Stephen Mills from UMR Research breaks down the Key prime ministership through their long-running polls, revealing a somewhat polarising politician who didn’t quite reach the beloved status of his predecessor. As John Key is about to leave Parliament it is timely to look at his immediate legacy. He was consistently lauded by political journalists for his … Read more
John Key has left the building, but not before delivering one final address. How did he go? Our experts offer their assessment of the last parliamentary appearance by the man who was New Zealand prime minister from 2008 to 2016. Jenna Raeburn: Quintessential Key, and a rebuff to critics John Key’s valedictory was smattered with … Read more
In their new book Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson offer evidence of a botched raid that killed six civilians and led to a scramble to conceal the truth. Danyl Mclauchlan reviews Hit & Run: The New Zealand SAS in Afghanistan and the Meaning of Honour and weighs up the prospects for an inquiry. This review … Read more
Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson’s new book presents compelling evidence that our SAS was responsible for killing at least six Afghan civilians, wounding at least another 15, and handing over a man to be tortured for information. The appearance that we have been systemically lied to about what our soldiers do in our name is … Read more
Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson have just published Hit & Run: The New Zealand SAS in Afghanistan and the meaning of honour, which they say ‘tells the story of a dark and guilty secret of New Zealand’s recent history’, and makes the case that six civilians were killed and 15 wounded in an SAS operation. … Read more
A National Party chair has called for the return of corporal punishment, which seems sure to return the issue, including the smacking debate, to the agenda under NZ’s new social conservative PM. You’d be forgiven for thinking that New Zealand had by and large concluded the debate about whether beating up children is a good … Read more
A sequel to Dirty Politics? A blistering John Key exposé? An homage to soup? Ahead of tomorrow’s big launch, we play bookmaker. A famous New Zealander has revealed the release date for a long-awaited new work, igniting a frenzy of speculation, the likes of which we haven’t seen since at least the other week. Nicky … Read more
National and Labour might deny it, but they have a surprising amount in common on housing. But they also have some big differences, and neither of them seems to really understand what to do about state housing. Why not? Both parties pledge to build more affordable homes, expand the social housing stock and shelter more … Read more
After eight years watching John Key from the deputy’s seat, Bill English was thrust into leadership late last year. In the first in a series of election-year interviews with our political leaders, Duncan Greive goes to the ballet with the prime minister, and chews over his new job and how he plans to keep it. Photography … Read more
In an exclusive interview with the Spinoff, the prime minister invokes the term ‘virtue signalling’ and reveals why he decided to break with predecessor John Key on superannuation Bill English has reiterated that he does not consider himself a feminist, suggesting in an interview with the Spinoff that the term is not applicable to men, … Read more
Can the PM recover from last Monday’s ‘wait and see’ shambles, in the face of questions on tax cuts and abortion? Toby Manhire tunes in. You think your Monday morning is a struggle, but spare a thought for the prime minister, whose week begins with four broadcast interviews, pretty much back to back. Imagine trying … Read more
With a water shortage threatened for Auckland, we invited Phil Goff to give us some tips on how to take a short shower. He declined! And then we discovered this… When I was young and devil-may-care I used to ride a motorcycle with the wind in my hair, because that’s how we rocked back then, … Read more
There was a lot of love between the politicians kicking off the campaign with a debate at Auckland University last night, and then it got ugly. Toby Manhire relives the good and the bad of it all. If the curtain-raising set-piece in election year presages the 2017 campaign proper, we can expect an engaging, amicable … Read more
It’s nothing personal, says Aucklander Paul Brislen – the earthquake-prone capital just isn’t secure enough to house our vital government headquarters. Ah, Wellington. As the plane banks and slides in to land, every single time I end up singing the bit that’s not entirely written by Don McGlashan: “And they’re playing the tape for the … Read more
Māori need more than just loud voices and ‘colourful characters’ – we need thought leaders, writes Haimona Gray Imagine you are the child of two famous political dynasties. Now imagine one of these families has been responsible for reducing cigarette smoking in your community at a world leading rate. Imagine someone from this same family … Read more
