Context

4.9 (43)
News
Updated Weekly

Guyon Espiner & Corin Dann explore the backstory to today’s front page, diving into NZ’s political past and asking, "How did we get here?" But there's a twist: One knows the topic, the other doesn’t.

15 Apr

Sin and Scandals: When the Personal becomes Political

Labour leader Chris Hipkins cries in response to a social media post by his ex-wife. Should we be listening? We chart the history of political scandals from the Profumo Affair through to Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Season 2 Episode 6 Watch the video version of the episode here Or you can watch the full series on the RNZ website here. Thanks to Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. Political scandals from the Profumo Affair through to Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky – how has journalistic reporting on this thorny issue evolved and how much do we really need to hear about the private lives of our political leaders? Labour leader Chris Hipkins cries in response to a social media post by his ex-wife. Is that something we need to know about? What about Shane Jones watching blue movies and putting it on his ministerial credit card? Are we bothered about Meteria Turei's benefit claiming history? How about the sexual preferences of Michael Joseph Savage? Is it in the public interest or are the public just interested? Where should reporters draw the line expecially when social media breaks the story? Have a topic you'd like Corin or Guyon to explore? Send your ideas to context@rnz.co.nz Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
8 Apr

NZ's Royal Problem: The Power of the Crown

After Andrew Mountbatten Windsor's arrest for his links to Epstein, questions arise about his place in the line of succession. We explore how New Zealand remains tied to the Crown and why changing it is more complex than it seems. Season 2 Episode 5 Watch the video version of the episode here. Or you can watch the full series on the RNZ website here. Thanks to Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. As scandal surrounds Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, attention has turned to his place in the royal line of succession in New Zealand. In this episode of Context, we explore how New Zealand remains tied to the Crown and why changing it is more complex than it seems. Here’s the catch: if the UK moves to remove him, countries like New Zealand would need to pass their own laws to match it. So what does that actually mean? And if New Zealand became a republic what would have to change? Corin Dann and Guyon Espiner trace the long evolution of our system from the Treaty of Waitangi, through dominion status and the Constitution Act 1986, to the modern role of the Governor-General. Along the way: Why NZ has a legal say in the line of succession What would replace the monarch as head of state And what happens to agreements made with the Crown Could New Zealand walk away from the monarchy and what would we be walking into? Have a topic you'd like Corin or Guyon to explore? Send your ideas to context@rnz.co.nz Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
1 Apr

Pharmac: Bitter Pill or Best Medicine?

New Zealand is the only country with a drug-buying agency like Pharmac - but how did we get here? This episode traces its origins, and through politics and patient stories explores the tough trade-offs at the heart of our health system. Season 2 Episode 4 Watch the video version of the episode here. Or you can watch the full series on the RNZ website here. Thanks to Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. Pharmac decides which medicines New Zealanders get and which they don’t. It’s one of the most powerful institutions in our health system, negotiating hard with global drug companies to save billions. But that success comes with a trade-off: not every life-saving treatment can be funded. So how did New Zealand end up with a system like this? In this episode of Context, we trace the history of Pharmac from its creation in the 1990s to the controversial role it plays today. Along the way, we unpack how it works: the tough negotiations, the use of generics, and the cost-benefit decisions that can determine who gets access to medicine. We also explore the human side of those decisions. The cancer patients forced to go overseas for treatment. The families campaigning for drugs that aren’t funded. And the growing political pressure on a system that was designed to stay independent. As new, high-cost treatments emerge, including weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, the stakes are only getting higher. Is Pharmac a world-leading model that protects New Zealand’s health budget? Or a system that leaves some patients behind? This is the story of the trade-offs at the heart of New Zealand’s healthcare system. Have a topic you'd like Corin or Guyon to explore? Send your ideas to context@rnz.co.nz Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
25 Mar

Words Matter: The Speech that Shifted the Polls

As fresh polling fuels political debate, Guyon and Corin look back on our most explosive poll results - including the one that truly changed the game. What makes voters change their minds? Season 2 Episode 3 Watch the video version of the episode here. Or you can watch the full series on the RNZ website here. Thanks to Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. In this episode of Context, a potted history of Political Polling. With the National Party making headlines with its latest numbers, Corin and Guyon examine one of the most explosive poll results in NZ history: Subscribe: @RNZvideoAt the centre of the story is the 2004 Orewa speech by Don Brash: one of the most controversial speeches in New Zealand political history. It drew fierce criticism but at the same time it triggered a huge surge in voter support for National producing one of the biggest polling swings ever seen.So what explains that shift? Why did voters respond so strongly and what does it reveal about the gap between political commentary and public opinion? We also explore: How political polls work in New Zealand Famous polling moments, from Jim Bolger’s “bugger the pollsters” to modern campaigns The role of media coverage, debates, and messaging in shaping voter behaviour Whether a sudden swing like Orewa could still happen in today’s political climate As new polls continue to shape the narrative around Christopher Luxon and the National Party, this episode asks a bigger question: should we pay attention to Polls? Have a topic you'd like Corin or Guyon to explore? Send your ideas to context@rnz.co.nz Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
18 Mar

