RNZ: The Detail

Between the high cost of living and a slew of toys failing safety tests, buying Christmas presents for kids is fraughtHow to shop for your kids this Christmas, in the wake of the asbestos-contaminated sand, toy recalls, and children's products failing safety testsGuests:Gemma Rasmussen - Consumer NZ head of research and advocacyMareta Hunt - Safekids Aotearoa Poutokomanawa/DirectorLearn More:Toy safety tipsMore about recent tests of toys from Shein, Ali Express, eBay and Amazon here and hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A year of highs, lows and hard questions: Inside New Zealand's rollercoaster sporting seasonThe country's biggest sports teams delivered everything from turmoil to triumph in 2025, with a mixed bag of results across rugby, league, netball and cricket, with off-field drama often dominating headlines.Guests:Rikki Swannell - Sports commentator and journalistLearn More:The Post's All Blacks season player ratingsRNZ's deep dive into the Netball NZ and Dame Noeline Taurua incident RNZ's piece on the Silver Ferns' win over England More rugby news here and hereMore on the Warriors here More on NZ football hereLiam Lawson's 2026 season confirmationFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The opening has been pushed back again, the price is extraordinary, but Auckland's City Rail Link is expected to deliver the region the wow factor Those in charge of the country's most expensive transport infrastructure are confident the new timetable for opening will stick - but they won't name a dateGuests:Alan Trestour - CRL Head of Delivery for Auckland TransportPatrick Brockie - CRL chief executiveStacey van der Putten - Auckland Transport director of public transport and active modesRussell McMullan - CRL Assurance and Integration general managerAdrian Price - Auckland Transport head of completion of Karanga-a-Hape stationLearn More:CRL official websiteFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

There's a lot of hand-wringing but few answers when it comes to culling New Zealand's rapidly expanding deer populationIn a war between hunters and conservationists over the control of one of our most damaging pests, only the deer are winningGuests:Richard Dawkins - Federated Farmers meat and wool chairJill Herron - Newsroom journalistJohn Bissell - hunter and conservationistLearn More:RNZ's podcast Deer WarsMore on Herd of Special Interest Details of talks on special interest wapiti herd revealedFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Aviation under pressure: Airbus A320 glitch adds to a year of crashes, questions, and shaken confidenceThe Airbus A320 fault sparked worldwide delays and airport chaos, and has renewed fears over aviation safety in a turbulent 2025Guests:Grant Bradley - Aviation commentatorDan Lake - Travel commentatorLearn More:Planes grounded after Airbus discovers solar radiation could impact systemsVictim identified following fatal mid-air collision between two planes in Sydney's southwestFleet of UPS planes grounded after deadly crash expected to miss peak delivery seasonUS fears cover-up in Air India crashWashington DC plane crash: Aircraft plunges into Potomac River after colliding with Black Hawk helicopter, major emergency response, flights groundedFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Regional councils have to find a different way of operating that cuts down on double ups and layers of bureaucracyRegional councillors who've just been sworn in have been shown the writing on the wall by the government, which is plotting a swift end to their termsGuests:Glenn McConnell - Stuff political reporterLearn More:Read Glenn's piece on the regional council shake up hereBeehive news release on local government changesFurther details from the Department of Internal Affairs Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

An HIV diagnosis used to be a death sentence, but that hasn't been the case in years - so why hasn't the stigma changed with the science?More than four decades after the first New Zealander was diagnosed with HIV, medical advances have completely changed the face of the once-fatal virus, but one man living with it says he doesn't "think that the HIV stigma has changed radically"Guests:Rodrigo Olin German - Head of Services and Outreach, Burnett FoundationLiz Gibbs - Chief Executive, Burnett FoundationLearn More:Liz Gibbs talks about the ongoing HIV outbreak in Fiji - listen to our podcast episode on that hereLearn more about HIV in Aotearoa hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

