Dr David Galler offers seven lessons from past reviews of the NZ health system that should inform the thinking currently under way Reviews of New Zealand’s health services have almost invariably proven controversial, arousing particular opposition from groups with vested interests. And once complete, they seem to have achieved little more than a reshuffling of … Read more
Tim Ashton was one of the police officers who shot dead Aramoana gunman David Gray. The Christchurch mosque shooting has hardened his resolve to effect meaningful gun control reform. Until 10 days ago the 1990 Aramoana tragedy in which 13 innocent people died was New Zealand’s worst mass shooting. Tim Ashton was one of the … Read more
On Friday 15 March, a terrorist attack in Christchurch took the lives of 50 people at prayer. Eighteen months into her first term as prime minister, Jacinda Ardern faced a formidable task: communicate what happened, embrace a ruptured community, and force through real reform. Madeleine Chapman reports. The kids couldn’t believe she was there. A … Read more
The former NZ PM says the global policy boss for the online behemoth has contacted her saying he wants to visit NZ, following an angry backlash against the platform over its livestream of a mass terrorist murder at a Christchurch mosque. Toby Manhire reports Helen Clark has joined the chorus condemning Facebook and other online … Read more
The government’s language so far is imprecise and it must word its ban carefully to stand up against a ferocious lobby from pro-gun groups. New Zealand lawmakers will need to write the law banning semi-automatic weapons so that it can’t be defeated, a gun safety expert says. In the wake of the Christchurch shootings the … Read more
To mark the launch of the Helen Clark Foundation‘s first report, its executive director Katherine Errington writes about New Zealand’s potential to become a ‘green’ hydrogen exporter. Much has been written about hydrogen of late, debating its place in the transition to clean energy. Globally, the debate is broadly split between Japan and North America. … Read more
In 10 years of public documents from both the SIS and the GCSB, there are zero mentions of right wing extremism, writes Jane Patterson for RNZ. There is not one specific mention of the threat posed by white supremacists or right-wing nationalism in 10 years of public documents from the Security Intelligence Service or the GCSB. … Read more
As New Zealand grapples with the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shooting anger is growing over the ‘gaps, omissions and errors’ in our gun laws. In a day of extraordinary contrasts on Monday, the prime minister this afternoon said gun law reform would urgently pursued, while the man who sold weapons to the man charged with … Read more
The Police have referred their investigation into $100,000 in donations to the National Party to the SFO. It’s plainly a very bad look but can we deduce much else, asks Andrew Geddis On its face, news that the Police have referred Jami-Lee Ross’ now-five-month old allegations about Simon Bridges, the National Party and $100,000 in … Read more
The ‘Finchy’ of the UK original sitcom is full of himself, makes vulgar jokes and routinely crosses the line of acceptable decorum. Yet somehow, he never gets in real trouble. Sound familiar, asks Liam Hehir Shane Jones, the Minister for Regional Economic Development, is embroiled in questions over funding for a Northland tourism venture in … Read more
As the United Kingdom wakes in yet another pool of fevered Brexit sweat, here are the essential things to know – and a glossary for bluffing your way through a conversation about it all Just when you thought the USA was running away with the title of most abjectly humiliating end-of-empire flameout, Britain has surged … Read more
Shane Jones is under pressure over a Provincial Growth Fund conflict of interest. He’s attempted to turn defence into attack with typical immodesty, even comparing himself to one of NZ’s top sportsmen and launching a bizarre ‘bunny boiler’ slur on a journalist, writes Guyon Espiner Shane Jones likened himself to Sonny Bill Williams on Morning Report this … Read more
After happily attacking the government on capital gains tax for the past few weeks, Simon Bridges finds himself again on the back foot, writes Jane Patterson in this post originally published by RNZ. The police investigation that had been bubbling away in the background has now exploded into a Serious Fraud Office investigation, with the National … Read more
Last year, everyone loved getting home, flicking on the telly and seeing beloved household names like Jami-Lee Ross and Simon Bridges night after night. Fans of this cult classic political drama rejoice: it’s been picked up for another season. Here we are, 2019, and it’s all go on the sequel to the smash political hit … Read more
