Toby Manhire

Editor

Toby Manhire is the editor of the Spinoff. Where possible he collaborates with other people called Toby. Email him on toby@thespinoff.co.nz

Politics
Dec 13, 2018

NZ courts banned naming Grace Millane's accused killer. Google just emailed it out

That one of the world’s biggest companies rides roughshod over a New Zealand court name suppression tells you all you need to know about the giants of Silicon Valley, argues …

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Politics
Nov 29, 2018

Why Iain Lees-Galloway should resign (and why he shouldn’t)

A sprint through the arguments for and against the immigration minister getting the boot.

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Politics
Nov 28, 2018

Green Party calls on government to urgently repeal prisoner voting ban

The support party has called for a change in the law that sees incarcerated people ‘unjustifiably denied the right to vote’.

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Politics
Nov 27, 2018

Andrew Little: NZ is watching Facebook closely and will take action if needed

The justice minister says he’s keenly watching the UK-led inquiry into fake news and Facebook and backs calls for the company to be held accountable.

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Politics
Nov 26, 2018

Facebook is finally being called to account around the world. Why not in New Zealand?

Parliaments including the UK, Australia, Canada and Brazil are waking up to the role of the social media giant. Why is NZ asleep?

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Politics
Nov 21, 2018

Announced: the date after which blaming the last government is banned

‘Nine long years’ is a jazz standard in political debate. Using opinions and mathematics we have settled on the moment from which it is no longer acceptable to use this rhetorical device

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Science
Nov 13, 2018

‘I literally covered my wall in Post-it notes’: meet NZ’s new chief scientist

Professor Juliet Gerrard on diversity in science, the political hot potatoes, and what constitutes science.

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Media
Nov 9, 2018

Are work Christmas parties always rubbish now?

As Marcus Lush reveals ‘outrage about the NZME Christmas Party’, we launch our crowd-sourced investigation into the contemporary reality of the festive work do.

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Media
Nov 5, 2018

Snooze chasers: test-driving Bose’s ‘noise masking’ earbuds

A new product from the upmarket US audio company promises to lull you to sleep. We take them to bed. 

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Politics
Nov 4, 2018

Ardern scatters mailbag confetti in her first leader speech to Labour conference

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

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Politics
Oct 26, 2018

On their first birthday, how is the National-NZ First government getting on?

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.

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Politics
Oct 24, 2018

Senior National MP sets ultimatum for Simon Bridges

In a series of interviews this morning, a very high-ranking member of the National caucus has set the clock ticking

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Politics
Oct 23, 2018

Pollwatch: Jami-Lee Ross saga sees National and Bridges both take a hit

A new Colmar Brunton poll for TVNZ conducted in one of National's bleakest weeks makes tough reading both for the party and its leader.

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Politics
Oct 23, 2018

17 questions the inquiry into National Party culture can start by asking

Here are some of the issues an internal probe following the Jami Lee-Ross saga will confront.

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Politics
Oct 21, 2018

100 hours of turpitude: Jami-Lee Ross’s 33 grenades across an incredible week

In a week like no other in NZ politics, the Botany MP turned on his former party and its leader, going about as rogue as you can go

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Politics
Oct 16, 2018

Jami-Lee Ross has left Bridges’ leadership hanging by a thread

Even a unanimous vote by the National caucus to give the rebel MP may not be enough to save the leader

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Politics
Oct 15, 2018

Jacinda Ardern ‘upgrades position’ on climate change as nuclear-free moment

New Zealand’s methane emissions problem prompts a new analogy from Ardern: the moon landing 

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Politics
Oct 15, 2018

‘Transformation does take time’: a cup of tea with Jacinda Ardern, one year on

Jacinda Ardern pops by the Spinoff to talk about what's been achieved, what hasn't, and whether or not she's allowed to say 'Labour-led government'

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Politics
Oct 2, 2018

Announcing Spinoff Politics 2.0, with thanks to Flick Electric

A year on from the last election, and barely a breath before the next, we’re rebooting our politics coverage. Toby Manhire explains.

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Politics
Oct 2, 2018

Jacinda Ardern really did make a splash on the world stage

The latest international takes on the NZ PM underscore the scale of her achievement at the UN in New York last week

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Auckland
Sep 21, 2018

A night out in Auckland, counting the homeless

Monday night saw an unprecedented, large-scale census of Auckland's homeless population undertaken. Toby Manhire went out counting, with about 700 others

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Politics
Sep 16, 2018

‘Not dysfunction junction’: what was Jacinda Ardern’s big speech really about?

The prime minister sought to rally the troops and assert unity among the three parties of government today, but there wasn't much substance to get your teeth into

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Business
Sep 14, 2018

Derek Handley appointment as CTO ‘terminated’ after Curran controversy

The entrepreneur says he accepted an offer a month ago, but it has been withdrawn following the controversy around a secret meeting and criticisms of his suitability

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Politics
Aug 28, 2018

Jacinda Ardern takes on the elephants and albatrosses in the business zoo

With business confidence having plunged, the PM goal this morning was to get them back onside over breakfast. How did she get on?

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Politics
Aug 24, 2018

A beginner’s guide to Scott Morrison, the new Australian PM

The PM designate, an evangelical Christian who used to run NZ Tourism, is not Peter Dutton

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Politics
Aug 24, 2018

Good Week, Bad Week: 24 August

It was a *very* good week to feel quietly smug about living on this side of the ditch, says editor Toby Manhire.

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