Nine To Noon for Friday 5 February 2021

09:05 Air NZ urged to clarify refund/credit policy

Photo: AFP

As international travel continues to look like a distant prospect, Consumer New Zealand is calling for Air New Zealand to be clear with customers about its travel credit and refund policy. Since covid hit, the airline has held tens of million of dollars in credits for 2020 bookings. Air New Zealand gave refunds to some travellers, but the vast majority were unable to get paid out, instead holding a credit able to be redeemed for domestic travel. It is currently reviewing this. Consumer New Zealand's Chief Executive Jon Duffy says travellers need clarity on the refund and credit policy now.

09:15 More rural hospital doctors & more funding needed

Rural hospital trainees at a training workshop in South Hokianga Photo: Supplied

The country's only dedicated rural hospital training course is delivering doctors where they're needed, but is crying out for more funding. A fifth of the population rely on rural health services, and the Rural Hospital Medicine Training Programme was set up in 2008 to address shortages in the field.  Ten years on, a paper assessing the RHMTP's efficacy shows over 90 percent of graduates are choosing to work in provincial New Zealand; two thirds in the South Island. However, the study also reveals the continuing barriers to providing this much-needed resource includes a need for more funding for training requirements.  Lynn Freeman speaks with University of Otago report authors Dr Kaati Blattner and Dr Garry Nixon.

09:35 Tokelauan, a language in danger

Tokelauan is on UNESCO'S list of the world's severely endangered languages, how can it be safeguarded?
University of Auckland PhD student, John Middleton's thesis is based on the syntax of Tokelauan and he fears for the survival of the language. There are more Tokelauans living in New Zealand than in the Pacific atoll group.

Atafu, Tokelau Photo: RNZ PACIFIC / MACKENZIE SMITH

09:45 Asia correspondent Ed White

Ed has the latest on the coup in Myanmar which has shocked the world this week, threatening to abruptly end the south-east Asian country's shaky experiment in democracy over the past ten years and risking a longer-term regression to military rule. 

Photo: AFP

Ed White is a correspondent for the Financial Times, based in Seoul. 

10:05 Tahu Mackenzie in full flight 

Last year Tahu Mackenzie was named Otago Person of the Year and Educator of the Year at the Otago Hall of Fame inaugural awards. Tahu is the educator at Dunedin's Orokonui Ecosanctuary. She's also one of the co-designers of the  award winning Peka Peka cat proof bird feeder. 

She's a musician too, you can see Tahu in full flight here. Lynn Freeman visited Tahu at Orokonui to find out more about the magic of the sanctuary. 

10:35 Book review - Best of 2020

Photo: Elisabeth Easther

Elisabeth Easther with her favourite reads of 2020: Aue by Becky Manawatu (Mākaro Press, $35), The Heavens by Sandra Newman (Allen & Unwin, $32.99) and The Overstory by Richard Powers (Penguin Books, $26).

10:45 The Reading

Minding Lear, part five. Written by Owen Marshall and read by Aaron Alexander.

11:05 New music with Jeremy Taylor

Jeremy plays some tracks from one of his favourite UK indie labels. Rough Trade. Young Marble Giants, Robert Wyatt, Scritti Politti and more.

Photo: Twitter

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Sam canvasses an array of sporting codes, including NZ Rugby and whether we should be concerned about the proposed investment from the US. Tech investors Silver Lake are reportedly keen for a 10-15% minority share, valued around $465 million. Also Israel Folau, the Blackcaps and the Winter Olympics.

11:45 The week that was 

Comedians Te Radar and Pinky Agnew with a feast of funnies.