The second wave of coronavirus currently hitting Europe threatens not just public health but the social order, writes Matt Fitzpatrick. After a summer of relative freedom of movement, autumn has brought a major spike in Covid-19 cases in many European countries. While the European Union fruitlessly searches for a united way forward across its various … Read more
One of the world’s foremost experts on mass psychogenic illness teaches high school in Auckland. Josie Adams spent an afternoon learning what a psychogenic illness is. Robert E. Bartholomew lives in an old hotel in Flat Bush in south-east Auckland. He has a swimming pool used principally by frogs, and a shelf full of UFO … Read more
Crowd-hater Michelle Langstone discovers a new appreciation for the maelstrom of humanity. I’ve always found crowds panic-inducing, sweaty, noisy and lacking in manners. My attitude to crowds is akin to an 80-year-old woman who’s cross about the neighbour’s dog getting into her garden — no time for it, inclined to give people a real dressing … Read more
Labour is presenting the preliminary results in the referendum on legalisation as an endorsement of the status quo. It is no such thing, writes Madeleine Holden. Unless about two-thirds of special voters ticked “yes” in the cannabis referendum, the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill will not be introduced as legislation. Basically, at this point, it … Read more
If New Zealand has any moral fibre it should oppose Chris Liddell’s nomination for the top job at the OECD, argues Natasha Lampard. He is one the most trusted and longest-serving lieutenants in the Trump administration. As assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for policy coordination, he has played an influential part … Read more
To mark the anniversary of the signing of He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga, the Declaration of Independence, on this day in 1835, race relations commissioner Meng Foon has one message: land back. Whenua is fundamental to Māori identity and whakapapa. Whenua and housing are essential for wellbeing. Yet despite Māori resilience, land loss has impacted … Read more
In an effort to bring The Spinoff’s favourite format – the ranking – to its knees, Alice Webb-Liddall ranks the most boring thing she can think of: borers. If something is to be named after me when I have passed away after a lifetime of goodwill and national recognition, I would want a high-density housing … Read more
The pandemic has only exposed the systemic healthcare inequities that already existed, write two NZ health professionals working on the Covid response at opposite ends of the world. Far from being some “great leveller”, the Covid-19 pandemic has proven to be more like water in a New Zealand rental home: seeping into all of the … Read more
Today marks the official end of the second wave in the Australian state of Victoria, with zero cases recorded for the first time in 139 days, writes Hassan Vally of La Trobe University. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews today announced the most significant easing of Melbourne’s coronavirus restrictions since the state went into “stage 3” lockdown … Read more
Ensemble’s Lofa Totua explores the evolving nature of her understanding of activism, and asks those fighting against injustice about what being an ‘activist’ means to them. The other week I released a fear. The angsty knots of worry and imposter syndrome, untied, finally allowing me to breathe. “Sometimes, activism is as simple as breathing Lofa. … Read more
‘On one scale the coronavirus that plagues us is microscopic. On another we ourselves are made small.’ An essay by Alex Kazemi. Make a Moebius strip. Take a long rectangular piece of paper, loop it, then join the two ends after putting one end through a half twist. The resultant shape is three dimensional but … Read more
American actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt has revealed he’s living and working in New Zealand. What brought him here, and what can he expect from his visit? Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in Netflix’s new movie The Trial of the Chicago 7, but he could also be appearing in a suburb near you. Last week the Emmy Award-winning actor … Read more
On the Rag has been hard at work trying to come up with a foolproof method for overcoming imposter syndrome. This is what it’s come up with. In this month’s episode of of On the Rag, we decided to confront imposter syndrome, aka the horrible demon lurking in many of our brains that doesn’t always … Read more
A governor general, a microbiologist, a New Zealander of the Year, an Oscar-nominated producer and a comedian walk into a bar. The punchline? They all struggle with imposter syndrome despite being extremely cool and successful women. “I’m the governor general, I have to accept that I’ve done some things right – it can’t have been … Read more
Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey, Leonie Hayden and a lineup of incredibly successful New Zealand women as they confront their imposter syndrome once and for all. For some it appears as a constant whisper, for others it’s a screeching megaphone in the face at the most inopportune of moments. Many of you will be familiar … Read more
A small but vocal movement calling for the end of lockdown restrictions is gaining steam globally. Dr Siouxsie Wiles explains why such an approach would be a bad idea. As life in Aotearoa gets back to some kind of normal after our latest Covid-19 outbreak, cases in the northern hemisphere are on the rise again … Read more
A special poem by Labour’s deputy leader Kelvin Davis, following in the tradition of political verse started by David Cunliffe. A year ago I started a tale A story with a chapter yet to unveil Of a world of light and some pretty ugly taniwha Of a guy called Kevin Davies And a joke that’s … Read more
When the Wallabies’ Oikoumene ‘Hunter’ Paisami and All Black Ofa Tu’ungafasi face off this weekend they’ll not only be representing their respective nations, but also their former school of Māngere College. A small high school in South Auckland will be cheering for both sides tomorrow at Eden Park – they’ve got old boys in the … Read more
After last weekend’s Bledisloe Cup match, Justin Latif asks why we’ve fallen out of love with drop kicking. October 6, 2007 was truly one of the darkest days of my life. To many New Zealand sports fans, just hearing the words “two thousand and seven” elicits cold sweats and furrowed brows. If you’re unsure what … Read more
In the final instalment of her column about her adventures in online dating, Alie Benge ponders a world that isn’t afraid of love. I’m obsessed with love. All forms are fascinating. Familial love, aromantic love, queer love, desire, friendship. But my interest has come from a position of anthropological curiosity. In my own life, I’ve … Read more
Some people made sourdough. Some took up sewing. But Sacha Judd and her friends got through this pandemic-dominated year by developing a curious obsession with a curious sport. No one needs another thinkpiece about the effect of 2020 on our exhausted brains. You’ve already read a hundred hot takes bemoaning the fact that we can’t … Read more
Amanda Thompson is a giant nerd, but she thinks cannabis plants look really cool. So if the yes votes prevail and it’s legalised, she’ll be growing a couple. Here’s her entirely hypothetical guide to how to do it. Voted yet? I have. As you get older, you get the joy of doing things early. Like … Read more
Each week in the lead-up to the election, The Side Eye cartoonist Toby Morris is going to teach us how to draw a different New Zealand politician. This week, it’s the New Zealand First leader. Click here for the rest of the How to draw series. The Side Eye is a monthly non-fiction comic by Toby … Read more
Staff members have been keeping a record of the University of Auckland’s online mentions, writes Daniel Meech, co-editor of student magazine Craccum. Documents released under the Official Information Act show that the University of Auckland has been tracking students on social media for several months. The university appears to have used this information to gain … Read more
Barber Peleti Oli-Alainu’uese has lost his brother to suicide and been a victim of physical and sexual abuse, but he’s now using his story to inspire others to tackle their own issues. Content warning: This piece includes discussion of suicide and sexual abuse “Barbering saved my life,” says Peleti Oli-Alainu’uese. He might be Hastings’ first … Read more
The National leader’s comments were rooted in political ideology rather than real-life experience, writes South Auckland nutritionist Mason Ngawhika, who believes the health of the community is a collective responsibility. I know virtually no one who is satisfied with their current weight or body composition. Meaning everyone I know is unable to take the personal … Read more
The judges have spoken: These are the best ideas for changing Aotearoa for the better, courtesy of some of our brightest young minds. Policy.nz’s Chris McIntyre introduces the winners. Since Policy.nz launched in August, barely a day has passed without the parties announcing new policies. By our count, the parties have announced nearly 2,000 policies … Read more
We’ve heard a lot about the social benefits a law change would bring, but precious little on the mental health risks it could also pose, writes Sophie Vreeburg. Read a response to this column by psychopharmacologist Suresh Muthukumaraswamy here. Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article made the claim that cannabis can cause schizophrenia. … Read more
Covid has highlighted South Auckland’s potential vulnerability to a health crisis, so what are our politicians promising to do about the region’s ongoing problems? Updated with statistics minister James Shaw’s comments. Mary* is a GP in South Auckland. She’s on the frontline, helping those with often complex health issues in one of New Zealand’s most … Read more