Nine To Noon for Monday 31 July 2017

 

09:05 Help kids get drivers licences - Mayors

Local councils around the country are pushing for a free and universal drivers licence programme for all students in Year 12. They say helping young people, particularly in smaller towns and rural areas, to get a licence has proven significant economic and social benefits. Nearly 80 percent of councils voted in favour of a remit proposing the scheme at the Local Government conference last week. Kathryn talks with Otorohonga Mayor Max Baxter and Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick -  both members of the Mayors' Taskforce for Jobs. 

09:20 Drinking water needs fundamental reform - engineer

A top water engineer says Havelock North's water contamination inquiry should lead to fundamental reform of New Zealand's drinking water regulation. A central question the inquiry is seeking to answer is whether groundwater can ever be considered safe for drinking without some form of treatment. Iain Rabbitts is a Water and Wastewater engineer at Harrison Grierson - he says the treatment of all drinking water should be mandatory as a starting point, followed by an complete overhall of how drinking water is managed. Kathryn also talks with Canterbury District Health Board's Medical Officer of Health, Alastair Humphrey.

09:35 Venezuela election 'could mark the end of democracy' 

Several people in Venezuela have been killed during a controversial vote in what critics say could mark the end of democracy in the OPEC nation. Protesters are blocking roads and clashing with security forces as Venezuelans trickle to the polls to elect an all-powerful assembly with powers to rewrite the constitution. Emiliana Duarte  is the Managing Editor of the CaracasChronicles.com which is an English language news website.

09:45 Africa correspondent Debora Patta

The ill-health of Nigeria's President Buhari and an attempted peace deal for South Sudan.

10:05 From Delhi's shantytowns to corridors of power

Two filmmakers in India are caught up in a landmark censorship battle to show their movie after the country's censor board refused to certify it. Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla have directed An Insignificant Man – a fly-on-the-wall documentary chronicling the spectacular rise of Arvind Kerjiwal from an activist to a controversial vigilante-politician. They were meant to be in New Zealand this week promoting the movie as part of this year's film festival, but are instead appealing the board's decision for them to cut parts of the documentary.

At the heart of An Insignificant Man is the most polarising man in India today. Filmed over the course of two years, the film offers a unique insight into Arvind Kejriwal and the Common Man's Party – and their journey through the lanes of Delhi's shantytowns to the closed corridors of political power, in the largest democracy in the world.

10:35 Book review

Jane Westaway reviews A Bold and Dangerous Family by Caroline Moorehead

10:45 The Reading

11:05 Political commentators Matthew Hooton & Stephen Mills

Matthew Hooton & Stephen Mills discuss the new poll which has Labour dropping to 24-percent of the vote, resulting in  Andrew Little raising the option of him stepping down.

11:30 The Kiwis taking on London's food scene

No matter what time of the day (within reason) the Caravan club of Miles Kirby, Laura Harper-Hinton & Chris Ammermann have got you covered. Already known in London for their three Caravan restaurants their Kiwi take on cuisine is coming back to New Zealand via a cook-book promising 'all-day dining' for laid back cooks. Kathryn Ryan talks to Miles and Laura from the UK capital. They share their recipes for Chargrilled Lamb Cutlets with Chermoula and Fried Cornbread with Chipotle Butter, Corriander, Spring Onions and Lime.

11:45 Off the beaten track with Kennedy Warne

Kennedy discusses the climate report issued last week by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, and shares stories from a few off the beaten track places he's visited in the last couple of weeks.