The NZ Rideshare Drivers Network is asking Uber drivers and passengers to join a day of action over pay and conditions. Shobhit Kashyap, an Uber driver and Network spokesperson, makes the case The rideshare industry is dependent on more than just a piece of technology. It depends on the people who drive the vehicles. We … Read more
In this instalment of Black Sheep, the RNZ series about the controversial characters of New Zealand history: Kimble Bent, the American soldier who fought – and switched sides – in the Taranaki Land Wars of the 1860s. It’s reasonably common knowledge that large numbers of Māori fought on the side of the government during the … Read more
New Zealand Veterinary Association companion animal manager Rochelle Ferguson tackles the flawed logic in using breed as the only criteria for judging dogs as dangerous. The latest furore over the Christchurch City Council’s interpretation of our dog control laws exposes the flawed logic that underpins New Zealand’s approach to managing the dangerous dog issue. Our … Read more
Cyrus Haley burned down several of the most famous buildings in 19th century Auckland and tried to kill the family of a prominent businessman. To this day we still don’t know why. THE CHASE January 27th, 1872. Auckland’s chief of police, Inspector Broham, is hot on the trail of a fugitive who’d been terrorising the … Read more
No one likes the tax man. Not even his mum. But Dany Miller-Kareko is the modern face of the IRD, who’s out to convince Kiwis she’s here to help. James Borrowdale followed her around Auckland while she tried. If there was one place to prove that old adage wrong – the one about about the … Read more
After hurricane force winds battered Auckland on Tuesday night, lines company Vector awoke to the task of rebuilding its severely damaged network. Minoru Frederiksens talks Don Rowe through the aftermath. On Tuesday night a severe storm tore through Auckland, cutting power to more than 100,000 houses across the region. Whole suburbs went dark as trees … Read more
Employees at organic supermarket chain have reached a deal for a living wage, reports Alex Braae A strike that was set to take place outside Grey Lynn organic grocery store Harvest has been called off, after an in-principle agreement was made to progressively move all staff to a living wage. Huckleberry, who own the Grey … Read more
At a central Auckland organic supermarket, where the shelves are stocked with high end specialty foods, the workers are about to strike over low pay. And they’re not the only supermarket where workers are getting fed up. Update: Strike cancelled! More here Organic. Spray free. Superfood. Gluten free. Ethical. These are some of the words … Read more
We asked, you delivered: shocking photos of the destruction and trauma visited upon the cats, dogs and trampolines of Auckland overnight. A largely unheralded storm tore through Auckland last night, downing trees, power lines and much of the city’s electricity grid. Cats were scared, dogs were terrified, and many a trampoline was found up a … Read more
A storm has ripped through the North Island uprooting trees, killing power across Auckland and sending trampolines airborne. Here’s the Spinoff roundup of everything essential There’s nothing like weather chat to bring strangers and acquaintances together, and today the water cooler conversations will be going off. Except, of course, that many people won’t be at … Read more
With heavy rain and wind pounding away at New Zealand, what does it mean for the buses, trains and roads? It’s a little more complicated than you might think. What sorts of weather lead us to change our daily travel behaviour? How do we respond to scorching heatwaves, sapping humidity, snow and frost, strong winds, … Read more
Have you had a scammer trying to get you with a robocall yet? Science and technology journalist Peter Griffin investigates the phenomenon. Remember last year’s wave of tech support scams, where you received calls from a foreign sounding “technician” asking for access to your Windows computer as well as your credit card details? They have … Read more
After the minister suspended its profiling pilot, Immigration NZ has released a spreadsheet and a briefing note. Tze Ming Mok is deeply, deeply unimpressed. An RNZ producer contacted me last night to share a PDF of Immigration NZ’s profiling spreadsheet and briefing note that they had released to the media. She had been contacting a … Read more
The Australian rugby star has triggered controversy by saying on social media gay people are headed to ‘HELL … Unless they repent of their sins and turn to God’. Such misuse of Bible scripture is the biggest impediment to Pasifika Rainbow people being able to live our lives without fear, backlash and hatred, writes Tuiloma … Read more
