
Different Matters by Damien Grant
I have been incredibly fortunate, and also incredibly reckless, over my nearly six decades. For reasons that are unclear to me a number of wonderful New Zealander’s have been willing to give up an hour of their time to talk to me.
Latest episodes

Jan 31, 2024 • 58min
Philip Matthews on Different Matters
Damien interviews Philip Matthews about his book on the life of genetic scientist Andrew Bagshaw, who saved 500 lives in Ukraine but tragically lost his own. They discuss heroism, selflessness, and the moral clarity of the Ukrainian conflict compared to other conflicts.

Jan 24, 2024 • 1h 4min
Joe Bennett on Different Matters
Joe Bennett is one of New Zealands most highly decorated columnists and has won the New Zealand Colomnist Award of the Year multiple times. Born in England, Joe Bennett has lived in New Zealand since 1987. Thirteen collections of his columns have been published in New Zealand and three world-wide. He has had four travel books published by Simon and Schuster UK, and his work has been translated into Chinese, Korean, Greek and American. Where Underpants Come From was the Whitcoulls Travcom Travel Book of the Year in 2009. His novel, King Rich, is set in the ruins of Christchurch after the 2011 quakes, and spent five weeks at #1 on the NZ Fiction Best Seller list. His memoir From There to Here was published by Harper Collins in May 2023.Tune in as controversial writer and podcast host, Damien Grant, interviews a wide selection of interesting and entertaining individuals, authors, business people, politicians and anyone else actually willing to talk to him.For more information, or to get in touch, visit the Different Matters Website.

Dec 21, 2023 • 1h 9min
Different Matters with Jordan Williams
Jordan Williams, lawyer and political activist, discusses founding the Taxpayers Union, navigating financial responsibilities, choosing fights for policy change, public perception challenges, reflections on conversations with Peter Shirkliff, and the role of advocacy organizations in New Zealand.

Dec 14, 2023 • 1h 13min
Different Matters with Gareth Hughes
Gareth Thomas Llewelyn Hughes is a New Zealand activist, Political Commentator, and a former politician of the Green Party. He was a member of the New Zealand Parliament for eleven years, from 2010 to 2020.He is also the author of the book, A Gentle Radical, The Life of Jeanette Fitzsimons. Join me as I speak to Gareth about Jeanette's early life, what drove her to vaticalism, the limits to growth and other pholosphical ideas that drove her, and her election to Parliment and her running in and interaction with Jim Anderton, Helen Clark and John Key.For more information, or to get in touch, visit the Different Matters Website.

Dec 5, 2023 • 1h 8min
Different Matters with Lord (Daniel) Hannan of Kingsclere
Lord Hannan of Kingsclere is an author and columnist. A former member of the European Parliament and advisor to The Board Of Trade, he writes for ConservativeHome and The Washington Examiner. He is currently a sitting member of the House of Lords where he takes the Conservative whip, and has since 2020 served as an adviser to the Board of Trade. He is the founding president of the Initiative for Free Trade.Tune in as controversial writer and podcast host, Damien Grant, interviews a wide selection of interesting and entertaining individuals, authors, business people, politicians and anyone else actually willing to talk to him.For more information, or to get in touch, visit the Different Matters Website.

Nov 28, 2023 • 1h 3min
Different Matters with Dr Don Brash
Explore Dr. Don Brash's diverse career in economic advisory, financial governance, and political leadership. Hear about his encounters with prominent figures like Milton Friedman and Robert McNamara, along with reflections on closing tax loopholes, central bank independence, and economic models. Delve into his unexpected political journey, success in campaigns, and evolution of beliefs towards focusing on economic and policy issues in society.

Nov 8, 2023 • 1h 4min
Different Matters with Paul Diamond
Paul Diamond is a writer, broadcast journalist and historian. His radio programmes have won Qantas Media and Media Peace Awards. He was also awarded a David Low Chevening Fellowship in 2001 to study at Oxford University. Diamond’s first book, A Fire in your Belly (2003) is a significant collection of interviews with Maori leaders. Makereti: Taking Māori to the World (2007), is a biography by Diamond, and was the inspiration for the exhibition about Makereti (Maggie Papakura) at the National Library.(Source: Read-NZ)The outcome of years of digging by historian Paul Diamond, Downfall: The destruction of Charles Mackay shines a clear light on the vengeful impulses behind the blackmail and Mackay’s ruination.Tune in as controversial writer and podcast host, Damien Grant, interviews a wide selection of interesting and entertaining individuals, authors, business people, politicians and anyone else actually willing to talk to him.For more information, or to get in touch, visit the Different Matters Website.

Nov 2, 2023 • 60min
Different Matters with Todd Lauchlan
Todd Lauchlan is the managing director of JLL and a real estate professional with over 25 years of experience in office leasing, investment sales, transactions and managing corporate clients. I am a strategic thinker adept at combining technical skills with strong leadership abilities to implement quality business decisions.Tune in as controversial writer and podcast host, Damien Grant, interviews a wide selection of interesting and entertaining individuals, authors, business people, politicians and anyone else actually willing to talk to him.For more information, or to get in touch, visit the Different Matters Website.

Oct 18, 2023 • 1h 19min
Different Matters with Dr David Cumin
Dr David Cumin discusses the history of anti-Semitism, the state of Israel, and the Hamas attack on Southern Israel. Topics covered include the historical persecution of Jews, the establishment of Israel, the Six-Day War, and rejected peace proposals. The meaning of the slogan 'from the river to the sea,' dynamics within the Muslim world, and Hamas's motivations and strategies are also explored.

7 snips
Oct 11, 2023 • 60min
Different Matters with Michael Reddell
Damien Grant interviews Michael Reddell, an independent economic commentator and blogger, about the history of monetary policy, currency debasement, the Phillips curve, the wages and prices freeze, managing inflation expectations, central bank independence, government deposits, and the relevance of the Taylor rule in today's economic context. They also discuss the critique of monetary policy mistakes and the significance of central bank independence.