New Zealand’s minister of justice responds to the decision by the internet giant to take no action after its breach of name suppression in the Grace Millane case Google’s attitude to fair trial rights in New Zealand should concern us all. It’s time to call out their recklessness. To recap what happened, last year at … Read more
In a ferocious opinion piece for the Spinoff, the minister of justice says he would be ‘failing in my duty’ if he were to allow the internet giant to ‘ride roughshod’ over New Zealand law. The New Zealand minister of justice has promised that there will be consequences for Google after the US-based company informed … Read more
It will always be hard to keep Muslim and migrant perspectives in the foreground as long as material support is wanting, write Mohan Dutta and Murdoch Stephens After the mosque attacks in Christchurch, there was a strong call from media to centre Muslim responses. For a few short weeks, the voices from the attacked communities … Read more
Parliamentary scrutiny of quality of long-term governance in New Zealand is limited, ad hoc and unsystematic. So what are the solutions, asks Jonathan Boston Safeguarding the interests of current and future citizens is one of parliament’s crucial roles. This requires holding governments to account for the quality of their governance, especially their long-term governance. Forward-looking … Read more
Late last year, the Islamic Women’s Council of NZ’s Anjum Rahman received an email urging her to join the fight against the UN Global Compact on Migration. This was her response. Recent reporting has joined the dots between groups in New Zealand targeting the UN Global Compact on Migration and neo-Nazi groups offshore. This prompted … Read more
When random attacks are only a moment’s inattention away, government officials learn to watch their step when committing anything to the written record, writes Tony Burton. My guess is that even those who follow politics will struggle to remember the kerfuffle when a 2011 Official Information Act (OIA) request found an email ‘from Treasury’ that … Read more
Spoiler: it’s New Zealand. Julienne Molineaux explains the strange relic in the local body electoral system. The principle of one person, one vote doesn’t apply for local elections. In fact, you don’t even need to be a person to have voting rights. Welcome to the ratepayer roll. While the ratepayer roll accounts for less than … Read more
Phil Twyford has avoided an official demotion in the Cabinet reshuffle, but the breakup of the housing portfolio reveals the desperate state of the KiwiBuild programme he oversaw, writes Toby Manhire In 2014, as John Key set the stage for his third term as prime minister, he announced a reshuffle of his National Party cabinet. … Read more
David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill passed its second reading in parliament last night by 70 votes to 50. Among a number of heartfelt speeches from all sides of the house on the conscience issue was this, from Willie Jackson. The below has been edited for length and clarity I never thought in my … Read more
1000 Words is a Spinoff series talking to the photographers behind our most iconic political images. In this instalment, Don Rowe speaks to David White, the photographer who shot Colin Craig. Following a failed attempt at the Auckland mayoralty in 2010, notorious goof and Auckland accountant Colin Craig founded and led the New Zealand Conservative … Read more
In a surprise announcement, the shadow finance minister Amy Adams will leave parliament in 2020, and has stepped down from her frontbench roles with immediate effect. Alex Braae asks what happens now It could have all been so different for Amy Adams. True story: one of my first assignments at The Spinoff in 2018 was … Read more
Government policies affect us all, so surely children should get a say? Alice Burton reports on how providing children with both information and a listening ear is important for encouraging their participation in politics. Too young to care. Too young to understand. Too young, surely, to have an informed opinion. So runs a common assumption … Read more
Recent revelations around lobbyist-turned-chief-of-staff GJ Thompson reinforce the urgency for change, writes Kate Nicholls. Questions have been raised over recent weeks about the relationship between Jacinda Ardern and corporate lobbyist GJ Thompson, and how potential conflicts of interests were handled during Thompson’s stint as the prime minister’s chief of staff during the first few months … Read more
A prominent ad promoting the National Party and the CEO of Air New Zealand, Christopher Luxon, could be in breach of the law. An advertisement promoting Christopher Luxon and the National Party appeared in this morning’s newspaper – but the National Party says it had nothing to do with it. The half-page ad taken out … Read more
The CEO of Air New Zealand Christopher Luxon has resigned, leading to feverish speculation that not only will he get into politics, but that he’ll be the next National PM. Why? Watching the takes unfold around the apparently imminent and glorious political career of Christopher Luxon, it’s hard not to feel a little powerless about … Read more
