Hayden Donnell
@haydendonnell.bsky.social
New Zealand's foremost authority on the Big Fresh Animatronic Fruit & Veggies
📍Te Papa
📍Te Papa
Two huge exclusives this week, this is what I pictured myself doing when I entered the World of Journalism
September 16, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Two huge exclusives this week, this is what I pictured myself doing when I entered the World of Journalism
Reposted by Hayden Donnell
Imagine what it would be like if Mr Fix It wasn't on the case
September 5, 2026 at 8:12 PM
Imagine what it would be like if Mr Fix It wasn't on the case
Incredible things going down in Auckland
August 13, 2026 at 9:50 AM
Incredible things going down in Auckland
I have once again made a meme, this time to illustrate National's official position on coalition negotiations thespinoff.co.nz/politics/31-...
July 31, 2026 at 1:44 AM
I have once again made a meme, this time to illustrate National's official position on coalition negotiations thespinoff.co.nz/politics/31-...
Reposted by Hayden Donnell
You’re just saying what everyone is thinking.
July 22, 2026 at 9:22 PM
You’re just saying what everyone is thinking.
Once again proud of my contributions to The Spinoff
July 22, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Once again proud of my contributions to The Spinoff
Starting to suspect some of our politicians can be a little self-serving in their public statements
July 22, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Starting to suspect some of our politicians can be a little self-serving in their public statements
you literally have to read it or you will be prosecuted by councillor Richard Hills
July 22, 2026 at 2:15 AM
you literally have to read it or you will be prosecuted by councillor Richard Hills
this is how I learn my dream has died
Hayden Donnell's never going to get a job in the Parliamentary press gallery if he doesn't understand that Simeon Brown is impeccably clever and effective.
Who could have predicted this? National can’t afford its roads
July 14, 2026 at 9:23 PM
this is how I learn my dream has died
Act yesterday: NZ First is undermining the Indian free trade agreement with its xenophobic rhetoric
Act today: our hot new candidate is the man who called an Indian politician "dick shit" and said it was "so appropriate because she's Indian, so she would be dick in shit" when walking the streets
Act today: our hot new candidate is the man who called an Indian politician "dick shit" and said it was "so appropriate because she's Indian, so she would be dick in shit" when walking the streets
July 14, 2026 at 12:06 AM
Act yesterday: NZ First is undermining the Indian free trade agreement with its xenophobic rhetoric
Act today: our hot new candidate is the man who called an Indian politician "dick shit" and said it was "so appropriate because she's Indian, so she would be dick in shit" when walking the streets
Act today: our hot new candidate is the man who called an Indian politician "dick shit" and said it was "so appropriate because she's Indian, so she would be dick in shit" when walking the streets
Reposted by Hayden Donnell
This is appropriately withering.
The supposedly progressive campaign to restrict housing in posh suburbs
The supposedly progressive campaign to restrict housing in posh suburbs
Helen Clark and the Waitematā Local Board want to dump Auckland’s growth on west and south Auckland, but in a nice, left-wing way....
thespinoff.co.nz
July 2, 2026 at 9:22 PM
This is appropriately withering.
*Waitematā local board, progressively* yes building houses in the rich suburbs near the city is one option but have you considered putting them in south Auckland instead thespinoff.co.nz/politics/03-...
July 2, 2026 at 9:17 PM
*Waitematā local board, progressively* yes building houses in the rich suburbs near the city is one option but have you considered putting them in south Auckland instead thespinoff.co.nz/politics/03-...
Reposted by Hayden Donnell
The supposedly progressive campaign to restrict housing in posh suburbs
The supposedly progressive campaign to restrict housing in posh suburbs
Helen Clark and the Waitematā Local Board want to dump Auckland’s growth on west and south Auckland, but in a nice, left-wing way....
thespinoff.co.nz
July 2, 2026 at 6:36 PM
The supposedly progressive campaign to restrict housing in posh suburbs
Auckland just had its biggest ever May for cycling and the bulk of the traffic was on separated bike lanes so it's a good thing we haven't banned new NZTA investment in cycleways or anything
June 25, 2026 at 10:51 PM
Auckland just had its biggest ever May for cycling and the bulk of the traffic was on separated bike lanes so it's a good thing we haven't banned new NZTA investment in cycleways or anything
Imagine if we implemented these other people's plans. We go into recession, experience a long-term spike in unemployment and end up with record numbers of insolvencies, all while negotiating a cost of living crisis
June 21, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Imagine if we implemented these other people's plans. We go into recession, experience a long-term spike in unemployment and end up with record numbers of insolvencies, all while negotiating a cost of living crisis
Reposted by Hayden Donnell
'But belt-tightening, as it turns out, is for poorer people and public servants. It’s not for the esteemed and often politically-connected candidates they want to install in plum roles on Crown boards.'
