A trip to the bookshop ends in calamity – and an encounter with the calm, candid and kind medical staff of North Shore Hospital. As a great admirer of Hilary Mantel’s writing, I looked forward to reading the final novel in her trilogy set in Tudor England, The Mirror & the Light. I drove down … Read more
Director Emma Calveley tells the story behind her new Loading Docs short documentary film Wahine Warrior. Pania Tepaiho-Marsh (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa) began hunting for her own mental health. Now she teaches other women to hunt free of charge, giving them skills to feed their children. I discovered Pania through her viral Facebook videos encouraging women … Read more
New Zealand’s first commercial bioenergy facility has been lauded as a sustainable way to deal with the nation’s food waste. It’s anything but, says community composter Kate Walmsley. A couple of weeks ago, it was announced that construction was starting on Aotearoa’s first commercial bioenergy facility, owned by Ecogas. Many people might see this as … Read more
A range of new measures are under consideration, covering the border, isolation and testing. Siouxsie Wiles assesses the options, and the opposition proposals. Because we don’t have widespread community transmission of Covid-19 in New Zealand, our response managing our border and responding to any outbreaks will also help the rest of the world understand more … Read more
When writer Charlotte Muru-Lanning noticed her friend JP sharing conspiracy theories online, she challenged him on it. Here they continue that conversation. For Māori and Pasifika, using social media at the moment almost always means some type of interaction with conspiracy theories. The phenomenon has created widespread concern in our communities and we’ve seen an … Read more
Their livelihoods are at risk, their children’s schooling halted, and their entire futures thrown into doubt, writes Gaurav Sharma. For several weeks now, an increasing number of Indian New Zealanders who are currently overseas have been sharing with me their experiences. In all our conversations, a common theme has emerged. While all of these people … Read more
For too long, fashion magazines have been trading on a hyper-glossy, hyper-produced idea of aspiration – one that particularly jars in the current climate, writes Zoe Walker Ahwa for Ensemble. We need more glamour. A style mantra for some, and an apt conclusion in the eulogy of my career as the editor of New Zealand’s … Read more
The seventh in a series of polls by Stickybeak for The Spinoff reveals how support for government measures have changed – and views on the National response. Twelve days ago New Zealand’s post-Covid honeymoon came to a sudden halt. The detection of Covid-19 in several members of an Auckland family, and cases in a number … Read more
Yesterday, a report was released calling for sweeping, systemic changes to disability employment. Here, Robyn Hunt writes from her own experience seeking work, and calls on employers and recruiters to do better. When I began my career many years ago, I applied for more than 40 jobs before I got my first one – unsuitable … Read more
It’s the television reunion you didn’t know you needed, and a reminder of one of the best New Zealand shows you might never have seen. Friday night’s episode of Shortland Street saw lovesick doctors Boyd and Zara celebrate their wedding, and it was a nice time. The bride and groom were thrilled and Chris Warner … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for August 21, bringing you the latest on New Zealand news and Covid-19 as it returns to the community. Auckland is now in alert level three and the rest of NZ is in level two. More details here. Official information here. Contact me at aliceneville@thespinoff.co.nz 6.00pm: The day in sum … Read more
Around a quarter of the country has been at home for just over a week. So what the hell are they watching? Here’s what New Zealanders have been streaming on Netflix, Neon, TVNZ on Demand and ThreeNow in the past week. YouTube is not included in these statistics. That’s between you, God and the algorithm. … Read more
New Zealand’s second outbreak of Covid-19 prompted new systems, such as sequencing of viral genomes, to swing into action – and they’ve quickly proved their worth. Genome sequencing – mapping the genetic sequences of the virus from confirmed Covid-19 cases in a bid to track its spread – is now an integral part of New … Read more
Can’t decide which rabbit hole to fall into? Not sure if you think Jacinda’s a reptilian shapeshifter, or if there’s a moose on the loose in Fiordland? Fear not – Sherry Zhang has consulted the stars. The rise of conspiracy theories goes hand in hand with a global pandemic. Could the combination of fear, misinformation … Read more
