Patient autonomy is crucial, but the belief it should trump all other considerations should be viewed with caution, writes Medical Association chair Stephen Child. Dr Stephen Child will join David Seymour and others as part of next week’s Spinoff-Ika Table Talk, hosted by Jeremy Elwood, on August 30. More details here. The issue of voluntary … Read more
Racists, body shamers and wannabe pickup artists: This week, Ms. X shares some terrible Tinder profiles supplied by you, her readers. Hello Callers, Cast your minds back a few weeks, when I butted into a Tinder conversation between reader ‘Linda’ and a gentleman whom I christened, for admittedly obscure reasons, ‘Guilty Denver’. Seemingly inspired by … Read more
Test yourself on our new weekly quiz immediately, so you can say you were there before it was cool. Earlier in the week, we launched the first Spinoff-Figure.NZ feature, in the form of the Chart of the Week. Today, the chart’s evil twin: the quiz. And in a week that the government announced plans to … Read more
Alex Casey interviews Tara Moss, author of Speaking Out, on why women still need to fight to have their voices heard. Tara Moss is an activist, author, journalist and very cool legend. I devoured her latest book Speaking Out from cover to cover, desperately trying to absorb all of her scorching takes on where women’s voices are at … Read more
Opposition among disabled people to assisted suicide stems from long experience of encountering negative attitudes and human rights abuses, writes Robyn Hunt. I assure David Seymour that assisted suicide is a really big and complicated deal. It is no coincidence that disabled people all over the world oppose it. Our opposition arises from a (largely … Read more
NZ has been a world leader in eradication of cluster bombs, landmines and nuclear weapons. Where today are the moral principles the National government has shown before, asks Amnesty International’s Grant Bayldon. On the 16th of April this year, in a village in Yemen 10 kilometres from the Saudi border, two brothers aged 9 and … Read more
Today the Spinoff and Figure.NZ launch a new weekly feature, in the form of a chart that tells us something about New Zealand. After extensive thought, we have decided to call it the ‘Chart of the Week’. The plan: to bring more data to more people, explains Lillian Grace, Figure.NZ CEO. After catching a glimpse … Read more
To launch the new Figure.NZ feature on the Spinoff, here’s how New Zealand’s biggest city has increased in population, and how it is projected to increase further. To completely disabuse readers of any impression that the Spinoff is Auckland-centric and fixated on the city’s growth, we’ve chosen for the inaugural installment of our new collaboration … Read more
‘Joining the Pieces’ at Poirirua’s Pātaka Museum is a celebration of resilience, told through artworks created by the women and children survivors of domestic violence. For Jeff Mercer, the show inspired memories of his own abuse, and reflections on how far he’s come. Content warning: This essay concerns the topic of domestic violence, which may … Read more
While sewing and knitting might have once symbolised a second-class life for women, crafts are now a vehicle for empowerment, argues Louise Hutt. This post first appeared on Louise Hutt’s blog Say Cheese Louise. Being into crafts generally gets me one of two comments: “What are you, 90?” or “Wow I wish I could [insert … Read more
In the midst of a suicide crisis, why are people waiting so long for mental healthcare? Jack Close attempts to find out. Two months ago I stood up to walk to the bathroom and felt nagging pain in my right testicle. After two weeks of ferocious Googling and panicking over questionable WebMD diagnoses, I gave … Read more
This week, psychotherapist Ms X advises a single woman who finds herself suddenly “sexual catnip” to her coupled friends. Dear Ms X, I’m a happily single woman in my early 30s. I have no boyfriend or girlfriend, no kids, no commitments and it’s wonderful. I do what I want. I am living the dream. The … Read more
An appalling and outdated law means thousands of New Zealanders still have no access to information about their identities. Bonnie Sumner wants to know why the Government refuses to recognise the terrible legacy of forced adoptions. When my mother gave birth to me and held me in her arms, I was the first blood relative … Read more
The Scott Kuggeleijn case is but the latest example in a long history of damaging misconceptions about consent in this country. Lawyer Madeleine Holden says we need to improve that conversation, and fast. Content warning: This essay concerns the topic of sexual assault which may be triggering to survivors. Recently, the jury in the rape trial of Scott … Read more
