Wellington-based coffee chain Mojo has announced it is upping its prices in response to the increase in the minimum wage. Fine, says Emily Writes, but I won’t be buying your coffee again. My love of coffee is known, and while it doesn’t reach the levels of “has Google alert for Wellington and Coffee” it does … Read more
An ex-Bachelorette has opened up about her experience on The Bachelor NZ, claiming that producers monitored her weight and banned her from eating dessert. Ally Thompson of The Bachelor NZ season three and The Bachelor Winter Games has written about the pressures of appearing on the romance reality show and the impact that it had … Read more
Miriama Aoake on JessB’s Block Party, an event which celebrated both the release of JessB’s debut EP and women of colour in New Zealand hip-hop. Last Friday, Galatos played host to a sundry of performances curated by JessB, coinciding with the release of her debut EP, Bloom. The night served to both celebrate and exhibit the potency … Read more
The Greens are often condemned for being too radical, and the claims have been flying thick and fast since the election of new co-leader Marama Davidson. But, she tells Alex Braae, she wears the term with pride. Marama Davidson doesn’t often raise her voice, or thump the table to make her point. But despite her … Read more
‘Be kind to animals,’ Gwen Shepherd instructed an avid listening audience when her wedding was broadcast in 1930, as told in an extract from a new book by Peter Hoar. Gwen Shepherd wore a gown of ivory georgette when she married Bruce Stennett at Wellington’s St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, now known as Old St Paul’s, on Wednesday, … Read more
If you remove statistical models and computational algorithms which reveal discriminatory assumptions or outcomes, you’re not removing discrimination, you’re just making it less transparent, writes Danyl Mclachlan. Imagine you’re the head of Immigration New Zealand. Part of your job is to deport people who are in the country illegally. You have limited resources: you can’t … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Green members elect Marama Davidson, Defence Force links with controversial billionaire Peter Thiel revealed, and teacher aide hours are being cut. Green party members have elected Marama Davidson to be their co-leader. Davidson beat associate transport minister Julie Anne Genter by a margin of 110-34. She spoke … Read more
The stakes of the next election can be found in the recently announced housing plan for Unitec and a transport blueprint that prioritises trains and bikes over cars. Labour is moving into the dangerous territory of telling people how they should live, writes National minister Wayne Mapp Getting a fix on the ideological bent of … Read more
Eight snackable facts about the new co-leader of the NZ Green Party and the challenges she faces The Green membership has overwhelmingly backed Marama Davidson to be the party’s co-leader, delivering her a delegate victory of 110-34 over the only other contender, Julie Anne Genter. Addressing an audience in Auckland late on Sunday morning, Davidson … Read more
A spy thriller by the woman who wrote Fleabag starring the woman who made you cry as Cristina Yang. Why wouldn’t you want to watch that? Sam Brooks reviews. There’s a moment about ten minutes into Killing Eve where Eve (Sandra Oh) and her boss Bill (David Haig) are legitimately, honest-to-God hungover and slogging it through work anyway. It’s … Read more
She thought about walking away from tax, but couldn’t. Maria Slade finds Westpac’s tax guru Jo Sawden does it for the love of it. Jo Sawden loves tax. Accountancy’s most arcane branch certainly isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time, but for the head of tax at New Zealand’s third largest corporate taxpayer it is … Read more
There’s a photo taken a few years ago of Jacinda Ardern and a young girl called Jessica Tuhua. Remember it well, because one day it might be used to recall the moment one future female prime minister of New Zealand met another. In our series, brought to you by our friends at Flick, celebrating the … Read more
The former deputy prime minister and chair of Labour’s tax working group talks to Duncan Greive about housing, tax, Bill English and Labour’s big 2017 campaign mistake. Whatever room he’s in, Sir Michael Cullen gravitates toward the centre. This is less about his gravitas, which remains strong nearly a decade after he left parliament, but … Read more
Consumer NZ’s new survey of renters found that many are dissatisfied with the level of service they get from their property manager. The organisation’s Jessica Wilson says it’s clear the government needs to act. It’s no secret many renters are doing it tough. But our recent survey of the market found there’s a much higher … Read more
