Around this time every year, the howls of agony echo around the country – from south to north, people who enjoy a drink in moderation have just realised that religious traditions have imposed on their freedoms. But forewarned is forearmed. Bars, super markets and bottle shops will be forced to stop selling bevvys at midnight on … Read more
Join us as we follow the progress of Cyclone Cook, live from the buckets under the large leak in The Spinoff’s roof. For official cyclone updates for the Auckland region, see aucklandcivildefence.org.nz. For updates on the national states of emergency, see civildefence.govt.nz.
The living costs loan is designed to keep students housed and fed, but in our biggest cities it rarely even covers rent. That’s where a new lobby group for legislative reform to improve students’ welfare comes in, says Jack Close, the group’s founder. Living costs are a student loan administered by StudyLink to cover “day … Read more
We’re seeking a partnerships editor to join our cool team and manage the work we do with brands, NGOs and agencies. The Spinoff is seeking an experienced writer and editor to join our Auckland team. The role is partnerships editor and is critical for the business, overseeing all content created for clients, on or beyond the … Read more
For at least 22 years, the Hyde Street Party has been a highlight of Dunedin’s scarfie social calendar, a dawn to dusk marathon of drinking, dancing and general debauchery. This year’s party took place on Saturday April 1 and Joel MacManus was there for the whole thing. This story will appear in next week’s issue … Read more
Looking back on 1990s supermarket chain Big Fresh, it seems scarcely believable. A food shopping Disneyland with live country music, a TV room for the kids and giant animatronic vegetables swaying in the rafters? Did that actually happen? But for 15 glorious years the Big Fresh supermarket chain really did exist. Kristin Hall met the … Read more
‘Beggars pretending to look homeless by bringing props to streets’ blared a recent One News report, citing as evidence a survey of the homeless population by Hamilton police. Just one problem: the survey doesn’t appear to exist. Branko Marcetic goes in search of the phantom police survey, and looks at what our readiness to accept … Read more
Host Alex Casey is joined by comedian/writer Michele A’Court and Mana magazine editor Leonie Hayden to discuss what happened in the world of women over the past month, with help from their legendary sponsors at BON tampons. With a delicious box of Munchkins in the safety of The Spinoff podcast studio, the On the Rag team huddle together to … Read more
Yesterday’s horrific chemical bombing in northern Syria left up to 100 people dead, many of them children. With no end to the brutal six-year war in sight, it’s easy to despair. But don’t give up, says Murdoch Stephens – there are steps you can take right now to help those in desperate need. If you … Read more
An ode to the humble feijoa, the Che Guevara of the fruit world. New Zealand in the late 1970s was basically a socialist paradise. Healthcare and education were free, oil prices were high enough for the government to introduce an insane rationing policy (Carless Days anyone?), and the advent of One Day cricket played by … Read more
There’s no denying it now: autumn is here, and with it shorter days and cooler temperatures. But then again, feijoas! Test your knowledge of all things autumn below. Having trouble viewing the quiz? Take it here.
