RNZ: Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan

It's time for Bookmarks where we invite an interesting person on the show to discuss some of their favourite books...films .. music and more. Today we're joined by outgoing National MP and former Minister Chris Penk. Chris has spent the past 9 years as an MP representing Auckland's Helensville. In August he made headlines when he was stripped of his ministerial portfolios over a failed leadership challenge on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Chris joins Jesse in the Auckland studio.

Every Wednesday we like to share a recipe that is light on time and heavy on flavour, it's a segment we call Easy Eats. This week we're stoked to have The Burnt Butter Table director Emilie Pullar here.

It's time for Heading Off where we hear all about your travel adventures .. we love getting the real experience not the glossy travel brochure version! If you have an interesting story to tell.. please get in touch on 2101 or email me at jesse@rnz.co.nz. Today we're off to Ypres and Mesen in Belgium and our tour guide is Jan Patterson.

In the Auckland studio with Jesse is Ali Ventura, head of content at RNZ, Kate Rodger friend of the show, and Senior Afternoons producer Olivia Wilson - they're there to discuss the topics that might not make the news headlines but will be filling up your group chats.

To climate news now and while our politicians deal with claims that we've broken our climate change promises in the EU free trade agreement, many scientists are focused on another issue. A major new study has found that an area previously thought of as relatively stable, might be anything but. Climate scientists are calling for urgent research on East Antarctica and in particular Wilkes Subglacial Basin, a giant ice filled region that contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by three to four metres. Professor Nancy Bertler is a climate scientist and co-author of the new study.

Our next guest was a city slicker before she got an opportunity to get into farming .. twenty years on she's still in the industry, living and working on a large-scale North Canterbury dairy farm. Anthea Rolfe says she had a lot to learn about farming, but one thing she wasn't expecting was the isolation of farm life, especially for women.

New Zealand, we have a problem. It's one we must fix. During yesterday's Treasury announcement Iain Rennie made it clear we're in a tenuous financial position thanks to our ageing population and ballooning superannuation costs. So what can we do about it? Dr Claire Matthews is the Head of the School of Accountancy and Finance at Massey Business School, she joins Jesse to share some solutions.

Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

Seven minutes and 40 seconds. That's all it took for a father and son to commit Australia's most devastating terror attack. It took place at the Jewish Chanukah Festival of lights celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach 9 months ago. 55 people were shot, 15 were killed. Alongside the horror were extraordinary acts of courage with strangers helping strangers, people confronting the attackers and first responders running towards the danger. Journalist Sharri Markson was there in the aftermath. With Jewish community leader Alex Ryvchin, she reconstructs what happened before the attack and asks where Australia goes from here in their book, Bondi Terror: The Tragedy, the Courage, the Aftermath.

We're playing You're the Judge today and it's a really interesting dilemma we're asking you to weigh in on. Should your wishes be respected after death? Mary* has sent us a conundrum she has and wants your feedback. Message us on 2101 or email us afternoons@rnz.co.nz

A good podcast is like good radio .. you can't stop listening! Joining Jesse to share what she's been listening to is our Podcast Critic Jemima Huston. This week she's looking at: Where is Austin Tice? by Josh Baker (BBC and NPR) and All in the Mind with Sana Qadar (ABC)

Tuesdays is our chance to chat books! Our critic Anna Rankin joins Jesse to share what she's been reading. U.X.O by Brannvan Gnanalingam Paradiso 17 by Hannah Lillith Assidi

Mayoral minutes is where we speak with a local mayor about the challenges they're facing - how they're working to solve them - and what makes their community special. Today we're heading to the Waitaki District in the Canterbury and Otago regions of the South Island ...where you'll find Oamaru .... Mayor Mel Tavendale joins Jesse.

We're going to turn our attention to parenting now and making the call to get help when our children need something we're struggling to provide. Kristin Ward - mum of three and parent coach manager from The Parenting Place - is with Jesse to discuss when counselling should be considered.