NZ's Free Trade Hustle

As New Zealand closes in on its first trade deal with India, we look back at the agreements that shaped the country: from Britain’s betrayal in the 1970s to closer economic relations with Australia. For a small nation at the edge of the world, survival has often meant learning to hustle Season 2 Episode 2 Watch the video version of the episode here. Or you can watch the full series on the RNZ website here. Thanks to Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. New Zealand's free trade agreement with India has been decades in the making, ut this isn’t the first time trade deals have reshaped the country. In this episode of Context, Guyon Espiner and Corin Dann trace the story of the agreements that transformed New Zealand’s economy: from the shock of Britain joining the European Economic Community in 1973, to CER with Australia, the fight over TPP, and the huge impact of our China free trade agreement. The stakes are high, our economy depends on these deals. Along the way: Why New Zealand became one of the world’s biggest champions of free tradeThe industries that were lost along the wayThe protests and political battles that followed And whether the global backlash against globalisation could bring the free trade era to an end.Have a topic you'd like Corin or Guyon to explore? Send your ideas to context@rnz.co.nz Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
11 Mar

Think Big: Muldoon's Attempt at Energy Independence

As new tensions in the Middle East rattle global energy markets, we look back at the oil shocks of the 1970s and how they reshaped New Zealand’s energy story: from carless days, to Muldoon’s massive Think Big projects - and how we’re grappling with the challenge today. Season 2 Episode 1 Watch the video version of the episode here. Or you can watch the full series on the RNZ website here. Thanks to Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. As our government tries to fix NZ's energy crisis, and tensions in the Middle East rattle global energy markets, we look back at the oil shocks of the 1970s and how they reshaped New Zealand’s energy story: From carless days, to Muldoon’s massive Think Big projects, what worked, what didn't and what do we need to do now? When oil producers in the Middle East tightened supply during the 1973 oil crisis, the shockwaves reached even the bottom of the world. Fuel prices surged. New Zealand faced an energy crisis. The response from Robert Muldoon was bold and controversial: the massive Think Big programme: dams, synthetic fuel plants and huge state-backed energy projects designed to make the country less dependent on imported oil. How do those big projects stack up now? In Context, Corin Dann and Guyon Espiner trace how geopolitics in the Middle East reshaped New Zealand’s energy system and why those lessons matter again today. Have a topic you'd like Corin or Guyon to explore? Send your ideas to context@rnz.co.nz Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Trailer

Context Season 2 | Trailer

Guyon Espiner & Corin Dann are back for a new season of Context. Using their decades of journalistic experience, the explore the history behind what's happening today, diving into NZ’s political past and asking, "How did we get here?" As the country heads into election year, they revisit New Zealand’s most dramatic political moments. Season 2 You can watch the full series on the RNZ website here or on YouTube Thanks to Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. Have a topic you'd like Corin or Guyon to explore? Send your ideas to context@rnz.co.nz Watch video episodes on the RNZ website: Context with Guyon Espiner and Corin DannGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
22/10/2025

The Great NZ Sell-Off

From Telecom to Air New Zealand, the BNZ to our power companies why did governments sell our state assets, and what did we get in return? Now the Government is eyeing a sale of its Chorus debt. Join Guyon Espiner and Corin Dann as they look back at four decades of selling the family silver. Season 1 Episode 10 Watch the video version of the episode here. Or you can watch the full series on the RNZ website here. Thanks to Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. Have a topic you'd like Corin or Guyon to explore? Send your ideas to context@rnz.co.nz Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

See All (18)

4.9

out of 5

43 Ratings

Enjoyable listen

26/10/2025

O pickled lion

I’ve been enjoying listening to this, it does what it says on the tin. I was born in 92 and this has given me some insight into where we are in New Zealand today. Thanks for making some of the bigger economic subjects easier to understand for those of us that dropped out early 😊 wish we could go back to 1980 and make difference choices
The dream pub or party conversation

26/09/2025

IPunk4567899

Love the format of this - it’s like you’ve ended up eves dropping on a well informed, fascinating conversation at the pub or a party.
A dismal reflection

01/10/2025

ScrapMusic101

That this pair of clowns can be described as ‘journalists’ mostly illustrates how low this profession has shrunk in NZ. Dann spends most of his time acting as a right-wing press secretary. Speaking truth to power. No, he’s far too busy licking their boots (to put it politely.) leading to speculation that he’s aiming for a nice safe seat as well-paid lobby fodder. The presenters would like the audience to think of them as the modern incarnation of Woodward and Bernstein, in reality they wouldn’t be qualified to sharpen their pencils or empty their rubbish bins. That Radio NZ is paying for this rubbish is a graphic demonstration of the paucity of talent available. Favourable assessments? Perhaps immediate family or friends.
Informative and entertaining

12/09/2025

Hgft45678fgd

What more could you want than that?

Guyon Espiner & Corin Dann explore the backstory to today’s front page, diving into NZ’s political past and asking, "How did we get here?" But there's a twist: One knows the topic, the other doesn’t.