RNZ: The Panel

In part two, there are daily traffic jams at a fast-growing Auckland school, thanks to a private developer lagging on building a desperately needed road. Scott Point School board chair Michelle Linthwaite explains. Then, there may be no one in New Zealand who loves jigsaw puzzles as much as Rose Boisen, founder of the Nelson Tasman puzzle library.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Sarah Sparks and Jeremy Elwood. First up, is it crunch time for Christopher Luxon? Rumours of a coup are calling the Prime Minister's time in leadership into question. Former Labour Party Mike Williams brings his analysis. Then, Federated Farmers are taking issue with a requirement from Gore District Council to produce a cultural impact report when applying for resource consents.

Wallace Chapman and producer Tessa Guest preview tonight's instalment of The Panel.

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan. Then: Diver and head of Auckland University's Anaethesiology department, Simon Mitchell, joins Wallace for a look at the dark, watery world of cave diving.

In part two, rumour is spreading among overseas operators that New Zealand's Cook Strait ferries are unreliable. What does that deteriorating reputation mean for surrounding regions? Tracey Green is the general manager of Destination Marlborough. Then, which little chapel in Wellington has taken the 21st spot on a list of the most beautiful buildings in the world? Futuna Chapel.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Eve McCallum and Chris Clarke. First up, following the government's new move-on orders, targeting disruptive behaviour in public, Tauranga City Council has cracked down on one particular area where people live in their cars. Council manager of regulatory and community services, Sarah Omundsen joins the show, followed by Angela Wallace, co-chair of Awhina House. Then, retailers want more strict regulation of black market cigarettes - but what is the best way to stamp it out? Otago University public health Research Fellow Calvin Cochran shared his view.

Wallace Chapman and producer Tessa Guest preview tonight's edition of The Panel.

Join Wallace for New Zealand's most explosive 30 minutes of politics. He is joined by panellists Ruwani Perera, Marian Hobbs, and David Farrar. On the show tonight: Is New Zealand about to have its third Covid election? Punter suggest that in a pessemistic economic era, National might be pivoting campaign strategy to once again draw to mind the memories of Covid-19 and its management under Labour. Also, Paul Goldsmith has revealed the Broadcasting Standards Authority could soon be on the chopping block. Is New Zealand's fuel plan going to carry us through the crisis? And as one commentator suggests, is it time to bring back Helen Clark?

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan. Then: linguist Rory O'Sullivan teases out the topic of universal intonation.

In part two, Retail NZ is calling for a crack down on black market cigarettes. Rohan Pike agrees - he's a former officer in the Australian Federal Police and the Border Force. He says the black market in Australia is huge and should be avoided here at all costs. Finally, cemeteries are a universal fascination, but they're rarely part of holiday plans. One person who strays from that norm is Panel listener Gianluca, who talks about his tomb travels.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Andrew Clay and Lizzie Marvelly. First up, the bottleneck at the Strait of Hormuz isn't going anywhere, and it's threatening a global recession. Australian National University international law Professor Donald Rothwell joins with his analysis. Then, in an annual AUT survey, public trust in news has risen for the first time in six years. What's driving the increase? Associate Professor in Media Studies, Peter Thompson, shares his thoughts.

Wallace Chapman and producer Tessa Guest preview tonight's edition of The Panel.

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan. Then: resident design historian Michael Smythe comes along to take a look at a locally crafted bus: Designline buses.

In part two, it's one experience to have an exceedingly common name, but what's it like to have an unusual one? Listener Myra has only ever met one other person with the same name. Then, woodwork is skyrocketing in popularity - especially among women. Alex Van Dam of the Dunedin Women's Shed joins the show.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Sue Kedgley and Rajorshi Chakraborti. First up, Donald Trump's latest nemesis is an unlikely character: Pope Leo the 14th. On Truth Social, Trump called the Pope "weak on crime." But what is the role of religion in war, if any? Otago University senior theology lecturer Andrew Shepherd shares his thoughts. Then, Wallace paid a preview visit to Auckland's City Rail Link, which is inching closer to opening day. A date still hasn't been set, but Andy Baker is the chair of Auckland Council's Transport and Infrastructure Delivery Committee, and he explains what's coming.