Four years on from his debut album, Vance Joy talks to Kate Robertson about his new release Nation of Two, as well as songwriting, staying grounded, and what it’s like to be on tour with Taylor Swift. We first heard the now unmissable strum on Vance Joy’s ‘Riptide’ in 2013. In 2017, four years later, APRA … Read more
The rhetoric over the past decade or so has painted tax as a ‘burden’ from which we need ‘relief’. But PSA national secretary Erin Polaczuk argues that tax isn’t a burden nor a necessary evil, but something paid by Kiwis, for Kiwis. The Spinoff is hosting Tax Heroes – a series covering tax, who pays … Read more
From schmaltzy ballads to modern takes on classics, Jilly Taipua from Skinny Love Weddings goes through the most requested songs she gets from couples to play on their very special day. You’re getting married. It’s arguably the most important day of your life, so what one song can encapsulate the importance of this particular day, the … Read more
New Zealand Rugby needs its biggest city to be in love with rugby union. But if last weekend is anything to go by, Auckland may be considering a love affair with that other rugby code. Can the Blues win over a jaded public? Scotty Stevenson says this weekend has more riding on it than just … Read more
According to the government, the new Crown/Māori Relations portfolio was introduced (among other things) to improve the way government departments engage with Māori and find new and different opportunities for more active partnership. But what does that actually mean? Not sure what the new Crown-Māori Relations portfolio is all about? Don’t worry – neither is … Read more
Alex Casey reads through the complaints against Naked Attraction, the very rude show that aired on TVNZ last year. Everybody knows that absolutely nobody has genitals. In fact, nobody has ever been naked. Before birth we are prepped with an in-utero uniform of jorts and a high vis vest, gifted to every growing foetus from … Read more
Raising a child is hard. Caring for two is…harder? Sarah Bichan contemplates the pros and cons of having another child – with the assistance of Radiohead. Ever since having our first child, I’ve wondered: do we really want a second? Anyone will tell you that it’s one of those questions that doesn’t really have a … Read more
New verse by Wellington writer Rachel McAlpine. But when? Most of us are afraid of a slow fade, a late grave. Most of us equate old age with panic and despair and things we could not bear. We say, Not us! No way! We want to be hit by a bus. … Read more
Look at him. Just look at him. This is amazing. Former New Zealand cricket player Chris Zinzan Harris is going to be on Dancing With the Stars. To me, an avowed fan of both the legendary all-rounder and the harmlessly stupid celebrity dancing show, this could just about be the greatest thing that has ever … Read more
The week’s best-selling books at the Unity stores in Willis St, Wellington and High St, Auckland. WELLINGTON UNITY 1 Terry’s Dumb Dot Story: Treehouse Tale by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton (Pan Macmillan, $2) Yes, really: $2! 2 Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (HarperCollins, $25) Yes, really: she’s completely fine! 3 Driving … Read more
The department has confirmed it will look into the charity status of Terrible Foundation, following revelations in the Spinoff around the strange story of a purported supercomputer-powered artificial intelligence revolution in Christchurch The Department of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation into the Terrible Foundation, the registered charity linked to Zach, a supposed pioneering artificial … Read more
With the latest entry in the Far Cry series, Ubisoft has shown they can master open world gameplay – but when are they going to master telling a story? Sam Brooks reviews. Far Cry 5 starts off engagingly enough. Taking a well-worn page out of the Elder Scrolls book, you’re placed in a highly controlled and cinematic scene and … Read more
The Americans is not only one of the best shows on TV right now (with the fifth season dropping on Lightbox this week), it’s an education tool. Tara Ward studied the show and came away with tips on how to decipher if your real-life neighbours are also real-life spies. If you’re looking for an intelligent drama … Read more
Every week on The Primer we ask a local business or product to introduce themselves in eight simple takes. This week we talk to Jimmy Hayes, co-founder of premium bags company Minaal, which has raised more than $700,000 USD in crowdfunding. ONE: How did Minaal start and what was the inspiration behind it? My co-founder Doug Barber and … Read more
District Health Boards were set up to do a lot more than direct funding and monitor wait times. It’s time we got back to DHBs’ original aspirations – for the good of New Zealand’s health, writes former DHB chair Peter Glensor. Over the past week, a sobering picture of a terrible maintenance backlog – toxic … Read more