The Bulletin: Select committee seats and what each party wants

Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Early focus put on health select committee, international day for persons with disabilities marked, and appliance delays holding up new builds. The select committees are in the process of being selected. One of the processes of making a law is that it goes through a small group … Read more

The Bulletin: Advance voting surges ahead of final week

Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Advance voting surges ahead of final week, poll shows John Tamihere in with a chance at Tāmaki Makaurau, and insights into modern drug smuggling revealed. With a week to go before election day, hundreds of thousands of people have already got their vote done and … Read more

Live blog: Conservatives claim sweeping UK election win

For the third time in five years, the United Kingdom has gone to the polls today. From the summer islands of New Zealand, join The Spinoff as we follow the results rolling in. 5.10pm: Right, that is probably about where we can wrap up this live blog of the UK elections. It is very clear that … Read more

Cheat Sheet: A bittersweet night for Justin Trudeau in Canadian election

After an unusually nasty campaign for their country, Canada has gone to the polls. They’ve decided that Justin Trudeau will continue as prime minister, but just like in New Zealand, he’ll have to work with coalition politics.  What’s happened? After a brutal and at times humiliating campaign, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has won another term. … Read more

There’s a land in the South Pacific where you can vote based on owning property

Spoiler: it’s New Zealand. Julienne Molineaux explains the strange relic in the local body electoral system. The principle of one person, one vote doesn’t apply for local elections. In fact, you don’t even need to be a person to have voting rights. Welcome to the ratepayer roll. While the ratepayer roll accounts for less than … Read more

Will it be ScoMo or Shorten? What to watch for in the Aussie election

Our old mates the Australians are going to the polls on Saturday. What should we watch out for over here? Alex Braae has a cheat sheet for all the Trans-Tasman political nerds out there.  What’s all this then?  New Zealanders, all let us rejoice, because one of the weirdest democracies in the world is about … Read more

The Bulletin: Fed up midwives vote to strike

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Midwives vote for two weeks of strike action, tourism strategy released by government, and a big day of democracy is coming up in the USA. More than 1000 midwives employed by DHBs have voted to go on strike. Radio NZ reports the members of midwives union MERES voted … Read more