If he gets his way, Rei will be a name you’ll be hearing a lot more often. Hussein Moses sits down with the up-and-coming New Zealand artist to talk about his new album and how he’s working to bring te reo outside of the classroom and into the world. Whether it’s the message he’s trying … Read more
The spotlight has been on a Labour Party replacing both its leader and its slogan, but National’s campaign message could do with a rewrite, too, argues tech entrepreneur Derek Handley. There’s no hope for New Zealand in National’s first campaign ad. Who needs it when everything is perfect? The government’s first clip for the upcoming election, ‘Get … Read more
All week this week the Spinoff Review of Books examines a new book devoted to investigative journalism in New Zealand. Today: an excerpt from the book, in which James Hollings backgrounds an investigation by Herald legend Matt Nippert. Late in 2016, then-Prime Minister John Key was in Peru for a summit of world leaders. At … Read more
Jacinda Ardern’s first week as Labour leader has brought a flood of admiring comparisons to Helen Clark. But Miriama Aoake argues that the comparison is false, largely because Ardern has proven more engaged with the concerns of Māori than the far more cynical Clark. Jacinda Ardern last week became the Labour Party’s fifth leader since Helen … Read more
After their worst loss of the year all but guaranteed a sixth straight season without finals footy, James Dann asks if it’s finally time to abandon all hope of the Warriors ever being good at rugby league again? The New Zealand Warriors were gifted a perfect start to Saturday afternoon’s must-win game against the bottom-of-the-table … Read more
Welcome to episode 3 of the Spinoff Auckland serial The Bakers’ Tale, Brian Ng’s story of a couple of guys and a pastry-making business. Today: Getting personal with Ben. Good news everyone! Ben Chevre (the tall one) is single! As he puts it (read this, and anything else I quote him saying, in your best French accent), … Read more
Two hours after Labour launched its flagship transport policy in the central city, National launched its own 30 kilometres south. Duncan Greive was there to watch. National unveiled its rail transport policy under a slate grey sky at a train station in Papakura, doing their best impression of obliviousness to the nation’s incipient Jacinda-mania. Bill English … Read more
The Jacindatrain arrived in Auckland yesterday, bringing with it the news that Labour has a radically different transport policy from National. Simon Wilson was there to sample the excitement. “Come and have a beer with me,” said Jacinda Ardern at the end of her election rally at Karanga Plaza in the Wynyard Quarter. She never … Read more
Labour has jettisoned its leader and overhauled its campaign – but National, too, is having to rethink its approach, writes Toby Manhire Look, it’s not as though it was Obama 2008. Labour’s new mantra, “Let’s do this”, sounded less stadium and more working bee. But there was no mistaking the buoyant mood at the launch … Read more
Compiling the best reading from your friendly local website. Toby Manhire: Jacinda Ardern and Kelvin Davis: why this is terrible for Labour, and why it is brilliant “At her first press conference as leader of the Labour Party, Jacinda Ardern has promised to run “the campaign of our lives”. She and new deputy Kelvin Davis, who … Read more
Decimated first by piracy and then by streaming, video stores are meant to have vanished. But some have survived, and their success signposts how they might thrive into the future, writes Aaron Yap. Nestled in the heart of Mt. Albert in Auckland is one of the last remaining Video Ezy stores in New Zealand. A … Read more
After a rocky start – and that toe-curling musical promo clip – it seems like Three’s 7pm infotainment show has hit its stride. Former US news presenter Pallas Hupé Cotter explains how The Project makes it look so easy. It turns out, it’s not just frothy and funny. The Project seems to have come up … Read more
Thalia Kehoe Rowden imagines a future where we have mothers of young children and babies in Parliament. What a world it could be… Today in Parliament, the House passed a unanimous motion of congratulations to Prime Minister Golriz Ghahraman, on the birth of her third child. In a statement to the House, Acting Prime Minister, … Read more
Apparently Jacinda and Metiria weren’t the only ones making political news this week. Simon Wilson has five things to say about some of the transport and housing bullshit that went down this week. 1. The Auckland roads lobby cooks the numbers Did you see that “Auckland traffic ‘pouring $1.9 billion down the drain’” front page of the … Read more
National has released its $2.6 billion dollar plan to fix Auckland’s traffic Armageddon. Hayden Donnell clutches his head and screams into the void over it leaving the single most obviously popular and important transport project for the city off its funding list. National had to rush out its plan to fix Auckland’s transport on Thursday … Read more
