The PM has attracted attention because she talks – and does – politics differently. Yet there has been little debate domestically about what exactly New Zealand should prioritise on the international stage, write Nina Hall and Max Harris of the New Zealand Alternative Jacinda Ardern stands out on the international stage. In an era of poisonous xenophobia … Read more
This week Massey University released its annual ‘Quote of the Year’ competition, serving up a shortlist of 10 to vote to the 2018 title. And, look, some of them are fine! But in the spirits of breadth and plurality, our quote-loving team has produced its own crop of 10 for the inaugural Spinoff Alternative Quote … Read more
South Korean President Moon Jae-In this week completed a successful visit to New Zealand. Rebekah Jaung explains where New Zealand-Korean relations are today and what we can do to help restore lasting peace on the peninsula. If you took a walk through Auckland Domain on Monday morning, you may have noticed some commotion outside the museum. … Read more
From an academic suspecting foul play to the spooks blocking Huawei gear in the new broadband roll-out, China is suddenly in a lot of headlines. Don Rowe rounds it all up. “China’s covert, corrupting, and coercive political influence activities in New Zealand are now at a critical level.” So began Dr Anne-Marie Brady’s 2017 policy … Read more
The Basement Theatre Christmas Show is celebrating its tenth year as the most fun you can have in December. To acknowledge the achievement, Basement regular Sam Brooks spoke to the writers, actors and audiences from across the decade. Jacinda Ardern playing Helen Clark. Rose Matafeo playing Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. Chris Parker, for one brilliant … Read more
It’s one thing to commit to ‘treat drugs as a health issue’, and another to put that pledge into concrete action, writes Ross Bell of the NZ Drug Foundation Jacinda Ardern refused to sign up to President Trump’s War on Drugs statement at the United Nations General Assembly last month. We applaud her for that … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: PM Ardern at a series of international summits this week, Pike River plan revealed, and NZ to host the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup. PM Jacinda Ardern will be walking a series of fine lines at international summits over the rest of the week. She’s currently in … Read more
Tonight the NZ prime minister dines with the US vice president – a man who holds numerous views on the world that are, well, pretty much the opposite of everything she stands for. Don Rowe previews the worst working dinner imaginable. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is in Singapore today for the East Asia summit. United … Read more
There are so many issues facing the nation but one rises above them all. Madeleine Chapman goes on a quest to find the worst seat in the House. Members of parliament spend a lot of time sitting in their assigned seat in the debating chamber of New Zealand’s House of Representatives. In 2018, there are 93 scheduled sitting … Read more
Jacinda Ardern has so far said Iain Lees-Galloway’s job is not under threat but pressure is growing for her to sack the immigration minister over the controversial decision to allow Karel Sroubek in New Zealand. Former long-serving minister Peter Dunne explains what will determine Lees-Galloway’s fate. The one constant about the Karel Sroubek case is that … Read more
The prime minister must swiftly condemn China on its mass detention of minority groups if her UN speech talking up the virtues of kindness and justice is to hold credibility, writes Newshub’s Rebecca Watson Latest estimates say China has put as many as one million ethnic Uighurs, Kazakhs and other Muslim minority groups from the … Read more
The big announcement was funding for 600 new staff in schools to assist students with learning needs as the prime minister addressed an adoring crowd at the Dunedin Town Hall Never has the description “leader’s address” been truer. Before the party faithful at the Dunedin Town Hall this afternoon, Jacinda Ardern offered what might be … Read more
Listen to Alex Casey, Leonie Hayden and Madeleine Chapman tackle the past month in women, news and popular culture, with thanks to our friends at The Women’s Bookshop. This month Madeleine Chapman steps in for Michele A’Court as we dissect the October in womanhood. The fancy royal couple were here for a bit, the government is … Read more
Housing was in the news this week, and there was a striking indication of where the Ardern-led government’s focus lies, writes Guyon Espiner of RNZ There were two big housing stories this week, two quite different approaches to them and one clear signal where the government’s focus lies. The first was a government generated “media … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Report puts abortion law reform back on the agenda, housing shortage likely to worsen despite Kiwibuild, and are the Taxcinda attacks on Labour fair? A Law Commission report has put abortion law reform firmly back on the agenda. The report outlines three potential approaches to reform, based on the … Read more