Wellington-based coffee chain Mojo has announced it is upping its prices in response to the increase in the minimum wage. Fine, says Emily Writes, but I won’t be buying your coffee again. My love of coffee is known, and while it doesn’t reach the levels of “has Google alert for Wellington and Coffee” it does … Read more
If you remove statistical models and computational algorithms which reveal discriminatory assumptions or outcomes, you’re not removing discrimination, you’re just making it less transparent, writes Danyl Mclachlan. Imagine you’re the head of Immigration New Zealand. Part of your job is to deport people who are in the country illegally. You have limited resources: you can’t … Read more
She thought about walking away from tax, but couldn’t. Maria Slade finds Westpac’s tax guru Jo Sawden does it for the love of it. Jo Sawden loves tax. Accountancy’s most arcane branch certainly isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time, but for the head of tax at New Zealand’s third largest corporate taxpayer it is … Read more
Consumer NZ’s new survey of renters found that many are dissatisfied with the level of service they get from their property manager. The organisation’s Jessica Wilson says it’s clear the government needs to act. It’s no secret many renters are doing it tough. But our recent survey of the market found there’s a much higher … Read more
The department has confirmed it will look into the charity status of Terrible Foundation, following revelations in the Spinoff around the strange story of a purported supercomputer-powered artificial intelligence revolution in Christchurch The Department of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation into the Terrible Foundation, the registered charity linked to Zach, a supposed pioneering artificial … Read more
District Health Boards were set up to do a lot more than direct funding and monitor wait times. It’s time we got back to DHBs’ original aspirations – for the good of New Zealand’s health, writes former DHB chair Peter Glensor. Over the past week, a sobering picture of a terrible maintenance backlog – toxic … Read more
Racial profiling by Immigration NZ is a tale as old as time (Dawn Raids anyone?), but if the ‘harm team’ has its way they’ll be workshopping it into our very own dystopian scifi blockbuster, writes Tze Ming Mok. Immigration NZ has apparently caught its own minister off guard by talking openly about plans for a … Read more
NZ Art Parallels is the Twitter account which reveals the hidden connections between world art history and New Zealand politics and media. Now NZ Art Parallels has joined The Spinoff for a monthly column collecting the best parallels from Twitter and exclusive Spinoff-only content. In March there was something happening of media significance nearly every … Read more
The Sensible Sentence Trust founder thinks the death of a man is a cause for celebration. The sentiment is reprehensible – we are not, and will never be, executioners, writes a long-serving NZ police officer. Over almost two decades in the New Zealand Police I have been confronted by angry, intoxicated, deranged and armed men … Read more
Cigarettes, once sold in brightly coloured packets that were highly appealing to children, will now be drab and mostly covered by dire warnings. The Spinoff’s smoking correspondent Alex Braae reviews the new plain packaging. I remember watching New Zealand play in the Benson and Hedges cricket World Series when I was a kid. In fact, … Read more
Public conventions like Armageddon Expo allow cosplayers to celebrate their biggest pop culture passions. But, as Alex Casey found out, they can also be an opportunity for unwanted photography, groping and harassment. When I was at university, I did some extremely fun part-time work for a team building company that required me having to dress … Read more
The Side Eye is a monthly non-fiction comic by Toby Morris, supported by NZ On Air. Read more comics here
I was embarrassed and outraged by the news about the state of the hospital where I work, writes Dr David Galler – for this systematic betrayal of the very people we are here to serve and of the staff that works so hard to help them. And it goes to the fundamental question about what … Read more
Last month Ihlara McIndoe travelled as Head Delegate of the Aotearoa Youth Leadership Institution delegation to the 62nd Commission on the Status of Women in New York City. The Commission is held every year, with a focus on a particular group of females and the issues they face. Here she recounts her experience at the UN. … Read more
Black Sheep is an RNZ series about the shady, controversial and sometimes downright villainous characters of New Zealand history, presented by William Ray. Here he introduces Charlotte Badger and the pirate mystery that surrounds her. Charlotte Badger was one of the very first European women to live in New Zealand. She was also a pirate… or at … Read more