The Detail
Get the skinny on the big news with the country’s best journalists & experts.
Sun, April 06, 2025
The New Zealand institution heralding change
The New Zealand Herald is barely out of everyone else's headlines these days, but will readers notice the changes that are bubbling beneath the masthead… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, April 04, 2025
New Zealand start-up aims to take space transport to new heights
Dawn Aerospace builds space planes and propulsion systems out of their Christchurch workshop. Their next goal is two trips to space, every day. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, April 03, 2025
Fixing the GP crisis
A crisis in primary health care is worsening and calls are increasing for some hospital funding to be diverted to GPs… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, April 02, 2025
Super Rugby Pacific, back and better than ever
Halfway through the season, Super Rugby has ditched expectations and crowds are taking notice A shakeup in competition and rule changes have revived the championship, giving it much-needed kick … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, April 01, 2025
Parents on notice after a spate of drownings
With drowning numbers creeping up, a water safety expert explains why so many of these deaths are avoidable… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, March 31, 2025
Reforming the reforms - the RMA is up for debate, again
Legislation designed to simplify the country's resource management laws has now become more complex than the multitude of statutes it originally replaced. So it's up for debate, again. Most people agree the Resource Management Act needs reform, but the government is doing more than just tinker with Labour's changes - they're throwing the whole thing out … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, March 30, 2025
An atheist on why churches should remain tax-free
Critics say that churches' exemption from paying income tax gives them an unfair competitive advantage. But one atheist says these tax laws are essential for a thriving society. The government is set to review charities' tax-free status, which sees churches avoid paying income tax. An atheist professor says changing the laws would be devastating for New Zealand. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, March 28, 2025
Tinā, the Samoan film that's a hit with palagi
At last New Zealand has another hit film on its hands, 10 years after the last big box office draw. Tinā is a film that will make you laugh and cry, but if you're Samoan like its star, it may also make you despair just a little … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, March 27, 2025
New campaign aims to tackle rising sideline abuse in sport
Rugby ref Ben O'Keefe knows first-hand what it's like to receive abuse from spectators. He says if we don't tackle it, it will drive children away from sport. An increase in abuse toward players, coaches and refs, especially in children's sport, worries a top ref. He's heading a new campaign to address it. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, March 26, 2025
Five years after the first big lockdown, is NZ ready for the next pandemic
The next pandemic could arrive at any time, but the government has ignored a Royal Commission of Inquiry report that could help it prepare Half a decade after New Zealand's first lockdown, a look at what went wrong, what went right, and how ready we are for the next pandemic … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, March 25, 2025
Good riddance to bad rubbish at a north Auckland tip
More than half of Auckland's rubbish gets dumped at one landfill, where waste is turned into energy to power homes and grow food… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, March 24, 2025
Timeless Summer, endless debt
There's a call for laws to be introduced requiring ticket sellers for big events to hold punters' cash in trust, so we don't see a repeat of fans' money going down the drain in the wake of cancelled festivals Forking out big bucks for music festivals is always a risk, but some simple changes in regulations could make fans rest that little bit easier … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, March 23, 2025
In Delhi and D.C., Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters in their elements
Taking the train with Winston Peters and watching Christopher Luxon play cricket: what it's like traveling with a foreign trade delegation Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters have returned home after successful meetings in Delhi and D.C. Whether those meetings will amount to anything remains to be seen. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, March 21, 2025
Excavating a historical waka, and the story that goes with it
The discovery of a waka buried on the coastline of Rēkohu/ Chatham Islands has caused a century-old tension to resurface In the Chatham Islands, locals have found a centuries-old waka. The process of identifying its origins and ownership is anything but straightforward. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, March 20, 2025
The physical toll of nine months on the ISS
After nine months in space, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore splashed back down the earth. Their bodies and minds may never catch up. Swollen faces, struggling to walk and a loss of vision are just some of the effects of a prolonged trip to space, but scientists say the health of astronauts can help people back on Earth … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, March 19, 2025
'Bewildered' experts aren't on board for changes to fisheries management
The government wants to streamline regulations, but marine advocates worry the changes would make fishing less transparent and expedite destruction of the ocean … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, March 18, 2025
What's in a name - trademarks in 2025
With trademark applications surging, The Detail looks at what it takes to get a mark registered in New Zealand… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, March 17, 2025
The art of tiptoeing around Trump
In Donald Trump's firing line, foreign leaders decide whether to butter up or shout back Former New Zealand Ambassador to the US Tim Groser explains the tightrope walk of pleasing Donald Trump … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, March 16, 2025
Niche but relatable - the film festival where the theme is fraud
Swindles, scams and deception take centre-stage at Wellington's highly specific documentary film festival The Wellington Fraud Film Festival will showcase a collection of documentaries covering all types of deceptions. It's a topic that's become increasingly relatable for New Zealanders. Next Monday in Wellington, some 150 people will fill the Roxy Cinema for a niche documentary film festival. But they won't be the usual film festival crowd of movie buffs - they'll be lawyers, police officers, bankers, and anyone else whose work deals with scams or fraud. The Fraud Film Festival, an offshoot of the original version of the festival in the Netherlands, has been running in New Zealand since 2016. On the surface, it seems extremely specialised. But in reality, fraud is something that touches most people - a BNZ survey last year found that 87 percent of New Zealanders were targeted by scams in the 12 months prior… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, March 14, 2025
From New Zealand to Afghanistan, with Project 51
Today marks six years since the Christchurch mosque attacks. One couple's new documentary honours the lives lost - and the lives changed as a result Project 51 changed lives in Afghanistan, in the name of the 51 victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks. Now a documentary follows the story … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, March 13, 2025
The cost of a meal that sticks in the throat
The school lunch debacle has deteriorated so much that there is an increasing clamour to rip it up and start again In treating school lunches as a service rather than an investment, penny pinching risks raising costs above value … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, March 12, 2025
Master Electricians' warning on the Right to Repair Bill
The bill passed its first reading in Parliament last month, but one trade feels the amendment is a live wire… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, March 11, 2025
Why we want to be mates with Vietnam
New Zealand is after a trade slice of rapidly growing Vietnam, and a new agreement should strengthen those connections. Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and is making trade connections at pace, including with New Zealand … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, March 10, 2025
Designing a better night's sleep
New building products being tested at Auckland University may be the answer to restless summer nights in city apartments… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, March 09, 2025
Takapuna Golf Course thinks council plans for land are below par
On Auckland's North Shore, a public golf course is fighting council plans to use their course as a floodwater catchment Auckland Council wants to turn public land into a water catchment to protect against floods. The current leaseholders say there's a better way. A stoush is brewing on Auckland's North Shore over a controversial proposal to convert Takapuna Golf Course into a floodwater catchment area, aiming to mitigate the city's increasing flood risks… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, March 07, 2025
Wikipedia, a surprising repository of fact
In a world where misinformation and disinformation are rampant, the website has become an unlikely source of truth… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, March 06, 2025
Canadians go from anxious to angry over Trump moves
Canadians are united in their horror over US tariffs that have the power to plunge the country into recession and cause mass unemployment Donald Trump's tariffs will cause huge damage to the Canadian economy and the countries' relationship, but the reasons behind the move remain both spurious and obscure US President Donald Trump's trade war against Canada is fodder for America's flabbergasted late night comedy hosts, but north of the border, no one is laughing. Known universally for just being ... nice, Canadians have gone from anxious to angry as America slaps 25 percent trade tariffs on its imports - a move that could send Canada into recession. In the Ontario province alone, an estimated half a million jobs could go. "People are really angry in this country at the United States," says the host of CBC's Front Burner podcast , Jayme Poisson… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, March 05, 2025
The shockingly bad press for ECT
Up to 300 New Zealanders a year are administered electric shock treatment - and the vast majority are happier for it Electroconvulsive Therapy has had a bad rap in films and media for decades - in some cases, deservedly so. A specialist explains why the stigma is not warranted. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, March 04, 2025
Time to ditch your 3G phone
Tens of thousands of handsets and other devices are likely to become redundant by the end of the year as NZ shuts down the 3G phone network As New Zealand works to pull the plug on the 3G network by Christmas, telecos aim to avoid the debacle that happened in Australia when it did the same last year Paul Brislen is on a mission this year and it could probably be summed up as 'don't stuff things up like Australia did'. It's to do with New Zealand's 3G networks being shut down by the end of 2025, and upgraded to the next generation of technology. It's a world-wide move and Australia turned its 3G off last year. The trouble is, the repercussions are still going on there - to the extent that a Senate committee is investigating why some customers were left worse off, unable to make calls or send text messages in areas where they previously could - and that included emergency calls… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, March 03, 2025
Citizens arrest laws raise red flags for experts
The government wants to make retail a safer work environment by allowing citizens arrest. One legal expert fears the change will have the opposite effect. Under an ammended law, citizens will have the power to detain criminals at any time, for any crime. But one law professor says retail workers aren't trained to police - and the fallout could be serious. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, March 02, 2025
Preparing our kids for the wild world of the internet
A claim we're not paying enough attention to giving our children the ability to sort out what's real and what's not in the murky depths of the internet Macleans College in Auckland is giving its media studies students the tools to deal with mis and disinformation, but their teacher wants to see those lessons more widespread … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, February 28, 2025
Celebrating 100 years of Indians in Wellington
A new book promises to lift the lid on the history of Wellington's Indian community in ways that would surprise most people There's more to the Indian community than stories of migrant exploitation and overstaying - and a new book opens the lid on its history … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, February 27, 2025
Shaking up the media landscape
Media oversight and regulation is described as messy, and screen productions desperately need help. Changes are in the wind. The government is making changes over the rules and structures around publicly funded screen and media, industries that are on their knees … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, February 26, 2025
SovCits are fighting the law, but the law's winning
More people are using 'SovCit' arguments in court, engaging in so-called 'paper terrorism' Sovereign citizens believe they are exempt the laws of New Zealand. But that doesn't stop the law from coming after them. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, February 25, 2025
When shaken baby syndrome verdict is unsafe
A supposed shaken baby case is raising questions over the misdiagnosis of injured infants, with authorities rushing to lay the blame on parents… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, February 24, 2025
The corruption ranking that could affect your mortgage
New Zealand has been too complacent for too long about our reputation for honesty, and now we're on a downward slide in international perception … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, February 23, 2025
A Kiwi champion for Lucy Letby
How a Kiwi documentary producer has been a part of a network to get authorities to revisit one of the most notorious murder cases the United Kingdom has ever seen Something didn't feel right to Charlotte Purdy about the UK's killer nurse case - so she used her investigative tools from a world away to go into bat for a jailed nurse … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, February 21, 2025
In the shadow of a rainbow
Recent events in Auckland have resurfaced memories of when being gay was considered a neurotic personality disorder… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, February 20, 2025
Our defence budget under scrutiny
Our cash-strapped, underfunded, overspent defence force is in line for a budget boost, and experts say it can't come soon enough From peacekeeping on the Russia-Ukraine border to defending our own waters, experts say it can't come soon enough Two defence experts are warning that New Zealand’s ageing navy is woefully inadequate and underfunded when it comes to protecting our waters. Warnings like this have been shrugged off before because we are too far away to worry, but yesterday came news that three Chinese navy ships were sailing in international waters east of Sydney, and could be headed toward Pacific Islands countries, in a move that’s been called “unusual” and “provocative”. “We seem to think that if it all goes wrong we’ll be safe down here,” former defence minister and NZ First MP, Ron Mark tells The Detail . “The world is a volatile space and it’s been increasingly so and the one thing that you can absolutely bank on is that what you think today is going to be the situation tomorrow, will not be.” New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone covers 4 million square kilometres of the earth’s surface but Mark says the country is not doing enough to look after it. “We think we can protect it by penny-pinching our way forward. The only people who pay are our military personnel,” he says. Victoria University’s director of the centre for strategic studies David Capie says the increasingly dangerous world means New Zealand will “have to do a lot for ourselves and working with our ally Australia”. Their warnings came on the same day as it was revealed China’s naval ships were sailing 150 nautical miles off Sydney. Defence Minister Judith Collins said the Chinese naval task group was being monitored. Professor Rory Medcalf, of the Australian National University National Security College, told Australia’s ABC that “a confronting strategic future is arriving fast”. “It would be hard to find a more tangible sign of the need for Australia to increase defence spending and to sustain our campaign of statecraft aimed at stopping China establishing a military base in the Pacific,” he said. New Zealand’s own defence budget is in the spotlight again with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon this week responding to questions about raising it to 2 percent of GDP, which would nearly double the current funding and bring it in line with Australia’s allocation. At the same time, US President Donald Trump has been pushing for Nato members to raise their defence spending from 2 to 5 percent… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, February 19, 2025
Submissions to GMO law change bill are closed, and experts are worried
Experts agree that advances to GMO technology means laws need to change. But just how those changes look is contentious. Changes are coming to our gene editing laws. Whether they'll help future-proof our economy or ruin our international reputation is up for debate. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, February 18, 2025
Auckland's trash is another town's treasure
Ecogas is New Zealand's only plant of its kind processing food waste. Its co-founder says that's embarrassing. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, February 17, 2025
NZ's health leadership crisis
New health minister Simeon Brown is presiding over a list of resignations from high-ranking health officials… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, February 16, 2025
The Beehive doors are shut to the CTU
She says her government is delivering for workers, but Brooke Van Velden won't meet with the biggest worker organisation we have - the Council for Trade Unions … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, February 14, 2025
Dark questions over child video stars
Strong parental control seems to be the key to keeping insta-famous and highly visible YouTube kids safe… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, February 13, 2025
Uneven maternity care across Aotearoa
Despite a model based on choice, New Zealanders options for birth are limited based on post code. The World Health Organisation has called for a community midwife model - just like New Zealand's. But in some areas of the country, that model is far from the reality. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, February 12, 2025
Geopolitical games in the South Pacific
As the US looks to be leaving the Pacific, and New Zealand is rowing with Kiribati and the Cook Islands, experts worry about Chinese influence … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, February 11, 2025
Funding a good death
Why the palliative care sector feels under fire, under-funded and under pressure to allow assisted dying practitioners into its facilities A government proposal to axe the only two jobs in New Zealand's health sector of people who were working on a national strategy for palliative care has angered those in the sector, which is already under immense strain. It's put another wedge between those who want terminally ill patients to live well before they die; and those who want to give them the option of dying earlier. Yes, this is another story about the stretched New Zealand health service. But it's one that will affect the 89 percent of us who will die naturally and will require nursing at the end of their lives. - The palliative care sector, much of it provided through the efforts of volunteers, has felt under attack lately. Here's why: - The plan to dispense with the jobs of two people who had been giving palliative care a voice in the health service, and in government - Recent critical news stories about two patients who had to be moved from their aged care facility and hospice because they wanted an assisted death, which wasn't allowed on the premises. - A commentary in The Listener by End-of-Life Choice Society president Ann David titled "Dignity Denied" that said some doctors, health care facilities and hospices are obstructing patients' rights when it comes to dying. (The law says that doctors are not allowed to bring the subject up themselves, but the accusations here went further.)… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, February 10, 2025
A step up in fake news
The president, the tech oligarchs, the media and AI - why we can expect a new wave of information you just can't trust … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, February 09, 2025
NZ school system not making the grade
As the 2025 schoolyear kicks off, a slew of problems for students, teachers and the government… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, February 07, 2025
Trump's memecoin drops in value, and critics aren't surprised
Memecoin operates in a decentralised, unregulated system. Critics say that's the point - and the problem. A cryptocurrency expert worries that memecoins will change the crypto world as we know it, and not in a good way … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, February 06, 2025
Chris Wood could be NZ's best footballer, ever
He's a Kiwi superstar in the Beautiful Game, but we don't talk enough about Chris Wood. That could be changing. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, February 04, 2025
The mammoth job of managing stranded whales
Euthanising a beached whale is an unpopular move. But sometimes trying to save it is worse. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, February 03, 2025
Troubled waters for Yachting NZ
Our fourth strongest Olympic sport is in hot water over allegations about the way it conducts itself Yachting New Zealand is the country's first body to be dragged before the new Sport Integrity Commission, in what is uncharted territory … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, February 02, 2025
A retail crime-fighting app helping police track repeat offenders
A recent shoplifting allegation put the spotlight on crime-fighting platform Auror, but concerns about the app have been bubbling away for some time Auror is designed to help police and retailers fight back against repeat - and often violent - shoplifters. But a recent incident has raised concerns about privacy for everyday Kiwis. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, January 31, 2025
New Zealand's last war
A new documentary on the Haka Party Incident tells the story of the 'three-minute war' through the eyes of the people who fought it… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, January 30, 2025
In 2025, a pivotal year for Māori-Crown relations
From the Treaty Principles Bill submissions to Rātana to the Waitangi Tribunal shake-up, 2025 looks to be a big year for race relations in Aotearoa The Treaty Principles Bill is dead in the water, but that hasn't stopped the conversation around it from spilling into meetings and events around the country … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, January 29, 2025
The app is back, but the clock is still counting down for TikTok
The TikTok saga has raised questions of what your personal data is worth in a trade-off with money making opportunities TikTok spent a mere 12 hours in the dark before new convert Donald Trump gave it a reprieve. But the saga of the Chinese-owned app isn't over. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, January 28, 2025
Behind the scenes with Eden Park's CEO
Eden Park's CEO says his is the only option for Auckland's main stadium. But to survive, it will need to be more than a rugby park. Eden Park is in the running to be named Auckland's main stadium. CEO Nick Sautner says he's already got the neighbourhood behind him. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, January 27, 2025
Breathing life into Queen Street, with lessons from London
Main streets across New Zealand are run-down and struggling, but we can look to Oxford Street for inspiration After years as a 'national embarrassment', Oxford Street is thriving. The realtor behind the revamp has advice for Auckland. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, January 26, 2025
Surviving early 2025's worsening job market
A tough market for job seekers isn't set to improve until the second half of the year. The potential fall-out could be major brain drain Rising unemployment and the volatile job market are set to get worse. By the time they turn around mid-year, it may be too late to keep talent in the country. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, December 12, 2024
The year in Detail
The Detail wraps up its sixth year with an all-in look at what the team enjoyed most (and least) about 2024 It's The Detail's last episode of 2024 and that means it's time to look back on the highlights, moan about the lowlights and laugh at the just plain weird of the year … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, December 11, 2024
Closing the gender pay gap, one disclosure at a time
Despite a law against paying employees differently based on their gender, we've still got a gender pay gap. A new bill could help. A bill before Parliament aims to close the gender pay gap by allowing employees to discuss their wages with each other. Proponents say it's about time. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, December 10, 2024
For refugees coming to New Zealand, a refuge
Every year, 1500 refugees come through the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre. For many, it's the first home with four walls and a roof they've had in years… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, December 09, 2024
Behind SolarZero's collapse
How a solar power company backed by public funds and one of the world's largest asset managers went into liquidation… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, December 08, 2024
The long, expensive and complicated process of surrogacy
Having a baby by surrogacy in New Zealand is complicated, convoluted and costly. A bill promised to fast-track change, but progress has been anything but… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, December 06, 2024
Christmas red flags for online shoppers
New research identifies a surge in fake online shops scamming Kiwis out of pocket in the lead up to Christmas… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, December 05, 2024
The risk of missing the boat on a good deal for the Cook Strait ferries
It hasn't been clear sailing for the Interislander, but any day the government will announce plans for the ferries' future… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, December 04, 2024
The birth of a city
Developers are moving at pace to turn the south Auckland town of Drury into our next city… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, December 03, 2024
Seabed mining left out of regional plan for Taranaki
There's a clash of wills going on between central and local government in Taranaki when it comes to plans for seabed mining… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, December 02, 2024
The niggle that could trip up an India trade deal
There's already plenty of doubt that we'll get an India trade deal signed in the Prime Minister's first term as he promised. Here's another hiccup. A rift among New Zealand's Indian communities that's testing tolerance over the right to protest could blow up, and a potential trade deal could suffer in the blast. The Prime Minister's goal of getting a free trade deal signed with India in his first term is still looking shaky, but progress is being made. Business links in both countries are being forged, but we are still a long way from any agreement. Our Indian High Commissioner, Neeta Bhushan, appeared to put the brakes on expectations at a recent event in Christchurch celebrating new ties. Newsroom's National Affairs Editor Sam Sachdeva says her message was revealing - and placed further doubt on the prospect of a free trade deal being done this term. Calling Christopher Luxon's pre-election commitment on it "perhaps ill-advised", he says Bhushan was still quite positive about progress, noting that we are closer than we have been in a long time. "But she sort of said 'look, let's take some small steps .. you can't just jump ahead' so I viewed that as an implicit reminder that you can't rush this." However there's another potential stumbling block, one that's possibly under the radar for most kiwis ... but is not for the three hundred thousand-strong Indian population here. It comes in the shape of a group labelled by India as terrorists, which is drumming up support around the world for an independent Sikh homeland. The president of Sikhs for Justice was in New Zealand last month, rallying thousands of Kiwi Sikhs for what the group calls a "referendum" on the issue. Auckland police have been praised for helping diffuse the situation, but the Hindu community wants to know why a man known for sowing discord was allowed in, especially on the back of a ban by New Zealand immigration of outspoken, far-right American speaker Candace Owens. RNZ Asia journalist Gaurav Sharma says the New Zealand government has to start taking this seriously, especially if Indian officials read it as New Zealand giving its blessing to Sikh separatism. And there's a warning - if the government doesn't keep an eye on this development, we risk a diplomatic rift like the one between India and Canada ... and there goes our trade deal. Such a note of concern has already been sounded by political experts including Victoria University's David Capie from the Centre for Strategic Studies… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, December 01, 2024
All hail the social media X-odus
X is out, Bluesky is in and Mastodon is for the birds - and the nerds. The fight for the top spot in an ever-evolving social media landscape is political. Following the US election and a change of terms, users have left the social media platform X in droves. But that doesn't mean they're leaving social media altogether. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, November 29, 2024
The good, the bad and ugly of mumfluencing
Mumfluencing can be a lucrative business, but making a living off of children can come at a cost… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, November 28, 2024
NZs Prime Ministers ranked
Historians talk to The Detail about the good, the bad and the grumpy of the 23 past Prime Ministers of New Zealand A look at the New Zealand Prime Ministers who shone; the ones who changed the nation; and one who helped change the world. It's not the one you think. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, November 27, 2024
Methanol and inaccessible medical care - a lethal combination
Facing methanol poisoning in a place like Laos means hurdles to getting help, including accessing health care in time… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, November 26, 2024
How rough sex and strangulation entered the nation's conversations, and bedrooms
Rough sex is appearing in songs, tv shows, and in sexual encounters between young people. But research suggests many women participating in it don't want to. Rough sex is becoming normalised in pop culture, and more common in real life - whether or not people want to take part … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, November 25, 2024
Taking the shock out of mental health law
Our Prime Minister's just apologised for decades of child abuse in care, but the Mental Health Act allows the same kind of treatment to be dished out to the mentally unwell Work is underway to replace the current Mental Health Act with something more up to date, removing the ability to treat unwell people with electric shock therapy and isolation A mental health boss has labelled the Mental Health Act as out-of-date and inadequate. "And if I want to be blunt, it (the Act) supports a system where we effectively criminalise people who are very unwell and then subject them to quite brutal acts because we can't be bothered developing a better response to mental health," CEO of the Mental Health Foundation Shaun Robinson tells The Detail . Those "brutal acts" include electroshock therapy and solitary confinement. "Solitary confinement is essentially where someone is put into a bare room with a mattress on the floor and a cardboard toilet, sometimes for up to two days. It's not okay," he says. New Zealanders are now being encouraged to give submissions on a new Mental Health Bill, with the closing date extended until midnight on Friday, December 20th. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, November 24, 2024
The death of the local rag
Our local free newspapers are disappearing at a rapid rate, as costs soar, revenue plummets and readers turn to screens While media companies continue to shed titles, staff, and programmes, lost in the news about the news is the fate of our local papers … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, November 22, 2024
Organ donation celebrated with a thank you day
Next Saturday is Thank You Day, a chance to express gratitude to everyone involved in organ donation, and raise awareness about the issue. It's a day to say thanks to those who give others a second chance of life … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, November 21, 2024
Burma the flying elephant
Moving an elephant across an ocean is no small feat for her keepers, physically or mentally Auckland Zoo has said goodbye to New Zealand's last elephant, and with her, her keepers … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, November 20, 2024
The case for juries
Defence lawyers say there are better ways of clearing clogged courts than the government's plan to have fewer jury trials The government wants to cut court backlogs, but lawyers say taking out a jury of your peers to make things faster isn't necessarily the best justice … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, November 19, 2024
The Kiwi business leader giving exploited migrants a second chance
Meet the Auckland businessman who's helping to pick up the pieces of Indian migrant exploitation … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, November 18, 2024
Poor outcomes for poverty
When it comes to our outcomes on poverty, New Zealand's marks are poor. Experts gathering this week in Wellington want to change that. In Wellington this week, the Pakukore: Poverty, By Design conference will tackle the systemic issues holding New Zealand back from eradicating poverty … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, November 17, 2024
Nerves and uncertainty over Trump's tariff plans
New Zealand isn't the target of Trump's tariff threats, but might just be collateral damage in a global economic war. The evidence, analysis and logic doesn't matter. President-elect Trump is determined that the world will feel the wrath of his tariffs, even if they will fuel global inflation. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, November 15, 2024
The great lunch debate
How we eat lunch at work has changed, but a good lunch is more about how you eat than what The classic lunch break is no longer what it was, with a change in office culture, cafe closures and price increases eating into the precious midday break. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, November 14, 2024
Changes are on the way for NZ Post, and posties aren't happy
Posties say proposals to NZ Post that include job cuts, price increases, communal delivery points, and fewer deliveries and postal outlets threaten our culture… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, November 13, 2024
When women hit the grass ceiling of coaching
It's being labelled toxic positivity; opening the door to women in sport, but closing it before they get into high performance coaching jobs … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, November 12, 2024
Fiji's climate change reality
Crops and vegetables contaminated with sea water, an ocean that's getting fished out, and inundation at high tide is the reality of life for perhaps hundreds of Fijian villages People in the Fijian village of Kiobo use kayaks to get around when the water rushes in. They must move to escape rising sea levels, but it's expensive and there's no help coming. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, November 11, 2024
Deepfake porn showing up in New Zealand classrooms
Deepfake porn is easier than ever to create, and students are suffering the consequences An increasing number of New Zealand students are being victimised by deepfake pornography, and legal grey area means help can be hard to find … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, November 10, 2024
Cancelled school bus leaves parents scrambling, and angry
The Ministry of Education has cancelled 39 rural bus routes. Parents say it will leave 100s of students unable to get to school. The government is cracking down on truancy but cancelling bus routes at the same time. Rural families say small town children are being abandoned … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, November 08, 2024
NZ's best baller is back in action
It's been 645 days between dunks for Kiwi NBA stalwart Steven Adams. He's older, wiser, and more often than not, on the bench. If your NBA feed has been missing some spice, fret no more. New Zealand's best basketballer is taking the court again after an extended injury break. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, November 07, 2024
Pahiatua's Polish children return
The welcome mat is laid out for the return of Polish refugee children in Pahiatua, where their arrival 80 years ago has been wound into the fabric of the town's history A little known slice of New Zealand war history is remembered in Pahiatua, the town that welcomed 733 Polish refugee children 80 years ago and has embraced them ever since If you've ever taken a stroll along Wellington's waterfront you've probably seen the little plaque that tells the story of the Polish children of Pahiatua. On the 31st of October 1944, 733 Polish refugee children and 105 adult caregivers sailed into Wellington Harbour on the USS General Randall. On the first of November, they settled in the Polish Children's Camp in Pahiatua. Their stories are incredible. Sent to the ends of the Earth after four years of hardship, starvation, and imprisonment, most of them losing all or some of their families, they must have wondered if they'd ever see their homeland again. When they arrived, they were put on a train and shepherded into a former prisoner of war camp near Palmerston North, and things could have worked out badly. But they didn't - the children were feted, welcomed, looked after, and fostered; and assured that the gates of the camp would always remain open. And 80 years later, last weekend, many of the surviving children returned to Pahiatua, the town laying out the welcome mat as it did all those years ago. Journalist Peter Bale wrote a Listener cover story on this, and he was there too. "Every shop had Polish flags; each shop window had a story of one of the kids written in it - the Pahiatua community really got behind it. The elderly survivors of the Polish children were overwhelmed and stunned by it. "There were Polish families from the (United) States who were there, all wearing t-shirts with the names of their Polish Pahiatua relatives on them." Bale went there because he had interviewed one of the "children", 92-year-old Mike Markowski, and wanted to meet him in person. Markowski had an "absolutely photographic recollection of this absolutely extraordinary life," he says. Now a Queensland resident, seven of Markowski's 10 children came with him to New Zealand for the reunion, some hearing his full story for the first time. Listen to the podcast for a rundown of this little-known slice of history… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, November 06, 2024
When informed consent evaporates on the operating table
At North Shore Hospital, anaesthetised patients were examined by student doctors without giving consent. It's likely that most don't even know it happened. Over the course of years, patients in North Shore Hospital's gynaecological and obstetric theatres were examines and treated by medical students, without giving their consent … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, November 05, 2024
AI ate my homework
Chat GPT is here and changing education, with new versions of the technology making the use of it harder to detect… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, November 04, 2024
Concerns over new, streamlined building consent process
Getting a building consent is about to get easier, with some builders allowed to skip council inspections… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, November 03, 2024
The risk that roadside drug testing could make roads less safe
Some fear drivers will swap prescription drugs like medicinal cannabis for more dangerous substances, like opiates, that don't show up on saliva tests, making our roads less safe. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, November 01, 2024
The making of Donald Trump
A few days out from the US presidential election, The Apprentice tells the story of how Trump became Trump With a few days before the US presidential election, The Apprentice is in cinemas with the story of former - and maybe future - President Donald Trump … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, October 31, 2024
The pancreatic cancer patient on a mission to save lives
Nyree Smith's cancer is terminal, but during Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, she's on a mission to get Kiwis to their doctors before it's too late For seven years, Nyree Smith has lived with deadly pancreatic cancer. Her goal now isn't her own survival, but to save others. Based on the stats, Nyree Smith should be dead. But for seven years, she's beaten the odds. "I don't know why I am still here... I question, why isn't someone studying me," she says. "I want to be studied. If I could help... if there is something I could do that would help someone else, of course I would want to be studied. In fact, I shouldn't really say this, but I have offered my oncologist my tumours after I die - take them, study them - I have had scans since before I was diagnosed so they can manifest a study of how my cancer has developed." But will specialists take her up on the offer? "No, don't have the money. But Australia want them." Nyree was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer seven years ago, in September 2017. She had no symptoms, just a new "pushy doctor", who insisted on her getting a full checkup. Her cancer is normally among the deadliest - from diagnosis to death is four to nine months, on average. But Nyree Smith is, somehow, defying those odds. She is in stage four, meaning it is terminal, but she is still full of life and on a relentless mission. "If I can save one life, if I can get one person with a stomach ache to go to their GP and go 'I need further tests please' and we save a life, then I have survived this long for a reason... because I can't work out why, I can't work out why I am still here." On average, 15 kiwis are diagnosed with a gut cancer every day - that's nearly six thousand every year. There are seven gut cancers, and pancreatic is one of the deadliest. Awareness and early detection are crucial. And that's what this month - Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month - is all about. "My legacy is saving a life, getting more awareness out there... actually, I'm not doing this for a legacy... I'm doing it for now, for the moment, to get it out there. I don't want to bang on about it but if I can help someone be their own advocate when they go to their GP, and it saves them from going through what I'm going through... then that's my legacy." To raise funds and more awareness, Nyree has helped organise The Enchanting Hidden Gems Matakana Garden Tour on November 21st. Tickets are limited but still available. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, October 30, 2024
Abuse survivors want Jagose gone
A deep dive into the massive Royal Commission report into Abuse in Care reveals a host of roles and names of those who stonewalled victims' compensation claims, but one stands out Una Jagose was involved in throwing everything at legal efforts to stop victims of state abuse winning their cases. Now some prominent victims don't trust her to lead the government's legal response. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, October 29, 2024
Clean, green mining as corporate branding
An Australian mining CEO took a top spot at CHOGM's business plenary to talk about how his company is going 'real carbon zero' by 2030… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, October 28, 2024
New Zealand's state of play
It's Play Week in New Zealand, and play experts want to turn our cities into more fun and joyful places, not just for children During New Zealand Play Week, experts say play should be mandatory, and a bit riskier … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, October 25, 2024
CHOGM: More than just an expensive talkfest
A look at some of the people who turned up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, hoping to advance plans for global change Delegations to CHOGM see the conference in Samoa as a way to push their big causes, while locals are using the opportunity to showcase their country and culture … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, October 24, 2024
The Thames Valley rugby team that outshone the Auld Mug
The most celebrated victory of New Zealand's incredible sporting weekend may have been the one at a small rugby ground in Te Aroha Never mind our sporting victories in sailing, netball, two types of cricket and more in the weekend, the Swamp Foxes are the toast of their towns … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, October 23, 2024
A push to make stalking illegal in New Zealand
A new bill to criminalise stalking could be here by the end of the year. Here's what it might look like… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, October 22, 2024
Manawanui wreck the unwanted guest at CHOGM
The wreck of the Manawanui is leaving an oily sheen on the water, and taking the shine off the job of hosting world leaders including the King Samoa is pulling out the hospitality stops as Commonwealth Heads of Government arrive, but it's the New Zealand shipwreck that's disrupting daily life … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, October 21, 2024
The Official Cash Rate is down, but are you up on the impact?
The OCR goes up to bring inflation down. So now that the OCR is falling, what does it mean for inflation - and what does that mean for New Zealanders? OCR Cut: Cheaper loans, slimmer savings returns for Kiwis. What the cut means for you. Business pages and headlines are constantly littered with three simple letters, abbreviations for financial terms - O.C.R, C.P.I, G.S.T, L.V.R and G.D.P, to name just a few. But what do they stand for, and what do they mean? Do they leave readers and listeners with another three-letter abbreviation - W.T.F? "I think it is quite common that people think they are meant to know what these things mean, and they have an idea, but if they were asked to explain it, they might have a bit of a blank," says RNZ Money Correspondent Susan Edmunds. On today's episode of The Detail , Edmunds helps fill in those blanks, with a beginner's guide to understanding the economy - what changes mean, why numbers go up and down and who makes the decisions. The focus: the OCR. First, she defines those common three-letter terms: OCR - official cash rate; CPI - consumer price index; GST - goods and services tax; LVR - loan to value ratio; and GDP - gross domestic product. This month, the OCR was cut by 50 basis points to 4.75 percent, which will translate to much-needed cash for many indebted businesses and struggling homeowners. But it's not such good news for savers and retirees. The Reserve Bank uses the six-weekly OCR decision to dial up or down the cost of money, which affects our spending, saving, and investing decisions. The September quarter CPI release showed annual inflation running at 2.2 percent - its lowest level since March 2021 - and a smidgen weaker than the market consensus. Falling inflation will help household budgets, and business operating expenses. Economists believe the cost-of-living crisis is ending slowly. And inflation will ease even further. Susan Edmunds also believes there is light at the end of the tunnel. "It's got to get better from here, it can't get any worse," she says. "Interest rates are coming down, the sun is shining... I think things are generally improving." Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, October 20, 2024
When being colourblind backfires
Is the government's new directive that public services should be prioritised on the basis of need, not race, a championing of equity - or has it just removed a vital tool from decision-makers? Public services must now be determined on need, not race. But in the health sector, experts say the biggest determination of need is ethnicity. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, October 18, 2024
The twilight of the movie superhero age
It's superhero saturation at the box office with Batman's offsiders claiming screen time without Batman. Are movie goers Marvelled-out, done with DC? Film and TV producers are betting we're not completely over superheroes, with the release of offerings featuring Batman villains, but not the caped crusader himself. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, October 17, 2024
Featherston, a fairy tale of reinvention
In the space of a decade the Wairarapa town of Featherston has reinvented itself, from a broken down P-plagued problem place, to a vibrant reading centre The once-ailing town of Featherston has not only turned its fortunes around, it's done it on the back of something else once thought to be heading for extinction - books … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, October 16, 2024
The good, the bad and angry of the flourishing menopause industry
Coaches, gels, health supplements, and even pyjamas. Menopause has become a marketing opportunity Menopause has become a marketing opportunity, but a startling range of products and services available has left women more confused and disempowered than ever before. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, October 15, 2024
At Wellington Games Week, a lucrative but fickle business
New Zealand's booming video game industry reaches for $1 billion exports in the next few years The New Zealand gaming industry grew by 24 percent last year, and has aspirations to export $1 billion within a few years … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, October 14, 2024
Protecting our fishers from conservation efforts
New Zealand is making Australia look good when it comes to new efforts to save the world's biodiversity and protect its oceans The government's direction of travel on conservation issues has confused and dismayed campaigners who want to prioritise the health of our oceans … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, October 13, 2024
When the rules on sexual and violent offenders fall down
This article contains sensitive material including the discussion of sexual violence Extended supervision orders should keep tabs on serious offenders, but sometimes they're not granted - and sometimes they don't work… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, October 11, 2024
How artificial intelligence could be a leap forward for brain disease detection
Developers of AI that could detect brain injuries and disease say it's just a tool, not a replacement for health experts Artificial intelligence software is being developed that could detect and diagnose brain injuries or disease onset, but we're being assured it won't take the place of medical professionals … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, October 10, 2024
Christchurch's furious food fight
Christchurch's cash-starved arts centre needs to boost its budget, but city businesses are turning up their noses at its request to bring in revenue-generating food trucks Historic arts precinct or drive-through takeaways? The very Christchurch fight over food trucks … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, October 09, 2024
The fast track to nowhere
Critics are asking if the 149 projects on the government's fast-track list are real schemes, or just unfunded dreams The government's fast-track list of 149 projects has been described as a virtual-signalling wish list, without the cash to fund most of them … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, October 08, 2024
Boom or bust in the sawmill industry
Winstone has shut down two mills, citing high electricity costs, but in Kawerau, Sequal sawmill is scaling up to meet demand At a timber mill in Kawerau, the biggest challenge isn't paying the electric bill: it's managing an expansion to double production … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, October 07, 2024
Covid fatigue ignores a very real problem
Long Covid sufferers feel they've been abandoned by health authorities and the government, left to struggle alone with the after-effects of the pandemic A host of people are dealing with the post-pandemic syndrome known as Long Covid, but they're often mis-diagnosed, not diagnosed, or denied access to help … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, October 06, 2024
Warnings that crackdown on nangs will make them more dangerous
Recreational use of nitrous oxide has been reclassified. Some experts say it's an overcorrection. Penalties for selling nitrous oxide for recreational use have increased, but some say it's a big move for our least harmful drug … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, October 04, 2024
One for the language lovers
Join Alexia Russell, Tim Murphy and Jeremy Rees in a look at the words we find the most confusing, satisfying, irritating, beautiful, and just plain revolting We've taken Merriam-Webster's online results of the words we love, hate, can't pronounce or have been using wrong to muse on the English language Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, October 03, 2024
Fears of privatisation by stealth in an overwhelmed healthcare system
The risk of an increasingly privatised healthcare system is deeply inequitable care, and some fear we could be moving toward a US model As more and more healthcare becomes private, experts worry about increasing inequality in New Zealand … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, October 02, 2024
The billion dollar Du Val empire that didn't exist
The founders of Du Val portrayed a lifestyle of extreme wealth. The company's investors and contractors look set to pay the price. The convoluted drama playing out for Auckland property developer Du Val has ensnared small-scale investors and subbies alike … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, October 01, 2024
Auckland Airport's new mall another irritant for airlines
Mānawa Bay may be a winner so far for owners Auckland Airport, but the new mall hasn't won any friends from people who have to get through the crowds to work … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, September 30, 2024
Dunedin Hospital's low place in our infrastructure must-haves list
Critics want to see the workings behind the new Dunedin Hospital rebuild figure of $3 billion, questioning the number, and saying it's essential long-lasting infrastructure… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, September 29, 2024
Guam locals pay the price for US security
The tiny island of Guam is America's shield against Chinese moves in the Pacific, but that comes at the expense of its people Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, September 27, 2024
Tupperware's bankruptcy unleashes the plastic memories
In spite of the lifetime guarantee, Tupperware hasn't been able to push its quality products through the barrier of quick, cheap storage solutions online… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, September 26, 2024
Slow moves to fix fast fashion
The New Zealand fashion industry is facing serious long term problems, including the influx of cheap, shoddy clothing; economic headwinds; and way too much waste The fashion industry says it can't fix the massive problems it's facing alone, but getting the ear of the government is proving tricky … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, September 25, 2024
The lobbyists, the minister, and the mystery document
Where there's cigarette smoke there's controversy, and Associate Health Minister Casey Costello has courted plenty of it In making changes that line up with tobacco industry lobbying, associate health minister Casey Costello ought to be transparent. But she's not … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, September 24, 2024
NZ's role in a tricky Pacific peace
Sir Don McKinnon on New Zealand's key role in bringing peace to Bougainville over the last 30 years… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, September 23, 2024
America's Cup in Barcelona: less 'biffo' but just as much drama
The America's Cup drama is heating up, with a challenger likening Team New Zealand's style in Barcelona to a communist state… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, September 22, 2024
Gang search clause a step too far
The move to give police search powers in private homes to look for gang insignia has raised a mass of red flags with law makers… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, September 20, 2024
A new exhibition breathes life into Te Reo Māori documents
Auckland City Library takes visitors on a trip back in time with a display that includes the first efforts to write down the Māori language… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, September 19, 2024
The language of forensic science
In crime dramas, forensic science is the hero. In real life, we need context… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, September 18, 2024
How NZ is failing at HPV cancer prevention
Every year, 600 people are diagnosed with HPV-related cancers that could be prevented with a free vaccine… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, September 17, 2024
The modern beauty pageant
Beauty pageants are back, but the days of catwalks, high heels and bikinis have been consigned to the past… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, September 16, 2024
East Coast forestry industry facing the axe
Post-cyclone slash caused destruction across the East Coast, but can the region survive without the forestry industry? "Absolutely impossible" consent conditions are causing some East Coast forestry companies to "bleed money" and this could force them to move offshore. Forestry harvesting has already ground to a halt in some areas of Tairawhiti, part of the fallout after the district was hit by devastating cyclones Hale and Gabrielle last year. The Detail looked at what impact this will have on the forestry industry and East Coast communities. "This issue is a gnarly one, I don't think it is going to be solved overnight," says Newsroom senior business journalist Tina Morrison, who has been investigating the story. "I think there are a lot of interest groups who are keen to find a solution, but it's not going to be simple because I think it's obvious that forestry in that area can't continue the way it's used to. "You have got to feel for people who have invested millions in the area and were encouraged by the government to do so. They will be feeling aggrieved as well... and wondering what they will do with the sunk investment." Coming into effect last November, the new National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry means forestry slash - the waste product from commercial forestry - longer than two metres and with a large-end diameter of more than 10 centimetres must be removed from erosion-prone land after harvesting. Further proposed local regulations will be considered. At a Gisborne District Council Sustainable Tairāwhiti committee meeting this month, forestry industry chief Julian Kohn said resource consents conditions were "absolutely impossible" to comply with. He said companies were "bleeding money" and could move offshore. The 65-year-old has worked in the forestry industry for 45 years. "If I was a board member for these companies, I'd be seriously asking myself why are we still in Gisborne, what are we doing here?" he said to the committee. "We're not making any money. "Capital is very mobile. Those companies could very easily decide to cut their losses and they will go to Australia or South Africa or wherever they can make better money. "Forestry in New Zealand is extremely difficult... forestry in Gisborne is worst than extremely difficult. Every person I talk to in the industry at the moment says they won't invest in Gisborne." The Detail also delves into why pine was planted in the area, the impact of climate change on forestry and the fallout of log prices. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, September 15, 2024
More strike action coming from ambulance staff
St John ambulance staff have voted to strike again this month after rejecting their latest pay offer. They say they're at breaking point Frontline St John ambulance staff say the organisation is broken and on life support Read more here Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, September 13, 2024
It Ends With Us ends with drama
The highly anticipated film adaptation of the best-selling novel It Ends With Us has gone viral, but not for what plays out on screen The film has been a box office hit, despite - or maybe thanks to - the off-screen drama. Read more here Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, September 12, 2024
Police assurances of public safety after bus driver attacks
Attacks on bus drivers in Auckland are increasing but police and AT say confirmation bias and media reports have contributed to a feeling that things are much worse than they really are In spite of the recent rash of attacks on bus drivers, authorities say public transport is still safe Read more here Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, September 11, 2024
Paedophile priests dumped in the Pacific
The Pacific Islands served as a perfect hiding place for priests accused of sexual abuse. Some didn't stop when they got there. Read more here Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, September 10, 2024
Decision time on Auckland's shorelines
Auckland Council is developing Shoreline Adaption Plans covering 3,200 kilometres of coastline, as our shores are battered by wilder weather… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, September 09, 2024
Hope for the end of the hurt in construction
After an incredibly tough 2024, those in construction-related industries see the dark clouds starting to lift
Mon, September 09, 2024
Hope for the end of the hurt in construction
After an incredibly tough 2024, those in construction-related industries see the dark clouds starting to lift … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, September 08, 2024
The great slanging match that is the US election
The US election is a dog-eat-dog, no-holds-barred fight between two people who couldn't be more different to each other Read more here Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, September 06, 2024
Brokenwood - the international hit with a kiwi accent
Brokenwood's Tim Balme talks to Amanda Gillies about the New Zealand drama series watched worldwide It's been a brutal year for New Zealand television, with the demise of Three's Newshub news operation, along with 300-odd jobs; and the canning of TVNZ's highly rated Fair Go, Sunday and Late News programmes. It's also been announced that the long-running soap Shortland Street will be cut to three nights a week, down from five, from next year. But in amongst the industry's slow crumble, is a beacon of hope - The Brokenwood Mysteries, which premiered on Prime TV 10 years ago before moving to TV1, and is now screened in 150 countries. Filming for season 11 is now underway. Today The Detail speaks to the show's writer and producer Tim Balme about its phenomenal success - and why it's bucking industry trends by not only surviving but thriving. "When we first put this show to air, I thought it would be one and done," Balme says. "I didn't have any expectation that it would become a decade-long crusade. "It's been successful because it's sold overseas in ways that no other New Zealand drama ever has. It's like a self-saucing pudding. We make it, it sells, so we get to make more. It's a self-funding exercise. It's unique. "And I think the reason it started selling is murder mysteries were either from the UK or America, they had their own distinct style, so when we brought this show out, it was unique because it was from a New Zealand filter and overseas audiences took a shine to it. They loved the accents and the places - it was the right thing at the right time." Balme says he won't change the authentic Kiwi experience to cater for the international audience. He says New Zealanders love the show just as much. "This is the nuts thing, the crazy thing - season 10 has just aired here and the numbers were through the roof, numbers like we have never seen before," he said before joking "I sound like Trump". "Right now, we are in a climate where we are all worried that linear tv is a thing of the past - and to an extent, it is, it's changing and it's changing fast. "But little old Brokenwood seems to be pushing against the trend. And more watched it on linear tv than ever before. We were delighted with that." Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, September 05, 2024
SIS report spells out the threats facing New Zealand
A new report from the SIS aims to help New Zealanders recognise the risks to our security In 2024, spying has gone high tech - but it's not all cybercrime and internet hacking and old school espionage is still taking place Read more here Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, September 04, 2024
Chasing the billion owed in child support
Child support arrears and penalties sit at nearly a billion dollars. That's comparatively good news, according to the tax department… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, September 03, 2024
Inching forward on infrastructure
Political pet projects that get overturned by incoming governments could be a thing of the past if a new infrastructure body achieves its aims … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, September 03, 2024
Inching forward on infrastructure
Political pet projects that get overturned by incoming governments could be a thing of the past if a new infrastructure body achieves its aims
Mon, September 02, 2024
The death of a Te Araroa tramper has experts on alert
Te Araroa's popularity has skyrocketed since opening over a decade ago, but a recent coroner's report into the death of a tramper highlights some dangerous trends. Read more here Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, September 01, 2024
Downed tools leave Auckland's Seascape an empty shell
On Auckland's skyline, the country's largest residential tower sits unfinished and exposed to the elements… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, August 30, 2024
The great Kiwi OE isn't dead, just different.
