Politics Archive
Landlord’s paradise: Even after the law changes, NZ still sucks for renters
New Zealand's rental market is a wild west and the landlords are the cowboys
Finally, a council has transferred responsibilities to iwi for the first time under the RMA
Ngāti Tūwharetoa has just become the first iwi to be approved under the Resource Management Act to take over certain council duties.
Election Live, August 6: Parliament adjourns; CovidCard trial announced
All the the latest on election 2020 and other breaking news, updated throughout the day.
Welcome to Takanini, the sparkling new seat in the 2020 election
There are no incumbents in this south Auckland seat. We meet some of the voters, and the fascinating bunch desperate for their support.
Jacinda Ardern, conservative
The prime minister is no free-market ideologue, but there is a conservative streak to her leadership, and that delights committed conservative Liam Hehir.
Attention landlords and tenants: here’s how the new renting regulations affect you
Parliament has just passed a new law that will leave renters with a sense of relief. But many landlords aren’t too pleased.
Politics podcast: Why Auckland Central is 2020’s most exciting electorate
Toby Manhire, Annabelle Lee-Mather and Ben Thomas denounce new poll results that very slightly contradict their opinions.
John Key calls for loosening of border
The Spinoff sat down with National's most popular leader in recent history to talk Covid-19, Judith Collins – and why he thinks our border should be more 'flexible'.
Miraculous and misleading unemployment stats offer National no path to redemption
The latest round of economic data won't carry Judith Collins and the National Party into the promised land.
Election 2020 and The Spinoff
Here’s what we have planned for the weeks to come.
Election 2020 calendar: all the key dates and debates
When does advance voting open, when do the results get announced, and when are the TV debates? The essential election calendar.
Everything you need to know about the 2020 cannabis referendum
The bumper Spinoff guide to the vote on legalising cannabis.
Everything you need to know about the 2020 assisted dying referendum
The bumper Spinoff guide to the vote on voluntary euthanasia.
Minor parties hit out at exclusion from TVNZ multi-party debate
With the election campaign about to get under way, minor party leaders are once again furious at being shut out of one of the biggest possible stages for their views.
Disabled people like me need more than lip service. We need politicians to show up
The disability community should stop making excuses for candidates who don't take the opportunity to hear from us directly – and that includes the prime minister herself, writes disabled journalist Michael Pulman.
Memebers of parliament: Who knew it would cost so much to come home?
Welcome to memebers of parliament, a politics column for people who just want the memes.
More than heatwaves: New report details biggest climate change risks to NZ
A major new report has outlined the biggest and most pressing risks New Zealand faces from climate change, and they go well beyond the science of changing weather patterns.
Attention politicians: stop treating mental health as any other health issue
Truly making a difference to New Zealanders' mental health means addressing factors that go far beyond the health system's remit.
I want a Māori prime minister
When do we get a prime minister who looks like New Zealand?
The famous words that Norman Kirk did not say
Jacinda Ardern is one of many who invoke the venerated former PM's words 'someone to love, somewhere to live, somewhere to work, and something to hope for'. The only trouble is, he didn't say it.
Megan Woods, the minister for everything
Her public profile has exploded thanks to her new role as the minister in charge of border isolation and quarantine, but Megan Woods has long been known as the most reliable pair of hands in government.
We shouldn’t have to work this hard to get transparency from our government
The full report into Operation Burnham was released in the interests of 'transparency'. But the inquiry itself was anything but, writes Amnesty International's Meg de Ronde.Two
SAS did nothing wrong, but senior military officers misled public: report
It wasn’t a revenge raid after an attack killed a New Zealand soldier, a government inquiry into Operation Burnham has found.
How local boards want to transform South Auckland over the next three years
South Auckland's five local boards all face similar challenges when it comes to supporting its local residents with jobs, transport and providing places to have fun. So what are their …