It doesn't have to be extravagant, expensive or loaded with tinsel and tat - bring your smile to host the perfect seasonal party If you're fed up with Northern Hemisphere listicles on how to prepare for a cold Christmas, here's a taste of what it takes to host a summer celebrationGuests:Trudi Nelson - Food writer and broadcasterColin Mathura-Jeffree - Model, TV personality, and professional guestFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

We've failed to reach our smokefree obligations, but has New Zealand done well enough to relax our efforts?New Zealand was once a world leader in getting people to give up cigarettes, but we seem to have pulled up the brakesGuests:Chris Bullen - University of Auckland public health professorAnaru Waa - University of Otago professorJasmine Graham - Hāpai te Hauora general managerLearn More:Read more about the history of nicotine drinks hereFind the New Zealand health survey hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The West Coast has long been mining country, but a proposed expansion of coal mining operations - and the backlash - leaves the region's economy and ecology uncertainA proposal to expand mining operations on the Denniston Plateau pits the economy against ecology, leaving the Government facing a high-stakes decisionGuests:Fox Meyer - Newsroom political reporterLearn More:Read more about the Plateau proposal and protests here, here, here, here and hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

As the cost of insurance rises, Consumer NZ sees worrying signs that more people are dropping their house insuranceFrom house insurance to health insurance, mortgage to pet to funeral, the list of what can be insured seems to be growing. Insurance experts list the ones you can cancel.Guests:Rebecca Styles - Consumer NZ head of investigationsBianca Russell - North Shore office managerChris Walsh - MoneyHub founderLearn More:Insurance Council of New Zealand's survey reveals Kiwis are concerned about natural hazards driving up consumer costsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Unions who won an employment case for four Uber drivers in three different courts could find the ruling short-lived, with the introduction of new legislationAn expert in employment law says new legislation will override a Supreme Court ruling, but that bill is full of holes - and will itself end up being tested in the courtsGuests:Simon Schofield - University of Auckland professional teaching fellowLearn More:Workers First Union media release on the Supreme Court decision, with a timelineSupreme court finding on Uber caseFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Psychological tricks and traps using deceptive website design techniques are starting to overwhelm online shopping.What's being termed 'dark patterns' are becoming increasingly prevalent on shopping websites as online businesses scramble for your dollarsGuests:Chris Shulz - Consumer NZ senior investigative journalistAlex Sims - University of Auckland commercial law professorLearn More:Read Consumer NZ's Invisible Influence report hereHere's the report Alex mentioned that found websites using dark patterns had double, sometimes quadruple participation rate compared to websites that didn'tRead more about the Hello Fresh case hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Two big political memoirs have hit the bookshops this year - but which high profile politicians are missing from the shelvesFrom memoirs to biographies; autobiographies - both authorised and unauthorised - to the mid-career manifesto, the documented lives of politicians come in many formsGuests:Tim Murphy - Newsroom co-editorJim McAloon - Victoria University professor of political historyLearn More:Listen to previous podcasts from Tim Murphy with The Detail here and hereListen to a previous podcast from Jim McAloon with The Detail hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A surprise reversal on high beef tariffs has been a welcome relief for farmers, but with Trump in the White House, celebrations are muted U.S President Donald Trump no longer has beef with some Kiwi exports, but others are still stuck paying a high price - and an economist warns it's anyone's guess how long the relief will lastGuests:Brad Olsen - New Zealand economistKate Acland - Beef and Lamb New Zealand chair and New Zealand Meat Board chairLearn More:Read more about the tariff removal and what it means for New Zealand here, here and hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Kākāpō numbers are recovering at such a rate that we are running out of pest-free islands to put them on 2026 could be the year that the kākāpō breeding programme takes such a big leap forward that conservationists can finally take a step backGuests:Alison Ballance - Kākāpō FilesLearn More:Read DoC's blog on the 2026 mast season Learn about Auckland Zoo's kākāpō programmeFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Government pressed for action as scandal over police handling of McSkimming complaints sparks national reckoningA week after a bombshell IPCA report raised allegations of high-level cover-ups and triggered accusations of corruption, the fallout continues to grow, with public trust in our Police in the spotlightGuests:Jared Savage - New Zealand Herald's senior investigative journalistSam Sachdeva - Newsroom national affairs editorLearn More: Read Sam's article on the case here A Newsroom analysis written by Tim Murphy Jared's New Zealand Herald article on the McSkimming caseFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Sexual exploitation of children is seen as one of the worst crimes out there - but do the prison terms reflect the severity?An advocacy organisation says it receives calls from people covertly asking for help to avoid offending - but despite evidence that programmes work, resources to help are thinGuests:Tim Houston - manager of the digital child exploitation team at the Department of Internal AffairsEleanor Parkes - National Director for ECPAT NZWhere to get help: Stop: South Island Email info@stop.org.nzCall 03 353 0257WellStop: Lower North Island Email: info@wellstop.org.nzCall 04 566 4745Safe Network: Northern North Island. Email: info@safenetwork.org.nzCall 09 377 9898Learn More: The Detail's first episode on child exploitationGovernment's Child Protection (Child Sex Offender Government Agency Registration) Amendment BillFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Type 1 diabetes used to be called 'juvenile diabetes', and Type 2 affected adults. But that's no longer the case, and the number of kids with Type 2 in New Zealand is rising. A specialist in treating childhood diabetes says that some children are born "almost what we call 'programmed'" to have the disease - but new medicine could help put them in remissionGuests:Dr Craig Jefferies - Paediatric Endocrinologist at Starship Guyon Espiner - RNZ In Depth Learn More: Read an article from Best Practice Journal on how primary care can help with the rise of type 2Read more on the difference between type 1 and type 2 here Learn more about the rise in amputations associated with type 2 diabetesFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

