The Friday Poem: ‘Jacinda and Clarke and the Baby and Us’ by the NZ poet laureate

New Zealand poet laureate Selina Tusitala Marsh marks the very fine and wonderful occasion of the birth of a daughter to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford. Jacinda and Clarke and the Baby and Us: A Rondeau The baby’s here, the baby’s here! Aotearoa, New Zealand, what a year! Jacinda, our partnered … Read more

The Bulletin: More government murkiness?

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Attempt to get foreign buyers ban exemption ruled out, Auckland Council needs volunteers for homeless census, and PM Jacinda Ardern becomes a mother. Speaker Trevor Mallard has intervened on procedural grounds to prevent an exemption to the foreign buyers ban for a single luxury property development, … Read more

Finally, some useful advice for Jacinda and Clarke’s baby, from a real baby

From the day the pregnancy was announced, Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford have been showered in advice, and that will only continue now the wee thing has emerged as a discrete human being. In typical adultocentric style, however, the advice has been about, rather than by or for baby. To remedy that, we invited the … Read more

Just on the offchance anyone is looking for a name for their newborn

What will they name the New Zealand Royal Baby? It’s one of the hardest decisions parents make, so we at The Spinoff Parents thought we would help.  Here are some earnest suggestions for Jacinda and Clarke to help them on their way to choosing the perfect name for their bundle. We have carefully considered personalities, … Read more

Emily Writes: Dear Jacinda and Clarke

The prime minister Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford have just announced the safe arrival of their baby girl. She arrived at 4.45pm, weighing 3.31kg (7.3lb). Our parents editor sends her congratulations to the new parents.  Dear Jacinda and Clarke, I know open letters are naff but here we are. As we are a … Read more

Bridgit Hawkins’ app is helping farmers save water, money and time

Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. This week Simon is joined by Bridget Hawkins, CEO of Regen, an app helping … Read more

Why has business lost its confidence? And can we help?

GDP came out today, and it was fine – but that’s yesterday’s sales. The real question is, how does business feel about the future? It sounds a bit like one of those earnest startup pitches. Gross domestic product (GDP) provides a snapshot of the performance of the economy. GDP is New Zealand’s official measure of economic growth. GDP … Read more

Are Flight of the Conchords the biggest NZ live act ever?

This week Flight of The Conchords play three nights in a row at the O2 Arena, one of the UK’s biggest covered venues with a capacity of 20,000 people. Gareth Shute determines how they stack up in the history of New Zealand live performers. Back in 2010 it was big news when Flight of the … Read more

Method Recycling proves that rubbish bin design doesn’t need to be rubbish

Every week on The Primer we ask a local business or product to introduce themselves in eight simple takes. This week we talk to Steven Korner, co-founder of Method Recycling, whose aim is to encourage better waste disposal habits by making beautifully designed rubbish bins for modern workplaces. ONE: How did Method Recycling start and what … Read more

The Bulletin: Breaking – Labour PM in labour

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Winston Peters is now officially acting PM, minister signals big policy shift for kids in state care, and David Seymour wants to abolish some public holidays. In breaking news, PM Jacinda Ardern has gone to hospital to deliver her first child. Deputy PM Winston Peters is … Read more

Are drug drivers really killing us by the droves?

For the first time drug driving deaths have eclipsed drink drivers. Or have they? Don Rowe looks at the media furore around an AA press release some experts argue is unsubstantiated.  Last week news broke that for the first time in New Zealand drug drivers were responsible for more deaths than drink drivers. Stuff, the … Read more

How to throw a party right: an expert guide

To celebrate Wellington on a Plate’s 10th birthday the capital’s party experts have shared their tips on how to nail your next blowout.  Throwing a party, whether for four people around the dinner table at home or for 40,000 people at a festival, is a complicated chess game. All the different pieces have to move … Read more

Inside the Surrey Hotel: less than 24 hours to meet the deadline for New Zealand’s finest writers residency award