The cost of living and a tight job market have forced New Zealanders to look outside of the UK for their OE… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, August 29, 2024
Lydia Ko's Cinderella story
How top athletes like Lydia Ko can pull themselves out of their performance slumps to rise again She calls it her "Cinderella moment" and her "fairytale fortnight" but to win Olympic gold and the British Open golf title, Lydia Ko had to deal with and overcome her "worst ever" golf season. And the 27-year-old admits it was hard to come back from that 2023 low. Today on The Detail we look at how sporting stars ride the lulls, the performance dips, the emotional lows, to get back on top. It's taken Ko eight long years to win another title, but the $2 million prize money won't be her only motivation. Dr Kylie Wilson, a performance mind set coach at High Performance Sports NZ, was at the Olympics in Paris. She was impressed with Ko's mental and physical performance, on the green and in front of cameras. "She's been on the circuit for a long time, it's a really good grounding exercise for how you show up to media versus how you show up to yourself or your tight support team," she says. "She seems to be enjoying her golf and is showing a lot of emotion and passion for the game she has crafted over a long time, it's been awesome to watch." On the podcast Wilson talks about what top athletes have in common that drives them to succeed. Former Black Cap star Mark Richardson, a golf convert with a handicap of five and long-time Lydia Ko fan, tells The Detail that overcoming slumps and sporting lulls is tough. "The worst thing that can creep in is self-doubt," he says. "I'm sure Lydia has had some self-doubt and questioning how long she's going to play the game for. "But I think what gets anyone through this is the love for the game and still wanting the win when you have your day. And you look forward to that day. "Once you believe you can't do it, don't want to do the work, or it becomes a grind, you won't come back from that slump. That's what happened to me at the end of the day." Ko says her recent post-slump wins haven't changed her thoughts on retirement. "I know for a fact I'm probably never playing past 30," she told RNZ's First Up. "And you know what has happened in the last few weeks doesn't change the timeline of things." Ko still has several months of golf left to see out this season, then she hopes to return to New Zealand for a visit. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, August 28, 2024
Eight days into eight months - how NASA astronauts got stuck on the International Space Station
US astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore won't be returning to Earth until February, after NASA decided it couldn't risk bringing them back on a potentially-faulty Boeing Starliner… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, August 27, 2024
Waiheke's housing at a tipping point
Holiday homes sit empty while local families live in cars and on deteriorating boats. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, August 26, 2024
The weight loss drug boom
The volume of people taking new and effective weight loss drugs has grown so big that it's shrinking food portions in the US The impact of weight loss drugs around the world is so huge that big food companies are jumping in on the bonanza, targeting people on the medication with special food lines. The self-injecting drugs like Ozempic, made famous by celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, are forecast to be worth $165 billion by the 2030s. They're so popular the pharmaceutical giants can't keep up with the demand from millions of people around the world, which means New Zealand is missing out. "New Zealand tends to be at the bottom of the list for pharmaceutical companies when it comes to supplying them," says Niki Bezzant, who writes about the boom in the Listener. Even access to the Pharmac-funded drug Sexanda for people with type 2 diabetes is limited because of the squeeze on supply. And while drugs similar to Ozempic are available here they're not as effective in reducing weight and they cost $500 a month. That's out of reach for most New Zealanders when they're expected to stay on them for the rest of their lives. "If you start taking this for obesity then you're going to have to keep taking it to have the effect. You can't just go on it and then go off it," says Bezzant. "It's the same as any other thing you might do for weight loss except for gastric surgery which is more permanent but even then can still fail." The medical director of the New Zealand College of General Practitioners, Dr Luke Bradford, says more New Zealanders will be able to afford them as more versions of Ozempic and cheaper generics come on the market. He says it is likely that within 10 to 20 years half of New Zealanders will be taking the drugs. "We're going to see a real shift in their use and outcomes for patients over the next decade or so. "I can see that down the line, and if we can improve the safety and the efficacy, that people will be on them if they need them and if their weight is high," Bradford tells The Detail . He notes however there is a significant proportion of people who can't take the meds because of side effects. They include nausea, constipation, diarrhoea; gastroparesis and pancreatic cancer in rare cases, and possibly depression. But the drugs are also credited with preventing obesity-related cancers and heart disease. Bezzant says the implications of the weight loss drugs boom go beyond the pharmaceutical industry. Already big food companies are responding as the appetites of millions of people shrink and US takeaway chains are also adjusting their offerings… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, August 25, 2024
The crime of being intellectually disabled
The case of 'Jay', held indefinitely without charge for 18 years, is raising questions of how we treat our intellectually disabled community In 2016, the case of an autistic and intellectually disabled man kept in an institution for nearly 20 years horrified the country. Ashley Peacock was detained as a compulsory patient under the Mental Health Act. Deemed to be 'high risk', his parents spent years battling to have him released. Eventually he was freed from the cell-like room he was kept in for at least 23 hours a day, and now he's living in his own house by a river on the Kapiti Coast. It turns out that Ashley's case was not an isolated one. Last week, the Supreme Court reserved its decision on the fate of a man known as "Jay", whose mother says he is being arbitrarily detained, and his human rights breached. Jay's situation has spooky similarities to that one eight years ago; with issues including the weighing up between the risk to the public and the human rights of the intellectually disabled; and the law that allows us to detain someone who's been charged with no crime, indefinitely. RNZ investigative journalist Anusha Bradley has been covering Jay's case. She tells The Detail that when she got a call tipping her off about the case she really couldn't believe it. "I thought 'what?' This guy's been locked up for 20 years ... and the first thing I thought of was, that's what happened to Ashley Peacock, and I thought he was the last one. How is that still possible?" She tracked down Jay's mother (J is just his initial, his name is suppressed) whose lawyer Tony Ellis has for the last eight years been asking courts to overturn an order to detain him under the Intellectual Disability Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation Act. There are about 100 people held under this Act at any one time, roughly 30 of them in secure hospital level care. About 10 percent of people held under the Act have been held for longer than 10 years. Jay is one of those. "But because it's such a small population, it's hard to get the actual figures because of privacy issues," Bradley says. "So yes, there are people who this is their everyday experience." In the podcast she talks about how Jay got into this situation, and the factors keeping him there. But this case "poses so many questions," she says… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, August 23, 2024
The Mpox virus explained
A more deadly strain of Mpox has ventured beyond African borders, but even though it will arrive here some time, there's no need to panic. A new strain of Mpox has been found outside its country of origin but a health expert here says there's no need for Kiwis to panic. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the outbreak of Mpox Clade 1 in Central Africa a public health emergency of international concern. Health experts believe it's more transmissible and more severe than the Clade 2 strain that's already spread globally. So far 96 percent of the cases are in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but infection is spreading rapidly in neighbouring countries. Two cases have been detected in Pakistan, and one in the Philippines. On Thursday Sweden reported its first case, and its health agency confirmed the person contracted the virus during a recent stay in Africa and is now isolating. It sounds alarming but an infectious disease expert from the University of Auckland says we don't need to be stockpiling toilet paper just yet. New Zealanders should be keeping an eye on how the outbreak develops but Associate Professor Mark Thomas thinks it will be some time before it gets here. "It won't be an overwhelming number of cases to begin with and likely public health efforts assisted by vaccination will bring it under control relatively quickly. By that, I would think within a month or two," he says. The main point of concern is the severity of Clade 1, and its higher death rate which is 10 percent. The other variant is found in West Africa and has a lower death rate of about one percent. But those death rates are based on case and death figures from the African countries where the virus originates. Thomas says during the last global spread of Mpox Clade 2 a couple of years ago, other countries didn't record the same mortality rates. And that could be for several reasons. One is that some countries may be less rigorous with reporting, which makes the mortality rate skew higher. In Africa, "people with mild cases don't bother going to a health professional and don't get recognised as having Mpox. Whereas New Zealand, Sweden, UK, the States, it might be that a much higher proportion of people go, including those ones with very mild illness," he says. What is Mpox? Mpox is a viral infection that's closely related to smallpox. It used to be referred to as Monkeypox because initially scientists thought it was a virus that particularly affected monkeys… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, August 22, 2024
The austerity argument
Is New Zealand going through a bout of austerity ... or are we just in a funk after being battered by a parade of bad economic numbers? The banks' rush to drop mortgage rates has given homeowners and businesses a pinprick of light at the end of the economic tunnel. But daily headlines of job losses and a stressed public service show the pain is far from over. Critics of the public service cuts say the government is making it worse not better - but is it austerity? Definitely, says Bernard Hickey of The Kākā newsletter. He says government cost cutting measures have been too harsh. "When the government is cutting public spending when clearly public services are needed then that's austerity," he says. "And when you're doing it and it reduces the size of the government relative to the size of the economy, effectively putting a sinking lid on the size of the government, that's austerity and that's what this government's doing." Politicians in charge avoid the word with its negative connotations, arguing instead for the need for fiscal responsibility, the New Zealand Herald's deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan tells The Detail . He says the effect of the public service cuts along with years of interest rate hikes have been cruel. "New Zealanders feel like they're in a funk and the data supports that, we are in a funk." An important indicator of economic performance, GDP per capita, has gone backwards in recent years; the economy is not growing at the speed its needs to, to keep up with the growing population. Unemployment is rising as a result of interest rates being hiked, and jobless figures are expected to rise further. "If it feels like you're worse off, you probably are worse off," he says. The triple-dip recession that has resulted from the Reserve Bank raising the official cash rate has been "quite uniquely bad," says Coughlan. He explains that the monetary system is built on the fact that high inflation is bad and has destroyed many economies, with rapidly rising prices caused by inflation hurting poor people the most. "We've designed this whole system which allows the Reserve Bank to put the economy through an enormous amount of pain because we collectively have decided as a society that that pain is worth it because inflation is worse." Coughlan says people are starting to question if this is the best way to cure the economy of inflation. Hickey says the government has failed in its promise to cut spending without cutting frontline services… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, August 21, 2024
A deep dive into police bias
Internationally ground-breaking research from inside the police force has quantified the difference between how Māori and Pakeha are treated when it comes to law Ground-breaking work on fairness and equity within New Zealand's police force has quantified for the first time the gap between Māori and Pakeha when it comes to how they're treated. It comes from the world-leading project Understanding Policing Delivery, which granted a research team unrestricted access to police staff and data. Controlling for all other relevant factors, including previous criminal history, youth and gang affiliation, Māori are still 11 percent more likely to be charged with an offence than a Pakeha person in the same situation. The project's Independent Panel chairperson, Professor Khylee Quince, who is the Dean of Law at AUT, says that's really concerning. "Probably not surprising; but we've got hard evidence now that there is that form of systemic discrimination that needs to be accounted for and addressed." The three-year exercise was prompted by the global spotlight on the legitimacy of policing in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests and other events, including the British investigation of problems within the Metropolitan Police, as well as a couple of instances here that have shaken confidence in policing. It looked at systems and procedures - rather than individuals - through a lens of fairness and equity. The project pitted frequent critics of the police with front line officers - a situation that was initially uncomfortable for both sides. "Me, and most of the other members of the Independent Panel, we are 15 people from academia, different community advocacy spaces and it's quite a risk to get involved with it," says Quince. "We are all people who've been quite critical of the police in the past so a bit of reputational risk ... you know, you lose a bit of street cred to be seen to be 'patched over' if you like," she laughs. "We haven't been captured by the police! "It's been quite an eye-opener for me to take off the necessarily critical lens and be a critical friend to the police." Police on the Operational Advisory Group of 30 front line officers spread all through the country were also wary to start with. "It was like a river between us," says OAG chair Superintendent Scott Gemmell. "On the one side was the Independent Panel and the research teams; on the other side was a whole lot of police officers. The scepticism by both sides as to whether we were actually going to be able to pull this off - or even come together - was palpable. But it changed. It was really quite cool to see… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, August 20, 2024
Modifying our gene modification laws
After almost three decades, legislation around gene modification and editing technology is getting an overhaul. After exhausting all the available options for treating his rare blood cancer in New Zealand, David Downs was told by his doctor to go home and make the most of the time he had left. Then, assisted by a stroke of luck and a lot of fundraising, he took part in a gene-editing trial in the USA. Three weeks after the treatment, there was no sign of cancer in his body. Last week, the government confirmed plans to end the country's nearly 30-year ban on genetically engineered and modified organisms outside the lab. The reformed legislation will use Australian laws as a blueprint and include the establishment of a gene technology regulatory body, to ensure any developments won't impact human health or the environment. In the wake of this announcement, Downs spoke to The Detail about his experience receiving life-saving gene editing treatment. "The CAR-T cell therapy, from a patient's perspective, is very straight forward compared to the normal treatments. Chemotherapy is the normal treatment for blood cancer, that is essentially poison, you're putting poison in the human to try and kill the cancer cells. When you go to CAR-T cell therapy it's quite different because instead of trying to kill the cancer, it basically assists the immune system to do its job." Downs says the idea behind the therapy is that while the immune system can fight infection naturally, it doesn't recognise cancer cells as dangerous, so CAR-T cell therapy essentially teaches the immune system to recognise and kill the cancer. "My experience was going to get my blood taken out, which takes a few hours but it's not particularly difficult. Then they send that blood off to a laboratory, I wait about three weeks while those T-cells get genetically engineered and that's very precise. Then they send it back to me and I basically get one injection of my own blood," he says. Downs says that once those genetically engineered cells are in his body, they recognise the cancer as a danger and destroy them. "The little, tiny PAC-MEN are going around chomping away at the cancer cells," he says. "When I went back, three or four weeks after the shot, they said that's it, there's no sign of cancer left in your body."… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, August 19, 2024
Green lights for open banking
The new wave of open banking takes a step forward this week with the release of two Commerce Commission decisions The Commerce Commission is set to make two big announcements this week, which are expected to result in a big leap forward for open banking. There's also a piece of legislation going through parliamentary processes at the moment that will lay the foundation for open banking to take off in New Zealand. Today on The Detail we try to cut through the jargon to explain what it is, how it will work, and who will benefit most. To some, it is a new and scary concept - allowing third parties to have access to your banking details - but internationally it's been around for nearly a decade, and we're actually already doing it. The problem is, the way we're currently doing it is not completely secure, and banks hate it. BusinessDesk technology editor Ben Moore says historically our open banking has been done via a process called 'screen scraping'. If you've ever used POLi payments, for example to pay a road toll on the NZTA website, you've done that. "You give a company your credentials to your bank account, they log into your bank account with some software, it goes in, sees what it needs to, does what it needs to, and then logs out. "It's not the most secure way of doing things," [because you are giving them your banking password], "and banks don't really like it very much. They say it's a breach of their terms and services. "It's about giving consumers back the right to share their own data that's held within organisations like banks." At the moment that power is in the hands of those banks, so it's a fundamental change in the concept of who holds your data. So how does it work? The big banks have had to spend a great deal of money to upgrade their legacy security systems so that they can create what Moore calls a "bolt-on tunnel connector", or bridge, which is called an Application Programming Interface (API) - an interface between computer programmes. That's so data can be shared. New legislation has been designed to ensure the API is highly secure and standardised across all the banks. That enables third parties, usually fintec companies, to offer their services, whether they be mortgage broking or budgeting services, or online payment services. They can't just reach in and grab your information - you have to give them permission… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, August 18, 2024
Truth, lies, or something in between?
What was in the infamous Hobson's Pledge advertisement in the Herlad that has sparked outrage and boycotts? The New Zealand Herald and its publisher NZME hit a nerve last week, publishing an advertisement from Hobson's Pledge that critics have called 'misleading', factually incorrect, and racist. The full front-page wrap urged readers to sign a petition to 'Restore the Foreshore and Seabed to Public Ownership'. It prompted a call out from the Māori Journalist's association, Kawea Te Rongo, a boycott from Te Pāti Māori, Iwi Radio severing its ties and an open letter signed by 170 lawyers refuting the ad's claims. Plans for a second ad were scrapped by NZME, which promised a review into its advertising policies - sparking more fury from Hobson's Pledge spokesman Don Brash, and the Free Speech Union. But was the outcry against the ad justified? Today The Detail speaks to a former editor-in-chief of The Herald, and Tumuaki Wāhine - vice-president - of the Māori Law Society to find out. At the centre of the debate is a claim that there are applications from iwi, hapu and whanau for customary marine titles of nearly all the New Zealand coast under MACA - the Marine and Coastal Area Act. That part is true. But what's not true is that these would limit public access to the beaches. Natalie Coates is the Tumuaki Wāhine for Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa - the Māori Law Society - and one of 170 lawyers who penned an open letter laying out why the ad was wrong and racist. "I think it's helpful to go through line by line, but also overall it's important to make sure you look at the ad in its whole and how it creates an impression," she says. The front paged was titled 'restore the foreshore and seabed to public ownership'. Public ownership was highlighted in red. This is the first falsehood, because as Coates explains, the majority of the foreshore and seabed hasn't historically been publicly owned. "It's not owned by anybody currently, except for the areas of foreshore that are currently in mainly non-Māori private ownership actually … so, the idea of restoration is false," she explains. Coates adds that the impression given by lines like 'restore public ownership' and 'iwi are going to get title' is that Māori will come to own this area, and that simplistic message misses the nuances of the true meaning… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, August 16, 2024
Beautiful bugs and tiny plants
Capturing the health of a piece of bush, and figuring out what predator pests are around, often comes down to the state of its smallest inhabitants On a cold, dark Saturday night two self-named "nature nuts" are deep in native bush near Whakatāne getting very, very close to some of our tiniest creatures. So miniscule are the bugs that they look like specks of dirt. But they are enough to light up the eyes of Russell Ingram-Seal and Wayne O'Keefe whose close-up camera captures even the hairs on their legs. On this trip Russell's mission is to find the rare icing sugar wolf spider, so called because of the white hairs all over it. If we locate it. We're on the Brettkelly family farm which is a mix of native bush, exotic forest and flat pasture. Tonight, we want to get an idea of the state of the health of our 35-hectares of native bush in the hope that one day, like many landowners around the country, we can bring kiwi here and be part of Whakatāne's claim as the kiwi capital of the world. Russell calls himself a nut for invertebrates and kiwi. He started the night walks with Whakatāne Kiwi Trust, and is also involved in a new book about beetles. He's armed with a plastic beating stick and tray to catch the bugs; a high-end torch which lights up the bugs like a disco ball; a jar with a magnifying glass lid; and a pencil with a brush at the other end. Wayne's hefty high-end camera can capture the tiniest hairs on the tiniest creatures. Nature photography is his passion and is part of his work with the Bay Conservation Alliance, a charitable trust that supports community conservation groups. He leads the ground breaking Project Keep, the Kōkako Ecosystem Expansion Programme that aims to connect two isolated groups of the bird in the Bay of Plenty. "Not in my lifetime, but ultimately all the kōkako populations in the Bay of Plenty are connected," he says. Tonight, it is the flora that impresses Wayne. "I've been blown away by the mosses, and the little warts and the filmy ferns. It's special for that," he says. Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here . You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter . Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, August 15, 2024
Sanctions without benefits
Researchers into poverty are asking the government where the evidence is that its new benefit sanction regime will work… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, August 14, 2024
The high cost of our energy crisis
With demand for gas up and supply down, gentailers can't keep up - and New Zealanders are paying the price… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, August 13, 2024
Flying into Olympic-sized sustainability issues
The Olympics has sustainability as one of its three pillars, but it's accused of making big environmental promises without following through Paris was the greenest games yet, but critics say until the Olympics stops becoming a tourist event, all the vegan food in the world won't negate its environmental harm. The Paris summer Olympics is done and athletes, their supporters and spectators are returning to their far corners of the world. Nearly 11,000 athletes from more than 200 countries, 400,000 accredited officials and coaches, and several million spectators... most of them flying home. Paris was billed as the greenest games yet, with cardboard beds, locally produced vegan food, stadium seats made of recycled plastic and e-bikes to get around on. Not all of this was appreciated by athletes, with some teams demanding more meat and eggs, and others bringing their own air conditioning units. But the aims were good - to halve the carbon footprint of these games compared to Rio in 2016 and London in 2012. A big deal was made of using renewable energy, and only having to build two new venues (an aquatic centre and climbing venue) and two new facilities (a media village for journalists and athlete accommodation) for the event. However the elephant in the room is air miles, with the biggest portion of greenhouse gas emissions from major sports events like this estimated to be travel. Some research suggests it accounts for between 50 and 70 percent of emissions, other work estimates it is up to 85 percent. "A lot of sport, and a lot of sustainability endeavours in general, are accused of different hues of greenwashing in a sense of making big promises but perhaps not taking those actions," says Dr Chris McMillian, a professional teaching fellow in sociology at the University of Auckland. "The Olympics and the Olympic movement is kind of at the forefront of a lot of sustainability measures in sport. But the accusation is that while they're communicating this and making big promises perhaps they're not following through as much as they can. "We're still waiting for the final carbon accounting to come," he says. McMillian points out though that sport is famously bad at quantifying its impact, and cities in the past have made promises during their bidding wars that have quietly slid away in the heat of the extravaganza to follow. He says there's a suggestion that the Olympics is actually becoming less sustainable over time, as more events are added, bringing more athletes, supporters and fans from around the world. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, August 12, 2024
Growing opposition says repealing Section 7AA will harm children
The coalition government is sticking to its guns on a promise to repeal Section 7AA of the Children's Act, despite expert testimony condemning the move. Will getting rid of Section 7AA prioritise children's safety, or ignore the role of culture in their wellbeing - and put them at risk? The government promises it is putting the welfare of children first in its moves to get rid of Section 7AA of the Children's Act, but the step is deeply unpopular, with warnings it will set back efforts to make tamariki safer. The Children's Minister, ACT's Karen Chhour, has been forced to repeatedly defend the move in media interviews and in Parliament, adamant it will go ahead despite the overwhelming submissions against the repeal at the select committee and outcry from iwi leaders. Section 7AA binds Oranga Tamariki to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and means the chief executive of the agency is required to work in partnership with iwi and hapū, and to report on those relationships to Parliament once a year. Today The Detail looks at the history of 7AA with Tracey Martin, who was Children's Minister when it came into force in 2019 and is an outspoken critic of the repeal. Martin says the work on 7AA started with her predecessor in the National government, Vulnerable Children's Minister Anne Tolley, as part of a wide-ranging review of the child protection system because it was failing Māori children. That section of the act was the culmination of decades of work to devolve the care and protection of tamariki to iwi and hapū, says Martin. Just before Section 7AA was brought in, a Newsroom investigation revealed a shocking video of an attempt to uplift a newborn from its mother at Hawke's Bay Hospital. Journalist Melanie Reid said in the story that the taking of Māori babies was a crisis in hiding, and that three Māori babies a week were being uplifted. Martin says bringing in 7AA was not a kneejerk reaction to the story but coincidence, as the legislation was written before the uplift. However, she says the case involved her own iwi, Ngāti Kahungunu and the clause enabled a closer relationship between it and Oranga Tamariki. "Because of 7AA we advanced a relationship on an unofficial basis where we placed a social worker inside the Ngāti Kahungunu Trust. They walked alongside them to be able to develop their capacity to support their families and children more before it reached an Oranga Tamariki stage," says Martin. But Chhour has said that even before she became an MP she was hearing about the "unintended consequences of that certain section of the act" and the poor practise going on within Oranga Tamariki "around placement of Māori children"… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, August 11, 2024
Call to arms for plasma
Plasma is labelled liquid gold, but it's worth more than that The US is currently topping up New Zealand's supplies of a vital blood product, but if we had more plasma donors we could be self-sufficient Demand for life-saving plasma is growing at such a rate that New Zealand is falling further and further behind on its supplies, forcing it to pay millions of dollars every year for immunoglobulin from America, one of the few countries that pays people to donate. Plasma is the yellow liquid component of blood that is needed to help the body recover from injury, distribute nutrients, remove waste and prevent infection. It is used to treat up to 50 illnesses, including cancer and autoimmune diseases. Immunoglobulin is a key protein in plasma. New Zealand hospitals rely on donors - around 17,500 of them - who give plasma on a regular basis through the national blood service, Te Ratonga Toto O Aotearoa. It amounts to several tonnes a year but it is well short of what's needed. NZ Blood's transfusion medicine specialist, Dr Richard Charlewood says New Zealand is at a tipping point. "Unless we can get our plasma donation numbers up we're going to get further and further behind. That's not good for us in a financial sense, in that we have to buy plasma from other countries, it's not good for us from a self sufficiency perspective. "When Covid hit and donation numbers went down in the United States they made it very clear to the world that it is a United States-first policy," he says. That means the US will not run out of intravenous immunoglobulin for itself - it will simply stop providing to other countries. "As a small country with a small value contract we would probably be dropped fairly quickly," Dr Charlewood says. It is called liquid gold because immunoglobulin is more valuable than gold. The global market for plasma is estimated to be worth more than $50 billion, rising to $75 billion by 2027. The US profits most from the global market because it is responsible for 70 percent of all the plasma on the world blood market. Immunoglobulin or antibodies is one of several proteins contained in plasma, along with albumin and clotting factors. The immunoglobulins are in hot demand because they defend the body from infections, viruses and cancer cells. Dr Charlewood says New Zealand is not alone in its struggle to collect enough plasma to meet growing patient need for immunoglobulin. Peter Jaworski of Georgetown University in the US has gathered the data on the few countries that are self sufficient on plasma and those that aren't, like New Zealand and Australia… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, August 09, 2024
The business of tradwives
These 'traditional' influencers don't talk about politics, but all the markers of conservative ideologies are there Are they winding back feminism, or cleverly turning clicks into cash with their portrayal of being old-fashioned wives and mothers? Hannah Neeleman is the so-called Queen of Tradwives despite her saying she's not a tradwife If you haven't heard of "tradwives" yet, hop on Instagram or TikTok and be prepared to go down a rabbit hole of clashing ideologies. On the surface they are "traditional wives" - women who are happily married, busy pumping out children, cooking family meals from scratch and being happy to take orders from their husbands. But the content they produce is highly curated, designed for clicks and has become its own business - and it takes time away from the family to do that successfully. Today on The Detail we look at this phenomenon and its place in the culture wars. Megan Agnew is a writer for The Times of London who earlier this year spent a day with the so-called Queen of Tradwives Hannah Neeleman, her husband Daniel and their eight children. Hannah's social media posts are under the name "Ballerina Farm" - she was training to be a ballerina before she met Daniel. She went viral recently for a video of her excitedly opening a birthday present from Daniel, hoping all the while it would be her much-hinted for holiday to Greece ... only to find an egg-collecting apron, which she then danced around the kitchen wearing, with supposed joy. Hannah says she's not a tradwife but she fits the description. She grew up in a traditional Mormon family in Utah and now uses her account to promote their farm business, which she does while home-schooling her children. She also competed in the Mrs World beauty pageant 12 days after giving birth to her eighth child and has nine million followers on Instagram. In her posts "everything just feels idyllic and peaceful and perfect," says Agnew. But not everyone swallows her public-facing picture, and she's faced a lot of criticism online. "She was attacked for making motherhood look too easy, for promoting a really traditional lifestyle at home when it came to gender roles." What Agnew found on Ballerina Farm was not quite what she expected. "She was much softer, and much more passive than I thought she was going to be, particularly within the role of the company. She was the face of it, and really was the brains behind putting it all on Instagram." Her husband is from a super-wealthy family and had dreamt of "this enormous brave existence in the American west," she says. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, August 08, 2024
Privacy protection and data challenges
Fears that New Zealanders are losing control of their private information are behind moves to improve data sovereignty When our data is stored in Microsoft or Google's cloud, it's governed by the laws of those American companies. Plans are underway to change that A ground breaking Māori data sovereignty deal is prompting tech and privacy experts to examine whether or not full data sovereignty is an achievable goal for New Zealand. Te Tumu Paeroa, the Office of Māori Trustee, is in the process of transferring its data from offshore centres to one here in Aotearoa after the group reached a deal with tech giant Microsoft. It's taken years of negotiations to achieve it, but it will ensure the way that data is used and treated is in line with Māori cultural values. The owners of the data, not Microsoft, will hold the keys to the encryption of that information. Dr Karaitiana Taiuru, an AI and data ethicist, says the deal with Microsoft will give the organisation autonomy over the data and ensure New Zealand law and Māori tikanga is front and centre. "From a Te Ao Māori perspective we don't talk about ownership, we talk about guardianship, the kaitiaki of the data. If we talk about facial recognition technology, from a Western perspective that's your personal data but from a Te Ao Māori perspective that's collective. "If I gave an organisation my DNA, that's not just me, that's all of my ancestors, all of my current family and all of my future family's DNA that I am providing," Taiuru says. But he does think there needs to be some discussion to distinguish what data is collective and what is individual. "For example, our health data should be our individual data. But then we should have the right to allow others to view our data." But localising data storage doesn't necessarily guarantee that information will be better protected, according to one privacy expert. Gehan Gunasekara, an associate professor in commercial law at the University of Auckland, says we need a better legal regime in this area. "I often give Kim Dotcom as an example because people say that keeping the data in New Zealand will protect it, well in that case it didn't. His servers were in New Zealand and Hong Kong and the New Zealand servers were locked down because the FBI requested it, and everyone, including people who were completely innocent suddenly lost all of their photograph albums, their videos, everything," he says. Through his research Gunasekara has found several "serious deficiencies" in Aotearoa's information privacy regulations that show our 2020 Privacy Act needs several updates to optimise data security and consumer privacy. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, August 07, 2024
Laptop stickers, lapel badges and bullying
Gerry Brownlee has been publicly criticised over his inaction, in a move that breaks with Parliamentary convention Parliament's been wound up in a debate that on the surface looks trivial, but really centres around the bullying and harassment of an MP. The Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee is under fire for perceived inconsistencies in his rulings and letting trivial matters stop politicians answering questions in Parliament. On the surface this looks like a debate over laptop stickers and lapel badges. But underlying it is a complaint by the ACT Party that the MP fronting some of its most unpopular policies - Children's Minister Karen Chhour - is being singled out for bullying and abuse, and Parliament's referee is letting the opposition get away with it. Frustrations have boiled over to the extent that Act leader David Seymour has broken with convention to criticise Brownlee in public, saying his confidence in him is falling by the day. The speaker has hit back, warning MPs he plans to adopt a sterner approach to Parliamentary culture. Former MP and political commentator Peter Dunne says that under standing orders the only way you can criticise the speaker is to move a formal vote of no confidence in them, which means a debate in the House. "That would be going too far," he tells The Detail. "But the fact that Seymour has gone public with his criticisms suggests to me two things - one is that he's failed privately to persuade the speaker to change his view; and secondly, there's obviously a measure of deep frustration within the ACT Party about how things are panning out for them." As to the bullying complaint, Dunne points out that the speaker can only rule on what happens inside Parliament, not outside in the corridors, where Chhour says she's being attacked. "A lot of the work the speaker does is behind the scenes - getting the parties together and talking through the issues, and talking through expectations of behaviour. "I think that's the sort of thing that needs to happen." "It's a tough job, and a lonely job," says Dunne. "And the speaker will always come under fire from one side or the other who feel he's not quite seeing things their way. That's part and parcel of the job but I think part of the difficulty at the moment is there appears to be one or two inconsistencies in some of the things that Gerry Brownlee is ruling upon and that always gets under a party's skin, if they feel that not only are they getting the wrong end of the deal, but also that it's not the same deal that applies to everyone else." … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, August 06, 2024
Medals for mums
There's been a sea change in high performance sport that's seeing Olympic-class mums take the podiums in Paris Top sports are beginning to twig that female athletes at their peak are also at peak child-bearing age - and the two aren't mutually exclusive. When Martin Cross was rowing for Great Britain 40 years ago, the thought of a mother competing at the Olympics was unheard of - bringing your spouse to training was frowned upon. "To be honest, if a woman had had a child the chances were that it wouldn't be known about," the multiple Olympian tells The Detail. Now he's among those singing the loudest praises for the "supermums" as a commentator at the Paris games. "The stories are now known and they're being celebrated." After the Emma Twigg battle for gold and silver in single sculls, Cross gushed over their hug at the finish line. "That is so beautiful, so beautiful," he said. "The respect, the fondness, the love between those two athletes." He went on to talk about Twigg's partner Charlotte and their son Tommy born in 2022 watching the race. Cross has watched as the sport has become much more friendly and understanding. Large rowing nations such as New Zealand are less rigid, while the funding that is now available to athletes means that competing mums get much more financial support. Of the gold medal-winning double scullers Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis, he points to their unique bond as mothers. "They've relished their training time more than they ever have." Sports journalist Suzanne McFadden says it has taken trailblazers such as Dame Valerie Adams and Silver Fern Ameliaranne Ekenasio to bring about change but it has been a long time coming. It took coach Dame Noeline Taurua in 2018 to insist that Netball New Zealand embrace mums at the top of the sport. It meant that Ekenasio, who struggled with little or no support with her first baby, was invited to every Silver Ferns camp when she was pregnant with her second child and after the baby was born, even if she couldn't be part of the game physically. "Even if she couldn't be involved physically, she still felt she was part of the team, she was still paid to be part of the team, she was still part of that whole culture. So netball is only just coming into that realisation as well," says McFadden. But many top female athletes who are pregnant or who have become new mums still struggle to get the right advice. New Zealand long distance runner Camille French ran the Auckland half marathon when her baby was only four months old… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, August 05, 2024
Devastation as suicide prevention charity closes
A life-saving charity that works with men and their mental health in Tairawhiti has shut, a victim of funding struggles The government has put the gumboot into mental health in Gisborne with its failure to support a successful suicide prevention charity. Hear4U helped men in particular A vital suicide prevention charity which has saved countless lives in Gisborne has had its own desperate calls for help ignored. Hear4U has been forced to close its doors due to a lack of funding, five years after it was set up by Krissy Mackintosh and two girlfriends to save lives and raise awareness around mental health and suicide. At the time, Tairāwhiti had one of the highest suicide rates in the country. "When we closed, we had 3500 people on our database, mainly male, and we never lost one soul to suicide," says Mackintosh. "We used to be representative of one of the highest suicide stats in New Zealand, mostly male and younger male. When we shut our doors, we became one of the lowest in New Zealand." They needed about half a million dollars a year to keep operating, but the team couldn't secure that funding in spite of exhausting every avenue. The lack of support comes at a time when the government put $24 million over four years, unprompted, into Mike King's Gumboot Day for mental health awareness; and in the wake of an announcement of $10m fund to support new initiatives focussed on mental health support. Closing the doors of Hear4U was a heart-wrenching decision for the 38-year-old mother of two, who has overcome her own mental health struggles, including several suicide attempts. "It was my worst nightmare. I fought a pretty massive campaign, and I had an amazing waka of people behind me, even the legendary (All Blacks great) Ian Kirkpatrick. I felt devastated, I still am in a state of devastation and it's going to take a bit of healing. "We did everything that was asked of us in terms of policy, outcomes, deliveries and expectations, and the fact we never ever got anything back from Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is absolutely heartbreaking, but we have to be grateful and blessed that we made a difference in the time that we had." Her quest for financial stability took - at times - dark and nasty turns. "We were told our charity was never enough of something, or something else, or something else. And it got really ugly. I have seen and endured huge amounts of racism and sexism. I have had attacks on myself as a person to the point where we have asked the police to support my family. It's been a tough journey." … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, August 04, 2024
Turbulence for flying's green goals
Reality has intruded on our national airline's climate targets, and it's backed down from some lofty aims Air New Zealand's found it's harder than it thought to claim green credentials when your business is burning fossil fuel to transport people around the world Search for Air New Zealand's big bold climate action plan and you get a black screen with the words "this site is under review". Dubbed Flight NZO (zero), the airline called it its "most important journey yet"; its commitment to finding a more sustainable way to connect with the world by buying greener planes and using greener fuel. That journey has been disrupted after the airline dropped its 2030 goal to reduce carbon intensity by nearly a third from its 2019 baseline. It has also pulled out of the Science-Based Targets initiative, a scheme involving corporates around the world. The airline says it is sticking with the goal of net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050 and it is working on a new "near-term carbon emissions reduction target that could better reflect the challenges relating to aircraft and alternative jet fuel availability within the industry". The move comes as airlines around the world face court action over their sustainability claims, so called greenwashing. Newsroom's David Williams says the sceptics of Air New Zealand's climate ambitions, including Tourism Professor James Higham, had warned early on that they would face greater scrutiny. "I guess he's saying that it's very hard for an airline to claim environmental exceptionalism. It's not exceptional in terms of its ability to reduce its carbon footprint. "So he would say there needs to be a bit more reality about what they're saying about their sustainability." Despite the move, Williams says the airline is seen as a sustainability leader by the industry, particularly for its offsets programme where customers can opt to pay for tree planting to offset their emissions. "And there's all sorts of things you can do at the airport as well to save energy and to not emit carbon but actually the big one is the big source of your emissions and that is flying planes. It's really hard to say you're an environmental leader when you're burning fossil fuels all the time." The airline's announcement came on the same day that the Climate Change Commission warned that New Zealand risks missing key emissions targets under current government policies. Newsroom's Marc Daalder says people often find the stories confusing and discouraging but there was some optimistic news in the same report… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, August 02, 2024
The 'huge playground' of AI music generation
It's been called a revolution as big as electricity or the motorcar - artificial intelligence is changing the creation of music. Music created by artificial intelligence is getting better and better, and musicians are worried. Your next favourite artist could be AI. On today's episode of The Detail, AI music expert Ollie Bown, an associate professor at the University of New South Wales School of Art and Design, talks through how AI music platforms work, and the pros and cons of taking music creation out of human hands. "When people say it's a revolution as big as electricity or the motorcar, they're not exaggerating," he says. "In the last 10 or more years, there's been this relentless surge of progress technical advance in the capability of AI systems. The most obvious evidence of that is in the language model stuff - Chat GPT and those AI language models - because they are so startlingly lifelike and humanlike in their response and in their ability to do basic logic. "In music, we've got - quite surprisingly I think even to the experts - these systems that are able to produce original material at an audio level, which means that it's literally building, sample by sample, the audio waveform. "It can simulate acoustic sounds, instrumental sounds, electronic sounds, voices and also the musical structure and even the long-term musical form that makes up a song - all of that's starting to be really successfully captured in AI." The two sites that have garnered the most attention recently are Suno and Udio, both of which launched in the last year. These websites allow users to create an account and start generating music through a text description, in the space of a minute or two. "What they both do very well is they integrate lyric generation and then the singing - the rendering of those lyrics into song - with the music generation, all integrated into one big black box, which is a phenomenal feat." Bown talks through the advantages of using them. For instance, he says, AI could be good for sample generation. "Say you're a hip-hop producer and you're looking for a hook to put some beats over and then rap over - you can have a great deal of fun with this, because you're already in that mindset of sampling, of lifting existing music and re-interpreting it and this just gives you a huge playground of songs and timbres and musical styles." But there are also downfalls. At the forefront are concerns around intellectual property and copyright issues. "Copyright law has just not been set up to account for this particular situation," Bown says… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, August 01, 2024
When an algorithm is your boss
Artificial intelligence is driving the expansion of the gig economy, but with growth comes growing pains. There's a new cohort of workers using platforms powered by artificial intelligence to get work, but regulation over the gig economy is lagging. The gig economy used to be made up of artists, musicians, actors dipping in and out of work, or people picking up those jobs you see advertised on supermarket noticeboards. Now it's expanding, pushed by rapidly developing technology. Not only are apps such as Uber, Airbnb and DoorDash increasingly becoming a part of our lives, but white collar workers such as designers, architects and accountants are using platforms such as Fiverr to pick up jobs from around the world. Statistics on the size of the gig economy here are thin, regulation is virtually non-existent, and employment courts are still dealing with industrial relations issues. Today on The Detail we look at the potential hooks in using such platforms, the advantages of them, and the issues we haven't really thought about yet. Dr Nadia Dabee, senior lecturer of commercial law at Auckland University's business school, will deliver a talk on the subject at the end of the month as part of the university's "raising the bar' series. The title is "Why gig work doesn't live up to the hype - and what New Zealand can do about it". "I'm interested particularly in gig workers who are working under what we call the 'algorithmic boss', because they have very little control over what this algorithmic boss does, which is why I think we need to pay special attention to that," she says. "I don't think the data captures exactly how many people are doing AI-mediated platform work. estimated that 7,000 Uber drivers in New Zealand so it's not huge, but we don't know how many of them exactly rely on Uber as their main source of income, and we don't know how many more gig workers there are out there." She says the sector isn't even properly defined, which makes it hard to capture data. But Dabee says having a significant number of workers who are working in really difficult conditions affects society as a whole. "The more workers you have who are not stable, the more unstable society itself becomes. The more people we have relying on gig work, whether it's full time or part time, the more of a problem it's going to become. "It's going to have an effect on our social fabric. "It's changing the way we do work, the very nature of work, the way we think about work." … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, July 31, 2024
