Two men in conversation sit opposite each other in a recording studio.

Logo that reads "Context"

41m

Guyon Espiner & Corin Dann explore the backstory to today’s front page, diving into NZ’s political past and asking, "How did we get here?" But there's a twist: one knows the topic, the other doesn’t.

Hosted by Corin Dann and Guyon Espiner

8 episodes

How MMP changed politics

New Zealand’s MMP voting system promised fairness and diversity — but has it delivered? In this episode of Context, Guyon Espiner and Corin Dann look back at how MMP came to be, from a slip-up by David Lange in the 1980s to Winston Peters’ rise as kingmaker, and now Christopher Luxon’s challenge of managing a three-party government.
Season 1/Episode 8
41m

Behind the picket lines

From the Cook Strait ferry strikes to the fiery union battles of the 1970s, New Zealand’s history is written in industrial action. Now, as nurses, teachers and doctors walk off the job, what lessons can we draw from a century of strikes?
Season 1/Episode 7
45m

The Wild History of Inflation in NZ

From Muldoon’s Price Freeze to Today’s Cost of Living Crisis. Corin and Guyon look back to a time when the PM set the price of milk and froze wages on a whim. Plus, how the NZ reserve bank launched a groundbreaking new monetary policy, which changed how countries controlled inflation for good.
Season 1/Episode 6
30m

NZ's United Nations History

As Winston Peters heads to the UN, Context looks back at how NZ has shaped the world stage — from Peter Fraser at its founding to peacekeepers in Korea and Timor, and a fiery clash with Israel.
Season 1/Episode 5
45m

Booze, Bans & Backlash

Why is alcohol reform such a political minefield? With new reforms on the table, Guyon Espiner and Corin Dann trace liquor laws back through history — from the 6 o’clock swill to Muldoon’s drunken election call and the Black Budget.
Season 1/Episode 4
44m

Parliament's Rules

Inside Parliament’s Rulebook: Why can’t MPs call each other liars? And which MP was kicked out for sarcasm? In this episode, Guyon and Corin trace 175 years of standing orders, Speaker’s rulings, and legendary one-liners. that shaped NZ’s democracy.
Season 1/Episode 3
46m

Spies, Allies, and the FBI

From Kash Patel’s surprise visit to Kim Dotcom’s infamous raid, our relationship with the FBI and America has been anything but simple. We uncover how NZ has balanced alliances, espionage, and independence and why it matters now more than ever.
Season 1/Episode 2
39m

The Brain Drain Backstory

Corin Dann and Guyon Espiner dig into New Zealand’s decades-long “brain drain” to Australia. From Muldoon’s famous one-liner to John Key’s stadium stunt, this is the surprising backstory of the great Kiwi exodus.
Season 1/Episode 1
43m

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A sharp yellow pencil is placed in the center of a tile with a light grey background. The title 'Recovering' is above the pencil, with an underscore after 'Re'.
The back of a woman walking down a path, she's wearing white pants and a silver shiny top with silver tassels coming off the back and arms. Her arms are outstretched. Text reads, "Inside Splore".
A man operating a cannon, theres smoke coming out of it and a man next to it holding his hands over his ears. Text reads, "NZ Wars: Stories of Waitara".
Misty Frequency's mask sits by other masks on a shelf in a dressing room. The text reads "What's the Disability-Tea"
A transparent figure of the back of a man, overlayed with another transparent image of the same figure but just his shoulders and back of his head. Text reads, "Duality". it's written in transparent white block letters and yellow cursive overlapped.
A multi-media illustration of four different figures in different art styles. Text reads, "Our Aotearoa".
A large mountain capped with snow. Text reads, "Land of the Long White Cloud".
In a black-and-white photograph, a Māori woman speaks into a microphone in front of a crowd. Her fist is raised defiantly in the air. At the top of the image, in small yellow lettering, reads: "THE LAST NEW ZEALAND WAR HAPPENED IN 1979. IT LASTED THREE MINUTES." Below the woman, at the bottom of the image, the text reads in yellow lettering: "THE HAKA PARTY INCIDENT." Below that text is smaller, white text that reads: "A FILM BY KATIE WOLFE."
Alice Snedden looking into the camera and holding a megaphone up to her mouth in her left hand. In her right hand she holds up a stack of paper, on the first page is a simple drawing of the beehive with a text bubble that says, "No voting for you!!!". Text reads, "Alice Snedden's Bad News". Both the text and Alice Snedden are on a bright blue background.
In India, a group of people walk down a path in front of a historic building. Above the building in orange reads: "1984"
Black text on a beige background, text reads "Fight for the Wild". Behind the text are three illustrations, one is of New Zealand the other is a disembodied head of a Tūī and the third is a fantail.
The silhouette of a man against a sun either rising or setting, the sky is mostly green with a thin bank of orange light along the horizon. Text reads, "Meng".
In a graphic made up of differently coloured brown tiles, the two main hosts of Whakamāori season three pose. Behind them is text reading: "WHAKAMĀORI."
A podcast cover for "The Aotearoa History Show" features the title written in colorful, chalk-like letters on a blackboard background. The words "THE" and "AOTEAROA" are in light blue, "HISTORY" is in pink, and "SHOW" is in green with green chalk lines radiating outwards.
A sepia toned photograph laying on a table. The photograph is of a man looking over his shoulder at the camera, he is wearing headphones and sitting in from of a switch board. Text reads, "Coast Watchers Operation Pacific".
A man is wearing a suit and tie and smiling at the camera with his head slightly tilted to the left. He has a thick moustache, behind him the room is dark but seems to be an office. Text reads, "The Citizen's Handbook" in light pink.
A person sitting on a hill looking out onto an inlet. The image is take from behind the person. Text reads, "Inside Outside". There is an overlay of a recording boarder along the perimeter of the image.
Three figures from different original images have been edited so that they're all standing next to each other and are of varying sizes. All three people are in the midst of performing. The background in a flat bright red colour. Text in the style of graffiti reads, "The Collective". A spray painted illustration of a crown appears above the 'e' in 'Collective'.
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Black and white faces of Helen Clark, Dame Jenny Shipley, Jim Bolger Geoffrey Palmer and Mike Moore, with the words 'The 9th Floor' underneath them. The background of the image is black.
A man with their back towards the camera, they're looking on onto an ocean. The image is in grey scale. Text reads, "The Art of War".
People standing in a forest clearing, backlit by the sun. They are all wearing traditional Māori dress. Text reads, "NZ Wars: Stories of Tainui".
We see a coastline of New Zealand. On the right is the land; on the left is the ocean; above are clouds. Golden text in the middle reads: "STOLEN LANDS A HIGHLANDER'S QUEST."
A school of fish swim together in the ocean. The text reads "Turning the Tide"