Context

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 scandal...

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 sca...

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....

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...

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 webs...

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...

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 o...

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...

It's the third rail of New Zealand politics: Touch it and you die. From Richard Seddon's groundbreaking old-age pension, to Rob Muldoon's Dancing Cossacks to, Jim Bolger's "No ifs, no buts, no maybes" Corin and Guyon trace the history of New Zealand Superannuation. Season 1 Episode 9 Watch the video version of the episode here. Or you can watch the full series on the RNZ website here. Thanks to Ng...

New Zealand’s MMP voting system promised fairness and diversity — but has it delivered? In this episode of Context, Guyon Espiner and Corin Dann look back at how MMP came to be, from a slip-up by David Lange in the 1980s to Winston Peters’ rise as kingmaker, and now Christopher Luxon’s challenge of managing a three-party government. Season 1 Episode 8 Watch the video version of the episode here. O...

From the Cook Strait ferry strikes to the fiery union battles of the 1970s, New Zealand’s history is written in industrial action. Now, as nurses, teachers and doctors walk off the job, what lessons can we draw from a century of strikes? Season 1 Episode 7 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....

From Muldoon’s Price Freeze to Today’s Cost of Living Crisis. Corin and Guyon look back to a time when the PM set the price of milk and froze wages on a whim. Plus, how the NZ reserve bank launched a groundbreaking new monetary policy, which changed how countries controlled inflation for good. Season 1 Episode 6 Watch the video version of the episode here. Or you can watch the full series on the R...

As Winston Peters heads to the UN, Context looks back at how NZ has shaped the world stage — from Peter Fraser at its founding to peacekeepers in Korea and Timor, and a fiery clash with Israel. Season 1 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. Have a topic you'd like Corin or Guyon...

Why is alcohol reform such a political minefield in New Zealand? With new reforms on the table, Guyon Espiner and Corin Dann trace liquor laws back through a century of history; from the 6 o’clock swill and failed prohibition votes, to Muldoon’s drunken election call and the Black Budget. Season 1 Episode 4 Watch the video version of the episode here. Or you can watch the full series on the RNZ we...

Inside Parliament’s Rulebook: Why can’t MPs call each other liars? Why do Speakers wield so much power? And which MP was kicked out just for sarcasm? In this episode, Guyon and Corin trace 175 years of standing orders, Speaker’s rulings, and legendary political one-liners that have shaped New Zealand’s democracy. Season 1 Episode 3 Watch the video version of the episode here. Or you can watch the...

From Kash Patel’s surprise visit to Kim Dotcom’s infamous raid, New Zealand’s relationship with the FBI and America has been anything but simple. In this episode, Guyon and Corin uncover how NZ has balanced alliances, espionage, and independence — and why it matters now more than ever. Season 1 Episode 2 Watch the video version of the episode here. Or you can watch the full series on the RNZ websi...

From quips about "raising the IQ of both countries", to gold fever and neoliberal reform, Corin Dann and Guyon Espiner dig through the history of the "brain drain" Season 1 Episode 1 Watch the video version of the episode here. Read more about this history in this episode on the RNZ website here. Thanks to Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. Have a topic you'd like Corin or Guyon to explore? Send...

RNZ's Guyon Espiner and 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. Season 1 Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details