A new lawsuit alleges satellites launched from New Zealand by Rocket Lab may be providing intelligence used by Israel in Gaza.Ollie Neas speaks to plaintiff Yasser Abdulaal, a Palestinian New Zealander, and his lawyer Sam Vincent about the case, Rocket Lab’s role as a US military contractor, and what it could mean for New Zealand’s involvement in the war.

More than a year after the government’s shock rewrite of New Zealand’s pay equity laws, the fight over the value of women’s work continues.

Dame Marilyn Waring joins Public Interest to discuss what the changes have meant for workers, the decades-long struggle for pay equity, why women’s work remains undervalued, and what it will take to restore the progress that has been lost.

Is farming really the backbone of the New Zealand economy? In this episode of Undercurrents, Ollie Neas speaks with freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy and economist Dr Geoff Bertram about the rise of intensive dairying, the political influence of the agricultural sector, and the environmental costs that have been pushed onto the public. They explore why farming's changing place in the economy, why meaningful reform has proved so difficult, and whether New Zealand's attachment to the "backbone" myth is holding us back. So, is big agriculture holding New Zealand hostage?

A growing chorus of voices is arguing that New Zealand simply cannot afford universal superannuation any longer. But is this true? 

In this episode of Public Interest, Ollie Neas speaks to economist Dr Bill Rosenberg about whether New Zealand really has a superannuation crisis. They discuss the affordability of NZ Super, the case for and against means testing and raising the retirement age, the influence of the private retirement savings industry, and why the biggest long-term threat to retirement security may not be demographics at all.

The climate crisis and war are usually treated as separate issues. Journalist Abby Martin argues they're inseparable. 

In this episode, Ollie Neas speaks to Martin about her new documentary, Earth's Greatest Enemy, the US military's environmental footprint, the links between militarism and the fossil fuel economy, and why military emissions remain absent from global climate targets.

How should governments respond when prices rise – and who bears the cost? In part two of this special two-part episode of Undercurrents, Ollie Neas talks to economist Geoff Bertram about the politics of inflation, the Reserve Bank's reliance on interest rates, and why the burden of bringing inflation down often falls on ordinary households. We also explore inequality, taxation and what a different approach to economic policy might look like.

Why is life becoming more expensive? Politicians often blame inflation, global shocks or government spending. But what if the roots of New Zealand's cost of living crisis run much deeper? In part one of this special two-part episode of Undercurrents, Ollie Neas speaks with Dr Geoff Bertram about how decades of deregulation, privatisation and growing monopoly power have reshaped New Zealand's economy – and why many households now pay more for the things they can't do without.

Newsrooms are shrinking, public media is facing renewed political attacks, and ownership of commercial media is becoming increasingly concentrated. So what does this mean for our democracy?

Ollie Neas speaks with media scholar Peter Thompson about the state of New Zealand's media, the future of RNZ and public broadcasting, the politics of media reform, and why a strong, independent fourth estate matters now more than ever.

A proposal to lease the operation of Lyttelton Port to a consortium led by global ports giant DP World has raised concern over the future of one of Christchurch's most valuable public assets. In this episode of In Brief, Ollie Neas speaks with Mark Wilson, Lyttelton branch secretary of the Rail and Maritime Transport Union, about what the proposal involves, and why unions are warning of potential job losses, weaker public accountability and profits flowing offshore.

The coalition government is radically reshaping New Zealand’s education system –overhauling the curriculum, scrapping NCEA, re-establishing charter schools and much more. It says the reforms are needed to reverse declining achievement, but critics warn a broader ideological project is at work. Ollie Neas speaks with teacher and PPTA national executive member Clare Preston and Dr Shannon Walsh, an honourary research associate at the University of Auckland, about what is really driving the reforms and what is at stake for New Zealand's schools.