Full Show Podcast: 08 March 2026

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks EDB. Welcome to the Sunday Session with
Francesca Rudkin and Wiggles for the best selection of great reeds.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
News TALKSB.

Speaker 3 (00:27):
Good morning, Welcome to the Sunday Session. I'm Franchisca rud Can.
Lovely to have you with us. I have got some
fabulous guests lined up for you today to tend the
amazing Penne part Is with Me, A new documentary about
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it covers Penne's upbringing, his discovery of opera, founding of

(00:48):
the popular opera pop crossover band Solomeo, and his rise
to the biggest stages in the opera world. Penne Is
with Me in the Studio after ten Every Second Counts
is a fascinating, fast paced memoir by award winning New
Zealand journalist Charlotte Benny. Now Charlotte was using on his
first correspondent in Asia work for TVNZ, and then she
spent years working for the Australian Network based in Beijing.

(01:11):
She's had a fascinating career covering major news events across Asia,
and Charlotte joins us after eleven to talk about the
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the toll of the lifestyle, the budget cuts, the layoffs,
her reinvention, and the crisis facing journalism today, and of
course has always loved to hear from you. You can

(01:31):
text ninety two.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Ninety two the Sunday session. While it was.

Speaker 3 (01:37):
An interesting end of the week when it comes to
domestic politics, with rumors swelling on Friday that the Prime
Minister was considering his future over the weekend, he had
to act quickly. There was absolutely no way he could
go into the weekend with even the hint of speculation
he was considering his future. When it's sitting prime minister
signals they are considering their future, it's almost always politically damaging.

(02:02):
In parliamentary systems like ours, leadership authority depends heavily on
perceive confidence and control. Once the leader questions themselves publicly,
it rapidly weekends their position with the party and the electorate.
Honesty and transparency in this case doesn't buy sympathy. It's
more likely to create a trigger moment that encourages internal challenges,

(02:23):
so be anything but unequivocal on Friday and the Prime
Minister may as well have pulled himself a coconut zero
and started planning a nice winter getaway. The sudden announcement
that he would appear on headed to plicic Allen's drive
just after five pm on Friday evening was unusual enough
to raise an eyebrow, but he was turning up to
do exactly what needed to be done to remain credible

(02:45):
to get ahead of the story. He explained to her
that why he decided to appear and to set the
story straight.

Speaker 4 (02:51):
I've picked up as I've come back into finishing my
events in Botany. The whole world seems have got very
exercised about I'm considering my future. Reason I'm coming on
your show as to clarify to people, No, I'm not
doing that. I'm considering very deeply the future for New
Zealand and nothing's changed for me. So I appreciate the
media may have got carried away through the course of
the day in reacting to another public poll of which

(03:12):
there are many are and I'm just trying to give
some perspective to it in some balance to it.

Speaker 3 (03:17):
After some easily clipped soundbites from his party deputy Niicolibilis,
who told z b's Wellington Warning host Willis that it
hadn't been a great week for the prime minister, Christopher
Luxen made it very clear that he has the full
support of his team and caucus and since then everyone
has been very well behaved. Over the last few days,
I've been reflecting on what a tough gig it is.

(03:38):
There's quite a lot of luck and timing involved in
being a successful prime minister. A successful career in politics
isn't just about talent and ability, or the possession of
that rare relatable charisma. It also comes down to what
the country in the world throws at you. And let's
not forget what the previous government left you. Look around
the world and most leaders are dealing with the same issues.

(03:59):
We have a slow economic recovery, the high cost of living,
housing issues, a weird international trade environment and more. We
haven't seen much alternative policy from opposition parties to show
us there are other more likely to be successful scenarios
under alternative leadership that we're currently missing out on. The
reality is that recovery was going to be difficult for

(04:21):
whoever was in charge, but it is especially difficult for
a leader who takes on a cheerleading role with the
vigor Luxen does. There's a disconnect between the aspirational words
and the reality of a government that's cutting rather than
growing as much as we'd like, and when signs the
economy is finally turning the corner unlikely to be squashed
by conflict in the Middle East. The only thing keeping

(04:42):
luxon and plays his ability to control as troops, the
party's desire to avoid instability that comes with changing leadership
and the lack of an obvious replacement who could win
an election when history tells me that if the polls
continue to trend downwards for the NATS, the Prime Minister
may be organizing that midwinter break before you know it
the Sunday session. So did the media get carried away

(05:03):
a little bit on Friday?

Speaker 5 (05:04):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (05:05):
Maybe I think they did. But is it a matter
of when not if? For you love to get your thoughts,
you can text on ninety two ninety two coming up next,
We've got Neil Jones and Jordan Williams are going to
be with me with their views on Luckson's predicament and
also this hour we are off to the Middle East
for the latest on day eight of the Israeli and
US offensive against Iran and Lebanon. Your with News Talks dB.

(05:26):
It is twelve past nine.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
Leep, it's simple. It's Sunday, the Sunday.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
Session with Francesca Rudgin and Wiggles for the best selection
of gravery lease News Talks edb.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
In.

Speaker 3 (05:38):
It's fourteen past nine. So, as I mentioned before, it's
not been the best of weeks for Prime Minister, for
Christopher Luxon and the National Party. As highlighted by New
Zealand Herald political editor Thomas Coglan, it might be about
to get a whole lot worse, with the war in
the Middle East threatening our much hope for you know,
economic recovery. So with questions already swirling, how does the

(05:59):
Prime Minister navigate this heading into an election to discuss
I'm joined by the former labor chief of STARF Neil Jones.
Good morning, Neil, and also executive director of the Taxpayers Union,
Jordan Williams. High Jordan, Hello, good to have you both
with us. Jordan, your poll calls a little bit.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
Of a stir.

Speaker 3 (06:19):
It's sort of topped off a bit of an average
week for the prime minister, didn't it.

Speaker 6 (06:22):
Yeah, it wasn't the best weeks for the government. What
was unusual about this poll is it sort of got
a head of steam before we'd actually released it. What
we do is we give the as a courtesy, give
the parties a heads up that it.

Speaker 2 (06:35):
Is coming and what it is.

Speaker 6 (06:37):
And I call that particularly if we're doing sort of
favorable unfavorable on any specific politician other than the leaders,
I as a courtesy call them and let them know.
But by about eight o'clock nine o'clock Thursday night became
clear that half the press gallery knew the National Party's number.
We have never had that before, and I think that

(06:58):
if I was in the government, I'd be very concerned
as to why, a little bit like other stories that
if you try to get out ahead of it, actually
build up the expectation of the pole for what was
frankly just one pole, but it turned into bigiven ben.

Speaker 3 (07:13):
Hur So obviously it wasn't leaked from your end, is
what you're saying, Jordan.

Speaker 6 (07:17):
No as why Costking suggested something different on Friday morning
and corrected it. In fact, it was numerous journalists, including
from said B and The Herald, calling and asking me
is it twenty eight percent? Is it twenty eight percent? Look,
we don't play favorites with the pole, you know, with
the issue poles. Yep, we'll give it to media for exclusive,

(07:38):
but that monthly tracking pole, we just do not play
favorites with it's And because to be frank a poles
a poll, it is what it is. We get the data,
it takes us forty eight hours to design up the
report and all that sort of thing, and then we
just get it out.

Speaker 3 (07:55):
So Jordan, has this week been damaging to Luxon? Well,
maybe I should say how damaging?

Speaker 2 (08:01):
Well, without a doubt.

Speaker 6 (08:02):
I mean it's it's pretty difficult to grab and this
is going to be the challenge now for chrisph Luxe
and to grab that narrative back. But I think that
you hit the nail on the head in your introduction
where the real significant event this week in terms of
the election is the unexpected economic headwinds we appear to

(08:26):
LBN and that the events in the Middle East are
not going to be over in a week or even
a month. Now it's looking to be quite a lot longer,
and the implications of the New Zealand economy certainly is
a challenge for a government that wants to wait as
long as possible for the economic recovery to eventually arrive.

Speaker 3 (08:45):
So, Jordan, do you think that Luxin has what it
takes to convincingly explain his way out of it?

Speaker 2 (08:51):
Look?

Speaker 6 (08:51):
Reason why it's different that I'm being very careful. I
mean my business. My co founder at the Taxpayer's Union,
David Farrer, who is the polster for the National Party,
he blogged that the surest way to ensure a change
of government would be to change the leader. David is
far more experienced than I am on these matters and
I'll just I'll leave it at that.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
Okay, good. I thought it was a really good move
for him to front with Heather on Friday. You cannot
go into a weekend with people thinking that the Prime
Minister is considering his options, can you. I'd love to
hear from both of you on that.

Speaker 7 (09:27):
Yeah, I think I think the Prime Minister. Sure, I
think the Prime Minister could see his leadership circling the drain.
By late last week, the press gallery had really picked
the story up they had, I think started to write
his political obituary. The word had got out that Luxon
was considering his future over the weekend, and whether that

(09:48):
was true or not, that kind of speculation is fatal
because if people think that your prime minister or your
party leader doesn't have the confidence to continue, that's the end.
And so I think he had to put a plug
in it, and I think calling Heather and just saying look,
I'm not considering going anywhere. I'm here to stay. I
think it was the right call. The problem he's got

(10:08):
is that, you know, it's never a good thing when
you have to ring up and say I'm not resigning,
and that spoke to the crisis he was in this week.

Speaker 3 (10:16):
No, you're right, Jordan, Yeah.

Speaker 6 (10:19):
Friday was one of the more bizarre days I think
in New Zealand politics for some time. What was odd
was the radio silence from Christopher Luxeon from all through
the afternoon that despite being in the electorate, there was
no note given to media about where he was or
a sort of stand up or a camera. So by

(10:40):
the time it got to sort of four four thirty
and there was a void both in ministers. Prior to
midday we're coming out saying full you know, the Prime
Minister has my full support. That had stopped and we
hadn't heard from Chris Luckxon. So when you got to
that at ten to five, when Heather said, you know,
the Prime Minister is coming on the show after the five.

Speaker 3 (11:01):
O'clock news, the eyebrows.

Speaker 6 (11:04):
There was genuine uncertainty as to what he is going
to say now that I would argue was a failure
of political management prior to them, especially given that they
knew the poll was coming. Yeah, it was quite a
very strange.

Speaker 3 (11:20):
Indeed, Neil Jordan alluded to it before we were just
talking about, you know, the economic recovery that National was
really sort of putting its hopes on being able to
win this election on, you know, looking ahead down in
the polls, we've got the war in the Middle East.
It is looking more unlikely. That is not a great
position to be.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
In, is it. No.

Speaker 7 (11:41):
I mean, the economy is everything for National the selection.
If you think back to last election, it was Luckxelon's
entire pitch when he ran for the job that he
would use his business experience and he could get the
economy back on track. And I think, you know, every
letter in the world faces the same problem, so it's
not necessarily his fault. But if you ask the average person,
has your life got harder, not harder or easier, they'll

(12:01):
say it's got harder. And I think the you know,
the plan national head this election was to be able
to have the recovery underway by the election say look,
we've made some hard decisions, We've fixed up the previous
government's mistakes. You know, vote for us, We'll keep on
track and don't put all at risk with the other side.
That's a classic reelection campaign. Would these global headwinds coming

(12:23):
with Iran? The risk he faces is that actually there's
no story to tell. And whereas someone like John Key,
who was a very talented politician with a deep well
of public trust, could talk his way through that and
guide the public through economic hard times. I'm just not
convinced Luxeon has that.

Speaker 3 (12:39):
Does it come down to the communication. I mean, this
is an issue that's been highlighted for a long time.
Now does he have at what takes to reassure the
listeners Neil what I'm just saying.

Speaker 7 (12:49):
I don't think so, And it's a hard thing politics.
Luxel's never been particularly personally popular, and there's a range
of things. I mean, he's a perfectly nice guy in person.
He's are very personable, but he's just never shelled with
the public. He just for some reason he hasn't jelled.
And that's not his fault. It's his politics. I think
sometimes he's come across as a bit corporate and authentic

(13:10):
just the way he speaks, and I think, you know,
he's made a few missteps that have sort of made
him look at it at a touch at times, and
he just for some reason he hasn't managed to capture
the public mood the way Key has and so you know,
you look at his favorability ratings. The Freshwater Pole recently
had him at minus twenty five, with more than half
of the public having an unfavorable view. That's a really
hard thing to really hard position to be trying to

(13:33):
convince the public on when you're an economic crisis.

Speaker 3 (13:36):
Jordan I called it before sort of a rare, relatable
charisma that a leader has to have as a prime minister,
and it is such a unique job that so few
can really do. Isn't just the wrong person at the
wrong time.

Speaker 6 (13:50):
I'm going to push back on that. Actually okay that
I mean Bulger was never well liked, Clark was never
particularly well liked, but they were clearly successful prime ministers.
The problem for the National Party and the Taxpayers Union
has been saying this really since before Christmas with that
Fludge campaign, is that the National Party haven't actually delivered

(14:12):
what was on the tin that they asked the public
to back prior to the last election. They said, you know,
there's lots of rhetoric around cutting spending. Actually spending has increased,
both adjustice for inflation and population. They haven't pulled back
on the on the spending acceleration. The structural deficit is

(14:34):
worse now than it was when Labor left office. The
surplus is now further away than it was when they
were elected, and it's not even a real surplus because
Nicola Willis has invented ober garlex, a new measure to
exclude acc liabilities. I agree with Neil that the real

(14:55):
risk for the National Parties they go into the election saying, look,
we're better economic managers, a little bit like the Tories
in Britain. Did the public go no, you're not what
you said you'd you wouldn't do. But I don't think
that's a communication problem. I think fundamentally that is a
that is a failure of the government to follow through
on what it promised prior to the last election.

