Nine To Noon for Tuesday 14 March 2023

 

 

09:05 Hipkins' policy bonfire

The Prime Minister Chris Hipkins yesterday ditched a raft of plans including the half-a-billion-dollar clean-car discount scheme, "re-scoping" Auckland light rail, while winding back other transport policies. The government is also deferring or cancelling work on other environmental, health, and employment and human rights policies. Chris Hipkins says his purge on various projects will save about one  billion dollars - which will be spent on so-called "bread and butter" issues and cyclone recovery. Yesterday he announced benefit increases are to be linked to inflation rather than the average wage. Meanwhile a new Kantar Public poll released last night puts Labour and National neck and neck - just two points between them. Kathryn discusses with politcial commentators Gareth Hughes and Brigitte Morton.

09:20 Te Pukenga still faces delays, staffing issues and budget cuts

Polytech courses up and down the country are underway for the academic year, but the mega-merger entity Te Pukenga still faces delays, staffing issues and budget cuts. Te Pūkenga came into existence on January the first, bringing more than 16 individual polytechnics under the one umbrella, with 260-thousand students , and 13-thousand staff around  across the country.   There have been several high profile resignations from the merged entity, which so far has cost $200 million. The most recent was Richard Forgan, deputy chief executive for strategy and transformation, who finished early this month after just weeks in the job. Te Pukenga's Chief Executive Peter Winder has told staff that savings of $35 million will have to be made this year. And an as-yet unpublished business case for Te Pūkenga suggests is seeking a further financial injection of $422.6 million over the next four years, from this year's budget. Penny Simmonds was Chief Executive of the Southern Institute of Technology for 23 years from 1997 to 2020 - before becoming the National MP for Invercargill. She says Te Pukenga is becoming a financial black hole, achieving very little for students and learners.

09:30 Electricity retailer goes beyond being climate-neutral to climate-positive

Ecotricity already positioned itself as a provider of 100 per cent renewable energy and was net carbonzero certified. It's now gone through a process with Toitū Envirocare to become climate positive: Its carbon footprint for its entire value chain has been measured, remaining emissions offset through carbon credits to 125 per cent and it's contributed a further 75 per cent of its carbon footprint to supporting projects that help society decarbonise. Joining Kathryn to explain why the company made the move is Ecotricity CEO Al Yates and to explain how the process works is Toitū Envirocare's CEO Teressa Betty.

09:45 USA correspondent Ron Elving

Ron talks to Kathryn about the Silicon Valley Bank faiure and whether there are more banks in jeopardy. Federal regulators in Washington and Joe Biden say all depositors will be made whole. Ron says this is one of several rather bold strokes coming from the President in recent days. Another was a call for higher taxes to the tune of trillions of dollars over 10 years directed at making wealthier taxpayers pay more and the third, was a decision to back an enormous oil drilling project in northern Alaska while opposing several other smaller energy projects in that region. Meanwhile, the legal drama around former President Trump  continues this week. many in Washington are concerned that the health of several senators may be keeping that chamber from operating at full strength.

Ron Elving is a Senior Editor and Correspondent, Washington Desk for NPR news 

 

 

10:05 QAnon: The conspiracy theory that has gripped the far-right 

On the 6th of January 2021 thousands of Donald Trump's supporters stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to keep Trump in power, emboldened by false claims that the election had been stolen. We've all seen the pictures of the crowd; a motley crew sporting red MAGA hats, army fatigues and waving every manner of flags. In amongst them, some carried banners that read "Trust the Plan". It's a reference to a viral QAnon conspiracy theory and it's also the title of Will Sommer's new book. Will Sommer is a political journalist for the Daily Beast who has dedicated his work to investigating right-wing conspiracy theories through in-depth reporting and even attending QAnon events in disguise.

10:35 Book review: The Porcelain Moon by Janie Chang

Elisabeth Easther  reviews The Porcelain Moon by Janie Chang, published by HarperCollins

10:45 Around the motu: Andrew McRae in Hamilton

RNZ journalist Andrew McRae joins Kathryn to talk about the cleanup efforts around Waikato following Cyclone Gabrielle, why the idea of a super council taking in Hamilton and surrounding districts is being floated again, why the days of free entry into Hamilton Gardens is numbered and the continued opposition to planned development on the Opoia pa site.

11:05 Business: Could the cost-of-living boost be inflationary? 

Business commentator Pattrick Smellie joins Kathryn to examine yesterday's announcement that main benefits, including pensions and student allowances will be increased by 7.22 per cent to keep up with inflation - what will the effect be on wages? He'll also look at the government's less sure-footed Industry Transformation Plans and the odd timing of Beef and Lamb NZ's campaign against carbon farming of forests. 

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

11:30 Erect-crested penguins, doing OK on NZ's far flung islands?

A third of the world's penguins live on and around New Zealand's shores.  Some species are listed as endangered, including erect-crested penguins, Kathryn's subject of conversation with Thomas Mattern. Thomas recently went on a six week mission by yacht to the Antipodes and the even more remote and rarely-visited Bounty Islands, trying to establish how the little-known-about erect-crested penguin is actually doing. Thomas Mattern is Research Fellow in the School of Zoology at the University of Otago, part of the team at the Tawaki Project and the Global Penguin Society.

11:45 Sports-chat with Sam Ackerman

Tales of comebacks, upsets and tantrums - Sam looks at the biggest stories moving the sporting needle right now, including the Black Caps producing a remarkable finish for the second consecutive test, what the Crusaders shock start means for Scott Robertson’s All Black ambitions and the rise of New Zealand’s sprinting star.
 

Music played in this show

Track: Days Like These
Artist: Matt Munro/Quincy Jones 
Time played: 10:35

Track: Wanna be Startin' Something
Artist: Michael Jackson
Time played: 10:38