Among the hundreds of Extinction Rebellion activists who blockaded a street in Wellington today, there was a teenager who got temporarily kicked out of his school for protesting too much. Alex Braae reports. “My mother, when she first found out, was a little enraged that I was skipping classes to go and hang out with … Read more
In an email to colleagues, Stuart McCutcheon says he acknowledges the ‘very real hurt and sense of threat’ caused by white supremacist materials and says now is not time for a free speech debate. The vice-chancellor of the University of Auckland has responded to an outcry among staff and students over white supremacist materials on … Read more
This morning, Wellington is being ‘disrupted’ in a series of protests by global environmental group Extinction Rebellion. Melanie Vautier explains what has brought her to this point. If you are reading this when it’s published on Monday morning, I am currently locked to an Extinction Rebellion-branded car that is blocking a road in the centre … Read more
Distressing evidence from children and young people living in ‘locked-in care’ features in a newly released report from the children’s commissioner, who has repeatedly called for the facilities to be shut down. A new report paints a grim picture of life for children and young people in secure residential care facilities, and has prompted the … Read more
Tomorrow Wellington will be the first city ‘disrupted’ in a series of protests by global environmental group Extinction Rebellion. Its spokesperson Dr Sea Rotmann explains why they’re choosing disorder. Last week School Strike 4 Climate organised 170,000 people – that’s over 3.5% of Aotearoa’s population – to take to the streets to demand action on … Read more
One man set the tone for a nation divided over rugby and apartheid South Africa. Halt All Racist Tours (HART) founder Trevor Richards writes on Muldoon, politics, sport and culture in 1970s New Zealand. Read Trevor Richards on the birth of a movement that divided New Zealand and changed us forever here. For many in … Read more
Lucy Zee celebrates the little blue powder compact tucked away in every New Zealand makeup bag. You’re at a house party. You’re not quite drunk but tipsy enough to feel emboldened to look through the bathroom cabinet after your pee break. Behind the Korean face masks, Revlon ColourStay foundation, next to the antihistamines and Mario … Read more
‘Racism and white supremacy have no place at the University of Auckland’, reads the letter, signed by many of the university’s most senior academics. A large and growing group of staff at the University of Auckland have spoken out over the re-emergence of white supremacist propaganda on campus in an open letter. The staff members, … Read more
Members of the university community on the re-emergence of white supremacist posters and stickers on campus, and the response from the vice-chancellor. A university is a shared idea. We are not simply an institution with policies and processes, or an employer with employees. We are a community dedicated to the creation, preservation and sharing of … Read more
How are students gambling, and is it possible to actually make a success out of it? Nina Minogue spoke to a few gamblers to find out in a story originally published by Critic Te Arohi, the Otago University student magazine. Between 2017 and 2018, New Zealanders lost nearly $2.4 billion on gambling between the TAB, … Read more
New Zealander Kristin Hall spent a year living in a rural Irish town that last month became the centre of an internet-stoked frenzy over refugees. Oughterard may be half a world away, she writes, but it could easily happen here. I was scrolling through Twitter the other day when I saw a tweet from renowned … Read more
If you see a woman walking barefoot around Parliament, it’s probably Wellington policy advisor Amy Russell. She explains why she rarely wears shoes, and why the raised eyebrows don’t bother her, much. By and large, I don’t wear shoes. I mostly walk barefoot to and from work. I go barefoot in the office. I go … Read more
The resistance to drug testing from the NZ First spokesperson for law and order could have severe consequences, writes the team at KnowYourStuffNZ. For five years KnowYourStuffNZ has been carrying out drug checking at festivals. In that time, we have helped thousands of festival-goers to make safer and more informed decisions. We help people avoid … Read more
University of Auckland vice-chancellor Stuart McCutcheon says a new batch of posters from a white supremacist group is ‘unfortunate’ but the university will not remove or condemn them, reports Daniel Meech. This story was first published on September 29 in Craccum, the University of Auckland student magazine. The University of Auckland’s campus has played host … Read more
Throughout history, fashion has had the power to advance cultural discussions, writes Grace Stratton. For its summer 2019 issue, fashion magazine i-D – constantly hailed as a source of inspiration in fashion culture – put neurodiverse environmental activist Greta Thunberg on its cover. By featuring an advocate like Thunberg so prominently, i-D is telling us … Read more
On the tenth anniversary of the tsunami that claimed 143 lives in Samoa, Sapeer Mayron speaks to the people who were there. Sapeer Mayron is a reporter for the Samoa Observer, covering the 10th anniversary of the 2009 Tsunami. Ten years have passed since a devastating tsunami thrashed the shores of Samoa, and took the … Read more
On the eve of her son turning seven, Emily Writes shares a personal essay on birthdays and parenthood. It was dark and I heard a little whimper then: “mama?” A little body quickly climbed into my bed and huddled up closer reaching for my hands. I pulled my arms around him and softly stroked his … Read more
Over 170,000 people went on strike for the climate crisis across New Zealand yesterday. Photographer Sylvie Whinray was in Aotea Square, Auckland, along with 80,000 others.
