This school holiday Danyl Mclauchlan caught the bus to Wellington Zoo. It was not fun. Update 19/07: This post has been amended to include a response from Greater Wellington Regional Council, which oversees Wellington’s bus network. “Please,” I pleaded, standing in the door of a bus at Wellington’s Railway Station, my six-year old daughter’s tiny … Read more
Film critic David Larsen admits his strategy to urge audiences to see Hunger failed, and pleads you to see another movie called Hunger, without recourse to hammer analogies I once opened a film review by suggesting that instead of investing fifteen dollars in the price of a ticket, readers could spend the same amount on … Read more
Yesterday, the Pop-Up Globe announced their new season of work, with #metoo and #timesup hashtags flying wild in their marketing. Penny Ashton responds. “Scarce can I speak, my choler is so great: O, I could hew up rocks and fight with flint, I am so angry.” Mate. Just like York in Shakespeare’s Henry VI right now … Read more
Reports that the organisation holds human skull and crossbones are alarming – just because it’s ceremonial, doesn’t make it appropriate, writes bioarchaeologist Siân Halcrow I’ve often heard talk the Freemasons have strange rituals and traditions, but assumed this was essentially gossip. Last week, however, I was shocked to learn that a human skull and crossbones is apparently used … Read more
Could a safety campaign called ‘Ask for Angela’ save women from creeps and predators in New Zealand? Katie Scotcher reports, in a piece originally published on Radio NZ. A safety campaign to help people whose dates go horribly wrong has launched in Sydney – and there are calls to bring it across the ditch. “Ask … Read more
Kevin Hague of Forest & Bird is giving the Climate Leaders Coalition the benefit of the doubt on greenwashing. But he has a message for all businesses: we’re watching you. Watching the heads of 60 of the country’s largest companies promise to take action on climate change last week gives me hope that we might … Read more
Pearson Education’s role in evaluating the quality of education research conducted by New Zealand academics raises concerns over its for-profit programme in the Global South, not to mention that time they tried to sue Rangitoto College. Tertiary education organisations in New Zealand are lining up for their share of $1 billion from central government over … Read more
Dr Lance O’Sullivan has issued a challenge to Phil Twyford after concluding state housing is a direct cause of kids becoming chronically ill. I recently moved from Northland to Auckland and coming from there I thought I knew what poverty was. On my second day of working as a GP here in Auckland I was … Read more
The debate about lunchbox shaming risks leaving us powerless to combat a far greater health emergency, writes public health consultant Victoria Mulligan. Dr Rebekah Graham last week called to end food policing and “lunchbox shaming”, claiming that it’s hurting our most vulnerable families. Her research uncovered the challenges that some families face in providing food … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, Hayden Donnell reviews all New Zealand roads after driving 2500km in four days. The route over Takaka Hill is less a road than a rickety goat track hewn into the side of a mountain. It’s afflicted by slips and … Read more
Auckland Council’s cancellation of two alt-right personalities’ booking at a council-owned venue has been justified on the basis of their ‘divisive’ views. Whatever happened to the liberal ideal of free speech, asks Ali Shakir. Had it not been for the controversy stirred by her New Zealand show’s cancellation, I might never have heard about Lauren … Read more
Monday’s announcement that the government would be spending billions on surveillance planes was in stark contrast to the nurses’ placards, writes Guyon Espiner for RNZ. It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the air force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber’ – so goes the … Read more
Aotearoa must follow the lead of Britain and legally prohibit this pernicious practice, writes Toni Duder of RainbowYouth “Do you have anyone we could talk to who has gone through conversion therapy at RainbowYouth?” As the Communications Manager at RainbowYouth, part of my job is to make sure that we have people from queer, intersex … Read more
A 24-hour strike is under way after last-ditch talks failed yesterday. What it’s all about and what does it mean for patients? Via RNZ Who’s on strike? Up to 29,500 nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants working for district health boards have begun a 24-hour strike after the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) rejected the latest … Read more
