Justin Latif takes the temperature of his community in South Auckland, ground zero for the latest Covid-19 outbreak. Following the prime minister’s announcement on Tuesday evening, my messenger app began pinging with pictures and videos of people at the supermarket. But it wasn’t panic buying that I was seeing, rather there was a sense of … Read more
Odessa To’o on Selina Tusitala Marsh’s picture book Mophead, which was just named the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year. I almost didn’t read this book because of the title. Mophead. Instantly recognisable as an insult for anyone with big hair, even though I’ve never been called it myself. The kids at my primary school … Read more
Announcing the winners of the 2020 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. The supreme prize of the night, the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award, goes to Selina Tusitala Marsh for her super-personal picture book, Mophead. Mophead is memoir and clapback and wild doodle; it’s the story of what it felt … Read more
Are you trying to wander the world with your government recommended mask while wearing glasses, but can’t stop them from fogging up? Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Today, Jacinda Ardern said that Aucklanders should wear a mask (or a face covering of some kind) when they leave the house. But what if, like our … Read more
Last night Jacinda Ardern and Ashley Bloomfield announced four cases of Covid-19 in the community. Within hours the online community transmission of dumb takes was going like wildfire. It didn’t take long did it? Before the anti-Covid God squad shit the bed and started screeching about how they’ll never wear a mask because, ah, freedom? … Read more
Along with heightened alert levels, New Zealand has a new advisory on masks: Aucklanders should wear a face covering when outside the home, and the rest of us have been advised to wear one when in a confined public space, such as on public transport. But what kind of mask do you need, and where … Read more
Auckland is now at alert level three and the rest of New Zealand has moved to level two. Here’s what you need to know about what’s happened so far, as at lunchtime on Wednesday. Last night, the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, and the deputy general of health, Ashley Bloomfield, announced that four people in one … Read more
What do they do? Do I really need one? And how much do they cost? Gillian Boyes from the Financial Markets Authority breaks down the basics. When it comes to important money decisions, having someone to help can make a big difference. A financial adviser can be your money coach – they can help you … Read more
Visiting a brothel for the new series of Bad News helps convince Alice Snedden that sex work should be available to everyone. Beyond my teenage obsession with the movie Pretty Woman, my knowledge of the sex work industry has always been extremely limited. Like a lot of people I saw it as something I knew … Read more
Today at noon, Auckland moves into alert level three while the rest of New Zealand moves into alert level two. Here’s how it will affect businesses and what you can do to help. Three days at a higher alert level may not seem like much, but for many fragile businesses still recovering from the devastating … Read more
Parliament is scheduled to be dissolved today for an election on September 19. University of Otago law professor Andrew Geddis runs through how and under what circumstances the election will happen – or be delayed. This post has been updated following the prime minister’s announcement that the dissolution of parliament will be deferred. No matter … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for August 12, 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 level two. More details here. Official information here. Get me on Stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 7.30pm: The day in sum Four probable … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Resurgence plan triggered by Covid-19 community transmission, questions about what it will mean for the election, and Christchurch rest home lockdown appears to be unrelated. The first new cases of Covid-19 outside of managed isolation have been announced, triggering a resurgence plan from the government. There … Read more
Beyond the direct and practical implications, more significant for the eventual outcome is the effect on the electorate’s psyche, writes Ben Thomas. It’s tempting to reach for easy metaphors with the re-emergence of Covid-19 just weeks before the election: a horror villain rising from the dead; a restless spirit summoned to again haunt the dreams … Read more
