RNZ: Sunday Morning

On 10 April it's 50 years since the inter-island passenger ferry Wahine went down near the Wellington coast killing 53 people. Doug Crombie was on the ship with his cricket team from Lincoln University. He tells his story for the first time. On Tuesday there are a number of events in Wellington to remember that day, organised by the Wahine 50 Trust. (Historic audio in this story by Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision.)

Transport plan sparks road rage of the front page - and on air; TVNZ gets back in the Games; the latest episode of 'Curran affairs'

Transport planner James Tinnion-Morgan has moved to NZ to add his expertise to the mix to get Auckland's public transport network up to scratch. He's drawing on 30 years experience working all over the world to decide what will work in New Zealand's biggest city. He talks about the challenge of getting the best system in place to lure people out of their cars.

Are plans to build thousands of new homes going to cater for large and multi-generational Māori  and Pasifika families?

Auckland's MOTAT is having a Super STEM Fair for budding scientists, inventors, engineers and maths whizzes on 8 April. Fee McLeod from The Mindlab by Unitec talks about how to get children away engaged in STEM topics.

The House takes a look back at the work MPs did in the House including expunging convictions, banning letting fee charges to tenants and changing super requirements in the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau. 

Joris De Bres, chair of Project Crimson, explains what the destructive plant disease myrtle rust means for the organisation - long associated with protecting pohutukawa and rata trees.

Several are dead and about 30 others injured after a driver ploughed into a crowded area outside a restaurant in the city of Muenster in Western Germany. Ira Spitzer reports from Germany.

Sarah Doody, the sister of 24 year old autistic Christchurch woman Jessica Doody, who followed her boyfriend to India, says the family are no closer to getting her home. Jessica has the mental age of a 14 year old, and other health issues, and had been in relationship with Gurdeep Singh before he was deported in December.

Imagine having your spending for the past year publicly scrutinised. MPs are checking government spending over the past financial year in a ten hour long debate called the annual review debate.

A bill banning letting fees has passed its first hurdle in Parliament after a fractured debate.

The latest from the House

Each sitting day in the House MPs work their way through business which is set out on the order paper. Here's what they plan to get through this week.

Listeners get in touch with the Sunday Morning programme.

New Zealand could become home to exotic disease-carrying mosquitoes because of climate change and urbanisation. Insect scientist Sophie Hunt's work demonstrates how easily such species could establish themselves.