After a tumultuous 36 hours of terrible polls and admissions from Andrew Little that he’s considered resigning as leader, the Labour caucus meets today. What to expect? This, definitely this … Let there be no doubt about it. Andrew Little is about to resign as leader (Mike Williams), and Andrew Little is safe in his … Read more
Jacinda Ardern? Kelvin Davis? Why stop there? Simon Wilson plays fantasy politics and surveys a world of people who could lead the Labour Party. Labour desperately needs a leader to excite our passions and lead the people to the promised land. So who’s the best person to do that? Not sure if they’ve got anyone … Read more
Pollwatch: the latest numbers, and Andrew Little’s response, have led to a welter of commentary on Labour’s predicament – including, on the Spinoff, here and here and here – but if only for a quick change of scenery, here are a few other observations worth noting. It is just possible you’ve noticed that the New Zealand Labour Party is not … Read more
A moving address on the subject of suicide, caring and love, delivered during assembly at New Plymouth Boys’ High School, Te Kura Tamatane Ongamotu, by headmaster Paul Verić, has been creating waves online. Here we republish it in full, with permission. I have been thinking about this topic for some time, boys, and, to be really honest … Read more
Andrew Little poured petrol all over himself yesterday and now he’s standing there with the lighter in his hands, screaming at us, ‘Is this what you want?’ If he burns, though, who will replace him? Well, maybe he’s not screaming it at all of us, but when he said he and his senior team had … Read more
Neil Finn talks to Henry Oliver about his forthcoming album Out of Silence, likely the first studio album ever to be recorded live in front of a livestreaming audience. Last week I spent an afternoon watching Neil Finn, the cool dad of New Zealand music, and twelve singers rehearse two songs from the album he … Read more
Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes listened to RNZ’s new podcast BANG! on sex and sexuality and thinks it’ll be a hit with parents. The first episode tackled talking about the birds and the bees with your babies. I am not entirely sure if I ever had “The Talk”. I don’t remember it, but that doesn’t … Read more
Nintendo fan Eugenia Woo talks to Jason Michael Paul, the mind behind The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, about producing a world-renowned video game music concert. In games, as in film, music is the great unseen signifier. The right soundtrack adds significance or emotion, contrasts themes, emphasises, diminishes, and even manipulates meaning – … Read more
Welcome to Top of the Pile, a gaming series in which the participants are forced to play a game at the top of the ‘just released’ list. After last week’s highs of Tour De France 2017 TOTP returns to its bread and butter by hitting rock bottom with 3d tower defence game thing Dungeon Defenders … Read more
The centre-left bloc just went up in the polls, but the conversation is all about the viability of Andrew Little as Labour leader – and it’s a conversation he started, writes Toby Manhire Andrew Little’s decision to tell New Zealand he has been contemplating resigning the Labour leadership has proved a success by one metric … Read more
*With Jane Yee away this week, Tara Ward steps in to talk vibes, chill, and more vibes on week five of The Block NZ. Kitchen and Dining Week on The Block NZ was all about ‘the vibe’. Dennis Denuto would be stoked, because there were vibes everywhere: good ones, bad ones, giant neon purple hand ones. … Read more
Finlay Macdonald talks to Julian Boshier, the director of Swagger of Thieves, a documentary about notorious ’90s rock band Head Like A Hole. At one point in Julian Boshier’s riveting, candid documentary Swagger of Thieves about legendary rock beasts Head Like A Hole, guitarist Nigel Regan asks no one in particular, “Can someone lift the … Read more
A special investigation headed by Steve Braunias asks: Has much happened this year in New Zealand writing? Nothing much has happened this year in New Zealand writing. It’s been pretty quiet. No new sensation, like Hera Lindsay Bird in 2016; a lot of stuff from Victoria University Press, some of it readable; trash from the … Read more
Each year the New Zealand International Film Festival brings gay-themed movies to an audience. David Herkt explores this history, what it means, and one of this year’s featured movies. A personal history is also, inevitably, a history of movies seen. Exploration of one’s own sexual desires will often occur through movie characters and movie plots. … Read more
