Nine To Noon for Thursday 10 February 2022

 

09:05 Arrests at Parliament grounds 

As the convoy protest enters its third day, Police have told protesters that Parliament grounds have closed and are asking people to leave, or face being arrested. RNZ's political editor Jane Patterson is at Parliament.

09:10 Growing energy sector faces major workforce shortage

The electricity supply industry says it's on track for unprecedented growth in the coming years but will be hamstrung by a massive deficit in skilled tradespeople. The industry is warning of a looming skills shortage, with an aging workforce, closed borders limiting immigration and a tight labour market.  The worker shortage is against the backdrop of rising electricity demand, with Transpower saying as much generation will need to be built in the next 15 years as was built in the past 40 years. Kathryn speaks with Peter Berry, the chief executive of the Electricity Engineers'​ Association and Mike Grumball, the General Manager of Assurance at Waihanga Ara Rau - Construction and Infrastructure Workforce Development Council. 

09:30 Common Unity: a flourishing community hub

Ten years ago, Julia Milne started teaching school children at Epuni School in the Hutt Valley how to grow their own kai. That project has blossomed over the past decade into Common Unity - a full community hub. It now feeds two thousand school children a week with organic food, cooked in the hub kitchen, which also services a cafe. Much of the food comes from the backyards of Kainga Ora tenants, and Rimutaka Prison inmates who're also learning to garden. There's a low-cost, member-owned, plastic-free grocery co-operative; a community bike library offering rescued and repaired bikes to the wider Hutt Valley community, a honey collective and community sewing sessions. Julia Milne says her vision was to help feed tummies, but also feed connections and care. Common Unity's story is told in a new documentary made by Happen Films, which has its premiere on Saturday.  

 

09:45 UK: Savile's shadow, Cabinet reshuffle, pre-summer travel surge

UK correspondent Matthew Parris joins Kathryn to talk about the rebuke delivered to Boris Johnson over his attack on Sir Keir Starmer over Jimmy Savile, after protesters pounced on the opposition leader. The PM is trying to shore up support from the right of his party with a minor reshuffle, and there are calls to introduce a windfall tax after BP made its highest profit for eight years and tourism operators say "Covid's over" as they deal with record pre-summer bookings.

10:05 The softer side of Clementine Ford

Clementine Ford has been called an angry loudmouthed polemicist by her detractors, and a leading light of the feminist cause by her many fans.The Australian writer and broadcaster is well known for her first two books: Fight Like A Girl  and Boys Will Be Boys. In her new memoir, How We Love, she exposes a softer side - exploring everything from the loss of her mother to cancer, to becoming a mother herself. She’ll be appearing at the NZ Festival next month.

10:30 WCC joins action against protesters

Returning to the protest at parliament now where police have begun making arrests. Wellington mayor Andy Foster is in Molesworth Street, talking with businesses affected by the disruption.

10:35 Book review: The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan

Gail Pittaway reviews The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan, published by Penguin Random House   

10:45 The Reading

Jamie McCaskill reads episode 8 of SPIDER by William Taylor. Today: Spider is now in the last 20 for the Goldman Piano Prize and fully in the media spotlight.

11:05 State of emergency declared in Buller

A state of emergency has been declared in Buller after heavy rain has cut off Westport. Some of the worst affected Northern areas of town have already evacuated and more residents are braced for evacuation. The rising Buller River has reached worrying levels after 160 millimetres of rain overnight. Kathryn speaks with Te Aroha Cook, the West Coast Civil Defence group controller and Jamie Cleine, Buller District Mayor.

11:10 Technology: Pacific nations weigh up Bitcoin embrace + what's plaguing Meta?

Technology correspondent Peter Griffin joins Kathryn to look at how Pacific nations like Palau and Tonga are considering whether to follow El Salvador's lead and embrace Bitcoin as legal tender to lower the costs of remittances and attract investment. And why is Meta's share price down 35 % for the year and what's it doing to turn it around?

11:25 How to beat the back to school blues

School's back and while that's probably a welcome relief for parents after a long summer, it might not be plain sailing for every kid. There's the change in routine, new faces and maybe even a whole new school. There's also the Covid curveball - and new measures schools have put in place to minimise the risk to students, including mandatory mask wearing. So how can parents help their kids navigate the transition from holiday to term-time and get them settled in? Kathryn talks to Dave Atkinson, CEO of the Parenting Place.

11:45 Film and TV: The Tinder Swindler, I Want You Back, The Worst Person in the World

Film and TV reviewer Tamar Munch joins Kathryn to talk about some Valentines'  - and possibly anti-Valentines' Day viewing options, including The Tinder Swindler (Netflix) which is about three women who swiped right on an international fraudster - and decided to get payback. She'll also talk about I Want You Back (Amazon Prime) and newly-announced Oscar contender The Worst Person in the World (in cinemas from Feb 17).