Several big announcements this year have left vegetable growers around the country wondering what comes next. Heinz Wattie's is closing four sites, including its frozen packing operation in Hastings, while McCain is shutting its Hastings vegetable processing plant. For crop farmers, that means finding new buyers, rethinking what they plant, and asking whether New Zealand can support a local frozen vegetable industry at all. One of the growers caught up in it is Hew Dalrymple, who runs the cropping side of Waitatapia Station near Bulls and has been involved in efforts to keep vegetable processing going.

For many children, seeing where their food comes from and understanding life on a working farm is a bit of an unknown. That's why Patoka-based farmer and vet Dr Sally Newall developed a new learning facility to help change this. Sally joins Jesse from her farm in Patoka near Napier.

Treasury has today opened the country's financial books to reveal the state of the government accounts. It's what's known as PREFU - or the Pre-Election Fiscal Update. As well as a financial snapshot, it also provides forecasts on key areas like inflation, wages, the housing market and unemployment for the next few years. RNZ Business Editor Corin Dann talks it through with Jesse.

Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

Five minutes doesn't sound like enough time to change much. But if you are spending big chunks of your time sitting, thinking, working, or scrolling, getting up for just 5 minutes at regular intervals can change everything. Journalist and broadcaster Manoush Zomorodi has spent years investigating what the digital, sedentary life is doing to us. Three years ago, her Body Electric podcast invited listeners to take part in a Columbia University study, testing what happened when people got up and moved regularly for just five minutes. Now the results are in, and they're the basis for her new book that shows how surprisingly small changes can make a big difference to our bodies and brains from blood pressure to posture, eyesight to productivity. The Book is called Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being.

Afternoons critic Ruwani Perera is with Jesse to share what she's been watching - Last Seen (Apple TV) and Sweetpea (TV3)

It's time for our expert feature ... where we invite an expert in their field on the show to answer all your questions. And today we're talking about arguably the most popular and universally loved dish in the world ... pizza! With endless topping, base and sauce options .. the humble pizza is surely the ultimate crowd pleaser. Vincent Michaelsen and wife Nina own the popular long standing pizzeria 'Vinci's Pizza' in Napier... if you have a question for Vincent text Jesse on 2101 or email jesse@afternoons.co.nz

That's right, every Monday around this time Jesse hits the clubs. We've been doing this segment for around a year now and it is fast becoming one of our favourite conversations .. there is something really cool about chatting to passionate New Zealanders about their passions. If you have a club or society you'd like Jesse to visit you can get in touch on 2101 or email him at jesse@rnz.co.nz. This week Jesse is chatting to Em Watters, the regional director of NZLarps - or New Zealand Live Action Roleplaying Society.

Each Monday, we like to chat about what's hitting the headlines in Australia. Our regular contributor Brad Foster is away, so TVNZ's Jacob Johnson is joining Jesse.

We're going to turn our attention to bats now .. because for a long time scientists have been puzzled about how bats evolved .. where they originated from and how the different families are related. Now a major international study has essentially redrawn the bat family tree ... solving the evolution puzzle. The study brought together 137 researchers from 64 countries .. including the University of Otago's Professor Neil Gemmell. He joins Jesse.

ADHD .. or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder .. affects a lot of New Zealanders and so to try to make sure they got the help they needed, in February GPs and Nurse Practitioners were given the ability to diagnose the condition and prescribe stimulant medication. But it seems that isn't enough. A viewpoint article in the New Zealand Medical Journal says you can't assess ADHD in a standard 15 minute GP appointment .. it is a challenging diagnosis and as such it takes time. We wanted to learn more about the process of being diagnosed and getting medication. Adam Currie was one of the first people in the country to be prescribed ADHD medication by a GP, he joins Jesse to share his journey.

We're starting our show today talking politics .. and a possible plan to get an overhang. Political commentator Bryce Edwards has written a piece for his Substack, The Democracy Project, about moves to get parties more seats in Parliament without needing to actually win any more party votes. Such strategies are totally legit under MMP .. but are they ethically sound? Bryce Edwards joins Jesse to explain.

Every Friday passionate conservationist Nicola Toki and Jesse chat about a critter that is endemic to our New Zealand and needs some love. This week Nicola is bringing our attention to Aotearoa's largest cuckoo - the koekoea (long-tailed cuckoo).

