Podcasts about Guyon Espiner

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has just spoken to media after another busy day at the United Nations general assembly. Her schedule changed after Russia's war on Ukraine eclipsed other existential threats on the agenda such as the climate crisis. She skipped the global launch of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, but managed to meet with the president of Chile and the UN secretary-general. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Russians here are terrified for their families back home. President Vladimir Putin's call for thousands of extra troops to fight in Ukraine has sparked panic as people scramble to get out of the country. Among those is Nadia Dikareva's brother, a politician in Russia who has been vocally opposed to Putin's regime. It won't be easy for him to leave. Dikareva spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Whakaari - or White Island may have erupted again but faulty monitoring equipment meant it wasn't confirmed. This follows large plumes of white steam, which reached a height of about 600 metres being seen above the island from as far away as the Papamoa hills. GNS science volcanologist Steven Sherburn spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Many events are being held on Monday to mark the life and passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Included in the one-off public holiday is a national minute of silence at two in the afternoon. Cafes, bars and retailers can open, but staff will need to be paid according to the rules for working on a public holiday. Anyone who wants to raise a glass in honour of the Queen's 70 year reign can still do so as there won't be any restrictions on the sale of alcohol. Speaking of which the late Queen apparently enjoyed a small gin and sweet wine from time to time. It sounds as if the long weekend has already started for that last person. In Wellington on Monday the state memorial service will be held in the Cathedral of St Paul. The Governor-General, Dame Cindy Kiro will deliver the address and the prime minister will give a reading. People can also watch the service outside parliament on big screens. Meanwhile other towns and cities are holding events to acknowledge the queen - including Timaru. The region's mayor Nigel Bowen spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has denied Russian abuses in Ukraine, calling instead for punishment of Kyiv's government. Lavrov has spoken this morning at a meeting of the UN Security Council aimed at discussing the maintenance of peace and security in Ukraine. He accused Ukriane and the West of "imposing a completely different narrative about Russian aggression". Correspondent Jody Jacobs is following the Security Council meeting in New York. He spoke to Guyon Espiner.

If you've ever wanted to try out driving a forklift or being a kiwifruit picker before signing onto the job, then this story is for you. The Ministry of Social Development is giving those on the jobseeker benefit a taste of work through virtual reality. MSD's Industry Partnerships team spokesperson Nicola Anderson spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Heavy rain in Tairāwhiti is delaying repair works on more than 600 roads. The council says grounds are still saturated from last week's deluge, and many parts still haven't recovered from previous floods. A heavy rain watch is in place until tomorrow Friday afternoon. Gisborne District Council community lifelines director David Wilson spoke to Guyon Espiner.  

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was mobilising more troops as Moscow loses ground on the Ukraine battlefield. In a televised address, he said the West wanted to end Russia, just as it brought the Soviet Union to an end. BBC's James Waterhouse spoke to Guyon Espiner from Kyiv.

An investigation is set to examine any potential conflict of interest in contracts between government agencies and the consultancy company owned by Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta's husband. Gannin Ormsby's business Ka Awatea Services was awarded contracts with Kainga Ora, the Ministry for the Environment, the Department of Conservation and Te Puni Kokiri. National's public service spokesperson Simeon Brown was the catalyst for the investigation when he wrote to the Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes. Brown spoke to Guyon Espiner. Nanaia Mahuta, Public Service Minister Chris Hipkins, and Peter Hughes all declined our requests for an interview.

As Russian forces battle a Ukrainian counter-offensive that has reclaimed significant territory, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a partial military mobilisation that would see 300,000 reserves called up. Putin reaffirmed his aim to "liberate" eastern Ukraine's Donbas region, and also escalated the threat of nuclear retaliation against the West. University of Otago professor of international relations Robert Patman spoke to Guyon Espiner.

New Zealand is teaming up with tech firm Microsoft to fund research into social media algorithms. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the announcement yesterday in New York. The initiative has support but tech giants Facebook and Google are notable omissions. University of Auckland research fellow Andrew Chen spoke to Guyon Espiner about what this all means, and why the research is so vital.

