Statistics NZ yesterday released the annual child poverty statistics. The reveal small achievements and big shortcomings, writes Janet McAllister from Child Poverty Action Group. Successive governments have neglected families with disabilities – with appalling results Here’s a fact to change the conversation: more than half of the New Zealand children in material hardship, 53%, live … Read more
Yesterday housing minister Megan Woods trumpeted a grand total of 12 families helped into homes by the new Progressive Home Ownership Scheme. As Danyl Mclauchlan exclusively reveals, that’s not the government’s only hyper-focused new support plan. Promising “a government that delivers for all New Zealanders”, housing, energy and resource minister Dr Megan Woods has launched … Read more
Statistics NZ yesterday released the annual child poverty statistics. The reveal small achievements and big shortcomings, writes Janet McAllister from Child Poverty Action Group. Successive governments have neglected families with disabilities – with appalling results Here’s a fact to change the conversation: more than half of the New Zealand children in material hardship, 53%, live … Read more
Under-funded, under-powered and under pressure: the local government sector is facing a series of crises around the country. Alex Braae looks at the biggest questions for the future. It can be easy to miss the big picture when looking at individual councils and their problems. But across 11 regional councils, 13 city councils and 53 … Read more
Join Toby Manhire, Annabelle Lee Mather and Ben Thomas as Gone By Lunchtime discusses the latest lockdown, trans-Tasman relations, business attire and more. New Zealand’s leading political podcast pivots to true crime this week to investigate the disappearance of political commentator Ben Thomas from Twitter. Where did he go – and what’s he been doing … Read more
The national vaccination roll-out begins today. Might the reluctant have a change of mind? Here’s what new Stickybeak polling for The Spinoff tells us. Vaccination is under way in New Zealand, with the first doses going to the small group that will be conducting the vaccinations yesterday and the showpiece launch of the roll-out taking … Read more
It’s hardly surprising that the story has faded from front pages, writes Amal Samaha – forgetting is just what we do when it comes to uncomfortable truths about New Zealand’s actions overseas. Early last week it was revealed that Air New Zealand’s gas turbine division was supplying the Saudi Arabian Navy with parts and engine … Read more
A major new parliamentary commissioner for the environment report has just dropped, with recommendations about how tourism should be reshaped. Alex Braae spoke to Simon Upton about what he’s proposing. Last time parliamentary commissioner for the environment Simon Upton did some domestic tourism, he went to Raglan. He ate in a local restaurant, and attempted … Read more
The eighth in a series of polls by Stickybeak for The Spinoff shows popular sentiment remains strongly in favour of the NZ approach to the pandemic. Ten days out from the anniversary of the day New Zealand reported its first positive case of Covid-19, with the first batch of vaccines set to be administered on … Read more
In spite of the seeming intractability of the trans-Tasman row over the woman linked to Isis that was detained in Turkey, the situation facing her children needs resolving, writes Claire Breen. By unilaterally revoking the citizenship of the 26-year-old woman detained in Turkey this week, Australia has potentially left her two children in diplomatic limbo. … Read more
Just-released pre-pandemic stats show that rises in disposable income have been matched by skyrocketing housing costs. And that poses a conundrum for the prime minister, writes Max Rashbrooke. Jacinda Ardern’s critics, who see her as unable to solve the housing crisis or make meaningful progress on tackling poverty, will be emboldened by yesterday’s release of … Read more
Australia’s decision to revoke the citizenship of a dual citizen, who has lived in Australia since the age of six, has prompted a furious response from the New Zealand prime minister. ‘They did not act in good faith,’ she said. In blunt and dramatic contrast to the typically cordial tone of trans-Tasman relations, Jacinda Ardern … Read more
The government faces a tough decision later this week: play it safe and extend the lockdown or relax restrictions. Justin Giovannetti looks at what factors are at play. Aucklanders are likely to learn around midday on Wednesday whether this snap lockdown will be a short blip or another long slog through the alert levels. The … Read more
A surreal anti-lockdown protest took place today outside the Auckland electorate office of the prime minister, who is currently in Wellington. Alex Braae went along. If the anti-lockdown protesters outside Jacinda Ardern’s Mt Albert electorate offices say their voices aren’t being heard, they’re absolutely right. For most of this afternoon they were drowned out by … Read more
