Alex Casey power ranks the second week of Married at First Sight NZ, where the glow has worn off and the rot has set in. Rip up your veil, feed the bride’s bouquet to the nearest giraffe and cast the cursed wedding rings deep into the nearest creek: true love is dead. Week one led … Read more
The national secondary school basketball champs have been newly crowned, but more importantly, a star was brought to the fore. Madeleine Chapman introduces New Zealand basketball’s newest superstar. Charlisse Leger-Walker, a year 11 student at St Peters College in Cambridge, is the best school-aged basketball player New Zealand has ever seen. The Grand Final of … Read more
The Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) was hosted in Christchurch in the last week of September. Ākina Foundation CEO Alex Hannant looks back at the event and into the future of the social enterprise sector. Somewhere in the region of 1600 people attended the SEWF in Christchurch. It reached a further 3000 people through the … Read more
Lorraine Taylor speaks to NIWA scientist and mum of three Natalie Robinson about a life of science, of travel to a far-away land, and of staying connected to the people at home. For many of us, the thought of adding a bit of travel to our work-life balance sounds pretty good. For scientist Natalie Robinson, … Read more
Lukas created his first buzz on Soundcloud before crossing over to a wider audience with his track ‘Comfort Clouds,’ which has quickly reached 120,000 streams on Spotify. He explains to Gareth Shute why he sees himself as part of a new wave of downbeat hip-hop acts poised to rise up from the underground. “I wouldn’t … Read more
Wayne Mapp was there at the first MMP coalition negotiations in 1996, and watched from both government and opposition as subsequent deals were assembled. The former National cabinet minister writes about those years, and what the key dynamics will be in the coming days. In business and politics relationships are built on trust, just as … Read more
Last week LGBTIQ organisation Rainbow Youth released their first ever TV spot to combat homophobia. Sam Brooks does a close read of the ad, what it means, and where the conversation goes next. “If it’s not gay, it’s not gay.” Rainbow Youth’s viral ad has a simple concept and a simple message. We’re in some … Read more
This week’s NZ Defence Industry Association Forum is a chance for the weapons industry to woo politicians and entice officials to spend more on the military. But are fancier killing machines really the best use of our taxpayer dollars, asks peace activist Jessie Dennis. This year’s election campaign captivated people across the country. Whether hoping … Read more
Call it the NZ Defence Industry Association Forum or the Weapons Expo – peace activists want it stopped. As the 2017 forum gets ready to open on Tuesday, Alex Braae discovers how protesters are planning to disrupt it. The lines of protesters are sitting on the ground, arms linked. They’re blocking the door behind them, … Read more
Yesterday Massey University’s Claire Robinson argued against this being a change election with reference to prior results. Here the University of Otago’s Andrew Geddis suggests that these endless circular arguments are simply in the eye of the beholder. Have a look at this picture of Rubin’s vase and see what you see: is it two … Read more
Yesterday AM Show host Duncan Garner wrote a column for Stuff which started in the queue at K-Mart and ended asking about your grandchildren. Joe Nunweek dissects this strange creation. Duncan Garner is a man who knows what he wants. A 3-pack of workwear cotton rich socks for $12. A seven-day rotation of fitted trunks. A five-pack … Read more
Two extra seats felt like a win to many on the left. But Massey University’s Claire Robinson says that historical analysis of prior MMP results suggests this was far from a change election. Saturday’s final election results were, contrary to how they were received by some, a real blow for Labour. They didn’t pick up … Read more
Black Sheep is a Radio NZ series about the shady, controversial and sometimes downright villainous characters of New Zealand history, presented by William Ray. Here he introduces the story of Isabel “Annie’ Aves, the backstreet abortionist whose life ended in violence. Content Warning: This article deals with abortion and infanticide. Some may find it distressing. … Read more
Calum Henderson watches ITM Hook Me Up, a new fishing show that gets local celebs out in the deep blue. Give a celebrity a fish, they might do an Instagram post about it. But take a celebrity fishing? Then you’ve got a whole TV show on your hands. Prime’s new ITM Hook Me Up! is that show. … Read more