Speaker 3 (15:17):
It's an issue for the whole team, not just the leader.

Speaker 6 (15:20):
Well, I mean, what is one thing that is a
bit strange in modern National Party campaigning has been very
focused around the leader. One of the things that I
think a risk for the national interestdent In nails me
on this, Actually the is that they run a sort
of John Key esque style campaign around the leader and

(15:41):
try to make him likable rather than actually bring up
the sort of their second bench there sort of Erica
Stanford's of the world that are clearly succeeding in their
individual portfolios, the Mark Mitchell's of the World and Law
and Order for it, for example. But that is that
is a different style of campaign than what the National

(16:03):
Party has delivered in the past. I mean, again, I
don't necessarily think it's just a communication thing. I think,
particularly on the economy, as Neil correctly identifies, you know
that yep, some tough medicine probably needed to be taken
at be taken at the beginning, but they simply refused

(16:23):
to take it. And now as a result, it's probably
too late.

Speaker 2 (16:26):
Neil.

Speaker 7 (16:27):
Yeah, look, I hear this a lot, and I argue
with Jude Jordan's coming from when he says highlight the team.
And I used to hear this a lot when I
was working for Labor and we had a failing leader.
And I think the problem you've got is, while that
sounds like a good idea, the public have very little
attention for politics. You know, it's really quite impressionistic to
most people. And I think the way that the party's

(16:50):
message and recorders delivered is through the leader as the
key spokesperson. I think, you know, my experience working for
Andrew Little and then Fijisinda a Don shortly after and
seeing how the polls changed, was that most people were
paying very little attention to our policies, to our spokespeople.
They really wanted to believe they could trust the leader.
And I think that's fundamental for National it's luxe and

(17:12):
or it's not. But that's kind of their choice.

Speaker 3 (17:14):
Now unless it's not Lucks and who is it?

Speaker 7 (17:17):
Well, this is I think what's holding him in the
job right now is there's no obvious alternative. There's been
talking about Erica Stanford, who's you know, she's had very
good press in education. I think Mark Mitchell, who's you know,
been doing a lot of good work in police. You know.
Nikola Willis probably would have been, but she's too tired

(17:38):
to Luxeon in the economy. And Chris Bishop has been considered,
but he's blotted his copybook a few times lately, so
there's no obvious person. Stanford is sort of seen as
potentially not quite being ready for the job. I'd probably
take a punt on her if I was national. She's
you know, she's she's double edged in education, and she's articulate,

(18:00):
and she provides a real different face for them. But
unless they can find someone to get behind, I think
Luxein's probably safe in the job.

Speaker 3 (18:07):
I did the same names that everyone's throwing out, that
everybody's thinking about, but actually doing my kind of I
don't get the impression that they're all they're raring to
take on the role. They're all sort of just sitting
quite happily doing the jobs in their lanes, doing the
jobs you're doing. Well, it's just pure you know, yeah,
my part.

Speaker 6 (18:27):
Yeah, but that's what this all is about. When I
was a lawyer, I acted for a political party leader
and during a coup, and it was it was astounding.
The degree of naivety from the talking from the chattering heads,
of which I'd put us in that category right now,
is that unless you less they are your colleagues, you

(18:50):
don't necessarily know them. This was Labour's problem, and having
David Charer sort of not David Sharer David you went
through the David's which.

Speaker 2 (18:59):
One particularly unpopular.

Speaker 6 (19:01):
When you've got the membership voting who should be your leader,
is you actually just don't know them well enough. The
in turn, I remember in an Act there was always
a theory that Rodney Hyde and Heather Roy with some
sort of ideological opponents. That wasn't true. On policy, they
were as close as it could be. It was just
that they didn't get along. Unless you are in that

(19:23):
caucus and understand the personal dynamics. I think it's almost
pointless to sit upontificate what's going to who's going to
have the more effective management style?

Speaker 2 (19:33):
For example.

Speaker 6 (19:34):
Certainly we can look at and the data is there
around the favorability unfavorability of the various names that are
being floated about, But then you only need to look
at Luxon himself. It wasn't until he became leader that
his favorabilities absolutely shot up because people sort of sit
up and take a bit of notice and you know,

(19:54):
who was this person that has been put in front
of me? Unlike the Judith Collins leadership though, is that
leadership means you become prime minister and there is very
few politicians that would turn that up. However, if they
see this as just a hospital pass, that the election
is now unwinnable, I don't think that's the case because

(20:16):
that's the other message that was missed in this poll. Yes,
the government was behind, but it was sixty one to
fifty nine.

Speaker 2 (20:23):
It's not contastript, you know.

Speaker 6 (20:25):
I mean that is still margin of Verra stuff. And
you look at all the poles the last six months,
at least David's poles tend to be pretty good, and
Labour's internal polls the one they choose, the ones they
choose the leak, it is very close. The other thing
that was strange on Friday is that it appeared Labor
leaked their internal polling, which suggested that it wasn't quite

(20:50):
as bad for Christopher Luxean. That is interesting where you
have the opposition party, perhaps wanting the wanting the government
to keep the guy they've got. Whether that's some sort
of three D chess going on. Well, actually it is
some sort of three D chests going on. You can
interpret it for yourself.

Speaker 3 (21:09):
Neil Jones, Jordan Williams. Lovely to talk to you both
this morning. Thank you very much, gentlemen. And actually you
raise a very good point there. Let's not all forget here.
The pole is still very very close. So there we go.
Very keen to hit your thoughts. Let me head to
the texts. Heizb Luxon has lost the room. Once you

(21:29):
lose the room, it's over. Luxon must go to keep
hipkins out. That was from Ben. We're all human, Francesca.
He made a verbal mistake and you have to be
honest that the media have got in got it in
for him for some reason. Eba just Cinda didn't get
the same scrutiny as Luxon has. I like him and
I think we need to give him a chance. Another

(21:50):
text here, Wow, at last someone with a positive, positive attitude.
I found the media crap diabolical. He has so far
done a great job. It's nice to see change. A
government's worked hard for us yeah, I'm gonna be ases.
I did think everyone got a little carried away on Friday.
But then when he did announce that he was going
to turn up on radio, which just all felt so
unusual that I did my Eyebrod did raise and I

(22:12):
was sitting there listening. It was good, good for listenership.
I was intrigued to hear what he had to say.
Perhaps you could give credit to Lucke for the achievements
made so far. I for one, am over most reporters
putting the nets down. Labor put us in this mess,
and it's an extremely difficult time for the nets. Now,
blaming the leader is disgraceful. Yeah, and look, this is
what I'm saying. I honestly don't believe that anyone could

(22:36):
necessarily be with the headwind that we are facing doing it.
I'm not looking around at all the other parties going absolutely,
this politician or this person could be doing a better
job considering all the headwinds that we are facing. So
thank you very much for your text. Back with some
more shortly. It's twenty seven to ten.

Speaker 1 (22:57):
It's the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin on news Talks at.

Speaker 3 (23:01):
B Donald Trump is streightening to escalate strikes on Iran
as the war in the Middle East enters its second week.
A post on his truth social has said Iran will
be hit very hard today, warning of complete destruction and
certain death. Economist Middle East correspondent Greg Carlstrom joins me,
Good morning.

Speaker 8 (23:18):
Greg, thanks for having me.

Speaker 3 (23:20):
We spoke exactly a week ago, just hours after the
first missile strike. Has this escalated how you expected it might?

Speaker 2 (23:29):
I think it has thus far.

Speaker 8 (23:31):
I mean we've seen in Iran as you would expect,
just continued American and Israeli air strikes for a week.
Both sides say they're working their way through what they
claim is a very long list of targets, that this
might go on for four or five weeks, focused mostly
on Iranian military and security forces. And then we've seen

(23:55):
Iran escalate both horizontally and vertically in the region, so
striking at all six of the Gulf states, also at
other countries which is a bit on ext it, like
Turkey and Azerbaijan, and then over the past few days
increasing its focus on high value economic targets in the Gulf,

(24:17):
so oil refineries, airports, things like that. The volume of
fire from Iran is perhaps less than it was last
Saturday when the war started, but the focus is on
these sorts of very prominent, very important economic targets.

Speaker 3 (24:33):
Trump has posted on his truth social media that Iran
will soon be hit very hard in a straighten to
expand strikes to new targets. He says he wants unconditional surrender.
These threats in action. Will that help him get what
he wants?

Speaker 8 (24:46):
Do you think, Well, it depends on what he wants.
I think we've heard ten different justifications for this war,
ten different objectives for this war over the past week.
I mean just a week ago, he was saying he
wanted to give Iran back to the people of Iran,
he wanted to free the people of Iran. Now he's
talking about having a hand in pick the new supreme

(25:07):
leader of Iran, which sounds rather contradictory to what he
said on the first day of the war. And then
I think this talk about unconditional surrender, I think it
reflects a frustration on the part of the Americans. I
think they went into this believing this might be Venezuela
two point zero. They might be able to find a
pliant regime figure who would take power after the death

(25:30):
of the Supreme leader and then cut a deal with
the United States, and that hasn't happened. The regime has
been very defiant over the past week, and consequently we've
seen Trump's messaging shift towards this talk of unconditional surrender.
But what that means, what that looks like in practice,
we still don't know.

Speaker 3 (25:48):
Obviously, the mixed messaging and the changing narrative is difficult
for the Americans to understand why they're there. But how
confusing is it for those in the Middle East trying
to work out what's going to happen next and what's
going on.

Speaker 8 (26:03):
It's every bit as confusing for people here, and I
think they have two simultaneous concerns right now. One is
that this is going to drag on for a prolonged
period of time and it's going to cause heavy economic
damage in the region. We've seen, you know, a week
now of flights being disrupted because of attacks on airport's

(26:25):
business being disrupted, huge ruptures in the energy industry, where
oil and gas companies are having to cut back on
production because they can no longer export energy through the
strait of horm moves which is essentially shut. So there's
a fear that this is going to drag on. There's
also a fear at the same time that because Trump

(26:46):
doesn't seem to know what he wants, that at some
point he might just decide, you know what, we're done,
we're leaving, We're going home, and then countries in the
region will be left with a wounded, hostile regime in Iran.
That takes a lesson from this that, you know, attacking
golf countries is a way to compel America to change
its behavior, and they're going to be quite nervous then

(27:08):
about what the future holds having this sort of government
still in power in Tehran. So those two things might
sound at odds with each other, they might sound contradictory,
but I think that reflects how little input they had
into this war in the first place. They didn't want
it to happen in the first place, and the fact
that now that it has started, there's really no good
conclusion to it.

Speaker 3 (27:28):
We are hearing reports that President Trump might be thinking
about putting troops on the ground. Is there any sign
of that happening in the region.

Speaker 8 (27:36):
There's nothing tangible. I mean, if that were to be happening.
You'd think we would start to see lots of American
military flights arriving at bases in the region. You would
see troops in the US or elsewhere getting orders along
those lines. We haven't seen evidence of that. That doesn't
mean that it won't happen at some point, but thus far,

(27:58):
everything that we can see from flight tracking websites and
other things in the open source in the public domain
suggests that for now this is remaining an aerial campaign.

Speaker 3 (28:10):
That was the Economist Middle East correspondent Greg Carlstrom joining
me there. It is twenty to ten.

Speaker 1 (28:15):
The Sunday Session Full Show podcast on iHeartRadio powered by
News Talks EDB.

Speaker 3 (28:22):
It is time to talk politics now and I am
joined by New Zealand Newstalk ZB political reporter Azaria how
Good morning Isaria.

Speaker 9 (28:31):
Good morning, Good to be with you. I'm still correct.

Speaker 3 (28:36):
We are in New Zealand. That is correct. Hey, can
I talk to you about the New Zealand Defense Force
planes that have headed off to the Middle East. Look,
I totally understand that when not to know where they're
going exactly, when what the destinations are, there's got to
be some secrecy around it. But why are they going
who are they going to back up?

Speaker 9 (28:51):
Yeah, so the big big story here two Air Force
C one thirty J planes being deployed to that region
to assess with evacuations. I spoken to the Defense Minister,
Judith Collins about this. She's confirmed that the plan is
really to take people out of immediate danger into a
safer area. So they will not be brought home to

(29:12):
New Zealand. Fully, They'll be taken out of the immediate
sort of conflict and brought somewhere where they can potentially
take a dimensional a commercial flight. Yes, so the logic
there really is that they can evacuate more people to
safety rather than bringing a couple of people or a
few people to New Zealand and having to leave people behind.

(29:36):
We're also deploying consular staff to the region, which is
significant as well. Collins has said that the plane can
take more than one hundred people, but we are looking
at around three thousand New Zealanders registered in the area
on Safe Travel. Collins also said when I spoke to
her there could be more who are not registered there.

(29:56):
Collins has also said we would be willing to take
requests for evacuation from our Commonwealth friends and Pacific neighbors,
so we'll see how that goes. We've also had a
flight land yesterday in Auckland from Dubai, so it does
seem like more of those commercial flights are taking place now,
which is definitely a good sign. But the plan really

(30:19):
is to take people out of the immediate danger into
somewhere safer. Then they can take commercial flights back to
New Zealand, which seem to be taking place.

