The Spinoff

Parliament’s new mum and dad have been adopted into a very bizarre tradition

Our outgoing House daddy reckons the status is a 'load of rubbish'; so how did we even come to recognise it?

Lyric Waiwiri-Smith

Madeleine Chapman role model

It’s embarrassingly easy to be a good role model

Madeleine Chapman

Huge news: Gina Rossi-Dodds is back on Shortland Street

Madeleine Chapman role model

It’s embarrassingly easy to be a good role model

Madeleine Chapman

Huge news: Gina Rossi-Dodds is back on Shortland Street

What makes someone an ‘elite Māori’? And why do we resent them?

Close-up of a blue and purple knitted jumper with the words “Elite Māori” embroidered in white Gothic-style lettering across the chest.

What makes someone an ‘elite Māori’? And why do we resent them?

This small carpark is the most contested battleground in New Zealand

A large red and yellow no parking sign next to a black sign saying Tile Deals.

This small carpark is the most contested battleground in New Zealand

Can ODI cricket survive?

James Borrowdale

A man wearing black holds up a cricket bat

Can ODI cricket survive?

James Borrowdale

‘The genie is out of the bottle’: The fight to fix MMP begins

Uploaded Image

‘The genie is out of the bottle’: The fight to fix MMP begins

Booked out: The death of the cheap, easy camping holiday

Henry (2250 x 1350 px) - 2

Booked out: The death of the cheap, easy camping holiday

How to wipe AI from your life

Had enough AI?

How to wipe AI from your life

Popular

How to wipe AI from your life

Booked out: The death of the cheap, easy camping holiday

The supermarket hash browns of New Zealand, ranked from worst to best

This small carpark is the most contested battleground in New Zealand

Love, actually, at 26: 'We got secretly engaged after two and a half months'

love actually template with red-tinted cinema background and arms holding a scrubbing brush and an engagement ring appearing on each side of the image

Love, actually, at 26: 'We got secretly engaged after two and a half months'

RNZ CEO Paul Thompson is to leave the organisation six weeks early.Photo credit:RNZ / Jeff McEwan

RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson announces early departure from organisation

Uploaded Image

Where to eat in Royal Oak, Auckland – an insider's guide

Charlotte Muru-Lanning

Uploaded Image

To hell and back: John Summers on the books behind Green Sea

Two book covers arranged on green background with textured shape.

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending November 13

The Spinoff Review of Books

Veronica's a designer now (2250 x 1350 px) - Lloyd_Jones_Bob_Jones

Lloyd Jones on his disappointment that brother Bob Jones accepted a knighthood

Henry (2250 x 1350 px) - 31

More questions about RNZ’s $11.8m deficit, an unlawful loan and a possible law suit

A crumpled piece of paper background overlaid with a yellow geometric shape, inside which are three different waist-up black and white images of an older man gesturing.

Women are too emotional, says angry man swearing about politics

Subscribe to The Spinoff to stay updated on all things

View our newsletters

Latest podcasts

AL - Cover images - 19

Big questions that linger after election day

Toby Manhire speaks to Lara Greaves from Victoria University of Wellington to address the biggest, gnarliest and most confounding questions left unanswered after the general election.

At Large with Toby Manhire12 Nov 2026

Gerry Brownlee on 30 years in politics and the last campaign

Gerry Brownlee on 30 years in politics and the last campaign

Toby Manhire speaks to the outgoing speaker after a storied political career, and an election campaign he himself describes as ‘too negative’.

At Large with Toby Manhire11 Nov 2026

AL - Cover images - 17

‘She would have been: are you insane?’ Qiulae Wong on her new job

Toby Manhire speaks to the Opportunity Party leader about making political history, what she was doing during the last election and whether or not she’s heard from Christopher Luxon.

At Large with Toby Manhire09 Nov 2026

GONE BY LUNCHTIME - Youtube 16:9

Gone By Lunchtime: Making sense of the 2026 election

It's the morning after the night before. Toby, Ben and Annabelle return, bleary-eyed, to the studio to digest what just happened.

Gone By Lunchtime08 Nov 2026

GONE BY LUNCHTIME - Youtube 16:9

Gone By Lunchtime: Final polls, pervy trolls, and our predictions

Annabelle, Ben and Toby gather one last time before the polls close on election 2026 to assess the final flurry of campaign action and deliver their 100% correct predictions about the results on Saturday night.

Gone By Lunchtime06 Nov 2026

Everything we learned from a deep dive into digital advertising at the 2026 election

The letter that ended the chief of defence’s career

Will one of the Chrises go?

Everything we learned from a deep dive into digital advertising at the 2026 election

What parties, candidates and third-party promoters forked out to get their ads into your feeds.

The letter that ended the chief of defence’s career

Will one of the Chrises go?

