The Detail

Episodes

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  The price of balancing the books at RNZ 10.11.2026 23m

  RNZ staff are shell-shocked and gloomy about their futures after budget blow-out revelations that endanger one in six jobs RNZ's financial mismanagement will see staff numbers slashed - and has given ammunition to criticsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  Long weeks of waiting ahead for those who would govern 09.11.2026 23m

  Administration without innovation, and chats about chats. What to expect from politics between now and Christmas.Without a crisis to battle or a big personality to rally around, the biggest message New Zealanders sent to the government appears to have been, 'we don't care'Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  Behind the Beehive doors - what happens now 08.11.2026 24m

  The horse-trading, ministerial positions, policy compromises, and personalities that can make or break a coalition The election is over, but the biggest political decisions may still lie ahead. Who will negotiate with whom, which parties will join forces, and who will hold the balance of power?Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  International jostling for the job of UN Secretary-General 06.11.2026 24m

  It's a high powered race for the top job, but the winner will be in charge of an increasingly irrelevant institution It's sometimes called 'the most impossible position on Earth', but that hasn't stopped a fierce line-up of candidates vying for the job of UN Secretary-GeneralFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  When your electorate tells you to go 05.11.2026 23m

  What happens in the life of an MP when they suddenly and brutally lose the trappings of office and have to rebuild a career?When your electorate tells you to go it can come as a gut-punch. The Detail talks to three former politicians about what happens next.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  Broken promises and empty shelves  04.11.2026 22m

  A tilted playing field means independent book shops are being left trailing behind big retailers when it comes to hot new releases.Independent bookstores across the country are missing out on launch day stock for the newest global best sellers as they slide down priority shipping lists.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  The brutal price of forestry in NZ 03.11.2026 23m

  The East Coast forestry saga continues with a new review that urges action from the Crown A bitter battle over forestry, slash and accountability has been unfolding in Tairāwhiti. A new independent review spells out what needs to change.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  The Kiwis caught up in French riots 02.11.2026 23m

  Why some do, and why some won't join the protests that have now spread through EuropeTear gas and trashed stores - these New Zealanders have found life in France has come with unexpected extras.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  The rising toll of public life for Kiwi women 01.11.2026 22m

  What happens when the abuse becomes so relentless that high-profile women start asking themselves: Is this worth it?They put their hands up to lead. They didn't sign up to be abused. Yet the price of public life is getting higher and higher.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  A lame duck Trump could focus his attention on the world 30.10.2026 24m

  If the Republican Party loses its grip on Congress after the mid-term elections, look for the eye of Trump to be turned on the world'I think we're deeply lost' - a Republican expert in American strategy says his country has forgotten the importance of principles in foreign policyFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  The 'student of stoic philosophy' on trying not to be dull 29.10.2026 25m

  Chris Hipkins says his challenge this election campaign is to be inspiring but also realistic - and those two things are difficult to balance The Leader of the Opposition says he's dropped the sweeping rhetoric for promises he can keep. How's that going for him?Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  A generation of lost local voices 28.10.2026 24m

  While some Kiwi singing stars are shining on the world stage, the grass roots underneath them are withering, with small venues closing and global competition biting Subsidised big ticket events are performing on New Zealand stages at the expense of small live music venues and new actsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  'Literally illiterate' - Luxon lashes Labour 27.10.2026 27m

  The Prime Minister says the country isn't divided, and Labour "sucked" in government.Prime Minister Christopher Luxon sits down with The Detail to talk all things polls, policies, partners and his personal life, and he doesn't hold back.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  The demonised couple who've finally been heard 26.10.2026 23m

  A rare referral by the Criminal Cases Review Commission raises hopes that a woman jailed for injuring her child can clear her name A development in a child abuse case highlights the near-impossibility of going up against medical professionals in New ZealandFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  Everyone's hedging - why the world is working around the US 23.10.2026 23m

  The world outside America's being urged to build walls to keep mega companies under control, while breaking them down to form new connections Pulitzer prize winning historian Anne Applebaum says the process of the world restructuring itself around America has begunFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  GTA VI - the hype and the controversies 22.10.2026 21m

  The release next month of the latest in the Grand Theft Auto video game series is set to be the biggest media release in history Inside the record-breaking hype and fierce controversies surrounding the November release of GTA VIFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  Polls, scandals and the shameless final battles for votes 21.10.2026 23m

  As we enter the final fortnight of the election campaign, NZ political parties are still struggling to get out of first gear.Desperation from both major party leaders sees them throwing everything at the election, 'because of how poorly they are both doing'.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  The Kiwi AI tech saving our native bush from pests  20.10.2026 23m

  Homegrown AI tech could propel the country towards our Predator-Free 2050 goal, but only if it becomes cheap enough for local groups to afford it.New smart devices can track that last sneaky possum, saving hours of time. But the price tag is too high for most conservation groups.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  The surprising ecology of saving coral reefs 19.10.2026 21m

  The link between seabird droppings, eliminating invasive rats, and faster-growing coral reefsNew Zealanders - from Ministers to pest control experts - are in the forefront of helping to save the world's coral reefs from bleachingFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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  The superannuation debate and the KiwiSaver election 18.10.2026 23m

  Politicians agree something has to be done about the economic burden of superannuation, but they all have a different spin on how New Zealand can cope The Detail unpacks election retirement policies as the reality of New Zealand's increasingly costly superannuation beast starts to hit usFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details