Politics

strong

The Spinoff Members

FeatureImageKiwiBuild.png

A look at the state of the last government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.

Is KiwiBuild finally on its last legs?

FeatureImage_LabourDidIt.png

Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change.

Labour has forgotten it was in government

gangnumbers.png

Rising membership has been cited as rationale for a crackdown, but this is what we actually know about gang numbers.

Have gang numbers really ‘skyrocketed’ in recent years?

Karen-Chhour.png

Crown lawyers will try to convince a judge today that Karen Chhour shouldn't have to answer the tribunal's questions.

Why the Waitangi Tribunal has summonsed a minister – and why the Crown is fighting it

growingupinnz.png

The study holds a treasure trove of information about the problems affecting young New Zealanders – and the potential solutions.

Government risks own goal in cutting funding for Growing up in New Zealand

Bikes-Public-transport1.png

Buses will replace trains on weekends in Wellington for the next 10-15 years. But there are a few things to look forward to while we wait. 

A list of transport projects Wellington could actually deliver in the next 10-15 years

trans rights

The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience.

What access to puberty blockers means for trans young people and their whānau

Stewarts-images-3.png

The government has made it well known it expects departments to cut roles. We break down the numbers as they currently stand.

An updated tally of the public sector job cuts

EmailNotification.png

I was one of hundreds of people who lost my government job this week. Here's exactly how it played out.

What it’s like to be made redundant by the Ministry of Education

Kidswithdavidontheirminds-1.png

Mild headache? School. Severe headache? Home. Don't know how to read your kid's mind? That's your problem.

How to tell if your child is well enough to go to school or is in fact sick

Treaty-Settlement.png

When the Crown is the self-appointed ultimate authority over a process to deal with Crown misconduct, we run into big issues.

We’re asking the wrong questions about treaty settlements

GBL (9)

Is New Zealand's trumpeted independent foreign policy in peril?<br />


Gone By Lunchtime: Aukus ruckus reveals division on foreign policy direction

pet-bonds.png

The pet bonds policy is just one proposal in a suite of many that overwhelmingly favour landlords’ rights.

Will pet bonds really be a win-win? I’m not holding my breath

beach-loop-feat.jpg

You want to build a giant underground tunnel? Dream a little bigger.

A series of alternative, equally ambitious, transport options for Wellington

Screenshot-2024-04-15-143854.png

Cost: Would be extremely complex and expensive. Benefit: Would provide a vital boost for the consulting industry. 

Revealed: A cost-benefit analysis for Wellington’s long tunnel

thatsuspartner.png

Local councils think city and regional deals could be the solution to New Zealand's broken infrastructure. 

Councils funding is a disaster. Are city deals the answer?

Child-poverty-stats.png

We're more likely to see Judith Collins waving at us from space than 12 years of data on child poverty.<br />


All the things we won’t know in 10 years

Melissa-Lee.png

The five most baffling moments from Melissa Lee’s post-Newshub interviews

massarrivals-bill.png

Critics say it paves the way for Australian-style detention policies. Supporters say it's merely procedural. Who's right? 

Explainer: The controversial refugee bill that Luxon flip-flopped over

scandalsinWellington.png

Wellington's streets are littered with stories, mostly about corruption, incompetence, or other stupid/illegal things politicians have done to ruin their own careers.

An interactive map of political scandals in Wellington

Sunday Essay Hope McConnell Feature Image

For all its virtues, Anzac Day – unlike its cousin Armistice Day – is a commemoration of war, not peace.

Seize the day

waikato-war

Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or RSA.

The first, forgotten Anzacs, more than 50 years before Gallipoli

IMG_0695

Poem for Anzac Day: ‘Hoki Mai’ by Tayi Tibble

ANZAC copy

A poem from Bill Manhire's 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.

Poem for Anzac Day: ‘My World War I Poem’ by Bill Manhire

BooksConfessional_Lauren-Groff.png

The best-selling American writer on the ideal conditions for reading, the true meaning of utopia and more.

‘Emily Dickinson made me into a writer’: Lauren Groff on the power of reading

FeatureImage_LouiseWallace-Ash.png

An early and strong contender for book of the year. 

Page-turning rural gothic: Ash by Louise Wallace, reviewed

Feature-Image-Popstars-3.png

'I just remember seeing them live for the first time and thinking to myself: This is it. This is the reason. This is what life is all about.'

‘It was my Eras tour’: Meet the world’s biggest TrueBliss fans

FeatureImage_workplace-Teamsitting.png

How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? 

The voices that vanish in a decimated newsroom 

FeatureImage_BuildBackBetter-850&#215;510.jpg

The first round changes to the RMA delight farmers and depress environmentalists

Gloomy vibe from infrastructure sector as RMA changes unveiled

Spinoff editor Toby Manhire is back to hand out the bouquets and brickbats from the week in New Zealand news.

Good Week, Bad Week: 31 August 2018 | The Spinoff TV

Screen Shot 2018-08-31 at 3.00.53 PM

Spinoff editor Toby Manhire is back to hand out the bouquets and brickbats from the week in New Zealand news. 

The Spinoff

PoliticsAugust 31, 2018

Good Week, Bad Week: 31 August

Loading...

PoliticsAugust 31, 2018

Good Week, Bad Week: 31 August

More Reading

Loading...