Saturday Morning for Saturday 7 June 2025

7.11 The longest suspension in Parliament ever

This week parliament took the unprecedented step of suspending both Te Pāti Māori leaders, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, and Rawiri Waititi for a record-setting 21 days. 

MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke was suspended for seven days.

The punishment was handed down over a haka they performed in the house, against the Treaty Principles Bill. It is against the rules of the house for members to leave their seats during a debate - which all three did.

Previously, the longest suspension for an MP was 3 days, dished out to Sir Robert Muldoon for criticising the speaker.

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer speaks to Susie.

7.20 Collecting the stories on the ground in Ukraine

Several people have been killed and dozens wounded in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight as Russia launched drone and missile attacks. 

Russian president Vladimir Putin had promised retaliatory strikes after Ukraine launched a series of drone strikes targeting military sites and the power grid.

Maksimas Milta is the Ukraine Country Director for The Reckoning Project, an NGO that collects testimonies from witnesses to bombings and violence across the country.

He speaks to Mihi.

7.26 Triple murder accused takes the stand in poisonous mushroom trial

The Australian trial involving death cap mushrooms in a beef wellington has captured the world.

This week triple murder accused Erin Patterson took the stand for the first time.

The prosecution says she deliberately went searching for poisonous mushrooms which she cooked and served to her four in-laws.

Her defence team says it was a terrible accident.

The ABC's Kathleen O'Connor has been covering events this week and speaks to Susie from Melbourne.

7.34 Exercise reduces risk of cancer patients dying by a third - study

It's common knowledge that exercise is good for us, but for the first time, a study has found that exercise can reduce the risk of cancer patients dying by a third - and stop tumours coming back.

Nearly 890 colon cancer patients, from six countries including Canada and Australia, took part in the study.

They were randomly divided into two-groups, one group was set a three-year structured exercise programme, the other group was only given a healthy lifestyle booklet.

And the results are clear - structured exercise reduced the risk of recurrent or new cancer by 28 percent and reduced the risk of death by 37 percent.

Professor Haryana Dhillon from the University of Sydney's Faculty of Science - is one of the authors of the study and speaks to Mihi.

7.40 The pressure of home premiums

House insurance is something all homeowners need. It's meant to provide peace of mind, yet rising premiums are making it increasingly difficult to access.

New research from Consumer NZ shows that insurance is now the fourth most significant financial pressure on New Zealand households.

Susie asks Consumer NZ's head investigative journalist Rebecca Styles what the situation is.

7.51 3D animal scanning app up for award at Fieldays

Fieldays is back for another year, kicking off next week at Hamilton's Mystery Creek.

It's the Southern Hemisphere's largest agricultural event and is well known for launching cutting edge technology in the farming sector.

Scanabull is one of the finalists for this year's Innovation Awards - they've developed an app that allows farmers to take a 3D scan on an animal, to determine its weight - something that will help save time and money, while also reducing the number of trucks on roads at the same time.

Scanabull's founder Dan Bull speaks to Susie and Mihi.

8.11 Unmanned military tech: Julia Macdonald

Mines, guided missiles, satellites and more recently drones, are just some of the military tech that have been developed over the last few hundred years. A new book 'The Hand Behind Unmanned' explores the factors and beliefs that led to the contemporary American arsenal and asks where it's headed in the future. 

Julia Macdonald is the co-author of the book, as well as the Director of Research and Engagement at the Asia New Zealand Foundation, and a Research Professor at the University of Denver. 

She's also held positions at the RAND Corporation, in Aotearoa at the Ministry of Defence, and Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet where she led development of New Zealand's first National Security Strategy.

Julia speaks with Susie Ferguson.

8.35 Trump vs Musk - what's going on?

An extraordinary public feud has erupted between President Donald Trump and his former ally Elon Musk.

The Telsa boss claims Mr Trump would have lost the elections without him and has called for his impeachment.

Mr Musk has also alleged the president's name appears in unreleased files related to the late billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The break down was sparked by Mr Trump's self-described "big, beautiful bill" which Mr Musk strongly disagrees with.

Simon Marks is our correspondent in Washington DC and speaks with Mihi.

8.50 Auckland's Cabaret Festival: Songs from the Factory

If you like to make a little song and dance how about taking a look at Auckland's Cabaret Festival which is on at The Civic until next Friday.

The final show will be Songs from the Factory and here to tell us about it is the shows director Anapela Polata'ivao.

9.06 John Boyne: overcoming trauma to be a better parent

Multi-award winning Irish author John Boyne is famed for the global phenomenon The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas, which sold more than 11 million copies.

His latest is an interlinked quartet of novellas based around the elements. The final book Air is a contemplative tale about Aaron, who is trying to become a better father to his son Emmet.

John Boyne speaks with Susie.

9.30 Astrophysicist Dr Michelle Thaller: our connection to the cosmos 

Matariki is just around the corner, and flying in for the event is renowned NASA science communicator Dr Michelle Thaller.

Michelle has worked for NASA for 28 years, and just ten minutes before speaking with Mihi she received some very exciting news!

Michelle is in Aotearoa for a series of speaking events including a kōrero on how our breath is literally as vast as a galaxy.

10.10 Bret McKenzie: Minecraft and music 

Award-winning musician and comedian Bret McKenzie is in studio playing tracks from his forth-coming new album. Freak Out City comes after working with Benee on the soundtrack for the Minecraft Movie.

Later this month Bret has an event at the Lōemis Winter festival with his eight-piece band The State Highway Wonders, where he'll collaborate with the audience to pen a brand new song live on stage.

Bret chats with Susie.

10.30 Rob Sarkies: Pike River 

Director Rob Sarkies' new film Pike River tells the story of the fight for justice after one of the worst mining disasters in New Zealand's history. Twenty nine miners were killed in the November 2010 tragedy at Pike River, two miners survived.  

Pike River stars Melanie Lynsky and Robyn Malcolm, playing Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse as they navigate their journey alongside other Pike River families.

Pike River opens at the Sydney Film Festival tonight, ahead of its nationwide cinematic release in New Zealand later this year. 

Director Rob Sarkies speaks with Mihi Forbes.

11.06 Michelle Duff: Surplus Women

Weaving comedy and truth through her new collection of short stories, award-winning writer and journalist Michelle Duff's new novel Surplus Women explores power and patriarchy through women set in past, present and future Aotearoa.  

Hungry teenage girls, top detectives who forget to buy milk, frustrated archivists and duplicitous real estate agents, form a cast of 'surplus women'.

Michelle won the 2023 Fiction Prize from the International Institute of Modern Letters, and is known for her feature writing for Stuff, New Zealand Geographic, The Guardian and The Sunday Times.

She speaks with Susie Ferguson.

11.30 Reading for pleasure with Kate de Goldi

Kate de Goldi is a novelist, children's writer, Arts Foundation Laureate, and the brand-new Te Awhi Rito Reading Ambassador. Her book recommendations today are Darkenbloom by Eva Menasse, and The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien.

11.45 Ben Bayly: What is New Zealand food? 

Chef, TV presenter and proud champion of Kiwi kai, Ben Bayly is back on our screens tonight with the fourth season of A New Zealand Food Story.

The series has taken him all around the motu on a mission to answer the question "what is New Zealand food?".

When he's not traversing the country, Ben's busy juggling 5 restaurants, including Ahi, a speakeasy-style bar, and an organic farm.

Season four of A New Zealand Food Story premieres at 7pm on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+.

 

Music played in this show

10.07: 'All I Need' by Bret McKenzie

10.16: 'Freak Out City' by Bret McKenzie

10.34: 'Zero to Hero' by Benee