Society

Why does New Zealand celebrate Labour Day in October rather than on 1 May? The answer begins with an English carpenter in Petone - and leads to a question that remains surprisingly current.

Through seasonal workers’ testimonies, Alexandra Zapata examines gender, migration, vulnerability and informal power within New Zealand’s horticultural workforce.

Businesses create jobs, ideas and wealth, but they also leave a footprint. What responsibility do we carry for the people and places around us?

I read from my phone now, but I still remember what it felt like to disappear into Kundera, García Márquez or Tolkien with a book in my hands. New Zealand has just ranked ninth in the world for reading. In a world learning to scroll faster, that feels worth celebrating.

A campaign slogan, two policy proposals and an old film raise a larger question: when does someone who came to New Zealand simply become part of New Zealand?

New Zealand First wants to double the qualifying period for citizenship from five to ten years. But it does not need to win the election for the proposal to matter. Under MMP, the real question may be how much bargaining power the party holds after 7 November.