Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Conditions for leaving lockdown explored, nation’s first death from Covid-19 reported, and Australian govt continues to discriminate against NZers. When will the Covid-19 lockdown across New Zealand end? Short answer – when it’s actually safe to do so. Officially, the current state of level four restrictions … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Tauranga passes draft budget featuring massive rates rise, JLR makes further donation allegations, and more Covid-19 cases confirmed. We’ll start with a regional story today, because this is one that has implications for plenty of other places. Local body politics in Tauranga is getting absolutely steamed … Read more
At a tense press conference in Sydney, the New Zealand prime minister has just issued a stark challenge to Australia over its treatment of NZ citizens. Here’s what she said. We appreciate that many Kiwis have taken up the opportunity to live and work in Australia – many more than has happened in reverse. Not … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Ardern gets diplomatic, fuel market legislation released, and police pinged over employment records breach. There hasn’t really been much coverage of it in The Bulletin, but it’s worth looking back at quite an important diplomatic week for the PM. She has been in Fiji for several … Read more
We need to challenge those who minimise the actions of rapists based on the gender or ages of their victims, argues Emily Writes. Content warning: this article contains descriptions of sexual assault. News out of Australia of another college supporting a sexual predator is as unsurprising as it is horrific. Victims of sexual assault, regardless … Read more
Jacinda Ardern has been in Australia at a time when the country is being rocked by devastating bushfires. So what did the Aussies have to say about her visit? It couldn’t have been timed any better. Jacinda Ardern announced she was going on holiday to Australia last year, but when she touched down, the situation … Read more
After a dreadful whitewash of a test series in Australia, Alex Braae assesses the questions that will be asked in the wake of it. So that was awful to watch. Three games, three massive first innings deficits, six batting performances that ranged from brittle to pathetic, and three shocking test match defeats. It wasn’t meant … Read more
Bushfire season in Australia traditionally runs from December-March, but since August last year fires have been scorching the country in an unprecedented wave of destruction. We look at the fires by numbers. 480 million The estimated number of animal deaths so far, despite the best efforts of conservation and wildlife protection agencies. 160 Fires currently … Read more
How Australians affected, and concerned family and friends living overseas, can keep up with the latest developments on the fires ravaging the country. As I write this, fires are consuming huge swathes of Australia and conditions are expected to worsen. The situation is attracting global interest, and reporting has been extensive. But it isn’t always … Read more
A new poem by Sydney poet Catherine Vidler. apart from pink sun, sun pink from apart apart from pink sun, apart from all-dying grass, cloud-fuzz, brown-tinged, stretched virtual-zero, stones exposed, thirsty cracks, dry fountains, domestic courtyards aghast, this mix, dirty, dirtier, despair worn sharp-casual, this peculiar view, eerie light-lurking, apricot shapes … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Government proposes hefty ETS changes, wide ranging review of road rules, and Dunedin’s stadium promises tussle with Christchurch. Everyone serious agrees that carbon emissions are too high, so how to actually go about bringing them down? The government has set out a way forward, with proposals … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Unprecedented early-season bushfires rip through Australia, backdown on school board changes forecast, and Sustainable NZ party launches. We’re going international today, because one of the most important stories in the wider region is happening in Australia. The bushfires currently sweeping through the country have been described … Read more
Five experts, all from countries with varying levels of cannabis legality, came to Auckland funded by Massey University to speak on the benefits and costs of the drug before New Zealand’s cannabis referendum in 2020. Alice Webb-Liddall reports. While New Zealanders wait for the cannabis referendum in 2020, the government is working hard to draft … Read more
New Zealanders are disproportionately affected by section 501 of Australia’s Migration Act, which allows foreigners to be deported if they’re deemed to pose a threat to the nation. Julie Hill spoke to three ‘501s’ about life in detention and after deportation. Anya Weta is Māori, but she knows little about New Zealand, having moved with … Read more
