In part two of The 9th Floor, Guyon Espiner talks to Mike Moore about his short stint as Prime Minister in 1990, followed by his miraculous near-comeback in 1993.

In part two of The 9th Floor, Guyon Espiner talks to Mike Moore about his short stint as Prime Minister in 1990, followed by his miraculous near-comeback in 1993.

Watch the video version of the episode here

By Guyon Espiner

Former Labour Prime Minister Mike Moore worries about his party. Yes his party still. Oh, there is some bitterness and bad blood for sure, but he's still a party member and desperately wants Labour to win office again.

It was an emotional day with Moore. Sadness, laughter, passion, love and regret. It sat at the other end of the spectrum from our interview with Sir Geoffrey Palmer. While Palmer speaks with forensic accuracy, Moore speaks largely from the heart, leaving you with images, forcing you to 'feel' and interpret what he has said.

Moore has made a remarkable recovery from a stroke in 2015, which cut short his time as ambassador in Washington DC. But things aren't easy. Sometimes the right words take a moment to come or hover just out of reach, but talking is largely fine. Walking though is hard. I feel guilty as his wife Yvonne helps him inch across the room to accommodate our photo and video requests. But he loved that day. He loved talking about what he has seen and done and is still doing. He loves his party too. Are you a proud member of Labour, I asked him as we drew to a close late in the afternoon. "Yes I'm proud of what the Labour Party has done for people. And we can do it again," he says. "I hope I live long enough to see another Labour government," he chuckles, in one of many laughs we had that day.

But he has some sharp criticisms too. At one point Moore turns the questions on me, in his typically cryptic and profound way. He's started watching Country Calendar again. "How many of those people on Country Calendar do you think vote Labour now?" I choose the diplomatic route. What do you think the answer is? "None." Why? "Because we're not seen to be on the side of those who are strivers," he says. "I do think we've got trouble."

What sort of trouble? "I think its basis is how you elect your leader," he says. "The caucus is our primary and sitting in that caucus you know what is going on and the idea that someone can not have the support in the caucus and the leader has to speak for that is a terrible idea."

"I hope I live long enough to see another Labour government,"…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details