Despite the world’s attention turning elsewhere, thousands of asylum seekers continue to die on perilous voyages across the Mediterranean. Alex Braae spoke to a New Zealander trying to save their lives. A human body doesn’t take long to disappear in the Mediterranean. Salt water breaks it down, fish nibble it, and before anyone notices, it … Read more
For three hours, we’re going quiet. Here’s why. Despite it being known, catalogued and largely undisputed for decades, a decent response to climate change felt like something we could reach by next year. We just had to get our head around the housing crisis, or the GFC, or the Iraq war, or big tech, or … Read more
The ban and buyback passed by a united parliament in the wake of the Christchurch massacre will achieve little in the long term unless accompanied by modernised gun regulation, writes Hera Cook. New Zealanders register their cars, they register their dogs. Why should they not register guns, which are designed to kill? Guns are uniquely … Read more
The School Strike 4 Climate has been widened to a general nationwide strike. Ten of thousands of New Zealanders are expected to skip work and classes today. Here is your guide to what’s going on, and where. What and when? The School Strike 4 Climate movement has invited people of all ages to a nationwide … Read more
From declaring a climate emergency to setting a 1.5 degree regional target, Auckland Council has repeatedly emphasised its commitment to doing its bit to tackle climate change. The question is, how exactly does it plan to do that? Acting chief sustainability officer Alec Tang explains. The Spinoff: Tell me about the key areas Auckland Council … Read more
New Zealanders are disproportionately affected by section 501 of Australia’s Migration Act, which allows foreigners to be deported if they’re deemed to pose a threat to the nation. Julie Hill spoke to three ‘501s’ about life in detention and after deportation. Anya Weta is Māori, but she knows little about New Zealand, having moved with … Read more
An investigation has been launched after an epileptic inmate was left in a soiled cell following a seizure over the weekend. An inmate was left traumatised and covered in excrement overnight following an epileptic seizure at Christchurch Men’s Prison. The man, who The Spinoff has chosen not to name, collapsed in his cell around 10.30pm … Read more
For the ageing episode of On the Rag, Michèle A’Court decided to take herself along to a plastic surgeon to see what needed sprucing up. The results may shock you. I’m not as young as I used to be. I know this because a) I have a mirror and b) people mention it. It’s a … Read more
Having just returned from a trip to Spain, Avondale resident Maria Slade wonders what New Zealand can do to create more spaces for locals to gather and hang out. The Spanish have a thing they call la hora de paseo – literally, the hour to walk. It occurs after the strangely quiet time of the … Read more
Tossing up whether to join the climate strikes on Friday? Don’t make the same mistake we did: this is not going to fix itself. I tried some months ago to convince my nine-year-old grandson that I was going to rely on him to save the world. His wide-eyed wonderment at the enormity of the task, … Read more
Experts are warning that the legalisation of cannabis could increase the levels of contamination in other crops and impact our trade relationships, writes Zac Fleming. Warnings have been raised with the government that New Zealand’s trade relationships could be compromised by food contaminated with cannabis if the plant is legalised. On at least four occasions … Read more