For years, a father has been fighting for Waka Kotahi to do more about the dangers of a vehicle braking system involved in his son's death. Now a coroner's report backs him up, but NZTA still disagrees. After a death on a construction site, a coroner's report has called a braking system found in some 70,000 vehicles around New Zealand "inherently unsafe". Waka Kotahi disagrees.Guests:Louisa Cleave - Checkpoint senior producerSelwyn Rabbits - safety campaignerLearn More: Read more reporting on cardan shaft brakes, starting in 2021, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and hereSee NZTA Waka Kotahi's guidance on cardan shaft park brakes Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Editing scandal at BBC sparks 'existential crisis' for public-service broadcaster and puts the spotlight on trust in journalismFrom editing error to boardroom exit, how the BBC's reputation took a blow and what this means for global journalismGuests: Jim Tully - Journalism educator and media commentator Sean Hogan - Freelance Correspondent in the UK Learn MoreRead the BBC's own reporting on the events Read Al Jazeera's timeline of the events Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Space terrorism is no longer relegated to sci-fi movies: it's happening already, and one legal expert warns we're far from preparedAn attack on satellite can take modern life offline, affecting everything from basic communication to banking. But international law is lagging, and an expert warns we risk turning the final frontier into the next frontline.Guests: Anna Marie Brennan - University of Waikato law lecturerLearn more:Read Anna's article on the threat of space terrorism hereEU chief von der Leyen's plane hit by suspected Russian GPS jammingAn overview of the cyber war between Ukraine and RussiaFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

