Sunday Morning for Sunday 22 April 2012
8:12 Insight: Terrorism Legislation and the Urewera Raids
Insight considers if the terrorism laws should be reviewed in the wake of the Urewera raids case.
Written and presented by Tim Graham
Produced by Philippa Tolley.
8:40 Alison Parr – Memories of J Force
Around 12,000 New Zealand men and women served in the occupation of Japan after the Second World War. As ANZAC Day approaches, Alison Parr talks to Chris about her interviews with soldiers, airmen, nurses and members of the NZ Women’s Auxiliary Corps about life in the enemy territory between 1946 and 1948 – and how wartime hostility and distrust gave way to understanding of the Japanese people.
The Occupiers, by Alison Parr, is published by Penguin.
9:06 Mediawatch
On Mediawatch this weekend: The government’s committed to ultra-fast broadband, your taxes are paying for part of it, and it will be able to deliver a huge range of broadcasts right to your home. So why are broadcasters warning that the system could fail? Also on Mediawatch, fast and loose reporting of a explosive story in the US; and more problems for the media covering Sky City's controversial convention centre.
Produced and presented by Colin Peacock and Jeremy Rose.
9:40 Richard Grant – Priorities and Prospects in Asia
The retiring executive director of Asia NZ, Dr Richard Grant, talks to Chris about Asia-NZ relations, the effect of the current reorganisation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and whether resources should be pulled out of Europe and the Americas to give us more muscle in Asia. The pair will also discuss the immediate and long term priorities for NZ in Asia, prospects in emerging markets like Myanmar, and how do we keep our human rights integrity and at the same time deal with all comers.
10:06 Peter Whiteford – John Mulgan’s Life and Letters
On 25 April 1945 New Zealand writer and soldier John Mulgan, 33, took his own life. Born 100 years ago, Mulgan is remembered for his 1939 novel Man Alone, and a war memoir, Report on Experience. Associate Professor Peter Whiteford from Victoria University has painstakingly reviewed Mulgan’s letters to publish the first collection of his correspondence. Mulgan served with British forces in Northern Ireland, in El Alamein and behind enemy lines with partisans in occupied Greece. When he died in Cairo he left a widow, Gabrielle, and a five-year-old son, Richard. Peter talks to Chris about what Mulgan’s letters reveal about the man and the times in which he lived.
A Good Mail, Letters of John Mulgan, edited by Peter Whiteford is published by Victoria University Press.
10:45 Hidden Treasures
Trevor Reekie features new music from young UK jazz musos the Portico Quartet; as well as a reinterpretation of a classic Rolling Stones track by American soul man, Lee Fields & The Expressions.
Produced by Trevor Reekie
11.05 Ideas: Bill Manhire
Chris talks to New Zealand's inaugural Poet Laureate, Bill Manhire. Bill has won several New Zealand Book Awards, a number of significant fellowships, and was also honoured with the 2007 Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement. He has coordinated several bestselling anthologies, and his poetry and fiction is published in New Zealand, the UK, and the USA. Bill has announced that he’s retiring as director of the Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University and in this extended interview he talks to Chris about the creative writing course and his life with words; and he’ll read some of his poetry.
Presented by Chris Laidlaw
Produced by Chris Whitta
11.55 Feedback
What the listeners have to say on today’s programme.
Earlier this week the Olympic committee chose the official anthem of the New Zealand Olympic team. The song is Stand Tall, by the musician Sam RB. We're playing it on the show today and you can download it for free from the Play it Strange website.