A Very Tall Man

Ever wondered who actually brought MMP to New Zealand? Meet Hans Gruber - born in Germany near the end of WWII, lawyer, world traveller, and the bloke with a big hand in giving us the voting system we've got today. Gary sits down with him to unpack MMP versus first-past-the-post, and Hans doesn't hold back on democracy itself (spoiler: he reckons leaving big decisions to "unqualified" voters is a bit mad, and has a few things to say about China's meritocracy too).

The chat gets heavier from there - world wars, Ukraine, Gaza, and Hans's genuine fear of where global tensions are heading, plus his "dying wish" that New Zealand goes fully neutral and stays out of it all. It ends on a softer note, with Hans reflecting on 40 years in New Zealand, no regrets despite the rocky patches, and what it feels like to hear a national anthem that actually moves you to tears.

Tune into A Very Tall Man from Midnight - 6:00am on the Rhema Media App.
For more from the show, visit the A Very Tall Man page at rhema.co.nz
Produced using AI tools under human supervision.
Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link
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Election year prezzies, paid for on someone else's credit card - sound familiar? Gary sits down with retired lawyer David Schnauer, author of Uncomfortable Economics, to ask the awkward questions about New Zealand's long-term economic drift, our obsession with house price gains, and why KiwiSaver (not property) might be the real path to a comfortable retirement.

David doesn't pull punches: he reckons we've left it too late for full self-funded super, but there's still time to raise the retirement age, bring in means testing, and rebalance the economy away from housing before a genuine crisis forces our hand. Gary pushes back with some very personal (and very relatable) selfishness about his own pension, and David explains why courageous leadership - and a bit less instant gratification from all of us - might be the only way to avoid an economic dentist visit we really don't want.

Tune into A Very Tall Man from Midnight - 6:00am on the Rhema Media App.
For more from the show, visit the A Very Tall Man page at rhema.co.nz
Produced using AI tools under human supervision.
Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charlie Kirk's assassination made headlines - but it was his wife's forgiveness of the shooter that really got people talking. Gary sits down with Rev. Dr. Paul Blackham (a "modern-day John the Baptist", locusts optional) to unpack why forgiveness is so much harder than the Sunday School version we teach kids. Paul draws on 30 years of pastoral ministry to argue it's often the small, petty grudges - not the big dramatic wrongs - that people cling to the longest.

They get into the messy mechanics of it all: does forgiveness require confession from the other person? Can you say "I forgive you" and mean it, then find yourself chewing on the hurt again the next day? Paul talks through real cases, including a gut-punch story from South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation hearings, and lands on a sobering point tied to the Lord's Prayer - what happens when we simply refuse to forgive at all.

Tune into A Very Tall Man from Midnight - 6:00am on the Rhema Media App.
For more from the show, visit the A Very Tall Man page at rhema.co.nz
Produced using AI tools under human supervision.
Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s guest is NZ music royalty. You may have seen the TV reality show, been shocked when he shared his ‘growing up’ years and it will come as no surprise that there is already a book about his life. This week’s guest on AVTM the podcast is Stan Walker. Both he and Gary were both the same weight once, Gary at his lightest, Stan at his heaviest, that gets a mention.
Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He’s met the queen and been a guest of the queen, and yes, there is a difference. His is a posh English accent , his art collection world class and he’s been writing best sellers for 50 years which explains why he's loaded. Chances are you will have read one or more of his books. Probably have a couple at home. He’s Jeffrey Archer and he’s this week’s guest on AVTM. Hold on tight, he doesn’t mind a chat and has some pretty strong opinions.
Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.