If you happen to be on the West Coast in the next month or two, keep a close eye out for the world's third rarest penguins - Tawaki. Also known as the Fiordland Crested Penguin, there are only about 7000 left in the wild. Lately residents near Lake Moeraki, which is just north of Haast, have noticed increased numbers of the penguins, heading into the rainforest to nest. Dr Gerry McSweeny from the Wilderness Lodge at Lake Moeraki says those eggs will be hatching this week. He spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Auckland's business community isn't convinced police have the powers to keep their stores safe after yet another daylight robbery. A group of about eight people, with weapons, took to Stewart Dawson's jewellery store at Westfield St Lukes yesterday evening. Police have put up barricades around the store where they have been taking fingerprints and checking CCTV footage. Simon Bridges, Auckland Chamber of Commerce's chief executive, spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Politicians will be hearing submissions from those wanting reforms to the retirement village sector later this morning. Among the stories that'll be shared is that of an 80-year-old widow in financial limbo, having to pay fees for a unit in a retirement village she left almost a year ago. Consumer NZ will be among those speaking in front of the select committee - it wants to see any resident's capital returned within 28 days of them moving out. Chief executive Jon Duffy spoke to Guyon Espiner.

A research paper links under-performance in reading and maths among 15-year-olds with worse outcomes later in life. The paper shows that those with low literacy and numeracy skills in their teens are likely to have lower earnings and higher rates of hospitalisation than more skilled students. New Zealand Work Research Insitute director Gail Pacheco spoke to Guyon Espiner.

The Prime Minister is winging her way to New York - fresh from the Queen's funeral - to take part in this year's United Nations General Assembly. Jacinda Ardern has a busy schedule ahead - including co-hosting a leaders' summit for the Christchurch Call. Our deputy political editor Craig McCulloch is in New York and spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Waiuku residents gathered at their local church overnight to watch the final farewell to the Queen. Minister of Waiuku and Districts Combined Churches, Reverend Richard Gray, spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Throughout her reign, Queen Elizabeth had many meetings with Maori leaders, visiting marae and communities across the country. Among New Zealand's representatives at her funeral was the Maori King, Kiingi Tuheitia. Kiingitanga chief of staff Ngira Simmonds, speaking spoke to Guyon Espiner on behalf of the Maori King.

The Detail talks to RNZ's Guyon Espiner about his investigative series on Lotto - have we bought into a dream that's turning into a nightmare?

Billions of dollars from Lotto's gambling profits have been handed out using an incoherent funding model, that sees Maori, Pasifika and other minority groups miss out. The Department of Internal Affairs has done its first review of the lottery grants system. The Minister of Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti is now considering cutting the link between gambling and charity. Guyon Espiner reports.

The first half of an art auction containing items from the Bank of New Zealand's collection has exceeded expectations, bringing in more than $13.5 million last night. It included the $2.45 million sale of a Colin McCahon painting, which was a new record for New Zealand. Because the collection was in public hands when it was put together, there has been some anger that the works weren't first made available to New Zealand's many museums. The national museum, Te Papa, spent just over $625,000 at the auction for two paintings, one by A. Lois White and the other by Robin White. Te Papa's chief executive, Courtney Johnston, spoke to Guyon Espiner.

A measure aimed at protecting little blue penguins on Wellington's Miramar Peninsula may be forcing them onto a dangerous road as they seek out nesting spots around the construction site of a $500 million development. Wellington City Council sold the land with the caveat that its developer would be responsible for rehousing the penguins. But while a fence prevents the penguins from entering the dangerous construction site, it also acts as a barrier to the penguins' regular nesting sites. Guyon Espiner spoke to Dan Henry, founder of Predator Free Miramar.

The Minister of Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti wants Lotto to ban the use of credit cards for online gambling. But Lotto says it doesn't want to impose that on its customers and claims it already has some of the strongest safeguards of any state lottery in the world. Guyon Espiner has been investigating Lotto as part of a series for RNZ's In Depth team, and filed this report.

Students with disabilities are 5000 times more likely to experience situations of physical restraint than their neurotypical counterparts, according to the IHC. IHC bases this new figure on the results of an OIA request it made with the Ministry of Education. At least part of this ratio-story appears to turn on the role of the country's three residential specialist schools, which have a small number of full-time wards. IHC wants the pupils at these schools brought into the wider educational fold. IHC director of advocacy Tania Thomas spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Aucklanders will start casting votes for the Mayoralty on Friday. It's the first election since 2016 where incumbent Phil Goff isn't running, so it's anyone's game. The three front runners, Efeso Collins, Wayne Brown and Viv Beck spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Midday Report's Māni Dunlop has been at the blessing for the opening of the "Tōku reo, tōku ohooho" exhibition at the National Library - Te Puna Mātauranga.  It's part of te wiki o te reo Māori a weeklong celebration of the language's revival, a journey largely sparked by the 33,000 signature strong petition delivered to Parliament today 50 years ago.  It called for courses in Māori language and culture to be offered in all New Zealand schools.  Dunlop spoke to Guyon Espiner.  

