Afternoons

This week the Government announced plans to build a Liquefied Natural Gas terminal in Taranaki. The facility - estimated to cost "north of $2bn" - will enable us to import gas from the rest of the world. Although according to the Electricity Authority that will come at a significant premium to domestically produced renewable energy and natural gas. The facility will be paid for by a levy on electricity users of $2 - $4 per megawatt hour. Author of the New Zealand Energy Substack Larry Blair chats to Jesse about it.

Dr Grant Morris joins Jesse to take a closer look at the cases that come out of The Employment Relations Authority and why they are often headline news stories.

Holly Bennett, the founder of Awhi Group, joins Jesse to talk about small businesses and why they become front and centre in an election year.

Time for sporting history and our guest this week has had a lifelong association with the sport of rowing, as a competitor, an elite coach and a high-performance leader. Judith Hamilton is currently Rowing New Zealand's General Manager of Performance, and there have been many highlights along the way - which we will soon find out about. Her contribution to rowing was also recognised in the New Year Honours, where she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rowing.

It's time for group chat, our chance to talk about the fodder that might be filling up your chats, distracting you from chores or helping fill the silence in a lift. Film Critic Kate Rodger, Culture 101's Perlina Lau and Afternoons' Senior Producer Olivia Wilson chat to Jesse.