Political donors now on the radar
More transparency around political donations paints a clearer picture of which parties are coming out on top financially. New regulations around naming small political donors means a more transparent system. But is it a big enough change? A Kiwi businessman donated half a million dollars to the National Party because he simply "likes what Christopher Luxon is doing". Warren Lewis - who owns a sheet metal company - has been revealed as a first-time donor for the right, coughing up the largest single donation the party has received from a person since 2014. "That's really interesting, he's brand new, we have never heard of him before - he came out of the blue and nobody expected it,'" says RNZ journalist Farah Hancock. All New Zealand political parties, apart from Te Pati Māori, recorded a big jump in donations last year. As a group, the six parties received almost $25 million. That's the biggest total declared in history, and almost three times more than the amount declared in 2017. "It was a massive jump. It was a little bit perplexing to begin with but when I dug into the figures, I realised there were a couple of big things that changed. One was the reporting change - for the first time, parties had to declare the amount of donations they had received - and the total value - under $1500. They never used to declare this. It was kind of like dark money, we didn't know what it was or how much they had, and everyone was guessing. The rules were changed to make everything more transparent, there was concern about trust in the system." Hancock says the National Party is still "miles ahead" of their political rivals when it comes to donations... of any size. "I think of the $10m National got in 2023, $4m was in little donations. Labour got $2.6 from little donations. Nobody expected that, everyone thought Labour would come out on top when it came to small donations, that's always been the argument - National got the big donations, Labour got the smaller ones." Parties must now name any donor who gives $5000 or more. It used to be that donors could stay under the radar for anything up to $15000. This revealed a Labour secret: Labour MPs donating to their own party. "This again was brand new. We always knew about the Greens, the tithing arrangement where they give a percentage, but it was the lowering of the declarable threshold from $15,000 to $5000, we suddenly saw all these Labour MPs names there and it was quite a lot of money - about $600,000 all up in total - that was given," Hancock says. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, July 30, 2024
O Canada! We thought you were so nice
A short history of spying in sport, from deep sea dives to high flying drones It's a new first for the Olympic Games, but not one the Canadian women's football team will be allowed to forget for a while. It's proven a shameless and scandalous own goal, and the Canadians are now paying the highest sporting price for spying on the Football Ferns at the Olympics. The coach has been sent home in disgrace, the team has been docked six vital points and the fine is in excess of $350,000. Their reputation is in tatters. They are golden girls no more. The global contenders are now cheating pretenders, who have dragged the beautiful game into murky scandal and shame. It's big news in Paris, as questions swirl about who knew what and when. "Up until now, all the scandals have involved performance enhancing drugs," says RNZ sports journalist Jamie Wall. "In terms of spying, this is a new one for the Olympics." Today on The Detail he runs through the background and the timeline, and we look at other sport spying scandals that made headlines. Here's how this one started: The Canadian women's team - the defending Olympic champs - were caught spying on New Zealand ahead of their opening game. A drone, operated by a Canadian official, was flown over the Kiwis' training session. When confronted, Canada went from attack to defence and damage control. "It's sort of turned into how a political scandal would play out," said Wall. "First off you are going to blame it on a junior staffer, oh then it turns out a few other people knew about it, then it turns out the head coach not only knew about it, but has probably done it before and told these people to do it." That head coach is Bev Priestman, who is married to a Kiwi and used to live in New Zealand, and is a previous winner of the IFFHS Women's World Best National Coach award. She's now been sent home from the Games in disgrace, and suspended by FIFA for a year. This week, she apologised profusely to her players and the nation. So can she recover from this, or is it all over? "I think it will be a long road back for her to recover from this," Wall says. "I'm pretty shocked about it myself." Wall interviewed her when she was here for the women's FIFA world cup and says like most people in sport, she's really nice. One of the puzzling things about the spying escapade is why the defending champions would pick on New Zealand. "The Canadian women's football team is a strong side, they are a very good team, they were probably hoping to make the knock outs and challenge for a medal," says Wall… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, July 29, 2024
Robots with lasers, killing weeds
AgResearch's Map and Zap device is a glimpse of a future without herbicides While we're concentrating on a predator-free New Zealand, rampant weeds are choking the life out of our native species - and we can't keep using chemicals on them. The search for a way to deal with New Zealand's $1.7 billion weed problem - without relying on herbicides - has thrown up a solution straight out of the future. If the AgResearch invention can be developed commercially, expect to see drones cruising paddocks and vineyards to swoop on weeds, blasting them with a laser bolt of intense heat to kill them instantly. You can watch a video of it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiByGS-SiBU AgResearch principal scientist Dr Graeme Bourdôt was involved in the 'Map and Zap' programme. "It certainly is a novel way of killing weeds," he says. "The idea is that you map a species from the air with a camera mounted on a drone... that same drone may also be carrying a laser which can fire a shot at the weed and kill it. "I think the idea has potential in certain areas of weed management, particularly perhaps in natural environments where you've got very difficult-to-access sites, say down bluffs where currently we have people abseiling down to dig out some plants. "I can imagine Map and Zap being potentially a much safer replacement for that method of weed control." Whether it becomes mainstream for managing weeds in crops or pasture remains to be seen. "In those cases we are talking about hundreds, if not thousands of weed plants per square metre," says Bourdôt. Today on The Detail we look at why these unwanted plants pose such a danger to the economy, why we have to cease our national love affair with herbicides, and what other methods we could use to rid ourselves of weeds. For example, Stu Loe is a farmer from the Scargill Valley in North Canterbury who is trialling the use of a leaf-eating tortoise beetle which kills Californian thistle. It's been about 10 years since their introduction. "We've still got them and they're chipping away," he says. "It's not going to happen overnight, but I am seeing reduced numbers where we've released them." Loe hasn't used herbicides for thistles for about 15-20 years, saying the spray drift could damage the crops at nearby vineyards. He's confident that the beetles won't spread beyond the thistle, because that's all they eat. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, July 28, 2024
Imagining a better school system for New Zealand
A raft of changes is coming to the education sector. Will they fix the problems, or just crush creativity? An education overhaul will mean more maths, more literacy, and more testing - but at what cost? When the OECD started monitoring education systems in the year 2000, New Zealand was one of the top performers. University of Auckland education professor Peter O'Connor credits our performance with the fact that our wide curriculum balanced rich academic knowledge with arts and other creative subjects. But O'Connor says the country's fall from grace began after the 2008 election, when the curriculum began to narrow, starting with the introduction of National Standards in 2010. "We had a grinding focus on literacy and numeracy - let's test to make sure we have the standard child," he says. "One of the things that we've seen is a drop-off internationally since those failed policies." In today's episode of The Detail, O'Connor recalls asking his then five-year-old daughter what she wanted to learn at school. Her answer was simple: blood. "The thing about schools is because of standardised curriculum, you don't learn about blood until you're 13," he says. In O'Connor's ideal world, his daughter, and all other children, would be able to go to a school where their curiosity is encouraged, where learning is messy, and imaginations can run wild. "She should be able to go to a school where when the teacher asks her a question, she can be playful with the answer," he says. He says that our education system now is killing that imagination, and that things will get worse with the changes the coalition government is making to the sector. The changes include a mandatory hour each of reading, writing and maths every day, a clearer curriculum, and an increase in testing. It's that final point that O'Connor believes is particularly problematic. "We know that from international evidence that regimes of constant testing not only doesn't lift achievement, it also damages the way that children think about being playful with learning," he says. And O'Connor says that playfulness and imagination aren't just essential for children's development, but for our world. "Empathy is a basic, and that's why the imagination is so important. To be able to imagine someone other than yourself and what their life is, is so vitally important in our times now. "If we can't imagine ourselves differently, if we can't imagine the world differently, this is as good as the world gets."… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, July 26, 2024
Re-writing the timeline of the universe
The most powerful telescope mankind has sent into orbit is opening up our understanding of how life began Since its launch two years ago, the James Webb Space Telescope has been sending back stunning images that are transforming our understanding of the cosmos This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after the dawn of time - about 200 million years after the Big Bang. For the first time we were able to witness the first stars blinking into life out of the primordial gloom. But what we saw was even more mind-blowing. Cosmologists expected to see a lot of new, weak stars starting to form the first galaxies. Instead, says US astrophysicist Rachel Somerville, it "found a lot of very luminous galaxies at very early times pumping out huge amounts of ultraviolet light. "The theories that had been published before Webb launched did not predict that large a number of such bright galaxies. "So that caused a big fuss." It wasn't just big bright objects causing a big fuss at the beginning of the time. "We started to find evidence for supermassive black holes that were also much larger, much more massive, and at much earlier times than theory had predicted. "Maybe those two things go together." Supermassive black holes, ancient stars that have collapsed in on themselves, are relatively commonplace these days, lurking in the centres of most galaxies. Richard Easther, Head of the Department of Physics at the University of Auckland, tells The Detail it's an open question as to where those black holes come from. "Whether the black holes form and then galaxies form around them, or whether the galaxies form and then the black holes form afterwards. "There's a complex web of interactions that happen in the early universe between particle physics that we don't understand, between black holes that we don't fully understand, between the messy physics that leads to star formation. "All those things somehow come together to produce what we see, and it's a huge challenge to get all of that right, all of that detail." Easther says while the JWST results were certainly a surprise, he's not expecting any major rewrites to the cosmological timeline. "We know for lots of reasons that the universe after the big bang was very smooth, composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, and it would take a significant amount of time before you can form stars… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, July 25, 2024
They came fourth
The anguish, frustration, and feeling of unfinished business when highly-driven athletes come fourth at an Olympic Games There are often just centimetres or seconds between a medal and fourth place, but some fourths are different to others If sprinter Zoe Hobbs lines up in the 100 metre final in Paris this year, her Olympic campaign will have been a success. Even if she doesn't climb the podium, her presence will be as good as gold. But if Dame Lisa Carrington comes fourth, the country will record it as a failure - New Zealand's most successful athlete won't be allowed an 'off' day. New Zealand athletes or teams have finished fourth 51 times in an Olympic final. Today on The Detail we talk to two Olympic athletes who've made it to the pinnacle of their sports, collected medals at Commonwealth Games and accolades elsewhere, but who fell just short of the podium on the biggest stage. Shot putter and discus thrower Val Young came fourth at both the Rome and Tokyo Olympics, in 1960 and 1964. (And fifth at the 1956 Melbourne games.) She was there in the infield, jumping and skipping with excitement as New Zealand experienced its golden hour - Peter Snell and Murray Halberg collecting gold medals within an hour of each other. Her shot putting event was on at the same time. She was ahead going into the last round but American Earlene Brown snuck in by an inch. Gold and silver went to Soviet and East German athletes in the days before the widespread drug-taking of those nations was exposed. In Tokyo all three athletes were from behind the Iron Curtain, so it's been speculated that if they had been clean games, Young would hold gold and silver medals. "You never know do you?" she says. But she doesn't think about it. "It's a long time ago, and when I talk about that day it's just the way it was. That's sport. That's life." But she does have strong memories of that 'golden hour' in Rome. "Looking back, it was a very special day for the New Zealand athletes," she says. "Getting into a final of an Olympic event is special. You get a plaque to say that's where your position was ... but it's not quite the same as getting up the steps." She didn't go to the after-party for Snell and Halberg - "I was a bit sad I suppose." Young didn't have long to mope as she had another event the next day. And she wouldn't trade her fistful of Commonwealth Games medals for an Olympic gong, saying they're her history. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, July 24, 2024
Secrets of state and faith-based care, finally revealed
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care has finally been released. What will its real impact be? A long-awaited report looks at the dark stories of Aotearoa's state and faith-based institutions. Freelance journalist Aaron Smale has spent years covering the dark stories of abuse in New Zealand state care institutions and has broken some key stories that led to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. On today's episode of The Detail, he talks about what's in the final report, which was released yesterday. The report is about 3000 pages and includes five case studies and 138 recommendations on how the government and others should respond. "The Royal Commission has almost laid a whole minefield basically for the government to try and get through," Smale says. "It's basically saying that some of these issues that have been dismissed or blocked or buried for years should go before the courts. "It's going to be pretty cut and dried that if they take a case against the Crown based on these findings, what's the Crown going to do? It can't defend them anymore, and so that's going to basically set a precedent, it's going to set case law and its actually going to act, in my view, as a deterrent to the Crown." Smale also explains how his personal experiences growing up as a Māori adoptee helped shape his understanding of what has happened in these state institutions, and the role of the Crown in allowing it. Over the years, his reporting - and his own search for identity - led him to question why Māori boys were treated as less desirable by society, and to scrutinize social statistics such as Māori prison population numbers. "There were a number of people that told me about these welfare homes and mentioned that as a contributing factor," he says. As he looked into this, he found stories of horrific abuse and came to believe New Zealand had ignored it. "For some reason, we've been trying to bury it for the last 30 years." His stories about places such as Lake Alice and Kohitere, for instance, moved the conversation forward and - despite debate between parties about whether there should be an inquiry - Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced one in 2018. After years of work, and many interim reports, the final report by the Royal Commission was made public yesterday. "It was a relief to see that the victims...their experiences have been heard, believed, and are now in this official document," Smale says… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, July 23, 2024
Knocking ageism on the head
We're being urged to re-think our attitudes towards ageing, as our population gets more and more top heavy. The UN has declared this the decade of healthy ageing, but a new advocacy group says that involves solving some big problems that New Zealand hasn't even looked at yet. In five years' time, one in five New Zealanders will be over retirement age. But there are concerns that older people still seem to be invisible citizens. We are currently in the middle of what's been designated as the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, which has prompted organisations in the sector in this country to form an advocacy group and think tank. The Aotearoa New Zealand National Forum for the Decade of Healthy Ageing aims to get society to re-think ingrained attitudes towards senior citizens, raise awareness and fund research and projects that will improve quality of life. The Selwyn Foundation is one of the groups involved, and The Detail today speaks to its chief executive Denise Cosgrove. The foundation's work started 70 years ago, looking at the tragic plight of older people with poor housing. "People living in sub-standard housing without water, without amenities, with no money... in poverty. "They numbered in the thousands then." But Cosgrove says those problems are still happening today. "We did some research a year or so ago and that number is 37,500 older people in Auckland and Northland alone experiencing multiple disadvantages across all those domains of wellbeing. "It's going to get worse. In less than five years there'll be a million people over 65 in New Zealand." Cosgrove says the UN decade is a platform for change. "It's about actually people realising that the world is changing, that are getting more older people, and that we actually need to address this in a way that is going to enable people to age well, and to live healthier lives for longer." The main issue the group wants to focus on is combating ageism. Cosgrove says that's about how we think. "Let's just stop and pause and ask why I went down that pathway, why did I make a judgement about that person, is it valid?" Examples are stereotypes about old people not being able to use technical devices, or being poor drivers. Another issue is pushing for policy and legislative change that would improve the lives of the over-65s, such as changing the rule that they're not eligible for student allowances. And a third thrust is encouraging intergenerational activity - bringing younger and older people together to share knowledge skills and realise the value of each other. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, July 22, 2024
New paths to home ownership
Housing affordability has plagued New Zealand for decades. What needs to change? Homeownership in New Zealand is on track to fall below 50 percent in the next 25 years, but there's one scheme that could help some households get a foot in the door. The number of New Zealanders who own their home is predicted to fall below 50 percent in the next 25 years. That's according to new figures in a report released by Westpac today. It strongly recommends boosting shared ownership possibilities, estimating that 152,000 lower- and middle-income household could be eligible for the scheme. The Housing Foundation, which is a Charitable Housing Trust, has been helping Kiwis get a foot in the door of their own homes since 2007. Today The Detail speaks to Dominic Foote, the foundation's chief executive, about the scheme. He says the concept may seem new in New Zealand but is standard practice in many other parts of the world. "Classically a home is $800,000, and a family is able to sustain a mortgage of $450,000, and they've got $50,000 of deposit, that's $500,000, and you can't buy a home in Auckland for $500,000," he says. That's where the Housing Foundation comes in to assist. In this example, he explains that the foundation chips in the remaining $300,000 so the family can purchase the home. Foote says families who buy homes through this initiative generally buy out the foundation's share within the first decade of ownership. But there's never additional financial pressure to do so. "We work with families on lower incomes, The Housing Foundation calculates how much that family can service as mortgage repayments. The ration we use is 30 percent. So, 30 percent of a gross household income of $100,000 is $30,000, divide that by 52 weeks in a year and that's roughly $600 a week that the family can put towards a mortgage," he says. Foote says that as time goes on, a family's financial situation tends to improve. "Families change their behaviours, they're less likely to spend money on things that aren't needed so much, they're thinking more about how they increase their income so they can buy us out," he says. But Foote says the financial advisors at the foundation make sure the mortgage payments a family is making never take up more than 30 percent of their income. But shared ownership can only go so far in helping solve the housing crisis. Bernard Hickey, creator of The Kākā, says New Zealand has the least affordable and amongst the most dangerous and unhealthy housing stocks in the developed world… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, July 21, 2024
The doctor won't see you now
The very public woes of a Lower Hutt GP clinic represent a wider malaise in primary care A rash of winter ills is coinciding with a drastic shortage of doctors in New Zealand - but there's far more wrong with general practice than that A mass exodus of staff, the ones who are left vastly overworked, disappearing doctors, swathes of scathing reviews. Lower Hutt's High Street Health Hub may be an extreme case, sparking claims its corporate owner cares more about money than people, but it's part of a much larger picture of GP clinics under stress in New Zealand. Delays in getting appointments, sometimes of a month or more; a funding model that's described as not fit for purpose; runaway fees and costs; and disappearing doctors are all part and parcel now of primary health care. Today on The Detail we look at the Lower Hutt situation, and at the wider issues surrounding the sector. Dr Bryan Betty is a specialist GP in Porirua Dr Bryan Betty is a specialist GP in Porirua, and the chair of General Practice New Zealand. He has real concerns that with the government's latest funding offer, some practices may not be viable anymore. He says they're already starting to close. Primary Health Organisations have rejected Te Whatu Ora's four percent increase to core general practice funding and say they will have no choice but to pass on costs to patients. The government is enabling that by increasing the amount they can charge clients by 7.76 percent. The funding system in New Zealand is a mixed model, with a fee given per patient who signs up to a practice, which is topped off with a co-payment from the patient. The government's latest offer for this year's increase averages out to a 5.58 percent, but Betty says rising costs and chronic underfunding of the past mean that's not nearly enough. RNZ reporter Kate Green has investigating a practice run by Green Cross Health that had to stop face to face consultations because it had just one doctor. "We presently estimate there's an underlying funding deficit of about 14 percent that's built up over the last 10 years. So there's real concerns over the offer that was made." He says many practices are operating at very thin margins, or at a loss. But the basic issue across the country is one of capacity, with about half of practices with closed books and not accepting new patients. "At the moment it's estimated we're short of three to four hundred GPs across New Zealand," Betty says. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, July 19, 2024
Samoa gets its first monolingual dictionary
A Samoan-only dictionary has been years in the making. Now, it's here. Starting from scratch to create a dictionary for a language, and a culture Finally, Samoa has a dictionary created by its people, for its people - in their language. The new monolingual dictionary has been 20 years in the making, and brings some consistency to the written language, where there's always been confusion. "Traditionally, we're an oral culture, where a lot of our customs and practices, our stories, our protocols are all passed on through oral nature, such as our storytelling times in the evenings," Auckland University Samoan language lecturer Lemoa Henry Fesulua'i tells The Detail. "Then the written aspect and the literacy aspect slowly came in when missionaries started to come in and then when they started to develop the Bible as text, all of that as well started to develop Samoan literacy and Samoan writing." Samoan dictionaries have always been bilingual, using English and Samoan. But in 2014, the government established the Samoan Language Commission to create a monolingual dictionary. This was mainly due to inconsistencies in the use of diacritical marks - like glottal stops or macrons. Discussions had already been happening for about a decade before the official announcement. Fa'atili Iosua Esera was the New Zealand representative on the commission and was intimately involved in creating the dictionary. "The way the committee was constructed, there were representatives from each of the denominations... there were representatives from islands," he says. "There were people with very deep knowledge in terms of the language and the culture and how the language is actually used in certain cultural contexts and cultural activities... it could be funerals, it could be opening of a church... just making sure that all the words for the whole Samoan world are actually in the dictionary," he says. "That was funnelled through a committee, basically under the guidance and also further research by the National University of Samoa. That's where the work was actually put together." Lemoa says Samoans are trying to "decolonise our thinking". "The imperial thinking is that the Samoan language is inferior to the Western language or European and English language. By the Samoans and by the government creating these texts and creating these initiatives and coming up with resources like this, really starts to uplift the value of the language and starts to validate to Samoans the importance of Samoan language." Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here. You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, July 18, 2024
A tale of two mayors
Two years into their mayoral terms, the civic leaders of Wellington and Auckland have pushed through controversy, opposition and calls for their resignation One is still not a hugger, the other has had to put wild parties behind her. A look at how the mayors of Auckland and Wellington have fared over the last two years When Wayne Brown started his term as Auckland mayor, he was lambasted for his poor communication, lack of engagement with the media and inability to get consensus around the council table. While in the capital - Tory Whanau's ascension to the mayoralty was heralded as a huge step forward - she was the first wāhine Māori mayor and talked of a progressive future. It's nearly two years into their three year terms and the narrative has somewhat changed - Brown has secured the lowest rates increase of any metropolitan council across the country, while Whanau's left-leaning colleagues have accused her of selling out her progressive stance. On today's episode of The Detail, two New Zealand Herald reporters, Simon Wilson in Auckland and Georgina Campbell in Wellington, analyse how their mayors have performed. Brown notoriously criticised Wilson for being a "prick" just before he became mayor. "I'd like to think that my relationship was straightforward with Wayne and his was complicated with me," says Wilson. Brown's performance around the Auckland floods in January 2023 has been widely criticised, and some called for him to resign. "He has, from that point, applied himself a lot more diligently to the task," Wilson says. Despite a controversial annual plan process in 2023, Wilson believes Brown has done a better job this year, with the 10 year long-term plan. "He had developed stronger relations with councillors by that stage, he had worked out who was going to support him and who wasn't, who was likely to," Wilson says. "He had a probably more functional mayor's office by that stage and that meant that the process of establishing the long-term-plan budget was smoother. He didn't get everything he wanted, but he got a much stronger sense of 'we the council are committed to this'. "He has kept his rates increases under 10 per cent, which is an enormous achievement in the country at the moment." However, Wilson believes Brown struggles with emotional intelligence. "He cannot help himself - he sits in council meetings and quietly manages to say things about other councillors that - if they were sensitive - they'd feel highly abused about."… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, July 17, 2024
The tax man is coming for you
It you're actively avoiding your tax obligations, expect the spotlight of an auditor to shine brightly on your books RNZ's money correspondent Susan Edmunds says IRD gets nearly seven thousand anonymous tip-offs a year about cash jobs, and the construction industry is the most often reported. The tax department is warning businesses to get their houses in order - it's cracking down with the power of the millions it got in the budget. The tax department got $29 million in the budget this year - $116m over four years - to collect tax from people who should be paying it, but aren't. IRD has just released its list of targets and it's a broad one, spanning everyone from students, criminals, shop owners with electronic ways to cheat the system, sole traders whose books are a mess, cleaners, gardeners, landlords, and people who try to avoid banking systems by using cryptocurrency. But top of its list is the construction industry, a sector long associated with the proliferation of the "cashie". Today on The Detail we look at how Inland Revenue plans to pull in an estimated extra $702m using its new resources; and why the construction industry feels a bit hard done by when it comes to assumptions about how builders do business. RNZ money correspondent Susan Edmunds says IRD gets nearly 7000 anonymous tip-offs a year about cash jobs, and the construction industry is the most often reported. "There's been a focus for several years there and just amping that up a bit," she says. Construction "has had a big downturn just lately, so probably from some businesses' perspective this isn't a great time for a crackdown. But they have been signalling for some time that it's coming". The industry has been struggling with economic hard times, an increase in insolvencies, unavailability of materials and hugely increased costs, and Edmunds says IRD acknowledges that. "But they say that some are just actively avoiding their obligations, and those are the ones that they're going for. "IRD says it will use the money on tools and people to get its audits done, and accountants and tax experts say they expect to see a real step-up in activity, and everyone should be working to get their paperwork in order," she says. "They say they took a 'softly-softly' approach during the pandemic but that's now changed." Auditors have started to do site visits looking for the missing millions, which Edmunds says might be alarming for some people. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, July 16, 2024
Lean times in the food industry
As diners tighten their economic belts, the restaurants that used to feed them are fending off collapse. Things are so dire in the restaurant trade that some business owners are hoping they can feast on the customers of closed eateries long enough to survive the downturn. The hospitality industry says it's having to get cut-throat as restaurant owners weather the latest economic storm. With less money in their pockets, people are hesitant to dine out. Westpac data tracking credit card and debit card transactions shows spending in restaurants is down nine percent in the past three months compared to the same time last year. "It's cut-throat at the moment... as these businesses are closing down or trading insolvently, there will be some of us who are just hoping to ride a wave of a few more customers coming through as a result," Auckland restaurateur Krishna Botica told The Detail. The industry isn't going to disappear, "but in saying that, it is having a very tough time", she says. "We caught up with our bank managers a couple of weeks ago and their words were: 'no one's flourishing'." The Detail today speaks to Botica and to Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod, who says the sector is facing challenges on two fronts. "First is that we've got a very weak environment for household spending," he says. "Retail spending levels have effectively been flat for a year now despite some pretty strong population growth. It's discretionary spending areas like dining out where we're seeing a lot of that weakness." The second issue was pressure from increasing operating costs. "We're seeing some big increases in areas like electricity and rents," he says. "That's quite important because it's one thing to get cost increases at a time when you're seeing strong demand, but at a time when demand is soft like it is now... A lot of businesses are having trouble passing on those cost increases and it means their margins are getting squeezed." Botica explains restaurants historically operated on a "30-30-30" model for expenses, profiting from the remaining 10 percent. " for fixed costs, cost of goods, and then wage costs," she says. "But the 30-30-30 model doesn't really stack up the way it used to. Because of wage costs going up well over the 40 percent mark, we have to find that margin in other areas." But she disagrees that the industry is precarious by nature. "I believe it's a very resilient industry going through a tough time," she says. "It's a cycle. We will adapt, we will bounce back."… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, July 15, 2024
It's not easy being Green
Questionable conduct, personal tragedy, and a changing of the guard: the internal of the Green Party. It's been a troubling run for the Green Party. Can they overcome the drama and get back to governing? Former Green Party MP Darleen Tana. MP Darleen Tana's recent resignation from the Greens is only the latest in a string of dramas affecting the party. Newsroom political editor Laura Walters says the problems can be summed up as three different, but related, struggles: conduct issues, personal tragedy and new leadership. Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick. "They all kind of influence each other," she says. "They're all feeding into this really difficult time that the Greens are having." In today's episode of The Detail, Walters walks through some of those difficulties. In May 2023, Elizabeth Kerekere resigned from the party after bullying allegations came to light. There's been a long list of issues since then - Golriz Ghahraman's shoplifting conviction, Julie Anne Genter's angry outburst in parliament and the resignation of co-leader James Shaw. The party has also been faced with personal tragedy and illness. In February, Fa'anānā Efeso Collins collapsed at a charity event in Auckland and died. Last month, co-leader Marama Davidson revealed a breast cancer diagnosis. The recent allegations against Darleen Tana centre around her husband's alleged migrant exploitation. She has resigned from the Green Party, but so far, not from Parliament. The Greens could invoke the waka-jumping rule to kick Tana out of Parliament - but they've been strongly opposed to that legislation in the past. Former Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman. When it comes to questionable conduct, Walters says that "it raises very valid questions around things like their vetting process, their support processes, whether the party is operating in a fully professionalised way as it needs to, and the candidates that they're picking". Though Davidson's recent diagnosis and Collins' death are separate, Walters says they are still related. "We've got these personal tragedies, which do complicate things further and add to that emotional stress and fatigue and everything like that," she says. "That makes it really hard for the party and also might just be influencing their behaviour and decisions a little bit." With Davidson unwell, co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has had to step up to the top job without the support of a full-time co-leader, with only a few months of leadership experience under her belt… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, July 14, 2024
Lulu Sun's path from Te Anau to Wimbledon
New Zealand has a new tennis star. It's no surprise she's from Te Anau. Rising tennis star Lulu Sun left Te Anau at just five years old, but her hometown remains crazy for the sport. New Zealand has a new tennis star, but residents of her hometown, Te Anau, have been obsessed with the sport for long before she was on the scene. Sun left when she was just five years old, but local Murray Willians says she still frequently visits family, and plays at their club from time to time. Even after her run at Wimbledon, Willians still thinks people will be eager to join her on the court during her next visit home. "After what we saw these last few days, man it's impressive, but I'm sure there will be a big line of people eager to get out there and have a hit with her," he says. As Te Anau's love for the sport grew over the years, so too did their tennis set-up. They started out with an umbrella next to a rubbish bin, but eventually got four tennis courts, a coach who moved from South Africa to take on the job, and hundreds of residents who play. "During the summer Danny coaches around about 100 kids and probably about half of those continue with that coaching right through the winter, to the point now where there are some very handy juniors, some of them are in the top few kids in the country," Willians says. There's also the Distinction Hotels Te Anau Tennis Invitational, which is held in Te Anau at the end of December every year. Eight of New Zealand's best male players are invited to come and play for a chance to win a prize of about $20,000. Willians says it gives aspiring players a helping hand with the financial burden of trying to break into the professional courts. That's a burden another Kiwi tennis legend thinks Lulu Sun will know well. Belinda Cordwell says while it may seem to some that the 23-year-old has risen to fame out of nowhere, there's no doubt she has been working incredibly hard. "If you look back through the first years of her career, she had a WTA (Women's Tennis Association) ranking at the age of 14, which is pretty unheard of. She's played at Junior Wimbledon in 2018... she helped the University of Texas win the NCAA, which is the university college competition that is played. So, she's got some pedigree in the game," Cordwell says. Sun faced three challenging matches to qualify for Wimbledon, which Cordwell says is a huge accomplishment in itself. "But then for her to build on that momentum and then play so well into the second week of a Grand Slam is an incredible achievement for anybody," she says… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, July 12, 2024
Fifty years of Dungeons & Dragons
Players of this complex and very social game have been fighting monsters and weaving fantastical stories for half a century. Shaun Garea playing the roleplaying game Wanderhome by Jay Dragon. It's 1974 and the kings of the nerd world are hunched over tables and desks drawing maps and brainstorming ideas. Fantasy monsters that will become staples of pop culture for decades to come, and rules for a game that will be played by millions, are drafted and written. Maps are drawn, open ended stories are created. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson have envisioned a game based on a shared imaginary space sustained by its players; one that only really requires some paper, pencils and dice to play. D&D has been born and it will go well beyond the Wisconsin basement where it started. Chris Wetzel is living evidence of the reach D&D has. A full decade before the invention of the internet, he and his friends in New Plymouth were devouring everything wargaming related and that included some of the first ever iterations of what would become D&D. "You talk about nerds now, we were not even geeks or nerds those days, we were just crazy people," he says. A life of TTRPGs, or tabletop role playing games, had an impact. Wetzel says it did him a lot of good. "I was a drug addict and a junkie for 38 years; it's changed my life and my outlook. It's given me something to hold onto; it's given me an anchor." Research reveals that Wetzel, now 70, is far from the only one to have taken value from D&D. A lab dedicated to exploring the link between tabletop games and mental health was started last year by a small team of researchers from Massey University. Role-playing exercises have long been a part of many therapy techniques in the form of cognitive behavioural therapy, but GRAIL aims to examine the effect of TTRPGs and board games specifically. It's the first of its kind in Aotearoa. As researcher, and co-founder of GRAIL Shaun Garea puts it: "When people are engaging in these games, they are entering into a play space which allows them to take on a character and allows them to explore in the safety of the game space and do things verbally and act things out they wouldn't normally be able to do a lot of the time." Those who might be questioning aspects of their identity, such as people unsure of their sexuality or gender identity, can find value in slipping into the skin of a character in a place free of judgement… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, July 11, 2024
America's space wars are our space wars
The US is rallying its allies to bring it up in a battle straight out of science fiction - a war in space A war in space would change life on earth as we know it, and it's not as far-fetched as you might think America is gearing up for a space war and wants New Zealand to join an international operation aimed at deterring a satellite attack from Chinese or Russian forces. The US established its Space Force in 2019, and has a strong anti-China rhetoric focused on bringing allies together into its defensive and offensive space plans. RNZ reporter Phil Pennington says the agreement is similar to AUKUS Pillar Two, which is a strategic defence partnership centring around protecting the Indo-Pacific territory from Chinese military expansion. "The US is really trying to create a global network here, that's in contrast to the more isolated stance of Russia and China in space where they're relying on themselves," he says. Space Force's General Michael Guetlein told US lawmakers that his team is "on a journey to forge a purpose-built Space Force to deter and if needed, defeat any rival to maintain control of the space domain." Space Force has gone from nothing to being worth $50 billion in a mere five years, and Pennington says New Zealand brings a unique offer to the table. "We don't have weapon factories but what we do have is very clear southern skies and because of Rocket Lab we have a proven launch capability," he says. Figuring out what the plans are is proving to be tricky because there's a lot of contradiction and reading between the lines when it comes to obtaining official documents. "One hand they talk about peace and stability but on the other hand you have quotes like this; 'competitors have weaponised space in a way that holds US and allied capabilities at risk and in doing so they have created the most competitive and dangerous space environment in history'," he says. Pennington says New Zealand officials are keeping particularly quiet about what's happening behind closed doors. The US on the other hand has been a bit more open. "They actually note that it's hard to know what would happen in a space war. That's because there's a lot of uncertainty around what they call operating concepts, the pace of technological change and they also note the secrecy surrounding space capabilities ... but they do talk about using lasers to dazzle the other satellites," he says. Pennington says Rocket Lab is planning to send a satellite up next year to have a test fight against another satellite. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, July 10, 2024
New body for a fresh start in sport
A new body that has a broad remit to make sure sport is fair and safe has been a long time coming, but it's here now The Sport Integrity Commission is our newest independent crown entity, designed to rule over everything that brings fairness and safety to games. New Zealand sport and recreation has a new body to oversee the sector. It comes after a seemingly never-ending parade of sporting officials announcing inquiries, promising reviews, getting rid of problematic people and apologising to athletes. RNZ sports correspondent Dana Johannsen calls 2018 the 'year of reckoning' for sport, as high-profile reviews played out in high performance environments including cycling, hockey and football. Then in August 2021 the fact that high performance sport needed a serious shakeup was starkly brought to the fore with the death of cyclist Olivia Podmore. Athletes lost trust in the system, and it was clear something needed to be done - and it was. A bill to establish the independent crown entity, the Integrity in Sport and Recreation Commission - Te Kahu Raunui - was the last throw of the dice for the Labour government in August last year, and this month it opened its doors. Today on The Detail we find out what led to the need for this organisation, what it will do, and what problems it hopes to solve. "The athletes have trust and confidence in this new body, and they feel they will be well supported," says Johannsen. "This one has really been a long time coming. It's off the back of about five or six years of feasibility studies and working groups, and of course all the many, many sports reviews that have played out in high performance sporting environments. "It received cross-party support and I think that's probably a reflection that even though these types of issues in sport around abuse and bullying discrimination have been a hot button topic, they haven't really been politicised at that level." Several of the reviews that led to this highlighted the fact that there wasn't the capability across the sector to deal with integrity-related issues. "The key thing about this new body is that it will be entirely independent of Sport New Zealand and High Performance Sport New Zealand, which was one of the key findings to come out a lot of the reviews - that there wasn't a lot of trust in the system." Often the body doing the review was also having to investigate its own actions, including allowing toxic situations to fester. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, July 09, 2024
Brokering peace in the Middle East
A ceasefire deal over Gaza has been on the table since June. So why are Israel and Hamas still at war? International calls for a ceasefire in Gaza started in October last year. Why is it so hard to get a peace deal? In the past week, Israel sent the head of its spy agency to Qatar for negotiations, and Hamas agreed to begin talks about releasing Israeli hostages. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also said that a ceasefire deal must allow his country to keep fighting, and Hamas accused him of obstructing progress. For much of the past nine months, since Hamas's initial attack on Israel on 7 October and Israel's near-immediate retaliation, it's been one step forward, one back for peace talks. This latest is more of the same. The deal currently under consideration was proposed by US President Joe Biden in late May, and passed by the United Nations Security Council in June. It has three phases. "My understanding is that the sticking point around this current agreement is basically Hamas wants there to be some sort of guarantee that the ceasefire -- as in a stop, a halt in fighting -- will go on beyond that first phase of the agreement and it won't be subject to more negotiation. That's not something that Israel is willing to accede to as yet," says Marika Sosnowski, a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Melbourne Law School, who studies the dynamics of ceasefires. In today's episode of The Detail, Sosnowski explains why it's taking so long to reach a truce, and how a deal like this is brokered. "I think the easiest way to think about it is probably a ceasefire deal is like a really complicated contract between these parties. "You want to make sure that the terms of the agreement are really well spelled out." For a ceasefire to be enacted, the minute details of this contract are essential. "They will go literally off the terms that they have negotiated in the contract. "What my research suggests is that the more detailed the terms, the better chance there is logically of the parties implementing the ceasefire, because they know exactly what they're meant to do at particular times and kind of how they're meant to do it. "And that's exactly what we saw back with the truce in November. The terms were super-specific and basically highly choreographed. "Both Hamas and Israel, but also the Red Cross (that helped facilitate the release of the hostages and the prisoners), Egypt (where prisoners and hostages were released and exchanged along their border) - everyone knew exactly what the dance was. That's why basically the terms of the agreement are so important." … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, July 08, 2024
Auckland gambling conference aims to break a habit
As gambling gets more sophisticated, researchers are planning a counter-attack using smart technology. An international conference in Auckland this week brings together gambling researchers developing methods to get people to kick the habit. Although fewer people might be gambling these days, that doesn't mean less money is being lost. "Over recent years, the rate of participation - or how many people are playing the pokies - tends to be decreasing," Associate Professor of Psychology at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Simone Rodda says. "Young people aren't really starting at the rate that they did 20 years ago, but the rate of problems remain the same - over a billion (New Zealand) dollars in expenditure last year and that's being done by a smaller number of people - that's a little concerning." Rodda is speaking at the International Gambling Conference, being held in Auckland this week by AUT and the Problem Gambling Foundation. "When people develop a problem, they are spending more money than what they used to," she says. "The opportunities to gamble have increased - not only do we have gambling venues but we can buy Lotto tickets online, we can do sports betting online, you can bet anytime of the day or the night now." One of the areas growing in prevalence is in "loot boxes", through online video games. Tegan Charnock is a PhD candidate at the University of Tasmania, researching how excessive video game play can lead to gambling issues, and is also speaking at the conference. Charnock describes loot boxes as "a virtual lucky dip that gamers can buy with their real world money". "The items in the loot box are randomised, so you don't know what virtual items you might get. What you get inside them could be high or low value, but the really risky part is you don't know before purchasing - only after opening," she says. "Psychologically speaking, if we think about how people learn behaviours, we know that the most effective way to teach someone a new behaviour is to reward that person for completing the desired behaviour. The trick here is though that you don't reward them every time, you reward them sometimes or intermittently. Some video games features and loot boxes in particular work very similarly to this." Charnock says although some countries, such as Belgium, have banned loot boxes, game users can find ways to access these loot box games if they really want to… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, July 07, 2024
