Election Night 2017: Duncan Greive scrolls down the electorates in play – including some big name potential casualties. So far tonight I have drunk three low alcohol beers and clicked ‘refresh’ on the electorate status page of the election results website approx 1000 times. It’s a very, very bad way to consume the election, please … Read more
Election Night 2017: The Māori Party could be wiped out, if early numbers are a guide. We haven’t nearly enough data yet to be penning the obituary, but the Māori Party has had a bad start to the night. As the below show, the party’s candidates are behind in all the seats they’re contesting. Te … Read more
Election Night 2017: Here are our first impressions from the major election results coverage, if you are still deciding which channel to turn to. 1 NEWS Vote 17 Election Night Special “I’m on time and a half tonight,” sighs Mike Hosking. He’s fed up, luckily Hilary appears to be fizzing in her seat. They are … Read more
Election Night 2017: What are these early numbers telling us? With 5% of the count in based on advanced vote, the polls look roughly right. This is a big enough sample to say that National is almost certainly going to finish first. They’ll be in a strong position to form a government, whether with NZ … Read more
Election Night 2017: The Spinoff is at tonight’s National, Labour and Greens parties in central Auckland. Simon Wilson sets the scene. Middlemore emergency specialist and Labour Party loyalist David Galler is standing at the front of the Labour room with Mike Mizrahi, the event impresario who is running the Labour show tonight. “Just a couple … Read more
As we prepare to look at the first results, what clues do we have about young voter numbers? The idea of a youthquake has gained currency across this election, spurred by the evidence that young people appear motivated by Labour leader Jacinda Ardern, talk of a generational tide, and reference to the achievement of Jeremy … Read more
Election Night 2017: The numbers tend to change in the final count. Here’s what we reckon are the thresholds for survival in advanced votes. We’ve been banging on about advance votes and the enrol’n’vote combo offer and special votes for a bit now, but as we await the great democratic sky with our arms outstretched, … Read more
Which electorates to watch? In some of them, the spread of the party vote will tell you heaps about how the whole night is going. In others, high-profile local candidates will confound the big trends. Who said it’s just about counting the numbers. Sure, the relative size of the urban swing to Labour and the … Read more
Tomorrow from 7 pm, the election results will start seeping onto every transistor radio, television screen and phone tree in the country. It’ll be thirsty work, so we’ve put together a little something to keep spirits up. With apple juice, obviously. Take a sip when you hear/see: “Neck and neck” “Drag race” “Jacindamania” “Stardust” “Knife … Read more
The simple answer: we could know super-fast, and it could take an age. Toby Manhire explains. Much like Bill English’s historic walk-run innovation, the election results will come at two paces: fast, right up in the grill, and slow, almost downright leisurely. But first, the Electoral Commission’s official targets: All advanced vote numbers available by … Read more
It’s been a wonderful time, entirely composed of good-natured debates over the issues that matter. Here the Spinoff relives the thrills, spills and for-fuck’s-sake-please-chills of the 2017 New Zealand election campaign. ATTENTION PLEASE: The Spinoff will be smashing out quick takes from 7pm Saturday to keep the internet informed of how the big dance ends. … Read more
The campaign for the Māori seats has been defined by drama and intrigue, with noble families protecting ancient fiefdoms and usurpers lurking around every corner like some kind of popular fantasy series. As of 19 September, 241,602 people were enrolled on the Māori electoral roll with the 18 – 24 group by far the largest … Read more
How do you make friends when you’re a new mum? It can be tough to find your people. Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes has some tips. One of the most common questions I’m asked by email or private message is: “I’m a new mum – how do I make friends?” Becoming a parent is a … 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: a look back at some of the faces and sounds of the election campaign.
