THE SIDE EYE 01 cover v2 860×520

SocietyDecember 29, 2017

Summer Reissue: An illustrated guide to (non) apologies

Comic artist

Share Story

×

×

Share Story

×

THE SIDE EYE 01 cover v2 860×520

This year Toby Morris joined The Spinoff. In the first episode of his new cartoon series The Side Eye, he presents a 12 step guide to a perfect non-apology.

This post first published October 27, 2017.

The Friday Poem: ‘The Time Will Pass Anyway’ by Francis Aschoff

The Friday Poem: ‘The Time Will Pass Anyway’ by Francis Aschoff

A new poem by Francis Aschoff.

By Francis Aschoff | 14th November, 2025

This year’s Booker Prize winner is Auckland’s favourite, while a local science story is Wellington’s.

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending November 14

The Booker Prize winner and homeopathy take out the top spots.

By The Spinoff Review of Books | 14th November, 2025

David Seymour.

Echo Chamber: Act gets a big win, and ‘everything is ka pai’ for Winston

The Regulatory Standards Bill passed into law, the House got two independent MPs, and Chlöe Swarbrick got serenaded.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 14th November, 2025

Politics reporter

The cost of being: A council planner embracing the low-maintenance life

The cost of being: A council planner embracing the low-maintenance life

'I’ve hit that stage where retirement feels like it’s looming around the corner, and it’s made me super conscious about saving every dollar I can.'

By The Cost of Being | 14th November, 2025

In the year to September, another 72,700 New Zealanders left the country. (Image: The Spinoff)

NZ’s growing exodus is prompting a call for a rethink on population

The large number of departing New Zealanders has become an international curiosity – but fixing our population problem will take more than just encouraging people to stay put.

By Catherine McGregor | 14th November, 2025

Contributing writer

The 2007 Bazley report and this the 2025 IPCA report (Image: The Spinoff)

How far has police culture come since the Louise Nicholas case and the Bazley report?

In 2007, an independent inquiry uncovered a ‘male-oriented’ police culture ‘sceptical of sexual assault victims’. What's changed?

By Madeleine Holden | 14th November, 2025

John Ruddock (left) and Keisha Castle-Hughes have been fronting the call for all Māori to be given automatic New Zealand citizenship. (Design: The Spinoff).

Whakapapa, not birthplace: Should citizenship be a birthright for all Māori?

The Tribunal says Māori should be entitled to citizenship by whakapapa — no matter where in the world they’re born.

By Liam Rātana | 14th November, 2025

Jevon McSkimming and the myth of the perfect victim

Jevon McSkimming and the myth of the perfect victim

'An angry woman is still not held up as somebody to respect in our society.'

By Alex Casey | 13th November, 2025

Keily Smith and Friends perform in Invercargill this week.

Te Ao Pūtahi, a gold guitar winner and panto: The Spinoff event guide

The 2025 Senior Gore Gold Guitar Overall winner performs in Invercargill this week.

By Claire Mabey | 13th November, 2025

Society

Jevon McSkimming speaks to media alongside Chris Luxon in September 2024 (Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

A portrait of Jevon McSkimming as a senior police colleague

Nearly 50 police staff were interviewed as part of an independent investigation, painting a fuzzy picture of the disgraced cop and his workplace reputation.

By Madeleine Chapman | 12th November, 2025

a "pay contactless" sticker on a bus door surrounded by pink hearts

Am I the only person in Christchurch who’s excited about the new bus payment system?

The $1.4bn system is running – but no one seems to have noticed.

By Shanti Mathias | 12th November, 2025

‘Where will we go?’: A beloved Christchurch community hub faces an uncertain future

'There were some tears ... this isn’t just a job where you get paid, you're in it because you love it and because you actually believe in it.'

By Alex Casey | 12th November, 2025

The cost of being: An ‘accidental landlord’ saving for renovations

'In my 20s I was constantly in around $2,000 of debt – I didn't really understand the consequences.'

By The Cost of Being | 11th November, 2025

We’ve forgotten what universities are for

With New Zealand universities facing not only a funding crisis but a philosophical challenge to their role, the soul of tertiary education is at stake.

By Liam White | 10th November, 2025