Tauranga's democratic comeback
After four years of commissioners, Tauranga is set to elect a mayor and councillors. Can they avoid a repeat of the previous mess? Tauranga City will shed its commissioners and elect a new council in just under two weeks, but not everyone is welcoming this return to democracy Tauranga City will shed its commissioners and elect a new council in just under two weeks, but not everyone is welcoming this return to democracy There's some fear in the air in Tauranga as the country's fifth-largest city gets ready to vote in the council election on July 20. Tauranga City councillors were replaced with commissioners in 2020 after a tumultuous year. Now it's almost time for a mayor and councillors to return. "There is a lot of apprehension out there from all circles that I've encountered, there's a bit of unease as to who's going to be elected," Bay of Plenty Times senior journalist Kiri Gillespie tells The Detail. "They're really concerned that history will repeat itself and we'll return to the same dysfunction as we had before the commissioners - we've got six of the former council running again." A resident survey from July last year shows an increased satisfaction with the council over the commissioners' term, though another, from March of this year, shows the opposite. "To be completely fair, most of the people I've encountered through all sorts of means, whether I'm going out on a job and I'm interviewing somebody my own social circles or things like that - the general consensus is that they're pleased with what the commissioners have done," Gillespie says. Many people have thrown their hats in the ring for a place at the council table - 85 candidates are vying for 10 seats, including 15 going for the mayoralty. These include Olympic gold-medal winning rower Mahé Drysdale and singer-songwriter Ria Hall. There are a few familiar faces with their hands up too, including a former mayor and former councillors. "Ultimately it's up to the voters, they all know who was there before and who the fresh faces are," Gillespie says. "But it's that fine balance of wanting to elect a council with experience and know-how but also fresh blood where you won't necessarily get the dysfunction that we had before, so it's a real unknown." The commissioners, led by former National MP Anne Tolley, wrote to Local Government minister Simeon Brown late last year, suggesting a new hybrid council model would be best for the city. This would consist of six elected councillors and four commissioners, with a commissioner as chair. But the idea was rejected… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, July 05, 2024
Music for mega-churches
Christian - or worship - music is probably bigger than you think, and its appeal to the young and isolated is undeniable The recent full-house Brooke Fraser concert at Spark Arena in Auckland was for more than just nostalgic fans Brooke Fraser's homecoming show was a hit - the 'Something in the Water' star performed with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra late last month. Her show reportedly drew the biggest ever crowd for a New Zealand solo artist at Spark Arena. But the audience was drawn from more than just Fraser fans from two decades ago. She has a massive following amongst Christians. Now based in Los Angeles, Fraser performs Christian songs under her married name 'Brooke Ligertwood" and has been one of the leading members of Hillsong Worship, the music arm of the controversial Hillsong Church. LA-based Kiwi journalist David Farrier believes that's not widely known. "I've been wanting to write about this other aspect to her for a while now and it just seemed that her performing this record-breaking solo concert in New Zealand was a good opportunity to talk about it," he says. "She's had this really close, interesting relationship with one of the biggest megachurches on the earth - Hillsong - and I think that's just something that a lot of people don't know and I think it's worth addressing," he says. Hillsong has been in the news over recent years for its controversies - its leader Brian Houston left after allegations of inappropriate conduct with two women. "There are some deeply problematic power dynamics in these churches," Farrier says. "There are various views that a church like Hillsong carries - not at all inclusive towards the LBGTQI community, they have some really dicey thoughts on the role of women. "I would argue that Hillsong is not a good place to be involved in and has been a big part of their marketing campaign. I just think we should acknowledge that, she has profited a lot off this church." The Detail also speaks to Graham Burt, the executive director of Christian music gathering, Festival One. Festival One is now in its 11th year, starting in 2015 after the demise of Parachute the year before. Burt says allegations around Hillsong and through other megachurches like Arise are "heart breaking" and "terrible". He says he's trying to create an inclusive culture through his festival… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, July 04, 2024
The strange story of Julian Assange
The Julian Assange saga has been going on for so long that most of us have probably forgotten how it started Secret files, sexual assault allegations, holed up in a foreign embassy in London, and then locked up in a high security British jail - Julian Assange's life has been tumultuous and strange The saga of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has come to an end - for now, at least. Last week, the WikiLeaks founder appeared in a US court in the Mariana Islands, pleaded guilty to one charge under the Espionage Act, then flew back to Canberra thanks to time already served in jail. His legal battles have been going on for so long that many have lost track of the extraordinary story. On today's episode of The Detail, Crikey political reporter Anton Nilsson takes us through Assange's protracted legal and other dramas, which have spanned 14 years, beginning with the most recent developments. "There was kind of a surprise plea deal all of a sudden. There seems to have been a lot of behind-the-scenes work by his lawyers in the US and the UK and the Australian government to make it happen, and he all of a sudden was headed toward the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific to front a judge, and plead guilty to one count, and was allowed free." Nilsson says that this was unexpected, even to those who followed the story closely. "We've heard rumours of plea deals from time to time," he says. "In March the Wall Street Journal reported that the US Justice Department was considering whether Assange could plead guilty to a reduced charge of mishandling classified information and avoid setting foot in the US, which is pretty similar to what ended up happening, but at the time Assange's lawyers were downplaying that. "It seemed perhaps a bit hopeful, at least I didn't expect that it would happen so soon after." The story starts in 2006 when Assange launched WikiLeaks, a platform he used to leak classified documents, diplomatic cables and state secrets. In 2010 he leaked nearly half a million documents about America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, raising the ire of leadership in much of the western world. Since then, he's faced sexual assault allegations from Sweden, charges for skipping bail in the UK, indictments from the US, seven years holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and a further five in a high security British prison. Amid all that he got married, had two children, and attracted high-profile supporters including Lady Gaga and Pamela Anderson. Now that he's finally home, Assange's family says he needs time to rest and recover. How long that takes remains to be seen. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, July 03, 2024
Boot camps are back, needed or not
What we know, what we don't, and what the evidence says, about whether boot camps work. A stack of evidence says boot camps aren't successful. So why is the government bringing them back? Warning: this story mentions suicide This month, the government will deliver on a campaign promise by launching a pilot 'young offender military academy' - a boot camp - despite a raft of evidence that "scare them straight" programmes are unsuccessful. Minister for Children Karen Chhour says that this scheme will include continued wrap-around service when teens leave the residential section of the programme, including consistent support with mentors in their community. In the pilot, teens will spend the first three months in residence, and a further nine meeting regularly with their mentor. In today's episode of The Detail, RNZ's Phil Pennington says success may depend on resources. "It is a very big task, and resource-intensive. " emphasis has been on the transition period that is hugely important, and if that doesn't work the whole thing won't work." This is where similar programmes have failed in the past. "The transition has been neglected and therefore these kids have gone on to re-offend. They're trying to get around that, but that's going to take a lot of resources." Minister for Children Karen Chhour says that this scheme will include continued wrap-around service, including consistent support with mentors in their community. Oranga Tamariki will lead the programme, though other agencies including Police and New Zealand Defence Force have been involved. Oranga Tamariki has just cut more than 400 jobs. The pilot will involve up to 10 young offenders between the ages of 14 and 17. A briefing on these military academies from Oranga Tamariki to the minister, released under the Official Information Act, has given some insight into their profile. "It is pretty grim," says Pennington. The briefing says that "while the cohort of young people with serious or persistent offending is relatively small, they have the highest needs and the poorest outcomes." It goes on to say that 80 percent have "a confirmed or suspected mental health or disability related diagnosis," 20 percent have "attempted to end their life", 90 percent have "significant learning difficulties", and more than 50 percent of the boys and 25 percent of the girls have "been physically harmed more than three times in the past year." In the podcast, Pennington says the research "pretty much says hard boot camps don't work, soft boot camps can work"… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, July 02, 2024
New Zealand's unwelcome sign
Shirking our fair share - why hasn't New Zealand upped its game when it comes to welcoming refugees? New Zealand's been accused of failing to pull its weight when it comes to helping out the soaring number of displaced people around the world The number of displaced people around the world keeps going up and up - it's nearly doubled in the last decade. And yet New Zealand's contribution towards turning the dire numbers around is still minimal. We're not doing our bit, according to anyone with skin in the game - and it's time we came up with new ways to address an old crisis. Today on The Detail we talk to Auckland University Professor Ritesh Shah, who says the idea that New Zealand isn't doing its fair share is valid. New Zealand's refugee quota per year is 1,500, which is an increase from 1,000 in 2020. We've very rarely hit those numbers. We take in roughly one refugee a year for every three thousand residents a year. In a full house at Eden Park, that's about 15 people. Meanwhile the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates the number of people forcibly displaced and seeking safety has now passed 120 million. "We need to be doing a better job, because we have the wealth, we have the resources, we have the land," says Shah. But in terms of popular politics, not everyone thinks that way. The main concerns centre around the impact migrants would have on a country's economy and social identity. But Shah says the data shows migrants are more of a benefit than burden. "For example, if we look at the refugee population in New Zealand, after five years almost all of them are in some sort of employment, they are not reliant on government services," he says. There have been exceptions to the Government's 1,500 asylum claim limit. When the Taliban seized Afghanistan in 2021, New Zealand helped evacuate people stuck in conflict zone. When Russia invaded Ukraine, the Government created a special sponsorship scheme. This allowed Kiwis to apply to bring their immediate Ukrainian family members to New Zealand to live and work for two years. However similar kinds of aid are yet to be offered for people stuck in Gaza, a decision the Government has faced heavy criticism for. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford defended the choice, saying with borders around Gaza closed there is no guarantee New Zealand could get people out of the country. She argued that offering special visas would risk giving Gazans "false hope". But while Shah acknowledges that leaving right now is nearly impossible, he says there will be a point where not only the Rafah crossing but other borders will open… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, July 01, 2024
New Zealand's failing government infrastructure
What happens when upgrades to key pieces of infrastructure are put on the back burner The problems with Defence Force plans and Interislander ferries show the risk of deferred maintenance and upgrades A Defence Force plane stranding a delegation, the Aratere run aground and a downed pylon causing widespread power outages across Northland are all part of a theme: key pieces of New Zealand infrastructure are constantly breaking down. Today's episode of The Detail takes a closer look at what led to these issues and what's being done to fix them. The latest problem hit an Air Force Boeing 757 in Papua New Guinea, which was being used by the Prime Minister and a business delegation for a trip to Japan. "It seemed pretty familiar," says Newsroom's political editor Laura Walters. "The Prime Minister, his travelling staff and his foreign affairs officials hop on the plane, everything starts out fine and then they get to Port Moresby and it turns out that there is a fault." This follows several problems with the 757s - for instance in March one was not able to take off from Wellington while a delegation was on its way to Melbourne. Walters was supposed to be on that flight. She says there's a huge weigh-up between paying for maintenance and forking out for new planes. "While we don't want to spend money buying new planes, it seems there is a huge cost that goes into this maintenance and fixing these faults," she says. "We're looking at tens of millions if not hundreds of millions of dollars across the span of a couple of years - and that's ballooning. It's becoming more and more expensive to keep it in the air." She compares it to keeping an old car on the road. "We've all owned one of those crappy old cars and we love them dearly but at some point, it costs more to keep them going than it almost does to just go and buy a new car. Of course, you have to have the capital to put up to buy the new car." But will the government put up the capital to buy a new plane? Walters is confident the answer is yes. "The question is less 'are we going to get them' and more 'when are we going to get them'," she says. Ministers are waiting on a defence capability review, looking at the Defence Force's stock and what can be replaced or upgraded. "Once that capability plan is delivered, then we'll be able to see a little bit more around what is being recommended, but our understanding is that there will be a recommendation to update these planes or to replace these planes," Walters says… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, June 30, 2024
The beginning of the end for news at TV3
Part 2: It's Newshub's final week on air, and reporter Adam Hollingworth looks back at its battle to beat TVNZ. Where it succeeded and where it failed. As Newshub enters its final week, reporter Adam Hollingworth looks back at its battle to beat TVNZ. Where it succeeded and where it failed. This is the second and final episode of The Detail's two-part podcast. Part one can be found here. In 2013 things were going well for 3 News. It was performing strongly in the Auckland market, often beating TVNZ in the key 25 to 54 demographic. There were signs that it was also making progress with audiences in Wellington and South Island. Then came a body blow. A relatively new board at TV3 decided it had to do something to rid itself of expensive and onerous contracts with Hollywood studios. It decided to put the company into voluntary receivership which allowed it to exit the contracts. Executives were tasked with renegotiating deals for programmes considered vital at the time, like Home and Away. The Aussie soap was in its most popular phase and was giving 3 News a stronger lead-in than One News had. Lead-in programmes were still seen as significant factors in the news battle and TV3 had suffered for years with multiple programmes failing to fire in the 5.30pm slot. Unfortunately for TV3 Home and Away slipped through its fingers and into the hands of TVNZ. 3 News had lost its lead-in and the network had lost the most profitable programme in its history. The then-Head of News at TV3 and now co-editor at Newsroom, Mark Jennings, says the loss of Home and Away was a huge shock and setback for the network. "Unfortunately that was probably the start of many problems that led right up to today." A short time later the board appointed a new CEO, Olympic swimmer and former boss of the NZX, Mark Weldon. "Weldon was different, he was a McKinsey consultant, he was head of the NZX, our New Zealand stock exchange, he had no media experience," Jennings says. According to Jennings, Weldon had good ideas but failed to, or didn't want to, understand editorial independence, and this put him on a collision course with the TV3's newsroom. "He used to tell me he was a friend of John Key's, we had a board who had directors on it who were aligned with the National Party. In the end they did not like our current affairs journalists, they saw them almost as the enemy and Mark Weldon really wanted to bring change there," he explains. A slew of executives, including Jennings, left TV3. Longform current affairs was abandoned and journalists laid off. Melanie Reid was one of them, and she describes the Weldon era as 'odd'… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, June 28, 2024
Newshub's Mike McRoberts: "The end is hard to accept."
Part 1: As Newshub enters its final week, reporter Adam Hollingworth talks to current and former staff about the news division's early days and key events in its 35-year history. As Newshub enters its final week, reporter Adam Hollingworth talks to current and former staff about the news division's early days and key events in its 35-year history McRoberts headed into war zones without insurance cover - simply accepting the CEO's word that his family would be looked after if he didn't come back. This is part one of a two-part podcast. The second part can be found here. At 6pm on July 6th Mike McRoberts and Samantha Hayes will read the last ever Newshub bulletin. Both have spent the majority of their careers at New Zealand's first private television network. The studio desk they sit behind was once the domain of other household names like Joanna Paul, Hilary Barry, John Campbell, and Carol Hirschfeld. By the time McRoberts slid into the presenter's seat, 3 News was no longer the cheeky upstart - but the underdog attitude was still a part of the network's DNA, the idea of doing more with less seemingly engrained in the minds of reporters and producers. "It made you more inventive and creative about the ways you created stories and often I thought they were the better stories. We didn't rely on having screeds and screeds of footage to show, we only had two minutes per bulletin I think of Olympic footage or Commonwealth games footage to show, so you were actually pushed into telling a much better personal story," he says. McRoberts was a spearhead of TV3's strategy to send reporters to areas where TVNZ was reluctant to tread. But it came with risks. McRoberts headed into war zones without insurance cover - simply accepting the CEO's word that his family would be looked after if he didn't come back. He says it was a company he was prepared to do anything for. "There was a sense of putting your life on the line for this company, for the coverage, for the story, for my colleagues, and to know that that's coming to an end is really hard to accept." Phillip Sherry was the host for TV3's first bulletin In the same way that Stuff is racing to be ready on July 6, TV3's early days were a mix of adrenalin and fear of failure. The company had suffered long delays in obtaining a broadcast license and faced aggressive competition from a well-prepared TVNZ. When the first news bulletin aired on November 27, 1989 South Island bureau chief Mark Jennings (who later would become Head of News) was sitting on the edge of his seat. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, June 26, 2024
Government rebates for game developers
Why the most profitable sector of the entertainment industry will get handouts from the government. Gaming makes more money than any other entertainment category. So why is the sector getting government cash? New Zealand on Air recently announced the recipients of the Game Development Sector Rebate - 32 gaming studios will be able to claim back 20 percent of what they spend creating games. Some insiders say it could lead to Aotearoa's next "Middle Earth moment". Despite being the biggest earner in the entertainment sector globally, gaming in Aotearoa has been struggling to keep up with overseas competitors. Zoe Hobson is chief executive of Runaway Play, a Dunedin-based mobile game developer. "It's been a bit of a funny few years in the gaming market," she says. "If you step back a couple of years, the New Zealand gaming industry had been growing really strongly, with very little or not really any significant support. If we look back a few years, it was growing at an average of 26 percent year on year and we'd had growth of 47 percent in 2022." Then other countries introduced rebates. For instance, in some Australian states, studios were offered up to 45 cents back on every dollar they spent developing a new title. "So we started seeing a shift," Hobson says. "Growth in New Zealand started to slow, companies started to see staff moving overseas. A lot of companies here in New Zealand started to feel pressure to consider moving their businesses outside of New Zealand because of the lack of support for the industry.' "In 2023, I believe that revenue growth was just seven percent here in Aotearoa. Compared to 2022, it's a pretty big slowdown." Newshub technology reporter Finn Hogan has reported extensively on gaming in New Zealand. "We just looked over the pond, we saw what was happening, there was lobby from the industry here because we were starting to see people start moving across the Tasman and we were starting to see a bit of a cap on the kind of growth that we could have," he says. So the Labour government agreed to fund rebates, spending $160 million over four years. National has kept the scheme. The rebates won't be quite as high as in Australia, but Hogan thinks the cash incentive will be enough. "I think 20 percent will be enough to stem any bleeding of people going across there," Hogan says. "You have to have minimum annual expenditure of $250,000 and then it's capped at around $3 million. Whatever you are spending that you can show was directly in game development, that's what you can get the rebate on."… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, June 25, 2024
The invisible hand of immigration policy
New Zealand shares travellers' private data with four other countries. Here's the story of how one reporter found out How a reporter uncovered the story behind a secretive network sharing travellers' data. Gill Bonnett always had a sense of an "invisible hand" operating above immigration policy. Her discovery of a Migration5 briefing document to the immigration minister several years ago confirmed it. As RNZ's immigration reporter, she has spent several years poring over immigration files, refugee reports and asylum seeker applications, so spotting the M5 reference piqued her interest. But she faced a lot of silence to her numerous questions, and her requests for more information under the Official Information Act were consistently blocked. Her search took her across the world to Washington DC as a Fulbright scholar. While there she tracked down people who had been involved in the network from 2008, when it first started to share data about a few thousand asylum seekers. Since then, the network of five countries - the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand - has built up its data sharing to millions of travellers, Bonnett found. Last week Immigration Minister Erica Stanford described M5 as a long-standing agreement with no "particular secrecy around it". But Bonnett encountered a high level of secrecy among the diplomats and officials she spoke to in Washington. Her discussions with them were "entirely off the record". Only people such as lawyers, academics and civil rights campaigners were willing to share their concerns about individuals' privacy, lack of transparency, hacking risks and the dangers of making mistakes and ruining lives. "I got the feeling that it was a group that didn't really want to be known," she says. "There was almost a feeling that they were playing at it, that they saw themselves as pseudo intelligence officers." At the same time they defended M5 as the way ahead, an efficient way of stopping dangerous people from travel before they even got to the airport. Beyond those she spoke to in Washington, Bonnett says it was incredibly difficult to find people who knew about the network. "There is basically one expert who knows part of the jigsaw puzzle in each of the five countries. So we compared notes, we found a little bit more about the history of it but there's still quite a lot that we don't know." Bonnett is still working to uncover more about M5, including the financial cost to New Zealand of being involved and the role of artificial intelligence. She says more transparency is important so that people know what information is being shared about them and how that information is used… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, June 24, 2024
A long fight to tell the story of New Zealand Wars in te reo
After years of development and funding rejections, Ka Whawhai Tonu hits cinemas this weekend The story behind the groundbreaking film about the New Zealand Wars, and its battle for funding. The groundbreaking film Ka Whawhai Tonu goes to cinemas this Matariki weekend, with high hopes of a box office success after eight years of development and several funding rejections. The pivotal 1864 battle of O-Rākau in the New Zealand Wars in Waikato is told through the eyes of two young teenagers caught up in the chaos of the battle. It is the first feature film to tell a piece of history from the Māori perspective, in te reo - and that made it difficult to secure funding, says lead producer Piripi Curtis. "Everyone's going, 'sounds good, but am I going to get my money back? No, it's too risky'," he says. Speaking to The Detail at his family home on the shores of Lake Rotoiti in Bay of Plenty, Curtis says one of the challenges was convincing the Film Commission that three first-time feature filmmakers could pull it off. "They have trust issues," says Curtis. "They need to know that you're not going to take the money and throw it away." It declined funding at least three times, but continued to support the film's development. The film was made on a budget of $7.6 million, half the Film Commission's recommended $15 million, but Curtis says it was all they could scrape together. It included $2.5 million from the commission's Te Rautaki Māori fund, as well as smaller amounts from Te Mangai Paho, NZ on Air, and Te Puni Kōkiri's Te Pūtake o te Riri which raises awareness about the New Zealand Land Wars. The team also went to friends and family, and applied for grants and sponsorships, but it was the 40 percent Screen Production Rebate that got the project over the line, Curtis says. "We tried every avenue. We've been out there and gone to a lot of places," he says. He even tried BNZ after learning more about the role of its founders, particularly that of Thomas Russell, in funding the New Zealand Wars in Waikato. "I went to the BNZ bank and said 'hey, how about you help out with our publicity as a way to front foot your role in the NZ land wars because people are still hurting from it'. "So I got as far as the third tier, but he couldn't get past his own boss who was in the second tier and then of course there's the top tier boss. "So I guess I really wanted to say how miserable the BNZ has been in responding to their own history of devastation and blood, and they couldn't even front up with some cash."… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, June 23, 2024
Scrutiny Week's scoreboard
What did we get out of Scrutiny Week? A look at what emerged from dozens of hours of questioning over the government's spending priorities It was a week where government ministers couldn't dodge the spotlight, but plenty of them still managed to duck questions over their budget decisions New Zealand politicians have survived the first ever Scrutiny Week, an innovation that clears the parliamentary decks and lets them eyeball each other over budget decisions. Today on The Detail we call in Newsroom's senior political reporter Marc Daalder to tell us what we learned from the week where politicians had to turn up to be questioned on the finer details of the Budget, what their priorities are and where their thinking lies. Some of it was a revelation - and not just because of the news that emerged such as the conservation minister Tama Potaka's hesitation over saving endangered species, or the thinking behind National's decision to reverse a Labour move over pay for disabled workers. "We came out of this week learning quite a few things - the ministers who are across their portfolio and the ones who aren't," says Daalder. With some it felt like they were winging their way through; some deferred questions to officials for operational or technical details; and others such as technology minister Judith Collins were very familiar with their areas. Daalder says the majority of the questions are allocated to the opposition, which is able to push ministers and related officials in sustained lines of questioning to really figure out "what money's been spent, what are the impacts of cuts that have been made, and what are the next steps in key policy areas". Some of those sessions were quite long, in contrast to Question Time that "really doesn't get anyone any answers", says Daalder. "It's very performative, a lot of grandstanding ...(whereas) this takes place in select committee rooms, people are sitting down which helps, and the people that they're questioning are only a couple of metres away from them, looking at each other in the eyes and able to have more of a conversation. "That's not to say there wasn't plenty of argy-bargy, there was plenty of that. "But I think there were opportunities for real discussions, real questions and real answers which you don't get in Question Time." Of course, some questions were too political and felt like point-scoring opportunities; others from National MPs were obvious 'patsy' questions and were a waste of time. Newsroom made a point of covering as many of the hearings as possible, Daalder saying the new scrutiny is designed to hold politicians to account. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, June 21, 2024
How to beat the Spotify algorithm
It's not perfect, but Spotify is still the dream platform to serve up your favourite (or soon to be favourite) tunes. Spotify's algorithm seems to have changed and listeners worldwide are complaining about being served up the same songs, from the same artist. How great is Spotify? One hundred million music tracks at your fingertips... no need to hunt for that CD or record... suggestions for new tunes you'd otherwise never listen to. More than one million New Zealanders have an account. But lately it seems there's been a change in the algorithm, and if you've been a victim of the perpetual Sabrina Carpenter playlist you'll know what we're talking about. It's something that's been bothering RNZ's Music 101 host Charlotte Ryan, who says the new Kiwi releases she looks forward to are getting more elusive on her feed. "To have every single song that you'd ever dream of at your fingertips to listen to, every single catalogue, and then bonus unreleased songs... you can get it now and listen to it anywhere you want in the world. So that is a dream," she says. "But there are many downsides to this platform as well." It's long been an industry belief that the musicians lose out from all this freely available material, needing millions of streams to get paid. But Ryan talks to Mikee Tucker from Loop Recordings who says the updated figures are improved. "I think the people who are complaining are people who in the CD era wouldn't even have got their CD on the shelf and would have been lucky to sell 100 at their gigs. They probably need to look at their career trajectory and place themselves in past iterations of the music industry and actually compare themselves to that. When you do end up even as a medium-sized artist on Spotify, it pays well," he says. Last year Spotify paid out nearly NZ$15 billion to the music industry worldwide. Another gripe from Ryan is that Spotify's system of showcasing single songs is likely to lead to the death of the album as a concept, which she says is "bad news for music purists such as myself, who love the album as a full piece of art." "Some artists are thinking about not even releasing albums in the future and just releasing singles, because that's the way that music listeners are listening to music on Spotify. They just get gifted all these new singles and playlists rather than being introduced to the full album… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, June 20, 2024
The deletion of the dating app
Love won't really happen when you least expect it if you don't get out from behind your screen and meet people in real life Flirting101 is back on the agenda as those seeking love delete their online presence in favour of reigniting some rusty real life social skills Serafin Upton is a relationship therapist, but when it comes to real life dating, she has a perpetual fear of making the first move. "You couldn't pay me to ask somebody out. I would never ask somebody out ever. I'd be absolutely terrified that they didn't like me or they weren't single. I just wouldn't do it," she laughs. Clearly Upton's not alone. While social media trends are showing people are sick of dating apps, those same people are also taking to social media to express their anxieties about the alternative. "So I haven't made a single connection in the past five months that wasn't assisted by dating apps, and I've decided to quit dating apps, so now I have to talk to people again. Which is giving me incredible anxiety and I don't want to do it," says one TikTok user. But over a decade after dating apps sprang into life, it seems that we've forgotten how to flirt in real life. And while sliding into someones DM's may feel like the safer option, Upton doesn't think it is. "It feels safer because we perceive that we're not going to be humiliated or shamed if we ask somebody out and they reject us, and also if they do reject us, we can always ghost them," she says. Upton has nothing positive to say about dating apps, saying they're only allowing problems that already exist, like isolation and loneliness, to thrive. "If we keep focusing on online interactions with strangers, we're not building relationships and building community with those people who are around us, like our neighbours, people at work," she says. So if they're so toxic, why do we keep coming back to them? "It sounds crazy but I think a lot of people feel embarrassed to want a relationship and so they go online because it feels like you don't have to 'out' the fact that you want to meet someone," Upton says. "Given that it's not safe to say 'I want to be in a relationship' because then you're not 'cool' and there's not really any way you can meet people because there's no one you'd date at work and you only hang out with your flatmates. So I totally get why people go on dating apps, because there's such limited opportunities to meet people without embarrassing yourself," she adds… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, June 19, 2024
The benefit system that holds the poor in poverty
Debt owed to government agencies by the country's poorest residents adds up to more than three billion dollars, and there's no easy solution Some of the financial help being handed out to struggling Kiwis is actually keeping them poor. Figures from Ministry of Social Development show that total debt has climbed by more than $1 billion since 2018 The debt owed by hundreds of thousands of people to government agencies has soared in recent years, but a plan to tackle it has been put on hold. Figures from Ministry of Social Development show that total debt has climbed by more than $1 billion since 2018 to $2.61 billion in the year to this March, and the number of people with debts has increased by tens of thousands, to 621,541. Other ministries - including Justice and Inland Revenue - are also owed hundreds of thousands of dollars, though the total overall debt has not been updated since September 2020 when a figure of $3.5 billion was published by Inland Revenue. It means that most beneficiaries have a debt to government agencies, according to Jennie Sim, a researcher for a non-governmental organisation called Kore Hiakai (Zero Hunger). "It's a system that holds them in poverty rather than a system that empowers them to wellbeing," she says. RNZ's money correspondent Susan Edmunds explains how growth in debt to MSD comes primarily from overpayments ($1.26 billion to March 2024) or recoverable assistance ($1.2 billion), while the amount of debt from fraud has been gradually decreasing each year and stands at $136 million. "The problem with MSD is that you're on a benefit, you owe money to the government, they then take that from your benefit, and it becomes a cycle. You just can't get out of that debt. "You borrow to pay for your electricity bill, say, and then it comes out of your benefit to pay it back but then you've got to pay your next electricity bill and around it goes. It just becomes this cycle that people can't break." Edmunds explains to The Detail the difference between the types of debt. Recoverable assistance is an interest-free loan from MSD to pay for emergency, essential items. Overpayment debt typically comes when people have been confused about their income, such as earnings from a part time job, and as a result the support they receive from MSD is more than they are entitled to. She says people who receive Working for Families support are often caught out but may not be notified of the overpayment until months later. She predicts there could be more cases of overpayment from Working for Families after changes announced in the budget. Sim says several people have accrued debts of more than $100,000 through overpayment… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, June 18, 2024
Northland's railway to nowhere
The drive through one section of Northland is notable for the kilometres of concrete sleepers stacked up by the rail lines, but no work is going on and there are no trains Northland rail has been struck by New Zealand's 'do nothing' approach to infrastructure. A plan to rebuild a railway line north of Whangārei has been put on hold again - years after it was deemed uneconomical in the first place. The on-again, off-again plans have raised questions over whether the government's regional investment cash is going to the right projects. Today's episode of The Detail looks at the convoluted and complicated history of the railway line rebuild. RNZ's Northland reporter Peter de Graaf says the section from Kauri, on the northern outskirts of Whangārei, to the Ōtiria railyard, near Moerewa, was mothballed in 2016 for commercial reasons. The line from Swanson in west Auckland to Whangārei remained but was in need of serious work. "In 2020, the Labour-NZ First government came along and dedicated a big chunk of money to upgrade the whole line and that included re-opening that last section from Kauri, all the way up through Ōtiria," de Graaf says. "That was a government that was very keen on rail... part of the drive there is to take vehicles - trucks in particular - off the roads. Everyone knows the struggle that Northland has with its state highways." Then work began - but not for long. "KiwiRail ordered a huge amount of rail and sleepers.... they got tens of thousands, maybe more ... they were all taken and delivered to the railway line and stacked up neatly there along the line for 100-odd kilometres... and that's when the work seemed to stop." After he "couldn't stand the mystery anymore", de Graaf asked KiwiRail what was going on. He found that while $33 million had been spent, the work was now on hold. De Graaf explains there were a few reasons for this - a local hapū was opposed to the line being reinstated and resources were diverted to fix up the line from Auckland to Whangārei after the storms of early 2023. There are also plans to build a rail line out to Northport and KiwiRail says it doesn't make sense to re-open the most northern part until the port line's done. De Graaf says part of the funding came from the Provincial Growth Fund and New Zealand Upgrade Programme, both initiatives of the Labour-NZ First 2017-2020 government. He calls the funding a "mixed bag". "I suppose the ones that get attention are the ones that do fall over - this is a classic example - there are many however that we up here in Northland have benefited from."… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, June 17, 2024
The blissfully boring British election
A leader who continues to shoot himself in the foot, a country with more problems than answers; and an election without any fire or brimstone Britain's election campaign is as miserable as its weather. A Survation poll published by the UK's Sunday Times predicted the Conservatives could end up with just 72 seats in the 650-member House of Commons, the lowest in their nearly 200 year history, while Labour would romp in with 456 seats. The UK's ruling Conservative Party could be staring at electoral oblivion, according to the latest opinion polls out this weekend, with one commentator suggesting they could even be vulnerable to a hostile, aggressive takeover by Nigel Farage's right wing Reform Party. Less than three weeks out from the 4 July UK elections, the most devastating poll from YouGov put Reform UK one percentage point ahead of the Tories, in what is called a "crossover moment". A Survation poll published by the UK's Sunday Times predicted the Conservatives could end up with just 72 seats in the 650-member House of Commons, the lowest in their nearly 200-year history, while Labour would romp in with 456 seats. The third poll, by Opinium for Sunday's Observer put Labour well ahead with 40 percent of the vote, the Conservatives on 23 percent and Reform on 14 percent. Words such as 'electoral extinction' and 'wipeout' are being used to describe the Conservatives' outlook. "It's getting worse and worse by the day, by the hour, maybe even by the minute," says Newshub Europe correspondent Lisette Reymer. "It feels like Rishi Sunak actually cannot do anything right," she says, pointing to a series of gaffes since the day he called an early election in the pouring rain on the steps of Downing Street. The most damaging was his decision to leave the 80th anniversary D-Day commemorations early to do an election interview. Sunak's swift apology and admission that he made the wrong decision simply fuelled the criticism, says Reymer. But the Conservatives' poor polling reflects not only Sunak's unpopularity but people's disgruntlement over the way they've been treated in the past 14 years by the Tory governments. "A lot of people have felt really neglected by the Conservatives, disregarded and forgotten," she says. People are willing to back Labour's Sir Keir Starmer as the next Prime Minister - even though they know little about him or what he stands for - because they think he will be better than another five years in power for the Conservatives… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, June 16, 2024
The oil and gas storm
Will the oil and gas ban reversal bring much-needed international investment , or just stymy efforts to combat climate change? Oil and gas exploration is coming back. Will it save the sector, destroy the environment - or make no difference at all? The government's planned reversal of the oil and gas exploration ban has been unsurprisingly divisive, being applauded by some and harshly criticised by others. But Newsroom's Marc Daalder says in reality, it may make no tangible difference. "It's possible that the government repeals the ban and new developers don't come in because they look at New Zealand and they say 'well actually half the parties in parliament want to ban us from doing this, so if there's an election and those parties win we're back to square one, so should we be investing a significant amount of capital?" In today's episode of The Detail, we look at how New Zealand got to the 2018 ban in the first place, the current state of the oil and gas sector, and the impact the changes could have. John Carnegie, Chief Executive of Energy Resources Aotearoa, says that oil and gas accounts for about half of New Zealand's primary energy. Currently, all oil and gas fields in New Zealand are in Taranaki, or just off its coast. But Carnegie says there are several areas around New Zealand where the industry believes there are oil and gas resources, but they aren't allowed to explore due to the 2018 ban. "There were permits that were held off the coast in Great South Basin, off the coast of the South Island, off the coast of the East Coast of the North Island but progressively, all of those permits have been handed back because obviously with the ban, the market conditions changed:" He says because the ban was a "massive change" and "unexpected", it became harder for oil and gas companies to invest in New Zealand. Daalder questions that logic. "The reality is the fossil fuel sector and fossil fuel companies globally can see the writing on the wall: we don't need fossil fuels anymore. If not this year, then next year or maybe the year after will be the period where global fossil fuel demand for things like electricity starts to peak," he says. "The International Energy Agency, which is not a hugely ambitious organisation on climate, in 2021, published a scenario for how to reach net zero energy systems and how to do that in a way that limits warming to 1.5 degrees , which is the global goal, but also the goal that's in our Zero Carbon Act that the government has to achieve. It found that the pathway doesn't involve any new oil and gas fields. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, June 14, 2024
For university students, the cost of living crisis continues
Budget 2024 will bump funding for universities, but students will likely be the ones footing the bill A rent strike at Auckland University is over, but for students struggling financially, things are set to get worse. Striking Auckland University students called off their protest against high rent costs last week, but if a proposal from Budget 2024 goes ahead, the cost of education in New Zealand will only get worse. In a press release titled "Rewarding hard work in tertiary education and training," Minister for Tertiary Education Penny Simmonds proposed increasing the maximum rate a university can increase fees by annually to more than double what it is now. While it's standard for the Annual Maximum Fee Movement rate to increase every year, Newsroom's Fox Meyer tells The Detail that a rise from the current 2.85 percent to the suggested six percent will be seen as a slap in the face. "Nobody wants to be paying for , but as long as we are paying for it I think people would like it to feel like a fair deal, and I don't think it feels like a fair deal at the moment, I think students feel like they're getting fleeced," he says. The minister's argument for raising the increase rate for tuition fees is to bring them in line with inflation, but Meyer says the subsidy the government is chipping in - $136 million in additional funding over four years - doesn't hit anywhere near that mark. "So on one hand you have an argument that university funding should match inflation, but only when the students are paying it, and when the government's paying it, we don't have to use that same metric," he says. Each university is funded partially by the government, after the fourth Labour government introduced The Education Act in 1989. This was the result of an increased demand for this level of education, which brought increased costs to the sector, coupled with pressure to reduce government spending. The argument was that because it's the student who receives the benefits of higher education - both in terms of greater lifetime earnings and personal development - they should pay for those benefits. But Meyer says it has resulted in universities being run like a business and as a consequence are out of reach for some people. "It's the difference between the right to something and the ability to exercise that right. We might have the right to go to university and get an education, but I might not be able to afford it, so what good is that right at the end of the day?" … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, June 13, 2024
The post-Covid hangover
It's been nearly two years since New Zealand shook off its Covid isolation, but the populace is far from content New Zealand is going through the sort of post-crisis upheaval that generates huge societal changes It's just over a year since the WHO (World Health Organisation) called an official end to the Covid-19 emergency, and nearly two years since our own borders fully reopened. But it feels like we're still suffering from a covid hangover. People still seem to be in a bad mood, kids are not turning up to school, mortgage rates are still horribly high, our best and brightest are leaving the country in droves, businesses are failing, and toxic social media is driving everything along. How long will we be suffering from this malaise? The short answer is, economically things will get better next year. The long answer is far more complicated, as New Zealand, along with the rest of the world, goes through an upheaval sparked by crisis. On The Detail today to discuss it are economist Shamubeel Eaqub and Massey University sociologist and Emeritus Professor Paul Spoonley. Spoonley says the way New Zealand dealt with the pandemic has attracted migrants who come for lifestyle reasons - but inside our own community we've seen a degree of grumpiness, including the rise of online hate. "The growth in the last five to seven years in the degree of scepticism, in the buying into conspiracy theories (and quite extreme conspiracy theories), believing what is said by QAnon, has grown at quite a rate. There is good evidence to suggest it is double the rate of Australia and triple the rate of Canada, of people accessing Far Right, in this case Facebook, sites. "I would characterise social cohesion in New Zealand as dropping to a new low. You can see it in the decline in trust - trust in the media, trust in politicians, trust in our government. So there's definitely a sort of post-Covid disengagement that's occurred where people are deeply sceptical and suspicious." As an example, Spoonley says we saw it last year with low return rates of the Census, where people were not prepared to share information with the government because they were highly sceptical of both the government, and what that information would be used for. "There's no doubt that internally, the dynamics of this country have changed." Shamubeel Eaqub says New Zealand is in a period of change, a society that's shifting very rapidly - including our values, and boundaries of what's acceptable, which are all up for grabs. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, June 12, 2024
Multiple inquiries into data misuse at Te Pāti Māori
Three sets of allegations, three inquiries: The Detail talks to the journalist who broke the Te Pāti Māori data breach stories What happens when the line between helping your people and helping yourself to their private information, blurs Earlier this week, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced an independent inquiry into allegations that Te Pāti Māori misused private data. It is the third inquiry involving Te Pāti Māori and allegations of data misuse. "At the heart of this story are allegations that private information that was collected on behalf of the state for the census and for vaccination programmes was then used for another purpose," says Sunday Star Times' Andrea Vance, who broke the story. "If that happened that's extremely serious. It's just really something that we can't treat lightly because ultimately it will undermine trust in the institutions of government if it's proved to have happened." In today's episode of The Detail, Vance explains the various claims about data misuse, which centre around Auckland's Manurewa Marae. The marae plays a key part in the community: it was one of the first places to roll out vaccines, and last year it was part of a drive to promote the census. Then, in last year's election, the marae became a polling booth. The first allegations were from the Labour Party, which says that community members received two texts urging them to vote for Te Pāti Māori. That shortcode, they say, was owned by a social services charity called Waipareira Trust, which had people's information because it had been involved in the vaccine rollout. Labour alleges that was a breach of privacy. In the second incident, Statistics NZ is investigating claims that private information collected by the marae during the census early last year was misused by Te Pāti Māori. "Same principle - information that was collected for one purpose on behalf of the state allegedly was used for another," says Vance. "Former marae staff say that hundreds of census forms collected by marae staff were photocopied. "But as well as that, the information was copied and loaded into a database that was maintained by the marae." Marae staff also say that information was sent to the Waipareira Trust, which is run by John Tamihere. "He's CEO of Whānau Ora commissioning agency, which was involved in promoting the census and the Covid 19 vaccination drive which he did through the Waipareira Trust and that's the social services charity that he leads, and through the various urban marae, like Manurewa Marae, and then of course he's also the president of Te Pāti Māori."… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, June 11, 2024
