Saturday Morning for Saturday 20 December 2025

7:09 Proposed change to sale of alcohol

With the festive season in full swing, the government is proposing to allow restaurants with on-site retail spaces to sell take-home booze. 

The bill, which originated from a National Party private members bill, has been picked up by Act's Nicole McKee as the Associate Minister of Justice. 

Professor Sally Casswell is a Co-Director of the SHORE and Whariki Research Centre at Massey University's College of Health.

She talks to Mihingarangi Forbes about what this could mean for our drinking habits.  

7:18 Latest from the US

Overnight President Donald Trump ordered the suspension of the green card lottery, which allows up to 50 thousand people into the US through a random selection process.

He says it's necessary because that's how the suspect in a mass shooting at Brown University entered the country.

In other developments this week he ordered "a total and complete" blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

In recent months, the US military has attacked 26 vessels, allegedly smuggling drugs.

Our US correspondent Simon Marks joins Susie Ferguson live from Washington.

7:32 Driving on dunes

As many people head off to the beaches for summer, a group from the far north hapū, Te Whānau Moana me Te Rorohuri are trying to educate those who drive on the beach and in the dunes.

They volunteer as kaitiaki and they've put up new signage and some temporary fencing in select areas of Tokerau Beach as part of a dune restoration project.

Victoria Lelo Kapa-Kingi is one of the kaitiaki and she joins Mihingarangi from Whatuwhiwhi.

7:41 An Auckland City Mission Christmas

Christmas budgets will again be stretched this year as the high cost of living continues to be a concern for many. 

Auckland City Mission has provided over 30,000 food parcels to Aucklanders in need and will again be catering for those who might otherwise be alone on Christmas Day.   

But charity also comes at cost. 

Helen Robinson is the Auckland City Missioner and she talks to Susie about ensuring community goodwill towards our most vulnerable extends beyond Christmas. 

7:50 Netball and cricket to look for new CEO's

Two high profile resignations in two days hit the world of sport this week.

At Netball New Zealand, CEO Jennie Wyllie has decided to step down while NZ Cricket's CEO Scott Weenink will leave his post too.

RNZ's Sports Correspondent Dana Johannsen has the inside word.

8:10 Aled Jones: The angelic voice of Christmas

He's performed for the Pope and the Royal Family, commanded the stage of the Royal Albert Hall in London and Sydney's Opera House and now he's coming to New Zealand.

Beloved Welsh singer and broadcaster Aled Jones' extraordinary career spans more than forty years, from his breakthrough as the choir boy whose voice enchanted audiences in The Snowman, to becoming one of the world’s original crossover stars, with 41 albums and more than 10 million album sales worldwide.

He talks to Mihingarangi from a cruise ship en route to England!

8:35 Giles Male: Competitive spreadsheeting

Spreadsheets are some people's idea of organisational heaven. For others they are hell.

But who knew spreadsheeting is a competitive e-sport? The Microsoft Excel World Championships were held earlier this month in Las Vegas. 

Event commentator and competitor Giles Male tells Susie why columns and rows push his buttons.

8:50 The economic horizon with Liam Dann

On Thursday the latest GDP numbers gave cause for cautious optimism. 

New Zealand Herald business editor-at-large Liam Dann unpacks the numbers and looks ahead to what's in store for 2026.

9:05 Helping hands: Could care robots solve the aged care crisis?

The global population is aging and Aotearoa is no exception. Almost 20% of people residing in New Zealand are projected to be 65 or older by 2028.  

This at a time when the country, like many others around the world, faces a shortage of health workers to care for those who may need help in their later years. 

One solution is the use of care robots - robots with the ability to perform everyday personal and household tasks. But as the technology evolves, do we need to be asking ourselves how far we want it to go?   

Rich Walker is director of Shadow Robot, a UK company that specialises in the design and manufacture of robotic hands. Rich is also an industry advocate for the ethical use of robotic technology. 

He joins Mihingarangi live from London to discuss the benefits, challenges and ethics of using robotics to solve the global crisis in aged care. 

9:30 Michelangelo expert: Christopher Longhurst

A Different View is a new exhibition coming to Wellington fusing centuries old art with new tech to show off over 50 masterpieces, including a life-sized reproduction of Michelangelo's The Genesis.

Dr Christopher Longhurst has been a guide at the Sistine Chapel for 21 years and is an expert on Michelangelo's work.

He'll be tapping into his expertise while conducting VIP tours at Tākina from Monday.

Dr Longhurst talks to Susie about the Master's enduring appeal.  

10:06 Women on the power tools

Nikki Moss is the founder of Womenzshed in Auckland, which runs workshops for women who want to learn how to use the tools needed to get the DIY done.

Nikki joins Susie and Mihi to talk circular saws, grinders, chainsaws, you name it! 

10:23 Summer reading with Claire Mabey

Looking for a good book to get stuck into these summer holidays? 

Claire Mabey talks Mihingarangi through her reckons for kids, teens and adult readers. 

Claire's a children's book author, the books' editor at The Spinoff and the founder and director of the annual Verb writers and readers' festival in Wellington.

10:36 Living with dyslexia: Chanelle Moriah

Chanelle Moriah is a neurodivergent author and illustrator from Pōneke.  

Already a bestselling author of the hugely popular workbooks, I Am Autistic and This Is ADHD – at the age of 25, Chanelle was also diagnosed with dyslexia.  

To help others navigate the condition, Chanelle's latest workbook, I Am Dyslexic, lays out what it's like to live with dyslexia.

Chanelle speaks to Susie about how the book will help not just dyslexic people but also their families, friends and workmates. 

11:05 Recycling at the Northcote Saturday Market

Mihingarangi reports live from the Northcote Saturday Market where they are using recycled materials to build a miniature town centre.

She speaks with organiser, Toby Falconer about this new community initiative.

11:15 Christmas past and present

Christmas can mean different things to different people. For some, it is a religious holiday to mark the birth of Jesus Christ, for others it's a time to acknowledge Hine Raumati, the goddess of summer. For most people though, it's a time to connect with family and friends.

Whatever Christmas means to you, there is no doubt that the way we celebrate it looks very different to the way it was celebrated a generation or two ago. 

Joy Anslow and Linda Hamilton are both residents at the Settlers Lifestyle Village in Auckland's Albany. At 91, Joy remembers the simplicity of war and post war Christmases in her native England while Linda has fond memories of Christmas picnics on Auckland's waterfront in the 1950s and 60s. 

They speak to Mihingarangi about their memories of Christmas past - and share their tips for making great shortbread!

11:33 Nova Scotian sister act: Cassie & Maggie

Award-winning Nova Scotian sister duo, Cassie and Maggie, blend traditional Celtic folk music with their own original tunes. Next month they're bringing that Celtic flair to Auckland's Folk Festival.

They speak with Susie about carrying folk traditions forward in a modern age.

11:51 Festive foods at the Northcote Saturday Market

Mihingarangi reports live from the Northcote Saturday Market and sampling the best festive foods on offer.

She talks to stall holders Ian and Lidiya Peiries about how they fuse the best of Sri Lankan and New Zealand cuisine for a multi-cultural Christmas feast.