Nights

Here we are in an election campaign and if there's one thing politicians like to do, is talking. One goal they have with all that talking is to get us to like them, so we will be more inclined to give them our vote. How you do get someone to like you linguistically? Dr Julia de Bres is a sociolinguist and senior lecturer at Massey University.

Insects: We live on and share a planet with them. They make up around 70 percent of all known species on Earth, and they're an incredibly diverse group of organisms. But scientists say many are struggling. Why are insects so crucial to life on Earth, and should we be taking better care of them? Dave Goulson is Professor of Biology at University of Sussex, and author of the book, 'Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse'.

The BBC's Sarika Unadkat is with us now with a wrap of world news making the headlines.

The first day of spring on Friday signalled the start of the whitebaiting season. The season runs from September 1 to October 30, with Government regulations seeing all of New Zealand's whitebait season now aligned following the phasing of changes over the last few years. Department of Conservation freshwater species manager Emily Funnell joins Nights.

Five years ago, community members stepped in to help a whānau stay in their rented Paekākāriki home when in was put up for sale. The Paekākāriki Trust was formed, and are now working on homegrown housing solutions for others in the area. Trust co-founder Tina Pope talk to Mark Leishman.

Tax is high on the political agenda, but one expert is interested in a kind of tax that political parties won't touch. With New Zealand about to see its largest ever transfer of wealth as baby boomers age, Jonathan Barrett says an inheritance tax could level the playing field. Jonathan is an associate professor at Victoria University of Wellington.

Nights culture regular Malia Johnston is joined by choreographer Kayla Paige. Malia is directing the upcoming World of WearableArt (WOW) Show, and Kayla is returning to choreograph the show for a second time.

Sports commentator Bryan Waddle joins us again for a wrap of the latest sport news from the weekend and looking ahead over the next week or so. Tonight, he's got his eye on the All Blacks.

It's time for Out Lately with Finn Johansson. Finn is back in the studio with a selection of tracks from artists Amaarae, Kleener and This Is Lorelei. Auckland studio.

It's wrestling, but not as you know it... Wrestlers wore fancy dress and grappled in a gravy-filled pool for the 15th annual World Gravy Wrestling Championship in a small English village earlier this week. Wrestler Tommy Jupiter wasn't competing at the event, but he did an exhibition match at half time.