Compiling the best reading from your friendly local website. Alex Casey: Review: Married at First Sight NZ will melt your stone cold heart “As social psychology expert Pani Farvid says, nodding emphatically, more New Zealanders are single in 2017 than ever before. Haydn is done with the small talk. Angel is sick of ‘sticking in … Read more
Pollwatch: what happens if you factor in NZ First voters’ preferences, asks Toby Manhire. To predict the thinking process of Winston Peters is clearly to skate on thin ice. But what does the most recent polling information tell us about the direction his voters might want to go? With the special votes in, the New … Read more
Labour has the policies and it’s closer now to having the numbers – but close enough? What will Winston do, and what will National do? The addition of two more seat to the centre-left bloc of Labour and the Greens – at the expense of National – definitely changes the dynamic of the talks to … Read more
Any political party wanting a fairer, more productive New Zealand needs to address the issue of the taxation of capital, argues Terry Baucher. This story was originally published on interest.co.nz. Earlier this week, interest.co.nz editor Gareth Vaughan asked me whether a New Zealand political party could ever sell the idea of a capital gains tax … Read more
The Human Rights Commission’s David Rutherford argues that people shouldn’t have to live in houses contaminated by methamphetamine – but they shouldn’t have to live in houses that are damp and mouldy either. Black mould. It’s become almost a rite of passage for renting in New Zealand – if you haven’t lived in a house … Read more
If the Beehive were a US college, Winston Peters would be the It Girl with multiple suitors. Madeleine Chapman presents a guided tour through Peters’ relationship options as the Hot Girl on Campus. While New Zealand twiddles its collective thumbs and stares longingly at Beehive windows, Winston Peters is meeting with teams from Labour and … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles is back from its sabbatical, featuring Silicon’s take on Bic Runga, Aldous Harding’s off-cuts, the return of Kimbra, and more… SONG(S) OF THE WEEK Bic Runga – ‘Drive (Silicon Remix)’ A retro-futurist take on a New Zealand classic Released ahead of Bic Runga’s 20th-anniversary celebration of her … Read more
Listen to Alex Casey, Leonie Hayden and Michele A’Court tackle the past month in women, news and popular culture. This month the gang is back together to tackle the past month-ish in New Zealand media, news and general bullshit, with help from our glorious new sponsors at twenty-seven names. We dive deep into the horrific online … Read more
The Real Pod team assemble in the boardroom of dreams to talk reality TV and real life in New Zealand, and this week it’s all about one show and one show only. After scrabbling around like a litter of house pigs this week, Jane, Duncan and Alex finally find some time to dissect the glorious … Read more
Last year Leigh-ann Griffiths, mum to three school-aged children, decided to donate some of her eggs. Here she shares her diary of the process – the lessons learned and the big ups and downs of helping strangers become parents. I spent a long time trying to decide whether or not to write about my egg … Read more
Ātea editor Leonie Hayden responds to a misinformed shambles of an opinion column published in numerous newspapers this week. On October 2, Fairfax published an opinion piece across a number of their regional newspapers by an ancient and mysterious figure named Bob Brockie. Described in his Wikipedia page as a ‘cartoonist’ and ‘scientist’ (who did … Read more
Alex Casey rounds up all the characters on Lightbox who are glamorous writers and examines just how accurate their portrayals of the profession are. Like many, I was led to believe that being a writer would mostly consist of calmly sitting down at my desk next to an ornate antique lamp, cranking open my laptop and tapping … Read more
If parliament is a house of representatives, how representative has its most powerful members been? Lawyer Faisal Halabi crunches the numbers. The cabinet is a key mechanism through which the governing by our elected representatives is done. It’s the highest point of the executive arm of government where discussions and decisions are made on issues … Read more
Health expert Te Miri Rangi looks at ways to revive indigenous Māori knowledge to optimise health and wellbeing. Generations of evolution and human development have influenced the way our tinana, or our body, functions, and how it responds to the kai we eat. Most of the kai around us today has emerged as the result … Read more
The best-selling books at the two best bookstores in the North Island. AUCKLAND UNITY 1 Driving to Treblinka: A Long Search for a Lost Father by Diana Wichtel (Awa Press, $45) “I’m privileged to have known Diana for over 15 years as a colleague and a friend. In the early days, she told me a bit … Read more