The Revolution’s Lisa Coleman – also known as one half of Wendy & Lisa – tells Calum Henderson about getting the band back together and how they feel about the recent Purple Rain reissue. “It’s so strange,” Lisa Coleman says, thinking back on her time making music with Prince. “We blazed across the face of … Read more
While politicians debates the pros and cons of decriminalising cannabis, another even safer soft drug is already freely available in New Zealand. Scott Hamilton explores the history and importance of kava in the Pacific Islands, and why it could be the drug of New Zealand’s future. New Zealand is debating whether to decriminalise marijuana, and … Read more
The Green co-leader today ruled herself out of a future cabinet role after admissions about lying to Winz and in her voter registration details. But how bad, really, was the breach of electoral law, asks Andrew Geddis While I can’t go so far as to claim Metiria Turei as a full friend, she certainly is … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, this week featuring Estère, Yumi Zouma, Bloodnut, Paul McLaney, Sons of Zion and more… SONG OF THE WEEK Estère – ‘Pro Bono Techno Zone’ Dancing to the end of the non-digital world Estère, the Wellington-based producer/singer/artist, is back with a twisted electro-funk missive against our collective obsession … Read more
The best-selling books at the two best bookstores you ever did see. AUCKLAND UNITY 1 The 7th Function of Language by Laurent Binet (Harvill Press, $35) Pretentious bullshit. 2 The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy (Hamish Hamilton, $38) Trash, damningly reviewed by Marion McLeod at the Spinoff Review of Books. 3 The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret … Read more
Next up in Sam’s Celebrity Game Reviews is Nicki Minaj: The Empire, in which you play a character who becomes fast friends with Nicki Minaj and ends up performing as her opening act. “HEY Y’ALL IT’S NICKI MINAJ!” The unmistakable un-dulcet tones of Nicki Minaj greeted me and the rest of The Spinoff offices when I … Read more
Martin Matthews has resigned as auditor general on the back of a report into his actions – and inaction – during the three years that Joanne Harrison was committing fraud at the MOT. But if the report was so damning, why can’t the public read it, asks Peter Newport, in an opinion piece following his … Read more
Sometimes people (men) are a bit simple. They need help to talk to other people in a way that isn’t shitty and awful. Gem Wilder has provided this easy guide to not being a urine-soaked bag of burnt popcorn. So you’re talking to a woman. Congratulations! Isn’t she glorious? All women are. Most of them … Read more
The Green co-leader’s confessions were snowballing, her position becoming untenable. But ultimately the decision seems to have come down to Jacinda Ardern. ’Tis the season for resigning, and there was plenty of speculation Metiria Turei was about to do that when she called a press conference for noon today. Her first words upon addressing the … Read more
Tara Ward watches Prime TV’s Back Benches amidst an exciting week for both politics and local colouring book production. Watching Back Benches was the most educational 45 minutes of television since the time I devoured the infomercial about the ladder that transforms into 370 different positions. Back Benches gave me answers to questions I didn’t know I was asking, like what does free range chicken … Read more
Fractious Tash’s new production as part of Q’s Matchbox Season, The Effect, doesn’t quite translate the play’s complexities into a production, writes Sam Brooks. On the face of it, Fractious Tash producing The Effect seems like an ideal match of company and play. Their previous productions, the tremendous Titus and the mixed-but-visually-stunning Not Psycho, have made big … Read more
New verse by west Auckland writer Paula Green, who was awarded the Prime Minister’s award for poetry this week and pockets $60,000. The New York Public Library Josephine stands outside The New York Public Library like a scarecrow and gapes at the Grecian urns, the guardian lions glaring from plinths. Really, she is … Read more
For plenty of New Zealand rugby fans, their second Super Rugby team is ‘anyone playing the Crusaders’, but there was one year this wasn’t the case. Jamie Wall looks back on the team’s extraordinary post-earthquake 2011 season. “We’ll be cheering on the Lions next week”. That was the post-match reaction of Hurricanes captain Dane Coles … Read more
Ready for the last weekend of the Film Festival in Auckland? Chris Davis introduces his movie about Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill) and chooses another film he also wants to see. Part seven of our filmmaker’s choice series. A friend recently told me about a conversation she overheard. Three women were debating the significance of Mike … Read more