It may be a noble ambition, but this is a misguided, misdirected effort, and has the potential to block the path to a healthier planet, writes New Plymouth secondary school student James Macey On Friday, 15 March, school students around the globe will be going on “strike”. In New Zealand, the “School Strike 4 Climate” … Read more
As a generation, we will not be complicit in the death of the planet. This Friday’s climate strike is our way of showing that we can change the world, we can face down those who disregard and ignore us, and still come out on top, write Auckland secondary school students Grace Wilkie and Libby Morrison As … Read more
There were more strikes last year than in any of the previous 10 years. RNZ political reporter Gia Garrick looks at why and whether Labour’s historic relationship with the unions could lose the party its public support. Labour’s Andrew Little gazes at the framed black and white picture of his idol Peter Fraser, one of … Read more
New Zealand’s tax debate is not helped by Government hiring Cullen as CGT booster, writes National’s finance spokesperson Amy Adams. New Zealanders deserve a robust debate about the taxes they pay when the Government is looking at re-engineering the tax system to reach further into their back-pockets. But the Government is avoiding debate by saying … Read more
In the lead up to the student-led climate strikes, the Spinoff asked its readers for their own reasons for skipping school. A number of student strikes around climate change will take place all over the country on March 15. Thousands of students have pledged to attend, choosing to voice their thoughts on New Zealand’s climate … Read more
Annabelle Lee, Ben Thomas and Toby Manhire send their lifeboats into the great capital gains tax minestrone ocean. Michael Cullen’s Tax Working Group report has been published, sending the nation into untold capital gains tax convulsions. The Gone By Lunchtime panel piles in. How is Jacinda Ardern faring in making the case? What case is … Read more
Taylor shouldn’t be left to rot in a Syrian jail, argues Marc Daalder – not because we’re bleeding hearts, but because it’s our obligation to charge him here. In mid-2014, Mark Taylor left his home, wife, and children behind in Indonesia and boarded a plane to Turkey. Now, he is languishing in a Kurdish military … Read more
A capital gains tax is urgently needed not so much for the revenue it will raise, but because the tax system is currently fundamentally unfair, writes policy director and economist for the Council of Trade Unions Bill Rosenberg. Our tax system is unfair. It’s not equipped for many of the needs which we, as New … Read more
Winston Peters has spent decades gaming MMP to keep himself in the position of king (or queen) maker. Asks Danyl Mclauchlan, are we really going to make it even easier for politicians like him? The Green Party has put forward a members bill which, among other things, advocates lowering the MMP threshold from 5% to … Read more
How high is too high for the line that separates the political contenders and pretenders? Jake Metzger has a look at the issues around the heavily disputed MMP threshold. This piece was originally published on Radio NZ. Ever scratched your head, dumbfounded as to how a political party that garnered a mere 13,075 votes in … Read more
The Hanoi Summit – the second of its kind between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un – has disappointingly ended with no agreement being reached. Rebekah Jaung writes about the ramifications. T-shirts with caricatures of the two heads of state, King Jong Ale, and, images of crowds lining the streets of … Read more
Jacinda Ardern’s personality, relative youth and air of doing things differently are winning over the centre, but she needs to get moving on climate change, writes former National minister Wayne Mapp. In 2017, the day after Winston Peters had chosen which of the two major parties would be in government, I wrote a column about … Read more
After news of Cameron Slater’s departure from Whale Oil, Liam Hehir reflects on the fading influence of New Zealand’s politics blogs. Cameron Slater, founder of Whale Oil, is stepping away from his creation and has filed for bankruptcy. This follows an earlier announcement that the blogger had suffered a stroke, and that recovery was not … Read more
Literally decades worth of untaxed capital gains have created a political nightmare for the government. Is there any way they can navigate a capital gains tax through it, asks Danyl Mclauchlan? Part of the problem is that this government is trying to unshit the bed. We’ve had a deeply unfair tax system with its grossly … Read more
New Zealand is underprepared for Indonesia’s rapid economic growth, and our nearest Asian neighbour is a potential close friend, writes Jordan King Ask a New Zealander to discuss Indonesia and you may get a response about Bali, Bintangs, or perhaps West Papua or The Act of Killing. Or you might get no response at all. … Read more