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In this charged essay, Spinoff columnist Morgan Godfery takes stock of Treaty of Waitangi interpretations that pay lip service to values without honouring the core tenets of power. Illustration by Toby Morris. This feature is made possible thanks to the Spinoff Members Fund. We need your help to make journalism that matters. For more information, click here. … Read more
Boomers versus zoomers, the great uncontested swathes, and what makes Greymouth special. Policy Local was made possible thanks to Google News Initiative, Meredith Connell, Spinoff Members and Jenny Sutton. With the votes now counted for the local elections, the team behind the candidate comparison super-tool, Policy Local, looks back on some of the more interesting … Read more
The online magazine that boasted a bigger Instagram following than most New Zealand media has abruptly come to an end. So what was Auckland Mag? Why did it exist? And who was its mysterious founder Dan Rolph? David Farrier investigates. The reply from Dan Rolph at Auckland Magazine came quickly. It came quickly because it … Read more
There are still many barriers preventing people from voting in local elections. Laura O’Connell Rapira proposes some social solutions. The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism click here. To vote in the local elections, I cast a special vote … Read more
The big shock of the results in the weekend’s local elections was the unseating of Justin Lester as Wellington mayor. We invited him to pen a sort-of-valedictory. My three years as the mayor of Wellington ended on Sunday and I will forever remain grateful for the experience. I’m also acutely aware of how unlikely it … Read more
The commentary around local election turnout is littered with misunderstanding. Yes, there’s a problem, but we should regard any suggestion of a single, simple solution with deep suspicion, writes local elections expert Julienne Molineaux The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting … Read more
Phil Goff was returned to office by a huge margin on Saturday. How will he put that mandate to use this term? Hayden Donnell asks the questions. The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism click here. Phil Goff is … Read more
The extraordinary battle for the Tron has ended in a way no one quite saw coming, with the city relinquishing its stranglehold on the title of New Zealand’s most embarrassing council. Angela Cuming reports. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The … Read more
Dunedin’s new mayor Aaron Hawkins is the first official Green Party mayor in NZ and, arguably, the first to represent the city’s student population as much as its older residents. Josie Adams, who guessed he would win, asked him some questions about it. The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff … Read more
Hayden Donnell identifies who did well, and who got massively owned, in the 2019 local elections. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism, click here. Most of these winners and losers lists fail to capture the nuances of election humiliation. … Read more
In one of the biggest surprises of the local elections, Andy Foster has seized the Wellington mayoralty from Justin Lester. In this cheat sheet, we answer some of the big questions about Andy Foster, such as ‘who is Andy Foster?’ The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about … Read more
A festival of democracy is playing out around the country today, as voting closes in our local elections and preliminary results trickle out. Alex Braae, Hayden Donnell, and miscellaneous The Spinoff staff bring you live updates. Keep refreshing the page for more. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For … Read more
Sorry about not covering everything that happened these local elections. To make it up to you, we’ve compiled all the stories we missed into an ultimate election-ending list. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism, click here. When people think … Read more
Tina Nixon, Masterton mayoral candidate and chainsaw model, is leading one of the tightest campaigns rural NZ has seen. Josie Adams headed to the Wairarapa to learn about Nixon, chainsawing, and voting in rural NZ. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting … Read more
The design of our cities can help shape our mental health. Lucy McLean puts out a call to vote for the politicians who’ll build a city where people feel more connected to community. The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The … Read more
At the Horowhenua District council, the last three years have been a tale of two mates against the world. Alex Braae goes inside the friendship of mayor Michael Feyen and councillor Ross Campbell. The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The … Read more
In our final local elections race briefing of 2019 (read the rest here), Josie Adams (who is lame) visits Palmerston North (which is cool). The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism click here. Where? First of all, Palmerston … Read more
Two young candidates are trying to bring change to the staunchly conservative Waimakariri and Hurunui Districts in North Canterbury. But are their ideas truly new? Kim Nutbrown and Pattie Pegler report. The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism … Read more
Good: setting up places for people to cast a special vote while they’re waiting for their dumplings. Bad: those places running out of voting papers. Hayden Donnell reports on some trouble with Auckland Council’s one stop shops. Auckland Council’s one stop shops are a great idea. The stations at night markets, universities, and marae allow … Read more
In the final week of the local election campaign, Porirua mayor Mike Tana has been embroiled in yet another brouhaha around how he has spent public money. What’s the latest, and what will it mean for the race? The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a … Read more
We asked the two leading Auckland mayoral contenders to write a ‘final pitch’ to voters. This is what John Tamihere wrote. You can read Phil Goff’s pitch here. (Important note: if you’re voting by post, get your papers in the mail today, Tuesday. If you don’t have papers, or can’t get them in the mail … Read more
We asked the two leading Auckland mayoral contenders to write a final pitch to voters. This is what Phil Goff wrote. You can read John Tamihere’s pitch here. (Important note: if you’re voting by post, get your papers in the mail today, Tuesday. If you don’t have papers, or can’t get them in the mail … Read more
For decades, local politics in the Far North has been dominated by conservatives. This election, a gang leader-turned-Man Up organiser, a former Green Party MP, and the lead singer of Opshop are among those trying to take down what they call the ‘old boys club’. Hayden Donnell heads to the winterless north. The Spinoff local … Read more
Area man Hayden Donnell joins Toby Manhire for a bonus edition of Gone By Lunchtime, leading a whistlestop tour of the local elections. Fresh from an assignment in the Far North, the mayor of the Spinoff’s local elections pop-up section, Hayden Donnell, takes us on a journey from Kaikohe to Dunedin, stopping along the way … Read more
The first encounter between Māori and Captain Cook and his crew ended in the murder and brutalising of nine Tūranaga-nui-a-kiwa ancestors. The Ministry of Culture and Heritage’s intention to include Māori history and voyaging traditions in the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of that tragedy has prompted a mixed reception. This feature is made possible … Read more
In a city that is a microcosm of the growth challenges New Zealand is facing, an engrossing and sometimes nasty race for the mayoral chains is unfolding. The winner will preside over three years that could be defining for decades. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about … Read more
Dunedin’s local election race has broken out into a symphony of front-stabbing, back-stabbing, and general mud-slinging. But then, doesn’t a good politician need a bit of bite? Josie Adams consults The Spinoff’s Snake Rating Machine. The Dunedin local politics scene has long been a mudslinger’s paradise, but this year’s election has been filthier than a … Read more
In the last public debate of the Auckland mayoral campaign, the three leading contenders fronted up to a crowd of rates-averse elderly people – and an unlikely hero emerged. Hayden Donnell reports. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism, click … Read more
Louise Hutt is running for Hamilton mayor on a progressive platform. She talks to Hayden Donnell about her plans to start a political movement that will reshape local politics in the city lovingly known as the Tron. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member … Read more