Speaker 3 (30:28):
That all makes sense, Thank you very much, Asaria. I
appreciate that. Now a familiar name is considering running for
a Maldi seat.

Speaker 9 (30:35):
Yes, a really interesting piece in the Herald. Former Auckland
Merril candidate Karen Leoni is considering running for Labor in
a Maldi seat. The Herald reports Leoni's put her name
forward for the Tamaki Maikoto seat are currently held by
te Pati Maldi's Ordini Kaipita and Labor will need to
fight hard in these seats because t Pati Maldi won

(30:57):
six out of seven of the Malori seats last election.
It's also significant because the Greens, as I've said before,
are trying to put some big now forward in those seats,
essentially making the campaign in some of those potentially a
three horse race. So Labor m P Willie Jackson has
said that the party will have strong candidates with fresh

(31:19):
faces and as he says, well known Malti candidates. So
we are keeping an eye on when the party announces
who some of these people are. But that would be
quite significant because she is a well known name in
politics and it seems like the Malti seats really are
trying to put up well known people and people with
quite a high profile in terms of those campaigns Azariah.

Speaker 3 (31:43):
This week the Royal Commission's COVID inquiry is going to
be released on March tenth.

Speaker 9 (31:50):
Yeah, so that is really really big news. I mean,
this inquiry has been taking place for some time. We
are going to be looking forward to seeing what that
inquiry comes out with. I imagine quite a lot of
it will be focused on that Auckland lockdown and potential.

Speaker 10 (32:06):
Was that the right call.

Speaker 9 (32:08):
Something is well worth noting though in this is that
there have been calls from Nikola Willis for a separate inquiry.
She's been saying that there will be a separate inquiry
held in regards to the Reserve Banks decisions. So this
one is less of sort of a a an inquiry
into spending. It's more goes into those public health decisions

(32:29):
in terms of the vaccine and the lockdowns and things
like that. So it will be very, very significant to
keep an eye on this because COVID was such a
huge chapter of our recent history.

Speaker 3 (32:40):
You're right, because they expanded, didn't they the inquiry's terms
of reference to be able to include the lockdowns and
vaccine mandates and things. I'm sure that people will be
very interested to see what the outcome of the reporter is.
Azariah how news talks the people that are a reporter. Thank
you so much for your time this morning. Hell look,
and don't forget that. We've got a treat for fans
of Solemeo and opera after ten. The amazing Pane Batti

(33:02):
is with me in the studio twelve to ten.

Speaker 1 (33:05):
The headlines are hard questions. It's the mic Hosking Breakfast.

Speaker 11 (33:09):
So the committee looking into whether we should bran social
media for under sixteens has produced its.

Speaker 5 (33:13):
One a report.

Speaker 11 (33:14):
Col Bates is one of the national members on that committee.
Some of the recommendations you make are from outer space.
They're not real, they're just theoretical.

Speaker 2 (33:21):
Whiteboarding.

Speaker 12 (33:22):
So there's a range of recommendations, a number of what
you reflect what's happening internationally and some of what are
about immediate actions.

Speaker 11 (33:28):
That can be taken now regulate algorithmic recommendation systems. Do
you honestly think New Zealand Incs capable of doing that?

Speaker 2 (33:35):
When no one else in the world is.

Speaker 12 (33:37):
From a committee perspective, we said the government should explore this,
not saying let's just go and say this should happen
right now.

Speaker 11 (33:44):
Back tomorrow at six am the Mic Hosking Breakfast with
a Vida News Talk ZEDB.

Speaker 2 (33:49):
Relax, it's still the weekend.

Speaker 1 (33:51):
It's a Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin and Whitgkles for
the best selection of Greg reads News Talk zedbself ten.

Speaker 3 (34:11):
Years nine to ten. This is a Sunday session. Can
I just say, what a bunch of bad losers? Some
of the Roosters fans are honestly okay. So Friday night
the Roosters popped over to Walkland to play the Warriors.
Thought that this is going to be a piece of cakes,
and then the Warriors something them forty to eighteen, right,
So the Rooster's put up a post and they sort
of go oh top night in Auckland, and then they

(34:33):
had to put up another post that said, while we
appreciate the love and the passion that comes with sport,
we will not tolerate death threats towards our players. Rugby
league is a game that we all love and at
the end of the day, don't let it ruin your day.
Peace and love, death threats. It is a game of
lik Now. Look, they don't know if they are just
Roosters fans or who. You know, it's unclear whether it's

(34:55):
supporters of other clubs. But I mean, why else would
you care? You know, you could obviously you want to
be you'd be a passionate Rooster's supporter if you wanted
to make if you were angry that they lost, because
you know, it was a really tough night. But what
a glo glaurious night it was for the worries. But
death reats, it's at this point you have to just go.
It is a game of rugby. Please just let it go. Look,

(35:16):
speaking of disgruntled fans, there could potentially be a few
shocks Brits this morning. Listen to this, have swim no
flights quell at last sounding shockwaves.

Speaker 2 (35:29):
I've clutched the universe.

Speaker 3 (35:31):
I do love it when the rugby commentators have these
sort of poetic summaries to these games. So Italy has
Italy met England twenty three eighteen? You might have been
watching it. Oh the look on the English faces? Anyway,
so much going on in sport? Isn't there so much
to talk to? Jason behind about a little bit later,
But I just want to run through a few more

(35:51):
texts heare really quickly. I'm a business owner and speaking
to other business owners, the economy has turned, or at
least changing for the better. So I dispute that National
hasn't done what they said. It's like turning the Titanic.
It takes time. I agree Luxon tries to appease everyone
and doing so no one but I personally don't vote
for people I like. I vote for people that can do,
can get the job done. Labor most certainly cannot. I

(36:14):
thank you very much for your text. Laxin has kept
the coalition tight. Reflect on who else could? When did
politics become about mouthpieces? Get on with the job is
a good style, and Christopher Luxin has been given a
terrible bias from left wing journalists since he won the election.
As a country, our focus should be on the way
the economy is turning around, particularly in view of the

(36:35):
many world events that continue to happen. You have to
dig deep to discover the positives which the general public
don't do. The only problem is he is too nice.
You're not a career politician. He's a businessman, which surely
must be what the country wants and needs. And finally,
if the public want austerity, good luck, the country will
go even further backwards. Conversely, the left wing alternative will

(36:57):
bankrupt us. Good luck. Thank you very much for your text. Also,
just really quickly, The Little Things is back, the podcast
I do with my friend Louise Area. We did a
beautiful that was really lutt really last Saturday. We're releasing
every fortnight this year and it is a beautiful epp
about losing a loved one maybe before you anticipated doing so,
and widowhood and John McPherson, who is this fabulous food blogger,

(37:22):
joined us to talk about losing a loved one and
parenting through grief and dating after loss and just how
she has dealt with widowhood maybe just a little bit
earlier than she expected. Beautiful story worth a listen the
Little Things podcast, Get it wherever you listen to your podcast.
It's six to ten.

Speaker 1 (37:43):
The Sunday Session Full show podcast on my Heart Radio
powered by News Talks.

Speaker 2 (37:48):
At Me Right.

Speaker 3 (37:51):
The story of the Party Brothers is an extraordinary story
to her brothers, both with incredible voices, musicality and presence
on stage, who have become sought after opera leads with
some of the biggest opera houses in the world. Pna
led the way, but it wasn't easy. People found his
career should unfold in a certain way and it certainly
did not involve in part of a pop opera crossover group.

(38:14):
Solomio pene Pas is with us next to talk about
making it to the top while also looking after his
family and the challenge of staying there. Your News b.

Speaker 5 (38:26):
For the last time, calling the Father repairs.

Speaker 2 (38:33):
We will watch the flame.

Speaker 6 (38:35):
Is burn off and on the mountain.

Speaker 5 (38:39):
Side, desolation comes upon the sky. Inside of passy burning,
let you read and Passy Fie.

Speaker 2 (39:12):
Keep it simple. It's Sunday The Sunday.

Speaker 1 (39:15):
Session with Francesca Rutgat and Wiggles for the best selection
of great rains used Talks it'd be.

Speaker 2 (39:42):
Shut off.

Speaker 3 (40:03):
How remarkable is that at a seven past ten year
with the Sunday session on news talks, there'd be from
singing in churches and somehere to rest homes in South
Auckland and now the grandest opera stages around the world.
The Story of the Solomeo stars brothers Penne and Amatai
Party show what can happen when you fight adversity to
follow a dream. A new documentary release this week follows

(40:26):
the brothers against the odds rise to opera. Fane excuse me,
it is called tenor my name is Party. Penet has
traveled all the way from Paris and I'm absolutely delighted
to talk to him. Penne Party, good morning.

Speaker 5 (40:38):
Good morning, thank you for having me.

Speaker 3 (40:41):
We just played the most extraordinary version, a very very
powerful version of Nessundorma. And it's from a part in
the film where you are doing a recording. You're working
in a studio with the conductor and things, and you're
doing this recording. How hard is that process? Because throughout

(41:04):
the film you do talk about you know, when you're
a not pre singer, you are an athlete, and my goodness,
this looked like it was taking everything out of you.

Speaker 5 (41:14):
I'm so I'm so glad you asked this because and
Rebecca Tansley, the director, really portray the super well, and
she showed the hard you know, all the toughness that
goes behind it that it's so the The reason being
is because not only are you running the area so
many times, so by the time everyone gets it right,

(41:35):
you've done it like eighteen times by then, but the
pressures that are on you. Everyone's looking at you. The
chorus are looking at you, the orchestra looking at you,
the recording company are looking at you. That you don't
falter at all, because once you stop, everyone else is done.
And it's so as you can, as you saw on
the film, just this amount of sweat, the amount of tears,

(41:56):
the amount of frustration to get that one good take,
it is truly much, to the point that whenever they
say can we record this, I'm always like, ah ah,
I don't want to go through that again, but you
gotta do what you gotta do.

Speaker 3 (42:11):
It occurred to me watching that scene that in my
life I'm trying to embrace the imperfections more right, celebrate
being imperfect. And I watched this and I thought, oh,
my gosh, you actually have to be perfect, not just technically,
but you had to put every ounce of the right
emotion into every note.

Speaker 5 (42:31):
It's extraordinary, absolutely, And by the nineteenth time you recorded,
you're not longer feeling the emotion that you had in
the first take. And it's such you know, it's it
really is, it really is. You're bringing up You're bringing
up the feelings. It's it's a tough, tough one.

Speaker 3 (42:54):
Oh well, I had to start by talking about that.
But look, let's go back in time a little bit.
Solomeo so loved that band. It really did kind of
come together quite organically, didn't it as a way to
fundraise for you and you know, your family and friends
and things, to be able to travel and train overseas.

Speaker 5 (43:15):
Absolutely, And that was the reason why we formed the group,
and that we made mention of this, if we make
mention of this every time we sing together. That because
everyone thought, oh, this is just a boy band group
that you want to form and it's the time of
your life you got to go. But we always said, no,
we actually formed this just so we can study. And
I encouraged the boys so many times after we always

(43:37):
catch up and I'd say, remember, you got to go
out there be a star, gain those credits. We'll put
the stars on your lapal because you know what, people
come back to talent. They would want to come out
and see you and your individual merit. And so the
fact that we've kind of gone our ways is not
doesn't mean that Slimio is split up at all. They're

(43:57):
just gone to go collect their stars and then we
come back and do it all over again.

Speaker 3 (44:01):
And a shout out to your amazing sisters as well,
who in those early days helped you men to get
those shows up the ground. I'd just like to do
the shout out to the wonderful sisters.

Speaker 5 (44:11):
They deserve their flowers for sure, because the amount of
things we threw at them and they just went with it.
They begredgingly, they smiled, but they were happy to help.

Speaker 3 (44:21):
It meant though, that you had to make some difficult decisions.
You put the band and your family first, and that
meant that you were making quite a few sacrifices for yourself, right.

Speaker 5 (44:33):
Yes, And in my head my thinking was the sacrifice
that I make, the things that I put aside for myself,
that means I have to do it on my own.
I can go out there figure it out on my own.
Whereas the stuff. If I sacrifice the boys, that's a
three way thing. There's a lot of people involved. It's
no longer just me, So there was Those were tough decisions.

(44:57):
I'm glad Rebecca caught this as well, because those truly,
those truly tested, tested me honestly, and it broke me
several times. But at the same time, I stuck to
my conviction. I was like, I believed in it so
much that I said, this is this is the only
way I can see this happening.

Speaker 3 (45:17):
We should explain to people that those in the opera
world had a lot of opinions about this decision of yours. Right,
you had opportunities to go and and study further and
things overseas, and you had the Boys and Soloma that
you were trying to support, and they didn't really understand
why you were choosing a pop opera crossover band, did

(45:39):
they no?

Speaker 5 (45:41):
And and you know, in anything that at such a
high level, they always talk about you have to sacrifice everything.
This is you have to just go on it and
go on it alone. And yet they didn't believe it
because they thought, why why do you even care about
those guys? They don't have your voice, they don't have
your career trajectory. Why do you care? And that wasn't

(46:02):
that wasn't the point for me. It was I just
need to be I just need to give them a shot.
That's all it is. Thankfully, what happened was they all
managed to have individual careers. And I said, this would
never have happened if that didn't happen, and the you know,
and I always say, you know, in order to persuade

(46:23):
the purists that you're doing this kind of opera crossover
is to beat them at their own game. And that
was the only way. It was the toughest path, but
it was the only way.