New Zealand’s new minister for women has explained why she described herself as a feminist ‘most days’, prompting fresh criticism. But one thing is sure: she is an upgrade on the last effort. Paula Bennett, deputy PM and minister for women, this week spoke out robustly and laudably on pay equality and domestic violence. She … Read more
Gone By Lunchtime meets The Breakfast Club as leading NZ politics podcasters Annabelle Lee, Ben Thomas and Toby Manhire splinter desperately into millennial solidarity. In the historic first ever Spinoff Gone By Lunchtime podcast since the arrival of LifeDirect as sponsor of the politics section, we discuss a range of important topical issues, before eventually … Read more
All evidence points to one hard fact: it is incredibly improbable that you will remain alive. Hayden Donnell recommends either signing up for life insurance or fleeing to an apocalypse bunker this very minute. Are you reading this? Congratulations. Somehow you’re not dead. Good luck keeping it that way. Right now 11 major organ systems … Read more
Pushing the retirement age to 67 by 2040 reshapes the debate in election year. The boomers will be happy, but what about the rest of us? Ben Thomas writes It didn’t seem likely during the prime minister’s Monday morning interview circuit, after two studio interviews ended in mocking laughter from media hosts, but Bill English … Read more
Spoiler: he wants you to wait and see a lot. In a tweet mysteriously deleted over the weekend, Bill English announced, “We’re not here to shy away from the hard issues.” And that not shying away extended unmistakably across the weekend and Monday-morning interview flurry. He would most definitely be dealing directly with issues around … Read more
Some say we have got it just right. Some are completely opposed. Others say we haven’t gone far enough. But the overall response to our project has been heartening, writes Geoffrey Palmer. While some may believe New Zealanders are never interested in constitutional matters, my recent meetings around the country prove that to be wrong. … Read more
After the Mt Albert byelection and with Labour stuck in polling doldrums, the case for Jacinda Ardern’s elevation to the deputy leadership had become irresistible. But what happens when she overtakes Little in the preferred leader polling, wonders Toby Manhire The politics gods’ simmering fury with the New Zealand Labour Party was evidenced again on … Read more
The National leader’s mana-enhancing approach was as impressive as the Labour leader’s ‘not kaupapa’ outburst was depressing, says Carrie Stoddart-Smith. Bewitched by a glass (or two) of smooth red merlot, intoxicated by the ambience of festoon lights nestled among the grapevines in the Hawkes Bay, I sputtered out to the universe (via Twitter) that I … Read more
The party with the most to do after Saturday’s by-election is the Greens. But the party that came out of the weekend in the worst shape may turn out to be Act, writes Simon Wilson There’s a whole bunch of reasons why the Greens didn’t do well in Mt Albert and none of them should … Read more
The shocking true story of a law professor, a student radio station and a pro-cannabis political party conspiring to introduce US-style negative election campaigning to the nation’s airwaves, all with the help of the NZ Court of Appeal. As regular readers of The Spinoff may be aware, 2017 is an election year in New Zealand. … Read more
Adrian Orr’s 23% salary increase has been decried by everyone from the PM down. But Orr is no ordinary public service boss: he’s a savvy corporate investor, responsible for truly remarkable returns. His salary should match that reality, argues Peter Davis. Through the early 2000s both Australia and New Zealand enjoyed good times, thanks to … Read more
The run up to the Mt Albert by-election might seem quiet but the results are likely to have a huge impact on the NZ political year. Meanwhile, over in Maungakiekie, Green wunderkind Chlöe Swarbrick has been demoted to humble foot soldier. Strange days in Auckland politics, writes Simon Wilson. Did you know there’s a candidate … Read more
Labour leader Andrew Little this morning chastised the Māori Party for its deal with Hone Harawira’s Mana Party, and dismissed the Māori Party as ‘not kaupapa Māori’. We invited co-leader Marama Fox to respond and defend the Mana-Māori deal. Here is a transcript of her handwritten response (see below). In my heart I believe that … Read more
Kim Dotcom is back in court. He won the battle to livestream it. Until we can bear it no longer we’re liveblogging that. UPDATED with February 2017 ruling. Monday February 20, 2017: We have a ruling! A mere five months on, the ruling is in, and Justice Gilbert says Dotcom and co are eligible for … Read more