As AI share prices soar, some economic doomsayers have started to ring the warning bells of a bubble risk More and more, finance experts are predicting that the AI bubble is getting ready to pop - so what does that mean for Kiwi investors, and for our economyGuests: Gyles Beckford - RNZ business editorHarry Smith - Fisher Funds global equity portfolio managerLeighton Roberts - Sharesies co-founderFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Ruapehu District's mayor says the huge fire still burning in the region could have the same effect on the local economy as the 1996 eruptionIn Tongariro, locals pin their hopes on rain to put out a massive blaze, so their summer incomes don't get burnt with the region's vegetationGuests: Nick Singers - Technical Advisor for Project TongariroJimmy Ellingham - RNZ reporterWeston Kirton - Ruapehu District mayorFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In a country swamped by disinformation, two entrepreneurs have come up with solutions to tackle the problem, on and offline For Taiwan, the threat of Chinese military invasion is less pressing than an invasion many see as ongoing - an onslaught of disinformationGuests: Mark Hanson - co-founder of White Fungus arts magazineRon Hanson - editor of White FungusBillion Lee - co-founder CoFactJason Liu - investigative journalistLearn more:Listen to past The Details previous episodes about Sharon's trip to Taiwan here and hereHow a content farm in Malaysia turned fake news directed at Taiwan into a moneymakerInterrogations of Social, Political, and Historical Space in the Work of Yao Jui-ChungFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Detail's Sharon Brettkelly visits Jordan, where the tourism industry propping up the country's economy has been all but decimated by the war in neighbouring IsraelJordan doesn't have the oil that's made its neighbours wealthy, and tourism industry propping up its economy is under immense pressureGuests: Hashem Nawafleh - tour guideHamad Hamad al Manajih - Bedouin tour guideOmar Al-Hlalat - horse guideFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This nasty pest can be destroyed, but it will take government resources and extreme vigilance from the public to do it.The anti-pest army is being mobilised, local Facebook pages are buzzing and a swarm of publicity embarked upon, all aimed at stamping out the yellow-legged hornetGuests: Professor Phil Lester - Victoria UniversityMike Inglis - MPI Biosecurity Commissioner NorthKarin Kos - Apiculture NZ chief executiveLearn more:Look out for hornetsYellow-legged hornet sightings in Auckland in 2025 | NZ GovernmentHow to build a wasp trap - Phil Lester recommends this system but says you don't need to register your trapPhil recommends Vespex as a bait which is available from a Nelson firm called MerchentoFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A key player in the curriculum rewrite says the criticism is overblown - and not a reflection of what the sector thinksMany agree NZ's education is below par, but how to fix it is the subject of a major conflict - as the government's proposed curriculum has made clearGuests: Laura Walters - Newsroom's political editorMichael Johnston - The New Zealand InitiativeLearn more:Draft curriculum content released for Years 0-10 learning areas and wāhanga akoFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A City Councillor and a Marine Science Professor warn that the Hauraki Gulf recovery is at risk after a last-minute fishing carve-out to the new Tīkapa Moana.The new Hauraki Gulf/ Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act is meant to preserve our largest marine park, but 11th-hour changes have critics questioning if it offers high protection or hollow promisesGuests: Simon Thrush - Marine science professor at Auckland UniversityMike Lee - Auckland councillor for Waitematā and GulfLearn more:Find the new legislation hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The figures keep blowing up when it comes to paying for our Roads of National Significance, and critics say some of the justifications are shonky Has justifying our massive spend-up on roads been 'juiced by some convenient maths' or are New Zealanders not capable of seeing the big picture?Guests: Matt Lowrie - Greater Auckland directorNick Leggett - Infrastructure New Zealand chief executiveMarc Daalder - Newsroom senior political reporterLearn more:Greater Auckland blogInfrastructure NZ Transmission Gully reportMarc Daalder's article in NewsroomNZTA's list of the 17 roads of national significanceFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Up to 150,000 New Zealanders have autism, but there's a huge range in how it impacts people - so some think it's time the spectrum is dividedWhile Trump's comments on a link between autism and paracetamol have caused uproar, a more pressing debate in going on within the community of autistic people and advocatesGuest: Dane Dougan - Autism New Zealand chief executiveLearn more:New York Times article: Should the Autism Spectrum Be Split Apart BBC article: Fact-checking three claims Trump made about autismFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