Speaker 3 (46:34):
Were you at all concerned about turning down those opportunities
and whether you would be able to sort of step
back into the opera world or were you always confident
that somehow you'd find a way.

Speaker 5 (46:44):
A bit of both. That's a great question. I often
think about this. It's a bit of both. I was scared.
I was fearful about how I would be perceived, but
at the same time I was confident that I could
do it. I know, I saw I saw something in
the future, and my poor wife would be what was

(47:07):
so mad about my optimism? She was like, why do
you Why do you do this yourself? That's said because
it's I can see it. I can see myself standing
on a stage. I don't know how, I don't know when,
but I can see myself doing it. I believe it
so much that, no matter how hard this is, I
don't know if I could see it.

Speaker 3 (47:25):
And my gosh, you do make it and you end
up performing some of the biggest opera stages in the world,
and all netflotage throughout this film just gave me goosebumps.
It's just as extraordinary watching you. I don't personally know
a huge amount about opera. So when do you know
you've made it? In the opera world?

Speaker 5 (47:45):
I just got that question by someone yesterday. When do
you know you've made it? I don't know if you
truly know, we will ever know. And I kind of
like that. I kind of like that it's an open
ended question because then it means you're constantly searching for
something better and bigger, you know. And someone a kid
asked me yesterday today, actually, what's how do you define greats?

(48:06):
What is it? How do you know you've made that stage,
and I said, you know, I don't know if I'm
ever going to be great, but I'd love to be remembered.
That's all I want.

Speaker 3 (48:17):
I think you'll be both remembered, remembered and remembered as
great pine once you've made it, though, how hard is
it to stay there, to stay at the top of
what you do?

Speaker 5 (48:27):
And that's the question. You're right, Getting there is one part.
Staying there is harder than even getting there. It's just
you're like right now on my phone, and the team
around me are constantly trying to say, you need to sleep.
They're trying to make and the car rides and the
plane rides pen you need to sleep. But I'm always

(48:48):
looking at my music on my phone because I'm just
I just want to stay ahead of the next person.
Staying there means you have to constantly put in the work,
you have to look at You don't want to give
them an excuse to look for someone else. And it
means every hour of the day you're admitted to it.

Speaker 3 (49:08):
There's this beautiful line in the film, and I apologize
I can't remember exactly who said it, but you'd had
very little notice you came and filled in in the
role of Romeo at the last moment, and this person said,
it's like his joy is greater than his nerves. And
I thought to myself, I want to live like that.

Speaker 2 (49:26):
Is that how you live? That is true?

Speaker 5 (49:30):
I'm not That is absolutely right. I mean, that is
such a good explanation to it. People say, do you
get nervous, And I said, no, I just accept that.
It's that I'm human. I'm not nervous about the errors
I would probably make. It shows that I'm human, and
I think that's what makes the art form even better.

(49:50):
If you want something that's completely perfect as perfection, We've
got Ai now. And I always go up there and
I'm nervous because I want to be good, but I'm
not nervous that it's going to be bad. And so
I go up there and I said, well, look, I've
been working so hard at this. Why am I not
allowed to be happy on stage? So I smile? Can

(50:13):
I sing?

Speaker 3 (50:14):
We learn a lot about someone culture and the role
of your family and the film as well. How much
of your success do you put down to your upbringing
and your family support?

Speaker 5 (50:24):
One hundred I think it's the majority of it. Is
probably is to them, I say, one hundred percent, it's
They've kept me grounded. New Zealand has kept me grounded,
but also has motivated me so much. Some more has
done the same. The culture has done the same, The
people have done the same. They if it weren't for them,
I'm not the shaped up artist that I that I

(50:45):
am today. It's through you know, the Kiwi mentality, the
Samon mentality of resilience, perseverance, from the small place that
we're like, why can't I punch up that high? Why
can't I do That's that's unfair. I'm not you put
me ten paces behind once because I'm too fast. It's not.
It's not because I'm at a disadvantage, you know. And

(51:06):
it's everything because of that of where I'm from, the
people I'm around, it's I conclude, I I would say
it's it's them.

Speaker 3 (51:18):
What are the chances of there being two world famous
opera singers in one family? I mean, has it been
lovely to have Amatar along with you on this journey?

Speaker 13 (51:28):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (51:29):
And I really want to give him his flowers, honestly.

Speaker 1 (51:32):
I know.

Speaker 5 (51:32):
In the film, he has this very soft spoken voice saying,
you know, it's it's hard being the brother, and but
he truly has stepped down the shadow. And I remember
we had this conversation overseas, sitting at a cafe and
I said, you know, stepping out, it's this is going
to be natural. People will always compare you the likewise
how they did this with with Pavarotti, And I said,

(51:54):
how you protest that is that you step out and
you become successful. Now we will no longer say, oh,
that's that's Penny's brother. We will always say, no, that's
Amy Tay. He's a fantastic singer and he's gone on
and done that. He's sung in every major opera house
as well. And it's you're right at the percentage. What
are the odds? Well, actually, I don't know. It's super

(52:16):
super super super low. That's what it is.

Speaker 3 (52:19):
Your wife is also a successful opera singing. You're both
in demand in different places all over the world. Is
it hard to balance life and work in this career?

Speaker 5 (52:29):
Oh, you're tugging at the truth heart strings. Yes, it is.
You know, last year we saw each other two months
of the year. Oh you know, they say, well, you
know what they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder
while my heart is very fond.

Speaker 3 (52:46):
Oh well, I suppose at least you're both doing something
similar and understand why you're in the position you're in.

Speaker 5 (52:52):
I suppose that's exactly it. But also it means the moments,
the small moments that you had together are so amazing
because you know, it's like a date all the time.
You know, it's like you're making use. But in the morning,
we go have coffee, we go for a walk, we
have dinner together, we go and see the sunset. It's incredible.

(53:13):
It's very, very, very tough. And again I'm third key.
We with Amina making her met debut next month. I
mean New Zealand, we're waving flags here. It's we're we're
punching high. It's she's yeah, it's fantastic.

Speaker 3 (53:30):
You mentioned they're the comparison that was made when you
sort of became a sensation first time round, and the
Pavarotti comparison was always there. But what does set you
apart from other opera singers.

Speaker 5 (53:44):
Aha? I think it's the emotional content I bring to
the singing, the how I live the singing, rather than
I'm trying to show you how I'm singing. You know,
I never go up there to say, look at my
technique that I've been working on for ten years. I
go up there and if I get teary, if I

(54:05):
get emotional, I sing with that emotion, even if it
caused a frog in the throat. I think that's what
truly makes it. Why people are so moved, it's an
emotional performance that they're seeing, and I think that comes
down to it. That's probably because of my Polynesian roots,
you know, like in someone history, when people are singing,

(54:26):
it's singing about the history of someone. They're singing about
why we came to New Zealand or why the stingray
is the way it is. You're storytelling, so it's innately
in my blood to storytell.

Speaker 3 (54:39):
Oh, it's been such a delight to talk to you,
and I'm so pleased that we started this conversation by
talking about how extremely hard it is what you do,
because you're right, you make it look really easy on stage,
you make it look really easy. So it was just
nice to see behind the scenes a little bit more,
just to see the incredible amount of work that goes
into it.

Speaker 5 (55:00):
Thank you, thank you so much. That is I'm really
appreciative of that that means you and I need to
go on stage and sing something.

Speaker 3 (55:08):
Honey, you don't want to, you don't want to hear
my voice.

Speaker 5 (55:13):
We'll do it. We'll put a poll out there, you
and I we're going to do it. Going wow, Okay,
I'm locked.

Speaker 3 (55:17):
And we're going to end this now before I commit
to anything. Oh, it has been a delight to talk
to you, Piano. Thank you so much and best of
luck for the future.

Speaker 5 (55:28):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 3 (55:29):
I'm telling you no one wants that jewet well from
me anyway. That was Opera and Solomeo star Penney Partty.
His documentary tenor My Name Is Party is in cinemas
now and I think if you text so eloquent one
reads impressive young man, oh he is and gosh that
voice just wasn't it? Just beautiful? Way to start the

(55:50):
entertainment is up next to twenty three past ten.

Speaker 2 (55:54):
There's no better way to start your Sunday.

Speaker 1 (55:56):
It's the Sunday Session with Francesca Rutkin and Wiggles for
the best selection of great breads us talk say.

Speaker 3 (56:06):
There really is something for everyone at Wick Cals. Now
that we're into the days of autumn, Wickkeles has some
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a book to help you when you get there. For
the kids, Wikkels have twenty percent off all Pepper Pig
toys and great deals on Uno and Hasbro card games.

(56:28):
And then there's buy one, get one half price on
selected stationary and gift where and of course, if it's
a gift you're after, the wick Cal's Gift Card can
be picked up either in store or online and really
make someone's day with books, games, puzzles, toys, courteous stationary
and some terrific deals. Until the end of the month.
There really is something for everyone at wick Cals.

Speaker 2 (56:51):
The Sunday session no eversus My Friends Make Girls.

Speaker 3 (57:11):
So this is a little bit of Harry Styles. It's
a song called the American Girls. It's off the new
album that he released on Friday called Kiss All the
Time Disco Occasionally, which is an interesting way to live
your life. I wasn't so sure about this album and
these songs when I first heard them, and the more
I hear them, the more I'm kind of going, you
know what, not so bad in the background sort of
you know, get a bit of a move on, jiggle on.

(57:34):
Steve miel Is, where us a talk entertainment.

Speaker 14 (57:37):
Have you been listening to Harry No, but I understand
why the sort of hints of like I've been listening
to El City sound System, but you can hear that.
You can hear it in that song.

Speaker 3 (57:45):
Absolutely. Anyway, Harry Styles One Night in Manchester. That is
a film. It's going to be on Netflix. I think
it's kicking off eight a m. Tomorrow morning here in
New Zealand. So for all you Harry Styles fans, there
we go.

Speaker 14 (58:01):
I'll put it on the watch list.

Speaker 3 (58:03):
Steve put that on the watch list. But I'm very excited,
and I know you are too, because a Disney Plus
show that we both really enjoyed the first time it
came around just sort of took me a little bit
by surprise was Paradise and it's back for season two.

Speaker 14 (58:15):
I'm really really enjoying the show. Season one was such
a nice surprise in the era of instant kind of spoilification.
It was great to a show that held a kind
of big secret at its core, murder mystery about the President.
Turned out it was taking place in a replica of
a small town that was in a bunker inside the
Colorado Mountains. There'd been a super volcano, most of the

(58:37):
earth being wiped out by a mega tsunami, and this
kind of revealed itself over the first season did kind
of beg the question where does the show go from here?
Season one minus spoilers what kind of minus spoiled it already? Actually?
Season one ended with discovering the outside world wasn't quite
as totally devastated as everyone thought, and took the unconventional

(58:59):
step for season two of dropping the first three episodes
at once, which was a nice way to kind of
jump back into a show that a lot of people
binged in its first season. The first episode I really
liked featured a new character as a flashback episode. It
showed what they did when they hold up at their work,
except their work was Graceland because they were a tour
guide for Elvis's old house, so it was kind of

(59:21):
bottle episode set in Graceland, and then the other two
episodes kind of move the narrative along a little bit,
but also kind of set up that the show's going
to go into even bigger kind of sci fi territory.
There's this bit of dialogue that I really really liked
from episode three as well, like thinking about that with
a merge into the world. It's a bit rubble, but

(59:41):
it's okay, and the scientist explains the survivors are thinking,
we made it, We're so lucky. Not so fast, morons.
That was just the first act, and then goes on
to explain what's coming next with these people is a
replica of what happened on the planet Venus, where greenhouse
gases are going to ratch it up, the heat, the
air is going to thicken, the oceans are going to evaporate,
and soon the pressure is going to crush everything standing.

Speaker 3 (01:00:03):
Shalene Woodleigh stars as this character who is Graceland Tour.

Speaker 2 (01:00:07):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:00:07):
Great addition to the cast is amazing, And I'm going
to be honest with you, she made me cry. I've
cried in an episode of the show, which kind of
took me by surprise.

Speaker 14 (01:00:16):
An episode of Lost, I know exactly.

Speaker 3 (01:00:19):
It kind of took me by surprise, and I have it. Yeah,
so I absolutely with a watch so Season two is
on now Disney Plus and the New Zealand Comedy Fest
has made its first announcement.

Speaker 14 (01:00:33):
Yes totally our programs out. Tickets are on sale now.
This has taking place in Auckland and Wellington between the
first and twenty fourth of May. It's thirty the thirty
third Auckland edition celebrating thirty years in Wellington. Stacked lineup
as you'd expect. I was going to rattle off some
of the locals. They include Brindley stant Paul Ego, Timbatt,
David Corrios, Abby Howell's et cetera, et cetera, et cetera,

(01:00:53):
et cetera. I thought I'd just highlight a couple of
things that I stood out from the early announcements. So
the biggest international name I've seen in the program Eddie
Izzard doing a show called Eddie Izzard The Remix Eddie
inspired by her loyal audiences, remixing and reimagining some of
her own favorite personal comedy highlights. I believe that's at
the Civic and Auckland. The best title of a show

(01:01:15):
at the Comedy Festival this is Guy Williams's show. So
think about how shouty Guy Williams is, and just imagine
him screaming this title at you, rich people are stealing
from you and blaming brown people and trans people, and
some people believe them.