A year ago today, Bill English and Winston Peters formally tied the political knot. Toby Manhire assesses the first 12 months for the coalition and the challenge for Jacinda Ardern, leading a Labour Party left out in the cold again. They were called the Odd Couple, they were called yesterday’s men, they were called the … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: PM makes no new regional fuel taxes pledge on the fly, dream of merger over for media companies, and Hager speaks out on JLR saga. Jacinda Ardern has made what could become something of a defining pledge for her career – no new regional fuel taxes … Read more
What a difference a year makes, writes Massey University politics professor Richard Shaw. This article was first published on The Conversation. Shortly before last year’s general election in Aotearoa New Zealand, a Morrinsville farmer protesting the then opposition Labour Party’s planned water tax held up a placard describing its newly minted leader, Jacinda Ardern, as … Read more
Inspired by a weak reality TV brew and The Spinoff’s own teabag tapes, Alex Casey spills the tea on making the perfect cuppa. First published in October 2018. Last week was a huge week for tea disasters. It began on Married at First Sight NZ, where policy analyst and gaming enthusiast Fraser Lee (nee Pearce) … Read more
In this special edition of our politics podcast, Spinoff editor Toby Manhire talks to the prime minister about her first year in the job. Last week Jacinda Ardern swung by Spinoff HQ to reflect on the first year in office and, among other things, the overarching philosophy of the government, climate change, whether they should … Read more
The challenge is greater, because of the battle to get everyone on board, says the PM as part of a wide ranging interview with the Spinoff. And New Zealand’s methane emissions problem prompts a new analogy from Ardern: the moon landing Jacinda Ardern says she has “upgraded my position” on her characterisation of climate change … Read more
Ahead of the first anniversary of Winston Peters’ knife-edge announcement, Jacinda Ardern pops by Spinoff HQ to talk to Toby Manhire about what’s been achieved, what hasn’t, and whether or not she’s allowed to say ‘Labour-led government’ any more. Listen to the full interview with the PM in our podcast special here. A year and … Read more
The government announced a $10m strategy yesterday to boost women and girls in sport. Madeleine Chapman wonders if the nice sentiment will turn into action. When I was seven, and eight, and nine years old, I did athletics at my local club. Every Wednesday there would be club meets at the park literally behind my … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Government secures bigger than expected surplus, NZ not on track to meet climate change targets, and most immigration crime going un-investigated. The government has found itself in possession of a much higher than expected surplus, reports Interest. Not only has tax revenue grown faster than spending, the government … Read more
As the Labour-led government approaches its first birthday, Max Rashbrooke attempts to divine whether there is a coherent ideological direction In a speech delivered in January this year, Jacinda Ardern promised to explain the “why” that motivates her government. This sounded exciting: a chance to understand her core reasons for entering politics and the basis … Read more
We must never be afraid to stand up against undue influence, writes Anne-Marie Brady, the NZ academic whose publications about China led, she believes, to break-ins at her home and office Earlier this week America’s public radio NPR published a major feature which identified New Zealand and Australia as “Ground Zero For Chinese Influence”. The … Read more
Toby Manhire, Annabelle Lee and Ben Thomas ruminate on the New Zealand political cud. Simon Bridges has come under fresh pressure after botching a press conference around the resignation of MP Jami-Lee Ross, which both insist is unrelated to the inquiry into a leak of the National leader’s expenses details. The Gone By Lunchtime trio … Read more
Listen to Alex Casey, Leonie Hayden and Michele A’Court tackle the past month in women, news and popular culture, with thanks to our friends at The Women’s Bookshop. September was a huge month for women both in New Zealand and elsewhere, as we celebrated 125 years of suffrage and watched our Prime Minister hold her baby … Read more
A year on from the last election, and barely a breath before the next, we’re rebooting our politics coverage. Toby Manhire explains. A wave of recent-past nostalgia has washed over New Zealand in recent weeks. The anniversary of the elevation of Jacinda Ardern to the leadership of the Labour Party amid a helter-skelter campaign. The … Read more