- Newsroom

Covid-19 will not be going away any time soon and the National Party says we should team up with the private sector to let more workers and tourists in safely National have announced that, if elected, they will ramp up the private provision of quarantine to allow workers and long-term […]

The election is fast-approaching but no-one seems to care about the threat of foreign interference.

Wealthy people’s money grows at a faster rate than the economy, like a dam hoarding water while the city below grows thirsty. To conserve our way of life, we need to ensure wealth flows between the top and the bottom, writes Tax Justice's Louise Delaney Now both major parties have released […]

Kanyon Paul will wear the Warriors jersey in next month's NRL women's championship with the blessing of her late grandfather - who helped her make the decision to cross the Tasman to play.  Kanyon Paul wasn’t meant to play for the Warriors women’s team this season. But her […]

A Government plan to charge people for emergency housing like motels was derailed by Covid-19, but will now come into effect two days after the election For most of us the biggest event of the last two years was Covid-19, but for one South Auckland family it was a home renovation. A […]

We continue our week-long series on an extraordinary book of essays by Ghazaleh Golbakhsh with a memoir of the author from Golriz Ghahrman My friend Ghazaleh Golbakhsh is a film-maker, a writer, actor, Iranian, Kiwi, woman of colour, citizen of the world, and wild dreamer. Her new book of essays […]

Angela Merkel’s response to the latest refugee crisis only makes sense in an ideal world - in the real world it is dividing the EU and encouraging human traffickers, says Oliver Hartwich

While Covid-19 put the airline’s passenger business into a steep dive the airline’s cargo business has been climbing. It is now referred to as Air NZ’s green shoot.

ACT's deputy leader on her party's rise, assisted dying, and mental health reform.

Stephen Hoadley provides some context around US President Donald Trump's claimed successes in the Middle East  On September 15, 2020, President Trump hosted leaders from Israel, UAE, and Bahrain at the White House. The event was the signing of agreements in which UAE and Bahrain […]

Politicians proposing spending cuts to manage debt have been criticised for policies that could worsen New Zealand's recession - but the same critique could apply to Labour's tax plan, Liam Hehir writes Labour surrogates have been scathing of ACT’s proposals to control the budget […]

The West Coast was promised $140 million from the provincial growth fund. David Williams asks how much has been spent The need is great, and it has been for years. The Pancake Rocks, at Dolomite Point, the foot of the Paparoa National Park, is a must-see natural attraction for tourists heading to […]

Covid alert Levels 3 and 2.5 in Auckland impact credit card spending in Auckland, but our international online spend-up continues - plus Queensland hotels and apartments face empty summer

One sudden gust of wind and traffic around New Zealand's biggest city goes into a chaotic meltdown. How long will it take to fix the Auckland Harbour Bridge and why can't it be faster?  Over the weekend, we saw what happens when an unstoppable (gale) force meets a moveable object. […]

A mystery Covid-19 case still under investigation has not stopped Auckland's move to Level 2, and the rest of New Zealand to Level 1, Jacinda Ardern has announced The Government has confirmed Auckland’s move down to Alert Level 2, and the rest of the country to Alert Level 1, despite ongoing […]

Fonterra aims to remain nimble in uncertain times, plus Tourism Holdings' profit after Government support

All week this week we focus on an extraordinary book of essays by Iranian-born Auckland film-maker Ghazaleh Golbakhsh. Today: her tale of a wandering Persian exile The Shah of Grey Lynn walks in front of me, his body long and lean, his head hung low. A shah is similar to a king or tsar, and […]

Fresh-faced and 14, our new national surfing champion initially struggled under the weight of the title. But with a new mindset, Ava Henderson is looking forward to claiming more crowns, she tells Anna Willcox.  In the months after being crowned the New Zealand women’s surf […]

It was trash talk of a constructive nature during a political debate about the country's waste problem, including a hike in landfill levies hoped to fund better waste infrastructure Politicians put forward their policies for dealing with New Zealand’s growing waste problem in an online […]

National tried to go high-tech in its virtual campaign launch - but it was a far less sophisticated mathematical error which overshadowed Judith Collins, Sam Sachdeva writes As far as political humiliations at Avalon Studios go, Paul Goldsmith didn't quite match the time Rodney Hide dropped […]

Protecting 30 percent of our oceans by 2030 was one of a raft of marine plans announced by the Green Party Bans of bottom trawling in the Hauraki Gulf and a dramatic increase in the amount of protected marine areas are part of the Green Party's vision for oceans. Green Party co-leader Marama […]

In this second of a series on the party leaders on the campaign trail, Tim Murphy joins the Greens' Marama Davidson on a Sunday street corner in Glen Innes Marama Davidson and her offsider doubled the numbers when they arrived at the third of her four street corner campaign stops in east […]

Covid-19 has put sign language in the public eye this year, but the fight to have it recognised as a 'real' language continues This week is New Zealand Sign Language Week, to coincide with the International Week of the Deaf and the United Nations International Day of Sign Languages on September […]

As millions of posts and images violating Facebook's rules against hate speech have been found in Facebook groups, the company is seeking to make small changes to the way the feature works, Marc Daalder reports Facebook has announced a suite of minor changes to the way groups work on its website […]

Billions of dollars worth of infrastructure investments have been announced, but is it all as real as it sounds? Our governments and councils have a long tradition of backing out of already-announced infrastructure investments, but such u-turns could set the country back years […]

Some of the safest parliamentary seats in the country are about to be taken over by newbies. They're sure things, anointed by their parties, waiting for the public's stamp of approval. In the latest in an occasional series, Marc Daalder speaks to public health expert Ayesha Verrall who, fresh […]