Ahead of the All Blacks first game Trevor McKewen makes some fanciful, fraught and hopefully on-point predictions for the Rugby World Cup. Can you take one for the team? Could you cope with the All Blacks coming up short in achieving an unprecedented third straight World Cup if it was for the greater good of … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: More deportations of NZers loom with proposed Australian law, authorities not probing root causes of truck crashes, and AUT under fire for Tiananmen Square event not going ahead. The deportation of New Zealanders from Australia could intensify under new, tighter visa laws being proposed. Radio NZ reports … Read more
The Australian Communication and Media Authority has identified ‘serious questions’ about the screening of images from the Christchurch terrorist attack, but declined to find a specific breach. Coverage of the Christchurch terrorism by Australia’s television channels raised “serious questions” about whether they had breached the television codes of practice, according to the broadcasting regulator, the … Read more
To give the Pacific a fighting chance Australia and NZ need to take a stand, writes a Fijian litigator and activist. Climate change is now an everyday reality for the Pacific. Its impact on our countries is undeniable. To remain within our own borders in years to come, we need radical global and collective transitions. … Read more
In Melbourne last week the New Zealand prime minister addressed a crowd of Australian residents desperate for a little ordinary humanity in a politician. But Joe Nunweek found one passage a little too typical of what we’ve seen and heard from our leaders before. Thursday, 18 July: a big night for New Zealanders in Victoria, … Read more
The architect of the incredible turnaround the Silver Ferns have enjoyed is now off-contract. So now that the World Cup has been won, how can Netball NZ keep Noeline Taurua on the books? Radio NZ’s Ravinder Hunia recounts the journey and analyses her options. The Silver Ferns winning a gold medal against their toughest rival … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Both PM and deputy PM in action on foreign relationships, major climate report being released today, and DOC staff facing escalating threats. Both the PM and deputy PM are in action on foreign relationships this week, with plenty of challenges to navigate. Later this week, PM … Read more
It’s final time. The Offspin team are joined by actor, Lotto host and passionate cricket fan Sonia Gray – do we dare to believe in a Black Caps World Cup victory? It’s still hard to fathom, but we’re in the final again. And it’s against the English, who overcame the sandpaper canaries. Ahead of that … Read more
Many moons ago, when the Cricket World Cup was just about to start, one of our resident cricket fanatics made a series of predictions. Have any of them come to pass? It took five weeks, more than 40 completed matches, and what seems like a thousand takes about who should open the batting for the … Read more
For the latest episode of The Offspin podcast, we’re joined by writer, musician and cricket tragic Samuel Flynn Scott, to process the utterly insipid Black Caps loss against Australia. Well, that was rubbish. The Black Caps utterly failed to show any spine against Australia, leaving their Cricket World Cup campaign dangling precariously as we approach … Read more
While bargain hunters get excited that cut-price retailer Costco is on the way, across the Tasman opportunity lurks for New Zealand firms targeting the other end of the shopping spectrum, writes Bella Katz. Luxury. It’s a New Zealand brand’s friend in Australia. If New Zealand companies don’t position their consumer products at the high end … Read more
Auckland is great – but, argues Catherine McGregor, Melbourne’s restaurants, cafes and bars still have the edge. Long before ‘cool’ even existed, Melbourne was cooler than wherever you lived. Take it from me: if you’d stopped a 19th century dandy flaneur-ing his way along Karangahape Road to ask what he thought of Melbourne, the reply … Read more
On Wednesday the AFP, the Australian equivalent of New Zealand’s SIS, raided the Sydney headquarters of the state broadcaster the ABC. The move represents a clear threat to democracy, writes an Australian lawyer who specialises in press freedom. The Australian Federal Police has this week conducted two high-profile raids on journalists who have exposed government … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Alarming raids against journalists in Australia, new stats show how many Aucklanders left town during boom, and yawning deficit in DHB funding. We’re going to start with an international story today, because it’s taking place in our backyard and is deeply concerning. The Australian Federal Police have … Read more
On Saturday night, Australia defied the pollsters and re-elected its widely despised right wing government. Is it any wonder that Sydney resident Nick Snelling is feeling pretty devvo right now? Dear New Zealand, We’re really sorry. It wasn’t meant to go down like this, promise. Thanks for your ongoing patience, particularly when it comes to … Read more