Catherine McGregor

Commercial editor

Catherine McGregor is commercial editor at The Spinoff. She is a former deputy editor and a longtime writer of the Bulletin and World Bulletin newsletters.

The city of Kurashiki, near Okayama, is famed for its Edo-period architecture and its willow-lined canals. (Photo: Shutterstock)

What to see in Chugoku, the Japanese region with something for everyone

It's home to ancient traditions, epic outdoor adventures and one of the world's most important historic sites – and that's just the start of the story.

By Catherine McGregor | 13th July, 2026

Commercial editor

Finance minister Nicola Willis. (Getty Images/The Spinoff)

The pre-budget stocktake: where cash is going and where it’s being cut

From gas loans to wilding pine, a run of early budget announcements have set the stage for Thursday's big reveal.

By Catherine McGregor | 26th May, 2026

Commercial editor

Paul Goldsmith, minister for digitising government, says he hasn’t seen a cost-benefit analysis for replacing employees with AI. (Image: Getty / The Spinoff)

The government is betting on AI. Has it done the maths?

The 8,700 lost public sector jobs will be replaced, in part, by AI. But nobody can say how it will work or what it will cost.

By Catherine McGregor | 25th May, 2026

Commercial editor

State housing in Hutt Valley (Photo: Alexander Robertson/RNZ, additional design: The Spinoff)

The government tightens another link in the housing safety net

The social housing reforms are just the latest in a series of sweeping changes to the way accommodation support is managed.

By Catherine McGregor | 22nd May, 2026

Commercial editor

NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft, whose members bill would legislate the definition of male and female.

NZ First’s gender definition bill passes first parliamentary hurdle

NZ First submits members’ bills the way other parties write press releases. This week, one made it all the way to the house.

By Catherine McGregor | 21st May, 2026

Commercial editor

Lambton Quay, Wellington. (Photo: Getty Images)

Wellington prepares for another public sector shock

The government is planning to shrink the public service to its smallest level in nearly a decade – and the capital is bracing for impact.

By Catherine McGregor | 20th May, 2026

Commercial editor

Winston Peters and his object of desire. (Photo: Getty Images/Victor Komarovsky/The Spinoff)

‘Preposterous. Crazy. Off the planet loopy’: Peters’ BNZ plan meets its critics

NZ First's plan to buy back the Bank of New Zealand has attracted scepticism – even downright ridicule – from across the political spectrum.

By Catherine McGregor | 19th May, 2026

Commercial editor

Candidates jostle for position as electoral strategies take shape

Candidates jostle for position as electoral strategies take shape

Comeback bids, tactical votes and bipartisan hints: a round-up of recent Election 2026 news and analysis.

By Catherine McGregor | 18th May, 2026

Commercial editor

An OECD report on the NZ economy says the current NZ Super system in unsustainable. (Image: Getty)

The superannuation debate is back – but reform looks like a non-starter

With NZ First blocking any change on the right and the left reluctant to touch a valued benefit, does it matter how good the arguments are?

By Catherine McGregor | 15th May, 2026

Commercial editor

Conservation minister Tama Potaka in front of the view of Piopiotahi/Milford Sound from Gertrude Saddle. (Image: Shanti Mathia/Lyric Waiwiri-Smith)

International visitor fees incoming as conservation reform bill passes first hurdle

The same week 13,500 people queued to book the Milford Track, parliament debated how to manage New Zealand’s most popular natural places – and who pays.

By Catherine McGregor | 14th May, 2026

Commercial editor