The Greens won a sizeable share of the party vote, and Chlöe Swarbrick took Auckland Central. But the cannabis referendum campaign she championed, as captured in Three Ticks Chlöe, failed. For all the glorious victory, the final note is one of frustration, writes Justin Giovannetti. Three Ticks Chlöe is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries … Read more
A new social media platform that keeps censorship to a bare minimum has taken off in the wake of Donald Trump’s election loss. So what is this thing? You’ve quite possibly never heard of Parler, the new app taking the free speech world by storm. But in the United States it’s top of the app … Read more
Few people outside of her campaign team gave Chlöe Swarbrick any chance of winning in Auckland Central this year – but the Green Party MP was too busy to listen. Here’s how they turned the electorate green. Three Ticks Chlöe is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff. There … Read more
Soon after the proposed cannabis bill failed to gain majority support at referendum here, several conservative US states voted to legalise cannabis and decriminalise other drugs. So why is our supposedly progressive nation afraid of drug law reform? Americans may have been divided on a preferred president, but they were far more united in their … Read more
The opposition leader appointed her shadow cabinet yesterday, and in doing so made some unexpected choices. Here are 10 Justin Giovannetti is pondering. Judith Collins has put her stamp on the National Party with a new shadow cabinet that breaks with her predecessors. With a small caucus of only 33, Collins has given each of … Read more
The elevation of Dr Shane to the deputy leadership may not set the world on fire, but his calm capability will be a balm for the wounded political party, writes Liam Hehir. The deputy leader of the National Party is Shane Reti (or “Dr Shane” as we are encouraged to call him). The appointment caps … Read more
The prime minister has been quick to rule out benefit increases before Christmas – but the welfare system is failing our communities, which she ignores at her peril, writes Child Poverty Action Group’s Janet McAllister. More than 60 organisations – and counting – have signed an open letter to the government, urging it to increase … Read more
David Farrar (not Farrier) is a pollster for the National Party. Today, he’s being tweeted by Patricia Arquette. Stewart Sowman-Lund talks to New Zealand’s newest celebrity. Updated with tweets by Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Right-wing blogger, commentator and the head of Curia Market Research, David Farrar, has been flung from the safety of New … Read more
From re-engaging with the Paris Agreement to reducing tensions with China, there are a number of things New Zealand will be hoping to see from the US under a President Joe Biden, writes Stephen Jacobi. The American people have spoken. America’s “better angels” have prevailed. We all hope for better times ahead, but, while there … Read more
More and more community cases linked to the border have been detected in recent days, first in Christchurch, then in Auckland, and now in Wellington. Justin Giovannetti looks at what’s happening. Community cases of Covid-19 linked to quarantine facilities have been reported in New Zealand’s three largest cities over the past week, but director general … Read more
During Helen Clark’s second term, Don Brash’s Ōrewa speech saw National surge in the polls and the Labour government’s social policies tighten. Fifteen years years later, could history repeat? When a socially progressive party wins an overwhelming electoral mandate, it’s natural to wonder how long its luck will last. Will Labour really implement strong social … Read more
As we reach the welcome conclusion of Trump’s 2020 campaign, one of the most bizarre in recent history, Stewart Sowman-Lund takes a peek behind the curtain of three of New Zealand’s own chaotic campaigns. ‘Mike… fuck,” says Jeremy Greenbrook-Held, drawing out the “fuck” like someone with a story to tell. The “Mike” he’s referring to … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 7-8, covering all the latest from the US election along with New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. See the latest results on an interactive US map here. Reach me on jihee@thespinoff.co.nz 8pm: The day in sum Joe Biden was declared the next president of the United … Read more
Joe Biden’s victory presents an opportunity to reset the White House agenda and put it on a different course. Three scholars discuss what a Biden presidency may have in store in three key areas: race, the Supreme Court and foreign policy. Racism, policing and Black Lives Matter protests Brian Purnell, Bowdoin College The next four … Read more
Plus: a state-by-state breakdown of Senate races across the US. If you’re reading on the app, click here. The US has already seen record early voting in the presidential election, with more than 100 million people casting ballots before election day. Now, the counting begins. With a variety of differences in when early votes and … Read more