As this unique Kiwi group celebrates a big anniversary, it's balancing its creative vision with a tight budget and an agile approach - on and off stageGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The US isn't known for its rugby prowess, or interest - so when the All Blacks take on Ireland this weekend, they're playing to sell a vision The All Blacks take on Ireland in Chicago on Sunday morning in what will be a test run for America's Rugby World Cup dreamGuest:Jamie Wall - RNZ Sports Reporter Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The aged care sector has had enough of reports describing all its many problems - and hopes a new Ministerial Advisory Group will provide some solutionsIt's hoped a Ministerial Advisory Group on aged care can get all the players in the same room to thrash out an answer on how to best deal with a tsunami of aging peopleGuest: Tracey Martin - New Zealand Aged Care Association chief executiveLearn more:Read the government's press released on aged care hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The amount of child sexual abuse material entering New Zealand is increasing and getting 'more violent' - and the Customs team managing it can't keep upThe Child Exploitation Operations Team is on the front lines, finding and catching those in the trade of child sexual abuse material. The Detail gets an inside look at the growing issue and what's being done to tackle it.Guest: Simon Peterson - Chief Customs Officer, Child Exploitation Operations TeamLearn more:Watch Unmasking Monsters - TVNZ documentary about the COET team - hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

With just twelve months until the next election, the mood of the nation is "one of disillusionment", and that's reflected in the pollsWith a year to go until the next election, the government is under polling pressure with whispers the Prime Minister could be rolled, and the opposition still finding its voiceGuest:Guyon Espiner - RNZ Investigative JournalistFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

When there's a successful jewel heist such as the Louvre break-in, museum directors around the world take another look at their own patches. Auckland is no exception. Auckland War Memorial Museum might not be dripping in stunning jewellery, but it still contains priceless artifacts that need protectingGuest: David Reeves - Auckland War Memorial Museum Chief Executive The film clips used in this podcast were from Entrapment (1999) Ocean's 11 (2001) Mission: Impossible (1996) The Thomas Crown Affair (1999).Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A combination of job insecurity, tight economic times and a pressure to always be on the clock is resulting in a burnt out workforceBurnout is increasingly becoming the norm, with a multitude of factors pushing New Zealanders across the country to breaking point. But one expert says the tide is changing with a new generation entering the workforce.Guest:Dougal Sutherland - Principal psychologist at Umbrella wellbeingGeorgi Toma - Founder of Heart and Brain WorksLearn more:Read Massey University's press release about their study on workplace burnout hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Fonterra is concentrating on its core business, and that means executing one of the biggest business transactions this country has ever seen - to the benefit of its farming shareholdersNZ First isn't happy about Fonterra's consumer goods - including some iconic Kiwi brands - becoming the property of a French company, but farmers want the windfallGuest:Riley Kennedy - Business Desk senior reporterFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Fifteen years after the explosions at Pike River mine killed 29 men, a new feature film brings the families' ongoing fight for justice back into focusThe Pike River mine disaster killed 29 men, and sparked a fifteen-year fight for justice. A new film brings that fight to the big screensGuest:Rob Sarkies - director Rebecca Macfie - journalist and author of Tragedy at Pike River mine: how and why 29 men diedLearn more:Read the Royal Commission's report on the Pike River Coal Mine tragedy hereWatch the Pike River movie trailer hereFind Rebecca's book about Pike River hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

R360 is making a bold play for Kiwi stars, but there's much debate over whether the rebel competition is set to be a rugby revolution, or a career-ender The new rebel rugby competition is said to be targetting top-tier players by dangling huge salaries, but there are big hurdles in its plan to steal the gameGuest:Elliott Smith - Rugby Commentator and Deputy Sports News Editor - Newstalk ZBFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Our second biggest city is experiencing the type of revival that should make the rest of New Zealand enviousIn the last 14 years Christchurch has been to hell and back - now it's finally emerging from the rubble as the country's most vibrant place to beGuests: Phil Mauger - Christchurch mayorAnthon Matthews - Hustler Group directorLearn More:Paddy Gower raves about ChristchurchTV3's Juliet Speedy takes a peek into the Te Kaha stadium, set to open on time and within its $683 million budgetFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details