Saturday Morning

07:07 Previewing the National Party Annual Conference 

The National Party Annual Conference will kick off later today in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Sitting at around 34% support according to recent polls, the party came into power promising to strengthen the economy.

But with the cost of living still a huge concern to many New Zealanders, exporters were hit with news yesterday of a 15% trade tariff on goods entering the United States.

Ben Thomas, former National party press secretary and now director of public affairs firm Capital, speaks to Susie Ferguson about how Christopher Luxon can put his party's best foot forward heading into next year's election.

07:18 Update on the Middle East

This week New Zealand signed a fresh joint statement with 14 other countries expressing a willingness to recognise a Palestian State.

Earlier the United Kingdom went further - declaring an intention to recognise Palestine.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reacted furiously - saying the decision rewarded "Hamas's monstrous terrorism".

BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner joins Perlina Lau with the latest. 

07:27 Aftermath of the Russian earthquake

The national tsunami advisory issued after the magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the coast of Russia was cancelled early yesterday afternoon.

The quake was one of the most powerful ever recorded, triggering fears of a devastating tsunami with more than two million people across the Pacific ordered to evacuate.

The threat is mostly gone but NEMA is warning there could still be strong and unusual currents until Monday and people should be cautious.

Did you see any heightened wave activity at the coast? Let Earth Sciences NZ know by filling out this quick survey!

Principal Scientist for Earth Science New Zealand, Graham Leonard talks to Susie about the significance of a quake of this size.

07:37: Look before you swipe

We hear a lot about screentime use by children but what about parents? Could those countless moments spent swiping, watching or shopping be robbing your child of more than just your time?

Dr Elise Waghorn talks to Perlina about the importance of direct eye contact with parents or primary caregivers on a child's emotional and social development.

07:45 Restaurant Month in Tamaki Makaurau

Restaurant Month has kicked off in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland and this year marks the 15th anniversary. Running for the month of August, it's a chance to celebrate chefs, cultures and culinary treats.

Over 100 restaurants are taking part with more than 20 events and local and international collaborations.

Heart of the City CEO Viv Beck talks to Perlina about some of the highlights on offer. 

07:53 And the award goes to …

It will probably come as no surprise that beer is still the most popular alcoholic drink in Aotearoa.

It actually accounts for almost 1% of New Zealand's GDP according to a report earlier this year by the Brewers Association.

But who brews the best of the best?

Tina Panoutsos, Head Judge at this year’s New Zealand Beer Awards being held in Christchurch tonight, speaks to Susie about what ticks the taste test.

8.11 Adam Zeman - the science of the imagination

We use imagination constantly in our day to day life, as we reminisce, anticipate, daydream, and read. We live in the here and now much less than we tend to think. Imagination isn't the exception in our daily lives; it's our default setting. Yet only now are we beginning to understand exactly how it works.

British neurologist Adam Zeman coined the term "aphantasia" for an inability to create mental images.  Adam is an expert witness and professor of Neurology affiliated with the University of Exeter and the University of Edinburgh.

His new book The Shape of Things Unseen: A New Science of Imagination surveys the creative mind.

8.45 Tariffs and Kiwisaver - Liam Dann

New Zealanders have withdrawn more than $1.3 billion from KiwiSaver for hardship in the past five years. The growing withdrawals could result in over $5b missing from retirement funds by 2045.  

New Zealand is being hit with 15% tariffs, and Stats NZ is set to release unemployment rates next week.   

New Zealand Herald business editor-at-large Liam Dann is here to break it all down. 

9.07 Jack Fairweather - The Prosecutor

In The Prosecutor, award-winning author and former war reporter Jack Fairweather brings to life the remarkable true story of Fritz Bauer, a gay German Jew who survived the Nazis and made it his mission to force his countrymen to confront their complicity in the genocide, only to find himself pitted against a nation determined to bury the past. His journey took him deep into the heart of West Germany, where his fight for justice set him against his own government and a network of former Nazis and spies determined to silence him.

Drawing on unpublished family papers, newly declassified German records, and exclusive interviews Fairweather immerses readers in postwar West Germany.

Jack Fairweather speaks with Susie Ferguson.

9.36  Motuhaketanga: Wāhine Māori, Incarceration and Life Outside the Wire 

A new intimate two-part documentary delves into the transformative journeys of three wāhine Māori as they prepare to leave prison and begin the process of rebuilding their lives, while addressing the past.

In Motuhaketanga: Wāhine Māori, Incarceration and Life Outside the Wire we follow the three wāhine at the centre of the story, Arohatonu, Tristin, and Lesley, both inside the wire, as they prepare for release and unpack the traumas that landed them there in the first place; and outside the wire as they navigate the realities of life post-prison: probation check-ins, job hunting, broken trust, child reunifications, and quiet moments of doubt and pride. 

Producer/Director Kathleen Mantel, of Black Iris Productions says the documentary is a testament to the strength and resilience of wāhine Māori.

Motuhaketanga is available to stream on MĀORI+.

10.06 Intimacy - a basic human right 

Humans are tactile creatures - we all have an innate need for contact, to be desired and loved. But what if you don't fit the popular culture stereotypes of what "desirable" looks or feels like?

Australian romance novelist Jade May has lived with a chronic illness since the age of 13 and says for a long time it shaped her belief that intimacy was for other people, not her. Now an advocate for others with chronic illnesses and disabilities, Jade explains to Susie Ferguson why she's determined to bring a bit of spice into everyone's lives.  

10.30 JAWS 50 years on

It was the first ever blockbuster, capturing an entire generation, becoming a cultural phenomenon and turning 50 this year! Jaws continues to enthrall audiences along with that iconic menacing soundtrack.

Steven Spielberg was just 27 when he directed Jaws and changed the course of cinema with a mechanical shark.

New York Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson has written about how Jaws changed the course of cinema, why it endures and whether the film would be made today. She speaks with Perlina Lau. 

11.06 Jane Austen Wrecked My Life

This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, with celebratory events in England and now a French rom-com.

A smash-hit at the recent NZ French Film Festival, now coming out on general release, Laura Piani's film Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is a love letter to the iconic author.

Battling a severe case of writer's block, Agathe is invited to a prestigious Jane Austen residency in England. In a manor house ripped directly from the pages of a novel, she meets Jane Austen's great-great-great-great nephew and becomes embroiled in an Austen-esque love-triangle.

Susie speaks with lead actress Camille Rutherford - whose previous work includes Anatomy of a Fall, and Blue is the Warmest Colour - and filmmaker Laura Piani.

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is coming to cinemas August 14.

11.35 Chris Tse: Poetry Dating Show

When our Poet Laureate Chris Tse had his term extended, he embraced it as a gift of extra time, something all writers welcome.

His tenure is just about to end with a final event at Word Christchurch, called Love At First Line: A Poetry Dating Show, where for one night only dating apps are ditched and poets woo with just their words. Luckily Chris is a hopeless romantic, perfect in the quest as matchmaker to help one lucky contestant find the poet of their dreams.

Chris' critically acclaimed collections include How to be Dead in a Year of Snakes, HE'S SO MASC, and Super Model Minority.

He chats to Perlina about why New Zealand's poetry scene has such good energy.