The Democrats started this week high on hopes for winning Senate elections up and down the map. It didn’t quite work out that way, as Catherine McGregor explains. Hooray! President Trump is about to be booted out. That means things are going back to normal, right? Not so fast. There’s no doubt a Biden presidency … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 6, covering all the latest from the US election along with New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. See the latest results on an interactive US map here. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 8.10pm: Auckland quarantine worker tests positive for Covid-19 A worker at the Auckland quarantine facility … Read more
We knew Labour would be the government before the specials came in, but what’s changed in the final result? Alex Braae picks out some fun details. Read more: The special votes are in and it’s bad news for the cannabis referendum, and National 1) Chris Hipkins loses title of the largest electorate majority Education and … Read more
The final results of 2020’s general election have been released, with National losing two seats, the Māori Party gaining a seat and the referendum results not changing. Parliament has turned a little redder with the special votes as Labour has picked up an additional seat and become the first party since 1951 to win over … Read more
Feeling down about America divided? There were some less-publicised but very real wins for progressive politics too that show all is not lost in this shitty old year. If you’re feeling lost and heartbroken that 70 million-plus Americans voted for Donald Trump, that’s legit. And I won’t try to make you feel better. It’s terrible … Read more
With around 1 in 10 New Zealanders declaring themselves supporters of Donald Trump, a hypothetical Trump Party would be a shoo-in for parliament, writes Massey University’s Grant Duncan. The US presidential election may still be extremely close, but one thing is clear: those pundits and pollsters who predicted Trump was in no position to win … Read more
It is swearing-in day for the new cabinet. Sarah Austen-Smith, a former press secretary to prime minister Jacinda Ardern, has some advice for anyone looking to win sway with the top table team. Businesses, activists, organisations and public servants spend a huge amount of time (and money) trying to communicate effectively with ministers. In an … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 5, covering all the latest from the US election along with New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. See the latest results on an interactive US map here. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 6.30pm: The day in sum The US election remained on a knife-edge, with Joe Biden’s … Read more
Win or lose, the shame of Donald Trump’s presidency will be a stain on the United States for years to come, writes former New Zealand prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer QC. Since the election of Donald Trump as President in 2016, the United States has endured much political agony. The election of 2020 does little … Read more
Donald Trump falsely declaring victory before all the votes are counted is a tactic favoured by autocrats and would-be tyrants, writes University of Essex department of government professor Natasha Lindstaedt. In the months leading up to US election day, it was predicted that Donald Trump would not accept the results if he lost, would cast doubt over … Read more
Regardless of the White House occupant, America’s relationship with New Zealand won’t change, US ambassador Scott Brown told Spinoff political editor Justin Giovannetti at an embassy function. About two-thirds of the New Zealanders he’s met are supportive of president Donald Trump and his policies, said Scott Brown, the outgoing US ambassador, last night, citing what … Read more
In the days leading up to election day, fear and uncertainty ripple through America. Tess McClure, a US-based New Zealand journalist, reports on the mood from Pennsylvania and New York. When I walk through my neighbourhood in Harlem, the leaves are off the trees. They congeal, yellowing in the gutter. I am walking to the … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s US election live blog: election news, analysis and reaction, updated throughout the day. See the latest results on an interactive US map here. Reach me on catherine@thespinoff.co.nz. 9.45pm: And that’s a wrap, for now With most of the United States fast asleep and much of the vote counting halted for the … Read more
New Zealand’s highest court has ruled internet entrepreneur Dotcom and three others liable for extradition on all but one count – but they had been wrongly denied a judicial review, so that will need to be heard before it goes to the minister. What has the Supreme Court ruled? The court has ruled that Kim … Read more