Nine To Noon for Wednesday 9 August 2023

 

09:05 Bitter pill: New report finds NZ lags behind in timely access to medicines

A new report examining how medicines are funded in New Zealand suggests it's too cost-focused and should instead be approached as an investment in Kiwis' welfare. The ShawView report - commissioned by Johnson&Johnson -  says New Zealand is falling behind similar high-income OECD countries in providing access to new treatments. It suggests immediately funding the 109 medicines sitting on Pharmac's Options for Investment List, the creation of a government plan to increase the annual medicines budget to get it closer to the OECD average, developing new financing mechanisms, setting up a dedicated fund to finance innovative new medicines and creating a national medicine policy. Brendan Shaw is behind the report - he's worked in a number of roles across government, NGOs and pharmaceutical associations - including Medicines Australia and with the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations.

09:25 Wool carpet petition finally heading to Parliament

A petition calling for Government buildings to be fitted out exclusively with wool carpets is finally set to be presented to Parliament. It follows a decision to fit more than 600 rural schools with US-made synthetic carpet which has drawn the ire of many farmers, including Canterbury farmer Angela Blair, who started a petition. A similar petition led by Amy Blaikie had already reached 15,000 signatures back in 2020, but due to an admin error, it was never presented to Parliament. Angela Blair will now present her petition before the house is suspended for the election, saying the Government claims it wants to back the wool industry but its actions don't back that up.

09:35 Cellphone ban in schools: does it work?

National says if it becomes the Government, it will regulate all schools to ban cellphones all day in classrooms and in the playground. Leader Christopher Luxon says this will lift achievement by eliminating distraction, and enabling students to concentrate on learning. The Principals' Federation has dismissed the policy, calling it unnecessary and unworkable. A number of schools around the country have already implemented policies restricting cellphones. Susie speaks with Matt White is the Principal of Wairarapa College and Ann Brokenshire, Principal of Christchurch's Hillmorton High School, about how it is working in their schools.

09:45 Australia: Voice delay dismissed, Mid East name change, deadly mushroom lunch

Australia correspondent Annika Smethurst joins Susie to talk about the determination of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to push ahead with the referendum on the Indigenous Voice, despite polling showing a drop in support for it. The Labor Government has changed how it refers to Palestinian areas, reinstating the term "Occupied Palestinian Territories" and vowing to strengthen its objections to "illegal" Israeli settlements. A Victoria woman who cooked up a deadly mushroom dinner and killed three of her guests says she didn't do it on purpose, as police investigate. And there's joy in Australia, with the Matildas through to the quarter finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Annika Smethurst is political editor at The Age

10:05 Olivia Foa'i, vocalist for Disney hit Moana, is up for four Pacific Music awards for new solo work

It's the voice that kids sing their hearts out to all over world. Olivia Foa'i, whose vocals feature throughout Disney's "Moana" soundtrack and who toured for decades with internationally acclaimed Polynesian band, Te Vaka, is once again being acknowledged for her solo work as a finalist at the Pacific Music Awards. 

10:35 Book review:  We Need to Talk about Norman by Denis Welch

Sonja de Friez reviews We Need to Talk about Norman by Denis Welch published by Quentin Wilson Publishing

10:45 Around the motu: Kelly Makiha in Rotorua

Kelly joins Susie to talk about repeat sex offender Jason Trembath's latest jail term for an indecent act in front of a tourist at a McDonald's carpark. The former representative cricket player, who was out on parole when the offending happened will remain behind bars until the end of the year - when his new sentence start. Another court case that's caught the headlines was that of the unnamed entertainment figure who was up on serious sex assault and drug offences. A jury this week returned mainly not guilty verdicts. Rotorua has been told it's getting a new courthouse - but where? And Kapa Haka legend Wetini Mitai-Ngatai has announced the group is retiring from competition.

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist with the Rotorua Daily Post

11:05 Music with Charlotte Ryan

Charlotte looks at a local artist Hannah Everingham who's currently on tour, a new album release for the Kiwi band Strawpeople and Friday marks the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop - she goes old school to mark the occasion.

11:20 Growing your own veges with Leah Evans 

With food price inflation the highest its been in decades, growing your own vegetables has never been more appealing. But if you're not sure where to start, or think your outdoor area isn't big enough, gardener Leah Evans is here to help. She's been growing her own food for nearly 25 years, including on a tiny patio garden. She is full of advice for how to get started with the basics, like creating good soil and compost, how to grow from seed, and even how to grow vegetables in pots. She talks to Susie about how to grow garden staples, such as beetroot, broccoli, carrots, pumpkin and zucchini, from her book Hands in the Dirt: Grow your own kai with Mrs Evans. 

11:45 Science: Pandemic lessons, 'unknome' database, super-conductor saga

Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Susie to talk about a new comparison of how various countries handled the Covid pandemic and the latest research into gene variations which can make some people less likely to get Covid and others more likely to get long-Covid. She'll also talk about a new database that's been created to document the 'unknome' - genes in the human genome that have been identified, but whose functions are not known. And there's been a super-charged saga over new superconductor LK-99. Siouxsie breaks it down.

Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles is the head of Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland.