The Bulletin: Prisoners say guards assaulting, abusing them

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Prisoners complain guards are assaulting and abusing them, there’s a severe shortage of tradies, and the SkyCity Convention Centre suffers another delay. Allegations of sexual abuse and serious assault by Corrections staff have been made by dozens of prisoners. One News has revealed that between 2012-2016, 16 … Read more

Why you and everyone you know should sign up for The Bulletin

The Spinoff recently launched a free daily digest of the most important news from around New Zealand called The Bulletin, and it’s proving to be a big hit. Here’s why you should sign up. Nobody has an abundance of time any more. The idea of sitting down for a leisurely read of the paper every … Read more

The Bulletin: Government’s long slog to the Budget begins

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: The government’s month of hell begins, BP under pressure over fuel price manipulation, and Amazon tax coming on online shopping. Government ministers and staffers are facing what could feel like the longest month of their lives. They’ve got four sitting weeks of Parliament to get through starting … Read more

The Bulletin: No money, more problems in health

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Health budget feels the strain, National eyes up Green voters, and a gravel shortage looms for big infrastructure projects. Health minister David Clark has been put under the microscope by TVNZ’s Q+A. The theme that ran through the interview was that there simply isn’t enough money to cover … Read more

The Bulletin: Will this finally fix Auckland’s transport woes?

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: A huge sack of cash for Auckland’s transport, a damning new child poverty report, and jailhouse snitches in the spotlight. The government and council will put $28 billion dollars towards a major plan to fix Auckland’s transport woes. Here’s a handy key facts story from Stuff, because there … Read more

The Bulletin: Shane Jones hungry for more ministerial power

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Shane Jones wants more power over public servants, NZ banks insist they’re not dodgy, and a former Counties DHB member hits back. Shane Jones wants ministers to have more control over the public sector, including being able to appoint enforcers in top roles, reports Stuff. The regional development minister … Read more

The Bulletin: Major welfare system changes coming

Good morning, and welcome the The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Major welfare changes coming, more funding for soldiers with PTSD, and Eric Murray won’t have a beer after all.  A major overhaul of the welfare system is coming, in line with Labour and Green election campaign promises, reports Newshub. PM Jacinda Ardern indicated that could include the scrapping … Read more

The Bulletin: Food grant stats show poverty is worsening

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Food grant stats show poverty in NZ is getting worse, woman’s benefit wrongly cut off by WINZ over dates, and the budget responsibility rules are set to be bent. The number of New Zealanders using food grants continues to rise, reports Newshub. Almost 150,000 New Zealanders accessed … Read more

The Bulletin: Aussie banking scandal wake up call for NZ

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Australian banking scandal described as a wake up call for NZ, Commonwealth wide free trade deal being talked up, and nurses union voting on strike opens.   Scandalous banking misconduct in Australia is being described as a wake up call for New Zealand, reports Radio NZ. A … Read more

The Bulletin: NZ’s land in a bad way

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: New Zealand’s land is in bad shape, medicinal cannabis submitters warned, and a symbolic day for Pike River families.  New Zealand is losing 192 million tonnes of soil every year, according to a new environmental report. Radio NZ reports a bit under half of that soil loss is … Read more

The Bulletin: Good signs for trade with post-Brexit Britain

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Free trade with Britain moves closer, police and government at odds over drug driver testing, and EQC checks may be recalled. The PM is in London reassuring Britain that New Zealand is very keen on a post-Brexit free trade deal. The meeting between Ardern and Britain’s Theresa … Read more

The Bulletin: Spies in the spotlight

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin: In today’s edition: Spies in the spotlight, support from freight CEO for government’s rail strategy, and Housing NZ lose same tenancy tribunal case twice. The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Cheryl Gwyn has put together a reference group for oversight of NZ’s spy agencies, reports Stuff. Their job will be … Read more

Strange but true: Australia has a lot to teach us about renewable energy

With the announcement that the Government will end offshore oil and gas exploration in New Zealand, and at the end of our four-yearly schooling by Australia in how to win medals, Vector’s Karl Check says parts of Australia are also making pretty good progress when it comes to shifting away from coal and gas fired … Read more

The Bulletin: Poll – Labour lower, National no mates

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: A new poll is out, the government is considering public-private partnerships, and rents are rising rapidly. A new 1 News Colmar Brunton poll shows a drop for Labour, but government parties still comfortably ahead of the National party. It’s being reported by 1 News as the ‘end of the … Read more

The Bulletin: Candidates in for Northcote by-election

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Candidates have been selected for the Northcote by-election, dark web booming for drug trafficking, and attacks on DOC rangers getting more frequent. The candidates are in for what should be an intriguing by-election contest in Northcote. Nationals’ Dan Bidois will defend the seat after being the clear favourite … Read more

