30 with Guyon Espiner

A revealing conversation with one of our great songwriters. He opens up about the heartbreaking loss behind his song Andy . Plus his one regret about the night he told a minister to “shut up” at the Music Awards. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Anne Applebaum, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist renowned for her insights on autocracies, dives into the alarming rise of global dictators who exploit wealth and power. She discusses how modern autocrats leverage Western financial systems to launder money and hints at a troubling trend: nations like Russia and Venezuela aiding each other clandestinely. Applebaum draws parallels between Trump’s tactics and autocratic disinformation strategies, emphasizing the urgency for democracies to unite against these threats while maintaining a realistic optimism about the future.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English shares insights on Chris Luxon’s leadership. He expresses optimism about New Zealand’s growth trajectory and discusses the ongoing reforms in housing policy aimed at tackling inequality and homelessness. English reflects on his coalition work with Te Pāti Māori, emphasizing meaningful policy despite past tensions. He critiques the complexities of capital gains tax while praising community-driven solutions over state monopolies, and considers the stability of the current three-party coalition amid public scrutiny.

Gary Stevenson, a former top trader at Citibank and author, shares his remarkable journey from selling cannabis in East London to financial success. He discusses how rising inequality poses a threat to ordinary families and the necessity of a wealth tax to prevent asset concentration. Gary explains trading strategies that profit from betting against consensus and warns about potential bubbles in AI and crypto. His insights on the political challenges surrounding wealth taxation are eye-opening, highlighting the fears that hinder necessary reforms.

Chris Hipkins on how he would bring real competition back to New Zealand and take on the monopolies. From capitalism “with a human face” to the politics of coalition, he opens up about how he'd lead a government of the left.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Amnesty’s top official says New Zealand is losing its reputation as a human-rights leader and warns the governments “Trumpian accent” is being noticed internationally. She urges the government to rediscover the moral courage that once defined its nuclear-free and anti-apartheid stands.Watch the full episode hereGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Do Israel’s actions amount to genocide? Kenneth Roth has spent decades documenting human rights violations. He explains how genocide is defined—and whether it’s happening in Gaza. Plus, is Trump's power on the wane? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Detective Inspector Scott Beard opens up about tackling child abuse, leading the Grace Millane case, and how tech is changing crime. Plus, why increased surveillance is taking its toll on homicide investigators, and the simple hand signal that could save a child's life..Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Has reality TV crashed and burned in New Zealand? Reality Queen, Dame Julie Christie, on our troubled TV industry and the pros and cons of offering tax breaks for films made downunder. Watch the full episode hereGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Deputy PM, David Seymour, on why he pushed pay equity reforms through so quickly. Plus, his reasons for introducing the Regulatory Standards Bill and why he thinks nearly all the submissions made against it were "fake."Watch the full episode hereGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details