Sooner or later, most Auckland first home buyers ask themselves if all the misery is really worth it. For Paul Davies, the answer, in the end, was no. And then he got a call from Melbourne… Let’s cut to the chase. We all know it’s a beautiful country, but the flip side of New Zealand’s … Read more
Pollwatch: Andrew Little admits he’s thought about standing down, after the latest from One News and Colmar Brunton shows a leap in support for the Greens. And how about that undecided number … During the 2014 election campaign, the Green Party gained a piffling 1% of media coverage, the party’s co-leader James Shaw told the … Read more
The Albert-Eden Local Board wants to turn half of the golf course at Chamberlain Park, next to the northwest motorway, into a general park for everyone to use. Golfers are outraged. Who’s right? Some nimby issues are hard. When people have a real fear a proposed new development is going to ruin their quality of … Read more
For the last fortnight the Green Party has found itself in the unfamiliar position of dominating campaign headlines. Chlöe Swarbrick takes a (brief) pause for breath to reflect on it all in her third candidate diary for the Spinoff. I’ve kind of lost all semblance of time. It turns out that crossing the threshold from … Read more
Alison Holcomb is known as the architect of marijuana legalisation in Washington state and was labelled ‘pot momma’ by the press. She spoke to Simon Day about leading Washington state to legalising cannabis. Because the government wasn’t going to do it, lawyer Alison Holcomb had to convince the public of Washington state to legalise cannabis themselves. … Read more
Will the appeal to regional New Zealand and a pitch centred on reviving the economically interventionist state bear fruit for NZ First, asks former National Party cabinet minister Wayne Mapp. Is this going to be the year of Winston Peters, just as it was in 1996? The New Zealand First leader increasingly looks as though … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, this week featuring Charli XCX, Repulsive Woman, Mick Jagger, Chase and Status and more… SONG OF THE WEEK Charli XCX – ‘Boys’ Dreaming of Charli XCX’s perfect production Sometimes a song just nails a sound so simple and so sweetly that only six seconds into your first listen you know … Read more
Oh! The Places You’ll Go when you’re a parent. Here’s an uplifting and hilarious poem by Gillian Breckell (based on the original Dr Seuss masterpiece we know and love) to soothe tired mamas. It’s best read with some chocolate or wine or anything that makes you feel good inside. Congratulations! Today brought a baby. You’re … Read more
Henry Oliver catches the 312 bus to Onehunga with SWIDT, whose debut album Stoneyhunga is out today. “We grew up on here,” says Spycc (Daniel Latu), one of SWIDT’s two MCs after we pile into the back of the 312 bus to Onehunga, the base of New Zealand’s most exciting hip-hop group. “This is our second home.” … Read more
Welcome to the Spinoff Auckland serial The Bakers’ Tale, Brian Ng’s story of a couple of guys and a pastry-making business. Episode 2: The immigration glitch. The day begins with the three requisite ingredients: flour, butter, sugar. And water. Mix them together and you can make a shortcrust pastry for a tart case, a sponge … Read more
Plenty of attention is given to the health implications of obesity, but much less thought is given to how a fat-stigmatising culture damages people – women especially. Why can’t all bodies, not just slim ones, be allowed to feel comfortable in their own skin, asks Catherine Trundle. This week a new report reminded us that … Read more
The best-selling books at the two best bookstores which sell books. WELLINGTON UNITY 1 The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy (Hamish Hamilton, $38) Tedious, fatuous novel longlisted for the 2017 Man Booker award. 2 The New Zealand Project by Max Harris (Bridget Williams Books, $40) Max! 3 Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls … Read more
Two new spoons poems by Dunedin writer Liz Breslin. when life gives you spoons when life gives you spoons, measure sugar, stir the juice when life gives you spoons, fix tyres when life gives you spoons, play Kadabra, stare them down when life gives you spoons, grab them off a plane when life … Read more
It’s only fair that most of the focus ahead of this weekend’s Super Rugby semi-finals will be on the players but, as Scotty Stevenson writes, both crucial clashes will also be defined by a battle between the old and new schools of professional coaches. Dave Rennie has never been one to mince his words. To … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today: In celebration of Thane and Dunc’s anniversary party – held tonight at an Auckland strip club – Emily Writes reviews The Rock’s website. Because usually she loves The Rock. My husband has listened to The Rock for as long … Read more