Nights for Tuesday 11 March 2025

8:10 The House

Tonight on our Parliament show - The House - Louis Collins looks at a bill that got the first dose of parliamentary urgency treatment of 2025.

8:15 Pacific Waves

A daily current affairs programme that delves deeper into the major stories of the week, through a Pacific lens, and shines a light on issues affecting Pacific people wherever they are in the world. Hosted by Susana Suisuiki.

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8:30 Is it time to standardise the size of a scoop of chips?

If you order a scoop of chips at your local fish and chip shop, how many chips would you expect to receive?

It can vary wildly from a handful to a bowlful.

One person bravely calling for a standardised scoop size for the proud fish'n'chip nation of New Zealand is Wellington food blogger Bryer Oden, also known as Health Sensation online.

She joins Emile Donovan.

8:45 The Reading: Five of the Family

'Five of the Family' by David Hill told by Alison Quigan. Sheryll stayed on in Wharetapu, one of the few who did. She's the heart and soul of the family, knows all the secrets, and feels responsible for how today's 'do' is going to turn out.

9:07 Nights Quiz

Do you know your stuff? Come on the air and be grilled by Emile Donovan as he dons his quizmaster hat.

If you get an answer right, you move on to the next question. If you get it wrong, your time in the chair is up, and the next caller will be put through. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the run goes in the draw for a weekly prize.

9:25 Tech Tuesday with Finn Hogan

It's Tuesday, so it's time to talk tech.

Nights' bionic man, Finn Hogan, joins Emile Donovan in the Auckland studio to talk about the current space race and how Rocket Labs has put fears of a delay to their new rocket to bed, and a former special advisor to the Biden White House on AI saying they expect world-changing AI systems within the next four years.

9:35 Shower Thoughts: Where does the petrol live at petrol stations?

Every Tuesday on Nights we aim to answer questions about why the world is the way it is.

Tonight, we're finding out where petrol is stored at the petrol station.

Principal policy advisor at AA Terry Collins joins Emile to explain.

10:17 What can we expect from the PM's delegation to India next week?

New Zealand's two-way trade relationship with India is worth almost $3 billion a year but a free trade deal remains elusive.

Having promised he would deliver one in his first term as Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon will lead a large delegation to India next week with the stated objective of deepening the relationship between our two countries.

It's a position that Suzannah Jessep, Chief Executive of the Asia New Zealand Foundation, has long supported.

She speaks to Emile Donovan.

10:30 Do our planning laws encourage urban sprawl?

With cities getting bigger, more houses need to be built.

And while building further out may be cheaper, can we afford to keep plopping thousands of new houses further and further away from basic amenities like schools, supermarkets and healthcare providers?

Stuart Donovan is a senior fellow at Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, and a member of a housing expert advisory group providing advice to the Minister for Housing Chris Bishop.

He speaks to Emile Donovan.

10:45 The Australian spider that seems to be spreading across the North Island

Here's some news that might send arachnophobes into a cold sweat.

In the past nine months, two Huntsman spiders have been spotted in the same Napier suburb, leading arachnologists to suggest that the Australian native may already be establishing itself in the area.

Several species of Huntsman spiders are already well established in Aotearoa, particularly in Auckland and Christchurch.

Emile Donovan speaks with the University of Canterbury's Dr. Fiona Cross aka "Doctor Spider" to find out where these spiders are coming from and how many other eight-legged Australian visitors we have here.

11:07 Worlds of Music

Trevor Reekie hosts a weekly music programme celebrating an eclectic mix of 'world' music, fusion and folk roots.