There are plenty of reasons why the Wallabies scored an upset, none of them involving random sexist slurs, writes Jamie Wall. This morning, for some reason, the New Zealand Herald decided to float the idea that the new, still to be sworn in prime minister Jacinda Ardern “cursed” the All Blacks, leading to their defeat … Read more
Jamie Wall chats to Manu Samoa veteran Dan Leo about unfairness, welfare and the myth of ‘poaching’ in Pacific Island rugby. It’s the same depressing tale we hear every year: a Pacific Island nation tours, plays tests against tier one nations and the players receive a pittance in return. Add on to that the fact … Read more
Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. Simon Wilson: 10 things Auckland desperately needs from the new government Is Auckland in crisis over transport, housing, schools, you name it, or are we heading in the right direction? The answer, says Simon Wilson, is yes. Here’s what the city really needs from … Read more
The best era in recent R&B history unites for a concert in downtown Auckland tonight. Duncan Greive reviews the Melbourne version. I don’t know what the strangest moment of the night was. Maybe the whole crowd singing Ne-Yo ‘Happy Birthday’ ahead of his vegan cake, due to his turning 38 the night prior. It could … Read more
Alex Casey previews Wait For Me Hollywood, the final TVNZ1 Sunday Special following movie star James Rolleston in the aftermath of his near-fatal car accident. When James Rolleston was a little boy, he used to peer at the TV from his front lounge in Ōpotiki and say “I want to be in there.” Several years … Read more
Today is International Stuttering Awareness Day. Spinoff staff writer Sam Brooks has a stutter; this is what it’s like. Sometimes I can’t be bothered cooking. It’s been a long day of spinoffing at the Spinoff office, I’ve written a lot of hot takes and considered the left-wing agenda. On those days, I might go outside … Read more
The team from On the Rag weren’t able to get in the same room following Jacinda’s win, so here they are with their feelings. Leonie Hayden I write this from a room filled with Ngāpuhi Māori at the end of the final week of hearings in a Waitangi Tribunal inquiry that has taken seven years – … Read more
There’s not a lot of hope for Australian rugby ahead of tonight’s test, says Scotty Stevenson. Despite the usual cork floats of confidence bobbing about in the sea of indifference that constitutes the vast majority of planet rugby in Australia these days, the third and final Bledisloe test in Brisbane is likely to go the … Read more
I’d forced myself not to think about it, but now the incredible has happened, writes Spinoff candidate diarist and new star of the Labour caucus Read all the candidate diaries from election 2017 here It’s 6.42am and I’m on a flight to Wellington. About 12 hours ago, in a press conference in the Beehive Theatre, … Read more
New Zealand’s trade policy could be set for a shakeup under the new Labour government. A likely target is investor-state dispute resolution provisions in New Zealand’s free trade agreements, which may go from status quo to status no. Chris Gillies explains why that’s not a good idea. Investor-state dispute resolution (ISDS) is a dispute … Read more
On the evening of the 19th of October 2017 a new government was anointed. Change might have been in the air, but a whole lot of men were still talking over women.
