Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Air New Zealand’s Saudi war shame, Robertson to outline budget priorities, and new tenancy laws coming into force today. A strange and shameful story erupted last night: Air New Zealand has secretly been supporting the Saudi military in their blockade of Yemen. This story, from One News political … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Review finds rest home with Covid outbreak breached care obligations, Coster clarifies rubber bullet comments, and Otago University forecasts heavy losses. Something slightly different today: Rather than a lead story with lots of detail, today’s Bulletin will be about rounding up a whole lot of news … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Coup definitely on in the National party, government has had enough of the Epidemic Response Committee, and two worryingly large sets of job losses indicated. The coup attempt is definitely on in the National party, and it’s going to happen fast. The NZ Herald reports a challenge has … Read more
National carrier Air New Zealand has been shattered by Covid-19, and it will likely be years before it recovers. Alex Braae reports on a sobering letter from the CEO. What’s the latest? Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran has been in the job for a matter of months, but already he is being forced to … Read more
Rolling updates on the Covid-19 outbreak for March 19 as they happen, by Spinoff writers. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by Spinoff Members. To support this work, join Spinoff Members here. See the latest updates for March 20 here. 6.30pm: Borders to close to foreign nationals Jacinda Ardern has just announced that … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: New guidelines on gatherings and social distancing announced, OCR slashed ahead of fiscal stimulus, and Air NZ facing crushing losses. Gatherings of 500 or more people have been banned in the latest round of measures aimed at preventing the spread of Covid-19. It has meant the … Read more
As the world’s second-largest economy rushes to contain the deadly coronavirus which has killed more than 360 people, what effects will it have on some of New Zealand’s key industries in the short term? Aviation From Monday, foreigners arriving from or transiting through China will be refused entry into New Zealand in an attempt to … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Concerns grow in the public media merger information void, costs of school return being counted, and a charter flight arranged for Wuhan evacuations. A plan is in the works to transform state broadcasting in New Zealand, with some form of merger between TVNZ and Radio … Read more
The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has issued a ‘whole-hearted and wide reaching’ apology for the decisions taken by Air New Zealand and the government in the aftermath of the tragedy on the slopes of Mt Erebus. Her apology was echoed by Dame Therese Walsh, the current chair of Air New Zealand. Below we publish edited … Read more
Covering Climate Now: ‘Click here to offset your emissions.’ It’s an appealing, guilt-assuaging idea. But what does it really amount to, asks Mirjam Guesgen. New Zealanders travel overseas a lot, with trips totalling close to 3 million a year. And every time a Kiwi takes flight, tonnes of earth-heating gases spew into the atmosphere. One … Read more
Western companies trademarking culturally significant words and phrases? It’s not as uncommon as you think. Here are just four examples from the past year. Air New Zealand & Kia Ora No word in te reo has had more mainstream cut through than our national greeting. Now, Air New Zealand is attempting to go one step … Read more
Air New Zealand released their new safety video this morning, featuring the legendary Louis Litt from legal drama Suits. Tara Ward buckles up to watch. Prepare yourself for the brace position, because Air New Zealand just dropped its latest safety video. In typical Air New Zealand safety fashion, it’s filled with famous faces like Cliff Curtis, George … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Tamihere makes a splash with Watercare policy announcement, wind power set to boom, and breakthrough in efforts to reduce cow methane. With the election only a few months away now, it’s a good time to check back in with the state of the Auckland mayoralty … Read more
The CEO of Air New Zealand Christopher Luxon has resigned, leading to feverish speculation that not only will he get into politics, but that he’ll be the next National PM. Why? Watching the takes unfold around the apparently imminent and glorious political career of Christopher Luxon, it’s hard not to feel a little powerless about … Read more
The Minimum Wage Exemption scheme, has allowed New Zealand businesses to legally pay workers with a disability as little as 80 cents an hour for years. Amanda Thompson explains why change is well overdue. When I was a kid I came to my mum one day with a burning sense of injustice. I had seen … Read more
Oppose the gender pay gap? You should be appalled by the wage exemption for disabled workers too, argues Michael Pulman. Disabled people, and others in marginalised communities, have long been exploited for cheap, even free labour. According to a NZ Herald report, a woman who is blind is being paid a grand total of $2.30 … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Carbon emissions continue to move wrong way, size and scope of police database revealed, and Ngāti Kurī propose massive new protected reserve. Yep, they’re going up. New Zealand’s carbon emissions continue to increase, with transport a leading cause, reports Stuff. Over 2017 they were up 2.2% on the … Read more
How dare our national airline continue to brand itself with Indigenous symbols while rejecting employees who wear those same symbols on their bodies, writes Leonie Pihama. As I sit at a conference on the island of Maui, I see tā moko and kākau (a Hawaiian form of moko) proudly worn by Indigenous Peoples. The power … Read more
This week Air New Zealand announced that they would be pulling their divisive “It’s Kiwi Safety” video from their in-flight safety briefing. The Spinoff asked Kiwis from all walks of life to pay their respects. A former flight attendant: “I was there in the early stages of Air New Zealand trying to be ‘out there’ … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Two major threats loom for the tourism industry, fair pay agreement working group comes back, and Shane Jones and Russel Norman go to war over trawling. For two major of reasons, the tourism industry could be about to hit some severe headwinds. It’s an enormous sector of … Read more
Imagine you didn’t get paid for a month or two for your work. Big businesses have used this tactic to keep cash in the bank – but how long do our corporates take to pay? Rebecca Stevenson investigates. This post was originally published 17 February 2018 In New Zealand, they account for 97% of businesses. … Read more
Infrequent flyer Joseph Nunweek gruellingly attempts to rank them all. “Toneless.” “Trivialising safety” “A juvenile mish-mash.” The real surprise last week when The Hon. Shane Jones MP criticised the latest Air New Zealand safety video wasn’t that the Minister for Verbiage would stick his neck out and create a political football – it was that … Read more
For many years NZ First’s Shane Jones was one of Labour’s most reliably pro-business MPs. Yet today he presents as an anti-corporate crusader. Branko Marcetic assesses his record and asks whether supporters should trust his dramatic conversion. The metamorphosis of a butterfly is one of nature’s great miracles. A caterpillar, growing too big for its … Read more
Think aeroplane food is bleak, cliched and kind of awful? You’re wrong, and here’s why. It’s the mid 90s. You’re in a smoky comedy club in New York City, a single spotlight illuminating the exposed brickwork, with a single mic on a stand rising up from the darkness. A thin man with big hair, a … Read more
This week New Zealanders of all backgrounds rallied around compatriots who found themselves disenfranchised and humiliated after being denied the birthright of every ordinary hardworking Kiwi: entry into the Koru Lounge. The Spinoff is proud to publish this harrowing and brave first-person account from a Koru Club member, whose identity we have agreed to protect. … Read more
What do you get when you mix a bizarre selection of celebrities who have nothing in common with each other and a Gin Wigmore track? It’s an Air New Zealand safety video! And James Mustapic is here to rank them from worst to best. Watch Friday’s episode of The Spinoff TV in full here. Thanks … 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
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
Welcome to the Cheat Sheet, a clickable, shareable, bite-sized FAQ on the news of the moment. Today, what on earth is going on with Air New Zealand’s new Boeings? We all know long-haul travel is a particular kind of hell (with or without kids) because we’re Kiwis and everywhere is really bloody far away. Legroom … Read more