Nine To Noon for Friday 12 February 2021

 

 

09:05 Oranga Tamariki at a crossroads

What is the future for Oranga Tamariki? The ministry charged with caring for vulnerable children is again at a major cross-roads with the departure last month of the Chief Executive Grainne Moss. The Ministry was established nearly three years ago, replacing Child, Youth and Family, and promised more early intervention and targeted support for at-risk children, more support for caregivers and better resourcing for social workers. But it has been the subject of a several critical reports particularly of its care of Maori children  - who make up 59 per cent of all children in care. Sir Wira Gardiner is now acting chief executive and an advisory board has been established which will report by June. Lynn talks with Glennis Phillip-Barbara, Assistant Māori Commissioner for Children, Vaughan Milner, a registered social worker with 45 years experience, on the board of the Association of Social Workers and Chief Executive of Caring Families New Zealand, formerly known as Fostering Kids NZ - Linda Surtees.

09:28 Covid vaccine doses to arrive next week

The Prime Minister has just announced New Zealand's first batch of covid 19 vaccine will be arriving next week. Border workers will begin to be vaccinated from next Saturday. RNZ's Health Correspondent Rowan Quinn with the latest.

09:20 EV vs Petrol - costs and emissions

With transport emissions in the sights of the Climate Commission and government, a new study finds driving a used electric car is cheaper in the long term than even a new petrol car. The Climate Commission says to reach our climate change commitments under the Paris agreement, at least half of all car imports need to be either full plug-in EVs or plug-in hybrids within six years, and the majority of kiwis to be driving electric by 2035. Currently there are only around 25,000 full EVs out of four million cars on the road. Lynn speaks with Dr Arif Hasan lead author of the study which compared the costs and emissions of electric and petrol powered cars, and co-author Professor Ralph Chapman, Director of Victoria University's Graduate Programme in Environmental Studies.

09:35 Barrier Ninja

A show where personal stories underscore barriers Māori have to accessing health care is playing in the Auckland Fringe Festival.  Barrier Ninja is a one woman performance, based on real-life recordings of doctors, patients and nurses speaking of inequity and the need to cut through red tape, much like a ninja. Barrier Ninja deviser and University of Otago academic Fran Kewene tells Lynn Freeman ultimately this is a heartwarming and hopeful piece.

09:45 Pacific correspondent Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor 

The background to why 5 Micronesian countries have withdrawn from the Pacific Islands Forum, and Fiji's opposition National Federation Party says Fiji's credibility as a leading state in the region is at stake over the government's deportation of the Canadian vice-chancellor of the University of the South Pacific. 

10:05 Positive ageing in fiction and in life 

Not many people get to see the full gamut of the human experience as local GPs do. From cradle to the grave they hold our hands and listen to us. It's the listening that's especially important. Sydney based GP and novelist Joanna Nell writes stories that feature people defined by their personality rather than their age. Her novels feature young at heart protagonists who aren't about to be told that their time is up. Her first two novels, the Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village and The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker, were hits, and a third one was published near the end of last year. The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home returns to familiar territory for Joanna, but with a fresh angle. 

10:35 Book review - Best of 2020 - Māori writing

Arihia Latham with her three top picks from 2020 reading:

Funkhaus by Hinemoana Baker (Victoria University Press), Tōkū Pāpā by Ruby Solly (Victoria University Press), Te Whē ki Tukorehe  - new bilingual Māori literature journal  (www.tewhe.nz)

10:45 The Reading

The Blind Tank by Vivienne Plumb read by Jo Randerson 

11:05 Music reviewer Grant Smithies​

Early NZ punk band The Plague is reforming for next week's Punk It Up live shows in Auckland, performing alongside members of veteran Aotearoa punk acts (No Tag, Terrorways, Instigators, The Features) and newer bands (Dick Move, Tigers). We'll hear key songs from The Plague and No Tag today, alongside choice cuts from obscure Chicago soul singer Arnold Blair and Damon Albarn's Africa Express project.  
 

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

In the Prada cup, it's go time tomorrow with Team UK against Luna Rossa - and Sam asks who exactly are we supposed to cheer for? The team we like the most or the team we think has less chance of beating Team NZ?. Also he examines the might of canoeist, Lisa Carrington who has been named the most influential Maori athlete of the last 30 years.

11:45 The week that was

With comedians Pinky Agnew and Karen O'Leary