Nurses have rejected a last-minute DHB offer and tomorrow will go on strike. Here’s what to expect. This story was first published on Newshub. The nurses’ strike on Thursday will have the largest, most immediate effect on New Zealand’s hospitals, where nurses make up 60 to 70 percent of the frontline staff. This is all … Read more
A Warkworth baker who spurned a lesbian couple’s wedding cake request has highlighted the simmering tension in some parts of society between gay rights and religious freedom. But for Aaron Hendry, the question is simple. After going all the way to the US Supreme Court, it was only a matter of time before the Cake … Read more
A Christchurch racing club is offering ‘kiddie picks’, where children bet on the horses and get lollies if they pick a winner. Inspired, The Spinoff TV’s Hayden Donnell got to work on his own R18 product for kids. The Spinoff TV, Fridays 9.45pm on THREE
If you think there’s an easy answer on the whole Lauren Southern/Stefan Molyneux saga, law professor Andrew Geddis reckons you probably haven’t thought about it hard enough. Up until about a week ago, I and most of New Zealand hadn’t the faintest clue who Lauren Southern or Stefan Molyneux were. Having better things to do … Read more
Statistics NZ has conceded that the 2018 census response rate may be down by almost 5%, sparking concerns that some groups might not be captured by the survey. It has also led to a delay in the release of first results till March next year, and an apology from the government statistician The 2018 Census, … Read more
Phil Goff’s decision to ban two right wing Canadian provocateurs from Auckland council venues has a lot of us re-examining our views on hate speech, free speech and censorship. Danyl Mclauchlan sat down with Danyl Mclauchlan and Danyl Mclauchlan to debate the issue. Liberal Danyl: Okay, let’s try and think our way through the whole … Read more
The burghers of Wellington have been lashed by storms, almost certainly because the whale is angry about something. How might they seek absolution? Danyl Mclauchlan with this dispatch from the watery part of the capital A crowd of policy analysts and government communications advisers numbering in the tens of thousands marched along the Wellington foreshore … Read more
If Air New Zealand is going to betray its country by selling fake meat, I’ll just have to take my business elsewhere. Starring Tom Sainsbury. The Spinoff TV screens Fridays at 9.45pm from June 22nd on THREE. Thanks to NZ on Air. Click here for all our Kiwis of Snapchat videos
New Zealanders are outraged at how the United States is treating asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border. Thalia Kehoe Rowden reckons this is a good time to figure out if we want to be the good guys or the bad guys, here in Aotearoa. Whenever New Zealanders criticise other countries’ treatment of refugees, someone on … Read more
In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens and luminaries making the news. Today: We don’t know about you, but this millennial can’t wait for her free KiwiBuild home. The Spinoff TV screens Fridays at 9.45pm from June 22nd on THREE. Thanks to NZ on Air. … Read more
In response to the arrival of a southern whale in Wellington harbour, a special emergency meeting of the city’s leading agencies and communications contractors was held in the early hours of this morning. Minutes from the meeting were promptly leaked to noted whale expert Emily Writes. In attendance: Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters, Mayor of … Read more
Good news for the rugby lovers of Taranaki: despite some stands being closed owing to earthquake risk, their temple will remain open after all, reports Lydia Burgham. In Taranaki, a disaster has been looming, shrouding the community in a dark, foreboding cloud. I’m not referring to the impending, overdue volcanic eruption, however. There has been … Read more
Following allegations of sexual misconduct first reported by Newsroom, the law firm Russell McVeagh commissioned an independent review, conducted by Dame Margaret Bazley. Today she has published her findings. Below is her overview. The report can be read in full here. In February 2018, the law firm Russell McVeagh asked me to review claims that … Read more
The winter warmer package came in on Sunday, an extra $20-$30 a week to help pay power bills. Only, a big part of it is going to those who need it least. On Sunday, a whole bunch of New Zealanders who really need the help started receiving a little extra to help pay their power … Read more
Air New Zealand has been lambasted for serving Business Class passengers a burger without meat in it, which is obviously an assault on the NZ economy. Here The Spinoff’s leading New Zealander, Madeleine Chapman, recounts the day in the life of a true patriot Every night, before I slide beneath my All Blacks™ duvet cover, … Read more