Here is the winning song for the 2026 Kiwi Cover Song Contest. Ese, Tara and Sophia Aumalesulu with their version of the song See What Love Can Do. Thanks to RNZ's very talented music recording engineer Andre Upton.

We had the great pleasure of announcing our winners of the Afternoons Kiwi Cover Song Contest last week. The reaction from winners Ese Aumalesulu and his daughters Tara and Sophia was amazing .. if you've missed it do go to our website .. or check out the video on RNZ on Instagram .. it's been doing some incredible numbers. The family won for their cover of the song See What Love Can Do made famous in New Zealand by Annie Crummer. Well, last week Ese, Tara and Sophia came to RNZ offices to record the song. We decided to make it a day they wouldn't forget by introducing them to a special fan.

Shared Kitchen's Julie Biuso is with Jesse to share her recipe for asparagus. Click HERE for the recipe.

It's time for NZ Live, the best, most intimate music recording session and today we're heading to Otautahi Christchurch, where we're joined by alt pop artist Phoebe Vic.

Afternoons critic Dominic Corry joins Jesse to review: Heart of the Beast, Resident Evil and Mayday (Apple+)

Every Friday afternoon we delve into the mysterious .. the unexplained .. the stories that send a shiver down your spine. If you've got a Freaky Friday story you'd like to share please let us know on 2101 or Jesse@rnz.co.nz Today we're speaking with Helen.

Could Alzheimer's Disease become treatable and preventable? Well, a new report from Alzheimer's Disease International says after years of slow progress, clinicial trials are now on the brink of dignostic and medical breakthroughs. By 2050, the number of people living with dementia is expected to be 139 million so these breakthroughs couldn't come soon enough. To discuss the details Jesse is joined by Dr Campbell Le Heron, neurologist, neuroscientist and Alzheimer's NZ spokesperson.

The first Chinese dumplings sampled by most of us, in an old school Chinese takeaway shop, were usually deep fried wontons .. and according to food champion and friend of the show Connie Clarkson .. not especially Chinese. But that was in the early 1980s and since then the standard of dumplings have evolved, along with our taste buds. Tomorrow is international dumpling day .. so what better way to celebrate then a Great New Zealand Dumpling Trail? Julia English chats to Jesse.

On Wednesday I spoke to Jessica Lockhart from Lonely Planet Oceania about Dunedin and the Waitaki making it on the travel guides' Best in Travel list for 2027. Jessica said both places showcase the 'best of the quirkiness that New Zealand has to offer' ... she made a special mention of the Royal Dunedin Museum of Natural History, which she described as a museum of curious. Bruce Mahalski is the curator of the museum and he joins Jesse.

With more claims of Education Ministry staff trying to avoid Official Information Act requests ... we thought it would be good to start today's show looking into whistleblowing. If you've not kept across the story, earlier this week a video was sent to some media showing a senior education ministry manager telling staff not to mention in writing feedback about draft curriculum documents from the office of Education Minister Erica Stanford. New Zealand has laws designed to protect people who report wrongdoing, it's called the Protected Disclosures Act 2022. Here to explain more about whistleblowing is Steven Price. He's a Wellington barrister specialising in media law and a Victoria University Teaching Fellow.

This is Afternoons' chance to discuss the stories that have been in the headlines this week. It's a robust, good faith debate with comedian and commentator Tim Batt, Victoria University Political Scientist Dr Lara Greaves and Free Speech Union Member and screenwriter Dane Giraud.

"Who is the biggest artist ever to play in NZ" There are some big concerts coming up in NZ with major artists like Bruno Mars continuing to visit. But who is actually the biggest artist to play in NZ during their prime? Today Dr Grant Morris and Jesse look at the history.

Every couple of weeks we like to turn our attention to solving some of the world's problems - today Holly Bennett from Awhi Group is with Jesse to chat about the meteoric rise of collectables in New Zealand.

It's time for New Zealand Sporting History and today we are talking to league legend Daryl Halligan!

Let's talk relationships now, Jesse is joined by Professor Kirsty Ross from Massey University's School of Psychology If you have a tricky relationship issue you'd like some advice on - please get in touch: email is jesse@rnz.co.nz or text us on 2101. This week the pair discuss cheating in a marriage and making friends as an adult.