Analysis: Issues of fairness and inclusion plagues minor parties in NZ's crowded political landscape. Laura Walters takes a look at this perennial issue Minor parties are questioning whether the rules and conventions around inclusion and coverage in this year’s election campaign are fair, or […]

A look at the three elements that make up the TV election debate - the broadcaster, the moderator, and the politician.  They come around every three years. Everything from the studio sets and the position of the podiums, to the colour of the ties, is carefully thought out; and then […]

Australian house prices are expected to fall as much as 15 percent, so why are New Zealand banks and the Treasury forecasting they will rise over here? Something strange is happening in New Zealand. The economy has experienced a devastating contraction and the country is in a period of what the […]

New Zealand's semi-official poet laureate Victor Billot pens topical verse every Sunday. Today: Billy Te Kahika Connecting the dots Good evening all! I hope you don’t easily scare. For what I will tell you will pin back your ears. I’m Billy T K (Junior), servant of truth. I’m […]

Does business want what our politicians are peddling at this election? Rod Oram delves into the latest Business NZ pre-election survey. The pandemic is making New Zealand businesses far more focused on short term survival; but less focused on strategic issues which would help them to recover […]

In the second of a weekly election diary, National's Hutt South MP Chris Bishop enjoys the culinary delights of the south and prepares for the party's fiscal plan launch. Labour MP Deborah Russell will also contribute each week. Trite but true: it’s been a funny old election campaign. […]

As the Māori Party prompts debate around whether New Zealand should be officially named Aotearoa, Professor Kerry Howe examines our common usage and understanding of the term  Should the name New Zealand be replaced by, or co-exist with Aotearoa? For Aotearoa, is it widely assumed, […]

"Coffee plus office equals coffice": a short story set in a deranged New Zealand of stern baristas and rebel forces, by Auckland writer Sharni Wilson “This is not an office.” The barista’s voice was hard and cold with aggression, with a frighteningly wide smile: the kind of smile […]

In the second of a weekly election diary, Labour MP Deborah Russell eases back into campaign mode after a Covid-enforced break. Tomorrow is National's Chris Bishop. This week the on-again, off-again election campaign is on again. Well, sort of. Politicians are out and about all over the country, […]

On this week's Extra Time, White Ferns cricketer Suzie Bates reckons the trials and tribulations of quarantine in Brisbane ahead of matches against Australia are all worth it. It may take them an hour a day to get the team up and down the service lift in their hotel, they're only allowed a […]

National's surprise tax cut announcement has given the party a burst of relevance, even though it's far from clear how the policy will sit with voters, Sam Sachdeva writes For much of the Covid-interrupted election campaign to date, the National Party has been sleepwalking towards defeat. The […]

National has returned to its tried and trusted policy of tax cuts, offering up short-term relief for middle-income Kiwis - but its ambitious debt target has been scrapped, while it will have less money up its sleeve for future spending The National Party has unveiled its fiscal plan for the […]

In the first of a weekly column on the campaign trail, James Elliott looks at the art of the slogan during a Covid election, and warns not to count political chickens before they've hatched  There’s an election campaign on. Apparently. It’s an election campaign unlike any […]

Two banks picked the scale of NZ's fall in GDP but the Treasury was way out, plus Heartland bank tells the sharemarket it is being undervalued

Dylan Asafo asks why the NZ Government is doing nothing in the face of major human rights crises in the Pacific In April 2018, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed the Paris Institute of Political Studies to talk about the impacts of climate change in the Pacific Islands and said: […]

While Māori and Pākehā use cannabis at the same rate, Māori are four times more likely to do time in prison. This alone justifies a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum, writes Shane Te Pou  COMMENT: Helen Clark has left nothing on the paddock when it […]

Cristo Tofa is already making a difference in the lives of many young people, but she knows she can inspire them even more by playing at next year's Rugby World Cup.  On this day in exactly a year's time, Auckland Storm front rower Cristo Tofa could be lining up on Eden Park in a […]

New Zealand is in a unique position where we have a blank slate to regulate the payments system and can learn from overseas regulators. To get regulation right, the Government must take a broader approach than just merchant fees, consult widely and set up a specialised regulatory unit, says Rebecca […]

This week's biggest-selling New Zealand books, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list and described by Steve Braunias FICTION 1 The Jacaranda House by Deborah Challinor (HarperCollins, $36.99) Challinor's entertaining melodrama, set among the stripclubs of King's Cross […]

*Watch the full video in the player below* This year's pandemic has been a lesson in isolation. Melanie Reid and Jo Galer took a trip back in time to visit the relics of another infectious and isolating disease - a tuberculosis sanatorium tucked away in Central Otago back country. […]

In the immediate coronavirus battle, we cannot afford to sacrifice long-term health priorities like obesity, heart and respiratory disease, and mental wellbeing, argues Jonathan Milne At just 25, Meletonga Talakai was clinically obese, with type 2 diabetes. Then, stuck in Level 4 lockdown in […]

Why was a Hector’s dolphin death publicly notified five months after it happened? David Williams reports The Department of Conservation is being accused of hiding an endangered dolphin’s death for political purposes. On March 4, Fisheries staff within the Ministry for Primary […]

Winning an electorate seat might be more important than the party vote for TOP, but if they don't make it there a future tilt at council elections could be on the cards The Opportunities Party is eagerly hunting its "worm moment" in the former electorate of the man who tamed it, but the […]

The election campaign is underway but seldom, in recent years, have the two main parties seemed to be so much on the same page, and there is little to motivate or inspire voters, says Peter Dunne Whichever party leads the government after this year’s General Election, there will not be any […]