Aotearoa surpassed 100 days without a case of community transmission of Covid-19. Last night that virus-free streak ended and we’re moving back up the alert levels. Siouxsie Wiles explains why that has to happen. For months now, we’ve been intercepting cases of Covid-19 at the border. But just as has happened in many other countries, … Read more
The confirmation of community transmission has prompted a swift move up the alert level ladder. Here are the critical questions about Auckland’s move to Covid-19 level three lockdown, answered. What are the new alert levels – and where do they apply? Auckland enters alert level three at midday today, Wednesday August 12. At the same … Read more
The prime minister has announced Auckland will go into alert level three, and the rest of the country alert level two, after four cases of the coronavirus were detected in a family with no known link to overseas travel or existing cases. Via the Science Media Centre, the experts on what it means. Shaun Hendy: … Read more
The latest headlines as community transmission returns to New Zealand. 11.35pm: ‘Bugger’ – David Seymour “Tonight’s news is not what anyone hoped for,” said Act Party leader David Seymour in a post on Facebook. “There will be time enough to ask why this has happened, but right now the goal is to get on top … Read more
After 101 days without any reported community transmission in New Zealand, cases without any link to overseas travel have been reported. Auckland will go into alert level three as of noon tomorrow, for a period of three days, until midnight on Friday. The rest of the country goes into alert level two. It follows four … Read more
An Auckland psychic healer yesterday announced she would be running for parliament. Less than 24 hours later, she wasn’t. So what happened? And why is she accusing Jacinda Ardern of treason? Stewart Sowman-Lund investigates. It’s been a big year for Jeanette Wilson. In June, as the Covid-19 crisis was continuing to spiral around the world, … Read more
Content warning: This pieces includes discussion of harassment, stalking and violence. ‘I don’t sleep. I’m terrified.’ Sophia shares her story with Emily Writes. Sophia* was 19 and a talented swimmer. She was teaching swimming lessons at an Auckland public pool with a gym attached and one day, while she was using the gym, a man … Read more
With more than 1,000 local businesses on its books, MyHR saw firsthand the pressure the Covid-19 fallout put on New Zealand’s SMEs, as well as having its own business model tested to the limit. New Zealand’s Covid-19 lockdown had a seismic effect on human resources departments. In order to stay afloat through the chaos, thousands … Read more
Merv Lee-Mather, Merv Thomas and Merv Manhire gather to discuss the most pressing issues of election 2020. With 39 days to go until New Zealand goes to the polls, talkback caller “Merv” has lit up the election campaign, delivering a deeply unmellow curtain-raiser to the National Party’s Auckland Central candidate selection. That’s top of the … Read more
The first episode of the all new Alice Snedden’s Bad News asks why migrant sex workers aren’t legally allowed to operate in New Zealand. Sex work was decriminalised in New Zealand in 2003, but not for everyone – it remains one of the only jobs migrants aren’t allowed to do. But is the law successfully … Read more
Sales and discounts hook people in, but do they really live up to the hype? A recent survey found some supermarket products were on promotion so often that shoppers risked being misled about the savings they were really getting. Consumer NZ’s Belinda Castles explains what they found and why it’s time to put supermarkets under … Read more
Linda Burgess reviews Curtis Sittenfeld’s much-anticipated novel, Rodham. I read Rodham a while ago now but I put off writing about it. I was waiting. Waiting for what exactly? Well, waiting to see if they do what Trump kept insisting they do, back then, when the world seemed what we nostalgically think of as normal. … Read more
An increased focus on ‘talking about it’ will only help if we’re honest with ourselves and each other about what is driving self-inflicted deaths in this country, writes Carla na Nagara. There has always been debate about whether talking about suicide is responsible or constructive. And since the Covid-19 alert level response started in March, … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Concern from the Cook Islands over travel bubble, inquiry clears Iain Lees-Galloway of any spending impropriety, and Oranga Tamariki facing further damaging report findings. A draft agreement on a travel bubble with the Cook Islands is close to being finalised, the PM revealed yesterday. Stuff reports it … Read more
Welcome to the third edition of Memebers of parliament, a politics column for people who just want the memes. Let’s just get to it, shall we? Buses – YES Buses. They’re back. Winston Peters has had his giant face on a big ol’ bus for a while now, but he surely won’t be the only … Read more