Calls for a Māori parliament
A separate parliament could boost Māori representation. What exactly would that look like? Te Pāti Māori wants a Māori parliament. It's not a new idea On Budget Day -- also a day of nationwide protest by Māori -- Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer announced calls for a Māori parliament. But experts say this idea is nothing new. Margaret Mutu, a professor of Māori studies at Auckland University, has long investigated the best way for Māori to have proper representation. "All the way through you've always had Māori representatives coming together to discuss things," she says. "They were doing it in the early 1800s. They formalised that in 1892, what became known as the Paremata Māori, the Māori Parliament." Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira, a Māori news journalist for RNZ, says that even the announcement from Te Pāti Māori wasn't surprising. "It's not necessarily new, it's been part of their manifesto since they got into parliament," he says. "But the time feels right to sort of re-invigorate that and say: 'Look, there is a want there, and a hunger for Māori to govern themselves in a way, or be more separate from the Crown'." Natanahira says this idea of a Māori parliament would be "an entity of governance completely separate from the Crown". But what that looks like is up for debate. Today's episode of The Detail looks at why there are calls for a second parliament, what it might look like, and the history of Māori representation in Aotearoa. "The idea of a Māori Parliament was put up by Bayden Barber from Ngāti Kahungunu," Natanahira says. "He wanted to base it on the Māori parliament that was set up in his rohe back in 1892. The structure of that one - it's pretty loose right now - all of these ideas are still being discussed. "Another one that came up was the establishment of a federation of Māori tribes - that one was proposed by Helmut Modlik - he is the chief executive of Ngāti Toa Rangatira down in Wellington. different kind of structure with that one... on the idea which many tribes hold that they are independent nations, and so you come together in a congress and discuss contemporary issues." Mutu explains the basis for these ideas, beginning when He Whakaputanga (the Declaration of Independence) was signed in 1835 and Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) was signed in 1840. " Hobson reassured the rangatira that they were not here to take the land, they were not here to take over the country," she says. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, June 10, 2024
NZ football's time to shine
Alex Paulsen's move to the Premier league headlines a terrific purple patch for the sport The 21 year old Wellington Phoenix goalie heading to the UK's Premier League is by no means the only rising football star from New Zealand The biggest news in New Zealand football so far this year is Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Alex Paulsen signing with English Premier League club Bournemouth. But he's just the crest of a wave of news about our players exceeding on the world stage. Nearly a year after our nation co-hosted the FIFA Women's World Cup, it's not just the women who've reached higher - our men are making themselves known around the globe. They include Chris Wood, Liberato Cacace, Matt Garbett, Marko Stamenić, and Ben Waine. On today's episode of The Detail, Jason Pine - host of Newstalk ZB's Weekend Sport and a Sky Sport football commentator - takes us through the big names and whether they have any chance of elevating our relatively poor football record. "A year ago, if you asked 'who is Alex Paulsen?', even dyed-in-the-wool football fans probably would've scratched their heads," Pine says. "In the season just past, their best ever season in their 17 year history, he was a big part of their run all the way to within one game of the grand final. He had the highest save percentage in the entire A-League across all 12 teams... basically had a season to dream of in goal for the Wellington Phoenix. "What that's done is turned a lot of heads, including some in the premier league in the UK. Bournemouth FC - not a big club...but a proper premier league club, have come in and have basically bought Alex Paulsen from Wellington Phoenix, for a fee of around $2 million." The structure of the deal is complex and largely confidential but if Paulsen gets useful game time, the benefit to the Nix could double. Pine also talks about the prospects for the All Whites with all these good young players available, and the ups-and-downs of the women's teams. "It's been a bit of a challenging time for the Football Ferns," he says. "Leading into the World Cup and off the back of the World Cup, they had that wonderful night at Eden Park where they beat Norway in the opening game - Hannah Wilkinson's goal - a seminal moment in New Zealand sport... but apart from that it's been pretty slim pickings. "They're off to the Olympics as well but they're in a very tough group... something needs to change there for there to be an upswing in fortunes in that team."… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, June 09, 2024
Fact checking Artificial Intelligence
Generative AI is currently the worst you will ever use - and that's good news, says one expert. Start honing your critical thinking skills unless you want to swallow some pretty random information from generative Artificial Intelligence Is AI one big step towards a more productive life, or one giant leap into the realm of misinformation? This incredible development is being forced on the tech world, with plenty of potholes on the way. Cats on the moon, anyone? Establishing a daily rock-eating habit? Cooking with gasoline... you can saute your onions and garlic in it for a 'spicy' pasta dish. Or how about a recipe for mustard gas to clean your washing machine? These are some of the Google answers that generative AI has had a hand in. Misinformation is a huge concern, says Amanda Williamson, the AI lead at Deloitte and senior lecturer at Waikato University. "There are concerns around deepfakes, and fraud," she says. "In terms of misinformation, beyond people being able to impersonate others really well, the idea of misinformation more broadly is absolutely a concern right now. "Because the ability for content to be created, and being shipped up as knowledge that's just as trustworthy as a normally Google link, is really hard to discern." There's some good news. "I don't think it's a forever thing. Right now we have to be critical and we can't trust everything. But keep in mind that the technology is as bad as it will ever be. "This is the worst AI you will ever use. It's only going to get better," she says. "Right now we can barely imagine how good it can become." The big danger at the moment is in not being able to fact check where information comes from. "If we can use AI that provides links, and we can click on the link and go and see where the information was retrieved from, then we're able to use our own sense of critical thinking to determine if it makes sense and it's from a reputable outfit," says Williamson. "But if we're using AI tools that don't reference where they've got information from and we do not have the track record to trust them, then we need to take everything with a pinch of salt." Williamson says companies like Google are having a tough time right now because they have to change their whole model of delivering information on the internet. "They've seen a new way of doing it, which is through the use of generative AI. "But generative AI is incredibly creative, as cats on the moon would suggest, and so they have to contend with moving with the times, and doing so in a trustworthy manner. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, June 07, 2024
Behind Boy in the Water
What motivates a journalist to spend years fighting for justice for someone they don't even know? The award winning Boy in the Water podcast came from one father's anguish over his son's death. It's the sort of approach these journalists get every day Investigative journalist Melanie Reid is approached most days by someone asking for help on a case of bad justice because they can't afford a lawyer. "There's a whole lot of people who come to us who don't go to lawyers and I think it's because justice is not accessible to New Zealanders anymore," she says. "Something needs to happen about this because you can only get legal aid in this country if you're essentially unemployed or have a very low income. Any person on a middle range income can't afford, or has no access to, the legal system because they can't afford lawyers." It means that anyone fighting for ACC, or who has been wrongfully dismissed at work but not in a union, or falsely accused, does "not have a shit show in hell of getting anywhere". "That's why they come to us," Reid says. But the dwindling number of journalists means that most will never see justice done. Reid and her Newsroom Investigates colleague Bonnie Sumner have just completed 23 episodes of season two of the award-winning Boy in the Water podcast, covering the inquest into the death of Lachlan Jones. The little boy's lifeless body was found face up in Gore's sewage oxidation pond in January 2019. The police said he had run away from his home, climbed a fence to the ponds, fallen in and drowned. There were no suspicious circumstances, police said, and the case was closed. Reid and Sumner started digging into it after being approached by Lachie's father Paul Jones and after several years of investigating uncovered what Reid calls layers of institutional failings. The coroner called for an inquest, which was held in Invercargill last month. From their BnB in the southern city Reid and Sumner pulled together daily updates from the inquest, with the help of a small team in Dunedin and Auckland. After years of trying to unravel what happened to little Lachie they reckon they know more than anyone about the case. But what took place in courtroom 4 over more than three weeks was full of surprises, they say. They joke about the fan club of Kings Counsel, Simon Mount, with his "intelligent, clear, gentle" questioning of witnesses. "He's almost like a spider catching a fly, he weaves around and around and around and gets tighter and tighter until they choke," says Reid… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, June 06, 2024
MAFS NZ's pulling power
Married at First Sight NZ- the reality show that indulges your worst instincts as a person Watch it for all the wrong reasons - there's a new season of Married at First Sight NZ that will take you away from the complexities of life Obvious product placement that's laughably bad, kiwi scenery blended with the tropical beaches of Vanuatu, and women in bikinis - because naturally, everyone's first date involves water. Married at First Sight NZ isn't going to wow the entertainment world with its deep insights on the human character. "From my point of view, it's just ice cream TV that I just stuff in my face and feel bad about afterwards," says TV reviewer Karl Puschmann. But it's surviving in a world when local TV news is circling the drain. "It's different strokes for different folks," says Puschmann. "We have had some fantastic local dramas come out in the last year ... After the Party was just brilliant ... so we should be funding those. We need to see our stories, ourselves reflected through the media that we're consuming. "That also includes stuff like MAFS and house renovation shows, cooking shows ...that is also a part of the culture ... they're still reflecting that part of New Zealand that exists. "With 3's precarious position, it does feel like there is a lot riding on this. Mainly because this is their whole brand now. They've jettisoned everything of what we know as Three to bet the house, quite literally, on reality TV. "If you can just turn off all basic critical functions, you might be able to enjoy these shows as well. Like myself." The Detail today also talks to AUT senior lecturer and reality TV expert Dr Rebecca Trelease, who's experienced the genre from both sides - she wrote her thesis on the subject, and was a contestant on The Bachelor in 2016. "I'm so invested," she says of the new season of MAFS. "It's three hours a week, and I'm invested and I'm wanting to watch it at 12 o'clock when it's released on the streaming platform instead of waiting until 7.30 in the evening for broadcast television. It's changing my schedule! "When it's got the power to do that, that's incredible. It's making us structure our lives around being up to date." Why would anyone sign up to a programme that shows contestants at their worst? "When you watch people do really well, when you see those relationships work, when you see the love blooming ... imagine getting that for yourself. It would be amazing. Imagine if it could actually happen, and you were a part of that, and it got to happen to you. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, June 05, 2024
Auckland crime - Just Another Fake Allegation?
Is Auckland city a crime-ridden nightmare, or is it a perception caused by more apartment-dwellers congregating on the streets? Offices and shops in Auckland are closing because they fear for their staff, but crime figures are decreasing from last year's peak. Police minister Mark Mitchell held a meeting on Tuesday night, where frustrated Auckland residents and business owners expressed their concerns about CBD crime. The head of Auckland's central business association says she's relieved the police commissioner has finally admitted the city was abandoned by police during lockdown. Today's episode of The Detail looks at what's behind the fears for safety in our biggest city, after constant complaints around crime hit the headlines. Police minister Mark Mitchell held a meeting on Tuesday night, where frustrated residents and business owners expressed their concerns to him. Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck says the reports of crime are "devastating". "Particularly because we've seen a significant change since Covid in the environment of the city centre," she tells The Detail. "We lost 90 percent of our customer facing trading overnight, we lost major events... it was a massive impact, I lived and worked through it, I could see it with my own eyes. "Initially through those lockdown periods, crime actually dropped. It went up and down and then it took off. We tracked it and we recognised that we, first and foremost for crime, needed more police - a stronger presence on the street. "This morning, I heard one clip where the police commissioner said that the city centres had been deserted - abandoned I think was the word - through Covid. That was the first time I've heard an acknowledgement from someone in a position like that. Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck says the reports of crime are "devastating" that won't just be fixed with more police on the street. "We recognised we needed more police, we could see there were social issues... and the influx of emergency housing and that needed to be managed better and people needed wrap around support. That was something we lobbied for early on - it hasn't happened in the way we hoped, but it's important what happens from now." The Detail also talks to Auckland University senior lecturer in urban planning Tim Welch about safe city theories. He says cities around the world became "donut shaped" after the expansion of suburbia in the 1960s… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, June 04, 2024
Cutting strings in the Pacific
The push for independence is still alive in the Pacific but it's getting messy Far away powers have strategic and economic reasons for hanging on to their colonies in the South Pacific When the sun rose over the islands of Samoa on 1 January 1962, it brought with it the dawn of a new era: independence. Samoa officially celebrates its independence on 1 June every year and this week Samoans all over the world proudly hoisted its flag to commemorate its 62nd anniversary. Today on The Detail, we look at Samoa, but also at the host of other Pacific nations still ruled from afar - from France, the US, Britain, Australia and New Zealand - and ask what their chances are of achieving independence too. In the lead up to achieving its sovereign status, Samoa had been under the administration of New Zealand, which seized the islands from Germany in 1914. Distrust and dissatisfaction among the Samoans towards New Zealand's authority quickly intensified, and it peaked when the cargo ship SS Talune arrived in Apia from Auckland on 1 November 1918. Passengers on board were carrying the strain of pneumonic influenza and New Zealand administrators failed to quarantine the ship and instead allowed the sick passengers to disembark. The rapid spread of influenza among the local people resulted in the deaths of 8500 people - 22 percent of Samoa's population, most of them elderly or young children. This prompted a revival of an independence campaign in the late 1920s and gave rise to an organisation known as 'O le Mau a Samoa'. Its slogan 'Samoa mo Samoa' - Samoa for Samoans - conjured up confidence among the Mau members that it was possible for Samoans to fully lead their own country. It's hard not to admire Samoa's courageous push towards independence, but it's also worth noting that resistance towards foreign rule was long present even during Germany's occupation. The Mau movement's legacy has been proudly memorialised in books, documentaries and even songs. Independence movements in the Pacific Fast forward to the 21st century and the spirit of foreign resistance still lingers in the Pacific. In recent weeks the French territory New Caledonia has come under the spotlight as its indigenous Kanak population urges the French president to respect its aspirations towards self-determination. Why has the goal of attaining independence for the remaining Pacific territories become increasingly difficult? Islands Business correspondent Nic Maclellan says there's a 'cult of exceptionalism' among colonial powers such as France and the United States. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, June 03, 2024
Our turbulent skies
Injuries and a death on a recent Singapore Airlines flight have highlighted issues with severe turbulence Buckle your seat belts - those bumpy rides are becoming more frequent, thanks to climate change Driving at 500 kilometres an hour along a severely bumpy road - that's what it's like to steer a plane that's going through the worst turbulence - and that's exactly what pilots are trying to avoid. "It does create a bit of nervousness amongst the minds of passengers," Massey University school of aviation chief executive officer Ashok Poduval tells The Detail. "There are two turbulence incidents which have happened in quick succession - the fact of the matter is, it's really pretty much coincidental. "If you look at a FAA report, in 10 years from 2012 to 2022, only 34 passengers were seriously injured in 163 turbulence instances, so it's very low. It's over 25 years since a passenger has been killed in commercial aircraft turbulence - that was in 1997." That was until May 22 this year, when a passenger died of a suspected heart attack and 30 people were injured after a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER hit turbulence. "We experience wind gusts every day and that's turbulence," NIWA meteorologist Richard Turner tells The Detail. "Higher up, generally the flow is quite steady. If you've flown on an aircraft, the take off can often be quite bumpy, you get above and things tend to smooth out. There can be instances though, particularly if you're flying over mountain ranges or something, there can be large undulations in the airflow... sometimes turbulence can be generated around that or generated by thunderstorms where you get rapidly rising columns of air." Turbulence is very common - but the severe and extreme events are not. "What we see a lot of the time is either light or moderate," Poduval says. "Mostly, pilots will be avoiding severe turbulence if they know it's out there, unless you have issues like clear air turbulence." And that can be difficult to anticipate. "Jet streams are really the cause of clear air turbulence," Poduval says. "Basically, these are tunnels at higher altitudes. They are tubular currents of air that travel at a high speed. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, May 31, 2024
NZ Olympic athletics squad in good shape for Paris
Finally New Zealand is leaving the Snell and Walker era behind, with a new generation of record-breaking athletes on the scene New Zealand could be looking at its best Olympics athletics team line up yet for Paris, after some startling success for kiwis on the world stage this year It won't be hard to spot a black singlet on the Olympic athletics track in Paris. Rather than being corralled into the throwing corner, our champions are running and jumping over a wealth of disciplines. For athletics commentator Hayden Shearman, the breadth of this team is the stand out factor. "It's almost like every event you need to tune in because we could well have a bolter who jumps up, sneaks a bronze medal, or we could have one of our medal favourites like the big four; Tom Walsh, Hamish Kerr, Eliza McCartney, Geordie Beamish; who could potentially snatch an Olympic title and become one of the big global athletics stars. "That's what makes, I think, this year's Olympic year so exciting, is that there will be bolters, there will be some 'oh that didn't quite go to plan' for that athlete ... but that's the nature of sport and we've got such a big well-rounded team that there will be some great stories coming out of the team." Most of the track and field team for Paris has been named. With the addition of the 800 metre runner who's just broken Peter Snell's 62 year old record, there are now 16 athletes and another on the verge of selection. There's no sure-fire Dame Val Adams type superstar .... but could this be our best Olympic athletics team lineup yet? "I think there is a resurgence," says Shearman. "No longer are we just the middle distance - you know the Lydiard era from the '60s to the John Walker era in the 70s - we've got this beautiful spread, male and female, jumpers, throwers, sprinters, distance athletes, all competing at a very high level and a lot of our team are real chances of those medal hopes. While none are out-and-out favourites going into their events, "we've got a handful of athletes that we really do need to set our alarm clocks for," he says. A great deal of this pre-Games excitement was the World Indoor champs in Glasgow in March, where New Zealand recorded its best results ever - two golds, two silvers and third on the medal table. The sight of George (also known as Geordie) Beamish finishing with a magnificent kick in the 1500m - it's not even his favourite event - and Hamish Kerr bringing home the double with his high jump record got hearts beating faster back home. It's true that not every top athlete was at that meet. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, May 30, 2024
A sour taste for beekeepers
Dramatic pictures of diseased beehives going up in flames have spotlit issues with the apiculture industry Beekeepers are crumbling under the weight of diseased hives, depressed honey prices and a lack of industry investment in marketing and research Beekeepers and apiculture experts are pressing for the return of a marketing and research levy to help the languishing industry. The recently released 2023 New Zealand Colony Loss Survey, by Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, has found beekeepers have the lowest well-being scores of any primary industry role. This comes as the impact of American Foulbrood hits the headlines, and a North Canterbury beekeeper says he was forced to destroy more than 10,000 beehives. Pike Stahlmann-Brown, Manaaki Whenua's principal scientist for economics, leads the survey. It's been run every year for the last nine years. In 2023, it asked about well-being for the first time. "Manaaki Whenua also runs surveys of farmers and foresters and growers and so we were able to compare beekeepers to others in primary industry," Stahlmann-Brown says. Honey producer Springbank Honey of North Canterbury was ordered to burn more than 10,000 of its beehives and beekeeping equipment. "We found that beekeepers, at least commercial beekeepers, had lower average responses than dairy farmers or sheep-and-beef farmers, arable farmers, horticulturists or forestry people. So, I think it's pretty serious at the moment." Industry stalwart Barry Foster, a semi-retired Gisborne-based beekeeper, says there are several reasons why well-being might be low. " was taken mid last August or thereabouts, we'd just come out of those cyclones - some beekeepers had lost quite heavily," he tells The Detail. "Not only that there'd been a market downturn in the sale of honey - both mānuka honey and other honeys. So, the financial pressure was coming on beekeepers." He says the industry's "languished" and is advocating for a return of a levy which helped it fund research being done on mānuka honey. "One of the things that launched mānuka honey - and I'm talking back in the late 1990s-early 2000s - was our industry had a commodity levy, and it helped to pay for marketing and research. Some of the money did actually go in to helping with the research at Waikato University into mānuka honey and it definitely helped with the launch of mānuka honey on to the world stage… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, May 29, 2024
The Red Sheds, in the red
Will a shake-up in leadership at The Warehouse give the company what it needs to survive? In today's complicated retail environment, The Warehouse needs more than its history as an iconic Kiwi brand News of another New Zealand retail giant in trouble comes at a time when the industry is facing what one expert calls its most dynamic phase in decades. Smith & Caughey's yesterday announced a proposal to close after 144 years of trading. The closure would result in close to 250 job losses, and follows a 40 percent drop in in-store revenue in the past five years. "We're seeing retailers that have been around for generations closing and these curveballs that have been thrown, certainly since Covid, have been things that none of us have ever experienced before," says Chris Wilkinson, managing director of the consultancy First Retail Group. Meanwhile, at the other end of the retail spectrum, whoever takes over leadership of The Warehouse Group is faced with a company that has taken drastic steps to get back on track. After the sudden departure of chief executive Nick Grayston, the international search for a new chief executive is likely to take months. The news on the afternoon of 20 May that he was leaving, effective immediately, followed an earnings downgrade, a $23 million half-year loss, a slump in its share price and asset sales. NBR co-editor Calida Stuart-Menteath called time on Grayston weeks before that in her weekly editorial Last Word. "We concluded that Nick Grayston had been there eight years and hadn't managed to do what he said he was going to do," she says. The retailer has gone from being a pioneer in its day, opening up consumer and households goods to low and middle income Kiwis at prices not seen before, to one struggling against competitors such as Australian-owned K-Mart. Stuart-Menteath details the Red Sheds' period of growth through the 80s and 90s, and its listing on the stock exchange in 1994. In 2000, sales exceeded $1 billion and it was in the top 10 largest listed companies in New Zealand. A buying spree in the past decade under the previous chief executive saw The Warehouse expand into a group of retail brands, some of which became top performers. Others flopped. Among them was sports chain Torpedo 7. It was bought for tens of millions of dollars and recently sold for just one dollar. The Warehouse Group has since refocused to three key brands - the Red Sheds, Warehouse Stationery and Noel Leeming. Wilkinson says The Warehouse was a forerunner to big format retail and shoppers went there not only for the bargain but because the shopping experience was a novelty… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, May 28, 2024
A crisis at Kāinga Ora
Is Kāinga Ora, the government's social housing arm, a total mess or a 'stonking financial success'? The government's social housing arm is under scrutiny for its levels of debt. But is it really as bad as it sounds? The government was concerned that Kāinga Ora under the Labour government had been not disciplined and had generated too much debt. A financial commentator says Kāinga Ora could be seen as a "stonking financial success". That analysis is a far cry from the headlines over the last week, which have criticised the government's social housing agency for "underperforming" and being "not financially viable". Today on The Detail, financial journalist Bernard Hickey analyses the agency's finances and the government's plans for social housing. This comes after an independent review into Kāinga Ora, led by Sir Bill English - former National Prime Minister and minister responsible for Housing New Zealand. It was commissioned by Housing Minister Chris Bishop in December and released last week. "The government was concerned that Kāinga Ora under the Labour government had been not disciplined and had generated too much debt," Hickey says. And that's exactly what the review found. But Hickey believes whether the agency is in financial strife or not is up to your political and ideological views. Financial journalist, Bernard Hickey "This accusation that it's not financially sustainable, that relies on some big assumptions about how big you think the size of government should be how big you think the size of overall government debt should be," he says. Kāinga Ora's debt grew from $2.7 billion in 2018 to $12.3 billion in June last year. It's forecast to grow to $23 billion in four years time. The current asset to debt ratio is about 0.25. Hickey doesn't think that ratio is bad news. "You could argue actually that there isn't nearly enough debt inside Kāinga Ora, because for most people, they are able to borrow quite a bit more than 25 per cent of the value of their home," he says. "Certainly, if you valued Kāinga Ora like any other home, you'd say to yourself, actually, it's been a stonking financial success over the last five or six years, because the value of its homes, in particular the value of its land, has risen much faster than the value of its debt, just as every other homeowner in New Zealand can claim credit for unearned gains, because land prices rose dramatically." He says it's "magical thinking" on the part of both the government and voters to think the government could increase the number of homes and not take on extra debt… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, May 27, 2024
Destroying the seabed for green reasons
New Zealand has three live seabed mining issues right now, and what they have in common is a startling lack of information on how damaging their activities will be We need the ocean's riches to make concrete, fertilise pastures and create batteries for solar panels and EVs. But how do we dig them up without wrecking the environment? It won't be a surprise that two of the companies on Chris Bishop's Fast Track email list were in the business of mining the seabed. A third seabed miner has a keen interest in the scheme that would enable developers to cut through mountains of red tape and court cases without pesky objections from locals and green groups. But one of the big reasons that permission to vacuum up seabeds off Pākiri, Taranaki and north Canterbury have been held up by various authorities is uncertainty - a lack of information on what such activity will do to the environment. Those authorities have pointed out that it's not up to locals and concerned environmentalists to prove the mining will be damaging - the companies should be doing the work to prove it's not. Today on The Detail we look at three companies searching for profit deep under water off New Zealand, and why they've suddenly started withdrawing from the consents process. "That's the Fast Track," says David Williams, Newsroom's environment and climate editor. "If you don't get in through one door another may open, and this government has opened the door to what they call regionally or nationally significant projects. And the way that they can get past these kind of restraints - some would say environmental protections - to development is to apply to the government and be considered for their Fast Track. "That would be their one-stop-shop as they call it, and you're deemed significant then you get into the process and then there is a committee that considers your application, and makes recommendations to the ministers who make the final say." At least that's the proposal as it stands, but it's drawn so much flak that the details may change slightly. But mining companies appear to be betting on there being an easier path for them in the not-so-distant future to push their applications through - and companies such as Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) which wants to embark on a 35 year offshore Iron Ore project to mine a 3.2 billion tonne vanadium-rich titanomagnetite resource in the South Taranaki Bight - are withdrawing from the legal process, in this case a re-hearing in front of the EPA. "Its eggs seem to be in the one basket now," says Williams. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, May 26, 2024
New name, old gangs, same policing
The new specialised National Gang Unit is being described as the same policing with a different name. The latest gang-fighting tools to be introduced by police are part of a long line in a combat that's constantly evolving. With international organised crime groups reaching into New Zealand police and customs and law enforcement have had to lift their game with cops going back to their old methods of catching criminals. Police are returning to crime-fighting ways of old in their fight against gangs, as technology becomes harder to hack, experts in New Zealand's criminal underworld say. In light of the recent police announcement on national and local gang units, today's episode of The Detail looks at how police and governments have fought back against gangs over the decades. New Zealand Herald investigative reporter Jared Savage has been focusing mostly on gang-related crime and justice stories for the last half-decade. He's also written a couple of books - Gangland and Gangster's Paradise. He says the introduction of methamphetamine in the late 1990s and early 2000s "supercharged the criminal underworld in which gangs belonged to". "Then around 2015 we started seeing a bit of a sea change. It wasn't just local gang members and local organised crime figures working together locally to import drugs into the country, we actually started seeing organised crime groups reaching into New Zealand. "The police and customs and law enforcement have had to lift their game." Savage says this means cops have had to go back to their old methods of catching criminals - before cellphones were even a thing. "Fifteen-twenty years ago, everyone was carrying Nokia handheld cellphones around and criminals were too. They were communicating via text messaging and phone calls. The police were able to intercept these text messages and phone calls...and present that in evidence. "The introduction of smart phone technology and apps on people's phones - different ways of communicating - mean most people don't send text messages anymore, they use Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp and many other apps that are out there - which are encrypted end-to-end, so the police can't intercept those like they used to. "That's made it a lot harder to investigate these different groups.... so the police sort of changed their methods and it becomes a game of cat-and-mouse between the criminal world and the covert investigation world." Police have upped their physical surveillance and put listening devices in homes and cars, Savage says. Beyond that, public policing operations have helped police get some "good results"… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, May 24, 2024
Taiwan's democratic challenge to China
In 2024 more voters than ever in history are heading to the polls, but one of the most extraordinary elections happened this week Nearly half the world's population has or will be voting this year. The Detail takes a look at one democracy of vital importance - and it's not the United States or the UK Taiwan's new president William Lai was inaugurated on Monday. He's been branded a troublemaker by China and is President Xi Jinping's new number one enemy. Just days after Taiwan's new president called on China to stop making threats, Beijing has launched "punishment" military drills around the island. Everyone was watching to see what China's reaction to the swearing in of President William Lai Ching-te would be. On Thursday night we found out. China had already postured, calling Lai calling him a dangerous separatist. Anna Fifield, the Wellington-based Asia-Pacific editor for the Washington Post, is one of the analysts who's been watching the situation develop, and she talks to The Detail today. At his swearing in ceremony on Monday President William Lai Ching-te said it was up to Beijing to ensure the world is free from fear of war and reiterated that he wanted to maintain the status quo. The superpower's response was to start the drills involving army, navy, air force and rocket force around Taiwan. Fifield tells The Detail that China has been conducting military exercises over the last couple of years that "look very much like preparation for an invasion". "That is for military manoeuvres and practise but also to intimidate the Taiwanese people and just frankly to wear down the Taiwanese military," she says. Taiwan has never been ruled by the Communist Party but President Xi Jinpeng's ambition is for Taiwan to return as part of its One China policy, Fifield says. "He has said that it is inevitable that Taiwan will be unified with China but he hasn't laid out how that will happen and there's a lot of conjecture around the place about whether Xi Jinpeng would order an invasion, what that would look like, when that would happen. That's something they talk about as inevitable and may try to happen in some shape or form over the next few years." Fifield explains why the election for this self-governing island of nearly 24 million was so extraordinary in a record year for national elections. Taiwan is a vital line of communication in the Asia-Pacific region, uncomfortably close to China for many of its people, and determined to maintain its democratic systems. "The turnout was 72 percent, which is pretty normal in Taiwan - they take their democracy pretty seriously," she says. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, May 23, 2024
French claws in the Pacific
Kiwi holiday makers have been air-lifted from New Caledonia, but what kind of mess have they left behind? France's fight to remain relevant in the Pacific is clashing with the desire of indigenous Kanaks to assert their independence - with flammable results French president Emmanuel Macron's priority on his rush visit to New Caledonia is to quell the unrest tearing at the territory for nearly two weeks. To that end he's announced today he will delay the voting reform that's been the spark for violence. Macron says his ultimate aim still was to sign the measure into law but only if peace returns. A Pacific leader here says France is in the Pacific for the long haul, while the indigenous Kanaks have been fighting for independence for decades and won't give up. "To me Kanak independence is inevitable," says Sir Collin Tukuitonga, who lived and worked there for several years. "I think France is prolonging the inevitable." Unrest flared up last week after Paris-backed electoral reforms that would give voting rights to about 25,000 non-indigenous New Caledonia residents. He says it is the worst conflict in the archipelago since the 1980s but there has been ongoing simmering tension between the pro-liberation movement and pro-France residents. The unrest flared up last week after Paris backed electoral reforms that would give provincial election voting rights to about 25,000 non-indigenous residents. Voters in France support the move while the Kanaks see it as a dilution of their vote, a threat to their move towards independence; a recolonisation. Sir Collin, who headed the Pacific Community international development organisation in Noumea until 2019, says the angry response of pro-independence activists should not have surprised France. "I was just amazed at how the French had provoked it," he says. The electoral reform follows three referenda on independence in recent years, the first two of which the Kanaks narrowly failed to get independence, while the third was boycotted by indigenous voters because it was held during the pandemic. France went ahead against their wishes. "This latest move was really a precipitant, the French really ought to have seen it coming. When you try to add however many more votes of non-Kanaky, this was bound to happen, this was France's idea of trying to dilute the Kanaky vote to have more non-Kanaky voters on the list." Sir Collin Tukuitonga thinks the French president Emmanuel Macron should've expected these riots after the government's latest move… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, May 22, 2024
The deal with charter schools
Former charter schools are expressing caution about David Seymour's revival plans A return to charter schools is again a leap into the unknown, with educational institutions wanting to see the details of the new legislation before they change back By the time term one starts next year up to 35 state schools will be open as charter schools, six years after the model was abolished the first time around. They have just six months to get ready for the change but even the old charter schools haven't decided whether they'll make the switch back. "We're at the point that we'll wait and see what comes out in the legislation," says Karen van Gemerden, chief executive of Villa Education Trust which runs South Auckland Middle School and Middle School West Auckland for years seven to 10. South Auckland Middle School used to operate as a charter school before they were changed to a designated character school under Labour. "I think it's very likely to be a very positive thing but until the details are announced I think it would be hard for anyone to say straight out that they're going to convert when they don't actually know what the model looks like." Villa was among the first to be granted charter school status for its schools under the previous National government but changed to a designated character school under Labour. Van Gemerden welcomes the revival of the charter schools but says Villa is working well as a special designated character school. "Switching to be a designated character school did give us more availability to some of the ministry resources for some support of the students etc that we weren't entitled to as a charter school," she says. It was no surprise when the Associate Education Minister and ACT leader David Seymour last week announced charter schools' reinstatement, after promising to revive them during last year's election campaign. The Government will allocate NZ$153 million from the 2024 Budget to convert 35 state schools into charter schools next year and create 15 new charter schools between 2025 and 2026. Most of that money will be spent on the 15 new schools over the next four years, RNZ education correspondent John Gerritsen tells The Detail. Called partnership schools or kura hourua, the model horrifies the critics who say there's no evidence that they are public money well spent. Supporters say they give schools autonomy and flexibility to educate students who are failing in the mainstream system. Some of them have also been at the centre of some wide-ranging controversies. What's not known is which state schools will convert and what scrutiny they will face, Gerritsen says… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, May 21, 2024
Changing the building blocks of reading
Out with Reading Recovery; in with structured literacy. There's a big change coming for New Zealand's young readers The government's order that schools adopt structured literacy might sound high-handed, but the change is being welcomed by many educationalists Education is facing a bunch of changes, but the important ones are not banned cell phones or woke foods. The government has ordered teachers to adopt 'structured literacy' to get children reading. That means Reading Recovery, a system New Zealand pioneered and spread to the world, along with 'whole language', is out. The decision has met with split reactions, with some in the sector welcoming the system change, and others disappointed by it. The Detail speaks to proponents of both today, looking at the pros and cons of each. Historically New Zealand schools have taught a mixture of whole language and balanced literacy. That involves being immersed in and surrounded by books and all different kinds of words, in the belief that children will learn the same way they learn other skills in life - by observing and repetition. However structured literacy means recognising the symbols for different word sounds (phonics), then recognising them in words. The word often used in conjunction with it is 'decoding'. "The term itself, structured literacy, was coined by the International Dyslexia Association - so it has trademarked the term," junior teacher and literacy publisher Micaela Bonnar tells The Detail. "It's an explicit, systematic way of teaching literacy that is seen as building blocks - so you start at the very early stages of teaching letter sounds, then you're looking at spelling patterns, you're looking at the way we can put different word parts together," she says. "Whole language - from about the 1970s into the '80s - came about with Marie Clay," Bonnar says. She was the pioneer of Reading Recovery, developed as an early intervention in response to the numbers of children struggling to learn reading and writing. "The philosophy behind whole language is that learning to read is the same as learning how we talk and listen," Bonnar says. "The idea is that it's a natural process - therefore if we just surround children with language and literacy-rich environments, lots of books, we read to them, we put them in front of them, that eventually they will learn how to read… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, May 20, 2024
The attention economy and influencing of influencers
Do influencers and celebrities with large social media followings have a responsibility to speak out on political and other issues? Celebrities are being blocked if they don't call out Israel in the war with Gaza. That might look like a social media-fed waste of time, but in an 'attention economy', maybe it's not #blockout2024 was launched to block celebrities who weren't using their resources to help those in dire need. The intensity of it, ironically, can feel like bullying. Social media activism is reaching something of a peak with the war in Gaza, using the hashtag #Blockout2024. It started at this year's MetGala when influencer and model Haley Kalil was caught on video muttering 'let them eat cake' - suddenly TikTokers were calling for her head. A digital movement called the 'digitine' - digital guillotine - was launched to block celebrities who weren't using their resources to help those in dire need. Auckland University Humanities professor Neal Curtis says this is the 'attention economy' in action. He talks to The Detail about the platforming of free speech, the influence of America in everything to do with social media, and the absence of moderation on the big tech companies including Facebook, X and YouTube. "People like Elon Musk don't want to moderate Twitter (X) - he's sacked all of his moderation team practically," says Curtis. "Facebook seems to only moderate women who are breastfeeding - Facebook has a very limited notion of moderation. I think what we're seeing here is a problem where, because these tech companies are American, we're seeing an extension of the First Amendment globally." In the Unites States, the right to free speech is "pretty much an absolute right" says Curtis. "You can say what you like, whenever you like. "But of course what people don't understand is that nobody is obliged to platform your speech. So most of the social media companies have gone for a low moderation route - just let everybody speak. I mean Twitter is openly inviting explicit neo-Nazis back to Twitter, because it gets engagement .. even if the far right aren't responding, the left are responding and trying to cancel; call out; and it just gets more data, more traction, more eyeballs, more attention. "Because we live in an attention economy. It's all about making money from getting people's attention." That attention economy is how #Blockout2024 is gaining momentum. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, May 19, 2024
Pacific leaders concerned over RSE exodus
Does New Zealand have a responsibility to address a problem it's created by snapping up seasonal workers from the Pacific? How a financial win/win situation over seasonal workers turned into a loss for Pacific Island nations watching their citizens leave for richer pastures One issue that all the leaders of the coalition government have agreed on is the expansion of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme. Established in 2007, the RSE scheme allows workers from participating Pacific countries to come to New Zealand to take up roles on a short-term basis. For the government, it's a golden solution to address critical labour shortages in some sectors. Whereas for workers from the Pacific, the ability to earn four or five times more overseas to provide for their families is too good of an opportunity to pass up. Professor Regina Scheyvens (right) says those the scheme views as 'unskilled' workers can be critical sectors of Pacific countries. Everybody wins, right? Well, not really. The co-director of Massey University's Pacific Research and Policy Centre, Professor Regina Scheyvens, says there hasn't been enough attention paid to the economic and social losses for the Pacific as a result of the scheme. Professor Scheyvens says those the scheme views as 'unskilled' workers can be critical sectors of Pacific countries. "Many of the people for a start are highly skilled in agriculture and are very skilled in providing food security of their families at home in the Pacific island countries that should not be underestimated. "If you can actually provide your own family with healthy food from your own land from the vanua and you can also sell food in the market, that can be a good livelihood but it's also contributing to your country's food security. We've all lived through covid lockdowns and border closure times so we know that can't rely on food supply chains from overseas .... so food security shouldn't be underestimated. When border restrictions were lifted post-covid, New Zealand and Australia took in 48,000 seasonal workers from the Pacific. However, for the islands, there was a noticeable loss of skilled workers. "At one stage Samoa was pushing back when they realised how many mathematics teachers they had lost to the scheme," Scheyvens says. "Mechanics, bank-tellers, airport control tower staff .... all sorts of people." … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, May 17, 2024
When body positivity becomes problematic
It's one thing to be encouraged to accept your body, no matter what size it is. But some 'fat activists' have gone too far in encouraging self-love The body positivity movement started off as a counter to skinny culture, but it's gone down a social media rabbit hole. Some aspects of it are now sending out dangerous messages Forget thin is in, apparently now bigger is better... or is it? After over a decade of body positivity, girls, teens and women are even more confused about what body positivity actually is. The movement began with women confronting unrealistic expectations of how their bodies should look. But sub-strands of the movement have muddied the waters and mystified the initial message of the acceptance of bodies no matter what the size, and self-love. On top of that, unrealistic beauty standards the movement intended to get rid of, still exist. Hannah Tunnicliffe is an author specialising in body acceptance, eating disorder recovery and mental health. She thinks progress has been minimal. "I have three daughters, and there's a lot of pressure on them to have beautiful eyelashes, big round bums, and really there's still that pressure to be thin and have that certain look," she says. Kate Manne is an associate professor in philosophy at Cornell University in New York, she's also critical about where the movement has ended up. "I think that for a lot of people it's lost its radical roots... it has become to some extent a matter of often centering thin white bodies who are celebrating a mere roll of flesh or a couple of stretch marks. It doesn't always end up centering the bodies that the movement was designed to centre," she says. While Manne agrees that all bodies should be accepted and treated positively, she argues the movement intended to centre those who have been historically devalued because of the way they look. "It's true that we can say that we should be positive about all bodies, but that ends up being a little bit like the phrase 'all lives matter'. No one doubts that all lives matter, the thing is that when someone points out that certain bodies are devalued or subject to aesthetic derogation, it's trying to highlight particular forms of marginalisation that deserve to be centered in political movements," she says. While some of the narratives which have sprouted out of the body positivity movement, like health at every size (HAES for short) and fat activism carry positive elements, there are some at the more extreme end which health professionals say are potentially harmful. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, May 16, 2024
