Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin for Tuesday November 17, today a collaborative effort by a few Spinoff editors standing in for Alex Braae. Presented in partnership with Z Energy. In today’s edition: NZ meat industry shaken by Covid claims, cabinet mandates mask use, and trio of SkyCity executives very abruptly call it quits. … Read more
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level four. The country is shut down, apart from essential services. For updated official government advice, see here. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The Spinoff Members here. On … Read more
SkyCity yesterday pulled the plug on hosting philosopher and academic Peter Singer’s event after disability rights advocates expressed strong objections to his views. They’re right to be angry with him, but he nevertheless deserves to be heard, argues Danyl Mclauchlan. A thoughtful piece on The Spinoff yesterday explored the disabled community’s reaction to moral philosopher … Read more
Will New Zealand’s largest construction firm have to write off yet more money over the troubled International Convention Centre project? Both Fletcher Building and SkyCity’s share prices have felt the impact of the devastating fire that has raged at Auckland’s half completed convention centre for over a day now. More than 80 firefighters continue to … Read more
Smoke continues to billow in downtown Auckland 24 hours after fire broke out in the incomplete complex. Shortly after 1pm yesterday came the first reports of a fire on the site of the SkyCity New Zealand International Convention Centre in central Auckland. That brought a massive mobilisation of emergency services, evacuations of surrounding buildings and … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: In today’s edition: Serious ramifications likely from SkyCity fire, dozens of partnership visas being denied, and yet another police pursuit death. The fire at the SkyCity Convention Centre construction site has continued to burn overnight. Fire crews were forced to abandon the roof, in an attempt to … Read more
Surrounding sites evacuated and one reported hospitalised in serious condition as blaze rips through two floors of the under-construction building in the Auckland CBD. Last updated: 9pm Much of central Auckland was brought to a standstill this afternoon after a major fire broke out shortly after 1pm at the SkyCity Convention Centre. SkyCity evacuated the … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Brian Tamaki announces launch of Destiny party, whopping share of PGF money going to govt departments, and Auckland Harbour Bridge bike plans released. Christian political parties are like Wellington buses – you wait for ages and then two turn up at the same time. Bishop Brian Tamaki … Read more
SkyCity has entered the online gambling fray, announcing a deal to open an online casino later this year. SkyCity has signed a landmark deal to offer online gambling to New Zealanders, partnering with a Malta-based company just weeks after minister for internal affairs Tracey Martin said she was “disappointed” SkyCity would forge ahead. The online … Read more
SkyCity’s moves to set up an offshore online gambling subsidiary throw up a huge range of questions about just how tax should work in the digital age, writes tax consultant Terry Baucher. The news that SkyCity is voluntarily paying perhaps as much as $40 million in “tax” sounds like someone actually took seriously the remark … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: SkyCity charges ahead with controversial online gambling plan, Defence Force releases review into Afghanistan allegations, and coal use to continue for decades in Canterbury. SkyCity has come up with a novel way of mollifying the government’s concerns over a planned offshore-based online casino. The NZ Herald reports the company … Read more
SkyCity want to open an online casino. What makes them any different from the sharks already here, asks Don Rowe. In a presentation to shareholders announcing a record $169.5 million net profit, SkyCity this week signalled their desire to launch an online casino. That’s despite legislation which on the face of it prohibits New Zealand … Read more
Rob Campbell chairs three of New Zealand’s largest corporates – yet finds the current narrative around falling business confidence baseless. Here he explains why there should be no second winter of discontent. I have business interests ranging from tourism, to aged care, to commercial property, to electricity, to investment management to accommodation. If the economy … Read more
Headquartered in a tax haven, JackpotCity is getting around legal restrictions to advertise on television with what critics call a ‘Trojan horse’ – then using aggressive sales tactics to keep vulnerable gamblers hooked. And according to the Department of Internal Affairs, it’s all totally legal. Don Rowe investigates. Imagine yourself at home on your couch. … Read more