Nine To Noon for Tuesday 7 June 2022

09:05 Boris Johnson survives confidence vote - for now

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has this morning survived a vote of no confidence brought against him, but it's clear a large proportion of his own Conservative Party no longer support him. Of the 359 Tory MPs who voted today  - 211 expressed confidence in Mr Johnson, while 148 voted against him. Under the current rules of the Conservative Party, the PM can't be challenged in a leadership vote again for 12 months. Kathryn speaks with UK correspondent Matthew Parris.

09:15 Rising construction sector liquidations "tip of iceberg" : expert

Liquidations within the construction sector are on the rise but industry experts says they're the tip of the iceberg.  A total of 92 companies in the building sector have gone into liquidation in the year to May 23, according to figures from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.  Data from the credit rating agency Centrix shows 27 percent of all liquidations in May 2022 were in the building sector.  Accounting & Advisory Firm BDO does an annual survey of the sector - last year's found 60 per cent of respondents were concerned about rising material costs, and the availability of important materials. Over half had issues with finding skilled staff, and labour costs. BDO has delayed this year's survey til later in the year but Partner and construction specialist James MacQueen says the winter will be tough. He speaks with Kathryn along with Executive Director of the Construction Industry Council, Graham Burke.

09:30 Why is New Zealand failing to control pesticide use?

While New Zealand's response to Covid was lauded by many, its response to another critical public health issue is being labelled 'abysmal'. New Zealand is among the highest global users of pesticides, but my next guest argues it lags behind the rest of the world when it comes to pesticide regulation and safety. Neil Pearce is a Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He's long held an interest in the health effects of dioxin; he was part of a delegation to Vietnam in 1995 to look at the effects of Agent Orange use and has studied former workers of the Ivon Watkins-Dow chemical plant in Taranaki. His new book is Pesticides and Health: How New Zealand Fails in Environmental Protection which looks at our ongoing shortcomings in environmental and occupational health.
 

09:45 US: More mass shootings as US debates gun control

US correspondent Kelsey Snell joins Kathryn to look at how the recent spate of gun violence in the US hasn't stopped, with at least 15 people dead and 60 wounded in eight states over the weekend. Lawmakers are under pressure to pass some kind of gun legislation  - but options on the table don't meet the demands of the President who wants a ban on assault weapons or a rise in the minimum age to buy a gun. Meanwhile the House will begin public hearings this week on the investigation into the January 6th insurrection.

Kelsey Snell is a congressional correspondent for NPR, based in Washington DC.

10:05 Robert Hardman: Why the Queen is nothing like her portrayal in The Crown

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee has been marked by a weekend of celebration across the UK and Commonwealth. Of all the reigns of British monarchs, Elizabeth II's has been the most well-documented, photographed and filmed.  But how well do we really know her? It's a question Robert Hardman tackles in his latest biography of the 96-year-old: called Queen of Our Times. Robert has written extensively about the British royal family, in both books and for many television documentaries including ITV's The Duke: A Portrait of Prince Philip and BBC's Charles at 60: The Passionate Prince, which he also narrated. He's been a journalist and columnist for the Daily Telegraph and most recently, the Daily Mail. While he's written about the Queen's life before, he tells Kathryn Ryan this book is different.

10:35 Book review: Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by AF Steadman

Louise Ward of Wardinis Bookshop in Havelock North reviews Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by AF Steadman, published by Simon and Schuster

10:45 The Reading

Episode one of 'My Father's Ears' by Karen Goa. 

The story is set in Canada and revolves around a Canadian/Italian family and their circus-like history.

It was adapted for RNZ by Owen Scott and told by Michele Amas

11:05 Political commentators: Brigitte Morten and Lamia Imam

Lamia, Brigitte and Kathryn discuss the latest Kantar Public poll, Labour's turn towards negative attack ads, Three Waters legislation reaches the house and the PM's White House meeting.

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. 

Lamia Imam worked for two years for the Labour Party in the Leader of the Opposition's office under Phil Goff, David Shearer and David Cunliffe. She also worked for the Ministry of Justice, before gaining a Masters in Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin. She currently works for a large technology company in Wellington.

10:25 Outside Number 10 Downing St

Home Affairs Editor at The Times Matt Dathan speaks to Kathryn from outside Downing Street.
 

11:30 Business: Climate change & insurance, Australia braces for rate hike

Business commentator Pattrick Smellie joins Kathryn to talk about the Insurance Council's reaction to the climate change adaptation plan, why the hydro scheme at Lake Onslow has some flaws and Australia braces for an expected interest rate hike.

11:45 Media: TVNZ debacle, China's Pacific tour restricts access, Sky TV on the block

Media commentator Andrew Holden joins Kathryn to talk about the departure of Breakfast host Kamahl Santamaria and the challenge it's created for new TVNZ CEO Simon Power. The recent visit by China's Foreign Minister to the Pacific highlighted tensions between the country's approach to the media and local journalists covering it. And Sky TV is back on the block, with reports two private equity groups have been encouraged to look into a buyout.

Andrew Holden is a journalist for more than 30 years including five as Editor of The Press (in Christchurch) and four as Editor-in-Chief of The Age in Melbourne.