A gaggle of shell-shocked geese, in the form of Toby Manhire, Ben Thomas and Hayden Donnell, splutter hot-take spittle all over the mid-price microphones in the Spinoff podcast studio. Guest starring Annabelle Lee and José Barbosa. John Key, the prime minister of New Zealand, has announced his resignation. He’s done. He’s had it. He’s out. … Read more
‘Best Songs Ever’ features various contributors to The Spinoff Music assessing recent songs and singles. Run The Jewels – ‘Legend Has It’ Run the Jewels, the duo of Killer Mike and El-P, are tearing it up with renewed post-election anger ahead of their third album (which I assume will be called RTJ-3). On ‘Legend Has … Read more
John Key resigns as prime minister: what does it all mean? A range of commentators from all points on the political spectrum weigh in. Jennifer Lees-Marshment: A chance to refresh the National brand John Key’s resignation will carry strategic benefits for National – even if it wasn’t designed to. It means the party can find … Read more
‘He understands middle New Zealand in a way that is unparalleled.’ Political commentator Ben Thomas looks back at John Key’s prime ministerial career. It’s easy to forget, after eight years leading a stable centrist government as the most popular Prime Minister in New Zealand history, that John Key’s political career has been built on surprises. … Read more
In a momentous political bombshell, John Key has announced he’s standing down as PM. Some early, shell-shocked thoughts from Toby Manhire… It is one of the hoary rules of politics that leaders never – almost never – go of their own accord. But John Key, not for the first time, has proved his resistance to … Read more
Tara Ward delivers her Shortland Street power rankings for last week, including sexy fish and chips and the return of some old friends. 1) Leanne sails back into Ferndale Our favourite triage admissions clerk sailed her ship back into Ferndale’s dank and dirty waters this week. While Leanne was bright and shiny from the splendours … Read more
The refusal to mount an independent inquiry on behalf of those who suffered horrendous physical, sexual and psychological abuse in state care is staggering, writes Elizabeth Stanley. This morning the prime minister, John Key, has joined his social development minister, Anne Tolley, in defending the government’s approach to victims of horrendous physical, sexual and psychological … Read more
All week this week we recommend the very best, A-grade quality, guaranteed good books for Christmas. Today: Holly Walker reviews Commonwealth, a stunning novel by Ann Patchett. It creeps up on you, this novel. It opens in 1964, at a christening party in suburban Los Angeles. Bert Cousins shows up uninvited with a big bottle of gin. The … Read more
A conversation on the byelection result, politics and Asian communities, and whether Michael Wood’s big win points to a Labour resurgence, with two longtime Mt Roskill residents who happen also to be Tze Ming Mok’s parents Tze Ming Mok was born and raised in Mt Roskill by immigrant parents from Malaysia and Singapore. Her parents, … Read more
A legend of NZ journalism, admired and adored by colleagues in newspapers and at TV3, Gordon ‘Flash’ McBride has died. David Slack bids farewell. Some people find the right words to say goodbye to a dying friend. I struggle. I stare at a blank card for an hour. Only at the funeral do I find … Read more
Compiling the best reading from your friendly local website. Luke Tipoki: You say Kai-kura, I say Kaikōura – why your inability to pronounce Māori place names pisses me off “When I hear this mangling of tō tātou reo Māori, I hear years of colonisation, and I hear a country that seems uninterested in the preservation … Read more
Among the protesters who gathered last week to oppose the sealing of the Pike River mine was the great New Zealand author Dame Fiona Kidman. Here she explains why more must be be done to retrieve the bodies of the 29 men killed in the 2010 disaster. The drive from Greymouth to the Pike River … Read more
Every Friday, ‘The Album Cycle’ reviews a handful of new releases. ALBUM OF THE WEEK Various Artists – The Hamilton Mixtape Cover albums are never as good as originals. But The Hamilton Mixtape – a reimagining of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton, by some of today’s biggest voices – comes pretty damn close. They’re not … Read more
Is being a super serene person a sign of good mental health – or does it mean you’re a secret sociopath? In-house therapist Ms X weighs in. Hi Ms. X, I was the creepy baby that never cried. All my life I’ve been the super calm one in my family, friend group and relationships – … Read more