The Bulletin: Aussies play politics on NZ’s Manus offer

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Australia plays politics with NZ’s refugee offer, National vows to reverse govt’s stance on oil exploration, and dentists warn against getting teeth done overseas. Behind closed doors, Australia asked New Zealand to keep a rejected offer to take refugees interred on Manus Island on the table, … Read more

The Bulletin: Long awaited Hit and Run inquiry launched

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Hit and Run inquiry launched, the government moves against offshore oil exploration, and there’s an outbreak of measles in the South Island. The government has launched a long-awaited inquiry into the events detailed in the book Hit and Run. The book, by investigative journalists Jon Stephenson … Read more

The Bulletin: How about that weather out there

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: There’s a pretty serious storm out there, Ngai Tahu thinks big, and dumpers are costing Whangarei charity stores thousands. We wouldn’t normally lead The Bulletin with the weather, but this isn’t normal weather. Metservice has heavy rain warnings for Taranaki, Whanganui, the Hawkes Bay and Taihape, and strong … Read more

The Bulletin: Government says inherited books are dire

Good morning, and welcome to the Bulletin. In today’s edition: Government prepares ground for a no-treats budget, Waikato DHB pulls out of expensive app failure, and a controversial immigration programme put on hold. The government is preparing the ground for a treat-free Budget by pointing to the situation they inherited. At yesterday’s post-cabinet press conference, PM … Read more

The Bulletin: Marama’s chance to make her mark

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Green members elect Marama Davidson, Defence Force links with controversial billionaire Peter Thiel revealed, and teacher aide hours are being cut.   Green party members have elected Marama Davidson to be their co-leader. Davidson beat associate transport minister Julie Anne Genter by a margin of 110-34. She spoke … Read more

The Bulletin: Critics hammer Immigration NZ’s racial profiling algorithm

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Immigration NZ’s racial profiling algorithm slammed by critics, showdown at Select Committee over Radio NZ meeting, and the Christchurch re-repairs cost gets even bigger. Immigration NZ has been piloting a data modelling programme to identify groups of overstayers “who are likely to commit harm in the … Read more

The Bulletin: Transport plans prove to be controversial

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Government transport proposals prove to be incredibly divisive, EQC re-repair bill climbs, and an extraordinary warning about funding for Auckland addiction services. The government’s transport plans have proven to be the most important policy announcement of the year so far, and have provoked a storm of response. It’s become … Read more

The Bulletin: U-turn for government’s transport strategy

Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Huge changes in transport strategy announced by the government, the Defence Force boss is stepping down, and the Royal Commission into state care abuse is open for submissions. The government is proposing an increased fuel tax, and money is being moved out of state highways, in … Read more

The Bulletin: More money for those with less

Good morning, and welcome back to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: The minimum wage has gone up, a rāhui on the Waitakere ranges is being violated, and New Zealand’s future food security is in focus.  More money for those with less from this weekend, with the minimum wage rising, and the accommodation supplement being boosted. The minimum … Read more

The Bulletin: Government in crisis?

Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Commentators say government is in crisis, record gains in net migration, and the cost of posting a humble letter is going up.  This is the web version of the Spinoff’s daily morning email The Bulletin. Read more about the Bulletin here.   Sign up here to get … Read more

The Bulletin: Minister Curran’s future not clear

Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In this morning’s edition: Minister Clare Curran still under fire over Radio NZ meeting, New Zealand’s spies can’t find any Russian spies, and no National candidacy for Dr Lance O’Sullivan. Radio NZ’s Head of Content Carol Hirschfeld has resigned after lying over the arrangement of a meeting with Broadcasting … Read more

The Bulletin: Blockade starts at oil industry conference

Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin, in today’s edition: Activists are blockading an oil industry conference today, nurses are set to strike, and 20,000 cows are getting culled. Environmental activists are blockading the New Zealand Petroleum Conference in Wellington today. Spokesperson for Oil Free Wellington James Barber told the NZ Herald his expectation was that the protest at … Read more

Joining the dots on the humble LED: the tiny tech that could change the future

Vector’s new technology engineer Kate Murphy shines a light on the history and impact little things can make on energy reduction at scale. New inventions or refinements of old ones continue to make our life better, or at least easier. That’s not a bombshell. But what is sometimes not understood is how tasks that once … Read more

The Bulletin: Rest home horrors

Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Reports detail terrible conditions in rest homes, lawyers called in over Plunket money, and Dunedin students are burning fewer couches.  Rest home patients are suffering from bad care and understaffing. The NZ Herald reports in some instances residents are being strapped to chairs all day, and not moved at … Read more