Why Māori families still have “the talk” about police episode artwork

EPISODE · May 21, 2026 · 19 MIN

Why Māori families still have “the talk” about police

from The Front Page · host NZ Herald

It started with a young Māori man trying to help a stranger on the street. He ended up being pinned to the ground, handcuffed, locked in a cell, and a four-year court battle.  Jamie Lawry ended up being found not guilty, but the case raises harder questions about racism and systemic bias in the north. Many Māori parents up north have to have what is called “the talk” - where they have to teach their kids how to act around police in order to be safe. Today on The Front Page, Green MP Hūhana Lyndon – who is based in Te Tai Tokerau – tells us about what “the talk” means in her whanau and in communities across the region – and why so many Māori families have no choice but to have these conversations. But first, NZ Herald senior writer David Fisher is with us to take us through what happened to Lawry. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Chelsea DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Why Māori families still have “the talk” about police

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This episode was published on May 21, 2026.

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It started with a young Māori man trying to help a stranger on the street. He ended up being pinned to the ground, handcuffed, locked in a cell, and a four-year court battle.  Jamie Lawry ended up being found not guilty, but the case raises harder...

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