A bold call from experts on drug legalisation
Our current drug laws are harmful, according to a group of experts who want to see the Misuse of Drugs Act overhauled A push to legalise all drugs in New Zealand hasn't come from stoners and the strung out - it's backed by 155 academics and experts who say the current regime doesn't work New Zealand's drug legislation hasn't been overhauled in nearly 50 years, in spite of a recommendation from the Law Commission in 2011 to do so. Our Misuse of Drugs Act was passed in 1975 and is based on a United Nations framework set in 1961. Now a new organisation, Harm Reduction Coalition Aotearoa - backed by 155 experts - is calling on the Government to not only amend the legislation, but scrap it all together, and legalise all drugs. Dr. Rose Crossin is a professor at the University of Otago and a member of the coalition. She acknowledges that it would be a world first but is a strong advocate for reform, saying the drug causing the most harm, alcohol, is already legal. "What it comes down to is a choice about where we would like the control of drugs to sit ... we've got a very powerful alcohol industry which I would argue has a policy influence, but for other drugs, we're letting the black market run our drug policy," she says. But what would it look like if New Zealand were to legalise the drug market? Crossin says the proposed Psychoactive Drugs Act would regulate the supply of all drugs, including alcohol, under the same framework. It is taking a harm reduction approach which is centred around people being able to make informed choices. That could include having drugs packaged with dangers clearly displayed, like we already see on tobacco and cigarettes. "For some drugs, maybe they should only be available by medical prescription, or we could consider whether only specialist pharmacies would sell them," she says. No country has gone as far as legalising the entire drug market, however Crossin says there are examples where easing restrictions on some drugs has worked. Germany is the latest country to relax its laws on cannabis, becoming the largest European country to legalise the possession and cultivation of the recreational drug. Doctor Fiona Hutton, who is a criminology professor at Victoria University, says in countries where cannabis has been legalised harm has reduced, because the substance supply is carefully regulated. "Because people don't want to break the law to consume the substances that they would like to consume. People would much rather get substances through a carefully regulated supply," she says. But there are also examples where easing drug laws hasn't worked. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, May 15, 2024
Keeping New Zealand's lights on
Energy experts doubt New Zealand will ever get to 100 percent renewable, and say incentives and rewards are the answer to bridging the gap Ordinary householders turned off the power last week and saved the country from cuts on the coldest day of the year so far. But there's no recognition or reward for that When householders and businesses pulled the country back from the brink of painful power cuts on the coldest day of the year, there was no reward for the sacrifices they made in turning off their heat pumps and lights. Consumers saved the day and switched off about 260 megawatts of power last Friday when Transpower revealed the country faced a potential electricity shortfall due to the unseasonal cold snap, low wind generation and planned outages of several power stations. They were the "real unsung heroes", says SolarZero chief executive Matt Ward. In another country they would have been paid for reducing their own power but New Zealand does not have the regulations or mechanisms for incentives, he says. "That's one of the things we're advocating for; is the market mechanisms and the regulations to be put in place," he says. Such systems are widely used around the world, including in the UK during the energy crisis caused by the Ukraine war, when a demand response system was set up so that consumers were paid if they turned off their heat pumps, he says. Ward's SolarZero and its customers helped "keep the lights on" in New Zealand on Friday by providing 30MW of energy into the grid, equivalent to 100,000 hot water systems. He explains to The Detail how the company's 'virtual power plant' worked on the day, by exporting energy into the national grid from its network of 15,000 residential customers whose homes are powered by solar panels and batteries. They continued to keep their heaters and lights on while feeding their extra power into the grid. He says it is an example of the new technology that could do more towards a resilient power supply, but it needs the right support from updated market mechanisms. As the country transitions away from fossil fuels towards 100 percent renewable electricity, Ward says much of the focus has been on building generation. But the biggest challenge for New Zealand is the transmission and distribution of electricity. "You can't just build your way out of it, you can't have so much resilience in the system because ultimately the consumers will pay for it and they can't afford to pay for it. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, May 14, 2024
RBNZ's cash trials and digital currency
We're never going to let go of our notes and coins - so the Reserve Bank is not only looking at digital currency for the future, it's also trialling cash services for small towns With banks deserting small towns and leaving just an ATM behind, the Reserve Bank is starting to think about how communities can get better access to money. What happens when cash is king - and then your bank leaves. A businessman in a town which hasn't had a bank for three years says the Reserve Bank's plans to put more cash in the hands of its people and introduce digital cash could save hours of time. John Bougen is chairman of the local business association in Reefton. He's spent most of his life in Auckland and was co-founder of the Dress Smart shopping mall franchise. After spending years working in that industry, he has moved to a town that has very few stores. The town's population hovers around 1,000. Retailers can feed notes into a flash cash machine left behind by the BNZ when it went, but coins are an issue. The Reserve Bank is looking at putting more cash into the hands of these kinds of communities through "cash trials". This could involve security vans being subsidised to pick up cash from small businesses or installing smarter ATMs. Bougen says the town has learned to cope without a bank. "Initially, it was a real bugger,'' Bougen says. "But people adapt. So the businesses now have change groups. If anyone's off to Greymouth, which is only an hour away, they will pick up change for anyone who wants it ... somebody picks it up and comes back with a satchel full of coins." Despite this, he says cash is a "West Coast tradition" and he thinks the cash trials would "absolutely" help. "We did talk at some point about that with the BNZ, but as they said they're just one of many banks. If there was some central organisation that could handle that and they come and pick up your cash and take it away without having to go and stand at the machine, that'd be wonderful. If that was the case, then you're going to be better off time-wise than you would have been even before the bank closed. If somebody's going to come along in an armoured vehicle and snatch your bag from you and keep driving down the road, well that's great." He also thinks a new form of digital cash would "certainly have some merits". "Everyone carries a mobile, it would be a lot easier, but New Zealand we hate giving away on stuff we've always had ... cash has been something we've had right from day one, it's the gold standard as it were." … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, May 13, 2024
Fanning the sparks of dying languages
There are five Pacific languages listed as endangered by UNESCO. What's the point of reviving them? The loss of a language is also the loss of knowledge, histories and connections. But if there are no native speakers, should we let them die? According to UNESCO, the Rotuman language is listed as endangered along with four other Pacific languages - Tokelauan, Niuean, Cook Islands Māori and Tuvaluan. More than 160 languages are spoken in New Zealand. Week-long events celebrate the unique languages heard across the country, and this week the focus is on the Rotuman language. According to UNESCO, the Rotuman language is listed as endangered along with four other Pacific languages - Tokelauan, Niuean, Cook Islands Māori and Tuvaluan. RNZ newsreader Marama T-Pole is trying to master the Tuvaluan language, as part of her efforts to maintain her connection to her Tuvaluan roots. Growing up in Dunedin, she said there was a longing for her to explore her cultural identity. "It was actually very invisible in my life - my Tuvaluan culture," she says. "There was nothing that I could see that represented my father's culture. "Despite that, there was this gnawing inside of me that wanted to connect to my Tuvalu side and in fact I was felt like there was something missing, even when I came to Auckland I was surrounded by a lot of Tuvaluan families and community up here but I still felt like I was not present. "I couldn't really participate, properly connect, converse with the ladies or the aunties and it just felt like I was a bystander." T-Pole says the push to speak Tuvaluan started when she took up the role of being a Sunday School teacher at her Tuvaluan Presbyterian church. "All of our congregation couldn't speak English properly, and every month they would ask me to do a report back to the congregation, I would speak in English and they would be saying 'speak in Tuvaluan!' "So in my broken language, I would try and start reporting back to them about what was happening and gradually over several years while I was doing it, I started to speak the language more. "What happened in doing that ... is that suddenly this hole that I've had growing up had disappeared." While T-Pole admits she still has a long way to go in speaking Tuvaluan fluently, she says holding a conversation in Tuvaluan with her father before he passed away is a memory she treasures most. In 2022 the government launched the Pacific Languages Strategy, an action plan to reverse the declining use of Pacific languages in Aotearoa. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, May 12, 2024
New Zealand's retirement extremes
New Zealand's aged care sector faces huge inequities - while the flashiest ever has just opened in Auckland, many in smaller towns are closing How's your aged care set-up looking? Because it can run from a butler and caviar service, to having to trot down the corridor at night to the loo A rest home with a concierge, iced tea fountain, hybrid Jaguars to drive, and caviar on the menu. That's not imaginary or from some far-flung country - it's reality here in Aotearoa. Oceania Healthcare just officially opened 'The Helier' - a retirement apartment and aged-care complex in the Auckland suburb of St Heliers, described by the company as ''five-star hotel-like'' service. A different reality at the other end of the aged-care sector, which includes rest homes and specialist private hospitals, is hurting many older Kiwis. Many rest homes are shutting up shop while the sector is staring at a crisis. BusinessDesk reporter Gregor Thompson has just visited The Helier and had a look at some of the aged care rooms within the complex. "They've got Alexa built in to them, which means you can voice activate jazz if you see fit, you can ask it what the weather's doing outside. They've got nice TVs, there's 24-hour clinical care that is tailored to each resident's needs, you've got a canapé service, there's a butler, there's a general manager, a French guy, his name is Olivier, not Oliver, so I think that's quite indicative of the type of place that it is." This is the only private-bed aged care facility in the country, meaning if you get the government-funded residential care subsidy you can't get into these rooms. At the same time, Thompson is covering the other "extreme". "You've got small facilities in the regions that are often owner-operated or run by charities and they are experiencing a lot of financial hardship - many of them are closing down." He gives examples of homes in Foxton Beach, Taumarunui, Levin, Te Awamutu and Rangiora. A recently released report by Sapere Research, commissioned by Te Whatu Ora/Health New Zealand, has found the sector could be short of 12,000 beds by 2032. "There's not enough funding to sustain the current aged residential care model," Thompson says. "In simple terms, the cost to provide care outstrips the residential care subsidy." The subsidy is paid by Te Whatu Ora to the rest home or hospital and depends on the resident's level of income. And change isn't imminent - Minister for Seniors Casey Costello told Thompson a Budget bid for extra money probably won't happen until 2025. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, May 10, 2024
When body positivity morphs into toxic masculinity
The body positivity movement started for women but in a warped sort of equality, men now appear to be just as miserable about their looks What's prompting some men to achieve an idealised version of masculinity that's doing them more harm than good? The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren't part of it ... their bodies hadn't been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn't really need it. But now that's changed. And in a warped sort of of equality, we could very well be at the point where men are just as miserable as women about the way they look. Today on The Detail we look at at the male side of the body positivity movement. (Next weekend we examine the female side of it.) Kris Taylor, who is a doctor of psychology at the University of Auckland says men feeling insecure about their body isn't new. But there's growing concern that people sharing tips on how to be masculine are taking it too far, and as a result young men in particular are becoming more self-conscious about the way they look. "There's research that goes back to the late 1990's and early 2000's about men's perception of their bodies and lots of men are unhappy about the ways that their bodies look," Taylor says. He points out that the way the different sexes arrived at this same sort of insecurity has come through different paths. "The body positivity movement for women, as I understand it, is borne out of an attempt to find a space between hypersexualisation and disgust, and a way to represent different bodies," he says. "Men have been represented as active participants in their sexualisation... the sexualisation is not a gazing upon them in a passive way, it is an ownership of their sexuality." Taylor also adds that men who don't fit this ideal male model haven't faced the same level of dismissal that women have. "We can think of larger men represented as being funny and sometimes dopey, and there isn't that same level of disgust," he says. Taylor says it's not that body image issues don't exist for men, but rather that the avenues for them to express their feelings around their insecurities are very limited, leaving them vulnerable to potentially damaging advice… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, May 09, 2024
Diversity shrinking with the media landscape
A journalism cadetship programme promised to transform New Zealand's newsrooms. But then the media landscape shrank What does the future hold for aspiring Māori and Pacific journalists who've graduated with the skills, only to find the opportunities in mainstream media have gone? In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF) launched the Te Rito Journalism Project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand's newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand's first 'groundbreaking diverse voices cadetship scheme', bringing in four media companies - NZME, Newshub, Whakaata Māori and Pacific Media Network (PMN) - to 'identify, train, develop and hire' 25 cadet journalists. The cadetship managed to roll out two year-long programmes, with the second cohort holding their graduation last month at NZME. However as Newshub prepares to cease its news operations and TVNZ cuts local programming, is it still possible to make room in mainstream newsrooms for diverse voices? Susana Guttenbeil, general manager of content at Pacific Media Network and a former journalist, is optimistic. "It has been short - it's two years, the cohort, but I think really successful. "So, of the two years there were roughly about 34 people who completed the programme and about 12 of those were Pacific, and so we talk about the 1.8 percent of Pacific journalists that make up the journalism industry here in New Zealand and we like to think those 12 people have now upped that to 2 percent or more." More than 8 percent of New Zealand's population identifies as being of Pacific origin. But have they all secured roles? "As far as the last year's cohort is concerned, I believe the majority of them have," Guttenbeil says. "And in this year's cohort I think one person has moved to Australia and is currently looking for work, but as I understand it there are a few opportunities that have just popped up recently for those cadets who are looking for work." So not really an unequivocal yes. Guttenbeil adds that before the emergence of PIJF, the Pacific Media Network has long supported Pacific journalism - it's part of their trust deed. However, she says it's "hard not to get mad" when bigger media outlets such as ABC poach their rising stars. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, May 08, 2024
Levels of litigation rising with economic hardship
There's evidence New Zealanders are getting more trigger-happy when it comes to using courts to stamp down on competition Tough times, and raised post-Covid levels of impatience, could be the reason NZ is seeing a rise in a number of people suing for justice. One of the country's top litigation lawyers says New Zealand is seeing a lift in court action between companies. Chapman Tripp partner Justin Graham, who oversees a team of about 80 litigation specialists, says the courts are now so log-jammed that it's taking more than two years to get cases to trial - the longest it's been for a while. He says while we don't have American levels of suing over absolutely everything here, disputes that may in the past have been resolved lawyer-to-lawyer are heading straight to the justice system. Graham says while it's hard to get accurate statistics, the level of business in our High Courts across the country indicates there's been an uptick in litigation. "If you just want a one-day argument in the High Court at the moment you're looking at next year. They just don't have any time," he says. Banks are probably the biggest targets, and instigators, of litigation; Graham says they are involved in about 40-90 cases a year, whether it's class actions over fees, or debt collection. Graham tells The Detail the reasons behind it are speculative, but he thinks one of them is the fact we're living in tough times. "People are probably a bit more desperate and turn to litigation as a last resort, and probably a bit more readily than perhaps we're used to in New Zealand. "I think people are probably just a little bit more impatient and that's probably been driven through the aftermath of Covid. Economic downturn has led to people not exactly being trigger-happy but probably seeing litigation as an option more than they might otherwise. "And perhaps people just aren't as scared of litigation as they used to be. It's sort of become a bit more part of the New Zealand lifestyle than it ever has previously. It used to be a very big deal back in the day to take someone to court, and I think companies and people do it a little bit more readily." He says the emergence of litigation funders here now may have changed things as well. So what do you do when you get that dreaded legal letter? "Often you just have to work out how strongly you feel about it, how easy it is for you to change, what economically is the best path for you to fight, to fold, to do something in the middle," he says. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, May 07, 2024
A controversial driving exam - put to the test
There are traffic jams at the young end of driver licencing and fear and trepidation at the other end. After you turn 75 you might be asked by your doctor to do a cognitive driving test - we put two of these exams through their paces What do a sombrero in Argentina and cognitive driving tests have in common? Don't worry, we're not setting up a bad joke. Hinengaro Clinic dementia clinician Gregory Winkelman has the answer on today's episode of The Detail. "We ask a patient's spouse or son or daughter: 'if you went to a cafe in Buenos Aires ... and you were sitting there finishing your coffee and you said to the patient 'on the way here, we saw a sombrero in a shop window, why don't you go and buy the sombrero and I'll see you back here in 20 minutes'?" That's with the family member sitting in the café with the patient, assuming they saw the sombrero on the way to the café in the first place. Winkleman says the patient's reaction to the family members suggestion is a "pretty good indication" of whether their driving might be in question. "If they say to you 'I'm not sure that would be safe' - in other words they wouldn't be able to navigate in an unfamiliar environment - that's an indication that there could be a problem." He favours this sort of evaluation over the infamous cognitive tests people over 75 may have to do to keep their licence. There's recently been a lot of controversy over the Mini-ACE and SIMARD-MD. Winkelman won't use the SIMARD-MD and uses the full ACE test, rather than the mini version. He still thinks there's a "big problem" with cognitive tests. "No matter what cognitive test you do, it's very limited in its ability to test a person's cognition in a clinical setting. Because when you go to a GP, or you go to anybody really and you're sitting in their clinic and you think that your driving is on the line, you get incredibly anxious - and that really affects your concentration. "Especially when it comes to people where the driving is in question, we see them in their own homes. Our assessment takes an hour-and-a-half to two hours. We spend a great deal of time just chatting, having a cup of tea, eating a biscuit, getting some social history, some cognitive history and then towards the end of the assessment we do the cognitive test. The cognitive test tends to be in the second tier of evidence we use. The most important evidence is what the patient themselves and the people who know the patient say about their functioning."… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, May 06, 2024
The mutant bird flu lurking on our borders
New Zealand has so far managed to dodge the H5N1 virus, but it's becoming increasingly concerning to scientists, and it's on our doorstep Avian flu is mutating and adapting to spread beyond poultry farms to wildlife and mammals, including humans. It's not here yet, but it's coming closer Highly pathogenic avian influenza - H5N1, or bird flu - has been flying around the world since the late 1990s. New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands are so far free of it, but now it has been discovered in mainland Antarctica and scientists say it is only a matter of time before it gets here. By then, it will be more than just a virus that hits ducks and poultry farms, although that is bad enough. The virus is mutating and has transferred with devastating effects into wild bird populations. It has also turned up in mammals. Cows, ferrets, minks, sea lions, cats on dairy farms, bears - and humans. There is no certainty on what the virus will do now, or how severe a human epidemic could be, but those alarm bells have started ringing. "H5N1 right now looks like the thing that we're most aware of that could potentially become a pandemic or an epidemic among humans," says Newsroom's Marc Daalder. He wrote about this over a year ago and while it has not come to fruition as the next Covid-19 style disaster yet, we seem to be moving closer to it. "We can't say for sure this is it, but it's something that we can see happening and there are several reasons to be quite worried about it, and potentially quite a bit more worried about it than we were five years ago." He talks to The Detail today about the development of the virus through its mutations to the stage where it has been found in 33 herds of cattle in nine states of the US, with some milk testing positive for remnants of it. Two people closely associated with farms have also caught it, but their cases are mild. However people have died in previous outbreaks where the virus was caught directly from chickens, rather than from other people. In a severe outbreak in Hong Kong in 1997, six people died of the 18 confirmed with H5N1. This was the first outbreak in humans. There have been others since, and the overall fatality rate has been about 50 percent. It is possible that in order for the virus to adapt to human transmission, it has become less dangerous to us. But we do not know for sure, and it is enough to spark concern from scientists. Our government has an action plan for when or if H5N1 hits our shores, with the Ministry for Primary Industries, Health Ministry, the Department of Conservation and biosecurity authorities all working together. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, May 05, 2024
The great stadium debate
Are stadiums a joyful symbol of a thriving city - or a wasteful excess draining ratepayer finances? The stadium debate in Auckland has been raging for decades and may be close to a final decision. That doesn't mean the argument is over If building one of Auckland's possible waterfront stadiums was funded privately, it would need to hold a sold-out Ed Sheeran concert every weekday for 25 years. That's Rob Hamlin's finding - he's a senior marketing lecturer at the University of Otago. "It's not going to happen - forget about it," he tells The Detail. Auckland is the latest New Zealand city to go through a contentious stadium debate. An Auckland Council working group is considering four proposals to upgrade its stadia - three options in the central city and one to redevelop Eden Park. Upgrading Eden Park looks like being the frontrunner, but Hamlin isn't convinced city councillors won't pull a surprise on us. "Let's say we're looking at the option known as 'The Crater'," Hamlin says. That's a proposal for a waterfront stadium sunk into the seabed. "It's the most expensive of the three - by a small margin. That's $2 billion, so if you were going to say that's entirely built by private money... you're going to have to generate, after all of your expenses have been paid, $160 million a year to justify the use of that private capital in that building. That's $3 million a week." Hamlin sees what's going on in Auckland as a repeat of the Dunedin debate, as its roofed Forsyth Barr Stadium, built in 2011, caused conflict and controversy. "At the moment, the events are tracking along very similarly,'' he says. "The Dunedin stadium started with a proposal to upgrade the old stadium at Carisbrook ... then all of a sudden this suggestion came more or less out of left field that we should build a new stadium up in the other end of town near the university." The cost reached $224.4 million, and Hamlin believes it's been a bad use of ratepayers' money. "Professional sport is now a business and if that sport cannot pay its way, it doesn't happen in the form that they would want it to happen." Public affairs consultant Brian Finn has written extensively about stadia, especially in Auckland. He takes The Detail through where Auckland's four stadia - Eden Park, Mt Smart, North Harbour and Western Springs - are at now; then considers the four proposals to upgrade the city's stadium. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, May 03, 2024
The dope Olympics is sport on steroids
Steroid use will be out in the open at the Enhanced Games, and testosterone won't be banned. But is it taking away from the sport? The Enhanced Games aim to test the limits of drug-assisted human potential Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has already started training for the Enhanced Games, but he won't start taking performance-enhancing substances until about nine months out from the competition. The Australian world champion was the first athlete to be announced by Enhanced, but he says the organisation has had plenty of interest since he's come on board. "Not all those athletes can be named at this stage, because some of them are still competing, some of them are in negotiations." Enhanced, which has been dubbed 'the dope Olympics', was founded by billionaire Aron D'Souza, and is backed by investors including Peter Thiel (the co-founder of PayPal, who was controversially granted New Zealand citizenship). The plan is to host an event with competitions in athletics, aquatics, gymnastics, strength and combat. Exactly when and where this will happen is yet to be determined, and if the International Olympic Committee had a vote, it wouldn't happen. The current boss of the Australian Sports Commission, Olympic great Kieren Perkins, says the games are borderline criminal, and someone will die if they go ahead - he doesn't think they will actually happen. Former Olympian Ben Sandford, who represented New Zealand in skeleton, tells The Detail he's also against such an event, and believes the finer details of where and when it takes place may be a challenge. "Where do you hold this event?" he asks. "In some countries that's going to be easier than other countries just because of the way anti-doping rules or anti-doping legislation is in those countries." Doping in elite sport has long been banned, though Magnussen says that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. "During my career I was well aware that there were athletes that were skirting those rules, and countries that were doing the same. "Every Olympic athlete knows that they're competing against certain athletes that are cheating. "That's just part and parcel I think of why this is a really interesting concept because some people say cheating, but cheating is actually already prevalent in clean sport, so this may be the first time in history there truly has been an even playing field where things are open and honest rather than done in the shadows." For Magnussen, the draw to compete is three-fold. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, May 02, 2024
A cliffhanger for Shortland St
Fans fear Shortland Street's 32 years of soapy drama could be coming to a close if TVNZ's cost-cutting knife hovers over it for too long It's our own soap opera, telling New Zealand stories to a loyal audience. But Shortland Street may be starring in its own drama Anna Thomas had a cameo as a marriage celebrant A warning - suicide is discussed in this podcast New Zealand's own long-running soap Shortland Street doesn't hesitate to kill off its much-loved characters. But would TVNZ dare to kill off our favourite soap? That's the fear as times get tough in television - even though it's been pointed out that advertising pays its bills. But for how long? We don't have any definitive answers yet, but today on The Detail we speak to a former star turned director of the programme; a well-known TV face who nabbed a cameo; and someone you might not expect to be an ardent fan - RNZ presenter, Kim Hill. And she has a wild storyline idea she reveals in the podcast. Nurse Wendy Cooper was killed off in 2016. She was shot through the heart. She had to die - her "foster son", K J Apa, was heading to Hollywood, as many of the soap's former stars have done. The actor who played her, Jaq Nairn, jokes that she loves the kind of two degrees of separation that everyone has with Shortland St. "Everyone knows someone who knows someone who's been on the show ... or someone's auntie's cousin's brother worked on the show, or met such-and-such, and I love that New Zealand has a show like that," she says. Now she directs the show - and has been for the last eight years. She tells The Detail she still gets recognised ... Nurse Wendy was long dead when she went to Fiji for the charity Heart Kids, to raise publicity for what Starship Hospital does. She was mobbed. This in spite of the fact that the real surgeons from Starship were there to operate on 15 children, a trip they do annually. "There's nothing that makes an actor feel more inadequate that actually seeing a real heart surgeon," she says. "The bizarre thing to me was walking along a corridor and all these people came running towards me as the actual surgeon who's saving the actual lives walks past (the other way)." "I was like ... 'she's the hero, I'm just on a TV show!'" But the real-life consequences of talking about dark and difficult subjects on a TV show can be significant. "I think we can never underestimate the importance of the stories that we tell," she says. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, May 01, 2024
Why our quality of death is slipping
A vital part of our healthcare - palliative care - has been sidelined by our health system, largely because we don't like to talk about dying NZ Hospice relies heavily on donors, fundraising and its network of op shops to make up for a shortfall in government funding, but it's falling behind. Why has New Zealand slipped from three on Quality of Death Indexes nine years ago to 12th? NZ Hospice chief executive Wayne Naylor has a list of reasons. "We don't have a current national strategy - the government hasn't renewed our 2001 strategy, so we don't have national direction. "We don't have stable, sustainable funding for community-based palliative care, particularly provided from hospices. It's widely variable. "There's no planned investment in it, so services are struggling. "Our workforce training used to be fantastic. It's dropped away a bit, we're not training enough specialist doctors; we don't have funded post-graduate training for nurses any more. "And it's just not as well organised as it could be, compared to some other countries. "It's not great, because New Zealand has always done well when it comes to the care of people who are dying," he says. And here's an astonishing statistic. While the government funds about 45 to 50 percent of Hospice's work at $92 million a year, (it does keep patients out of hospitals, after all), the rest, $94 million, is collected from donors, bequests - and op shops. In fact the vast majority of it comes from those shops, run by volunteers. During Covid lockdowns when those shops were closed, and many fundraising events were cancelled, income plummeted. "Hospices were exposed because of their reliance on community fundraising and second-hand retail," says Naylor. "That money just wasn't coming in. And of course the government funding doesn't cover the cost of all of the clinical services that hospices provide. I think it's really made the hospice sector realise that although community funding is very important.... it's not something you can rely on all the time." There are 32 hospices across the country that cared for 10,800 dying people last year, about a third of everyone who died. "I think that part of the issue we've got around funding end-of-life care, palliative care, really well is that it's been sidelined in our health system for so long," says Naylor. He says one of the problems is - we don't talk about dying enough. "It's not something we like to acknowledge happens in our medical system."… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, April 30, 2024
We have an emergency emergency
A new review of New Zealand's response to crisis is blunt about the inaction of the past, and sceptical that much will change in the future The climate may be changing but our response to disaster has remained the same - with a hopeless lack of willingness to step up on emergency management. After the Christchurch earthquake, the then-national Civil Defence boss compared his experience to "putting a team on the rugby field who have never ever played together before". Eight years later - and following a damning inquiry into the emergency response of cyclones Gabrielle, Hale and the Auckland anniversary weekend floods - John Hamilton's view has not changed. "Arguably, and this will be highly critical of the NEMA people, but it's made worse," he tells The Detail. He slates the lack of experience and training at regional and community levels, with all the latest reviews pointing to the same thing - it's inadequate. Hamilton believes authorities have forgotten an important lesson - that the response has to start at the community level - and he's calling for detailed local plans. "I come from a little place down on the East Coast, an hour and a half south of Hastings called Pōrangahau, an isolated community of about 300 people. It seems to me that, if they were struck by a problem, and they were struck during the cyclone by flooding, they are going to be able to understand their community and their situation best. "They report into a hub. The hub marshals the resources that they have available in the community. If they get overwhelmed they report up the line to the council and they should be able to marshal resources... to provide extra assistance." Then if the district council gets overwhelmed, it moves up to the regional council and then to central government in Wellington. Minister of Emergency Management and Recovery, Mark Mitchell, during Marlborough floods last month. "To be brutally honest, I think in Hawke's Bay, they have not done enough to facilitate the development of local plans". RNZ reporter Lauren Crimp tells The Detail the inquiry agreed with Hamilton, finding this kind of community response to be lacking. "First and foremost, and this came through the most strongly throughout that 164 pages, was, and the inquiry reads: 'put people and communities at the heart of an integrated emergency management system'," Crimp says… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, April 29, 2024
The problems with the Fast Track Approvals Bill
The new fast-track approvals bill has been described as 'government by amateurs', with no checks and balances Supporters say it will cut through red tape and get big infrastructure projects off the ground, but critics say the new fast-track legislation is nuclear war on the environment When it comes to talking about the government's controversial fast-track consenting process, political scientist Richard Shaw refers to the famous Chinese sci-fi novel Three Body Problem, while RNZ's In Depth journalist Farah Hancock talks about zombie projects. Shaw is referring to the three-party coalition government and how the proposed legislation is unprecedented in the power it gives to three ministers in charge, including minor coalition partner, NZ First's Shane Jones. "The Three Body Problem is where you have three bodies trying to orbit each other and can never be stable, they are always chaotic and they are always unpredictable," says Shaw, professor of politics at Massey University. Hancock's "zombie" projects are those that have been rejected by courts, but may now be dredged up again under fast-track, meaning politicians will have power over the courts. "There's worry that some of these projects which people have fought for years and years and years and thought they'd won could come back from the dead," she says. But developers and infrastructure industry players say the system is broken and more efficient legislation will help fix it without adverse impact to the environment. The legislation is at the select committee stage after submissions closed on April 19. If it goes through in its current form, the three ministers - Jones, Simeon Brown and Chris Bishop - will have absolute final say on some big projects. The new law would sit over a range of existing acts and regulations and would mean an application would need to go through one process for approval on a project instead potentially several consents under the existing system. Project owners would apply to the three ministers for access to the fast-track process. The project would then go to an expert panel which will vet the project and make a recommendation to the ministers, who would then decide whether to approve or decline it. Bishop, the RMA minister, calls it a one stop shop that will cut the red tape that can hold up the progress of projects by years. Jones, the Resources Minister repeatedly uses the phrase, "we're moving from cancelling economics to can-do economics". They argue that it builds on existing Covid-19 legislation from the previous Labour government and that the three ministers' executive power is the "safeguard". … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, April 28, 2024
Powering ahead with green hydrogen
It's hoped a new GNS Science lab can crack open the door to cheaper green hydrogen production Green hydrogen power is inching forward with more trial projects and research on the boil Crown research institute GNS Science is about to officially open its new green hydrogen lab in Lower Hutt. One day it could contribute to making sure that small rural communities cut off by disaster can still power through, with stored green hydrogen used to establish a kind of micro-grid. Michelle Cook helps lead the work at GNS as an energy materials scientist. She describes what they're doing as "agnostic" - the lab is focusing on producing green hydrogen regardless of however it will be used. But it is involved with some end-use projects. GNS is working with a marae in the eastern Bay of Plenty, at the top of Te Urewera, and about 30 minutes out of Whakatane. "We are working with marae in the first instance, to see if they can capture their own solar energy for their electricity and then store it in hydrogen so that they're resilient .. they can generate, store and use energy all within their community, so that if they are cut off by say, flooding .... with climate change we're seeing more and more of these really significant weather events ... they'll know that they're always going to be able to have energy so that they can keep everyone warm and dry until help can come. "At the moment they rely on a diesel generator as back-up but obviously as we saw after Cyclone Gabrielle sometimes it can be hard to access diesel to fuel those generators in a disaster situation." The work is currently at the investigation stage, and modelling should be finished in the next few months. Today on The Detail, Cook guides us through the basics of green hydrogen production and explains why this most abundant of earth's elements is a game-changer on the path to zero-carbon fuel. She also talks about the specific work being done at the new GNS Science lab, including ways to reduce the cost of processing it. It might be early days, but several organisations are making significant steps to help Aotearoa lead the way in developing green hydrogen. Last week, Hiringa Energy opened a zero-emission green hydrogen vehicle refuelling network in South Auckland, Hamilton and Palmerston North - there's one more to open later in Tauranga. On the edge of the tarmac, Air New Zealand is aiming to lead the way in green hydrogen powered aircraft. It recently finished a trial at Wellington Airport, where for 10 days it powered its ground service equipment - such as baggage-movers… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, April 26, 2024
Great Barrier's thriving media scene
On Great Barrier Island the media landscape is bucking the national trend - it's flourishing Five media outlets for fewer than a thousand people. Find out about the outer Hauraki Gulf island where there are news and views for everyone There's an island in the far reaches of Auckland's territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of less than a thousand people ... and most of them embrace their isolation. But that doesn't mean they're out of touch. Aotea has two fortnightly community newspapers, at least two online news outlets, and a radio station. It's not because they're making up for a lack of internet availability - Elon Musk's Starlink takes care of that. "It's an island that attracts characters," says writer turned broadcaster Tim Higham. "We want to express ourselves, we don't want to be over-regulated, we love the wild and the free ... it inspires us, it's a beautiful place. But we have to get on, as well. "So there's this tension between all these rugged off-grid individualists, and having to rely on each other and community. So it brings out the best in self-expressionists .. and we're just going through this wonderful patch, having great media looking after us in different ways." Today on The Detail we look at the 'characters' running the local radio station and learn why they think competition is a glorious thing. Firstly, what exactly is operating from the island? There's the newly-launched newsletter the Aotea Advocate; The Barrier Bulletin (or the AA and the BB as Tim Higham says); Aotea TV which is also known as 'The Knewz', published on Facebook and YouTube. Then you've got AoteaGBI.news which is an online video and written platform (also called The Barrier Independent) which claims to be not only powered by the sun (like everything on the island it's on solar) but also by 'the spirit of volunteerism and community'. And then the radio station Aotea FM where Tim Higham's Island Stories - interviews with locals and visitors - are broadcast. It's taken over the frequency from the original station, The Beach, started by Tony Storey, aka Tony Veritas (which means 'truth' in Latin), a controversial figure who's been dragged to the Broadcasting Standards Authority in the past over his anti-police and pro-marijuana proclamations, who seems to write or podcast for everyone. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, April 25, 2024
Life Amidst Death: a soldier's view
When our Gallipoli soldiers landed at the historically significant site they occasionally paused to admire the sunsets, birds and flowers; and to souvenir treasures A new book sheds light on part of the Gallipoli campaign a world away from the horrors of battle You can't have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this ANZAC Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the conflict, called In The Midst of Death We Are In Life. The title reverses the word order from The Book of Common Prayer, used during the First World War in the committal at the end of a funeral service. It's a small but fascinating volume centred around objects the museum has in its collection and letters home the soldiers wrote about their surroundings. The book is edited by the museum's associate curator of war history, Gail Romano, an historian interested in the often-overlooked fringe experiences of war. She points out that when writing to family members about their experiences they often didn't want to talk about the horrors of war, so they described their surroundings instead. For many of the classically educated men, they understood that they were on a site of layers and layers of history; of Greek heroes, biblical descriptions and roman ruins. They also recorded the beautiful sunsets, unusual bugs and birds, and fields of flowers they were surrounded by. Lieutenant-Colonel Dr Percival Fenwick, a doctor, wrote about the "dreadful time" of treating the wounded, but he also recorded the banality of the men's daily reality and the wonderful sunrises, the fleet of warships "like toys on the water", and said "like a beautiful white bird, the hospital ship glittered pure white, as if she was a dove with folded wings, waiting as a symbol of peace". The museum's archaeology collection manager, Deirdre Harrison, contributed to the book's section on the landscape of Gallipoli. The French and British soldiers who landed further south dug trenches in what turned out to be an archaeological site at Cape Helles - much of what they found is now on display at the Louvre in Paris. One of the objects that made it home to New Zealand, and is now held by the museum is a little metal amulet. It was found by a kiwi soldier on rest and recreation, in Troy. The tiny figure of what looks like a lion or a dog is not on display, but kept in the museum's vaults. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, April 23, 2024
Quake rules in for a shake-up
The government's hit pause on strict new building regulations over earthquake strengthening, and even its usual opponents are happy with the move Earthquake building strengthening rules could change, perhaps bringing some relief for those facing huge bills to upgrade their homes There's relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules - and costs - that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get an extra four years to get these buildings up to code. Today on The Detail we look at how rules that looked sensible in the wake of the two massive shakes in Christchurch and Kaikōura, turned toxic when councils and building owners found out how much it would cost to meet the new laws. Masterton-based reporter for The Post Piers Fuller has spent several years covering these issues. He explains the law changes had goals of making buildings safer and saving lives. "The brought clarity around identifying earthquake-prone buildings, about the council's obligations as to how they would get the owners to enforce their responsibilities around remediating those buildings, and also gave them timeframes to work to," he says. "The timeframes were set on the risk levels that different parts of the country had. If you were in high risk areas, which does cover a lot of the country, you had effectively half the time that you may have in a low risk area." High-risk areas include the east of the North Island, the east of the South Island down to mid-Canterbury and also most of the West Coast. The medium-risk zones are through the middle of the North Island and through parts of Canterbury and Otago. Low-risk areas include coastal Otago, Auckland and Northland. The changes also brought in a national register of earthquake buildings. Many of those, which need to be demolished or renovated, are in the capital. "It's a tsunami of deadlines that are coming up over the next three or four years - by the end of 2027 there's going to be almost 300 buildings in Wellington that have to be dealt with," Fuller says. "Most of them take a high level of intervention. With 300 buildings with many owners quite reticent to do the work then you can imagine the obligation on a council to get those done and potential lawsuits - it's going to be really high." There are, of course, issues further afield. Masterton people rally to save their town hall… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, April 22, 2024
The de-railing of New Zealand
KiwiRail's future could be veering more towards mothballs than mega-ferries, but the government's not sending out any hints Rail in New Zealand looks to be following a dead-end track with no firm plans to replace the Cook Strait ferries, and a government preference for roads. In the 16 years since it was bought by the government for $690 million, KiwiRail has had several overhauls and turnaround plans, worth billions of dollars. Its ambitions as a successful, profitable operator of tourism, freight and ferries have often been derailed by disasters from earthquakes to cyclones, mine explosions and the collapse of key industries like coal mining. The latest goal for KiwiRail under the multi-billion dollar 2021 New Zealand Rail Plan was to make its "above rail" business of trains and ferries commercially viable by 2025 and able to fund future investments, but that was contingent on significant ongoing government investment in the network, the "below rail" side of the business. "It gave KiwiRail certainty for the first time that it would get specific allotments every year for three years and then having a wider 10-year outlook," BusinessDesk infrastructure editor Oliver Lewis tells The Detail. But the new government is taking a different approach to the state owned enterprise, making it clear that road users would not be cross-subsidising rail through the National Land Transport Programme. "That results in a massive reduction in the possible range of funds that KiwiRail can access in future years. And so there's a lot of concern from the unions and others, (including) rail users, that this might result in more underutilised lines getting closed down or mothballed," says Lewis. Add to that the finance minister Nicola Willis' bombshell decision not to pump another billion dollars into the Interislander mega ferries, sinking the project and leaving a question mark over KiwiRail's future as a shipping operator. "I get the impression that government and officials are asking themselves this very question," New Zealand Herald's Wellington reporter Georgina Campbell says. Campbell has been following the dramas of the Interislander for several years and says she felt relief that KiwiRail was pursuing a plan to replace the ageing ferries, especially after the terrifying Kaitaki incident last year when it drifted towards rocks, endangering the lives of hundreds of passengers on board. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, April 21, 2024
Breaking barriers on sexual assault figures