As the deadline looms for the 2018 Surrey Hotel writers residency award, and entries continue to pour in from published authors and exciting nobodies, 2017 winner Charlotte Graham-McLay files a report on her experience at the Surrey. She danced a lot. During the school holidays, I used to throw tights and leotards and grubby, smelly … Read more

Maths is hard: Mike Hosking’s brave battle with statistics

After the release of an Auckland Transport survey claiming two thirds of Aucklanders support more cycleways, Mike Hosking stepped into the ring to fight Statistics. Madeleine Chapman reports. David v Goliath. Roe v Wade. And now, Mike Hosking v Statistics. These will be the battles oft referenced in classrooms, bars, living rooms, and courtrooms for … Read more

Putting diversity in lights on the Auckland Harbour Bridge

One of the best reasons for lighting the Auckland Harbour Bridge is that it makes diversity impossible to ignore, writes Vector’s Beth Johnson. These days, the words ‘kia ora’ are everywhere: it’s part of our everyday chat throughout New Zealand. It’s how we say hello. In the not-too-distant past greeting customers with a “kia ora” … Read more

Fonterra embroiled in new Chinese infant formula safety controversy

Fonterra rejects claims by Chinese media that formula maker Beingmate reportedly failed to check additives came from licensed suppliers. Chinese media have reported that Fonterra’s troubled investment Beingmate failed to check additives in its infant formula came from licensed suppliers, and the additives were certified for use. On Friday 15 June, Chinese authorities announced the … Read more

Will New Zealand stand silent while Trump’s America tortures children?

When the US is ripping children from the arms of their parents and throwing them into cages, we are firmly at the point in history where future generations might ask, ‘what would I have done?’ writes the Greens’ human rights spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman. We live at a moment in global history when the world’s most powerful state … Read more

Emily Writes: How to give birth – the definitive guide

Deep breaths, in and out: Emily Writes has you. There’s so much advice out there about how to have the perfect birth. There are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of books; many, many blogs by experts whose qualifications are “gave birth once” or “haven’t given birth but have lots of opinions” or my personal … Read more

Don’t make XXXTentacion a martyr for tortured souls

XXXTentacion, a controversial rapper, was awaiting charges of aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation, false imprisonment and witness tampering when he was shot and killed yesterday. Excusing his behaviour and showing support for him because he has passed away tells survivors in your life that you don’t care, writes Pearl Little. Content warning: … Read more

What can a horrified New Zealander do about children in cages?

Practical steps to take right now if you’re appalled at the news coming out of the United States. From the far side of an ocean, we in Aotearoa are watching, horrified, as human rights abuses unfold in real time on the United States-Mexico border. US President Donald Trump has ordered children to be taken from … Read more

Intention and joy: The Breaker-Upperers’ Ana Scotney on her new play

Breakout performer of a hit local film and now award-winning theatre maker, Ana Scotney is the definition of a rising star. She talks to Sam Brooks about her upcoming show The Contours of Heaven. If you’re most people, the first time you saw Ana Scotney (Ngāti Tāwhaki) was in The Breaker-Upperers, in which she plays the take-no-shit … Read more

Why these resettlement portraits meant so much to me, a blind immigrant

This World Refugee Day, and always, I hope the portraits and voices of our resettled community in Aotearoa can guide us in our efforts to ensure they feel valued, writes Áine Kelly-Costello. What is cultural pride? It is not pretending that any culture is perfect, or making comparisons between cultures to argue that one is above … Read more

Nicola Gaston on taking the wheel at the MacDiarmid Institute

Studies of nanotechnology and advanced materials are becoming ever more crucial as the world adjusts to a more sustainable way of living. Recently appointed co-director of the MacDiarmid Institute Dr. Nicola Gaston’s new role allows her to guide one of New Zealand’s top science institutes to potentially world-leading research.  Rising awareness about sustainability is leading … Read more

There have been 24 heater recalls since 2010, and there’s a decent chance yours is on the list

With up to 80% of faulty indoor electric heaters potentially still in use, is the recall system in need of a major shake-up?  UPDATE: As of June 2019, two more heaters have been recalled. An open flue space heater and an open flued gas log fireplace, both for producing potentially high levels of carbon monoxide. … Read more