Nine To Noon for Monday 2 May 2022

09:05 Legal aid system in grave danger if no new money in budget : senior barrister & ex crown prosecutor

A senior barrister and former crown prosecutor says unless this month's budget contains new funding for the legal aid system, it is is danger of collapse. Hourly rates for legal aid work haven't changed since 2008 and are around half what a Crown Prosecutor or independent counsel receives. As a result there has been an exodus of lawyers willing and able to offer legal aid. The Law Society commissioned an independent report by Colmar Brunton last year, which surveyed nearly 3000 lawyers on access to justice. Three quarters of the legal aid lawyers who participated said they had to turn away people seeking legal assistance because they didn't have the time to take on the client, or because their firm had reached the maximum amount of legal aid clients it could afford. A quarter of legal aid lawyers said they intend to stop in the coming year. Tiana Epati is a barrister, former crown prosecutor and as immediate past president of the Law Society, commissioned the Colmar Brunton research. She holds grave fears for the legal system if the budget later this month doesn't include a funding boost for legal aid.

09:30 The extra mile: What community healthcare workers went through in lockdown

New research into what community healthcare workers experienced in the early days of the pandemic has been released this morning - finding many answered 'a call of duty' to care for their patients, sometimes at the expense of being with their own families. They went the 'extra mile' to care for their patients, often without access to proper PPE and with little in the way of tangible thanks.  Dr Eleanor Holroyd, Professor of Nursing at AUT is the lead author of the study - which had 3644 responses, and in-depth interviews with 22 community healthcare workers. It's part of work by the CARUL Collective, which investigates how people in Aotearoa and in the UK have engaged with and experienced the social restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She says there's five recommendations to safeguard community healthcare workers in future pandemics - including demystifying the heroism and self-sacrifices projected onto them.

09:45 Europe correspondent Seamus Kearney

In what could be a massive blow to Russia's ability to pay for its Ukraine invasion, there are increasing reports of an imminent EU ban on Russian oil.  And in France, just a week of being re-elected as French President, Emmanuel Macron has been the focus of angry street protests marking May the 1st Labour Day marches. Unions and left-wing political parties joined tens of thousands of people calling on Macron to drop his plans to raise the retirement age.

 

10:05 Dave Letele : fighting obesity by example

Over the last eight years, Dave Letele has helped thousands of people lose weight and get fit through his Brown Buttabean health programme.  The progamme spun out of Dave's own journey in which he lost over 100 kilograms and turned his life around. Now, in addition to running free fitness programmes, his organisation runs education, youth and employment programmes, as well as a food-share scheme. Dave Letele was recently named Kiwi Bank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Award.

10:35 Book review: Left on Tenth by Delia Ephron

Laura Caygill reviews Left on Tenth by Delia Ephron, published by Penguin Random House NZ   

A life affirming story of finding love and hope amidst grief and illness from one of New York’s best loved writers.

10:45 The Reading

11:05 Political commentators Jones & Thomas

The Government is trying to advance some longstanding and challenging big picture policies.  Neale, Ben and Kathryn discuss the Government's climate plan and areas at risk of sea level rise, the future of 3 Waters and Co-governance.

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.

Ben Thomas is a PR consultant and a former National Government press secretary.

11:30 Feijoas all year round

The feijoa season usually passes in a blaze of glory. Glorious months with an abundance of the fruit...and then the season ends. So how can you enjoy feijoas all year round? Heather Smith is the founder of Heather's Feijoas, which boasts a range of feijoa products, from freeze-dried wedges, to powders, purees and jellies. Kathryn speaks to Heather about the feijoa industry, the products she's created, and shares a recipe and some tips for making delicious desserts, breakfasts or snacks. 

11:45 A scramble up the Remarkables with Kennedy Warne

Kennedy explores some of the rock bivouacs that climbers use for overnight shelter in the valley of the south branch of the Wye Creek, just south of Queenstown.

Music played in this show

Track: The Barrel 
Artist: Aldous Harding
Time played: 9:30am

Track: You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio 
Artist: Joni Mitchell
Time played: 10:35am 

Track: Good Times
Artist: Chic
Time played: 10:45am 

Track: Everybody Needs Somebody to Love
Artist: Solomon Burke
Time played: 11:35am