The Gone By Lunchtime team chews over the new government, what it means for Labour, NZ First, the Greens and where it leaves National – and how we got there. Guest starring an exciting new podcasting talent. With a showmanship to put Dominic Bowden to shame, Winston Peters yesterday took the fate of the next … Read more
Legendary Beastwars vocalist Matt Hyde has been diagnosed with cancer. Here Toby Morris pens a tribute, and outlines how fans can help Hyde win his battle. If you’ve ever seen Beastwars you’ll know what I’m talking about in that headline. You’ll know who is singing it too – Matt Hyde with his white beard and … Read more
Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes wonders if Facebook groups for parents do more harm than good. I saw Blade Runner finally. Without much of an interest in blades or running it took me a while. I saw it only because it had Ryan “Sad Eyes” Gosling in it. As I was watching I thought about … Read more
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. Today Simon talks to Mark Hurley about building up ventures then knowing … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, featuring Julien Barker, Julia Deans, Hopetown Brown, the handsomer Gallagher and more… SONG OF THE WEEK Julien Baker – ‘Turn Out the Lights’ A new song for communal despair The Fader recently described 21-year old Memphis songwriter Julien Baker as an artist who “writes songs for communal despair” … Read more
Tara Ward watches British sitcom Mum, a show for anyone who has found themselves in an inescapable family mess. What’s the story? Mum is a family comedy seen through the eyes of newly widowed Cathy. The show follows Cathy as she negotiates the first year after her husband’s death, beginning in January on the day … Read more
In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens and luminaries making the news. Today: The stars of Election 2017 react to new PM Jacinda Ardern – in rhyme. Click here for all our Kiwis of Snapchat videos
Andrew Geddis assesses the shape and viability of the new Jacinda Ardern led government. And sings the praises of two individuals, one from the Greens, the other National. So, very late yesterday afternoon (let’s be charitable) Winston Peters lifted the box’s lid and out wandered a cat with a black head, red body and green tail. Whereupon … Read more
New verse by Jilly O’Brien. Deirdre Barlow Deirdre do the neck thing Deirdre do the neck thing Deidre do that thing with your neck The worried neck and specs thing Oh Ken a lady gave birth in an ambulance because she left it too late watching you leave Ken in 1983 … Read more
Health campaigner Te Miri Rangi looks at what we can learn from our ancestors about the ancient art of a good night’s rest. When it comes to adopting a healthy lifestyle, the first two things that we turn to are eating healthy kai and exercising more often. But there are a number of pillars that … Read more
The best-selling books at the best two bookstores beneath the Sun. AUCKLAND UNITY 1 Goodbye Māoriland: Songs & Sounds of NZ’s Great War by Chris Bourke (Auckland University Press, $60) Fabulous new social and cultural history by the author of Blue Smoke. “An impeccably researched account of the influence of music in World War One – … Read more
With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, New Zealand has a chance to rebrand itself as a dynamic country where interesting things happen, says Wayne Mapp, the former National government minister of defence. Well, we now have a new government with Jacinda Ardern, as New Zealand’s youngest prime minister in 160 years. People, both those who … Read more
Arise Prime Minister Ardern, arise Deputy PM Peters (tbc). Our hastily convened panel weigh in on what tonight’s announcement means. Duncan Greive: Hope battling with dread I’m writing this in my phone in the way to an R&B fest in Melbourne, having spent an agonising hour with my phone speaker pressed to my ear to … Read more
Simon Wilson does a little dreaming, because why not? I’m looking forward to the world celebrating our new prime minister – because what a magnificent thing for us to be known for. I’m looking forward to all the interthings – the intergenerations and genders and ethnicities and urban/provincialities and all the rest – that the … Read more
In retrospect, it seems obvious that New Zealand First would never have chosen National. Now forward-looking Labour and Greens will need to learn to work with a party that would love to turn the clock back 40 years, writes Morgan Godfery. There are only two kinds of politicians, insiders and outsiders, and then there’s Winston … Read more
Twenty-one seasons in, South Park seems reluctant to die – and the intense licensing of the IP is no different. Don Rowe take the new video game version of everyone’s favourite depraved cartoon for a spin. I’m always nervous when franchises are ported across mediums. Not every show is fit for a game and vice … Read more
An essay by Sam Gaskin – with GIFs! – about his old friend and now superstar author Jenny Zhang. In the summer of 2016 Jenny Zhang and I went to Coney Island for a swim. It was overcast, too windy to even face the ocean, but we stripped down to our swimsuits anyway. She tried … Read more
Sleep. We all need it. We all want it. Spinoff Parents scientist Dr Jess Berentson-Shaw explains the science behind infant sleep, and what works and what doesn’t. Content warning: This post talks about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, also known as Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy. When our first baby was about eight weeks old I … Read more