Nine To Noon for Tuesday 8 November 2022

 

 

09:05 New insurance promises quick payouts after Pacific cyclones

As the cyclone season gets underway in the South Pacific, it's hoped a new type of insurance on offer could help ease the burden of a storm's aftermath for those on lower-incomes. Two pilot programmes in Fiji have been trialling parametric insurance - or index insurance - which offers cover against heavy wind and rain events, when those events meet a pre-determined threshold. Instead of waiting for an assessment like traditional insurance, a cash payout can be made within a matter of days. The pilot programmes were initiated by the UN Capital Development Fund and are now ready to scale up in Fiji for this cyclone season, with similar pilots launching in Tonga and Vanuatu. The UNCDF has also partnered with Tower Insurance, which is the first New Zealand insurer to offer parametric insurance in Fiji. UNCDF programme manager Krishnan Narasimhan tells Kathryn about how parametric insurance works and why it's helping to cover previously uninsured communities, and Tower's chief underwriting officer Ron outlines the pilot the company's launching with 10 families in Fijian fishing villages.

09:30 Town meets country: NZ Agricultural Show set to open in Christchurch

It's a big week for Canterbury - Cup and Show Week in fact. Later today Addington Raceway will be the scene of much fun, food and fashion - not to mention the odd horse race or two in the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup. And tomorrow the country's oldest and largest agricultural show gets underway, bringing the country to the city with a range of events and competitions. Tracy Ahern is the general manager of the NZ Agricultural Show, which had to be ditched in 2020 and was restricted to school groups last year. She joins Kathryn to talk about why there's a focus this year on getting as many kids along as possible.

09:45 US: Last round of campaigning ahead of Midterms

US correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben joins Kathryn on the final day of campaigning ahead of the Midterm elections tomorrow. The latest poll from NPR shows Republican leaning voters have been more enthusiastic about voting this year than those leaning Democrat - and than abortion hasn't been the main issue for Democrats. Voters, meanwhile, are on the lookout after reports of intimidation at polling stations. And groups led by Trump supporters have spent up big on ads targeting transgender children.

Danielle Kurtzleben is a political correspondent assigned to NPR's Washington Desk

10:05 Acclaimed historian Ben Macintyre: Colditz Prison

Journalist and best-selling author Ben Macintyre is behind some of the most thrilling tales of espionage and World War II non-fiction; A Spy Among Friends, The Spy and the Traitor, Agent Sonya and many more. His book Operation Mincemeat was adapted into a film starring Colin Firth, and SAS: Rogue Heroes, adpated by the creator of Peaky Blinders has just been released on TVNZ. Ben Macintyre has now set his sights on history's most infamous prison; Colditz Castle in eastern Germany, which was converted into a prisoner of war camp during World War II. The Nazis had decided to hold all of their most difficult and troublemaking prisoners in one spot - in a castle they thought would impossible to escape from. But more escape attempts took place at Colditz than any other prisoner of war camp, and it became known for its prisoners' ingenious plots to escape Nazi clutches. Kathryn speaks to Ben Macintyre about his new book Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle. 

10:35 Book review: A Guest at the Feast by Colm Tóibín

Louise O'Brien reviews A Guest at the Feast by Colm Tóibín, published by Simon and Schuster

10:45 The Reading

11:05 Business: Don't mention the 'r' word, Manaaki/Indigo saga

Business correspondent Pattrick Smellie joins Kathryn to talk about the big 'r' - recession. The banks and the RBNZ don't want to use the word, but it's increasingly difficult to see how a recession can be avoided and there were some ugly pointers to on in the Reserve Bank's financial stability report last week. Pattrick also counters the narrative that "New Zealand has lose 50-thousand jobs to get inflation under control" and argues that an independent inquiry needed into the Manaaki/We Are Indigo saga.

Pattrick Smellie is the editor and co-founder of BusinessDesk and has reported on the New Zealand economy and business since 1983.

11:30 Photographing Stewart Island over 30 years

One of New Zealand's leading landscape photographers Rob Brown has been travelling to Rakiura for many years now, hauling his tramping pack around the island, full with the usual supplies, as well as a fair amount of photography equipment. His popular book Rakiura: The Wild Landscapes of Stewart Island was first published in 2006, and has now been revised with new photographs, and updated information. 

11:45 Sports correspondent Sam Ackerman

We take a glimpse into what is a hugely populated and important sporting calendar right now and Sam looks into why margins matter.

 

Music played in this show

Track: Rose in the Dark
Artist: Cleo Sol
Time played: 09:30am