Nine To Noon for Thursday 22 December 2022

 

 

09:05 Air New Zealand's boss on flying over Christmas + Covid recovery

Many of us will be taking to the skies this week in the pre-Christmas rush - but there's been added pressure on airlines in the leadup to it. The aviation industry has struggled with the scale-up needed after the initial stages of the pandemic, with its lockdowns, flight groundings and mass layoffs of staff. In August Air New Zealand said it would need to reduce its flight schedule over the next six months due to staff illness, with 100, 000 passengers affected. Earlier this month Auckland Airport warned it needs to fill 1600 roles right now, and that could create delays. So if you're travelling this festive season, what can you expect? Air New Zealand's CEO Greg Foran joins Kathryn to discuss.

09:20 Has Brexit broken Britain's economy?

A recent report by the Economic and Social Research Institute has found Britain's economy has been seriously bruised by its exit from the European Union in January 2020. Trade between the UK and the EU is down by almost a fifth relative to forecasts had Brexit never happened. The rising price of imported food, labour shortages, including specialist doctors and truck drivers are also attributed to the split. Brexit has cost the UK  £33 b in lost trade and investment, according to a new study from the Centre for European Reform, which finds the economic damage is worse than expected.  A recent YouGov poll showed 56% of Britons thought they were wrong to leave the EU.  32% think they were right. Kathryn speaks with Jonathan Portes who is professor of economics at King's College London, and former director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

 

09:45 UK correspondent Matt Dathan

The most historic moment of the year was the death of Elizabeth II and the accession of Charles III.  For many people in Britain this was a moment to pause and take stock of the country's history and start asking questions about the future. Matt also reflects on the year of total chaos in Westminster, which included three Prime Ministers :  Boris Johnson's demise, Liz Truss's seven week reign and ended up with Rishi Sunak at the helm.  And like most of the rest of the world, the UK has been badly affected by inflation which has led to what is expected to be the biggest fall in living standards for decades. 

10:05 Singer songwriter Paige's big year

25 year old Auckland singer songwriter, Paige Tapara, began writing and recording music in her bedroom a few years ago, sharing on social media and busking. Since then she's been signed to Sony music and Arista records, won Best Māori Artist Award last year,  and toured with some of New Zealand's biggest acts including Six60 and Drax Project. She's been name-checked by some huge stars including Billie Eilish and Lizzo and has more than 360,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Paige talks to Kathryn about her songs that traverse sexuality, mental health, love and dreams.

 

10:30 Around the motu : Diane McCarthy in Whakatane

This winter and spring have had the highest ever recorded rainfall for Whakatāne district, and council staff have reported costs of damage to roads and reserves as being over $2.8 million, resulting in a shortfall in planned capital funding for next year. Diane McCarthy is the Eastern Bay of Plenty Local Democracy Reporter from the Whakatāne Beacon. She also talks to Kathryn about why popular summer attraction, the Ohope Water Slide has been closed for two days, and over recent months a roaming dog, or dogs have been killing pets in a 1km square block of town. 

 10:35 Book review: Greedy Cat's Christmas by Joy Cowley

Cynthia Morahan reviews Greedy Cat's Christmas by Joy Cowley, published by The CopyPress

 

10:45 The Reading

Part ten of My Father's Island written and read by Adam Dudding.

11:05 New technology with Bill Bennett

Technology journalist Bill Bennett takes a look at some of the biggest technology stories of the year : The sale of Twitter to Elon Musk, Meta, Amazon and other big tech companies laying off thousands of people. Bill says the international stories are downbeat, the local ones are much more positive. They include 2degrees merging with Vocus, and the second stage of the UFB fibre project completed this month, meaning 87 per cent of the population can get fibre broadband.
 

11:25 How to cope with stress over the holiday season

Family dynamics, dealing with in-laws, persuasion fatigue and sheer exhaustion can make for stressful holidays for many. Psychologist Sarb Johal says it can help to prepare like a professional athlete for "game day", anticipating triggers and preparing strategies. He shares his tips for coping with the festive season.

11:45 Screentime with Chris Schulz

Chris is along with the favourite things he's watched this year, his top 10.

10. WeCrashed (Apple TV+)
9. Industry S2 (Neon)
8. Andor S1 (Disney TV+)
7. Educators S3 (TVNZ+)
6. Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)
5. The White Lotus S2 (Neon)
4. Better Call Saul S6 (Neon)
3. Atlanta S3+S4 (Neon)
2. Severance (Apple TV+)
1. The Bear (Disney TV+)

 

Music played in this show

Song: Are You My Woman
Artist: The Chi-lites
Time played: 09:50