Saturday Morning

7:09 Iwi leader calls for halt to election and referendum

A Whanganui iwi leader is calling for an immediate halt to the Whanganui Local Body Election and Māori Ward Referendum.

Voting started this week but the official candidate booklet in Whanganui and South Wairarapa only included the names of the Māori ward candidates - not their profiles.

The same thing happened in Ōpōtiki - which is run by a different election service.

The referendum are the result of a law change that requires all 42 councils with Māori wards to hold a binding poll.

Iwi leader Ken Mair speaks to Susie Ferguson from Whanganui. 

7:15 Tom Phillips case: call for independent inquiry 

The dramatic shootout on Monday which resulted in the recovery of the Marokopa children has gripped the nation and made headlines internationally. 

Fugitive father Tom Phillips was shot dead by police after opening fire with a high powered rifle on a police officer, who remains in hospital.

Tom Phillips' eldest child was found at the scene and they helped police locate the younger two children at a campsite hidden in the bush. They'd been missing for almost four years despite desperate pleas from their mother and older sister Jubilee on RNZ's Mata in 2023.

On Thursday, an emergency injunction sought by the Phillips family was heard in the Wellington High Court. 

RNZ Crime Correspondent Sam Sherwood has been following the case. Also covering this story is RNZ's Senior Journalist Kirsty Johnson. She has been speaking to experts who are calling for a full independent inquiry into the incident. 

7:22 Latest on Poland and the Middle East

Nato members are sending troops and air defence systems to secure its eastern flank after what Poland called an unprecedented incursion by Russian drones.

In the Middle East, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "there will be no Palestinian state" after launching a strike on the Qatar capital Doha, targeting Hamas. That's the second time that's happened.

BBC's Security Correspondent, Frank Gardner joins Susie live from London with the latest developments. 

7:33 Using AI in health care

Artificial Intelligence or AI is an increasing part of our everyday lives - and our not so everyday.

The next time you go to the doctor or for a specialist apppointment, you might find that AI has a role to play in your consultation. 

Te Whatu Ora's National Artificial Intelligence and Algorithm Expert Advisory Group (NAIAEAG) has approved two AI transcription tools for use in the public health system. It is also reviewing others but still recommends a precautionary approach with ongoing concerns about accuracy, data sovereignty and personal privacy.

Wellington ophthalmologist Dr James Leong talks to Susie about how he uses AI in his private practice and what the patient feedback has been. 

7:42 Netball coach offside   

It's a big weekend of sport ahead with the Black Ferns continuing their World Cup defence playing South Africa on Sunday at midnight NZ time.

The All Blacks face South Africa tonight in Wellington and the Warriors are up against a tough foe - the Penrith Panthers in their elimination final.

But dominating sporting headlines this week - the intriguing story of Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua who's been stood down.

RNZ Sports reporter Dana Johannsen talks to Mihingarangi Forbes about why Dame Noeline has found herself offside. 

7:50 Māori Language Week

Māori language week starts on the 15th of September. Born out of activism, the week grew from a single 'Māori Language Day' way back in 1972. In 1975 it turned into a full week making this year the 50th anniversary!

Dr Awanui Te Huia, from Victoria University joins Mihingarangi to discuss both the successes and challenges facing te reo Māori.

8:11 Reducing your risk of bowel cancer

In New Zealand, bowel cancer is responsible for the second highest number of cancer deaths, and one in ten people diagnosed are under the age of 50. Globally, what was once seen as a disease of old age is now affecting an increasing proportion of the younger population. Research shows that our gut health has a lot to do with prevention and managing risk.

Associate Professor of Surgery at Imperial College London, James Kinross, is a colorectal surgeon, scientist and best-selling author. His book Dark Matter explains in practical terms what you can do to look after your microbiome - the ecosystem of micro-organisms living inside you - and the key to a healthy immune system.  

Dr Kinross will be in New Zealand next month as a guest speaker at the 2025 New Zealand Society for Oncology Conference in Dunedin.

He speaks to Mihingarangi Forbes ahead of his trip about our 'internal climate crisis', the use of faecal transplants and why exposure to microbes is necessary for our survival.

8:30 The state of New Zealand's oceans

While developing nations are making bold commitments to revitalise oceans and secure their safety for future generations, marine scientist Veronica Rotman claims New Zealand is falling behind. 

Veronica represented Aotearoa at the UN Ocean Conference in France earlier this year. While the experience was a highlight of her career, she was embarrassed at the state of New Zealand's oceans.

