Nine To Noon for Monday 14 February 2022

 

 

09:05 How to unleash New Zealand's digital productivity

New Zealand's being urged to do everything it can do now to boost its digital productivity, before it loses out to other OECD nations racing on the information super-highway. The recent 2022 OECD economic survey of New Zealand said the country needed to "unleash digitalisation" to boost productivity. It said New Zealand was being held back by skilled worker shortages brought on by border restrictions and a weak pipeline of those skills due to poor maths achievement in schools. So how can the local tech sector continue with the gains they've made in the past decade? Tech mergers and acquisitions here have grown from $750m to over $11b last year. Kathryn discusses with Bruce Jarvis, who's working on the Digital Tech Industry Transformation Plan, focusing on Software-as-a-Service. And Andrew Mayfield is the CEO of Optimal Workshop, which creates information architecture tools for user research, and has just recently had a $10m dollar investment that will help double his staff.

09:30 Park wars: Parliament petitioned for stronger mobility park enforcement

Fed up with people who misuse mobility parks, Claire Dale has launched a petition for tougher enforcement and stiffer fines. 150,000 mobility parking permits are currently in use nationwide through a scheme that's been administered by CCS Disability Action since the late 70s. But the enforcement falls to the carpark owner - the local council, if it's a public space, or the private landowner, in the case of malls or supermarkets. Claire joins Kathryn to explain where she thinks the current enforcement is weak, and what she hopes from presenting the petition at Parliament tomorrow. Also joining the conversation is Raewyn Hailes, an access coordinator for CCS Disability Action who runs the organisation's app for reporting mobility park misuse. Who are the biggest offenders and which companies turn a blind eye?

09:45 Europe correspondent Seamus Kearney 

The West tries new information tactics in confrontation with Russia. The US and the UK have been at the forefront of unprecedented efforts in recent weeks to quickly disclose intelligence reports about President Vladimir Putin's next possible moves, with  warnings of precise details of Russian troop buildups, suggesting an invasion of Ukraine is imminent. 

10:05 Heke Rua: a campus for our taonga

The ground has been turned and the building begun for a new whare for more than 7 million important documents.  A building of national significance, Heke Rua Archives, the new purpose-built archives facility in Wellington is state-of-the-art, with purpose-built digitisation and conservation facilities also for the National Library Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, and Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.  In fact, the new Archives building will be linked by a bridge to the National Library, creating a kind of public record and documentary heritage 'campus' for our stories, taonga and heritage. Built on the site of the original Pipitea pā, the project is unique in that the conception and design process has involved mana whenua Taranaki Whānui Te Āti Awa from the start.  Kathryn is joined by mana whenua Tāhuhu Principal Advisor Hinerangi Himiona who has been involved in this process each step of the way.   Also Arts Laureate Rangi Kipa, who led the design work on the new building, and Chief Archivist Stephen Clarke.

10:35 Book review: To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara

Ruby Brunton  reviews To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara, published by Macmillan

10:45 The Reading

Jamie McCaskill reads the final episode of 'Spider'  by William Taylor.

11:05 Political commentators Morten & Jones - protesters at parliament

Brigitte Morten, Neale Jones and Kathryn look the response of politicians to the ongoing protest situation at parliament. Also, just how much longer are the Covid mandates really are needed.
 

Brigitte Morten is a director with public and commercial law firm Franks & Ogilvie and a former senior ministerial advisor for the previous National-led government. 

Neale Jones was Chief of Staff to Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern, and prior to that was Chief of Staff to Andrew Little. He is the director of Capital Government Relations.

 

11:30 Stewart Island's gourmet food truck

Kadin and Kitty Conner's menu at Fin and Feather Eatery is changed monthly, reflecting what seasonal produce is available on Stewart Island. Chef Kadin talks to Kathryn about the savoury ingredients that inspire him, including using seaweed harvested by local school children and making his own crayfish flavoured salt. The couple also makes some high end donuts, which attract queues every Saturday.

 

11:45 Back to Work - and the future of how and where we will work.

Bill looks at the future of work after our last couple of years; the old normal, the new normal, working during a pandemic. And as we hear about the great resignation, he considers a few pros and cons of remote working versus the old-fashioned office/workplace.

Bill McKay is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland.

Music played in this show

Artist:  Dinner Party, Terrace Martin and Robert Glasper
Track: Sleepless Nights
Time played: 10:41