Speaker 5 (01:01:27):
Ah, it's a title.

Speaker 10 (01:01:30):
I love it.

Speaker 14 (01:01:30):
Right name for a show, I think if you ring
up the ticket company and try and order those down
the phone that way.

Speaker 3 (01:01:35):
I was trying to write a shorter blurb for what
the show's about, so he thought he'd take up more
space on the program page with the Times.

Speaker 14 (01:01:42):
Absolutely, or someone just got stuck in an elevator with
him and said, that's the name of that's the name
of your show. The best social media presence for a
show that I've seen so far is Rhiann and McCall
and their show Nosferatu Looking for Love, where there's been
a lot of a lot of clips of Nosparata interviewing
people about love on the streets, and McCall's version of

(01:02:04):
nos Farata was quite good. So I look forward to
this as much as I'm looking forward to Love and
our best kind of international gamble that jumps out of
the festival so far from me as Stamptown. This is
a late night show. It's an international show that that
happens as part of festivals. It's sort of an anti
comedy variety show from what I gather. The Guardian says

(01:02:27):
it features fibrey than copious nudity and superb performances, and
notes that it's sort of hosted by an alter ego
of Zach Zucker. He's playing a host called Jack Tucker
and a little bit of a Sleezebag, so they kind
of go everyone late night Sleezebag hosted anti comedy variety show.

Speaker 3 (01:02:45):
Okay, thumbs up or a thumbs down from you, please,
just very quickly. Western Springs Bowl, thirty thousand seat concert
plan thumbs.

Speaker 14 (01:02:53):
Up with them massive thumbs up.

Speaker 3 (01:02:54):
Okay, I'm delighted.

Speaker 14 (01:02:55):
I'm delighted, Laneway. Western Springs was wonderful. It was great
being in that neighborhood. It's such a good environment to
go to a show in both the Amphitheat the natural
Amphitheater itself, but also it's just a really nice part
of Auckland. And yeah, I'm glad that this now stays
in the hand of hands of Aucklanders and not billionaires.

Speaker 3 (01:03:14):
Brilliant. Thank you so much, Dave, appreciate it. We'll talk
next week. It's twenty six to eleven.

Speaker 1 (01:03:21):
It's the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin on News Talks
at b.

Speaker 3 (01:03:28):
It is time to talk science down. I'm joined by
doctor Micheldeck and single morning, Good morning. Okay. Something that
I think a lot of us have been thinking about
over the last five years is why some people are
more drawn to a conspiracy theory than others.

Speaker 15 (01:03:43):
As a science communicator, this is my inbox. I get
hundreds of emails a day from people trying to prove
to me that the Earth is flat, COVID didn't exist,
we didn't land on the moon, and they've got YouTube
videos they like, just watch this. So I am exposed
to this sort of person a lot in my life,
and so when I saw this study it's published in

(01:04:04):
the journal Cognitive pro I was like, this is interesting,
and the study wants to know why some people are
more drawn to conspiracy theories than others. So I assume
you get conspiracy theorists coming on your show.

Speaker 2 (01:04:19):
You do too, me, Yeah, yeah, we have a little bit.

Speaker 3 (01:04:21):
But I think actually most of us through COVID head
friends or family members who might have had quite different
opinions to us, And it was a real challenge for
us all to work out how to navigate those relationships
with quite different ideas about the world.

Speaker 15 (01:04:38):
So one of the things I've learned as a science
communicator is do not try to convince them with facts.
Facts don't actually matter. And so what this study showed
it's actually there are specific types of people who are
drawn to conspiracy theories, and they're called systemizers by personality,
and they tend to be and if you're currently doing
the crossword right now, I'll listen to this, you might

(01:05:00):
be vulnerable. They tend to be people who enjoy solving puzzles,
analyzing systems, and finding logical frameworks that make sense of
complex information. They're basically people who naturally look for structure
and patterns. And what they find is when they find
that structure a pattern, that explanation feels satisfying. They feel

(01:05:21):
more in control out of the chaos, and so their
brains just go, I am calm, this is it, which.

Speaker 3 (01:05:27):
Makes sense, right, We're all looking for the we're all
looking for the calm, the answers to the questions in
the universe that way totally.

Speaker 15 (01:05:35):
So they steady looked at five hundred and fifty participants
and found the type of thinking brain that they had.
They did a whole bunch of personality tests on them,
and they found that these people with strong systematizing tendencies
tend to believe conspiracy theories even if they demonstrate strong
reasoning skills. So it's easy to go, oh, you're an idiot.
Why do you think that? It's not about that at all?
These can be really smart people. It's just that conspiracy

(01:05:58):
theories are presented usually in beautiful ways that are highly
structured and consistent internally with their messaging. They can tie
together sense, they can make coincidences become evidence, and they
give a really clear narrative even if it's false. And
so somebody who likes this structured explanation goes, great, that
my brain has accepted that that is it, which is

(01:06:20):
why you cannot usually change their minds. Those beliefs stick
because the people prefer structured explanations, and so they don't
want to change their views with evidence because they're in
a comfortable place right now. And you go, well, why
does this matter? Like who cares if people want to
believe that the Earth is flat? But I think we
saw in COVID that actually there can be decisions that

(01:06:43):
you make that go against scientific evidence that may harm
you if conspiracy theories do stick, and I think you know,
we saw that a lot over COVID, and so this
research is about trying to understand why this happens and
is there a way that maybe we can present evidence
better in a way that helps to fit people's brains,
especially these systemizers or you crossword doers, puzzledoers.

Speaker 16 (01:07:08):
And it's not a bad thing.

Speaker 15 (01:07:09):
It's just trying to help make sure that good information
gets out fairly.

Speaker 3 (01:07:12):
Where can people read this study.

Speaker 15 (01:07:14):
It's in Cognitive Processing the Journal, and you can read
it as open source.

Speaker 3 (01:07:18):
Brilliant. Thank you so much, Michelle.

Speaker 1 (01:07:20):
We'll talk next week the Sunday Session Full Show podcast
on iHeartRadio powered by News Talks FB.

Speaker 3 (01:07:28):
Thank you very much for your text. Jane text to say, Francesca,
thank you so much for interviewing Penney so beautiful. I'm
in tears. Look Jane hedge to the film and make
sure you take a tissue because you'll probably cry again,
especially watching him and listening to him sing. And another
one another person just asking what was the name of
the first show that Steve and I were speaking about
that was Paradise and it's on Disney Plus. Thank you

(01:07:50):
very much for your text ninety two ninety two. You
can text any time throughout the morning. Mike Vander Allison,
our resident chef, joins us.

Speaker 10 (01:07:56):
Now, good morning, Good morning.

Speaker 3 (01:07:58):
We're talking fish, and I'm trying to think about the
last time I purchased fish to cook, and I cannot
recall an it was. And it's purely just the price thing.

Speaker 10 (01:08:10):
It's getting really expensive, like salmon. What's going on with salmon?
Someone told me the other day they paid one hundred
dollars a kiload for salmon.

Speaker 3 (01:08:18):
I hope it was really good salmon.

Speaker 10 (01:08:21):
Oh have to be.

Speaker 3 (01:08:24):
I love fish, and I think it's something that we
can cook. So you know, you can make it taste
so delicious, very easily and very quickly.

Speaker 16 (01:08:32):
Can't you.

Speaker 10 (01:08:33):
Yeah, fish is delicious. And what made me think of this,
of doing this particular dishes? You say, we had a
fish smoke fire class, and you fill it a round
fish and then you fill it a flat fish. And
so that flat fish is a flounder. And quite often
we will buy a flounder and we will cook it whole,
but to fill it it is actually it's a little

(01:08:55):
bit of a process, so maybe I ask your fishmonger
to do it for you. You get two filets off
the top, and then you flip it over and you
get two filets off the bottom and with the flounder bean,
so I guess narrow the filets are quite small. However,
flounder filets are delicious, and flounder themselves are actually reasonably

(01:09:18):
affordable when you put them up against other fish.

Speaker 3 (01:09:22):
Yeah, no, that's true. I was just I was just
recalling I u to get all my fish from my
neighbor Paul, and Paul used to go fishing and bring
me beautiful, big snaper filets, and you know, like he
wouldn't give me the fish. He'd actually filled it for
me and given it perfect. And then Paul moved away,
which is a real show up. But I was just
thinking I might a better reach out to Paul, see

(01:09:43):
how he is, see if he's still fishing. So flounder
is going to be our fish of choices, and we're
going to put it with some burnt butter capers and parsley.

Speaker 10 (01:09:51):
It's pretty classical, and it's kind of a dish that
works really well as we're kind of running in towards
the end of summer because it's reasonably light. But what
the burnt butter does is it enriches it. So you
need flounder filets. You could potentially do the for the
whole flounder where you just bake the flounder off and
then you could do the butter sauce and pop that
over the top. Just be for your serve it. But

(01:10:13):
if you've got filets, this is really really quick. So
I've got twelve flounder filets, so that's going to be
four fillips's, three flounder heat, two cast iron pans. We're
going to do all of these filets at the same time,
so you want to fair amount of heat into these
cast iron pans. Take your flounder filets, run them through
a seasoned flour. So season flour is basically plain flower

(01:10:36):
that's just been seasoned with a little bit of salt
and maybe some white pepper. I wouldn't go crack pepper
because you don't want those dark fragments of the pepper
running through it. So run your flounder filets through there,
and then into your pans you go four tablespoons of
some flower oil and then add in your filets. Run
the filets through the flour and then into the pan,
color them lightly before you turn them. At this point,

(01:10:58):
you need to have one hundred grams of unsalted butter
cut into little cubes ready to go, two lemons that
you've cut in half, fourless of capers, and then half
a cup of Italian flat leaf parsley that you've roughly chopped.
When when you flip over your flounder phillips, because they
are so small and so skinny, these guys cook in

(01:11:18):
about ten seconds. So as soon as you flip them
and goes the butter. Keep cooking that on a high
heat until the butter starts to color, and that's what
we call burnt butter, or what we classically call burn
or zet. As soon as you reach that lovely brown color,
straight in goes the lemons. Turn your pan off the

(01:11:39):
juice of two lemons, so that takes the heat out
of the pan, stops the butter from continuing to color
full tapersons of capers, and then the Italian parsi that
goes straight in, and then you could potentially put the
pants like into the side spoon. A little bit of
that burn noiset or the brown butter over the top
of it, and then serve that flounder pretty much straight away.
It's just it's a lovely way to cook fish because

(01:12:01):
what the burn noisette does is it, Yes, it enrichens it,
but also that that of the butter gives you that real,
almost nutty flavor to the fish. And flounder and bourdal
zette is a great marriage.

Speaker 3 (01:12:14):
Sounds divine. Thank you so much, Mike. Of course, you
can get that recipe from our website news Talk zedb
dot co dot nz forward slash Sunday. We'll put all
our interviews on the website today, or you can get
it from good from scrap dot co dot in z
twelve to eleven Grab Recover.

Speaker 1 (01:12:32):
It's the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin and Wigkles for
the best selection of grape brings used Talk Zedb.

Speaker 3 (01:12:40):
It's time to do it wellness now, and I'm joined
by Aaron O'Hara. Good morning, Good morning. Today we're going
to talk about something called coaling. And I have no
idea what this is. I don't think I've actually ever
heard of it, but it is a very essentral nutrient
that we all.

Speaker 17 (01:12:53):
Need Yeah, it's interesting that thus one's coming through. A
lot of the supplement industry is starting to bring them out.

Speaker 3 (01:13:00):
Okay, it's about you'll hear more.

Speaker 17 (01:13:03):
About it over especially the next couple of years. In
the last couple of years, it's kind of building more
and more momentum. But it's interesting that the research indicates
that over ninety percent of New Zealanders and Australias fail
to recommend to meet their recommended daily intake of coaling
through their diet. It is a big problem. So coalin

(01:13:23):
is not a vitamin or mineral. It's actually an organic
compound that's vital for healthy functioning human nervous system. So
really important for brain health as it's a neurotransmitter, as
it's the essential nutrient to then create a nacetl coaling,
which is a neurotransmitter, really important part for brain health.

(01:13:45):
So it has lots of important functions in the body
and we need to be getting it in through our
diet so our body can't make it. So whenever it's
an essential nutrient, it's something we need to get in
through our food, and most people can do it through
their diet. It's interesting whenever I look at the research.
I'm like most of us should be working on our
diet and not trying to just supplement it in. You
should be able to do it through your diet by

(01:14:06):
trying to work on getting it in. And if you
are a person who eats eggs, it's actually very easy
to get enough coaling and through your diet. Now, if
you're a person who makes egg white omelets, you're going
to miss a lot of your coaling because the coaling
is actually in the yolk and not in the white.
So we really need to make sure we're getting it
in through the whole egg and not just the egg white. Also,

(01:14:29):
other foods that are high in coaling are things like
beef liver. Not sure if you're a big fan of
beef liver, I'm definitely not not too much really high
in coaling, also getting brown lean beef, also soybeans, cod, codfish, chaitaki, mushrooms,
So just trying to get it in through your diet.

(01:14:50):
And if you google food high coaling and then try
and meet your daily intake, which four men should be
five hundred and fifty milligrams a day and for women
four hundred and twenty five milligrams a day and if
you are pregnant or lactating, you should be getting a
higher requirement is really important part for babies brain developments.

Speaker 3 (01:15:09):
So why do we need it? What are the huge
benefits of it?