Wallace Chapman and producer José Barbosa preview tonight's instalment of The Panel.

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan. Then: remember the good old days of VHS tapes? Well those could soon be a distant memory, says technology specialist and Silver Trak New Zealand general manager David Elder. He's on a mission to digitise as many tapes as he can...while it's still possible.

In part two, a Wellington high school student wants plans for a high rise at Civic Square to be replaced with a park. Y Bjors is calling on the Mayor to reconsider. Then, the panel meets Ian Kerr, known more famously to shoppers at the Cambridge and Hamilton Farmers' Markets as The Lettuce Man.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Mark Knoff-Thomas and Zoe George. First up, Cyclone Vaianu was the sixth big weather bomb so far this year, by RNZ's count. But was this one a fizzer? Wairoa Mayor Craig Little tells Wallace the response was overly panicked, before disaster risk expert Tom Robinson shares his thoughts. Then, a new IPSOS study found New Zealanders have a higher reliance than the USA. Transport expert Simon Kingham breaks down the results.

Wallace Chapman and producer Tessa Guest preview tonight's edition of The Panel.

In part two, a private members Bill from New Zealand first MP Jenny Marcroft is aiming to legally define men and women by biology. But politics aside, barrister Graeme Edgeler says it misses the legal mark. Then, how far underwater can a human go? Professor Simon Mitchell's work is deepening that possibility, and a hydrogen 'rebreathing' technique, and he's just been awarded $1m to continue this research.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Chris Finlayson and Niki Bezzant. First, with Cyclone Vaianu inching closer, they get some preparation advice from Richard Adams of Taskforce Kiwi. Then, climate scientist James Renwick explains how a cyclone actually works. After that, Aotearoa's freshwater quality is deteriorating, and fast. Biodiversity Associate Professor Nicholas Ling unpacks the results of a bleak new report.

Wallace Chapman and producer Tessa Guest preview tonight's instalment of The Panel.

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan. Then: how do art thieves actually get rid of their stolen treasures and turn a profit? It turns out organised crime sometimes uses stolen art as bargaining chips. Anja Shortland from King;s College in London has studied the stolen art economy and guides us past the lasers and glass cabinets for a behind the scenes look at the art thieves world.

In part two, there's a campaign to ease the poly-crisis in fuel and general living costs by offering free public transport to young people aged 5 - 18. The Panel talks to Alicia Hall, the National Coordinator of Parents for Climate Aotearoa. Then, have you ever felt a deep desire to put on space suit and imagine what it would be like to walk on the moon? Look no further than Te Awamutu, where the local Space Centre offers dress ups, interactive exhibitions, and this week, a livestream of NASA's Artemis II mission.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Sarah Perriam-Lampp and Chris Wikira. First up, there is a stoush revving up on the motorcycle riding world. Riders say the increase in the cost of registration is unfair and they are putting their regos on hold. Then, housing minister Chris Bishop has lashed out at Christchurch City Council for rejecting a developer's heritage-inspired building design, saying it's 'nonsense'. Were they right to put a stop to the 'faux heritage' design?

Wallace Chapman and producer José Barbosa preview tonight's instalment of The Panel.

Join Wallace for New Zealand's most explosive 30 minutes of politics. He is joined by panellists Peter Dunne, Lillian Hanly and Corin Dann. On the show tonight: the extraordinary last 24 hours in the US-Israel Iran War. Seemingly a full scale destruction of Iran was avoided at the 11th hour with Donald Trump giving the peace process another two weeks. Another political poll, the Taxpayer Union isn't great news for national, but good news for NZ First, and The Opportunity Party hitting 2.6 percent. The OCR - analysis on the Reserve bank's moves and what it means for politics. And finally, Luxon has rejected a Te Pati Maori call for a MP pay freeze. the Whip breaks that down and asks should MPs have any say in how much they get paid?

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan. Then: linguist Rory O'Sullivan blows the top of the age-old debate: A vs AN.

