What is the value of a Kiwi childhood? This Christmas, Lorraine Taylor, CEO of Variety – The Children’s Charity, asks New Zealanders who have enough to consider helping those families who don’t. Children and young people make up nearly 25 percent of New Zealand’s population – that’s 1.12 million Kiwis under the age of 18. … Read more
Tara Ward counts down the top ten moments from the eleventh episode of Outlander season three. Contains major spoilers, obviously. This morning I woke to the crushing news that I am no longer engaged to Prince Harry. Thankfully, one can always rely on Outlander to soften life’s cruel blows with a soft, billowy cushion of ginger joy. … Read more
Why the strange fixation with broadcasters using te reo? Probably because it raises questions about the legitimacy of the country they imagine themselves to live in, writes Danyl Mclauchlan. I have this theory about Māori Language Week and the outrage it routinely provokes from a mostly older, mostly Pakeha subset of the population; outrage that … Read more
Aquaculture has been touted as a panacea for collapsing fish stocks, but it comes with environmental baggage. Food futurist Dr Rosie Bosworth says ‘clean fish’ – grown in a lab – could be the most sustainable fish stock of all. A version of this article first appeared on Pure Advantage. Read Dr Rosie Bosworth on … Read more
To mark the 10th anniversary of The Truth, the debut album from Sid Diamond (FKA Young Sid), Sam Wicks talks to Sid and the team that helped capture his Otara state of mind. In September 2007, Young Sid released his landmark street rap album on Move the Crowd Records, a label set up by ex-pat music executive … Read more
‘Tis the season to be jolly – unless you work in retail. Long hours and bustling crowds mean the holiday season can turn into a living hell for those working through the thick of it. So to make life just a little bit easier, a handful of retail workers offer their best tips on how not … Read more
Four courses and six very famous chefs stand between our amateur cooking heroes and a $100,000 cheque. In any competition, a grand final is a magical event. You can feel it in the electric crackle of anticipation and sense it in the surrounding pomp and ceremony. The grand final of My Kitchen Rules NZ is no exception: … Read more
A new Green MP is under fire over her past work as a legal intern in a team defending men accused of war crimes in Rwanda. Do the criticisms hold water, asks legal professor Andrew Geddis There’s a popular narrative around human rights. In this story, there is the good side and the bad side. … Read more
Te Papa’s eighth iwi exhibition Ko Rongowhakaata is currently showing at the national museum in Wellington – showcasing taonga, contemporary art, and powerful stories of survival and tenacity. In this essay, Rongowhakaata kaumatua-in-residence Thelma Karaitiana speaks of the journey from Te Kore to Te Papa. Te Kore From the nothingness of Te Kore and through … Read more
Aotearoa is home to the biggest Polynesian population on earth – a fact brought home to us all in high definition colour as the red sea of Mate Ma’a Tonga fans flooded the Rugby League World Cup in celebration. But for Pasifika Human Rights advisor and South Auckland local Tuiloma Lina Samu, it was a … Read more
The new coalition government has made a start on addressing the housing crisis with the just-announced independent housing review. But Jenny McArthur warns that Labour’s proposed KiwiBuild policy could risk adopting solutions that actually fuel the problems they claim to solve, reinforcing inequality for decades to come. After years of futile policy interventions, it’s time … Read more
Yet another Spinoff Review of Books exclusive as we break the 5am embargo on the longlist of the 2018 Ockham New Zealand national book awards by 60 seconds: the following story went up on our site at 4:59am. With some ado here and there, below is the full list of the 10 longlisted finalists in the 2018 … Read more
Ever wondered if you can go tramping with little ones? The answer is yes! Meg Drive shares one of her tramping adventures and gives tips on where to start if you want to take your family on a tramping trip. The Waihohonu Hut is a great example of false advertising. It was billed as a … Read more
Spinoff Review of Books editor Steve Braunias anticipates the longlist for the 2018 Ockham national book awards, announced at 5am tomorrow. One of the many great, bitter lines that VS Naipaul comes up with in Paul Theroux’s great, bitter book of their lost friendship, Sir Vidia’s Shadow, is his remark made every year at the announcement … Read more
Elle Hunt thought she was alone at sea in her love for Blue Planet back in 2001. In 2017, it would seem the whole world has taken the plunge. I would like to begin with an apology to the couple I interrupted at The Love Walk Cafe in Camberwell last week. I’m so sorry; you … Read more