New technology available to abuse victims aims to change the figures on unreported sexual assaults. Two #MeToo campaigners are about to introduce a new reporting system for sexual assault survivors they hope will turn around shocking figures around this crime. Alison Mau had two choices when she was laid off from Stuff - carry on in journalism but not her specialist #MeToo reporting or quit the industry and try to make a meaningful difference in that area. She chose the latter and teamed up with another high-profile campaigner, barrister Zoe Lawton, to set up the charity Tika (which means justice and fairness) to tackle the persistently low rates of sexual assault reporting in Aotearoa. Statistics show it is one of our most under-reported crimes at just eight percent of all cases. Lawton and Mau believe Tika, which combines high tech and legal expertise, could be the circuit-breaker needed to encourage more survivors to come forward and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. Tika's platform will allow victims or survivors to register simply and securely online, and have the software search the database for a "match" on anyone who has been harmed by the same perpetrator. They'll then be able to take group action with the help of Tika's specialist lawyers, for free. Lawton, who set up the #MeToo blog to expose bad behaviour in the law profession in 2018, says they both thought their work in raising awareness around the prevalence of sexual harm in the workplace and other environments would lead to an increase in reporting rates. "Five, six years later those reporting rates are incredibly low," Lawton tells The Detail. "We were naive," says Mau. "We were stunned to learn that from the latest figures and we thought, why are people not reporting? "We know now that there are barriers in the way of survivors. With Tika we're trying to set up a way of pulling down those barriers." People don't report because they feel isolated and alone; are unsure whether what happened to them is against the law; and are reluctant to negotiate the legal system alone, says Mau. "We know many perpetrators harm more than one person and without accountability, develop a pattern of behaviour over time, creating a chain of harm. Tika will seek to hold those serial perpetrators accountable, and the database itself will act as a deterrent," she says… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, April 19, 2024
From a library basement comes a fashion history
From harem pants to scandalous hemlines, Auckland Library's latest exhibition showcases what we wore in the 1950s through 1990s Fashion, ephemera and Kiwi history at Auckland Central City Library's newest exhibition Zoë Colling's favourite piece in the That's So Last Century collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the 1960s. It's about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. "I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved in home sewing and what you need to do to keep your sewing machine in good nick," she explains. As associate curator of ephemera, Colling has had plenty of time to immerse herself in the history now on display at the Auckland Central City Library's latest exhibition. From the post-war elegance of the 1950s to the laidback nature of the '90s, the exhibition showcases New Zealand fashion and culture through magazines, photography and ephemera held by Auckland Council Libraries Heritage Collections. Ephemera are printed materials with a limited life span, such as posters, leaflets and movie tickets, Colling explains. The basement of Auckland City Library holds hundreds of thousands of these kinds of pieces, from ball cards to early editions of Woman's Weekly. The current exhibition is modern, by comparison. "Last year we had an exhibition focused on the medieval manuscripts, with items from 500 years ago, and we like to contrast exhibitions so we thought of focusing on a more recent time period and showing different collections like the amazing photographs that we have," she says. The collection feature photographs from John Rykenberg, a street photographer who migrated here from Holland in the '60s. He built a business in Auckland by photographing people in public, then selling them the photos. "There's people from all different cultural backgrounds and economic backgrounds, you can see that from the clothing they're wearing," Colling says. Many of the people featured in the photos are unknown and Colling is hoping people who come and see the exhibition may recognise themselves, or someone they know. "We'd love to be able to identify people in our images and because these were taken in a period of time where people connected to the people in the images are alive, there's a chance we can have them identified and connected back to their families," she says. All of the photos in the exhibition can be found in the library's Kura Heritage Collections online and in one example, it meant the three boys in a photograph could be identified. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, April 18, 2024
How the coolest capital is shrinking
The government's back-office public service job cuts are adding to Wellington's woes This is not the first time a government has targeted public servants for job cuts, but this time Wellington is really feeling it The thousands of government "back-office" job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today's episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that's already bending under the weight of broken infrastructure, housing shortages and earthquake-proofing difficulties. RNZ digital explainer editor Katie Kenny gives us the basic facts. "The public sector refers to a broad range, literally thousands of organisations, that serve as instruments of the Crown," she says. "It's separated into central government - the state - and the local government. Within central government you've got the public service - those core 39 departments, ministries that you would recognise. That workforce of nearly 66,000 full-time staff ... that's the workforce that was explicitly targeted by these government cuts." Job losses were promised to be back-office - broadly those who work in administration - rather than frontline. So far that's seen roles cut from the Ministry of Education, Primary Industries, Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Health to name a few. But the cuts have crept into some government services people weren't expecting. "What we're now seeing are cuts at Crown entities - WorkSafe and Callaghan Innovation and Crown research institute Niwa for example," Kenny says. Tracy Watkins, the editor of The Post and the Sunday-Star-Times discusses the change over time. She was Stuff''s political editor for about a decade and worked in parliamentary press gallery for over 20 years. "We've had a period of quite a bit of stability in the public service for about the last 10 - 15 years," she says. "One thousand jobs in one day is staggering, it's particularly staggering in Wellington, I think, where everyone's reeling from a whole lot of bad news lately. It feels more monumental in scale. But if you go back through the 1980s and then the 1990s, the public service numbers have really ebbed and flowed." She talks about the 80s reforms under David Lange's Labour government, which cut public service jobs from around 70,000 down to around 30,000… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, April 17, 2024
Pharmac's perpetually stretched budget
Secret lists and capped budgets - how does Pharmac make its drug buying choices? Pharmac holds the keys to New Zealand's medicine cabinet, and what it dishes out is never enough. Close to 3,500,000 prescriptions for paracetamol are written in New Zealand every year. It's just one of the treatments funded by Pharmac, the drug agency that barters with pharmaceutical companies to get medicines for us at the lowest cost possible. Currently its yearly budget is about $1.5 billion, but apparently that's still not enough, with over 130 treatments on its Options for Investment list. That's a wish-list of drugs and medical devices that it would like to fund but can't stretch to. These treatments are listed in order of importance, but the list isn't available to the public because Pharmac says it's commercially sensitive. Doctor David Hughes is at the table where decisions are made and explains why it's kept private. "If you're a supplier and you knew that you were number one on our list, you might not be particularly interested in negotiating a better deal," he says. Hughes says there's a commercial tension, because Pharmac aims to buy as many medications as it can for the maximum number of New Zealanders. He says being able to vigorously negotiate with suppliers is key and any advantage it can get is good. But for friends and whānau or indeed individuals who are waiting for something on that list, being left in the dark only increases the anxiety about waiting for treatment. Over the years several groups, organisations and committees have spoken out against Pharmac. Even the former Health Minister Andrew Little publicly hit out at the drug buying agency stating "the days of the independent republic of Pharmac are over," following a scathing review into the body in 2022. But Hughes defends Pharmac saying it has an extremely detailed review process, seeking expert advice from over 20 advisory committees, many of which are specialised in specific health need areas such as mental health, diabetes and cancer treatments. "The journey to funding has many stages, some of which may be repeated as we get new advice or information. All of the process has clinical advice and critical appraisal of evidence at its core," he says. Pharmac considers funding medications through its Factors for Consideration framework, looking at need, health benefits, cost and savings and suitability through the lens of the individual, their whānau and the wider community. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, April 16, 2024
The dark side of the beauty industry
The beauty industry in New Zealand is a wild west devoid of regulation, and the price people are paying can take the form of scars, burns and infections. No medical qualifications required - yet technicians in the rapidly expanding beauty industry are dealing with dangerous substances. There is nothing to stop someone from buying a laser machine online and setting up a shop offering treatments for skin. Or injecting dermal filler into a client's face. No qualifications are needed for either treatment, but when it goes wrong the results can be life changing, even life threatening. Cosmetic medicine professionals say the industry is exploding, with investors from offshore who are driven by profit taking advantage of the lack of regulations. "I don't think anyone's allowed it to happen, it's just happened," dermatological surgeon Dr Ken MacDonald says. "A few years ago it never occurred to us that any Tom, Dick and Harry would get one of these machines, but it's happened." MacDonald says not all laser companies have a "proper ethical stance. In other words, they are prepared to sell these devices to anyone who pays for them". People doing laser treatments may have two days training, and without any medical qualifications they may mistake an early melanoma for an age spot, or the client gets burnt, or gets an infection which leads to scarring. "They say: 'oh yes, we can treat that', but they don't know what it is and so there is clearly a diagnosis failure." MacDonald, who is the chair of the New Zealand Cosmetic Dermatology Surgical Group, urges clients to go to clinics that have a medical component. He says there are local regulations for Auckland businesses but they are toothless. He wants to see lasers in a more supervised environment where there is more access to medical help and where the health and safety standards are adequate. "There've got to be policed standards and ideally an association with medical clinics so people can get a prescription for infections or early skin damage treated in an appropriate way," he tells The Detail. Doctor Sarah Hart has a box labelled 'blindness' in her Ponsonby cosmetic clinic, an emergency kit in case something goes wrong when she is injecting dermal filler into a client's face. It contains a substance that can reverse the treatment and avoid causing blindness. It is mandatory for all members of the New Zealand Society of Cosmetic Medicine. But it is not a legal requirement for people administering dermal filler and nor do they need a medical qualification… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, April 15, 2024
School principals on the truth behind truancy
Government fixes for truancy need to look at why kids aren't coming to school, rather than just shaming schools for their numbers. Principals are urging the government to take care in the way truancy data is published, saying if it's just going to be another set of league tables it won't be helpful. Bad parenting - or are there a million other reasons that a child might not make it to school? Ash Maindonald - the principal of Western Heights School, a primary school in West Auckland - says that every principal he speaks to has a litany of war stories they share on the truancy issue. "It's front and centre, it's top of mind for them," he tells RNZ's First Up host Nathan Rarere on The Detail today. Maindonald is sceptical about government moves to address truancy, saying one of the causes of it that is not being addressed is "the huge challenges that our explosion of neurodiverse children are posing in class every day. "Rules, regulations, gimmicky red tape aren't going to make a difference for our neurodiverse children. "The government needs to take a big look at what they do and what they prioritise and say 'let's forget some of this gimmicky stuff and get some of this real core business stuff sorted' - like a teacher aide in every class, every day, all day'. "Then you will find that schools, being the self-managing wonders that they are, they will be able to free up other resources to get out into the community and to get out into the homes and to get those children in, because it's people who have a relationship with those families in our community who are going to be able to have the most success interacting with them." Community involvement is a common theme among the three principals we talked to for today's episode, along with the need for more resources to tackle attendance and truancy problems, rather than 'gimmicks' like traffic lights. The government announced last week an "attendance action plan" to address what it calls a "truancy crisis". The government has a target of having 80 percent of students at school more than 90 per cent of the term by 2030. The most recent statistics (from Term 4 last year) show only 53.6 percent of students reached that target. In the first phase, from Term 2 (on 29 April), there will be a public communications campaign, updated public health guidance on attending school and schools will be made to publish attendance data weekly instead of every term. Further proposals still have to be approved by Cabinet - they include a traffic light system to monitor attendance and daily reporting of attendance data by Term 1 next year… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, April 14, 2024
The empty surgical hospital that could be slashing waiting lists
The lights are on, the beds are ready, but no patients have stepped inside a brand new $320 million surgical hospital built on Auckland's North Shore. The state-of-the-art Tōtara Haumaru hospital looks like a show home for health - but just like a show home, you can't stay the night A healing garden with plants reaching up several floors is to be a unique feature of the newly built $320 million surgical hospital at North Shore, with studies showing it brings benefits of faster recovery and reduced stress in patients, and happier staff. Funded by the charity Well Foundation through donations, the garden will be the first of its kind in New Zealand and was to open this month along with the state-of-the-art Tōtara Haumaru hospital. But the facility of 150 beds, eight operating theatres and four endoscopy suites remains empty, no patients or staff, no certain date for opening. Staff looking out the windows of the old North Shore hospital just metres away are frustrated to see the lights are on, the beds and furniture are in place and there are signs of new surgical equipment, but they can't work there. Te Whatu Ora will only say it will open mid-year, blaming staff shortages and lack of operating budget. The Health Minister Shane Reti says it should be open by June but that will not include the entire hospital, says RNZ's health correspondent, Rowan Quinn who broke the story last week. She says the health agency has been reluctant to give details. "It's been in the pipeline a long time. It was years ago that work started on this building and it replaced the old maternity building," she tells The Detail. "Te Whatu Ora says it didn't want to take valuable resources that are doing operations in other parts of the city and divert them here if it wasn't ready to go." Doctors don't buy that argument, she says. The facility stands unused while ageing health services around the region are weighed down by high patient numbers and long waiting lists. The emergency department at North Shore's old hospital has been forced to again put patients in corridors due to pressure on services. Whangarei Hospital has been in dire need of an upgrade for years, says Quinn. Elsewhere in the country hospitals and clinics are desperately waiting for funding, including the new $1.6 billion Dunedin Hospital which has faced numerous budget blowouts. "It is a problem for New Zealand that these public hospitals are really in dire need of an upgrade." Quinn has been told by surgeons that it will be difficult to get enough staff in time for a June opening date for the first two levels… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, April 12, 2024
On the frontline of Victim Support
A Victim Support worker on what it's like to support victims on their worst days. A Victim Support worker explains how she provides 'psychological first aid' during the most traumatic times in people's lives. Victim Support's Melissa Gordon has spent more than a decade "walking beside" people who have suffered the most traumatic events in their lives. She's been on the doorstep with a police officer to give the news everyone dreads - the death of a loved one by accident, suicide or murder. Gordon and the victim are always strangers when they first meet but sometimes, they will see each other for years and in the most difficult circumstances - in a hospital, at the police station, in the coroner's court or at a trial. Gordon worked on the frontline of Victim Support, progressing to head of the homicide team before taking charge of client service nationwide. In the 12 months to June 2023, the government-funded organisation helped a record 48,677 victims of crime, suicide and other trauma. In the most extreme cases, like a homicide, Victim Support workers are among the first at the scene or alongside the police as they tell someone that their loved one has been killed. In one of the most traumatic events in recent New Zealand history, the eruption of Whakaari/White Island in 2019, the organisation was giving immediate support to whanau and witnesses. That role continued until last month when victims gave statements at the trial, supported by Victim Support worker Colleen Ellis, who had been with them from the beginning. "A lot of our support, especially at the crisis point, really you're just being present," Gordon tells The Detail in a podcast looking at the heartbreaking, sometimes dangerous role of Victim Support. "It's making sure understand what has happened, it's part of this psychological first aid. "If you're going to get a knock on your door and there's a police officer standing there and a Victim Support person standing there and they've just told you something terrible like a homicide has happened to your son, to your daughter, what is it you're going to want to know - 'what has happened to my loved one?'" The support person has to be prepared for a range of reactions. "Some people can faint, some people don't cry at all, some people could collapse, some people can get angry, the heart rate can go up, cold, hot." Gordon recalls her most difficult case as a frontline worker, when a young man was farewelling his father. "That emotionally hit me in the heart, I guess thinking of my own children." She's also been at the periphery of a tense scene involving rival gangs… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, April 11, 2024
NZ's foreign policy sea-change
New Zealand is edging away from our long-held Independent Foreign Policy and towards old allies, and navigating it all is an old hand. Winston Peters is treading a delicate line as New Zealand balances the sensitivities of trading partners with a stronger Western alliance. The Honourable Winston Peters is back on the world stage, and showing every sign of relishing his new, old, job. But it won't be business as usual for him in spite of having held the Foreign Affairs role twice before. "I think we're seeing a sea-change in New Zealand foreign policy," says Geoffrey Miller, a geo-political analyst with The Democracy Project. "It's a gradual (shift), and it's been happening for a number of years now. We are gradually re-aligning ourselves with the 'western bloc' if you like, becoming closer with what Winston Peters calls 'New Zealand's traditional partners'; the United States, United Kingdom, Australia... and we're moving away from what has been called the Independent Foreign Policy which has really been New Zealand's strategy for the last 30 - 40 years." That doesn't mean we are non-aligned, but it means our aim has been to try and build good relationships with all sides. "New Zealand did very well out of that strategy, particularly in the post-cold war period, when the focus was very much on trading relationships," says Miller. In the last decade, that's switched to a greater focus on security. It's Peters' job to tread all these fine lines. Newsroom's National Affairs editor Sam Sachdeva says the 79-year-old Foreign Minister (it was his birthday yesterday) is handling the portfolio with an ever-present twinkle in his eye. "As tetchy and pugilistic as he can be at home, he is pretty good as a statesman I think. "He has strong relationships, and part of that is his political longevity - he knows a lot of these people. He's been an enduring presence on the world stage." Sachdeva says the fact that Peters is well-known helps to open doors and have discussions that we otherwise might not have. "He seems to love it, a lot actually. You'd think once you've been around for a while and you've done it a few goes maybe you'd get sick of it, but I think he does enjoy glad-handing and speaking on the world stage. He seems invigorated by it if anything." Sachdeva is speaking in the wake of Peters' appearance at the United Nations where he delivered a strong speech on Gaza, in a 'serendipitous' 3.15pm timeslot after Russia, China, and the Palestinian representative. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, April 10, 2024
Demolition by neglect for our heritage buildings
The heritage building debate: A balance between saving our history and building our future. The trade-off between keeping dilapidated heritage buildings and developing much-needed housing for the future. A loophole in the law may allow derelict heritage buildings to be demolished or renovated - pending ministerial approval - but it's caught the ire of architectural experts. While heritage buildings may be important to preserve, the reality is that they're often too expensive and complicated to fix and are left to fall into disrepair. "You can't demolish but this often leads to demolition by neglect," says Bill McKay, a senior lecturer at University of Auckland School of Architecture and Planning. One of the most notable examples is the Gordon Wilson Flats - an 11-story apartment complex, built as social housing in the 1950s. It's a rare and iconic example of post-war "international style" modernism architecture. It's also falling apart. "They're pretty prominent, they overlook at lot of the city because they're up on a hill," The Post's council reporter Erin Gourley tells The Detail. "They are boarded up, they're covered in graffiti, you can't go in there because the building is earthquake prone." The flats are owned by Victoria University, which wants to demolish them but hasn't been able to because of the council's heritage listing on the property. Having a heritage listing means renovations are heavily restricted, and the building can't be torn down. But now, the council has voted to remove the heritage listing on the Gordon Wilson Flats - along with that of nine other properties in the city - through a loophole in the law. "Under the process, where heritage listings are nominated and they go through the council, normally the council's decision on them can be appealed to the Environment Court," Gourley says. That's what happened when they tried to demolish the flats back in 2017. But the law has changed since then, essentially giving councils the final say before the decision goes to the Minister of Housing. "This is all tied to rules of allowing more housing in cities, and Labour passed a law which said councils have to update their plans. "As a part of that, no appeals to the Environment Court are allowed. Councils have figured out that they can actually look at heritage listings as well as housing as a part of that process." Housing Minister Chris Bishop is reviewing the case and is expected to announce his decision later this month. Last week, Gourley asked him about the decision… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, April 09, 2024
The rates conversation
Coming soon to an inbox or letterbox near you is something shocking - your next rates bill. Paying for pipes and roads is stretching every council in the country right now, and ratepayers are going to have to foot the bill Councils are calling for constitutional change over high-rising rates bills. By the look of draft council long-term plans across the country, ratepayers are in for an average rise of 15.3 percent - the highest in more than 35 years. "Over my time in council, so since 2010, most councils like to talk about three, four or five percent rates increases. If you were hitting six, that was quite a high increase. This year, six is the lowest increase in percentage for rates increases that anyone's doing," Selwyn mayor and Local Government New Zealand president Sam Broughton tells The Detail. The Buller District, at the northern end of the West Coast, has one of, if not the highest increases in mainland New Zealand at nearly 32 percent. There's even talk of some properties in Stewart Island getting hit with increases of 500 per cent. "One or two councils over the last three or four years have had larger increases, whether it's been around water, wastewater or particular projects within their districts. But this year, it's a national conversation. We're all having this really challenging convo with the community." Broughton explains this is happening because of increased costs, mostly borne out of post-Covid inflation - for bridges, wastewater and the like - and low increases in the past. "Councils are very limited in the way we can fund things. Rates paying for over half of council expenses is standard across the country... with those limited tools, it's meant that communities have generally asked for rates to be low. "So this year, councils are all at the same time, recognising that the conversation's got to change." Much of the financial challenge councils are facing was revealed in an Infometrics report commissioned by Local Government New Zealand, released last month. Broughton is calling on the government to open up new avenues for council income. He's disappointed the government's taken away the Auckland regional fuel tax, but is pleased it's considering returning GST on new house builds to councils. He wants the country to think about an even bigger picture: "Do we need a constitutional conversation, and I think we do, about how we make decisions - government by government can take a different approach... it's really easy to be doing one thing and three years later having to do another. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, April 08, 2024
Measuring poverty just got harder
Two fact-finding projects on children and poverty are under attack by public service cost cutting. The uncertain future of two comprehensive studies on children and poverty has sparked fears the data gap will lead to leaky sieve policies. How can we fix problems we don't know about? Two long term surveys focussing on children and poverty are the casualties of public service cost cuts, raising fears that without the data there is no real measure of hardship afflicting families in Aotearoa. The future of Auckland University's Growing Up in New Zealand study involving several thousand children and their families is uncertain after the government did not renew its contract in February. The university and the government are looking at the funding options for the 15-year-old study which covers a range of topics from mental health to schooling. In the same week that news of that study's future funding was at risk, StatsNZ axed its own unique but short-lived Living in Aotearoa survey. "This Living in Aotearoa survey was set up to measure whether families or children were living in persistent poverty," says Newsroom political editor Laura Walters. "If you don't have that data, then you don't have a measure of persistent poverty." Without the data, governments could argue that there are no families living in persistent poverty, she says. "But can you say that truly if you don't have the data to back it up?" The cut to one study and uncertainty over another reflect the pressures on research and universities, particularly the high-cost projects such as multi-year longitudinal studies, says Walters. The Living in Aotearoa survey included communities that often fall through the cracks when it comes to collecting data such as tax information because they may be unemployed households. Walters says it was a way of capturing that information about families and children. "StatsNZ were really proud of this survey and its unlikely that they wanted to cut it but like every other ministry at the moment they have to find efficiencies. They need to cut programmes, they need to cut jobs. And this, while being very good quality data it's also incredibly expensive to gather and they found it wasn't a very efficient way of getting these statistics," she says. Walters was actually a participant in the survey and says it was time consuming both for the surveyor and her own family. Surveyors have to go into often remote communities where they have no connections, convince people to take part and convince them to stay involved… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, April 07, 2024
Fuming over transport policy
The plan to get Kiwis moving - as long as it's along a motorway - has public transport experts fuming The government's releasing its policy statements that guide priorities and funding into the future, but one in particular has met with angry feedback The government's policy statements will leave no doubt as to what direction it wants to head in, but when it comes to transport, not everyone is on the same motorway. The GPS (not to be confused with Global Positioning Systems) are documents which outline the political aims of various sectors, including housing, transport, and the big one, health. Theoretically if they're a 10 year plan, they should only come out every decade, but the Herald's deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan says in reality they're done much more frequently because governments change and aim to deliver their campaign promises. "Ministers can't keep their hands off the tools and they want to constantly be changing things." he says. Coughlan thinks it's important for Kiwis to be informed about the documents and what's in them, so today The Detail goes through exactly what they are and how they're enacted. Draft GPS are generally open for consultation which gives the opportunity for feedback before things are finalised, and anyone can have their say. "You should care about Government Policy Statements as much as you care about the budget. Because this is how the things that you voted for and things that you like or don't like about the government, this is how you get them," he says. The GPS which has caused particular angst at the moment is the one on land transport, particularly for Auckland. The Transport Minister Simeon Brown says it will unlock infrastructure investments that are needed to help Aucklanders get where they need to go quickly and safely. But the Herald's senior writer, Simon Wilson thinks it will do the opposite, especially once the City Rail Link is finished. "We're going to have double the capacity of our train network, so many of those road crossings are going to become dangerous and will be stopping traffic a lot of the time. There's one in Auckland where it's going to stop the traffic for three quarters of every hour, which clearly is going to infuriate drivers," he says. Wilson says it will also possibly encourage drivers to take risks. "Some of those crossings should close, others need to be grade separated, which means you put a bridge or underpass across the rail line," he says. But this is not funded in the draft land transport GPS. What's also facing a funding shortfall is the city's public transport network. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, April 05, 2024
The food ranking system past its use-by date
Using the health star-rating for packaged food should be simple, but it's not New Zealand does have a healthy food ranking system, but it's full of flaws, confusing for shoppers, and easy for manufacturers to get around The Food Health Star Rating system is supposed to guide our choices when it comes to packaged food. But since its introduction 13 years ago it's faced a galaxy of issues, including manufacturers who've managed to get around it, and consumer confusion. Improvements have been slow. Critics say the voluntary system gives the food industry a free pass, because they can cherry-pick their ratings, and avoid using it for less healthy products. Belinda Castles, who is a research and test writer at Consumer NZ, wants to see the Food Health Star Rating system made compulsary for manufacturers. "Because if they're not mandatory," she asks, "why would they bother?" Today on The Detail we look at how - and if - the system works. It was introduced in 2011 by the government so kiwis could measure the healthiness of their food. The system uses a rating scale of 0.5 to five stars. When comparing similar foods, foods with more stars are deemed to be healthier than foods with fewer stars. Sounds simple, but the implementation has been far from it. From Nestle giving its Milo powder a 4.5 star rating despite being almost 50 percent sugar to chocolate milk being rated healthier than regular milk, the trans-Tasman system has had no shortage of critics. Castles and says there was a lot of confusion in the early days among shoppers over how to actually use the system. "It's intended for packaged foods, so it shouldn't be a substitute for following the healthy eating guidelines." she says. Castles also says the system also rates products based on their category. "You can't compare apples and pears because the calculation's different. So you should look at the cereal aisle and go 'right, within this category I can look at the different ratings, but I can't compare that box of cereals with a box of crackers or a bottle of cooking oil'," she explains. But even when comparing products within the same category, things don't seem to add up. Nutrigrain has a four star rating. But in just one cup, which is the recommended serving size, there are over nine grams of sugar, almost a third of the public health recommended daily intake. Professor of Population Nutrition and Global Health at the University of Auckland, Boyd Swinburn, is critical of the system. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, April 04, 2024
The downward spiral of Ruapehu's commercial infrastructure
Snow season is fast approaching but the North Island's only commercial skiing mountain has an uncertain future Along with the 2024 season's fresh snow comes a dumping of unwelcome information on the future of Mt Ruapehu's infrastructure, including the iconic Chateau Tongariro The ski season is fast approaching and the year's first snow has fallen but Mt Ruapehu's two skifields are still surrounded by uncertainty. The deal for Tūroa's new owner, Pure Tūroa, won't go unconditional until the Department of Conservation grants a concession and Cabinet gives its approval, while Whakapapa remains in the hands of government-appointed receivers who are expected to run the skifield this winter. "It's complicated," says Newsroom business journalist Andrew Bevin, who has written more than 30 stories on the mountain's troubles; from the collapse of the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) to the tussle between the creditors who are owed a total of $70 million, and the on-again, off-again buyers. "You've got multiple government departments, multiple ministers, you've got the receivers, you've got the liquidators, you've got the people who paid to build the Sky Waka gondola on Whakapapa, you've got the life pass holders," Bevin tells The Detail. "Obviously, Mt Ruapehu is so important to so many different iwi and hapū groups who do need to have a say. It's thought of as an ancestor not a mountain, it's very important." He outlines the many twists and turns of the business since RAL went into voluntary administration in late 2022, after covid-related lockdowns and unfavourable weather dragged down visitor numbers. Two favoured buyers were close to taking over the skifields last year but they failed to get the required vote of approval from the majority of creditors, including thousands of life pass holders. "The numbers were obviously overwhelmingly swayed to them but the government had the money. And so there was this stalemate situation where the government's thing didn't pass and the life pass holders motion didn't pass either because the government vetoed that," he says. He explains how the government is a creditor, owed more than $40 million through MBIE's regional development arm Kānoa but it has also poured in an "eyewatering" $20 million in bailout funds. The Detail also looks at the role of iwi and why decisions over the sale of the skifields could lead to further legal action. Waikato Times journalist Matthew Martin says the ongoing uncertainty has left business operators, mayors and other locals feeling frustrated and disappointed… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, April 03, 2024
Turbulent times for NZ rugby
On the field and off, rugby is fighting to keep the game alive Not since the upheavals of the 80s has New Zealand rugby faced such turmoil. The game of rugby is facing the same sort of crisis that nearly consumed it in the 1980s, according to Sky sport commentator Tony Johnson. There may be no Springbok protests, the new broom of professionalism has done its thing, and women are out of the tuck shop... but the list of issues the sport faces is vast. They include New Zealand Rugby chair Dame Patsy Reddy threatening to resign if board reform doesn't go her way, competition with other sport, and dwindling crowds, though Johnson says our collective memory might be skewed and "it's still a very popular game". "Anecdotally people will say 'I'm not interested in rugby anymore'... or 'look at the crowd for that game, half empty' etc etc. We tend to be a little bit selective in our memories. People will point back to the mid-80s and go 'oh they used to have 30,000, 40,000 ... well yes they did. They had 30,000 or 40,000 if Canterbury were playing Auckland for the Ranfurly Shield because that was the biggest thing in the game back then. But I went to plenty of games in the 70s and 80s where you count the crowd in hundreds, rather than thousands. "It wasn't always this Utopia of packed-out crowds for every single game. "Yes, at the moment it's not as good as it's been. Super rugby in its hey-day yes, got massive crowds all the time and that has fallen away. "But this year the attendances have been solid rather than spectacular, and the viewing figures are still very good. The interest is still there. I think there is a perception though that interest is waning and that's something that certainly needs to be addressed because that negativity does tend to gnaw away at the popularity of a sport." The Detail also speaks to long time rugby writer Phil Gifford. "It's a sport that is under siege, it's as simple as that," he says. "Crowds are down, television audiences are down, the NPC, the provincial competition draws tiny crowds... club rugby is struggling to stay alive especially in small towns. The game itself, I think, needs to have a good hard look and say to itself 'how can we make this game more attractive a) to watch and b) to play'." Both experts list the same issues that are tripping rugby up. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, April 02, 2024
Rubbing out the rainbow
The line between freedom of expression, and suppression of other people's freedoms White paint over rainbow crossings and protests against rainbow story times have left LGBTQIA+ community and allies furious. After a series of protests and threats against both library staff and performers, multiple Rainbow Storytime events have been cancelled. It began in Rotorua, where councillors clashed over an upcoming library story time where drag queens Erika and Coco Flash were set to read books to children. The opposition to these story times is primarily led by Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki, who said this type of event is inappropriate for children. But even after the events were cancelled, protests aimed at the rainbow community have continued, with the vandalism of two rainbow pedestrian crossings in Gisborne and Auckland last week. Police have charged people in the Gisborne incident, and say they're looking at it as a hate crime. But Professor Peter Lineham - who specialises in the religious history of New Zealand and wrote a book about Destiny Church - tells The Detail that he doesn't agree with categorising these actions as hate crimes. "That it was an unfriendly act? Certainly. But one of the interesting things for me was that it provoked a great deal of community resonance of joining together in support of LGBTQIA+ people." he says. He says even Tamaki's protests formed part of New Zealand's rich heritage of protest - but that New Zealanders shouldn't be overly concerned about them. "These simple acts of protest are not going to actually change society, they simply raise issues and encourage debate. If we were more healthy around accepting variety of debate I think we would see the Tamaki protest in perspective and not be so excited by them." he says. Tamaki has promised to shut down not just these events, but the entire string of performances. He says it's not about suppressing the rights of the rainbow community, but rather about protecting children. "A man dressed up as a woman is probably not a thing that most parents want their kids to be struggling with," he says. "I believe we had to protect the innocence of our children and one way of doing that was challenging the councils and the library, 'what you're doing is not acceptable and it's inappropriate'." Lineham disagrees, and he also doesn't think people should see these latest incidents as threats, nor as a representation of a wider societal belief… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, April 01, 2024
The disability ministry funding debacle
Service cuts from the disability ministry caused panic and stress. How did it all go wrong? Disability funding changes have caused stress, uncertainty, and fear among families. How was this controversial decision made, and what happens now? A shock announcement about service cuts from the Ministry of Disabled People, delivered via social media, caused panic and grief. That was just the beginning of a chaotic few weeks, involving condemnations of the move from outside and inside the government and an apology from the ministry - but crucially, not a reversal of the changes. Today's episode of The Detail explains how it unfolded. "Whaikaha put a post on its social media pages and updated its website to say that the purchasing guidelines had been changed," says Newsroom journalist Emma Hatton. "The purchasing guidelines are a list of criteria that people who receive certain disability supports can use to guide whether they are able to purchase something...what Whaikaha did is they changed that criteria and they made it more restrictive so they narrowed what people could purchase." Dr Rebekah Graham, the national executive officer of Parents of Vision Impaired NZ, says the funding stream most parents receive is called Carer Support. "Traditionally you could only use it to pay for a support worker," she says. But that changed over time and became more flexible, to allow families to meet their individual needs. "Instead of just being for a care worker, you could actually start using it for things that gave you, as the carer, a bit of a break." This could include things like going overseas to attend a specialised programme, a tablet to keep a child engaged while a parent had a moment to sit down, or devices used to monitor a diabetic child's blood sugar overnight so that parents don't have to wake every few hours to make sure their child doesn't die in their sleep. Graham says that, as she understands it, these changes will get rid of those options. "It hasn't been this grim in such a long time. Because as parents we're so enmeshed in the system, it's so familiar to us, we recognise the language. As soon as we read the announcement, we knew that all of our supports were gone... some parents were really distressed." Emma Hatton says the ministry told their minister, Penny Simmonds, about budget issues on February 22. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, March 27, 2024
The diplomatic dance with problematic China
China has been caught spying on us. Forty billion dollars in trade might explain why it took three years and the support of two friends to announce. Calling China out for its 'cyber attacks' on our Parliamentary services took nearly three years of careful 'i-dotting and t-crossing'. Our biggest trading partner has tried to hack into our parliamentary network, and New Zealand has come out stronger than ever before with its condemnation. We've heard words such as "totally unacceptable" (from our minister of spies, Judith Collins); "unacceptable" and "concerning behaviours" (Foreign Minister Winston Peters); and "malicious" (GCSB director-general Andrew Clark and the Prime Minister). But those words about China are not as strong as the denials from our supposed friend. They included saying the government statement held "groundless and irresponsible accusations", and saying accusing China of foreign interference is "completely barking up the wrong tree". What played out next was a delicate dance along the constant tightrope that is weighing China's good ($40 billion in trade) and bad (spying, trade repercussions after international insults, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, repression in Xinjiang and against the Uyghur people). Newsroom national affairs editor Sam Sachdeva literally wrote the book on this - it's called The China Tightrope. Today on The Detail he draws out the nuance of what's happened, talks about what was stolen, and looks to potential future repercussions. Sachdeva says even the way it was announced was classic New Zealand understated response to a notable situation. There was no news conference, but an on-the-run statement from Judith Collins in the halls of Parliament about a state-sponsored cyber attack in 2021 that was aimed at Parliamentary service networks. Sachdeva says it's no coincidence that it came on the heels of the UK and US making their own statements about such attacks, but New Zealand hasn't gone as far as they have in imposing sanctions and making arrests. And the reason we're only hearing about it now comes down to a mix of "the technical and the political," he says. The issue was ignored when then-PM Chris Hipkins visited President Xi Jinping in Beijing last year, and when Christopher Luxon met the Chinese Foreign Minister in Wellington last week. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, March 26, 2024
India's Gloriavale and the Kiwi women there
The Gloriavale offshoot in India is home to Kiwi women and children. A former member of the sect says getting them out of there is urgent Grave fears are being raised over the fate of New Zealand women who are raising their children in a Gloriavale off-shoot community in India When Theo Pratt saw her sister in India's Gloriavale outpost last year, she was horrified. "She was just like a shell of the person I remembered as my sister. I was very taken aback, I didn't expect it to be that bad," she says. "She was so lifeless." Pratt was in India to check on her sister and the other women and children living there. On Tuesday, the final episode of TVNZ's three-part documentary Escaping Utopia revealed the existence of this offshoot in India. But as Pratt told The Detail, she's known about it for years - and has tried for about seven years to get help. "I've been trying to find a way to get the government and to get someone to realise what was happening and what Gloriavale was doing with sending women to India," Pratt says. "Over the years I've met with human rights people, and lawyers, and media people, and at the end of the day it was in the too-hard basket and no one was going to touch it because it's Gloriavale and it's so complicated." Pratt says of the small community there, five are New Zealand women married to Indian men, and 35 are their children. She says the women don't have access to their passports, and some of the children don't even have birth certificates. Peter Righteous, one of Gloriavale's leaders, denies this, saying that the Gloriavale members there would be able to leave "at the drop of a hat". Pratt also says that the oldest of the New Zealand children is 13 or 14, and the plan is to begin to marry them to each other in a few years. "Those kids and those women are hugely at risk." The Detail also speaks with Brian Henry, a barrister who has acted for plaintiffs against Gloriavale in a number of cases. Yesterday he was in Wellington to file proceedings for a new case. His claim is that the civil servants involved in two committees which were responsible for monitoring Gloriavale have failed the victims. "We're coming after these civil servants, I'm going to identify every one of them and we're going to sue them because they haven't done their job," he says. For Henry, a huge frustration is that the abuse has spanned decades - and that it's been known about for decades, too. He refers to journalist Melanie Reid's investigation, in the mid-1990s, which uncovered sexual abuse in the community. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, March 25, 2024
Fiscal holes as a political weapon
Are fiscal holes a real issue, or an easy headline? Fiscal holes, a double dip recession and a shrinking economy. How bad are the figures and what do they really mean? Fiscal holes, a double dip recession, inflation untamed, a weak manufacturing sector and a shrinking economy. Figures are starting to emerge that don't paint New Zealand in a flattering light. We're going backwards economically - but are things as bad as they sound? Today on The Detail we look at the terminology of economic gloom and doom, to work out which phrases are real and which are being used as a headline-generating political weapon. Newsroom senior political reporter Marc Daalder says the term 'fiscal hole' is a fiction really. "It can kind of mean what you want it to mean. There's no agreed definition of it, there's no economic definition of it, it's not a term that's maybe taught in economics classes. "The fiscal hole concept was first I think introduced by Steven Joyce at the 2017 election when he alleged Labour had a fiscal hole in their plan. Economists checked it, they found there were no errors in there, it would be tight spending in the later years of the term, but that in and of itself does not make a fiscal hole. "Then National did appear to have some errors in their 2020 fiscal plan... here came the allegation from Grant Robertson that National had a fiscal hole. "And now it's become a maybe-too-common term to describe any situation where maybe things don't quite add up." It's also a challenge to the government's credibility. "Given that it seems to be effective, I think parties are very happy to weaponise it." Now the weapon that was designed for Labour is being turned against National. "National campaigned on being a safe pair of hands for the economy but also for the government. They were very strenuously insisting throughout the campaign that their tax plan would add up, and that was in the face of basically all of the expert commentary we heard from economists on the left of the political spectrum, on the right of the political spectrum, right in the middle as well, saying 'no, this isn't going to work'. "I think the situation we've seen in the months since the election has proven them right." The government has been able to get out of quantifying their foreign buyer tax plan on the basis that the coalition agreement nixed it. "That's a handy excuse for them," Daalder says. "Now they don't need to go and put that to the test, but there are still other elements that are coming in differently to what they promised in the campaign." … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, March 24, 2024
Green money dries up