a special longform feature brought to you by The Spinoff and DB Breweries In the corner of the pub past the fading portrait of David Lange, and the faded red banner declaring “United we Stand”. Past the sepia-toned newspaper clippings of miners gathered round mass graves and another with a front page headline declaring that … Read more
Most parents have to balance the needs of their family with the demands of their job, but working as an MP comes with special challenges, as Green MP Gareth Hughes explains. Since the start, my political career has run almost in tandem with my parenting career. In fact, the week I entered Parliament in early … Read more
Have you heard? If you lie about Santa you’re a monster and your children are going to need therapy forever. Nonsense, says Angela Cuming – maintaining the Santa myth will be the best gift you give your kids this Christmas. When my father died in May 1990, Christmas died with it. A wonderful, kind and … Read more
The Spinoff and Spark proudly present Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. This episode: Murray Cammick joins host Henry Oliver to talk about the late Ray Columbus. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver talks to (among other things) Rip It Up co-founder Murray Cammick about Ray Columbus, an icon … Read more
Every month host Alex Casey is joined by comedian/writer Michele A’Court and Mana magazine editor Leonie Hayden to discuss what happened in the world of women over the preceding four weeks. Better late than never, they return with help from their legendary sponsors at BON tampons and dressed by the costume wizards at First Scene. It’s been a few weeks since T**** … Read more
The Spinoff once again reshapes the media landscape, this time with The Spinoff Snapchat Gaming Review. This week Madeleine Chapman gives Out Run a hoon. Follow the old Spinoff on Snapchat at the_spinoff. Thanks. The extent of my gaming ability ends as soon as two hands are required, working in unison. Which is why old … Read more
Xmas is around the corner! By all means choose something from the latest Unity Books best-seller chart at their stores in Auckland and Wellington. AUCKLAND STORE 1 Swing Time (Hamish Hamilton, $37) by Zadie Smith “A keen, controlled novel about dance and blackness steps onto a stage of cultural land mines…Moving, funny, and grave, this novel … Read more
Tara Ward watches the iconic TVNZ 1 series Shed of the Year, and brings together some key criteria for an average shed to reach shed glory. I have a confession: I love sheds. My new love blossomed last Tuesday night, when George Clarke strolled onto my screen in Amazing Spaces: Shed of the Year. He … Read more
Ashleigh Young resolves the burning issue facing all New Zealanders: the correct way to spell our beloved national particle. Hint: it’s not “aye”. On Tuesday this week, I decided to do a tweet about eh. I decided it because at Victoria University Press, where I work, a situation had arisen where an author wanted to … Read more
Following the Kaikoura experience, Japan and Indonesia’s mechanisms may offer examples – and there is clearly need to tackle confusion over self-evacuation, writes geologist Jane Cunneen Following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake and tsunami on November 14, conversation is turning to whether New Zealand should have a 24/7 earthquake monitoring and tsunami warning system. The prime … Read more
It’s costing more and more to live in New Zealand. But just how much more? Having trouble viewing the quiz? Take it here.
New apocalyptic verse by Wellington writer Nick Ascroft. Gone Mad Health and safety gone mad. Disease and hazard gone mad. ‘Health and safety gone mad’ gone mad. Healthy dislike of Baby Boomers gone mad. Housing prices gone mad. Interest rates threatening to spiral out of control but remaining at a plateau gone mad. Estate agents gone mad. I’m … Read more
Making judgemental comments about other parents’ choices doesn’t do anything to help improve early childhood education, says Emily Writes. It just makes you an asshole. Oh look! There’s a new article about how parents are evil for putting their children in childcare. And the commenters aren’t happy. Every parent apparently has the same choices according … Read more
Henry Oliver spends two days listening to the Pixies ahead of the announcement of their show in March next year. These are his decisive findings (at least until he deep dives again in March). Best song: ‘Debaser’ When you listen a band’s discography a few times over a day or two, you can really zoom … Read more
After two and a half years of part-time development, Auckland indie dev Steven Wu has released his first game, Ink Wars, on the app store. Don Rowe speaks to Wu, by day a project manager at Spark, about the challenges and triumphs of building a mobile game while holding down a job, and why Kiwi devs … Read more