Society

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With specialist mental health services in ‘chaos’, people who need help end up in destructive cycles and prison. Experts say there are solutions, but is political will and leadership lacking?

Prison or nothing: The ‘self-perpetuating downward spiral’ in New Zealand’s mental health system

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An elder scolded me for my inability to speak Cantonese: 'You must learn.' My father heard my elder’s words and said nothing. My shame was as much his as it was mine.

Missing metal: On language and identity

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Less than a third of New Zealand households still have a landline telephone. Kids these days simply don't know what they're missing out on.

For the love of landlines

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Some are simply terrible. Others are fanciful but fun. A couple are actually quite good – but there can only be one champion, and it might shock you.

All the Auckland harbour crossing ideas, ranked from worst to best

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Some very effective ways to reduce a huge chunk of your emissions often fly under the radar.

If you want to reduce your emissions, focus on your fuels

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'As Pacific Island people, hospitality is in our blood... And when you do something for so long, you get good at it.'

Pacific profiles: The self-proclaimed ‘Rarotongan rum renegade’ of Ōtautahi

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From diversity to work trends to smoking, here are some fascinating facts from today's new dump of census data.

12 things we learned from the latest release of Census 2023 data

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I’m trying to get over a temporary slump, and my complaining friends aren’t helping. What should I do? 

Help me Hera: All my friends are whingers and moaners

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For all the spectacle of WoW, Alex Casey couldn't tear her eyes off Christopher Luxon in the front row. 

I watched Christopher Luxon watch the World of Wearable Art

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The council’s new noise restrictions on a popular underage music venue are symptomatic of wider issues within the scene, says one gig organiser.

Auckland’s dying all-ages gig scene loses another venue

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'I don’t have to worry about being able to keep a roof over my head or food in the fridge, but there’s not much left to save for the future.'

The cost of being: A high-earning renter who feels like he’s ‘only treading water’

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The gold-laden Titanic of the Pacific continues to capture our imaginations, even as an ecological disaster looms.

The deep allure of the RMS Niagara, one of New Zealand’s most notorious shipwrecks

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Made a mess? You should probably use some common sense and clean that shit up.

The Spinoff guide to life: How to be an all-good flatmate

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Batten down the hatches: these frosty forecasting foes will soon become one.

Can Niwa and MetService resolve their thunderous feud before the merger?

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A cautionary tale of how writing a quick news banger can leave you with a guilty conscience.

How a $1.50 coffee became a priceless lesson in ethical journalism

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We talk for hours on end, I never get tired of him, and I feel weird when I go a few days without seeing him. Are we just mates?

Help Me Hera: Am I in love with my best friend? Please say yes

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Being ‘tough’ on crime on the streets is one thing. But what about when it happens on the internet?

It’s the most common type of crime. But the government isn’t doing much about it

'I’ve worked seven days a week for the last 11 years. I’d love to just be able to take a holiday away once a year!'

The cost of being: A hard-working op-shopper with a hefty mortgage

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It was a hush, then a weeping when the verdict was called.

Not guilty: At the end of the Polkinghorne trial, what have we learned?

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Hundreds of years ago, a man named Tara founded the first permanent human settlement in Wellington. What do we actually know about him? 

The first Wellingtonian

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Simeon Brown has tied himself to an unpopular and probably impossible project. But are there any positives? 

Windbag: Is there a case for the long tunnel?

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Meet the Southland principal who wrote and directed a feature length fantasy epic starring the whole school.

‘Primary school LOTR’: The principal giving Peter Jackson a run for his money

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'I was always part of a team. Some of the best work Campbell Live did, I was only fronting the show.'

‘I can’t believe we’re doing this’: John Campbell on his proudest TV moments

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A review of one of the most anticipated novels of the year. 

The breath out: Kataraina by Becky Manawatu, reviewed

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'The chorus melody is so heartbreaking but the lyrics are so encouraging, like woah … I am the dancing queen!'

‘I am the dancing queen!’: Matthew Young and Jared Frost’s perfect weekend playlist

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If we want to keep universal super in place, some tough decisions need to be made – and soon, says Treasury's chief economic adviser.

Podcast: Is our retirement system unsustainable?

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Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on the week that was.

The Weekend: Is Wellington really ‘gayer’ than Auckland?

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Making a splash: Is this the most impressive select committee submission ever?

House prices have apparently gone down in Auckland, but does that mean the average worker can afford a home? Take the income quiz below.

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House prices have apparently gone down in Auckland, but does that mean the average worker can afford a home? <br />
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The Spinoff

SocietyMarch 3, 2017

The Figure-Friday quiz: can an average NZ income fund an average NZ home?

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SocietyMarch 3, 2017

The Figure-Friday quiz: can an average NZ income fund an average NZ home?

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