Politics

Matariki will be a new public holiday from June next year

It will celebrate the Māori new year marked by the Matariki star cluster.

New law makes it harder to overturn Māori wards

New legislation has been announced that would give councils more power to establish and protect Māori wards.

The change was announced by Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta…

Inside Trump’s America from a New Zealander who’s been there

Inside Trump’s America from a New Zealander who’s been there...

There are fewer houses available to buy in NZ than ever

The number of houses available to buy in New Zealand hit a new record low in December.

Mosque attack Inquiry triggers law changes and apology from government

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the mosque attacks, released today, found particular government agencies failed to protect Muslim communities, as well as failures in firearms…

Euthanasia still a yes, cannabis still a no, and Labour keeps majority with special votes

The special votes have been counted and the final results of the referendums and New Zealand’s 2020 general election have been released.

It’s still a no for…

Meet your new Māori MPs

Plus words of advice from Kiri Allan who was in their position three years ago.

NZ votes yes for euthanasia, no for recreational cannabis

65% of NZers voted yes in the euthanasia referendum. 53% voted no in the cannabis referendum.

What the party leaders had to say on election night

The winners and losers shared their thanks and thoughts as results rolled in

First-time voter Church on how politics isn’t as distant as he once thought

What it’s like being 19 and interviewing some of the country’s most powerful people.

The director of I Am Greta tells us why we need to stop being polite about climate change

I Am Greta is a revealing documentary about the life of climate activist Greta Thunberg.

I watched the Young Voters' Debate and was actually entertained

Here are seven highlights from last night's showdown.

The six-month Covid rent freeze ends today, but rents are already going up. A lot.

The six-month Covid rent freeze ends today, and some landlords are putting up rent as fast as possible. Others tried to illegally raise rents during the…

I don't know anything about politics: what's up with the polls?

Here's how political polls really work.

Stoners tell us why they smoke and how legalising might impact them

Stoners are hidden everywhere. From business executives to teachers, people from all walks of life love to toke every now and then.

The idea of Kiwis being…

A visual history of Wellington’s anarchist house

On the evening of Tuesday August 25, Wellington watched as a local icon burnt down - the anarchist house at 128 Abel Smith Street.

Located right beside…

I don't know anything about politics: how did the election just get moved?

Just how exactly was the election day moved, and what does "dissolution of Parliament" even mean?

I don’t know anything about politics: where do parties get all their money from?

Zoe Madden-Smith looks into the different ways parties fund themselves, and the flaws in the system.

I don't know anything about politics: what’s the deal with minor parties?

New Zealand has 14 registered political parties, can you name them all? I couldn’t.

I don’t know anything about politics: what do the parties stand for?

My feed's been spammed by so many political scandals I don’t know what each party stands for anymore

Explainer: here's what you need to know about new National leader Judith Collins

We’ve all seen the gun photo and heard the phrase “Crusher Collins”, but what does she stand for?

A majority of NZers say they will vote to keep weed illegal

A new poll says majority of NZers would vote against legalising weed.

Black Lives Matter: The biggest march in Wellington in a decade

“The future is hope. The future is change. The future is us.”

Some unis are bumping up grades because of Covid and students say it’s unfair

Otago and Auckland University are automatically bumping up grades across the board in response to Covid-19. But most other New Zealand universities have ruled a grade…

I don't understand the Budget so I got an economist to explain it to me

Last week the Government announced a $50 billion dollar budget, or as Finance Minister Grant Robertson likes to call it, “The most significant commitment by a…

Who the heck is the new National Party leader Todd Muller

Today Simon Bridges was toppled from the leadership of the National Party.

He’s been replaced by Todd Muller, a man who many voters don’t even recognise.

Here’s the…

New Zealanders seem to hate beneficiaries. Is there hope that Covid will change that?

Covid has meant nearly 40,000 people have accessed the jobseeker benefit, nearly half of them for the first time. One million New Zealanders have been given…

‘We failed her’ - Young ACT vice president resigns after sexual harassment

The vice-president of Young ACT has resigned, saying she faced months of sexual harassment.

Explainer: the cannabis referendum that could make weed legal in New Zealand

At this year’s election, as well as voting on who we want to be in government, we will also be asked this question: Do you support the…