Sunday Morning for Sunday 3 March 2019

7:11 Jean H. Lee: Breakdown in second US - North Korea Summit in Vietnam 

The second summit involving US President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un broke down during the week after, according to Trump and his team, Kim insisted that the U.S. lift all punitive sanctions in exchange for closing North Korea’s main nuclear facility, at Yongbyon. Jean H. Lee, who is a North Korea expert from the Wilson Center in Washington DC, offers her analysis on the breakdown and whether or not the 'bromance' between the leaders can be rekindled. 

 

7:23 Anne Stevens QC: Reaction to George Pell verdict and possibility of appeal success 

Cardinal George Pell, who was once the third most senior Catholic in the world, was found guilty of child sexual abuse after a trial in Melbourne this week. Dunedin barrister Anne Stevens QC joins the show to look at the verdict from a defence lawyer's point of view and the chances of an appeal against his convictions -- which Pell's lawyer suggests will be based on grounds of unreasonableness, the prohibition of video evidence and composition of the jury -- standing up in court 

 

7:27 Three minutes max: Chris Clarke

Three Minutes Max: short, sharp opinions from commentators around New Zealand. Here's Chris Clarke, and he's a strong advocate of philanthropy, but he's urging people to think carefully about who they donate to and why.

7.32 The House

This week on our parliamentary programme - we meet Simon Upton the Parliament Commissioner for the Environment. The House is a weekly digest of the events in Parliament with Daniela Maoate-Cox and Phil Smith.

7:45 Calling Home: Sally Washington

Each week Sunday Morning gets in touch with New Zealanders living abroad to talk about their lives as well as events and current affairs in their adopted countries. This week we speak to Sally Washington, who's living in Rome and working in the field of public governance reform and public policy, about her "middle age gap year" in Italy, local politics and her love/hate relationship with The Eternal City.

 

8:10 Insight Strike! Why industrial action is up under Labour

After last year's stream of strike action, Political reporter Gia Garrick explores what this means for the relationship between Labour and the unions and asks will it damage or strengthen this Government's chances politically? 

 

8:37 Dame Kiri Te Kanawa: encouraging the next generation

It's been nearly 50 years since celebrated Kiwi soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa gained her big break at Covent Garden in London when she was cast as the Countess Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro. Now, on the verge of her 75th birthday and having drawn the curtain on her glittering career in 2017, Dame Kiri joins Jim in studio to discuss her incredible life, the three days she recently spent with the Queen of England, the work her foundation is doing to help the next generation of New Zealand singers reach their potential, and answer some questions from our listeners.

9:06 Mediawatch

Produced and presented by Colin Peacock and Jeremy Rose.

9:37 Three minutes max: Lavina Good 

Three Minutes Max: short, sharp opinions from commentators around New Zealand. Here's Lavina Good with her argument that the official anthem of Aotearoa should be the one sung in Te Reo. She believes it inspires more passion and enthusiasm from people. 

9:40 Tatjana Buklijas: Trauma passed on through genes 

Liggins Institute researcher Dr Tatjana Buklijas is with us to discuss the growing knowledge of inter-generational trauma - the idea that the effects of trauma can be passed on to the next generation, experience written into your DNA. She's been part of the team looking at how genes are damaged when a person goes through extreme trauma and that fault is then inherited by the children. Dr Buklijas explains what they've discovered and how DNA is impacted by trauma. 

10:04 Josh Komen: His race to stay alive  

Greymouth-born and bred former athlete Josh Komen was on the verge of representing New Zealand at the next Commonwealth Games when he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia at 23-years-old. Having hit rock bottom and thought about the prospect of taking his own life, he found the inner strength to battle the illness and find out what he has got, rather than what he hasn't. Now aged 31, he sits down with Jim to discuss his new biography, The Wind at My Back, and why he is trying to be the best person he can be every day. 

10:30 Three minutes max: Niki Bezzant 

Three Minutes Max: short, sharp opinions from commentators around New Zealand. Now Niki Bezzant's here to talk about the satisfaction in being creative and making things by hand. 

10:36  Stacy Cordery: Trump's place in presidential histories of slacking off 

The Iowa State University Professor of History takes a look at what appears to be a disproportionate number of hours of "executive time" that factor in US President Donald Trump's working schedule, and the fact that he is by no means the first US president to be accused of effectively sleeping on the job -- joining the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Ronald Reagen in the ranks of those who have been proponents of 'presidential lethargy' 

11:04 Tim Minchin: Taking his art back and performing solo 

After a decade musical maestro Tim Minchin is back in New Zealand to perform himself. He's a hugely successful musical comedian who's lent his talents to many big studios around the world as well being the composer and lyricist for the musical Matilda. He'll be performing in Auckland and Wellington. As well as talented, Minchin's also philanthropic; he's donating a portion of his profits from his New Zealand shows to local charities. He talks to Jim about taking back his art from the big studio and being on the stage himself to sing and entertain. 
 

11:45 Ismaeel Babur: Hyperloop set to transform transit in the future 

The future of transportation could see passengers hurtling through vacuum tubes of speeds of up to 600 miles per hour if a radically different type of energy efficient, mass transit, currently being trialed by Virgin Hyperloop One on the outskirts of Las Vegas, comes to fruition. Senior Civil Engineer Ismaeel Babur discusses exactly how it all works and why he is confident Hyperloop One, which counts Sir Richard Branson as a minority investor, will be a completely safe way of travel in the future