Speaker 16 (01:15:12):
So mainly for brain health.

Speaker 17 (01:15:14):
So when you look at the clinical research, people who
have a higher intake of coaline in their diet, they
have lower levels of anxiety and depression. Also, there's evidence
around the if people who have more coaline actually lower
risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. So they've really good
at research on any neurological diseases, any brain health function.

(01:15:35):
It's really important for your brain health, so making sure
you're getting it in through your diet to support the
brain nerve cells and that will be important for things
like memory, thinking and learning. So whatever age you are,
whether you're a baby or whether you're an elderly aging person,
you actually really need to get coaline.

Speaker 3 (01:15:55):
And there are people out there like me who go, gosh,
I've never really heard of this or thought about it.
I'll increase the amount of colon I'm get in my diet.
Can you have too much? Is that harmful?

Speaker 16 (01:16:05):
Yes?

Speaker 3 (01:16:05):
Okay?

Speaker 17 (01:16:06):
Actually is interesting. You'd have to be supplementing it at
unless you're a person who eats a huge amount of
beef liver, the chances of your being or okay coline
is very uncommon through diet. It's more coming in through supplements. Now,
some of the symptoms you get if you are overdosing
yourself would be a fishy body odor, excessive sweating, low

(01:16:28):
blood pressure, liver toxicity and potential higher cardiovascularrest so not good. However,
most people aren't even meeting their requirements, so the chances
of you meeting toxicity levels, which is that three five
hundred milligrams a day, is pretty much impossible.

Speaker 3 (01:16:43):
Not worry about that. You're in fascinating Thank you so much.
We'll talk next week.

Speaker 1 (01:16:47):
It is six to eleven the Sunday Session full show
podcast on iHeartRadio empowered by News Talks at b.

Speaker 2 (01:16:58):
Right.

Speaker 3 (01:16:58):
Every Second Counts is a fascinating, fast paced memohile by
award winning New Zealand journalist Charlotte Glenny. Charlotte was of
course New Zealand's first an Asia. She worked for TV
and Z then she spent years working for the Australian Network.
She was based in Beijing. It has been a fascinating career,
she has covered so many major news events across Asia
and she worked at an incredible pace. But what you

(01:17:21):
might not know is that in two thousand and one,
Charlotte survived a life threatening accident and the consequences of
that have lived with her throughout her career and her
life to date. So she is going to join us
next Afternoons and Sport to talk about the stories that
linga long linger long after they've left the news, and
the toll of the lifestyle and a crisis facing journalism today.

(01:17:42):
That's next year on NEWSTALKSB.

Speaker 2 (01:18:08):
It's Sunday. You know what that means.

Speaker 1 (01:18:10):
It's the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin and Wiggles for the.

Speaker 2 (01:18:14):
Best Election of Great Reeds US Talk Seed B.

Speaker 3 (01:18:22):
It is seven past eleven, you're with the Sunday Session
coming up this hour. Pineyer with his prediction as to
whether the Black Cats compete India in India in the
T twenty World Cup Finals tonight tomorrow morning.

Speaker 2 (01:18:34):
Going away with a.

Speaker 3 (01:18:35):
Group of people and wondering how a you're gonna work
out who has paid what and who owes who what things? Well,
Meghan has a very simple solution for you. And Joan
on M. L. Steadman's latest book, At.

Speaker 2 (01:18:45):
The End of the Hour, The Sunday Session.

Speaker 3 (01:18:48):
Throughout her career, award winning journalist Charlotte Glenny was passionate
about on the ground reporting. As a foreign correspondent, she
reported from North Korea, Mongolia, Russia. She covered monsoon rains
in Bangladesh. She most traumatically was in Thailand witnessing the
aftermath of the two thousand and four who Nami that
killed more than two hundred thousand people. But before all

(01:19:09):
that came a life changing accident that nearly ended at all.
In two thousand and one, while on an oei in Croatia,
Charlotte lost her footing and fell off a cliff onto
rocks below, suffering life threatening injuries. Charlotte has written about
the accident, her life and career in a new book.
It's called Every Second Counts And Charlotte Janny now lives
in Sydney, but she's back in the country and with

(01:19:30):
me in the studio. Good morning, lovely to see you.
The book is fantastic. It's quite a yarn, isn't it.
There was a lot that happened, A lot happened.

Speaker 16 (01:19:43):
Genebout I think it covers a spad of about thirty years,
and in that is quite a lot to squeeze.

Speaker 3 (01:19:49):
Into a into a book.

Speaker 16 (01:19:52):
I think, yeah, there are a lot of stories in there.

Speaker 3 (01:19:54):
When you started writing the book, or when you came
up with the idea of the book, did you want
to write about your career? Did you want to write
about yourself personally and your accident and things? What was
the idea?

Speaker 16 (01:20:06):
Not at all? That was what I really didn't want
to write about. I wanted to write about the people
that I kept remembering in Asia mostly, but all the
people throughout my career as a journalist who I had
met and been moved by their stories, and each of
them had imprinted in my mind for different reasons, but

(01:20:31):
throughout it, the way they dealt with such difficult experiences
in their lives just had taught me so much about
how I could live my own life. And you see
people living through natural disasters, through crackdowns, political crackdowns, through

(01:20:54):
so many events and trauma, and yet they displayed courage,
they displayed resilience, They thought about other people, they displayed compassion, generosity,
and I couldn't stop thinking about that. And during COVID
which was a time of reflection also a pretty busy time.
I was working full time at home it's homeschooling the kids,

(01:21:16):
but I was also thinking so much about these things
that had passed, and I wanted to share those stories.
And I know myself, as an avid reader, that I
liked the juicy details about people's lives as well.

Speaker 3 (01:21:32):
So you knew you weren't going to get away right
about yourself.

Speaker 6 (01:21:35):
Well.

Speaker 16 (01:21:35):
The other thing on that, for a SISKA is that
people journalists are telling stories about other people's lives all
the time, and we rely on other people to tell
us about their lives, and I thought it was only
fair that I revealed a little bit more than I
ever had about my own.

Speaker 3 (01:21:50):
Did you always want to be a foreign correspondent when
you became a journalist?

Speaker 2 (01:21:53):
I did.

Speaker 16 (01:21:54):
Actually, there were two things I wanted to do, and
I guess they're both the well for me, they were
the pinnacle of a journalism career. One was to be
a foreign correspondent and one was to be a political correspondent.
And the political one came along very early on. I
was I think only about twenty four to twenty five,
and I worked for Barry Soper, yes, yeah, and Clark, yes,

(01:22:18):
but it was it was Barry who first gave me
that opportunity, and Duncan garn I was in the press gallery.

Speaker 3 (01:22:23):
At that time him pretty quickly and moved on.

Speaker 16 (01:22:27):
Linda Clark tapped me on the shoulder and I did actually,
and I'm really sorry for that, Barry, because I loved
working with you, and you were the you were you
were the man around Parliament in those days and you
still are still. Yeah, and that was in the mid nineties,
so I did. But I think I think in another

(01:22:47):
theme of the book, Francesca is just taking opportunities when
they come along, and unfortunately opportunities don't always get presented
to us at the time we would choose them. But
I've often taken opportunities when they've come along, and that
was one.

Speaker 3 (01:23:03):
All those opportunities almost disappeared. Actually, you know, you had
these opportunities, you headed overseas for the obligatory OA. Then
you have this life threatening fall in Croatia in two
thousand and one. I had heard about this accident, but
reading this book, I had absolutely no idea Charlotte how

(01:23:25):
serious this was. It was life threatening, wasn't it.

Speaker 16 (01:23:30):
Well, I think very few people had any idea of
how serious it was, and that was because it happened
and I had to recover, and then I moved on,
and the recovery did take a good two and a
half years, and in some respects it's taken thirty more
years beyond that. But it was also something that I

(01:23:53):
didn't talk about a lot because I didn't want to
dwell on it. I didn't want it to define me.
I didn't want people it was probably almost a weakness
of mine. I didn't want people to see any weakness
in me. I was twenty nine years old, didn't know
what shape my life was going to take in the
years to follow. You know, we all have a vague
idea of what we might do with our lives, but

(01:24:15):
I didn't know precisely, of course, what that might look like,
and so I wanted to just get on as if
it had never happened. But I had these extensive injuries
as well, and I had to get better from them,
and that involved a lot of frustration, a lot of rehab,

(01:24:36):
not as much rehab as I should have done, and
that's why I continued to feel the repercussions over the years.
But I did manage to move on with my life
and do some pretty dramatic things after this dramatic thing
of wall off the Clyff.

Speaker 3 (01:24:52):
No, you certainly did, and let's move on to that.
You end up back in New Zealand, you're working at
TV and Z and you convinced them that they need
a TV and ZED Asian correspondent.

Speaker 16 (01:25:05):
I did, and that was all credit to Bill Rolston.
He said yes. At the time, I didn't really think
that he would, but I pitched to them that I
could do it very as cheaply as possible. So at
the time TVNZ didn't have its US bureau, but it
had a bureau in Australia and a bureau in London,

(01:25:27):
and they were fully resourced bureaus, so they often worked
out of other people's newsrooms, but they had a dedicated cameraman,
dedicated correspondent and the resources they needed. They had travel
budgets and with a dedicated cameraman comes all the camera, gere,
the editing equipment, all that sort of thing. I said,
I would go to Hong Kong, and Hong Kong made

(01:25:51):
sense for a number of reasons, both professional and personal.
At the time, I said, I would go to Hong
Kong and do it really cheaply. What was the offer?
And that was the continual challenge to do it cheaply,
But of course Hong Kong was often just to jump
off point to these other places in Asia as well.
Bill said yes, and off I went, and I remember
being at the Quanta. Who would I have flown? It

(01:26:16):
was Cathe Pacific, and I remember standing there at the
counter with overweight baggage, and I'd even put the stationery
in my back. I don't know what I was thinking.
There was stationary you could buy in Hong Kong, but
I'd even put the stationery in my bag. And I
had all these at the time, nothing was digital, so
I had all these big beta tapes and things, and

(01:26:38):
my bags were weighed and I got hit with this
overweight baggage. Was oh no, there's my first my first
expenses lawn. Anyway, off I went, and I was picked
up at the airport by fellow Sullivan who had been
a colleague, and I was going to live with them.

(01:26:58):
Actually we were going to give our relationship and another go.
And then within a week, within a few days, I
think I was already sent off on news stories and
I did not stop. There was so much happening in
that region that I did not stop for the whole
time I did the job.

Speaker 3 (01:27:17):
Why was that role important to you?

Speaker 16 (01:27:20):
I had traveled for almost a year through Asia just
before I had the accident, traveled to the many different countries.
It's such a diverse region, such a vibrant, interesting region,
so different to where we come from. And I think
I've always been drawn to different places. But the contradiction

(01:27:43):
in that is you get drawn to different places to
see how different because of their difference, but then you
only discover how similar we all are around the world.
And so I was drawn to Asia also because I
recognized its significance in our world, and it was already

(01:28:04):
I think China was our fourth largest trade partner at
that time. I traveled through China, and I knew how
many New Zealanders lived there that were doing interesting things,
because I'd met them on my travels in that previous
year before the accident, And I knew that there were
just so many stories that we were not seeing in
our media hair And this was something that the Asia

(01:28:25):
New Zealand Foundation now at that time was called Asia
two thousand because it was trying to increase New Zealander's
interest in Asia as a region and raise its profile
in the lead up to the turn of the millennium,
and it's still doing that now. In twenty twenty six,
the role.

Speaker 3 (01:28:44):
Was disassembly, shall we say that shut down a couple
of years later, and that was a financial decision.

Speaker 16 (01:28:50):
Yeah, it lasted for two and a half years, and
it was a financial decision, and we're we're seeing financial
decisions like that made all the time, not only in
New Zealand but around the world. It was gutting because
it had been a really successful role. Think that TV
and Z had enjoyed seeing I think the editors had

(01:29:14):
liked running the stories. I think that the feedback from
the community was that they thought it was really interesting
seeing Asia. But it was just a budget decision, bunch
Tree decision that Bill had to make.

Speaker 3 (01:29:24):
It's interesting. I interviewed Robert Fisk a few years ago
and he was just saying to me the importance of
not reporting from the news room, and that what we're
seeing when we're talking about international stories is people using
secondhand information in social media and things, as opposed to
bearing witness and being on the ground there in things,
And of course we've seen the Washington Post just recently

(01:29:45):
decide to get rid of most of their foreign correspondence,
and what is the benefit of being there, of observing
And I wonder whether you could talk about it in
relationship to the tsunami, which is probably one of the
biggest life changing stories that you worked on.

Speaker 16 (01:30:03):
It's absolutely essential to bear witness, and just to take
it back to social media, it's amazing that we can
now get information from places as soon as it happens,
although of course there are many many obstacles to getting
information out of places like Iran obviously, where we've seen

(01:30:24):
so much conflict in the last in the last couple
of months, But it is absolutely essential to get information
from these places and to have as many eyes on
it as possible. And people have different perspectives that they
bring to reporting what's happening, and sometimes the locals are

(01:30:46):
at greater risk of talking about what's happening on the ground,
so to have a foreign correspondent go in and talk
about it, it is absolutely invaluable both for those locals
and so that the world knows what's happening, because what
are we without knowing what's happening in our world, the tsunami.