She claims that New Zealand isn't just failing to restore our ocean, but is actively reversing progress with the introduction of legislation to fast-track seabed mining, and the repeated blocking of international attempts to restrict bottom trawling on vulnerable South Pacific deep sea ecosystems.

Veronica speaks with Susie Ferguson.

8:51 Wellington's library unveiled at last

Wellington's central public library in Te Ngākau Civic Square is being unveiled this morning.

The library has been closed since March 2019, when seismic research suggested a threat to life in the event of a serious earthquake. The redevelopment is estimated to have cost $217.6 million, with the library due to reopen to the public in March 2026.

It's already been gifted the name of Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui, meaning 'a window to the wider world' in te reo Māori.

Several artists have been commissioned for artwork, which is also being unveiled today.

Susie Ferguson speaks to Mark Amery, host of RNZ's Culture 101, who's live at the ceremony.

9:07 Sir Geoffrey Palmer on how to save democracy

What does the future of democracy look like? 

Pretty bleak, sometimes - but The Former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Sir Geoffrey Palmer, suggests that perhaps the fate of democracy rests not in the hands of politicians, but in those of ordinary people.

In a new collection of essays titled How to Save Democracy in Aotearoa New Zealand (Te Herenga Waka University Press), Geoffrey outlines a roadmap for democratic renewal, urging those reading not to surrender to pessimism, but to look to the power of ordinary citizens in effecting change.  

Geoffrey joins Susie Ferguson to discuss the path to democratic revitalisation in his new book.

9:30 Gregory Porter brings liquid gold to New Zealand

Hailed as one of the most influential jazz artists of his generation, two-time Grammy award winning artist Gregory Porter is coming to Aotearoa New Zealand.

Audiences will have a chance to hear first hand what has been described as 'liquid gold' when Gregory headlines the Wellington Jazz Festival this October.

Mihi Forbes chats to him about the unexpected twists and turns that led him to where he is now.

10:06 Raukura Turei: art and architecture

Raukura Turei (Ngā Rauru Kītahi, Taranaki, Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki) is an artist, architect, actor, and a rising star in the world of Māori art. This month, Raukura was in Sao Paulo exhibiting her work at a biennial alongside 120 international artists.

Her art guides her architectural work. At Monk Mackenzie, where she is a principal architect, she leads her colleagues on the journey of walking in two worlds, bringing her identity as a wahine Māori to the forefront.

Raukura joins Mihi Forbes to discuss her new book, Takoto ai te Marino: Selected Works 2018–2025.

10:38 Elizabeth Knox on creating a fantasy world

Beloved New Zealand writer Elizabeth Knox is back with her first young adult novel in 12 years. 

Kings of This World follows a group of teenagers with unique powers - it's a boarding school story, a crime thriller, and a complex fantasy rolled into one.

And it's a return to her imagined South Pacific continent, Southland, at once foreign and familiar and which has featured in three of her previous books, Dreamhunter, Dreamquake, and Mortal Fire.

Elizabeth has written novels, autobiographical novellas, and personal essays, and she teaches world building in creative writing at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington.

11:06 The Not Hot List: Why less popular is a good thing 

Research shows that approximately 80% of tourists visit only 10% of the world's travel destinations.

Intrepid Travel's annual Not Hot List highlights alternative places for travellers to consider in light of ongoing concerns about over-tourism and its environmental impacts.

Simon Mckearney is the New Zealand General Manager for Intrepid Travel. He joins Mihingarangi Forbes to discuss the positive social and economic impacts of choosing the less worn path.

11:16 Fifi Colston: 30 years of WOW

The World of WearableArt competition is set to kick off in the capital next week.

Wellington designer Fifi Colston has been entering since 1995. This year marks her 30th and - she says - final year entering WOW. 

Fifi is an illustrator, writer, costume and props maker. Susie Ferguson visited her in her home studio to discuss 30 years of WOW.

11.48 He Kaupapa Waka - A Fleet of Waka

The He Kaupapa Waka - A Fleet of Waka exhibition now on at Te Papa Tongarewa, celebrates the journey of waka through imagery and sound - including that of Ngātokimatawhāorua.

Launched in 1940 to mark the centenary of the Treaty of Waitangi, Ngātokimatawhāorua was named for the boat that the legendary explorer Kupe sailed from Hawaiki to Aotearoa.  

Photographs documenting the 80th anniversary of that launch on Waitangi Day 2020, are accompanied by a soundscape created by award-winning New Zealand musician, Tiki Taane.

He Kaupapa Waka was curated by photographer Te Rawhitiroa Bosch. He talks to Mihingarangi about collaborating with New Zealand's waka community.