1[Caucus] National and Labour's broken bungy and why we all need to grow up Grumpy voters, crimes against candidates, desperate parties, unsophisticated MMP strategies and the return of John Key. As the campaign peaks, so does the tension. In Caucus this week, Julian Wilcox, Lisa Owen, Guyon Espiner and Tim Watkin look at the angry mood of the campaign. Candidates are suffering unacceptable threats from the public. So why are people so fractious? What impact are Covid, co-governance and the cost of living having on voters or are we being influenced by global trends? Parties and their proxies are also starting to lose their cool - name-calling, making up claims, turning mountains into molehills and trying some desperate pleas. National has turned to John Key to try to persuade voters of the risks of New Zealand First, but the Caucus crew ask which voters they think he can swing. The Opportunities Party's Raf Manji has suggested a deal with National in Ilam. National quickly rejected it, but did National miss a trick months ago when it put all its eggs in the National/ACT basket? We look back at 2020 and 2017 to gauge New Zealander's history with split-voting and how that might influence this election. And we ask whether we should be worried about threats to the independence of media, the judiciary and Pharmac. [Season 2023, Episode 10, Thursday 05 October 2023, 15:00]

2[Voices] "A way of making people move" - Coaxing veggie gardens in Christchurch It takes a bit of grit to grow veges in the Christchurch winter, but a group of Fijian families are rising to the challenge via a University of Canterbury-led project. The project, which has established 20 backyard vegetable gardens, is led by PhD student, Dr Esala Vakamacawai, a former medical professional in Fiji. As a surgeon in the Pacific, Esala saw the impact of type 2 diabetes first-hand and says it’s also present among indigenous Fijians in Aotearoa New Zealand. Some of the risks associated with type 2 diabetes are lifestyle factors like exercise, diet and obesity that can be changed, he says. Tending to backyard gardens produces both healthy produce and a form of exercise. "Gardening is a way of making people move!" One participant, Mosese Vilivilioyawa, has taken up the challenge of gardening, experimenting with capsicums, spring onions and even eggplant - and even built his own hothouse. As well as enjoying the gardening work, he's also been training with his children, walking up hills and playing touch rugby. "Learn new things and different kinds of foods, new lifestyle," Mosese told Voices. [Monday 02 October 2023, 05:00]