Saturday Morning

7:00 - 8:00 News of the week

The latest news and current affairs from the week

 

8:10 SIS agent turned freshwater champion Mike Joy

Freshwater ecologist Mike Joy is a controversial figure who says things some people don't want to hear.

He came to academia late, after time spent as a mechanic, milkman, truck driver, agent with the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, and farm hand.

Mike's now written a book about his life, and the research that has turned him into an environmental activist. 

He joins Susie to talk about The Fight for Fresh Water.

 

8:35 Te Māori exhibition 40 years on

It's 40 years since a revolutionary exhibition put te ao Māori on the global stage, displaying Māori taonga in New York, back in 1984.

Te Māori exhibition was considered a milestone. It toured the United States before returning to Aotearoa to tour here.

Kura Moeahu is a cultural advisor as well as Chair of Waiwhetu Marae in Lower Hutt. Mihi sat down with him, to find out what has changed in the four decades since Te Māori burst onto the international stage.

 

9:05 Opera stars: Amitai Pati and Adela Zaharia 

Kiwi-Samoan superstar tenor and member of Sol3 Mio, Amitai Pati has returned to Aotearoa to sing the iconic role of the Duke of Mantua in the new Auckland season of Rigoletto.

Long held as one of the greatest operas ever written, Giuseppe Verdi blends gripping drama, compelling characters and some of the most lush, unforgettable music in the entire operatic canon.

Amitai and his partner, an opera star in her own right, Romanian soprano Adela Zaharia, join Mihi to talk about coming home and their singing careers.

 

9:35 Jill Goldson: Giving a voice to children during family separation

Last year an act was passed that created provision for families and children going through separation to attend out-of-court mediation. This service, which aims to enhance the wellbeing for children experiencing separation, is means-tested and can be part or fully government funded. 

Jill Goldson is the director of The Family Matters Centre, and specialises in researching and working with the family in transition during, and after separation. She says the service is of immense significance for whānau and children in Aotearoa, and the psychological and fiscal savings are huge. However, not enough people are aware of this provision, or how to access it.

 

10:05 Navigating an anxious world

Most of us feel anxious from time to time, but what happens when it interferes with our daily lives?

Lance Burdett, spent twenty-two years with the police, becoming the lead crisis negotiator, a role that required a deep understanding of human behavior, dealing with real time life and death situations. He's trained the elite tactical units of Police, Corrections, Fire, Military, and the FBI.

He's the author of two bestselling books - Behind the Tape, Life on the Police Frontline and Dark Side of the Brain, Adapting to Adversity.

In his new book Anxiety is a Worry, Lance has developed a road map for anxiety sufferers, drawing on the latest international research and tools, providing practical techniques for living a less anxious life.

 

10:35 Robert Harris: Precipice

Bestselling British author and former journalist Robert Harris' new novel is Precipice, delving inside WW1 British Prime Minister Herbert Asquith's scandalous affair with a much younger woman.

But this wasn't simply a matter of sexual intrigue in Downing Street.  

The PM shared top secrets with his mistress - and their affair became a matter of national security that altered the course of political history.

 

11:00  Liam Dann: Low petrol prices, high business confidence 

The global financial market has taken a hit this week, but it comes with a silver lining for motorists as oil prices have slumped to their lowest level this year - does that mean petrol savings are on the way? And despite being in a recession, business confidence is soaring right now. 

New Zealand Herald business editor-at-large Liam Dann is here with the latest business news from around the country.

11:25 The History of music therapy

Music therapy has been making a difference in people's lives in New Zealand for 50 years. And next weekend that milestone is being celebrated in Wellington.

Daphne Rickson is an adjunct professor at the New Zealand School of Music-Te Kōkī - the only place you can train to be a music therapist in New Zealand. She's just written a book A History of Music Therapy New Zealand. 

Daphne decided to train as a music therapist when she saw the difference music therapy made to her daughter, who was born profoundly deaf.

She joins Susie and Mihi to talk about how the profession has grown and the impact it continues to have.

 

11:45 Saturday Lunch: Meatballs but fancy

Polly Markus is the woman behind Miss Polly's Kitchen - with a bestselling book and thousands of social media followers drawn to her down to earth approuch to food.

The Auckland based real estate agent started posting recipes online when she lost work during the 2020 lockdown, and soon amassed a large following.

She shares her recipe for 'Tasty Lamb Meatballs with Jammy Harissa Tomatoes' from her second cookcook 'Seriously Delicous'.

Books in this week's show:

The Fight for Fresh Water
By Mike Joy
Published by Bridget Williams Books

Anxiety is a Worry: Understanding and Managing Anxiety 
By Lance Burdett
Published by Bateman Books

Seriously Delicious
By Polly Markus
Published by Allen & Unwin

Precipice
By Robert Harris 
Published by Hutchinson Heinemann