Nine To Noon for Friday 18 August 2023

 

09:05 New sports integrity commission gets green light

Parliament has given the green light to a new independent sport integrity commission focussed on athlete wellbeing and protection. MPs voted unanimously on Wednesday backing the creation of the  Integrity Sport and Recreation Commission, which will be operational from next year as an independent crown entity. The Commission has a big remit. It will will develop the country's first ever Integrity Code - a kind of rule book for sport, and investigate any breaches of that code. It will also be a complaint and dispute resolution service, and will incorporate Drug Free Sport New Zealand and become the country's national anti-doping organisation. Sports Minister Grant Robertson says a central focus of the Commission will be on the wellbeing of participants and ensuring they have better support and protections to safely raise integrity matters. There have been a series of damning reviews into some of the country's elite sporting environments and bodies. One of the most significant was Cycling New Zealand and its treatment of Olympic cyclist Olivia Podmore, who died just over two years ago. Susie speaks with the chairperson of the Establishment Board, Auckland barrister Don Mackinnon and Olivia Podmore's mother, Nienke Middleton.

09:25 Ryan 'Brickman' McNaught on his gigantic Jurassic World exhibition

Ryan McNaught is best known by his nickname - Brickman.  He's one of 20 official LEGO Masterbuilders in the world - the only one  in the Southern Hemisphere and he's also the judge on the extremely popular TV series LEGO Masters Australia. Ryan is also the brains behind the Jurassic World exhibition that's on in Wellington at the moment - which involved over 10,000 build hours to create - and is the biggest exhibition the Brickman team have made. He joins Susie to talk through what it takes to put together a build like this, from first to last brick.

09:45 Asia correspondent Ed White

Asia correspondent Ed White discusses US soldier Travis King, who fled mysteriously across the demilitarised zone separating South and North Korea, as North Korean media finally comment on it. And three years after being detained in China, Australian journalist Cheng Lei has managed to get a message out from a Beijing jail. And worryingly there is a case of disappearing data in China as Beijing stops reporting key information including youth unemployment and Covid-19 death rates. 

Ed White is a correspondent with the Financial Times.

10:05 A Memoir : Dawn Mauldon on being raised by deaf parents

In her book Unheard Voices, Dawn Mauldon reflects on her own experience as a CODA - child of deaf adults, growing up in post war Melbourne. She also delves into the experiences of her mother's childhoood, as a deaf child in the 1920's. Now aged 79, Dawn views her memoir as an historical document which shows generational change in terms of inclusivity and accessibility of those who are hearing impaired.

10:35 Book review: Content Warning: Everything by Akwaeke Emezi 

Eden Denyer from Unity Books Wellington reviews Content Warning: Everything by Akwaeke Emezi published by Bloomsbury 

10:45 Around the motu: Kirsty Pickett in Te Anau

Kirsty Pickett is in Te Anau, where Meridian Energy has a big new plan to provide more reliable flows down the Waiau River. And a rite of passage for schoolkids across Southland and Otago - Deep Cove camp - is closed after a slip. 

11:05 New music with Jeremy Taylor

A long overdue full reissue of Talking Heads classic concert film, plus reissues from Brit indie faves Lush and a fond farewell to The Band's Robbie Robertson.

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

Sam Ackerman discusses how we can keep the momentum going as the women's Football World Cup draws to a close. And a new open category at this year's World Aquatics event in Berlin to accommodate transgender athletes. The Warriors are set to face the Sea Eagles tonight - Sam weighs up their chances of a win. And, how a spectator imitating a buzzy bee nearly threw Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas off his game.

11:45 The week that was with

Comedians Te Radar and Irene Pink have a few laughs including the tale of how two American tourist got to bed down up the Eiffel Tower.