InvestigatePodcast

Rare interview with Crowded House, 1988

In the summer of 1988, rock band Crowded House returned to NZ on a promotional tour from LA. Ian Wishart sat down with band members Neil Finn and the late Paul Hester at Auckland's Hyatt Hotel to discuss the incredible success of their first album, and their hopes for their second, Temple of Low Men.

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89FM News Promo 1

As an adult rock station, 89FM was during 1988 and 89 Auckland's top rated radio station. Fully independent, it had a news staff totalling 11 journalists at its peak.

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Geoffrey Palmer's first move to challenge Lange

David Lange's leadership of the Labour Party became increasingly shaky in early 1989, when an unfortunate Time magazine cover had him frolicking in a pasture of daisies, and he hit the headlines over an ANZUS gaffe as well.

Deputy Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer, who had on every previous occasion pledged absolute unswerving loyalty to Lange publicly (although  behind the scenes his advisers were continually running the numbers for a challenge) slipped up during an interview with 89FM, choosing not to give his usual loyalty pledge.

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Might Go Pop: Sir Robert Muldoon vs Lange

Sir Robert Muldoon goaded Labour Prime Minister David Lange into action one morning in 1989, when he said in an interview on 89FM that Lange's heart condition might be impacting on his job as Prime Minister.

Lange was so incensed he rang the radio station straight away to rebuke Muldoon. This is how it played out:

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Air NZ troop flights - Wishart on ZB

Newstalk ZB's Leighton Smith interviews Investigate editor Ian Wishart and aviation writer Peter Clarke about the Air New Zealand troop flights.

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Air New Zealand troop flights, 3 News Aug 15 07

Investigate's discovery that Air New Zealand had flown troops to the Middle East hit the Government like "a timebomb in a Baghdad bazaar primed to explode in the Government's face". This is the TV3 News report from the night the story broke:

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Air NZ troop flights TV3 Campbell Live 15 Aug 07

Investigate's discovery that Air New Zealand had flown troops to the Middle East hit the Government like "a timebomb in a Baghdad bazaar primed to explode in the Government's face". This is the TV3 Campbell Live report from the night the story broke:

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David Caygill's 1988 mini budget

Once upon a time in New Zealand GST used to be 10%. This news report documents the fallout from Finance Minister David Caygill's first mini-budget in late 1988, where he raised company taxes by 5% and GST to 12.5%. Features audio from National's Ruth Richardson and Labour Prime Minister David Lange:

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The Color Purple, March 1988

From the audio archives, March 1988 saw National's education spokesman Lockwood Smith protesting about the use of explicit 'literature' in high school English classes.

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The Color Purple, April 1988

From the audio archives, March 1988 saw National's education spokesman Lockwood Smith protesting about the use of explicit 'literature' in high school English classes.

Then, in April, the matter hit the nation's parliament:

Download ColorPurp2.mp3