A special live edition of the Spinoff politics podcast, revisiting the turbulent Lange years with very special guest Kim Hill.

In a special crossover edition of Gone By Lunchtime meets Juggernaut, Toby Manhire, Annabelle Lee-Mather and Ben Thomas took to the stage at a packed Hannah Playhouse in Wellington on Sunday, joined by NZ broadcasting legend Kim Hill.

Exactly 40 years after the 1984 election that saw David Lange and Labour derail the Muldoon train and sweep to power, unleashing a head-spinning period of economic, social and foreign policy reform, we reflect on those giddy times and the ways the Lange-Douglas legacy remains very much alive in 2024.

In the mid-80s, Hill was a regular on Checkpoint, rattling out the latest developments at a crisp, milli0n-miles-an-hour clip. Did she realise at the time just how momentous those days were?

“No, it’s only now, you know, you look back,” she said. “I listened to Juggernaut, and I know all that stuff, but I listened to it and thought, ‘Oh, my God, really?’ I mean, it was a revolution.”

And a special treat: Hill reads from her personal diary entries inked in July 1984.

Upcoming events from The Spinoff in Auckland and Wellington include Help Me Hera Live and The Year in Review. They’re selling fast. For more information and to book tickets, go here.

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