If we want to address family violence in Aotearoa, we need to change the way we act and think about shame, writes Leilani Tamu. The following includes discussion of child abuse and trauma. When I was six years old, my mother’s boyfriend told me to eat on the floor with his dog, a German shepherd, … Read more
How do the youngest members of our team of five million feel about the Covid-19 resurgence? When photographer Sonya Nagels had to explain to her kids that they were back in lockdown, she was struck by how much they understood. Lockdown, social distancing, masks, outbreaks, viruses – they knew all the jargon. Sonya asked a … Read more
With the re-emergence of Covid-19 in Aotearoa, here’s a reminder of what some of the most important epidemiology terms we’re hearing actually mean. Contacts Let’s start with close and casual contacts. A contact is basically a person who has had some kind of encounter with someone who has or is suspected of having Covid-19. People … Read more
The prime minister spoke to South Auckland and Pasifika media this afternoon. Justin Latif reports. Jacinda Ardern has paid tribute to the South Auckland family at the centre of the recent Covid-19 outbreak in Auckland, as well as the Pacific community for the way it has responded to the call to get tested. The prime … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for August 21, bringing you the latest on New Zealand news and Covid-19 as it returns to the community. Auckland is now in alert level three and the rest of NZ is in level two. More details here. Official information here. Contact me at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 7.00pm: The day in sum … Read more
The second season of the female-focused anthology series is as much a portrait of a disintegrating marriage as it is a crime story, writes Catherine McGregor. This review contains mild spoilers for episodes one and two. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, they say, but we all know it’s not actually true, not … Read more
The digital capture of our public and private lives is occurring in complex and often hidden ways. But who decides how that information is used? And how do Māori exercise their right to retain sovereignty over their data? Unplugging or opting out of digital data capture is hard, even for the tech savvy. Government agencies … Read more
At 40 years old, filmmaker Rachel Judkins decided it was finally time to confront her hang-ups around talking about her period. It’s easy to imagine that everything you could say about periods has already been said. About Bloody Time!, an entry in this year’s collection of Loading Docs short documentaries, holds up a mirror to … Read more
The upheaval of this latest level three lockdown has hit South Auckland hard, particularly its young people. However, as Justin Latif reports, a youth-focused social change initiative has been helping them get by, and empowering them to help their own communities. Fereni Peti began to feel sick a day after attending her Māngere East church … Read more
With Covid-19 making employment more elusive than ever for disabled people, those in the sector are pushing for sweeping and overdue changes. The official statistics may paint a mild picture of New Zealand’s unemployment, but for many people, the reality is as cold and as disappointing as a job application rejection letter. As the economy … Read more
The people behind a widely shared quiz on the End of Life Choice referendum say they’re presenting the facts, but the leading advocate of law reform says it’s misinformation. An online quiz related to the assisted dying referendum has been described as a “very clever piece of misinformation” by the End of Life Choice Act’s … Read more
OPINION: In June, the Electricity Authority found that Meridian Energy unnecessarily spilled water from its hydro stations. Flick Electric Co’s chief executive, Steve O’Connor, explains why the EA’s findings don’t go far enough. At the end of last year, we were one of a group of independent retailers to support a complaint (also known as … Read more
Covid-19 lockdown and alert level settings are being assessed today by cabinet. What decisions are they making, and when will those decisions be announced? This piece was first published on RNZ. Cabinet ministers will meet this morning to review the Covid-19 lockdown settings, but are not expected to make a definitive decision on whether to … Read more
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND First, a word from the team at Unity Auckland: This second week of Lockdown 2.0 has seen us readjust nicely into … Read more
Sam Brooks reviews Three’s mainstay 7 Days, and finds a show that is still worth the watch, but needs to change. The first joke of 7 Days in 2020 is a mask joke, followed up by a ball gag joke. Dai Henwood then chides host Jeremy Corbett with this scorcher: “It’s always something sexual with … Read more