Kate Robertson reviews Shawn Mendes, the ever-so-pure former Vine star who performed at Spark Arena on Saturday. Saturday night saw 19-year-old Shawn Mendes, a star so clean-cut Disney could only dream of stamping their brand on him, grace us with his pristine presence for the first time. It’s a gig I’ve not stopped yapping on … Read more
New Zealand led the world with the recognition of the legal personhood of the Whanganui River and Te Urewera ranges. Otago University professor of law, Jacinta Ruru, says this needs to be the start of a Māori worldview contribution to our legal system and the way we look after our environment. Professor Jacinta Ruru doesn’t … Read more
A mother shares her story of growing up around marijuana, and using marijuana now she is a parent herself. Last week, The Spinoff Parents published a post from a mother who felt that having parents who were heavy cannabis smokers negatively impacted her childhood. You can read it here. We received a huge amount of … Read more
With New Zealand’s rugby-playing women cleaning up at today’s World Rugby Awards, the head of New Zealand’s largest sports management agency outlines why pay parity is a red herring and the Black Ferns are the steak knives of our generation. 2017 might just be remembered as a breakout year for women’s sport. A capacity of … Read more
NZ Art Parallels is the Twitter account which reveals the previously hidden connections between world art history and New Zealand politics and media. Now NZ Art Parallels has joined The Spinoff for a monthly column, collecting the best parallels from Twitter and exclusive Spinoff-only content. The Spinoff Parallel of the Month Putting Winston Peters first … Read more
The government has announced an increase in the minimum wage, but tax consultant Terry Baucher says a shift in tax brackets might make us all better off. In response to our low wage economy the new government has committed to raising the minimum wage from $16.50 an hour progressively to $20.21 per hour by 2020. Aside … Read more
Shoot, print, steal: it’s a motto which has taken renegade photo exhibition Paper Pirates across the globe. Ahead of their first New Zealand show in four years, Don Rowe speaks to co-founder Tim Lambourne. Ever felt such a connection to a piece of art, saw some essential truth in a body of work, loved a … Read more
Don Rowe’s car has no warrant and no rego. But with the power of the sharing economy he went for a roadtrip to Raglan in a performance car, and northern exploration in a drop top classic. Fast cars seem like a ridiculous and ostentatious display of wealth – until you drive them. Then it starts … Read more
A brute force barrage of questions on a new and under-staffed coalition is not uniquely awful, argues Ben Thomas, but nor is it defensible. Is there such a thing as a stupid question? What about 6000 of them? Newsroom’s Sam Sachdeva noted on Friday that the National opposition had lodged 6254 written questions for government … Read more
Last week Auckland Council voted to build an extension on Queens Wharf: a fixed walkway to two moored “dolphin” buoys, stretching 80-85 metres further into the harbour. Simon Wilson was at the meeting and asks, how the hell did that happen? The Golden Princess was in Auckland on Friday. A modern cruise ship, new to … Read more
Police conducted a ‘major operation’ in the aftermath of Tonga’s loss to England in the RLWC. Jamie Wall was there, and reports on what many in the community felt like overkill. Last night, in the wake of Tonga’s 20-18 loss to England in the Rugby League World Cup, thousands of locals took to the streets … Read more
Nadine Millar writes a love letter to her beloved Porirua, and asks ‘What’s in a name?’ A few years ago, in 1994, a local businessman started an unsuccessful campaign to change the name of Porirua. Chris Gollins, a real estate consultant and media personality, felt that businesses were put off coming to the city because they baulked … Read more
Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. Madeleine Holden: Why is Sky bringing Tony Veitch back to our screens? “It’s an odd indictment of New Zealand’s insular culture that in a global climate in which high-profile abusers are being outed and ousted from public life, we are instead choosing to reward … Read more
Calum Henderson makes some very well-informed predictions for the finale of My Kitchen Rules NZ tomorrow. Pour out a jug of rich, tasty jus for the four fallen teams of My Kitchen Rules NZ 2017: North Shore students Charlotte and Maddie, Rotorua soulmates Tash and Hera, Auckland besties Jaryd and Ben and – in a shock elimination after last … Read more