Today from The Detail: When the money dries up, gains made by a wave of Covid-inspired funding are likely to be lost. They have the newly gained skills, the training and willingness to do one of the country's most vital jobs, but the funding has run out and there's no one to pay for jobs for nature. A funding bonanza for nature that was seeded during the Covid pandemic is approaching its end date. In the King Country's ancient Pureora Forest Robert John Muraahi and his small team of pest control workers have been preparing the land for the return of kiwi. Muraahi has been doing the work as a volunteer for years but with funding from the Covid-19 scheme Jobs for Nature he was able to set up his own business and hire young local people, including unemployed and former prisoners. The work meant they were returning to the land that their people had lived and worked on for generations. "They are my success stories, they've come out on top," Muraahi tells The Detail. "All their certificates, all their training certificates that they've achieved in that time are now hanging in their lounges and in frames and stuff, they're very proud of what they've achieved." But the Jobs for Nature money has run out and without long-term contracts Muraahi is struggling to keep the team together. It is one of hundreds of pest control, forest restoration and freshwater projects funded by the $1.2 billion Jobs for Nature (J4N) scheme launched in 2020. "It's empowered us significantly because there were also cultural outcomes. Part of the criteria for jobs for nature was I had to take people with no education background or training history and develop them," says Muraahi. "We over-achieved in terms of employment outcomes, in terms of our training outcomes and also in terms of our conservation outcomes," he tells The Detail. The scheme was funded for five years, creating 14,000 jobs, but many projects have ended or are about to finish, leaving workers and the projects themselves facing an uncertain future. Project leaders have told The Detail they are scrambling to find alternative sources of funding through philanthropists, businesses and communities, but say the lack of forward planning will mean the work on some of the programmes is wasted. "The minute you stop doing pest control in a forest the re-invasion begins," says David Peters, chair of Project Parore which has been restoring the waterways feeding into Tauranga Harbour since 2008, supported by a $1.75 Jobs for Nature grant. "Pure volunteerism is not going to get the results we need," he says… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, March 22, 2024
How manga moved West
The Japanese art forms that have shaped more of the West's story telling than you may realise Manga and anime are no longer the preserve of those in the know. A recent Oscar win, and the death of a Japanese story-telling legend, have caused global ripples Hayao Miyazaki's beautiful hand-drawn film The Boy and the Heron won Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards this year. The film will be streamed around the globe on Netflix. Earlier in the month Akira Toriyama, the creator of some of the most iconic characters in anime, and the inspiration behind the top two in the world, died. It was Toriyama's death that shook the corners of the internet. Following the announcement, Akira Toriyama was seeing more traffic on X than the state of the union address by the president of the United States occurring at the same time. Official national statements of mourning were made by the governments of China and El Salvador. The president of France was among many high profile figures to publicly offer a tribute, and thousands of fans have made public displays in his honour. Today on The Detail we look at Toriyama's work and influence, and talk about how Japanese culture has had such a huge influence outside Japan. Anyone who had a TV in their home and children under the age of 13 or so during the 90s might be familiar with Dragon Ball, Toriyama's most famous creation. For many watching, it was the first taste of Anime; animated content from Japan, breaching national barriers to become rooted in popular culture across the globe. Akira Toriyama was a 'mangaka'. A person who draws manga, or Japanese comics. Unlike in the West, where a comic book is the work of a team of people specialising in their own tasks, the creative work of a manga is typically handled by just one individual. This leaves a great deal more room for the truly talented to obtain superstar status with the victory of a popular manga being attached to a single name. Toriyama gained many victories with his breakout success Dr Slump, and immediately afterwards with his biggest work by far, Dragon Ball. It's hard to understate how much influence Dragon Ball and its sequel series Dragonball Z had on the series within its genre that were to follow. With anime and manga becoming ever more prevalent in the West, beginning to affect even works that aren't direct adaptations, that influence can be felt around the world. Directors Robert Rodriguez, James Cameron and the Wachowskis - of Matrix fame - are among them. The Matrix is essentially a live action version of manga series Ghost in the Shell. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, March 21, 2024
The power balance
In the wake of a change in the way power bills are calculated, The Detail helps you understand the bottom line. Power prices are rising, and not just because of inflation. But it's hard to work out how to save money, if you can't understand your bill. A major change in the way power bills are being calculated will mean rising costs for huge numbers of New Zealand households. Those affected most will be smaller homes using less electricity. That's because the ratio of fixed daily charges to variable rates is being changed. The fixed daily charge is what everyone pays every day for the power poles and lines that bring electricity into the house - that's going up for low users, after it was deemed that high power users were paying more for distribution. The variable rate reflects how much power you're using. But working out the various rates and terms on your power bill isn't easy - and Consumer Advocacy Council member Jessica Wilson says there's no consistency across the industry. She talks to The Detail today about how to read and interpret a power bill, the traps in special offers, and what changes her group wants made to make it easier for us to work out what's happening. "At the moment there's no standard information they need to provide - it is a whole mishmash of different styles, different formats - even different words used to describe the same thing," she says. Bills do have some commonalities. "Typically on the front page of the bill you'll see things like your account number, your address and billing details and obviously you'll also see how much you need to pay that month and when it's due," Wilson says. "It's often when we look at that amount that we feel like we need a cup of tea and a lie-down! "On the second page of the bill, you will then get more detail about how that charge is made up." On top of that there's GST and the electricity authority levy - although that can be included in the variable rate. Sometimes there are also time-of-use charges, when you get cheaper electricity at off-peak times. For example, some companies have a 'free hour of power' promotion. Wilson says consumers need to be careful when considering these offers. "First is the offer realistic - can you change your power use to the time of day or evening when the retailer is offering that discount? Secondly, how does it affect your standard rates for power use that the retailer's offering - are you for example paying a higher per kilowatt hour charge to compensate the retailer for offering you that free deal?" … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, March 20, 2024
The sea ice factories of Antarctica
A team of New Zealand scientists has just returned from studying the sea ice factories in Antarctica, in a joint expedition with Italy A scientific Antarctic expedition is an expensive undertaking, but one we can't afford to skip if we want to know what's happening with the world's oceans If you want to study the health of the world's oceans, you need to get to their heartbeat. That's deep in the Ross Sea, where the sea ice factories of Antarctica - or polynyas - live. Because of their remote location and harsh weather conditions they're tricky to measure, and they're under-represented in our climate models. But a crew of Kiwi scientists have just returned from observing them, sending their state-of-the-art ocean gliders out to collect information. They hitched a ride on the Italian icebreaker Laura Bassi, which was ironically able to get closer than usual because of melting sea ice. The journey was a reaction to the collapse of sea ice last year, and had to be organised in a hurry. "Science can move slowly most of the time," says Craig Stevens, the voyage leader on board the boat. "It takes you a few years to decide on a problem, to write a proposal, a few years to do the work and a few years to publish it. "We just don't have that time any more in terms of identifying the changes, and communicating the seriousness of that to all audiences, stretching from school kids to policy designers and everyone in between." Today on The Detail we talk to Stevens, NIWA's principal scientist, and to Liv Cornellisen, two of the 12 New Zealand scientists who were on board the Laura Bassi. Liv Cornellisen is a PhD student based at NIWA in Wellington, and affiliated with the University of Auckland. This was her first expedition, and the chance to observe in real life what she's been looking at from satellite data on her computer screen. You can see polynya events from space, but while in Terra Nova Bay, Liv saw one for herself. "It was super rough, we had high swells, high winds; it was freezing cold; I was very sea sick that day... but to actually be in there and experience just how big it is, and how much force nature has during these events... that was something that you wouldn't learn from just sitting at your laptop," she says. A polynya event is when the ocean is opened by very high sea winds. Those high velocity winds drop with gravity down an ice shelf, pushing the sea ice away, exposing the ocean to more wind and freezing temperatures and creating new sea ice. Ross Sea polynas are the largest in Antarctica. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, March 19, 2024
A promise to overhaul the Holidays Act, again
The Holidays Act is complex and has led to years of problems. But fixing it seems just as challenging. Complications with the Holiday Act have caused years of pay problems for employees and businesses. The government promises to fix it. Impossible calculations, incomprehensible entitlements - it's widely agreed across the political spectrum that the Holidays Act is a mess. "We are doing non-stop audits trying to help our members with the issues in the act," New Zealand Payroll Practitioners Association chief executive David Jenkins tells The Detail. "It takes up probably about 80 to 90 percent of our work." He says the Act has some good theory, such as minimum entitlements on annual leave, sick leave, bereavement leave, family violence leave and public holidays. But since it came to existence on 1 April 2004, it's been beset with problems. "Every one of those leave types has a whole set of rules around it," Jenkins says. "The calculations are the problem... this Act works if I work Monday to Friday 8:00 to 5:00 and I get no other payments - just my basic wage. But as soon as you get someone that's got variable hours, a different work pattern, it falls down." Jenkins talks about some of the high profile Holidays Act breaches by different organisations, including New Zealand Police, Te Whatu Ora and even the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment - which manages the law. There have been several attempts to try to change it. In 2011, the National-led government changed the calculations for all leave but annual leave (which hasn't changed since the act was introduced). Then Labour promised an overhaul, setting up a taskforce which came up with numerous recommendations. But Jenkins says the problem was that it didn't fit with payroll systems. "They didn't look at those recommendations in regard to 'what can payroll actually do' - so then we spent the time from that review right up to when the government changed to basically try to put that into a piece of legislation that payroll could use." But he says they never got there. The National/ACT/NZ First government wants to "simplify the law" for businesses, according to ACT's deputy leader and Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden. Jenkins hopes things will change, but says he's "heard these things before from other ministers and other governments". The Detail also speaks to lawyer Barbara Buckett about wider changes van Velden wants to make in the workplace and employment sectors… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, March 18, 2024
New target for police asset seizures
The proceeds of crime laws have traditionally been used to target gangs and drug dealers. Now police have their eyes on a new target, and that's left businesses feeling vulnerable. A workplace death and health and safety rule violations sees a business facing the same confiscation laws as gangs When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009, it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can't prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a $30,000 fine or five years in jail. The proceeds from this are upwards of $80 million a year. When the Act was ammended last year, to draw in another estimated $25 million, the then-Justice minister's news release talked about organised crime, and making it harder for gangs and their leaders to benefit financially. But in a twist that few saw coming, police are now targeting a business guilty of serious breaches of the Health and Safety Act, using the same legislation. NZ Herald investigative reporter David Fisher has revealed that police have restrained $11 million worth of assets belonging to the boss of Salter's Cartage, Ron Salter, saying his actions in ignoring the rules helped him build up a fortune - and that fortune should now be taken away from him. At the centre of the case is a 2015 incident in which one of Salter's employees was killed. WorkSafe ordered his business to be shut down, and in an 'egregious' breach of that order, he kept working. He paid more than $400,000 in fines and was sentenced to four and a half months of home detention, which he served. Two years later, police laid fresh proceedings. Now, the Court of Appeal has ordered that police must underwrite their case against Salters, so that if it fails, they pay for the Salters' losses caused by the police action. The court had heard that the police action meant the company couldn't borrow money to expand, and if they tried to sell the business they would get less for it. Today on The Detail David Fisher talks through the potential consequences of this action. "Were the case against the Salters to be proved, then it would leave, I would think, many different businesses feeling extremely vulnerable. Because they could very much be the next one under the gun," he says. Similar acts that could be used in this way include the Resource Management Act, the Fair Trading Act, the Tax Administration Act, the Financial Markets Conduct Act and the Land Transport Act. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, March 17, 2024
David Seymour's attack on red tape
A sector that's had rules piled upon it is welcoming moves to cut the red tape The early childhood education sector is the first target of David Seymour's red tape attack. Day care centre owners swamped by a mass of rules and regulations welcome the change. A new ministry to regulate... regulations. To draw up laws around drawing up laws. ACT leader David Seymour is in charge of his pet project, a ministry for regulation, and its first target will be an area he is also responsible for - the early childhood education sector. He is being true to his ACT Party's mantra of minimalist governance and making life easier for businesses. But unless he wants to oversee another disaster of the leaky buildings magnitude, he can't ride through the wild west of red tape like a cowboy. "All of these regulations are in place for a reason," says Newsroom's gallery reporter Emma Hatton. "So whether that reason is still legitimate needs to be carefully considered." Hatton has talked to Seymour at length about this new ministry, and tells The Detail what it's all about. "As part of government central agencies it's alongside Treasury and DPMC and the Public Service Commission. "As minister for regulation he sits alongside the minister of finance and things like that, so it's a very grand position to hold. So he will certainly want to make sure it's achieving what he thinks it should be achieving, and has something to show for it." The leaky buildings disaster, where a freeing up of regulation in the construction industry led to billions of dollars of repair bills for the country, is front of mind in this area. "You ask anybody about deregulating or having a light-handed approach towards regulation, the building and construction sector is certainly the one that's going to spring to everybody's mind," says Hatton. "Seymour would push back on the idea that this work seeks to undermine good, solid regulations that are there for proper health and safety, or environmental , but certainly there is the risk that by stripping out regulations or simplifying processes, or whatever it is that happens as a result of these reviews, that we do end up with so called 'unintended consequences' from things like what we saw with the leaky buildings example." The new ministry would both look at regulation that is already in place, and strip away anything that is hindering progress or "basically wasting people's time," says Hatton, and set up a new piece of legislation that would essentially guide how future legislation and regulations are created. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, March 15, 2024
A tuneful life
The Detail's Davina Zimmer discovers she's sitting across from a quiet music legend. Trevor Reekie is the force that's driven some of New Zealand's greatest music. The Detail sits down to hear about his life in the industry. What do the Warratahs, Tex Pistol, Shona Laing, Holidaymakers and The Parker Project all have in common? Trevor Reekie. He's been the driving force of Pagan, a record label created with the intention of being an outlet for the soundtracks of Mirage Films. Reekie bought the label for just $1,000 in 1988, and went on to represent some of the country's best known artists. On today's episode of The Detail, we sit down with Reekie to discuss his impressive music career as a musician, radio producer, record producer, music writer and label owner. When asked what originally drew him to music, Reekie recalls being excited by it from a young age, when English chart-toppers like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were the talk of the school yard. "There were also other avenues of music that were coming through in the late sixties as well, which really piqued my interest," he says. "Owning some of those different albums was a sort of passport to meeting other music fans at school. And suddenly that's where I realised, music travels, and it's also more than just music." Reekie started a band, called Prometheus, during his days at university in Dunedin. Musical distractions stretched a three-year history degree into five years and in the end took him on a trip across Europe, touring southern France with a theatre group. "We had the ability to travel out into the little villages, which I would have never have got to otherwise. Small little villages - still got the cobblestones, off the beaten track. It's just a beautiful part of the world." he says. When Reekie returned to Aotearoa, he was offered a role at Pagan, and eventually ended up buying the label. Pagan's first release was Shona Laing's America, and then came (Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy, part of her 1987 album South, which Reekie says was massive. "It was just a great album, and it still is, it stands up today." he says. Another hit act was The Warratahs. "I just thought 'we've got to do something with this because they are just phenomenal'," he says. "They must've played every town hall down the end of a dirt road all around the country, that's how meticulously they worked and they built up an incredible following," Reekie says the landscape has changed for musicians, but he doesn't think that should - or will - deter the next musicians… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, March 14, 2024
Voting rights for the Samoan diaspora
Critics of a new electoral law in Samoa say it could allow overseas voters to decide elections. New laws will allow the Samoan diaspora to vote. Opponents say the change could give more power to overseas citizens than those in the country itself. Changes to electoral laws in Samoa will allow overseas voters for the first time, and opponents say it could shift the balance of power, allowing the Samoan diaspora to decide elections. Most countries allow citizens living abroad to vote, albeit with some restrictions. But in a country where more of its people live outside the country than in it, there are worries it might not work in the best interest of the local population. "The opposition is concerned that given the large size of the Samoan diaspora that overseas voters could outnumber local voters, meaning results could be determined by a population outside of Samoa, as opposed to those who are residing in Samoa," says RNZ Pacific's editor Koroi Hawkins. "New Zealand has a very large Samoan diaspora and there are really strong connections to the islands through family, through businesses, through churches," he says. The Samoan government passed two amendments last week. One will modernise the voting system and clean up the existing rolls, using biometric data. The other, which is the more controversial, will give Samoans who don't live in the country the opportunity to vote. This could include many of the 180,000 Samoans here in New Zealand, 200,000 in the United States of America, and 100,000 in Australia. In Samoa itself, the population is around 220,000. Still, just exactly how this will play out is unclear. "There are some grey areas around who is eligible to vote," says Hawkins. RNZ Pacific journalist Finau Fonua tells The Detail that, just as there are people in Samoa who are unhappy about the idea of the diaspora voting, there are also Samoans here who aren't happy about the change, largely due to a penalty for those who are eligible to register to vote but don't. "The penalty is 100 tala . It's not hugely expensive but it's a slap on the wrist," he says. "If you're a Samoan living in New Zealand and you go back to visit your home country you pay 100 tala for not voting - even if you have no interest in voting. "The Samoan government would make a lot of money from the Samoans going back, but it's not going to make them popular among the Samoan diaspora - which is ironic because one of the purposes behind the law change was to make the electoral system more inclusive for the Samoan diaspora." Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, March 13, 2024
Auckland Council's rubbish move
Auckland Council is calling it a 'bin optimisation drive', but residents say the move to remove their litter receptacles is rubbish Councils are slicing every dollar they can manage, but when it bites into the core business of rubbish, is there a chance they've gone too far? The weirdest thing he's found is an octopus. "A whole rotting octopus. I would say stretched out it would have been a good five to six feet long. That was bizarre." Jason Valentine-Burt is a rubbish picker-upper - a plogger, if you prefer - on the streets of Avondale in Auckland. The octopus was found in a car park and it certainly hadn't walked there. Valentine-Burt also runs the Clean Avondale community group of like-minded citizens who go around making sure chip bags, Chupa Chup sticks, soiled nappies, used condoms and nitrous oxide containers don't lie around, using a pick-up tool to pluck them from hedges and gutters. But the group's activities are on hold - the problem lately has become overwhelming. The street he lives on - with two schools housing 3000 students - used to have five bins. But thanks to the council's new policy of stripping out about 30 percent of them, to save more than $9 million, there is now just one bin. (He points out that's actually closer to an 80 percent reduction.) "As far as the council is concerned, obviously it is a money-saving venture for them. That's great, we all love to have our money saved," he says. But the former principal says the pie wrappers and the drink bottles are now being poked into people's hedges as school kids dispose of their rubbish less than thoughtfully. "Yes, in a Utopia they would all put it into a bin," he says. "They would all carry on walking on to school with their empty chippie packet or whatever and put it into the bins in the school." But they don't. He's asked the council to put a couple of the bins back, and it's offered to relocate bins from another part of Avondale to put near the school. That would "disadvantage another part of the community, who will be left without a bin. Unbelievable really. My response was to just get some bins back out of storage!" You might think that's enough time dedicated to an upstanding resident concerned about a small issue, but to many Aucklanders this issue isn't small at all. RNZ's The Panel host Wallace Chapman talked to Valentine-Burt about the issue and says there was as much feedback about the story as any other, including hot-button topics the state of media and bootcamps. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, March 12, 2024
Immigration New Zealand's perfect storm
A review into a new visa category that sparked more problems than it solved is scathing about Immigration NZ's processes and systems. When you introduce a high-trust model of working into a sector known for unscrupulous behaviour, the results aren't pretty. It was an answer to a problem that didn't exist. And it was a mess. When the Labour government introduced the Accredited Employer Work Visa in 2022, it was a reaction to some horrific stories of migrant exploitation, mainly of recently graduated students trying to make a living. It rolled six older visas into one and was designed to go from a system that relied on migrants themselves to present all the relevant data to authorities in an application, to one that focused on employers to make genuine offers of work. The policy change took place between 2017 and 2019, and then work on implementing it was done while our borders were closed during the pandemic. After they reopened the pressure was on - it was a time of unprecedented labour shortages, very low unemployment and a pent-up demand for migrant labour, not to mention the influx of friends, relatives and wedding guests who'd put off their trips because of Covid. New immigration staff were being trained up; big changes had been made; there was immense pressure from the government, employers and New Zealanders generally to get people in the country quickly; and INZ was part way through introducing a new computer system that split tasks up and ensured one person didn't have oversight of cases. The system was called ADEPT; it was so bad that some immigration advisers referred to it as INEPT. On top of all that INZ adopted a 'light touch' policy - staff were told to initially cut back on the checks designed to stop bad actors exploiting the system. More rigorous checks would come in later. But that didn't happen. Once that became known, the floodgates opened. Staff, the immigration industry and lawyers raised concerns about the new processes, including the lack of checks. One of the first to ring alarm bells was immigration lawyer Alastair McClymont. His business partner was encountering job tokens for New Zealand positions being sold openly in India, Vietnam, China and elsewhere for tens of thousands of dollars. "Certainly it became obvious to many people in the industry that there was a lot of money exchanging hands overseas," says McClymont. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, March 11, 2024
Haka, sport and politics
A haka incorporating barbs aimed at the Government has rekindled a decades old debate over sport and politics. The Hurricanes Poua's season started with a controversial haka criticising the Government, with critics asking if politics belong in sport. In the first haka of their season, the Hurricanes Poua used the words "karetao o te Kāwana kakī whero" -- "puppets of this redneck government". It was a political statement that got the attention of the government, the media; and the Hurricanes Poua management, who said they were blindsided. And a bit of pushback - Act's David Seymour said the Poua "know nothing about the colour of my neck", NZ First's Winston Peters said they shouldn't be "out there to speak, you're out there to play", and Newstalk ZB breakfast host Mike Hosking called women's rugby a "tenuous proposition at the best of times". This weekend, the team revised their haka, using a line that's been translated by 1News as: "Governments are temporary, the Treaty will endure. Poua will endure." But the team's management has denied this is the translation, saying it meant "challenges may come and go, but we will endure". RNZ Māori news journalist Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira (Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Hine) was the first to report on the story. The Detail sat down with him to discuss whether haka is inherently political, and whether such messages belong in sport. "It's a question I've been trying to follow up with some 'haka experts,' for lack of a better term, to get a sense of what actually the role of haka is within rugby," he says. "One of the key responses I've got, and I think that Māori people know this, haka is not just a political art form. It is often used as a political art form," he says, "but it is also an expression of love, of commemoration. "When you think about that concept - that haka is an art form, it's a form of expression - what role do New Zealand rugby clubs have in implementing or integrating what is essentially a show as part of their game? "Is it just a little set piece that you have before the game to get everybody hyped up, is it a tool for marketing that you use to bring in foreign interest into the game...and if you're going to do that, is that the right thing to do, if it's a form of expression? "Should rugby clubs dictate to teams or composers what can be said? I think it's fair to say that the reaction from Māori is 'no it's not'. So the question now is should haka be part of the game if it's going to have these limitations?" he says. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, March 10, 2024
Getting our money lending right
The laws that govern our money-lending landscape are in for another shakeup. Law makers tread a tricky tightrope when it comes to getting money-lending rules right. The Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act is a mouthful of a law that has far-reaching effects for would-be borrowers. Make it too easy to get cash and vulnerable people end up in debt. Make it too hard and potential home buyers become perpetual renters. In yet another shakeup by the new government, the rules are changing again. The Detail today talks to a property investment firm and a social service organisation to get their views on where the laws should sit, and the dangers of swinging too far one way or the other. Ed McKnight is an economist at Opes Partners, a property investment firm, and co-hosts The Property Academy Podcast. "What this law is all about is making sure that people who go to get out a loan, whether that's a mortgage or a personal loan, whatever it happens to be, that they can actually afford it," McKnight says. "If you're a lender and you're giving somebody some money that they then have to pay back, you're in a bit of a position of power. So it's all about making sure people who are lending out money are treating borrowers fairly." The previous Labour government brought in various changes to try to protect borrowers - but some of these got a lot of criticism. "The rules became really prescriptive," McKnight says. "It said to all types of lenders, not just pay-day lenders but even the banks - and that's really where the issue - 'this is how you must assess somebody's mortgage'." McKnight talks about some of the rules lenders had to follow - such as counting gym memberships, tithing and even savings as ongoing expenses. If you spent too much you simply wouldn't get a loan. "That's where it started to get a little bit silly, I think, and why they made changes quite quickly - only four months after they released the first version." The changes included removing discretionary expenses from affordability testing. But National's coalition agreement with Act states the government will "rewrite the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 to protect vulnerable consumers without unnecessarily limiting access to credit". Commerce and Consumer Affairs minister Andrew Bayly is leading the charge. But what exactly these changes will be is unclear. "The only detail we've really got is a speech given to the Financial Services Council," McKnight says… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, March 08, 2024
A cool solution to drink dilution
All ice is not created equal, and the ice created by Conor Whale is top-shelf stuff. A man who has spent far too long thinking about ice is now making a business out of it. It's an essential component to any good bar drink, but how much attention do you pay to the ice in your glass? If you're the average person, probably not much. But it's something Conor Whale spent a lot of time thinking about during his years as a bartender. "When I was in Melbourne, we had a really cool cocktail programe. For years, I had been making clear ice in the bar, which is a finicky, time-expensive ordeal to go through," he says. Whale came across Navy Strength Ice, an Australian company that makes and sells clear ice, and started purchasing their stock instead of having his staff make it. Not only was it a cheaper option, but it ensured a consistently high standard of presentation. "Everything was perfectly square, everything was the exact same size, everything went out looking exactly the same. "And that is one of the most important things when it comes to hospitality, because if you go to your favourite venue and you have an Old Fashioned, you want that Old Fashioned to taste amazing. Then you go away and come back the next week and it tastes different, it's disappointing," Whale says. When Covid shut the world down, he came back to this side of the ditch and founded The Bar Society. Now he sells ice cubes to more than 30 different vendors across the North Island - and is working on expanding this to deliver nationwide. But what makes his ice so special? "The standard ice that you would get in your freezer, when you look at it, it's got all your frosty bits in it, and that is essentially trapped air. "That trapped air opens up what I call little veins to the exterior of the ice which allows temperature to get in, and the ice melts a little bit faster," Whale explains. To make his ice, Whale uses a method known as directional freezing. "If I was to put water in a mould and put that in the freezer, you're freezing it with cold energy (hitting it from) 360 degrees. So each outside face is going to freeze first and the inside remains liquid." he says. Directional freezing essentially means the water gets frozen from one direction and the result is much denser ice that doesn't melt as quickly. So while ice might not be on your mind when you take that first sip of a cocktail, Whale says it's an important part of any good drink, and using clear ice is the easiest and most cost-effective way for anyone to take it to the next level… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, March 07, 2024
Incubating a space industry
Auckland University's new space centre will soon take control of a satellite that detects the world's worst methane emitters. The Detail visits a mission control centre in the basement of Auckland University, that within a year will be operating a methane-detecting satellite. There's been another SpaceX rocket launch in California, but this one was watched keenly at not one, but two mission control centres in Auckland. This week's Falcon 9 lift-off contained a payload designed to show, for the world to see, who the world's worst methane polluters are. It's a project by the non-profit American NGO the Environmental Defence Fund, which has tapped the New Zealand government for a nearly $30 million contribution towards the cost of sending up MethaneSAT. That's in spite of the fact that the satellite is aiming at oil and gas pipelines - the chances of it being able to trace agricultural methane emissions on a relatively small scale such as in our country are debatable. However, there is a payoff for Aotearoa's fledgling space industry. Shortly after launch control of MethaneSAT was handed over to RocketLab's Mt Wellington crew; and within a year it will be operated by Auckland University's new mission operations centre. Auckland is the first university in New Zealand to operate a satellite. Its space centre was paid for by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment under its Strategic Science Investment Fund to the tune of $3.35m so far. There will be further contracts covering work over the next four or five years to do with the MethaneSAT programme. It means New Zealand students looking to the stars will get real-life, hands-on experience. Many of them will likely end up on the staff at RocketLab, a home-grown but now US-owned operation that has enabled budding astronomers to stay home instead of having to go overseas for work. The Detail was at the university's mission control centre as the live feed of this rocket launch came through, and spoke to the senior and junior operations engineers, Vernon Lewis and Mahima Seth respectively, for the MethaneSAT programme. "We'll be using for analysing the telemetry data, and helping to produce the state of health reports," says Lewis. "They'll probably be involved also in the upload and download of telemetry and command data, and we'll actually get them hands-on driving the satellite, under supervision." The satellite is effectively a spectrometer that measures the visible light waves from methane emissions and can pinpoint with incredible precision where they're coming from. The orbit is fixed and targets are selected by another part of the MethaneSAT organisation. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Wed, March 06, 2024
The diamonds, the divas and the drama of the Oscars
Hollywood's red carpet is getting rolled out for its premier event, the Oscars, for the 96th time this weekend In spite of living in the age of Netflix, the gilt still isn't peeling off the Academy Awards. It's the big night of the year in Hollywood, where the film industry gets on their Sunday best and struts the red carpet for the annual award ceremony of the season. Newshub entertainment editor Kate Rodger says the Oscars is an event that stops the whole city, and truly is one of a kind. "It's an iconic awards show and probably the first to dominate any kind of conversation around awards." So what can we expect for Aotearoa this year? Wēta FX has earned a nomination for its role in the production of Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3. It was also part of the production of War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko, which is nominated for Best Animated Short Film. The Academy Awards never fail to populate the headlines and this year was no different, with critics, fans and stars themselves speaking out after the nomination list failed to include Barbie star Margot Robbie for best actress and Greta Gerwig for best director. "The optics of this absolutely suck, there's no question. Here we have Barbie not nominated, but we have Ken nominated. We have the architect of the film, not nominated for best director," says Rodger. She would've loved to see more women included in the directing category, and says the nominations reflect what she thinks are the worst statistics on the number of female directors in Hollywood this year. "So would I want to swap out, and put Greta in there for best director? Quite possibly I'd like to pop that in instead of maybe Jonathan Glazer, but the reality is Jonathan Glazer directed a stunning film." she says. Glazer helmed The Zone of Interest, which is nominated in the all-important Best Picture category. But Rodger says ultimately deciding what film is better is like comparing a pen to a pencil. "They're completely different, they kind of do the same thing, but you have a totally different experience with these two things. "How do you compare a film about the Holocaust with a film about Barbie?" Public outcry over a lack of diversity in Oscar nominees and winners isn't new, and many blame it on the lack of diversity in the members of the Academy, who choose the winners. Following the #OscarsSoWhite movement in 2016 the Academy promised to double its number of women and ethnically diverse members by 2020. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tue, March 05, 2024
Mould, mushrooms and musty classrooms
An Auckland school for some of our most vulnerable children is crumbling, and any hopes for a rebuild have just been dashed by the government's moves to halt school property developments. Twenty years of hoping for better facilities - such as buildings that aren't riddled with mould - have been dealt another blow at Sommerville School. Sewage bubbling out of floors, mushrooms growing above windows, prison-like outdoor spaces. This is the reality for the Sommerville special school, specifically for those with disabilities, in east Auckland. The school's promised rebuild has never eventuated. Instead, its environment just gets worse as its board hesitates to spend money on buildings that may just be demolished. But any changes for the better are on hold as the government announces an inquiry into "unrealistic and unaffordable" school property works. In today's podcast, Sommerville School principal Belinda Johnston and deputy principal Corey Busfield give The Detail's Tom Kitchin a tour of their crumbling environment. A room partly used as a music therapy space has mould and smells awful. "Just under the window, the mould has actually started eating into the plaster," says Busfield. "My chest gets quite tight once I've been in here for a little while." Next is the asbestos-ridden hall. "There were some leaks in the roof so one of our projects was to get it re-roofed over the holidays,'' Busfield says. "Now they've done half of the job and started finding asbestos sheeting up in the apex, so they have stopped work altogether... at the apex at the top there are holes for ventilation normally - they've now taped those up for safety, just in case any asbestos fibres were to float down." And the staff lunchroom where mushrooms are on the menu - and not in a good way. "These are black mushrooms growing out of the top of the window right up by the ceiling," says Johnston. "They are the most disgusting things you've ever seen in your life on the inside of the building and there's a musty horrible smell in here." These types of problems have been going on for years and nothing has happened, despite promises, designs and plans. "We've got families who came to this school more than 16 years ago with their child and were told by the previous principal, 'don't worry about the crumbling buildings, because the Ministry of Education has promised us a brand new school'," Johnston says. One of these promises was in 2018, when the Labour-NZ First coalition government announced Sommerville would get a $17 million rebuild. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Mon, March 04, 2024
Olympic hopefuls plan for Paris 2024
The first of our athletes to wear the silver fern in Paris have been announced For New Zealand athletes, preparing for the Olympics means more than just being at the top of their sport With less than five months until the 2024 Paris Olympic Games begin, New Zealand has begun to announce its athletes. Speed climbers Julian David and Sarah Tetzlaff are the first who have been selected to represent the country at the summer games. Plenty of others are showing promise - at the just-concluded World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, pole vaulter Eliza McCartney and shot putter Tom Walsh both claimed silver medals, and Hamish Kerr broke New Zealand records and took gold in the men's high jump. And with an incredible final kick, Geordie Beamish became the World Indoor 1500-metre champion, landing New Zealand in third place on the medal table behind the USA and Belgium. RNZ sports correspondent Dana Johannsen says it is too early to know how many athletes the team will have, but she does have an estimate. "As a bit of a gauge, there were 199 athletes at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, in Tokyo there were 212, so I expect that the team will once again sort of be in that 190-200 range," says Johannsen. One of the athletes expected to compete in Paris this summer is discus thrower Connor Bell. He's won the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games title, and the gold medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games - two events which helped prepare him for the pressure. "You get hit with a lot of nervous energy and it's almost about rather than finding ways to overcome it, it's about letting all that nervous energy in and using it to enable your performance," he says. "I'm expecting it to be pretty intimidating, but that's a good thing." Bell also has a good support system around him, including a sports psychologist, nutritionist, physio, throwing coach, and a strength and conditioning coach. "I also have an athlete life manager who helps me deal with the logistics of managing some of the life stuff and organising my schedule around competitions and finding ways to manage time while I'm overseas," he says. Another hopeful is canoe and kayak sprinter Kurtis Imrie. "We're trying to create a pretty awesome culture around putting the boat first," he says, "Obviously there's nine of us going for four spots, only going to be four guys sitting in that boat at the games, so everything we do throughout the day is going to impact the boat that's going to be competing at the Olympics." … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Sun, March 03, 2024
Rare disorders aren't unusual enough to ignore
One in 17 New Zealanders have what's termed as a rare disorder. March is the month to highlight their lives and struggles. March is Rare Disorder Month, where attention's drawn to the 300,000 New Zealanders who are uncommon, but who have a lot in common. When Ursula Christel's son was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome, she felt relieved. "I now had something in my toolbox that I knew how I could handle. I just had to research it, everything was step by step." she says. Angelman syndrome affects about one in every 15,000 babies but the condition is a spectrum, and all 500,000 people globally who have it are affected differently. "Not every person with Angelman syndrome might have severe seizures, or there might be some with very severe seizures, and then they live in the neurology department, whereas my son had a little bit of everything. "I was flitting between all sorts of specialists." Christel explains. With such an uncommon condition, it isn't really surprising that the internet is the main first choice of source for information about treatment, care and support. Christel says social media has been a great way to connect with other families who have Angelman children, and share research and experiences. Together they've become a community of experts, finding new information, and feeding it back to doctors here in Aotearoa. "There are different ways you get Angelman syndrome, it's quite complex, the genetics. So I booked an appointment with the geneticist, and I took along all the information that I had, and afterwards we sat together, he listened to me a little bit and then he went online, and he started googling my website! "And that's when I thought, okay you better know that that's my website... I actually know everything that's in there already, I came here because I wanted you to tell me something." she laughs. Her son Andrew is one of about 300,000 New Zealanders living with at least one of the more than 7,000 known rare disorders. It's not actually that rare to have a rare disorder. But there's no official rare disorder register so it's difficult to know exactly how many people are actually affected. Chris Higgins, Chief Executive of Rare Disorders NZ, says they tend to be more conservative with their figures, and the number could actually be higher. "The other thing that happens is that the number of rare disorders increases anyway as we understand that what we might have considered to be a common condition is actually made up of a number of sub-conditions, some of which will be rare."… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Fri, March 01, 2024
The death of the magazine
Magazines are facing extinction by internet. Are they special enough to save? The last magazine shops are shutting - they're going the way of video and record stores. But like vinyl, will there be a renaissance? There's nothing like leafing through the pages of a gorgeous, glossy magazine. But those days could soon be over, judging by plummeting readership figures and mass closures. Five years ago, the publishing industry sold around 16 million magazines a year in New Zealand. Now it's down nearly 40 percent, to 10 million. Nicholas Burrowes from the Magazine Publishers Association remains upbeat about the situation, but that's his job. He denies his industry is facing a cultural death. "I think it's wrong, because I think anybody who's tried to predict what's happening in media in the last 10 to 20 to 30 years has never got it right. A lot of magazines are still being sold. It's not like, we've hit some bottom - we have a future." In spite of that optimism, last year the Magazine Publishers Association had to cancel its annual conference, posting on its website that "the board acknowledges the tough times, the cost to publishers of airfares, accommodation, taking key staff away from the business for at least a day is difficult to justify". Most would agree there's no comparison between leafing through a publication with high production values and poking your finger at a screen. Beautifully produced medium format photographs printed on quality paper, or those same pictures turned into pixels? There's no contest. However there's one commercial advantage those publications just can't beat. Although the equivalent content on the web might be fuzzy or colourless - it's largely free. Just like "video killed the radio star", as the old Buggles song would have it - the internet has been quietly gutting print magazines. "There's nothing like holding a good magazine in your hands and opening it up and seeing a great photograph, or a great article by somebody that you really want to read about," says Jim Wilson. Wilson is an avid devourer of mags. A gold-plated connoisseur. He estimates he's bought and read tens of thousands of titles. "I get a lot of poetry magazines because I'm interested in poetry. I get a lot of Volkswagen magazines because I'm interested in Volkswagens. And I also get some political-type magazines like Prospect, out of the UK." Wilson, who used to run an arts magazine himself, subscribes to the New York Review of Books, Harpers, the Atlantic and the London magazine - which has been going since 1732. … Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Thu, February 29, 2024
The Newshub bombshell with a whopping blast range
It was a skin-of-your-teeth operation from the start, and Newshub's 35 year old life looks to be ending with multi-million dollar losses presided over by off-shore owners Those passionate about news and Newshub hope a white knight will appear on the horizon, but more realistic commentators say that horse has bolted In the early days of TV3 there wasn't enough money for a sound proof booth to record voice-overs so reporters would wrap themselves in a curtain. Former reporter turned weather presenter Rose Daly says budgets were tight at the new tv channel compared with the "buckets of money" at the state broadcaster. But it made people creative, "hungry, fired up" with a passion that was crucial to its survival, Daly says of the trailblazing TV3, the first broadcaster to introduce "Kia ora" to the evening news. She also remembers, presenting the weather heavily pregnant, the day her producers decided she needed a "novelty pointer" to the weather map and encouraged viewers to send them in. "We started with a celery stick." Of the competition with TV1 Daly says, "We took it to them. We did really well." And it made both channels' news programmes better. One reason why it can't be allowed to fail, she says. "It's just ridiculous to think that all 35 years of really hard work and innovative stuff and culturally changing stuff, I can't believe that it's just going to go," she tells The Detail. On Wednesday morning, the American owner's local bosses called staff to an emergency meeting to tell them it was axing all Newshub's news operations and closing its newsroom on June 30 and 300 jobs would go. WBD also owns eden, Rush, HGTV and Bravo and says it will no longer commission content where the company funds the full cost. However it will work with government funders and other partners to co-fund local content which will continue to run on local platforms. It says there was no single trigger for the newsroom closure but a combination of negative events locally and internationally, and the economic bounce back had not materialised as expected. Like Rose Daly, others suggest Newshub could find a new buyer as it has in the past, but former long time TV3 news boss now co-founder of newsroom, Mark Jennings, says no one can rescue it except the current owner Warner Bros Discovery. "Who is going to come in and take over a company that is losing $30 million a year with no real clear pathway out of that," he says. "You would be very brave to come in and buy a lossmaker."… Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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