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Chris Hipkins’ official message to NZ First (Design: The Spinoff)

‘It’s clearly not going to happen’: Labour finally officially rules out working with NZ First

Chris Hipkins has ruled out working with New Zealand First in any government he leads, ending months of hedging on the question.
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By Henry Oliver | 11th August, 2026
Bulletin editor
National’s ‘new’ debt-bending financial responsibility policy

National’s ‘new’ debt-bending financial responsibility policy

National’s financial responsibility rules announcement is, at best, nothing new and, at worst, a highlight of its own fiscal failures.
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By Henry Oliver | 10th August, 2026
Bulletin editor
Christopher Luxon just isn’t sure about MMP anymore. (Design: The Spinoff)

To MMP or not to MMP, that is Christopher Luxon’s question

The number of New Zealanders either out of work or wanting more work are up. Way up.
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By Henry Oliver | 7th August, 2026
Bulletin editor
Unemployment New Zealand: the numbers, the regions, the politics

Unemployment New Zealand: the numbers, the regions, the politics

The number of New Zealanders either out of work or wanting more work are up. Way up.
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By Henry Oliver | 6th August, 2026
Bulletin editor
New Zealand has largely fixed its original sin, which caused home-buying mania. (Design:The Spinoff)

NZ’s housing affordability contradiction – Labour MP Helen White says the quiet part out loud

Yesterday, Labour MP Helen White broke with her party, and the New Zealand political status quo, to say that for housing to get more affordable prices would have to “come down.”
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By Henry Oliver | 5th August, 2026
Bulletin editor
Christopher Luxon had a rough day (and may have another one today)

Christopher Luxon had a rough day (and may have another one today)

Spare a thought for the prime minister who had to apologise for his comments to Rotorua business leaders and answer endless questions about Winston Peters.
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By Henry Oliver | 4th August, 2026
Bulletin editor
New policy announcers: Act’s Paul Henry, Te Pāti Māori’s Lisa Marie Murch and NZ First’s Winston Peters (Design: The Spinoff)

Disciplining ‘little shits’, cash for babies and a Māori Education Authority

It was a busy weekend for new policy, with Act, Te Pāti Māori and NZ First (respectively) promising classroom discipline, Māori education reform and tax breaks for having kids.
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By Henry Oliver | 3rd August, 2026
Bulletin editor
(Photo: Microfotovoltaico, Design: The Spinoff)

We’re legalising it! (Plug-in solar)

Finally something most of us can agree on – plug-in solar panels will finally be legal in New Zealand.
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By Henry Oliver | 31st July, 2026
Bulletin editor
Immigration minister Erica Stanford (Photo: Mark Mitchell/Getty, Design: The Spinoff)

Add another $6m to the bill of cancelled border security project

Deception, incompetence or both? The story of Immigration New Zealand’s failed Biometric Capability Upgrade project keeps getting worse.
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By Henry Oliver | 30th July, 2026
Bulletin editor
The Free Speech Union (left) and health minister Simeon Brown (right). (Image: The Spinoff)

Why is the Free Speech Union suddenly so involved in the Medical Council?

Two new appointments to the Medical Council raise an obvious question and competing issues around free speech.
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By Henry Oliver | 29th July, 2026
Bulletin editor
Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong and others. (Image: Tina Tiller)

The Opportunity Party knocks

A look inside the policy and pronouncements of this weekend’s Green Party AGM.
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By Henry Oliver | 28th July, 2026
Bulletin editor
Green Party co-leaders Chlöe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson (Images: supplied, design: The Spinoff)

A Green Party ‘for all of us’?

A look inside the policy and pronouncements of this weekend’s Green Party AGM.
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By Henry Oliver | 27th July, 2026
Bulletin editor
An artist’s interpretation of council amalgamation proposals (Design: The Spinoff)

Who’s going to make the council amalgamation deadline? And what happens to those that don’t

With just over a fortnight until the deadline, the question is no longer whether all regions will meet it, but whether ministers will impose their own solutions on the regions that don’t.
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By Henry Oliver | 24th July, 2026
Bulletin editor
Stuart Nash and a recreation of his text to Chris Finlayson (Photo: Getty, Design: The Spinoff)

Stuart Nash resigns after ‘sexist’ text

The controversial former-Labour minister resigns as NZ First candidate after calling new mother the ‘laziest MP’ he’d ever seen.
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By Henry Oliver | 23rd July, 2026
Bulletin editor
How much sport is too much sport? And which sports matter the most?

How much sport is too much sport? And which sports matter the most?

There’s so much sport in the news, we're fighting over it.
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By Henry Oliver | 22nd July, 2026
Bulletin editor
Green Party co-leader’s Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick (Photo: Tess Brunton/RNZ, Design: The Spinoff)

The Greens propose a state-owned energy company

The Green Party says 'Kiwipower' would solve our current affordability and supply problems.
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By Henry Oliver | 21st July, 2026
Bulletin editor
Winston Peters (large) not really at the NZ First campaign launch with Winston Peters at the NZ First campaign launch (small)

NZ First officially launches its election campaign

There were formalities to attend to, policies to announce and a culture war to wage.
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By Henry Oliver | 20th July, 2026
Bulletin editor
(Image: The Spinoff/Emergency Management Southland)

‘It felt like a truck’: Earthquake near Te Anau triggers brief tsunami scare

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 40km north of Te Anau at 9.14pm last night.
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By Henry Oliver | 17th July, 2026
Bulletin editor
A brown skua, Amsterdam Island, TAAF. (Photo: Antoine Lamielle / Creative Commons)

The H5N1 bird flu has landed

The H5N1 strain of bird flu was confirmed in New Zealand yesterday after a brown skua tested positive.
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By Henry Oliver | 16th July, 2026
Bulletin editor
Paul Henry is running for parliament – and could be a bigger problem for Luxon than for Labour

Paul Henry is running for parliament – and could be a bigger problem for Luxon than for Labour

The controversial broadcaster has announced he is standing for Act in the 2026 election.
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By Henry Oliver | 15th July, 2026
Bulletin editor

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The Spinoff is subject to NZ Media Council procedures. A complaint must first be directed in writing, within one month of publication, via our contact page. If not satisfied with the response, the complaint may be referred to the online complaint form at www.presscouncil.org.nz along with a link to the relevant story and all correspondence with the publication.

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