Partner stories

Wellington weekend

The great Wellington weekend, summer 2026/27 edition

Catherine McGregor

Helen Emett at The White Lady

Nocturnalists: Helen Emett on why a late-night burger always hits the spot

Collage of photos showing Mr Morris restaurant, Helen Emett and Tracy Grant Lord

Where to go for cheap eats in Auckland central – and where to splurge

Uploaded Image

Find a way to make it work: Why Aotearoa needs engineering consultants

Shane Liu at Chom Na Thai Food.

Nocturnalists: Shane Liu on finding balance and doing business after dark

Uploaded Image

An overworked freelancer asks: Could the right tech setup increase my income?

Jack Young at his Auckland bar No. 7

Nocturnalists: Jack Young knows how to have a good time in Auckland

Digital exclusion concept image showing a smartphone and a padlock

‘Constantly seeking access': The young people locked out of a connected world

A cut-out illustration of an older car on the road

Where I went wrong buying my secondhand car

Chris Parker, Poi Eruera & Emma Gleason enjoying Auckland by night

What does an ideal night out in Auckland look like?

Latest video

A black-and-white cut-out image of Robbie Nicol wearing a bald cap with a badge on his lapel labelled Christopher Luxon.

Who’s in charge of NZ until the next government?

A black-and-white cut-out image of Robbie Nicol holding a bar chart. The bar on the left is higher than the bar on the right.

Voter turnout second lowest in NZ history

Black-and-white cut-out image of Christopher Luxon, Winston Peters and David Seymour on an abstract orange background.

The election’s over; what will happen next?

On an abstract orange background. Cut-out black-and-white images of Christopher Luxon, Qiulae Wong and Chris Hipkins.

Who won the NZ election?

A cut-out black-and-white image of Robbie Nicol on an abstract orange background. He is holding a graph of an average of the last four published polls.

How accurate are NZ's polls?

Our writers

Alice Neville

Alice Neville

Politics

Kai

Articles by author

How diverse is our new parliament?

The most popular names among political wannabes

More articles by author

Claire Mabey

Claire Mabey

Books

Culture

Articles by author

How one man's passion for rugby league is getting kids into reading

Meet the tiny indie publisher behind the New Zealand novel of the year

More articles by author

Toby Manhire

Toby Manhire

Politics

Culture

Sport

Articles by author

‘My view is it was too negative’: Gerry Brownlee on the National Party campaign

A visual history of the NZ parliament – 2026 edition

More articles by author

Henry Oliver

Henry Oliver

Politics

Business

Music

Articles by author

‘The genie is out of the bottle’: The fight to fix MMP begins

Booked out: The death of the cheap, easy camping holiday

More articles by author

Uploaded Image

Veronica Schmidt

Politics

Culture

Articles by author

RNZ’s Lisa Owen takes to RNZ’s chair over $12m budget blowout

Veronica Schmidt

Tomorrow is election day. We'll have rolling coverage, yes, but also dogs

Veronica Schmidt

More articles by author

Liam Rātana

Liam Rātana

Ātea

Politics

Sport

Articles by author

Colin Mantell has passed away, but supporters are ready to protect his MAPAS legacy

Meet the nine new Māori MPs entering parliament

More articles by author

Chris Schulz

Chris Schulz

Society

Music

Business

Articles by author

How to wipe AI from your life

Review: You Can See Everything is worth every second we had to wait for it

More articles by author

Alex Casey

Alex Casey

TV & Film

Culture

Society

Articles by author

How Black Sheeps brought a Kiwi cult classic back from the dead

Review: Big Girls Don’t Cry captures the endless ache of adolescence

More articles by author

Joel MacManus

Joel MacManus

Politics

Business

Kai

Articles by author

Will one of the Chrises go?

The best and worst voting booths for each party, plus other data details from Election 2026

More articles by author

Hayden Donnell

Hayden Donnell

Politics

Society

Articles by author

This small carpark is the most contested battleground in New Zealand

The supermarket hash browns of New Zealand, ranked from worst to best

More articles by author

Madeleine Chapman

Madeleine Chapman

Politics

Culture

Sport

Articles by author

It’s embarrassingly easy to be a good role model

Madeleine Chapman

The hangover: Key takeaways and reactions from Election 2026

Madeleine Chapman

More articles by author

Emma Gleason

Emma Gleason

Culture

Business

Kai

Articles by author

Nocturnalists: Helen Emett on why a late-night burger always hits the spot

What’s central Auckland and where do you draw the line?

More articles by author

Lyric Waiwiri-Smith

Lyric Waiwiri-Smith

Politics

Ātea

Culture

Articles by author

Parliament’s new mum and dad have been adopted into a very bizarre tradition

Lyric Waiwiri-Smith

How the different parties are positioning themselves for coalition negotiations

Lyric Waiwiri-Smith

More articles by author

Tara Ward

Tara Ward

TV & Film

Politics

Society

Articles by author

Huge news: Gina Rossi-Dodds is back on Shortland Street

The entrances of election night, ranked

More articles by author