(01:31:07):
I had actually been in New Zealand after a really
busy first year working for TVNZ. I'd actually been in
New Zealand. I think i'd run the day holiday. Yes,
I think I'd arrived on Christmas Eve and the tsunami
happened on Boxing Day morning. And as soon as I
heard about it, we had no idea how massively catastrophic

(01:31:28):
that event was. And the final death toll was over
two hundred and thirty thousand people and possibly as many
as a quarter of a million people. There were a
lot of unaccounted for missing, and this wave just crashed
into the shorelines all throughout all these countries, over a

(01:31:50):
dozen countries that line the Indian Ocean, and just wiped
them out. It was just so enormous and it just
came in and then it just kept rolling in and
anything that was that was in its path, including all
all the hundreds or tens of thousands of people, were
just taken out with the wave. And to see so

(01:32:12):
I flew immediately to Thailand and.

Speaker 2 (01:32:16):
It was.

Speaker 16 (01:32:19):
Really very confronting and distressing seeing the devastation, and there
were still bodies being recovered because it was so quickly
after the event, and because there were so many. I
think in Thailand the final death toll was around five
and a half thousand people. And we were some of
the first into Carlac, which was north of Pouquette, and

(01:32:40):
there were people just with their bare hands, just carrying
carrying dead bodies towards these temporary morgues. And the temporary
morgues were temples, the beautiful Thai temples that I had
been to many New Zealanders go to as in such spiritual,

(01:33:01):
comforting places. And to go there, walked in the gates,
turned the corner, and we did not expect what we saw.
Just hundreds of bodies and yeah, that they.

Speaker 2 (01:33:14):
Were in.

Speaker 16 (01:33:17):
It had been a couple of days or two or
three days. It's good since they died, and yeah, and
it was an assault on the senses and in every respect.

Speaker 3 (01:33:25):
So Charlotte, tsunami's riots, earthquakes, just traumatic stories, tragedies. You know,
you talk to families about and things. It's got to
take a toll on you, doesn't it the job.

Speaker 16 (01:33:39):
It does. I've always had a pretty pragmatic view of that,
that it was the people who are affected by the
stories that have the right to feel the pain, and
that sustained me for many, many years, and it still does.
I mean, of course, being an observer is nothing like

(01:34:00):
being at the center of a story. But at the
same time you do wonder if it's taken, and that's
what happened during COVID. I started wondering about that, and
that's when I started writing about it, and the I.

Speaker 3 (01:34:14):
Have seen a little bit of a cathartic kind of
exercise as well.

Speaker 16 (01:34:18):
Yeah, and exploratory too. I think I wondered myself of
it if it had had a toll and Lass are
in here.

Speaker 3 (01:34:24):
There's so much in the book, so much more than
that as well, because you do share a little bit
more about your personal life and being a working woman
in Asia and wanting to thinking about having a family
and wanting a relationship with children and things like that.
Thank you so much for opening up, opening up, and
your generosity with the book. It is an absolutely fantastic read.
And of course the great thing is you'll recognize lots
of names in this book. It's called Every Second Counts

(01:34:47):
and it is in stores this Tuesday. Charlotte Denny, thank
you so much.

Speaker 16 (01:34:50):
Thanks Francesca.

Speaker 1 (01:34:53):
Sunday with Style, the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin and
Winkles for the best selection of great Reads news.

Speaker 3 (01:35:02):
And it is time for a panel and this morning
I'd like to welcome host the Prosperity Project, Nadine Higgins.
How are you, Adean Cure. I'm very well, Thank you excellent,
and we have coas to day host Lorna Riley. Welcome, Lorna, Hello,
Happy International Women's Day and you two. Oh look, we've
got a panel for International Women's Day. I'm sure that
we planned that. Luxa's leadership has been in question this week,

(01:35:28):
but looking across the board, I am actually wondering where
is the leadership in general? Are we stuck with our
current political leaders because there is no one else to
step up? But I know that I'm sort of struggling
a little bit to reconcile the polls with what I'm
hearing on the street from people. And you know, I
look at Chris Hipkins, who has an awful lot of

(01:35:49):
baggage and experience, and you know, and I'm wondering, have
we really you know, is his mission to become more
credible really working? But then then you stop and you go, yes,
but who would step up? So do we, Nadine, do
you think sort of have a lack of people who
are ready to step up into those roles leader of

(01:36:12):
the party roles?

Speaker 2 (01:36:13):
I think we do.

Speaker 13 (01:36:14):
But also I don't know that we should be surprised
that that's the case, because if you look, I know,
even mentioning Jacinder Ardun's name is controversial.

Speaker 16 (01:36:24):
But when you consider the ramifications, the.

Speaker 13 (01:36:27):
Personal ramifications for her having been a leader after stepping down,
many years after stepping down, still having death threats and
living outside the country, what does that say to any
other ambitious young person who might want to enter politics.

Speaker 16 (01:36:44):
To me, it screams, don't do it.

Speaker 3 (01:36:46):
Run a thousand miles in the office direction.

Speaker 16 (01:36:48):
Go make money outside of the public eye.

Speaker 13 (01:36:51):
You know, there are plenty of ways to serve your
country without going into politics.

Speaker 3 (01:36:56):
And at least that's my take on it.

Speaker 13 (01:36:59):
Maybe other people still think that it's a wonderful career,
but to me, it looks like why would you want
to go into politics? Those are the potential implications.

Speaker 3 (01:37:08):
And Lord of the other interesting thing is that you know,
if you say who would step up, people will have
a handful of names and they're always the same names.
And then the next comment is but they're not ready,
and I'm thinking, well, how do you get you know?

Speaker 18 (01:37:20):
Yeah, exactly. Look, I had this conversation with my Fancee
on Friday night. I'm guessing we weren't the only ones
following that disastrous poll for National I have to disagree
with you. The words you know, the talk I'm hearing
it very much reflected that I'm imagining the same conversation
we had was happening within the National Party as well.
But we also couldn't come up with a clear answer
because the problem is not finding one person who could

(01:37:42):
do a better job of leading the Christopher Luxon. The
problem is there were probably too many and they don't
have a clear consensus amongst them about who should take
over the party. It's like they're happy to lose this
coming election and then start again. But the problem of
this lack of leadership, I don't think it's a Holy
New Zealand problem. It no longer, as Nadine pointed out,
seems to attract the caliber of people that had once

(01:38:04):
did And you only have to look at US, Australia,
the UK and the US to see that.

Speaker 13 (01:38:10):
And gosh, is it just about the leader or is
it actually the solutions that they're selling.

Speaker 3 (01:38:15):
Yes, it's not just about their ability to sell that story.

Speaker 13 (01:38:19):
It's the reality for New Zealanders at the moment that
they're not feeling any better off even though they're working
harder and interest rates are lower and inflation is lower,
they're supposed to be feeling better about their prospects.

Speaker 2 (01:38:33):
But they just asked, and if you had any doubt about.

Speaker 13 (01:38:35):
That, just look at the numbers of people that are
fleeing across the Tasman and.

Speaker 3 (01:38:41):
You're writing Dean. And that's something that Neil Jones and
Jordan Williams spoke about in the first hour. They said, actually,
our prime minister doesn't need to be hugely popular, doesn't
need to be liked. We've often had very successful prime
ministers who weren't hugely loved, but they need to be
able to do their job well. And New Zealanders need
to feel like they're moving the country in the direction
that we wanted to go in that we all can

(01:39:01):
see in our day to day lives and communicating that.

Speaker 15 (01:39:05):
Yeah, and you made the really interesting point about who
is ready to step up?

Speaker 13 (01:39:09):
Well, I mean I feel like that's almost unfair because
was Luxon ready to step up. He had barely been
in parliament for a term before he became the leader. Yes,
he worked on leadership skills and financial management skills outside
of parliament, but there are people who arguably have more

(01:39:31):
experience than he did that were overlooked for the job.
I think they were just looking for a John Key
two point zero. So maybe we just need to look
at a slightly different model of leader than that.

Speaker 3 (01:39:43):
Would you like to be prime minister? Launa different as
we're looking at something quite different?

Speaker 10 (01:39:49):
There we go.

Speaker 18 (01:39:50):
I certainly would not. But here's a name I'd like
to put out there for the National Party as Erica Stanford.

Speaker 3 (01:39:55):
Oh yeah, no, I think she's at the top of
it list. See I think, Nadina. I think you're right.
I think everyone is doing so well within their portfolios
and making so much progress. You're kind of like, why,
I don't No, I don't know if they really want
to say throw that away at the moment.

Speaker 13 (01:40:09):
Yeah, and you need those people around the leader because
just be a strong prime minister, you actually need a
strong cabinet. You need ministers that are doing really good
things within their portfolio, and of course she is one
of them, and yeah, she one one hundred percent has
leadership potential.

Speaker 16 (01:40:24):
But I still think if I was her, I'd be
looking at what happened to.

Speaker 2 (01:40:29):
My life absolutely Lorna.

Speaker 3 (01:40:32):
United Airlines has decided to permanently banflyers who don't use
headphones when they are playing music or watching videos, and
I'm like, who doesn't in a public space? Already we're
headphones if you were playing music and watching videos?

Speaker 2 (01:40:45):
How rude?

Speaker 18 (01:40:46):
It is extremely rude. I think go United Airlines. Hopefully
all the others will follow that.

Speaker 3 (01:40:52):
I've noticed it.

Speaker 18 (01:40:53):
Quite a bit, not so much on aeroplanes, and I
probably with all the other background noise and things, wouldn't
find it so bad on aeroplanes, but I have found
it in other public spaces and waiting rooms in port lounges,
people on you telephone calls and having the volume up
really loud. It's incredibly disrespectful for other people. And I

(01:41:15):
don't want to sound like a grumpy old woman, but
it appears to be a generational thing as well.

Speaker 1 (01:41:21):
Well.

Speaker 3 (01:41:22):
How do you feel about it, Nadine? You might be
the youngest of us all, but I personally I don't
want to hear your music. I don't want to hear
your video. I don't want to hear your personal conversation.

Speaker 9 (01:41:30):
Absolutely not.

Speaker 13 (01:41:30):
I'm interested to know what Laura means when she says
the generational problem, because from my perspective, it's actually the
older generation that doesn't.

Speaker 19 (01:41:38):
I need I need to just speak us scrolling through
Facebook or whatever, and they'll be playing things out loud
and I'm like, hey, excuse me, we're all in this
room together, could you either turn that down or put
your headphones in.

Speaker 18 (01:41:50):
Well, there has been an occasion in the last week
where my you know, I've been watching something on TV
and my daughter's just been scrolling on her phone and
the volume comes on and I'm just like, no, watch
that in your room or put some headphones and you
are not interrupted my TV show. So that's where the
generational comment came from.

Speaker 13 (01:42:10):
Yeah, and my parents, who are in their seventies, they
talk on their phone on hands free and hold it
to their mouth, not the ear, so there's.

Speaker 19 (01:42:19):
No way that everyone else doesn't hear whatever conversation they're having.

Speaker 18 (01:42:24):
So I'm doing the same thing right now and make
their next.

Speaker 13 (01:42:27):
Christmas gifts some headphones.

Speaker 3 (01:42:32):
Thank you both very much. Ladies, enjoy the rest of
your Sunday and International Women's Day. It is twenty six
to twelve.

Speaker 1 (01:42:42):
It's the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin on News Talks
A B.

Speaker 3 (01:42:47):
Jason Pine is coming up at midday with weekend sport
and my goodness, what a weekend of sport we're having, Jason, unreal?
How am I going to fit it all up?

Speaker 5 (01:42:55):
I don't know.

Speaker 20 (01:42:55):
Petition I petitioned management to start at nine point thirty,
but they said, now we've got a very very high
rating show.

Speaker 3 (01:43:03):
You should just ask me, Carrie. I would have gone, oh, Piney,
look here go. No worries, mate, I'm.

Speaker 20 (01:43:07):
Not sure we're allowed to make that decision independent of management.

Speaker 5 (01:43:10):
Who knows?

Speaker 3 (01:43:11):
Okay, Italy beats England early this morning, twenty three eighteen.
Your thoughts.

Speaker 14 (01:43:19):
I think this is brilliant.

Speaker 3 (01:43:20):
Oh how crazy is that?

Speaker 6 (01:43:21):
I know?

Speaker 20 (01:43:22):
I think it's great that. I mean Italy. You know,
they've been the the little little, little little brother in
six Nations ever since they joined. For a while they
had some crazy that one out of fifty games or
something like that. But to beat England for the first time,
this is a major scalp and in Rome. We know
how big a football country Italy is, but man, they'll

(01:43:43):
be going crazy in the streets of Rome after that one.
England have had a very very poor Six Nations. There
are still three teams who can win it with one
game to go, and England are not one of them.

Speaker 5 (01:43:55):
Well, look at just a.

Speaker 3 (01:43:55):
Few hours earlier Scotland bet France for forty How much
fun is this? It's so much, man, I saw that score.

Speaker 14 (01:44:03):
I thought they fifty forty?

Speaker 2 (01:44:05):
What? What is?

Speaker 14 (01:44:06):
What game are we playing here?

Speaker 20 (01:44:08):
But yeah, so Scotland is still in the mix. France
is still in the mix even despite that last They
won't win a Grand Slam now, of course, and Ireland
is still in the mix. So Six Nations is continuing
to deliver. And I think we always say this, don't we.
We want our sporting competitions to have a bit of
jeopardy about them. We don't want to know from week
to week. You know that every single result not good, honestly,

(01:44:28):
And I don't mind England losing at things, you know,
I don't take any great disappointment from that sort of thing.

