Navigation for Sunday Morning

7:10 Survey shows support for cannabis legislation waning 

In this year's General Election, eligible electors will be asked to vote in two referenda: one on legalising euthanasia and the other on legalising recreational cannabis. Research New Zealand has been taking the pulse of the nation and its latest poll results show that support for legalising euthanasia remains steady but there has been a sizeable dip in support for legalising cannabis. Research NZ partner Emanuel Kalafatelis has the latest.  

Cannabis plants

Photo: Unsplash / Matteo Paganelli

7:17 Alcohol-related assaults in NZ drop after restrictions on late-night booze sales

New research from the University of Otago shows that the number of people hospitalised in New Zealand because of assaults over the weekend has reduced significantly following 2013 restrictions on late-night alcohol sales, which saw all bars and clubs close at 4am and no takeaway alcohol sales after 11pm. Professor Emerita Jennie Connor from the University of Otago is the lead author of the study.  

Bar

Bar Photo: 123rf.com

7.32 The House

Before they end the current parliament MPs agreed the rules for the next Parliament - what they call the Standing Orders. And this time many of the changes are significant. To run through some of the new rules for MPs The House chats with Parliament's Speaker - Trevor Mallard, and Clerk - David Wilson. 

Speaker Trevor Mallard in the House

Speaker Trevor Mallard in the House Photo: © VNP / Phil Smith

7:45 Calling Home: John Ayton in Redondo Beach, California 

Taranaki native John Ayton first left New Zealand in the late 1960s and while he has returned home for stretches, he has led a fascinating, globe-trotting existence in the ensuing years, including a stretch working as an engineer on Jacques Cousteau's research vessel, Calypso. He's Calling Home this morning from Redondo Beach in Los Angeles County.  

John Ayton (Kiwi) with Jaques Cousteau on his 65 birthday. At Long Beach, CA preparing the PBY for an expedition.

John Ayton (Kiwi) with Jaques Cousteau on his 65 birthday. At Long Beach, CA preparing the PBY for an expedition. Photo: Lyn Horton

8:10 US on tenterhooks as civil unrest continues to surge  

Former first lady Michelle Obama tweeted on Friday that she was 'exhausted and frustrated' by the state of the country in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and subsequent deaths of two protestors at the hands of a 17-year-old gunman who described himself as "part of the militia protecting business". US correspondent Karen Kasler is with us with all the latest.  

Fires burn around downtown Wisconsin during a second night of rioting

Fires burn around downtown Wisconsin during a second night of rioting Photo: AFP

8:20 The benefits of improving your 'mental fitness' one percent a day  

Motivational speaker, author, and holder of the Guinness World Record for the world's longest waterslide, Jimi Hunt says mental illness is an epidemic that we can no longer ignore. Jimi has just arrived back in New Zealand after leaving his adopted home in Mexico as he can no longer travel for work due to Covid-19. But he has arrived with plans to launch his new book Inside Out, which discusses the need to focus on 'mental fitness' rather than 'mental health'. And Jimi says improving your mental fitness just one percent every day can add up to substantial gains.

Jimi Hunt

Jimi Hunt Photo: Supplied

8:39 The Weekend Panel with Jane Clifton & Richard Harman 

Our weekend panellists Jane Clifton and Richard Harman offer their thoughts on the past week's news from Aotearoa and abroad. They discuss, among other topics, $300 spot fines for people who don't wear masks on public transport, lockdown fatigue, the Green School in Oakura, and the death of Bonus Bonds. 

Woman using public transport during Covid-19 crisis wearing face mask.

Photo: 123RF

9:06 Mediawatch

This week Mediawatch looks at coverage of justice being seen to be done in Christchurch and asks if the Covid-19 crisis that threatened to sink some media companies is already over.  Also: a British journalist warns us to be wary of 'dark money' and think tanks offshore influencing our politics. 

Abdul Aziz Wahabzadah - victim impact statement.

PHOTO: JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON

Sentencing for Brenton Tarrant on 51 murder, 40 attempted murder and one terrorism charge.

Photo: Stuff / Pool

9:37 Covid-19 update with professor Michael Baker 

Aucklanders are waiting for their clocks to hit midnight and a much-anticipated return to alert level 2 so they can get a return to some semblance of normality, along with the rest of the country who are already there. But plenty of Covid-19 questions remain. Professor Michael Baker returns to provide the answers to those questions. Text your questions to 2101 or email sunday@rnz.co.nz 

Professor Michael Baker

Professor Michael Baker Photo: Supplied

10:10 Louis Gossett Jr: 'It's time for us all to come together' 

Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. has pretty much done it all - and won it all - as an actor. Yet he shows no sign of slowing, having recently received an eighth Emmy Award nomination for his role in Watchmen. The 84-year-old industry legend joins the show to look back on his remarkable life and times and share his hopes for the future. 

American actor Louis Gossett Jr.

American actor Louis Gossett Jr. Photo: Supplied

10:32 Hurdles remain in place for teen on $470k life-saving drug

At age 15, Bella Powell was told she had only two years to live if her cystic fibrosis went untreated. With nothing to lose, Bella, now 17, started taking a drug called Trikafta, and within hours she noticed results. But the drug costs $469,000 a year. Trikafta is owned by American company Vertex, and it isn't subsidised by Pharmac in New Zealand. And at the moment, Bella only has a few months' supply of this miracle drug left, and a Givealittle page has been set up to help fund more. Bella and her mother Alexandra are with us to discuss. 

Bella Powell and Sir Bob Elliot

Bella Powell and Sir Bob Elliot Photo: Supplied / Carmen Bird

10:42 My Current Song: Sam Bartells, 'Sign'

New Zealand rock-country musician Sam Bartells has just released 'Sign', the second single off his upcoming EP, Let's Go, which is due out early October. 'Sign' was penned at a time when things were tough in Bartells' life and he was running wild, trying to find a place to belong. He joins the show to discuss his new single and plans for an October tour. 

New Zealand musician Sam Bartells.

New Zealand musician Sam Bartells. Photo: Supplied

10:50 Covid-19: Case numbers in Melbourne finally dropping 

The Australian state government and City of Melbourne held crisis talks this week, with reports suggesting the Victorian economy will face a $41 billion repair bill from the effects of repeated Covid-19 lockdowns. However, case numbers in the Victorian capital are finally dropping. Meanwhile, Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison has suggested he is open to the idea of Christchurch mosque gunman Brenton Tarrant serving out his sentence across the Tasman. Australian correspondent Rebekah Holt is with us from Melbourne. 

People wearing face masks exercise around the Albert Park Lake in Melbourne on August 26, 2020, as the city battles an outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Photo: AFP

11:05 Dispelling the myth of the end of the golden age of reading 

The literary world has long been beset by predictions that the rise of technology -- particularly since the advent of e- and audiobook -- would kill off the printed and bound version of books. But in her latest book, What We Talk About When We Talk About Books, Harvard Professor Leah Price dispels the myth of the end of the golden age of reading by suggesting that reading might not have been so uniformly great in the first place. 

Leah Price

Leah Price Photo: Supplied

11:30 Miriam Margolyes: Unearthing the real Australia  

Celebrated British-Australian actress and Graham Norton Show fan favourite Miriam Margolyes became a naturalised Australian in 2013, but over the course of filming her new series, Miriam Margolyes: Almost Australian, she realised that there was a lot of stuff - both good and bad - that she didn't know about her adopted homeland. The notoriously candid Harry Potter actress joins the show to discuss the new series and the epic road trip she undertook to connect with her fellow citizens. 

British-Australian actress Miriam Margolyes

British-Australian actress Miriam Margolyes Photo: Supplied