Achieving a better, fairer Auckland involves much more than just building affordable homes. Urbanist Jenny McArthur explains why liveability should be a key demand of the War for Auckland. As an academic specialising in infrastructure and urban growth, I’ve been delighted by how The Spinoff’s War for Auckland series has helped stimulate the public’s interest … Read more
2016 has been a breakthrough year for mental health reporting around the country. Yet a draft report leaked to Jess McAllen – herself a mental health reporter – shows that Mental Health Services are anything but welcoming of the scrutiny. An editor once told me mental health stories were “unsexy”. Silky, lacy numbers like car … Read more
In this week’s advice column, psychotherapist Ms X counsels a woman struggling to adjust to life as her ex’s straight sidekick. Hi Ms. X, I’m a woman in my 20s and a few months ago my boyfriend, who I’ll call Oscar (after one of my all-time favorite homosexuals) broke up with me with this banger: … Read more
Alex Casey and Leah Damm recap the hellish events for women in New Zealand last week, including the Kuggeleijn case, The Chiefs’ behaviour and the curious case of Kevin Roberts. Last week sent an incredibly scary sexist snowball through the country, trampling all of the women in New Zealand in its mighty wake. In less … Read more
With a bit of luck, the response to Saatchi guru Kevin Roberts’ brain-fart suggests off-the-cuff bullshit about women in business won’t be tolerated so easily any more, writes Michele A’Court On Saturday, Business Insider (Australia) published an interview with Kevin Roberts, Saatchi & Saatchi’s Executive Chairman and Head Coach at the advertising agency’s parent company, … Read more
Alex Casey reminds Andrew Flexman that a woman who takes her clothes off professionally is still a human. Yesterday, a stripper named Scarlette spoke out about her experience at a Chiefs end-of-season function, where she was subjected to inappropriate licking and touching without her consent. Flexman, the Chief Executive of the Chiefs, responded to the … Read more
The trial of cricketer Scott Kuggeleijn has sparked another round of debate over sexual assault, victim blaming and consent. Melanie Spencer* tells the story of her rape, and explains why online outrage leaves her numb. Content warning: This essay contains a description of sexual assault, along with its mental health implications, which may be triggering … Read more
Joseph Harper immortalises the fine work of Personalised Plates NZ in an absolute tearjerker of a video. For the past 28 years, Kiwis have been funkying up their bumpers via the plate gods at Personalised Plates NZ. Though at times controversial, there’s no doubting the public service the company has performed over the years has … Read more
Saatchi & Saatchi executive chairman Kevin Roberts has been suspended over comments about gender in advertising. How could an ‘expert’ in the industry be so astonishingly lacking in insight, asks business and brand strategist Jane Cherrington. We need to talk about Kevin. Mr Roberts has caused quite a stir by suggesting that gender inequality is over, … Read more
In this week’s advice column, Ms. X counsels a daughter who is flipping out over her mother’s search for online romance. Dear Ms. X, My mum is 62 and looking to date. I want to be good about this but I AM NOT. I think she is going to meet all kinds of idiots and … Read more
Spark Ventures CEO Rod Snodgrass on what the ‘exponential economy’ might bring, and how Auckland might tap into it to accelerate its transformation. There’s plenty of noise going on about the future of Auckland, from familiar and unfamiliar voices. That’s no surprise – we all have a vested interest in inhabiting the world’s most liveable … Read more
Working for free has long been accepted as a near-unavoidable first step in a career in media, politics or the arts. But when you’re working for months on end for little or no reward, when does paying your dues become exploitation? Sasha Borissenko reports. NB: the Spinoff has chosen not to name the participants speaking … Read more
This week, Ms. X advises a young woman whose social media stalking is spiralling out of control. Hi Ms X, I have a problem for the digital age: I stalk my boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend relentlessly on social media. My very supportive, loving, and trusting boyfriend and I have been together for just over a year, and … Read more
Better late than never, host Alex Casey is joined by comedian and writer Michele A’Court and Mana magazine editor Leonie Hayden to talk about what June held for women in New Zealand and the world. That is to say: the bad month for women in sports, free tampons in NYC schools and an exciting new book … Read more
There’s a block of houses in Hamilton that exists as some kind of sad metaphor. It sits in the middle of tidy suburban streets and it lines a small part of the new motorway, so that thousands of cars pass by it on their way to work and on their way home. It’s as close … Read more