New verse by Wellington writer Freya Sadgrove. Georgie Porgie I wanna kiss you and make you cry obviously I find you dangerously unsentimental in fact I worry that you might be harbouring a small violence in your daily life such as such as muttering insults at the elderly or writing scathing reviews of high … Read more
With three restaurants in Auckland, Bird on a Wire is already a success story. So why did Sophie Gilmour jump on a plane bound for China to open a pop-up restaurant? It was an opportunity to good to pass up. New Zealand food incubator, Hatchery, offered Kiwi food company Bird on a Wire the chance to … Read more
The Spinoff presents the video premiere of SWIDT’s ‘Ric Flair (Wooo!)’, featuring “Dirty” Dave O’Connor, “Onehunga Dragon” Jordan Invincible, “Phat” Paul Stoodon, Reggie Handsome and Israel ‘The Stylebender’ Adesanya. With their new single, SWIDT join the long line of rappers to pay homage to Ric Flair, a legend of American wrestling with championships spanning the WWF, WWE, … Read more
As the clock strikes 7pm Saturday, here’s the coverage we’ll be doing on this, The Spinoff website. ROAMING Our Auckland editor and notorious party liaison Simon ‘Van Wilder’ Wilson will be getting in the thick of the mirth and misery at the official election night parties of National, Labour and The Greens. That’s a lot … Read more
The best-selling books at the two best bookstores for people who like reading books. AUCKLAND UNITY 1 What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton (Simon & Schuster, $50) The record of a woman who lost a political election to a lying sack of shit. 2 Choice by Edith Eger (Rider Books, $35) Eger was 16 when … Read more
Unless you have eight eyes like some kind of politically-engaged spider, your second most important decision tomorrow will be choosing which channel to watch the election results on. Luckily, we’re here to help For the Spinoff’s election night plans, scroll all the way to the foot of this page 1 NEWS Vote 17 Election Night … Read more
Jamie Wall looks back at the years in which the rugby may or may not have changed the course of our political history. It’s no secret that rugby means a lot to New Zealanders. There’s been studies on how our obsession for the national game affects society off the field, for example how a single … Read more
It was another cold night in another cold community hall in Panmure and Chlöe Swarbrick was still grinning. Simon Wilson reports on Maungakiekie, the electorate that will show whether Labour really knows how to win. There were no MPs in the room. That’s unusual in Auckland: with the party lists working the way they do, … Read more
Originally a mod of the military sim ARMA 2, Dayz and its creator, New Zealander Dean Hall, are responsible for the survival zombie horror genre we all know and are somewhat bored by now. José Barbosa loved the mod and initially started playing the full-on commercial standalone version in 2012. He now returns to the forests … Read more
The Advertising Standards Authority and Broadcasting Standards Authority have both dismissed a complaint against National’s ‘Let’s Tax This’ ad. Lawyer Steven Price, who advised on the complaint, explains why he thinks they got it seriously wrong. When I first saw the National Party’s blatantly misleading ‘Let’s Tax This’ ad, I thought: the Advertising Standards Authority would … Read more
Pollwatch: The Newshub poll again shows National with a decent lead, but still suggests it could go either way. Not that kingmaker Winston Peters gives a rat’s arse, obviously. To recap once more: there was Incredibly explosive, then Volatile and telling, then Dramatic and devastating. Tonight’s Paddy poll, conducted by Reid Research for Newshub, was … Read more
The experiences of migrants and refugees are addressed in an annual summit hosted by AUT’s Immigration and Inclusion Research Group. This year a range of speakers will be tackling the workplace. “We are in a woven universe, so how do we create a weave that doesn’t fray?” This is the question at the core of … Read more
In low income areas of New Zealand, where there is very low voter turnout, children and highly engaged principals are making a big difference. Kirsten Warner shares the Bring An Adult to Vote initiative. At Holy Family School in Porirua, the $40 cost of the school three-photo pack was beyond the reach of many families. … Read more
Has the Jacindaphoria evaporated? Who won the last debate? Are National’s attack lines defensible? What happened to NZ First? Who will win the election? The Gone By Lunchtime team fearlessly answer these questions with definitive and irrefutable opinions. We’re leaving together. But still it’s farewell. And maybe we’ll come back, To earth, who can tell? I … Read more
Election day isn’t just for voting, there are countless rules to follow between the hours of 12am and 7pm on September 23rd. Professional voter Madeleine Chapman spells them out. At 11:59pm on Friday September 22nd, New Zealand will be as it has been for the past two months. Drowning in a swamp of an election, … Read more