New Zealand’s record on child abuse and neglect is a scar on our conscience. A new agency seeks to change that. Expert Emily Keddell explains what it’s intended to, the pitfalls it could face, and that controversial ‘vulnerable children’ label. On Saturday the government launched the Ministry for Vulnerable Children (Oranga Tamariki), replacing Child, Youth … Read more
A range of globally recognised public health concepts could improve our current system, many of which go beyond simply chucking money at the problem, writes Haimona Gray. In my relatively brief 28 years of life I have been a paid defender of the public health system, a paid apologist for the public health system, a paid … Read more
So you’re a one-percenter looking to escape the oncoming global apocalypse by hiding out in a luxury NZ bolthole. Who you gonna call? Peter Newport meets the fixers behind the super-rich influx and looks at how the newcomers are settling in. There’s been a lot of international media attention on the attractions of New Zealand … Read more
On his first Trans Visibility Day as a trans man, Felix Desmarais shares his story of coming out and losing his domain name. Today is Transgender Day of Visibility, and it is my first. It just so happens that it coincides with my first man-flu as well. Milestones. My name is Felix and I am … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today we present an excerpt from the e-notes of Lucrecia the Arm Flapper, dated 2189, third quarter of the holy Stocktake Clearance, as discovered by José Barbosa. “And so, on the fourth day after our sloop was destroyed by the two … Read more
In a community known for murder, gangs and drug abuse, yoga and mindfulness is becoming cool. For her first Spinoff column, Auckland mindfulness educator Kristina Cavit explains what we can learn from the experience of kids in inner-city Baltimore. If you’ve watched The Wire, you’ll know that Baltimore is one of the most dangerous cities … Read more
Alex Casey interviews Doctor Dan Dopps, creator of a new vaginal adhesive that hopes to seal the menstrual product deal … literally. Bleeders, palm off your pads, trash your tampons and shoot your mooncup straight to the moon. There’s a brand new innovation in time-of-the-month technology called Mensez, a lipstick for your other set of … Read more
Last week we invited you to lob your questions regarding autonomous cars at AUT professor Reinhard Klette, New Zealand’s foremost expert on the subject. Today he responds to a selection of the many questions he received, and explains why driverless cars might not be as close as you think. Professor Reinhard Klette, former professor at … Read more
Last week Otago University tenancy researcher Dr Elinor Chisholm suggested nine things the government should be doing to improve conditions for tenants in New Zealand. We asked the Property Investors Federation to respond, and this is what they told us. While improving people’s living conditions is a great goal, sometimes what looks like an obvious … Read more
For an ex-member of New Zealand’s one and only ‘sex cult’, the parallels between Centrepoint and Gloriavale raise some serious questions about the government’s handling of sexual abuse accusations in religious communities, writes Anke Richter. Three years ago I spent many afternoons on a sofa in Barri Leslie’s living room in Brown’s Bay, recording her life … Read more
The evidence shows that a ‘tough on crime’ approach is a posture, not a solution, writes criminologist Antje Deckert. In 2011, when Bill English was Finance Minister, he declared that New Zealand’s prisons were “a moral and fiscal failure”. Five years later, the National government has announced that it will recruit 1,100 new police officers … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today: Natasha Hoyland can’t comprehend the L&P fusion food craze. I ask myself this time and time again: why do New Zealanders become so obsessed with such mediocre, often quite frankly shitty things? I’m looking at you, L&P chocolate. Another … Read more
An Ombudsman’s report revealed some serious issues with the use of tie-down beds in New Zealand’s prisons. What it didn’t show was that their use amounts to torture, says Corrections Chief Custodial Officer Neil Beales. Roger Brooking’s opinion piece published on The Spinoff yesterday says that prisoners are tortured in New Zealand. He is wrong: … Read more
With stores closing and the sales never ending, it has to be asked – what’s going on with New Zealand’s fastest growing fashion brand? Things aren’t looking good for I Love Ugly. The Auckland-based men’s streetwear brand, which in fewer than ten years has grown from a one-person operation run out of a closet to … Read more
We should be on guard against allowing conservative religious views familiar in the US to creep into our discussion of issues in Aotearoa NZ, writes Rev Dr Helen Jacobi of St Matthew-in-the-City I think I first really started to understand the nature of the transgender life when I read Charity Norman’s novel The Secret Life … Read more
After a brief flurry of media interest, the revelation that prisoners had been tied to their beds for up to 16 hours a day has quickly faded from the public consciousness. But that’s par for the course when prison inmates are routinely dehumanised, says Roger Brooking. Three weeks ago, the Ombudsman Peter Boshier issued a … Read more
As more and more young and vulnerable people are locked out of the market, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has declared war on bad landlords, releasing their tenancy compliance team into the wild. Don Rowe talks to their leader. Some time during Rent Week, it might have been around the time a doctor … Read more
Have a question about renting? The CAB, the independent service which helps the public understand their rights and obligations, is here to help. We asked them for some tips for anyone who rents (or lets) property, and this is what they told us. Tenancy agreements A tenancy must be covered by a written tenancy agreement. … Read more