@haydendonnell.bsky.social #NzPol
@haydendonnell.bsky.social #NzPol
Austerity is for poor people, not politicians
Belt-tightening, as it turns out, is location-specific. It affects you if you’re in a state house. It doesn't if you’re in the house of representatives.
thespinoff.co.nz
June 7, 2026 at 7:14 PM
'But belt-tightening, as it turns out, is for poorer people and public servants. It’s not for the esteemed and often politically-connected candidates they want to install in plum roles on Crown boards.'
@haydendonnell.bsky.social #NzPol
@haydendonnell.bsky.social #NzPol
social housing tenants would probably feel more like they had won the Lotto if they could claim a $36,400 accommodation supplement to live in their own property
one of the major clues that social housing tenants haven't in fact won the lotto is that they need social housing
Nicola Willis says "at the moment, people in social housing effectively have won the lotto."
May 21, 2026 at 4:30 AM
social housing tenants would probably feel more like they had won the Lotto if they could claim a $36,400 accommodation supplement to live in their own property
one of the major clues that social housing tenants haven't in fact won the lotto is that they need social housing
Nicola Willis says "at the moment, people in social housing effectively have won the lotto."
May 21, 2026 at 4:12 AM
one of the major clues that social housing tenants haven't in fact won the lotto is that they need social housing
Reposted by Hayden Donnell
I can't believe the damage cycle lanes are gonna do to wellington businesses if this plan to cut 9k public sector employees goes ahead.
May 19, 2026 at 2:46 AM
I can't believe the damage cycle lanes are gonna do to wellington businesses if this plan to cut 9k public sector employees goes ahead.
thankfully the economy is back on track because otherwise I'd be pretty worried about these guys just going straight to Australia or into long-term unemployment
May 18, 2026 at 9:43 PM
thankfully the economy is back on track because otherwise I'd be pretty worried about these guys just going straight to Australia or into long-term unemployment
Reposted by Hayden Donnell
Most transport maps show where infrastructure is.
I wanted to show what that infrastructure actually lets people reach.
I’ve been building the Auckland Transport Access Atlas: an interactive map of car dependency, accessibility, equity, and planner priorities across Auckland.
ataa.tfwelch.com
I wanted to show what that infrastructure actually lets people reach.
I’ve been building the Auckland Transport Access Atlas: an interactive map of car dependency, accessibility, equity, and planner priorities across Auckland.
ataa.tfwelch.com
May 10, 2026 at 7:34 PM
Most transport maps show where infrastructure is.
I wanted to show what that infrastructure actually lets people reach.
I’ve been building the Auckland Transport Access Atlas: an interactive map of car dependency, accessibility, equity, and planner priorities across Auckland.
ataa.tfwelch.com
I wanted to show what that infrastructure actually lets people reach.
I’ve been building the Auckland Transport Access Atlas: an interactive map of car dependency, accessibility, equity, and planner priorities across Auckland.
ataa.tfwelch.com
David Seymour's comments about not trying to influence RNZ's staffing decisions are slightly undermined by his comments about trying to influence RNZ's staffing decisions
May 7, 2026 at 11:20 PM
David Seymour's comments about not trying to influence RNZ's staffing decisions are slightly undermined by his comments about trying to influence RNZ's staffing decisions
Reposted by Hayden Donnell
Excellent work @haydendonnell.bsky.social Good News too, the problem of stinky diesel fumes in the Kaimai tunnel can be affordably dealt with via battery trains, like the new intercity trains we are getting for services from Wellington:
thespinoff.co.nz/society/05-0...
thespinoff.co.nz/society/05-0...
A train trip back in time to before we screwed up our transport system
The Kaimai Express was a trip to a less car-dominated past. It may also have been a small taste of the future.
thespinoff.co.nz
May 5, 2026 at 5:07 AM
Excellent work @haydendonnell.bsky.social Good News too, the problem of stinky diesel fumes in the Kaimai tunnel can be affordably dealt with via battery trains, like the new intercity trains we are getting for services from Wellington:
thespinoff.co.nz/society/05-0...
thespinoff.co.nz/society/05-0...
A wealthy businessman getting a vaunted vanity award only for it to be revealed that they've engaged in grotty personal misconduct? This must be unprecedented in New Zealand history
April 14, 2026 at 9:06 PM
A wealthy businessman getting a vaunted vanity award only for it to be revealed that they've engaged in grotty personal misconduct? This must be unprecedented in New Zealand history