Speaker 3 (01:44:35):
No, And look, there were some big schools in Pacific
rugby over the weekend as well. Good to see the
Blues managed to take on and crush the Crusaders last night.
Twenty nine and thirsteen. I'll just get that in there,
because yeah, it doesn't.

Speaker 10 (01:44:47):
Happen all the time.

Speaker 20 (01:44:49):
I guess it's nice if there's an O nine and
in your landline if people still have those, Yeah, look
iving good on them because they were disappointed to lose
to the Brumbies last week, you know, conceding Lake to
do so. The most impressive part of this, Francesca was
they didn't concede a single point in the second half,
you know, just thirty and the Crusaders we know how
to they are. No Will Jordan last night. Did that
make a difference. We'll never know, but yeah, hat treck

(01:45:10):
for Caleb Clark and Bodhen Barrett slotting back and he
was a late call up to the starting fifteen after
Stephen Petefetter got injured sort of late in the piece.
Looked like he'd never been away. But like Damien McKenzie
on Friday night when he came back from from an
elongated break with with his first first child arriving, he
didn't look like he'd been anywhere either. So I think

(01:45:32):
we're in pretty good hands as far as first five
as are concerned.

Speaker 2 (01:45:35):
Our penny.

Speaker 3 (01:45:36):
Great to see Liam Lawson starting off in Melbourne at
eighth this afternoon. Are you sick of all the battery
talk in Formula one yet?

Speaker 20 (01:45:43):
I'm quite looking forward to some actual racing. Yeah, it's
given us a lot to talk about. And yes, it's
so interesting. They sound different, don't they do? You know,
the high pitched screen will kind of get used to it.
It's just a different kind of sound. Liam Lawson, Yeah,
eighth on the grid. He'll be happy with that. His
new teammate arvid Lundblad's ninth. I think for Liam Lawson

(01:46:04):
a big victory across the season will be we'll be
beating his teammate every week.

Speaker 3 (01:46:09):
Consistency and kind of bang in the top half and
all that kind of thing.

Speaker 20 (01:46:13):
No, yeah, me said. He's at the front of the groups.

Speaker 7 (01:46:15):
So there.

Speaker 3 (01:46:16):
I'm quite licking the unpredictability of there's cars and watch
them well get to grips with us. It's giving us
a little bit of extra entertainment. And of course two
thirty am tomorrow morning it's the T twenty World Cup Final.
The black Caps versus India in India. Couldn't be more exciting, right.

Speaker 20 (01:46:30):
No, Yeah, I'm so looking forward to this. Yeah, like
an early start, absolutely absolutely.

Speaker 5 (01:46:35):
You know what I'm going to do.

Speaker 20 (01:46:36):
I'm going to set my alarm for two twenty two
because that's Nathan Astall's magnificent innings from all those years ago.
Ratchan Revengers on the show this afternoon. He's a big
part of this team obviously. But yeah, we've come close,
haven't we. A couple of times We've lost a T
twenty World Cup final, a couple of fifty over World
Cup finals. Is that going to change tomorrow morning? I
kind of feel like I need to be up. It's

(01:46:57):
not one of those you can wake up trying and
avoid the score and watch it. I think you need
to be up, you know, to watch an unfold live. Well,
I mean, you don't have to tell you what to do,
but I'm certainly going.

Speaker 3 (01:47:07):
To be good Man, good Man, Piney good on. You
don't text me I'm at three am, like, you know,
something interesting happens. I like, I'll catch up with a
little later on in the morning. Very much appreciate it
so much to talk about on weekend Sport the Starturna
and Jason Pine will be back with you at midday.

Speaker 1 (01:47:23):
So a Sunday session full show podcast on iHeartRadio powered
by News Talks FB.

Speaker 2 (01:47:30):
Travel with Wendy wo tours Where the World Is Yours book.

Speaker 3 (01:47:34):
Now, speaking of talking loudly and inappropriate praises, I did
have a very funny text from someone saying my dad
was dictating an email recently on an aeroplane while everyone
was waiting to get off. I can just picture that.
That's hilarious. Thank you for your text. Joining us now.
It is Megan Singleton Block at large dot com. Good morning,
Good morning. I'm about to go away on a trip
with there's twelve of us all together down in Wantica

(01:47:57):
and the lovey National Park down there, and it requires
a lot of you know, paying everyone paying for different things,
and then you're trying to divvy it up and work
out who owes what and everything. And you've completely offered
me a solution this morning.

Speaker 21 (01:48:10):
I have because I too have sat at tables and
apparently it's a women thing. We tot up every last
dollar and cent and the blokes will just go put
it all on my card swings and roundabouts, not us. Ladies,
so we want to get it all itemized. So there's
an app for us, and it's called split Wise. We've
been using it in our family and I'm actually going

(01:48:31):
to try and use it on my next tour. I
don't know how many people I can put in a
group though, but we've certainly used it with our family group.
So basically what you do is say I've paid for
the uber, so I pop that in and I've got
my mum and my sister and my niece, but we're
all in there together, and it automatically divvy's up the
portion of the uber to all of those names. Then
one of them buys around a drinks and it automatically

(01:48:54):
does a tot up. So then some people are in
credit and some people are endeavors. Oh good end of
your holiday. You just see whooes what to home? And
it's only you know, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised at
at fifteen dollars five and you'll definitely pay that to
the cent.

Speaker 3 (01:49:09):
That is brilliant.

Speaker 2 (01:49:10):
Is that a free Yes?

Speaker 21 (01:49:12):
Yeah, we use it free. I mean, I don't know
if you like I want to put seventeen people on it.
But here's the other thing we'll have, So we'll only
bit four to an uber, right, so I need to
make sure those four stay in that little split wise
tab if they go on to have a meal together
at the table. So it's got its little extra conundrums,
but we'll see how we go. Certainly it's helpful and

(01:49:34):
probably a group like yours where you are all together
and people are buying around a drinks or lunch or
the tickets for that boat ride or whatever.

Speaker 2 (01:49:42):
You know.

Speaker 3 (01:49:42):
So much of traveling comes down to sort of what
traveling comes down to money and how you're paying for
things and currencies and currency conversions and things. Doesn't that.

Speaker 21 (01:49:53):
Yeah, So this little tip has probably been staring us
all in the face for years, but I was only
last year years old when a millennial told me about it.
This is to do a currency conversion without Wi Fi.
So if you go onto your phone and you go
open your calculator, you'll find in the top right hand corner.

Speaker 16 (01:50:12):
A little picture of a teeny weeny calculator.

Speaker 2 (01:50:15):
So you click on that.

Speaker 21 (01:50:16):
You tap that and a little menu will open, and
there's an option in there to select convert, so you
choose the currency of the destination you're in. I've currently
got mindset to do it, I know, so I've put
like so now when I'm out and about in Japan
on my tour later this year, I can go, oh,
what is fifteen million thousand year worth? And da da,

(01:50:38):
And I don't even need to be in Wi Fi
like you do with the other currency conversion apps. Now,
amazing that.

Speaker 3 (01:50:45):
And now we've just been talking about old people who
are really sort of not appropriate, you know, don't use
their tech appropriate lak and I'm just sitting here going
that is looking at this, this is amazing. I had
no dear it existed. I'm sure there's a lot of
people sent they're just rolling their eyes.

Speaker 22 (01:50:58):
Going, oh yeah, we've been using that for a decade.

Speaker 2 (01:51:01):
That is amazing.

Speaker 16 (01:51:02):
No, it is amazing.

Speaker 21 (01:51:04):
And so I actually use it for currency conversions just
at home. If I'm looking to buy things online, I'll
use that, and I'll also use my exchange rate apps
because I'm in Wi Fi at home. But when you're not,
that is just a simple little out and about. It
immediately shows you the converted rate. Now, obviously it could
be a buying or selling rate, so you wouldn't want to,

(01:51:24):
you know, put pin your life on it, put a
mortgage on it sort of thing. But within kwis it's
about right.

Speaker 3 (01:51:29):
Okay, So do all calculators have this? I've got an Apple.
Is it on all calculators?

Speaker 9 (01:51:32):
Yeah?

Speaker 21 (01:51:32):
Well, someone messaged me because it's on my tips, on
my Ultimate Tips, which I've pushed to the front page
of my blog, and I thought it was an iPhone
thing and someone said, now I've got a Samsung.

Speaker 3 (01:51:41):
It's on that as well.

Speaker 13 (01:51:42):
There we go.

Speaker 3 (01:51:43):
I love it, Megan. If you want more great tips
for traveling, head to blogger at large dot com. It
is eleven to twelve.

Speaker 2 (01:51:54):
Books with Wickles for the best election of Greek Reads.

Speaker 3 (01:52:00):
Joining me now is Joan mackenzie Wickles, head book Buyer,
book Manager. Good morning, good morning, you got for us today?

Speaker 22 (01:52:07):
The first book is called Sirsha by an author whose
name is Charlene Hurts you Bees, which is an unusual surname,
as is for some of us, the name.

Speaker 3 (01:52:17):
Sirsha presuming an Irish author.

Speaker 22 (01:52:20):
Indeed, and what calls we often think that books are
more difficult when readers aren't confident in knowing how to
pronounce the title. So I did some research and I
believe I'm accurate, Yes you are, and I hope that
it won't be off putting to people, because it's a
really good book, which I thoroughly recommend. That name Sirsha
means freedom in the Irish language, which is so appropriate
for the character of the same name who this book's about.

(01:52:43):
At the beginning of the story, she's living in Ireland
and she arrives home one day to be met with
the news that she's just won a major art prize.
She's clearly a very talented artist and she panics, which
is not at all the response that you would expect
to get when someone is given that kind of news.
And it turns out that she needs to fly under
the radar, and she's very careful not to have any

(01:53:04):
big public profile because she's got skeletons in her closet
which she's desperate to keep hidden. In a previous life,
she was known as Sarah and she lived in the
States in Michigan, where she was caught up in a
very nasty, dangerous underworld which her father was very closely
connected to, and she had to get out, and eventually
she found the way to escape, but the escape itself

(01:53:26):
was really perilous and on the flight to Ireland. She's
going off to a country where she knew nobody had nothing,
but just had to get away. She was sitting next
to a guy. They started up a conversation. He said
where he is staying? She said, I don't know. He said,
we'll come home. My family can put you up for
a while. And from that point she started to build
a new life. But some years later, after winning this prize,

(01:53:49):
she really does become the focus of attention, and this
really carefully constructed life that she's put together with all
of this deception comes under attack and people see only
the extent of the lies, but not the desperate need
she had which brought them in the first place.

Speaker 3 (01:54:05):
Okay, tell me about a Far Flung Life by M. L. Steadman.

Speaker 22 (01:54:10):
This is truly wonderful. Some years ago M. L. Steedman
wrote a best selling book called The Light Between Oceans.

Speaker 16 (01:54:17):
Oh yes, you might remember it.

Speaker 22 (01:54:19):
At the time it was a Whitkle's favorite and it
was about a baby which washed up on a really
remote beach. That's right, right, Well, A Far Fung Life
is also a very remote location and it also has
a baby. It's set in Western Australia beginning in nineteen
fifty eight, and the McBride family have a one million
acre sheep station and so they're all, of course actively

(01:54:39):
engaged in the life of the farm. Phil and Laurna
McBride are the parents, and they've got three kids. And
one day the men are up moving a load of
sheep and they swerve to avoid a kangaroo on a
really bad road and Phil and his eldest son are killed,
while Matt, who's the younger son, gets this life changing
head injury and the resulting trauma leads to a terrible

(01:55:01):
secret which could rip the entire family apart. And don't forget,
the isolation that they live is simply extreme. So they're
out there on their own with this thing going on
in the background. Rose the sister, Matt's sister, eventually leaves home.
She goes to work in other places around Wa and
when she eventually comes back, she's got a baby in tow,
but she won't disclose the origins of it. These characters

(01:55:23):
are just terrific. The expanse of this book, you know,
the Wa landscape and the huge sky and the isolation
and the sense of extremes and all of those things
play very much into the real background sense of landscape
in this book again with this family who are doing
their very very best to hold it all together.

Speaker 3 (01:55:42):
Sounds like beautiful, strong imagery that we can all imagine everything.
It's marvelous, oh wonderful. Okay. So the first book was
Sirsha by Charlene Hurtebus and the second book was A
Far Flung Life by M. L. Steadman. Thank you so much, Joan,
see you next week.

Speaker 1 (01:55:59):
The Sunday Session Full show podcast on my Heart Radio
powered by News Talks.

Speaker 3 (01:56:04):
MB so much for joining us this morning on the
Sunday Session. Thank you to Kerry for producing the show.
Coming up next Jason Pine with Weekend Sport and before
I go, I just want to say great work TVNS
and Athletics New Zealand getting athletics on free to air
last night. It was so awesome to watch Hamish Kerr
and Eliza McCartney and oh my gosh, Sam Ruth. Okay,

(01:56:31):
I get it now, extraordinary like athletics seems to be
going off. We're doing so well on a global scale,
so actually making it accessible to everybody to watch and
to see fantastic well done. It's exactly as everyone said
when I was raving about how good I'd be at
figure skating watching the Olympics. We can't see it. It's
not free to air anyway. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday,

(01:56:53):
look forward to your company next weekend. Take care.

Speaker 1 (01:57:07):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks A B from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.

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