‘We do not agree with the opinions expressed,’ said the Ministry of Education of the Te Kūiti High School acting assistant principal, who wanted to spark debate with an email attachment that included false claims around the ‘controlavirus’ and Bill Gates. The acting assistant principal at Te Kūiti High School shared conspiracy material that dismissed … Read more
New research reveals dramatic increases in the assessment of government trustworthiness. Shaun Goldfinch of Curtin Universty, Robin Gauld of the University of Otago, and Ross Taplin of Curtin University explain the findings, and why they matter. It has become accepted wisdom that the Covid-19 pandemic has seen trust in government rise across countries. But by … Read more
A South Auckland election campaign marked by allegations of vote-harvesting and dirty politics comes to an end next week. Justin Latif went along to Māngere Bride to hear the candidates’ closing pitches. Candidates for the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board by-election made their final pitch to voters on Wednesday night with a range of creative and outrageous … Read more
The mojitos are memories and parliament’s bar is back to pulling pints as MPs return to business. Political editor Justin Giovannetti assesses the first week back in Wellington. Parliament’s first week after a long summer break set a different tone for 2021, dominated by a hectic schedule that bounced between serious and silly, with relatively … Read more
It’s time to abandon the culturally bound and frankly lazy concept of ‘business attire’, which is simply code for Pākehā visual symbols of authority, writes former Green Party leader Metiria Turei. At least they are not talking about how women MPs dress for a change. From that awful Makeover an MP segment to the awarding … Read more
A petition seeking an increase in subsidy for wigs and hairpieces is being presented at parliament today. Kirsty Frame reports. Alopecia can be unforgiving. Many of those with the autoimmune disease find themselves entirely without hair within weeks or across months, and the vicious cycle can relapse over a lifespan. It has neither known cure … Read more
The Resource Management Act is set to be repealed and replaced by three new bits of legislation. Alex Braae explains what has been announced this morning. What’s all this then? The Resource Management Act is on the way out. New Zealand’s primary bit of planning legislation was born 30 years ago and has aged rapidly … Read more
He quit politics to care for a wife who had suffered a brain haemorrhage. Today he holds leading roles at the apex of the two great challenges facing South Auckland: housing and health. Vui Mark Gosche tells Justin Latif why a change is coming. He is one of the most powerful people in South Auckland. … Read more
Bigger, better, faster responses are needed to meet future bio-threats: no more acting like ‘stunned mullets’, is the message from independent review leader Helen Clark, writes Nick Wilson. The world must decide what needs to change to prevent events like the Covid-19 pandemic happening again, according to the former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark. … Read more
in 1996, as he completed his journey from Labour to Act, the polarising politician Richard Prebble wrote his bestseller: I’ve Been Thinking. Today he looks back on its genesis and impact. It is a quarter of a century since I wrote “I’ve been thinking”, an account of how my experience in government made me rethink … Read more
A surprisingly large number of people could be getting a Covid jab within the next few weeks – but don’t go marking it in your diary just yet. There’s light at the end of the tunnel as New Zealand’s medical regulator gave the thumbs up to a Covid-19 vaccine yesterday. With the jab from Pfizer … Read more
With an extra $4 billion a year in revenue and backed by plenty of support from voters, the government has the opportunity to tackle some of the country’s most urgent problems. But first, Labour must abandon its cautious approach, writes Clint Smith. At Labour’s first caucus of the new year, Jacinda Ardern – reflecting on … Read more
Allegations of voter interference and dirty politics have rocked the normally benign political landscape of Māngere-Ōtāhuhu, reports Justin Latif. A candidate in the Auckland Council by-election for the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board is accusing a rival of shoddy politics for publicly airing allegations of voter interference before going to authorities. Six candidates are competing for the … Read more
Jacinda Ardern calls 2021 the ‘year of the vaccine’ and New Zealand now has one it can use. Justin Giovannetti reports from the Beehive. New Zealand has given the green light to its first Covid-19 vaccine, with Medsafe announcing provisional approving for a jab from Pfizer and BioNTech that has become a cornerstone of the … Read more
The author and intensive care specialist on why he’s hopeful the prime minister will this week make a transformational announcement on Māori health. Maybe it was no coincidence that the country’s new cancer control agency, Te Aho o Te Kahu, released its first report in the week leading up to the commemorations at Waitangi. The … Read more