lauded restaurant is not a move for the faint-hearted, but risks tend to pay off for Sid and Chand Sahrawat. In 2014, when I first ate at Cassia, my palate was racist. I knew the food at the new modern Indian restaurant hidden down a back alley in the heart … Read more
Westside is back for a fourth season tonight on Three. Sam Brooks visited the set and came back with thoughts on how the show mythologises our country’s recent history. If there’s one thing I know for sure about the 80s, it’s that there was a lot of smoke. Correction: If there’s one thing I know about Westside, … Read more
Next week, a new trans-Pacific fibre-optic cable connecting New Zealand to Australia, the Pacific and onto the United States will light up, changing the way data travels around the Pacific. In November 2000, New Zealand’s first trans-Pacific fibre-optic cable, the Southern Cross system, lit up for New Zealanders. We finally had our first direct connection … Read more
The burghers of Wellington have been lashed by storms, almost certainly because the whale is angry about something. How might they seek absolution? Danyl Mclauchlan with this dispatch from the watery part of the capital A crowd of policy analysts and government communications advisers numbering in the tens of thousands marched along the Wellington foreshore … Read more
On Saturday, the widow of the late Tauranga Moana leader Awanui Black posted a video to Facebook about child sexual abuse and her husband. Their whanaunga Graham Cameron says her brave stand is a chance to break the cycle of silence and shame. Content warning: sexual abuse of children. If you’ve had the opportunity to … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Defence Force outlines what they say are complex and emerging threats, cochlear implant funding effectively cut, and there’s a public service strike today. The Defence Force is warning about increasingly complex threats, including from Russia and China, in their strategic policy statement released on Friday. Newshub reports that both those … Read more
Ron Mark on Friday revealed the most important foreign policy statement we have seen yet from the new government, including an unmistakable shift in NZ’s position on China, writes David Capie The government’s Strategic Defence Policy Statement, launched on Friday by defence minister Ron Mark, signals a new view of New Zealand’s security challenges. It … Read more
The final tribal council is inching closer and closer with just a few weeks left in the game, and the twists, turns and blindsides just keep on coming. This week we watched as our remaining castaways embraced capitalism, smashed some perfectly good crockery, and betrayed longtime alliances. There’s drama up the wazoo, so let’s get … Read more
Tonight, four enthusiastic New Zealand couples begin their journey along the giblined highway to renovation glory. Tara Ward on what to look forward to in this season of The Block NZ. That’s right, our favourite reality show The Block NZ is back to suck us into its murky depths, and I’m more excited than Ling and Zing … Read more
A rare opportunity to join your friendly local website as editor of the crucial Business section. The Spinoff is seeking a journalist to write, edit and commission across the business section. Our business coverage centres on what we see as the coming New Zealand economy. Startups, small to medium-sized businesses (and how to get big), … Read more
Ever considered making and selling electricity from the comfort of your home or business? While that might sound like some dodgy online scam, it’s not as far-fetched as you might think, writes Vector’s Chief Networks Officer Andre Botha. You’ve read the news stories already: technology is evolving and everyone’s an innovator these days and the … Read more
Are people who earn decent salaries too privileged to be thrown a bone by the government? Jenée Tibshraeny thinks not. This story first appeared on interest.co.nz. I would like to thank Housing Minister Phil Twyford for validating my generation’s “Ponsonby problems” as real ones. By setting the income caps for KiwiBuild eligibility at $120,000 for a … Read more
A new addition to Wellington’s cafe scene is giving former female prisoners the chance to hone their barista skills — and build better lives in the process. As any barista will tell you, making coffee is not an easy job. You’re on your feet all day, your hands turn to sandpaper and every inch of … Read more
Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. Rebekah White: Every New Zealander needs a third place “New Zealand has a great third place – the outdoors. My favourite third place is a DOC hut, any of them – the one space in the country where anyone is up for a yarn. But … Read more
If Air New Zealand is going to betray its country by selling fake meat, I’ll just have to take my business elsewhere. Starring Tom Sainsbury. The Spinoff TV screens Fridays at 9.45pm from June 22nd on THREE. Thanks to NZ on Air. Click here for all our Kiwis of Snapchat videos
Every week on The Primer we ask a local business or product to introduce themselves in eight simple takes. This week we talk to Abhi Kala of Titan Ideas who’s reimagining cross-cultural storytelling through augmented (AR), virtual (VR), and mixed reality (MR) technology. ONE: How did Titan Ideas start and what was the inspiration behind it? I … Read more
For a time in the late 2000s, youth of all backgrounds in this country began to dance. Don Rowe remembers the brief flash when techno became a unifying force in New Zealand. Since the beginning of time humanity has yearned to dance. From the cha cha to the charleston, trap arms to the twerk, dance … Read more