Nine To Noon for Tuesday 20 September 2022

 

 

09:05  Queen's biographer Robert Hardman on her final farewell

The second Elizabethan era drew to a close with the state funeral overnight for the 96-year-old monarch, attended by the royal family and 500 world leaders and dignitaries. Hundreds of thousands of people crammed into central London to watch the elaborate and solemn procession as her coffin was taken from Westminster to the royal vault in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, where she was laid to rest beside her husband, sister and parents. Among those watching the day's ceremonies closely was someone who's written extensively about the royal family. Journalist and author Robert Hardman spoke to Nine to Noon just a few months ago about his latest biography of Queen Elizabeth, Queen of our Times. He was at Westminster Abbey earlier in the day and joins Lynn to describe the occasion.

09:20 No evidence modern learning environments work: report

In 2011 the Ministry of Education embarked on a 10 year strategy to rejuvenate New Zealand's ageing classrooms. Millions of dollars were spent building open plan classrooms and implementing student led learning strategies.  But in his report for The New Zealand Initiative, Dr Michael Johnston,  found there was little evidence the policy has worked at all, and in some cases may be making learning even more difficult for some students. He says schools are now left with a legacy of a policy based on ideology.

09:30 From the #MeToo movement: new workplace sexual harassment legislation

New legislation addressing sexual harassment in the workplace will extend the time a person has to report sexual harassment from three months to a year. The Employment Relations (Extended Time for Personal Grievance for Sexual Harassment) Amendment Bill is currently at select committee stage. It's the first piece of workplace legislation resulting from the local #metoo movement and has been introduced by Labour MP Deborah Russell. Lynn speaks to Zoe Lawton, a barrister and an advocate for victims of workplace sexual harassment. In 2018 she set up a blog for legal professionals to report their experiences of sexual harassment. She later set up The MeToo Collective, a legal charity which aims to match people who have been sexually harassed or assaulted by the same perpetrator so they can report in groups. 

09:45 Renewed focus on US-Taiwan

The US President attends the Queen's funeral in London, meanwhile there's a renewed focus on Taiwan after the President told CBS News the U.S. would defend Taiwan with troops, not just aid.

Ron Elving is Senior Editor and Correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News.

10:05 Lauren Roche from troubled teen stowaway to GP and author

Author Lauren Roche has lived a life of constant reinvention. She was a high school drop out, who stowed away on a ship to the US at the age of 16. After being deported home she turned to prostitution - and it was an overdose that finally led her to get help for depression. She returned to high school at 20 - then medical school  - where she graduated and worked for many years as a GP. She was also an elite athlete, competing in Ironman events until a back injury robbed her of the ability to continue. Lauren has written about the events in her life in two autobiographies -  Bent not Broken which was published in 2000 and its sequel Life on the Line. She joins Lynn to talk about her latest book, Mila and a Bone Man - a novel about guilt, forgiveness and finding your way home.

10:35 Book review - Haven by Emma Donoghue

David Hill reviews Haven by Emma Donoghue, published by Macmillan

10:45 The Reading

The Writing Class, episode 11. Written by Stephanie Johnson, and told by Alison Quigan.

11:05 John Deere & the right to repair; Patagonia founder gives away company

Business commentator Rebecca Stevenson discusses the case against the agricultural giant John Deere by farming groups in the United States, fighting for the freedom to repair machinery without being locked in to using a John Deere- determined solution. She also looks at the announcement last week by the founder of the outdoor clothing company Patagonia Yvon Chouinard, that he's giving away his company to support environmental protection.

Rebecca Stevenson  is a senior writer at interest.co.nz.

11:30 Grammy award-winning composer Eric Whitacre

Lynn speaks to the Grammy award-winning composer and conductor, Eric Whitacre. Usually based in Los Angeles, he's currently in New Zealand touring one of his most recent compositions 'The Secret Veil', which will be sung at two performances by Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir. ‘The Sacred Veil’ is a 12-movement work, written in collaboration with his friend, the poet and lyricist Charles Anthony Silvestri, and tells a moving story of life, love and loss. Eric Whitacre is also credited for coming up with the concept of a virtual choir, uniting singers from around the world, by synchronising hundreds of audio recordings into one single performance. 

11:45 Money expert Simran Kaur

Simran Kaur is the co-host of the podcast Girls That Invest. She speaks to Lynn about how rising inflation and the reduction in house prices affect millennials, and a new study which reveals women in couples having significantly less savings and are more financially vulnerable.

This discussion is of a general nature, and does not constitute financial advice.

 

Music played in this show

Track: The People
Artist: Louis Baker
Time played: 9:45

Track: Taku Mana
Artist: Maisey Rika
Time played: 10:30

Track: Smooth Operator
Artist:  Sade
Time played: 11:30