Food prices have increased by 8.3 percent over the past 12 months, the largest year on year rise since 2009. The figures from Stats NZ show grocery prices were up 8.7 percent, while fruit and vegetable prices increased by a whopping 15 percent. RNZ asked to talk to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, David Clark, but he didn't respond. National Party leader Christopher Luxon spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Christchurch City Council is digging its heels in over the density rules that the Government wants the main cities to adopt. Under the new rules, the Garden City would be expected to allow three-storey residences to be thrown up in many parts of town. Councillors, who were supposed to be submitting their own plans for how they would comply with the new law, are instead saying they want the government to reconsider how the law might best be applied in a heritage city such as Christchurch. But the government could also dig its heels in, too, putting it at loggerheads with the local leadership of the country's second-largest city, currently led by a respected former Labour cabinet minister. Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel spoke to Guyon Espiner.

The price of eggs has gone up almost 20 percent in the last year. Stats NZ data showed the food price index rose to 8.3 percent higher than a year ago - the biggest annual increase in 13 years. Grocery food prices were the main driver of the annual increase, particularly eggs and some dairy products. Egg Producers Federation executive director Michael Brooks spoke to Guyon Espiner.

The Queen's coffin is now at rest in St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, where a service of remembrance was held overnight. King Charles III led a procession as it was taken from Holyroodhouse, where he was handed keys to the city. Mourners are queuing to go in to the cathedral to pay their respects, before the Queen's coffin is transferred to London tomorrow. Hours later, the King made an appearance at Scotland's parliament, where he spoke of his his mother's "greatest admiration" for the Scottish people. After two minutes of silence, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, began a motion of condolence. She spoke of how "intrinsic" the late Queen had been to the country. TVNZ's 1News Reporter Anna Burns-Francis spoke to Guyon Espiner.

It might be masks off on buses from today, but how are the drivers feeling about all this? Tramways Union president Gary Froggatt spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Almost all Covid-19 restrictions have been scrapped after the Government did away with the Covid-19 Protection Framework overnight. As at midnight, masks are only required in health and aged care settings, and household contacts no longer need to isolate if they have daily negative RAT results. The National Party says New Zealanders have been over the restrictions for a while now. Its Covid-19 response spokesperson Chris Bishop spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Queen Elizabeth II's body will be transferred to London tomorrow. The Queen's body is currently lying in rest in St Giles's Cathedral in Edinburgh. King Charles and his siblings have held a vigil alongside the coffin, standing with their heads bowed in silence. In London, preparations for the state funeral next week have kicked into overdrive. Morning Report presenter Corin Dann spoke to Guyon Espiner from London.

Well-wishers on the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi have been paying their respects to the Queen in the shadow of the same Pohutukawa tree Elizabeth planted on site almost 70 years ago. Hundreds of well-wishers have paused there to leave flowers or else pay their respect. The Queen herself was a monarch who heard the call of the karanga and haka pohiri in the many visits to Aotearoa, as she was welcomed by mana whenua. And she listened. Waitangi National Trust board chairperson Pita Tipene spoke to Guyon Espiner.

The government is under pressure to stop Lotto selling gambling products to children. There is no age restriction on buying Lotto tickets and one study of Pasifika children in New Zealand found seven percent of nine year-olds had bought one. Lotto chief executive Chris Lyman, says they would be happy to introduce age restrictions, but its legal advice shows it can't do that without a law change. Guyon Espiner reports.

Nearly 70 percent of Lotto shop sales are made in stores in the poorest half of the community. An RNZ investigation into the state-owned gambling company shows that its retail sales come disproportionately from areas of high deprivation. Lotto accepts it has too many stores in low income areas and is now closing some down. Guyon Espiner reports.

National wants to get tough on youth crime. Party leader, Christopher Luxon, suggests locking the worst young offenders up and throwing away the electronic key. But is it that simple? Auckland youth worker Carly Laughton takes a different view as she considers the same subject in her work on the city streets. She spoke to Guyon Espiner.