With the release of the Zero Carbon Bill, Flick CEO Steve O’Connor worries that our zero carbon ambitions will be impeded by an electricity market that’s not working as it should. Right now, we’re sandwiched between two pieces of policy work that have the potential to shape fundamental outcomes in the electricity industry: the recently-announced … Read more
The ACT leader has unveiled his ‘Freedom to Speak Bill’. But the case law makes it clear that the laws he seeks to reform are not the terrifying, freedom crushing beasts he has made them out to be, writes Cameron Walker ACT leader, David Seymour, has promised to introduce a “Freedom to Speak” private member’s bill, … Read more
Correspondence released under the OIA suggests that GJ Thompson, the lobbyist who took a ‘leave of absence’ to work alongside Jacinda Ardern, failed to meet undertakings to alert managers as conflicts arose, writes Asher Emanuel The lobbyist who served as the prime minister’s closest adviser during the early days of the coalition government appears to … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, ACT has launched a podcast called Politics in Full Sentences as part of their party-wide rebrand. Media and politics nerd Alex Braae watched the first episode on Youtube. There’s always a question creators of new media products or content … Read more
Interviewed by satirical comedy show White Man Behind a Desk about climate change, politics, and his career as a journalist, Newshub national correspondent Patrick Gower did not hold back. At the start of May, the White Man Behind A Desk team set themselves the task of making a 60 minute comedy show about climate change. … Read more
What was New Zealand’s role in the interception of the Andika, and is the $25 million allocated to preventing asylum-seeker vessels like it really a humanitarian act? In the 2019 “Wellbeing” budget, $25 million was allocated to maritime mass arrival prevention, described as an initiative aimed at preventing asylum seekers “departing for New Zealand”. But … Read more
The government’s environmental policy is creating major tensions in farming communities. Alex Braae went to a meeting in Taumarunui to see it play out. “We’ve got to get the government’s attention somehow. Okay, we’re not all going to jump on our tractors and drive to Wellington. But we could jump on our tractors and block … Read more
Those trying to oppose an “ambitious” offshore drilling project on the grounds of climate change are out of luck. Green MP Gareth Hughes explains why, and sets out his views on what should be done about it. Update, 14 June: the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand (PEPANZ) has responded. Their comments are … Read more
Auckland Council declared a ‘climate emergency’ yesterday, but campaigners say there are legal impediments to it making truly impactful decisions. Josie Adams speaks to those wrestling with New Zealand’s sometimes bizarre environmental legislation. Yesterday Auckland Council joined counterparts in Canterbury, Kāpiti and Nelson in unanimously declaring a climate emergency. The resolution has little power on … Read more
Just because Budget 2019 was technically accessible doesn’t mean it was legally fair game for National, writes AUT law professor Kris Gledhill. It is, of course, still theft if there is inadequate security in the shop to guard against shoplifters; or if someone takes something from a roadside stall with an honesty box and doesn’t put … Read more
John Tamihere’s unconventional campaign for the Auckland mayoralty continues, with his putting money behind a social media post attacking Simon Wilson’s coverage for the Herald. Auckland mayoral hopeful John Tamihere has stepped up his increasingly hot war with Herald journalist Simon Wilson, putting money behind a tweet from late last week which compares the Tamihere-Goff … Read more
If coalition MPs are as opposed to troops in Iraq as they say they are, why are they waiting two and a half years to withdraw them, wonders former National government defence minister Wayne Mapp. Yesterday’s announcement that the Iraq deployment would be extended to June 2020 before they are finally withdrawn reflects two realities … Read more
Last night Newshub-Reid Research and Colmar Brunton both released opinion polls. Political pundits, in the middle of a poll drought, waited eagerly for what turned out to be wildly diverging results. Josie Adams talks to Colmar Brunton’s Jason Shoebridge about what happened. Last night’s polling results had little in common, with the only consistency across … Read more
Labour’s Māori MPs should count their lucky stars Te Ururoa Flavell is busy doing other things, writes māui street‘s Morgan Godfery. It’s a mug’s game making a call about the general election more than a year out from polling day. If an election were held tomorrow Labour would almost certainly return with its seven-seat monopoly … Read more