It’s a return to (nearly) normal as New Zealand moves to alert level one and the country is declared free of known cases of Covid-19. Justin Giovannetti reports from parliament as the decision was made. New Zealand will end nearly all Covid-19 restrictions at midnight while maintaining strict controls at the border, making it one … Read more
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level two – read The Spinoff’s giant explainer about what that means here. For official government advice, see here. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this work, join … Read more
This powerful collection of photographs and essays catalogues three generations of Ngāti Torehina ki Matakā learning to pelt North Island kiwi. Nāu, nā te Pākehā te kurī me te ngeru nāna i huna ngā kai o te motu nei, te weka, te kiwi, te kākāpō, te piopio, me te tini o ngā manu o te … Read more
This afternoon, on the same day New Zealand recorded zero active cases for the first time since the pandemic began, the prime minister announced the country would move to alert level one at midnight, signalling the end of all domestic Covid-19 restrictions. This is the speech she gave. Today is day 26 of alert level … Read more
An Auckland gym has joined a growing rush of CrossFit branded gyms to cut ties with the international fitness brand, over comments from the founder about the killing of George Floyd in the US. Alex Braae reports. The world of CrossFit is being shaken by comments from founder Greg Glassman connecting Covid-19 to the death … Read more
The Ministry of Health has just announced that, on the 17th day of zero new cases, there are no active cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand. Via the Science Media Centre, the experts give their views on the milestone, and the impending move to alert level one. Michael Baker: The first battle in a long-term … Read more
The elimination strategy has succeeded with the announcement that there are now zero known active cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand for the first time since it arrived in the country in late February. The number of active cases has been dropping since it peaked in early April with 929 active cases, and now, after … Read more
With his play Shot Bro: Confessions of a Depressed Bullet, actor Rob Mokaraka has been helping people from all over New Zealand to open up about mental health struggles. A new documentary explores his journey. Content warning: This story contains descriptions of suicide, violence and abuse, which may be triggering to survivors. In late July, … Read more
Sam Brooks compares two of the most prominent on-screen bodyguards to see how they stack up in the all-important realm of guarding bodies. One man has to guard the home secretary against potential terrorist attacks. One man has to guard an actress-turned-singer against stalkers and fans. Two bodyguards in two very different products. Let’s zoom … Read more
New Zealand has crushed Covid-19, but now the government must devise a resilience strategy that will ensure our independence and sovereignty are protected in the post-Covid world, writes Anne-Marie Brady in this paper for the SSANSE Commission for a Post-Covid Future at the University of Canterbury. New Zealand has emerged from eight weeks of Covid-19 … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Shane Jones confirms run in the crucial seat of Northland, Kiwifruit sales soar amid global pandemic, and questions on colonial monuments erupt around the world. The course of politics over the last five years was arguably set during the tumultuous Northland by-election of 2015. After the … Read more
New Zealand’s fishing boats were all supposed to carry cameras by the end of the month. And then they weren’t. With Greenpeace pointing fingers at NZ First for the delay, MP Shane Jones says he won’t accept criticism from the ‘green blowfish’ anymore. The government’s decision to delay the installation of monitoring cameras on fishing … Read more
Amid the economic downturn caused by Covid-19, local government is under serious financial pressure. Alex Braae reports. During his speech to announce the 2020 budget, finance minister Grant Robertson made it clear that there would be no return to the politics of austerity. Central government would borrow huge sums, blowing out debt levels. The massive … Read more
The Side Eye is a monthly non-fiction comic by Toby Morris, supported by NZ On Air. Read the rest of the series here.
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level two – read The Spinoff’s giant explainer about what that means here. For official government advice, see here. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this work, join … Read more
Spice up the classic banana muffin with a subtle touch of star anise. These muffins came about one rainy Saturday when the cupboards were bare and there was nothing much left in the fruit bowl aside from some very sad-looking bananas. Fortunately we know sad bananas result in the best kind of baking so we … Read more
For years, Work and Income has been telling New Zealanders they couldn’t get the benefit until their redundancy payments ran out. Turns out, it was wrong. What’s all this then? Work and Income has long told New Zealanders receiving redundancy payments that they weren’t eligible for the benefit until their redundancy money ran out. However, … Read more
Until the sudden closure of Bauer Media in April, Simon Farrell-Green was the editor of HOME, New Zealand’s oldest architecture magazine. Here he explains what comes next. Being the editor of a major architecture magazine was the best job I ever had. I got it in 2016, after a career spent between Metro and freelancing … Read more
A global success story or an overly generous, unsustainable scheme that is doing lasting damage to our fish stocks? Ethan Neville looks at the ongoing debate over New Zealand’s fishing quota management system. The management of our fisheries is a touchy topic – and why wouldn’t it be? New Zealanders rightly care about the fish … Read more
Wrapping everyone in a blanket of love, whakapapa and mauri for Matariki is the brave, exuberant and generous fabric art of Maungarongo Te Kawa, writes Amanda Thompson. E te Atua Nau enei rau harakeke he taonga Tukuna ki a matou Kia tika o matou mahi Ko Papatuanuku e takoto nei Tuturu Whakamaua Kia tina, tina … Read more
It’s not often that someone graduates from university one year and becomes a senior economist commentating on national media the next. George Driver investigates the meteoric rise of the high-flying Brad Olsen. Google “senior economist Brad Olsen” and you’ll find him quoted in no fewer than 167 articles in the past year, speaking on just … Read more
As public sentiment turned against Uber Eats, a new local operation emerged promising a more ethical alternative to help New Zealand’s struggling hospitality industry. But now Eat Local NZ has suspended trading after falling out with its Australian partner Mr Yum. So what happened? A dispute between local hospitality platform Eat Local NZ and Australia-based … Read more
Edward Cullen became a vampire to survive the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. Now a new Twilight novel looms and Laura Surynt, a New Zealander living in the UK, wants to live forever too. As I lay in bed this morning watching Instagram stories, Tayi Tibble told my reluctant little Capricorn heart that Caps are … Read more
Over the lockdown period, thousands of people joined a Facebook group dedicated to remembering the nightlife of inner-city Auckland. Its creator Simon Grigg explains why it touched a chord in lockdown. Within a few days of The Lost Nightlife of Inner-city Auckland Facebook page accidentally going live on May 12, we had several thousand members, … Read more
Of the huge funding boost coming for early childhood education, Playcentre has been left with just the crumbs, writes Kate Barber. Amid all the celebration of the $430m funding boost for early childhood education (ECE) announced in this year’s budget, little attention was paid to the plight of Playcentre. The organisation has been earmarked just … Read more
Auckland writer Caroline Barron has a terrific book out today called Ripiro Beach: A Memoir of Life After Near Death. Here, she writes about the memoirs that have been a balm, a lesson, or both. Throughout my life, I’ve sought solace between the covers of books, particularly memoirs. There, I’ve learnt how to take the … Read more
An exclusive interview with Steve McSteverson about his traumatic and tragic ordeal this week. Many New Zealanders are struggling with the news that a children’s book not commissioned or authorised by Jacinda Ardern was advertised in a newsletter for children’s books. This horrific attack on New Zealanders whose ears are permanently fused to Magic Talk … Read more
The Herald reported this morning that MediaWorks was on the verge of selling its TV assets to US TV giant Discovery – but an internal email and senior source suggest the story may have been premature. A senior MediaWorks source has emphatically denied a report in the NZ Herald that a sale of Three to … Read more
A poem by Hamilton writer Mere Taito. The quickest way to trap a folktale a research institution walks into a village scholarly clothes sharp alien tools fine-spun birthmarks flow out of a magic twig … Read more