A lack of local council candidates has given those with fringe views the opportunity to gain real political clout. Anti-vaccination group Voices For Freedom has urged supporters to stand but not to declare their affiliation, making them potential shoo-ins for uncontested positions. A number of candidates have been outed by the media as having conspiracy theorist links - but can voters really know what their wannabe-representatives stand for? Should the media be doing more? Journalist and educator Associate Professor Jim Tully spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Maori, Pacific, Asian, as well as disabled and bisexual employees, are disproportionately affected by bullying and harassment in the workplace, according to new research out today. The findings are from a new report - "Experiences of Workplace Bullying and Harassment in Aotearoa New Zealand" - which has been released today by the Human Rights Commission. Kantar Public did the national survey for the commission, which says it wanted to understand the prevalence of sexual and racial harassment, and bullying, in the nation's workplaces. Equal Employment Opportunities commissioner Saunoamaali'i Karanina Sumeo spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Te Whatu Ora/Health NZ is refusing to allow the public or journalists attend its monthly meetings, or read papers to be discussed. Previously the country's District health Boards had an open door policy and shared papers prior to meetings. The opposition is calling this new approach 'secrecy'. Te Whatu Ora board chair Rob Campbell spoke to Guyon Espiner.

New Zealand soldier Corporal Dominic Abelen died fighting Russian forces while on leave without pay. As of Friday, the government did not know where his body was, or if it would be possible to bring him home. It's unknown how many members of the New Zealand Defence Force are currently in Ukraine, but Corporal Abelen's death poses a number of diplomatic challenges for the government. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke to Guyon Espiner.

High profile anti-poverty advocate, Darryl Evans, presided over "a poor workplace culture" at the Mangere Budgeting Service, where he "appeared to monitor staff through security cameras". Evans also employed three of his close family members including his son - who lived at the food bank for more than a year, in an apparent breach of the charity's lease arrangements. Evans resigned in March after RNZ raised allegations made by six former staff. An inquiry into the allegations was released yesterday. Guyon Espiner has the story.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster has made four changes to the starting side for this weekend's test against South Africa, in what could be a defining moment in his tenure. The most notable is Richie Mo'unga coming off the bench to start at five-five, replacing Beauden Barrett. After three straight losses, and five losses in six games, the pressure is on Foster to get the All Blacks firing again. And if they don't, and suffer another loss at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Sunday morning, it could be curtains for the coach. Former All Black halfback Ant Strachan spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Antarctica's ice sheets are crumbling at twice the speed of previous estimates. The first-of-its-kind study, led by NASA researchers and published in the journal Nature, used satellite imagery to map more than three decades of ice loss. Since 1997, the Antarctic coastline has shed 12 trillion tons of ice. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory research fellow Chad Greene, is the lead author of the study. He spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Disney has taken the crown for total subscribers from Netflix for the first time ever. The firm reported more than 221 million subscribers across its three streaming platforms at the start of July. That put it ahead of Netflix, which has been bleeding customers this year. UK tech analyst Paolo Pescatore spoke to Guyon Espiner.

A Labour backbencher has gone rogue, launching an extraordinary broadside at his own party and Parliament, decrying rampant bullying. Gaurav Sharma has made the explosive claims after a long-running employment matter involving the Parliamentary Service and Labour's whip. Political editor Jane Patterson spoke to Guyon Espiner.

RNZ has learned that yesterday, hundreds of people put their name forward to become mayors, councillors, or local board members. Chief returning officer Warwick Lampp spoke to Guyon Espiner about what he describes as a "manic day" of receiving nominations.

The Ukrainian ambassador to New Zealand, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, emerged from cross-party meetings with local political leaders yesterday optimistic about bilateral relations between the countries. At the meetings, Ukraine's envoy discussed relations with Australia and New Zealand, including military cooperation, trade, investment, culture and education. He spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Almost seven years after the death of seven people in a West Coast helicopter crash, a coroner has called for stronger aviation rules to prevent a similar disaster happening again. Soon after takeoff from Chancellor Shelf on November the 21st, 2015, an Airbus Helicopter smashed into Fox Glacier killing British tourists Helen and Nigel Charlton, Andrew Virco and Katherine Walker, and Australians Josephine Gibson and Sevonne Leang, as well as Kiwi pilot Mitchell Gameren. Nigel's brother, Paul Charlton, hopes some positive change comes from the tragedy. He spoke to Guyon Espiner.

New Zealand is responsible for nearly a quarter of the world's island pest eradications, but experts say we have a long way to go. University of Auckland school of biological research Professor James Russell spoke to Guyon Espiner.