In part two, should the gaps in the rules around political donations be plugged? Dr Sean Whittaker from the University of Otago says they must or watch the public trust devolve. Then, what's better than a full-noise brass band? Nothing we reckon, and this week the National brass Band Champs are taking place. The Panel talks to Owen Melhuish is the president of North Shore Brass.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Leonie Freeman and Steve McCabe. First up, US President Donald Trump has agreed to suspend bombing and attacks on Iran for two weeks, this is at the 11th hour after promising to end the Iranian civilisation. Selwyn Manning from eveningreport.nz joins the Panel to unpack the situation in the middle east. Then, a Hastings community is banding together to fight back against the closure of the local postshop. NZ Post is due to pull services in Raureka next month as part of a widesweeping shutdown of almost 150 stores. But 900 signatures have been collected on a petition calling for a reverse in Raureka. The Panel talks to Hastings Mayor Wendy Schollum.

Wallace Chapman and producer Tessa Guest preview tonight's edition of The Panel.

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan. Then: award winning fashion writer Emma Gleason joins Wallace to discuss how to dress for the wet weather and how the Iran war as affected the price of synthetic fibres and the price of our clothes.

In part two, the Union for firefighters has welcomed a parliamentary inquiry into the state of the countries fire trucks and other firefighting equipment. This comes after years of lobbying by the firefighters unions. But will it result in any change? Then, how is it that laser kiwi still holds a special place in people's hearts, 10 years on from the flag referendum? It flew outside New Plymouth District Council chambers this Easter weekend, the Panel hears from Malcolm Mulholland who was one of 12 members of the 2016 flag referendum panel.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Denise L'Estrange Corbet and David Cunliffe. First up, Donald Trump drops a f-bomb laden social media post about Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. Is he fit to be President? At the very least it tells us a lot about his presidency and where American politics is right now, says Professor Rodrigo Praino, Director of the Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies at Flinders University. Then, dodgy parking, an overflowing toilet, and a whole lot of unruly behaviour: Those are the frustrations of Waikato locals dealing with an explosion of visitor numbers at the region's crown jewel. The Putaruru Blue Springs walkway has had over a hundred thousand visitors in a year since a major upgrade - more than double what it used to be. The Panel talks to councillor Kerry Purdy.

Wallace Chapman and producer José Barbosa preview tonight's edition of The Panel.

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan. Then, a little-known but fiercely celebrated day is upon us: National Burrito Day. Eliseo Delgado Munoz is the owner of Cielito Lindo, a popular Mexican restaurant in Auckland. He breaks down the globally loved meal.

In part two, should the open road speed limit be decreased from 100 to 90kms per hour? The Australasian College of Road Safety makes the case for slowing things down. Then, the Canterbury town of Methven has an Easter tradition like no other: a Scarecrow Trail. Todd Holmes is a three-time winning scarecrow maker.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Jo McCarroll and David Downs. First up, in-home support workers are getting a temporary boost in petrol reimbursement. But Invercargill-based home carer Pam King says it barely scratches the surface. Then, Wellington GP Shane Dunphy is so incensed by the actions of the US and the financial impact of the Middle East war on his staff, that he's sending invoices to Donald Trump.

Wallace Chapman and producer Tessa Guest preview tonight's edition of The Panel.

Join Wallace for New Zealand's most explosive 30 minutes of politics. He is joined by panellists David Farrar, Sue Bradford, and Luke Malpass. First, a Cabinet reshuffle is due tomorrow - the panellists predict who might take up new portfolios. Then, successive governments have struggled to decide how much fuel storage is appropriate for New Zealand to have. Now that a global fuel crisis is upon us, what's the right answer to that question? Then, they look at the last week in leadership on the government's handling of the fuel crisis, and commentator's claims that Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is MIA. Finally, should MPs be throwing their weight behind people facing the criminal court? That's what one Green Party MP has done.

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan. Then: resident linguist Rory O'Sullivan comes along to answer age-old questions. This week: Why do we pronounce the 'G' twice in longevity?