Politics

How I fought to get Māori wards on local councils

“When a Māōri ward was finally voted in for our council, tears flowed down my face. I was just so happy.”

Moko Tepania played a vital role…

Reflecting on Captain Cook's many mistakes

"We'd go places, we'd see something we like and name it after ourselves!"

Three rangatahi sit down to talk about the Treaty of Waitangi

A Māori cultural advisor, an archaeology student and a Māori health professional sit down for a picnic and ask each other questions about Te Tiriti o…

Understanding Te Tiriti o Waitangi | Let Me Explain

Te Tiriti o Waitangi is one of the most misunderstood documents in Aotearoa. We explain why it's still a controversial document to this day.

It's 180 years…

New Zealanders tell us how they honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Six Kiwis share the various ways we can honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Should Aotearoa cut ties with the Queen?

Is it time to cut ties with the Queen? We take a deep dive into all sides of this issue.

A Pacific community advocate and Islam convert on the role of police in our neighbourhoods | The…

Growing up, Melissa Lama was taught by her mum to not make eye contact with the police. Now a Pacific community advocate and Islam convert with…

The 22-year old Wellington City Councillor who's not trying to change boomers' minds | The Outliers

“All around the country, and all around the world, you’ve got closed boardrooms full of old white men."

22-year-old Tamatha Paul is a Wellington City Councillor who…

The ex-illicit cannabis grower changing the narrative for East Coast rangatahi

Porourangi Tawhiwhirangi is teaching rangatahi basic cultivation skills to help them into work.

Talanoa with Pacific MPs from the left and the right

National Party candidate Agnes Loheni and Labour Party candidate Hon Aupito William Sio join Torisse Laulu for a conversation ahead of the 2020 Election.

Brooke Van Velden on why she switched from Greens to ACT | Church and State

19-year-old musician and first-time voter Church talks to ACT's deputy leader, Brooke Van Velden.

Jacinda Ardern on the song that’s getting her through 2020 | Church and State

19-year-old musician and first-time voter Church meets leader of the Labour Party Jacinda Ardern.

Marama Davidson on being told she’s a “good Māori” | Church and State

19-year-old musician and first-time voter Church meets the co-leader of the Green Party.

Winston Peters on how fish heads are the secret to youthful skin | Church and State

19-year-old musician and first-time voter Church, from Church & AP, speaks to Winston Peters.

Judith Collins on white privilege and politics | Church and State

19-year-old musician and first-time voter Church talks to National leader Judith Collins.

We asked a graphic designer to rate election billboards

Wellington graphic designer Matt does deep analysis of the colours, grammar and symbols of election billboards in the Ōhāriu electorate.

The arguments for and against legalising weed

The main arguments for both sides of the weed referendum.

The guy who wrote the book on weed tells us what he learnt

If you've got questions on what weed legalisation in NZ could look like, James is your guy.

Livening up Wellington’s outer suburbs

As our population rises, Wellington’s outer suburbs can become hubs where people live, work and play – all while having easy public transport access to the…

The simple guide to dealing with online conspiracy

A step-by-step guide on what to do when you encounter a piece of unverified information online.

How character and growth can exist side-by-side in Wellington’s inner suburbs

Wellingtonians have said they want us to be building up rather than out to accommodate our rising population. This means it’s time to change up our…

More affordable, more walkable and more resilient: plans for Wellington’s CBD

How Wellington's CBD will keep up with its rapid population growth.

We don't have a Ministry of LGBTQIA+ Affairs, but some politicians want to change that

Our government is made up of about 70 ministerial portfolios. We have a minister for women, for Pacific peoples, for children and for seniors. However, we…

A gender-neutral option has finally been added to NZ voting papers

The gender-neutral title Mx. is an option on the electoral roll for the first time. Kiwis tell us what this means for them.

You can enrol to…

In pictures: my life as a refugee in New Zealand

For 30 years New Zealand’s annual refugee quota sat at 750 people. In 2018 that number rose to 1000 and next month it will increase further…

Weed Vote 2020: the justice minister on the law he designed to legalise cannabis

At this year's election, you will be asked, "Do you support the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill?" Justice Minister Andrew Little gives his perspective on…

Explainer: what's happening for homeless people after lockdown

During lockdown, the streets of Aotearoa have been nearly empty at night. That's partly due to the fact that the government has made 1600 motel units…

Why Invercargill is one of the bleakest places to be a young person

Invercargill is a bit fucked. This city which Mick Jagger once described as the “arsehole of the world” is experiencing a deluge of challenges right now.

The Manurewa drop-in centre helping people survive

“Everything is expensive now. Food’s gone up. Petrol’s gone up. Rent’s gone up. How can people survive?” Debbie Munroe saw people of all backgrounds in her…

Māori babies are 5x more likely to be taken into state care

A new report by the Children's Commissioner has found that in 2019, Māori babies aged 0-3 months were taken into state care at 5x the rate…