Nine To Noon for Wednesday 3 July 2024

 

09:05 What needs to happen to get vocational education moving in the right direction? 

What will unwinding Te Pūkenga look like for students and staff in the vocational education sector? The government has promised it'll reveal its plans for the mega institute in the coming weeks, and will seek feedback. Te Pūkenga - a merger of the country's polytechs and industry training organisations - was officially launched 18 months ago, but was more than three years into the process, when the incoming National government halted it. The former polytechs and ITO's  have been lending to each other, to the tune of $170 million. And it's unclear what will happen with that money , or with asset sales, as disestablishment continues. The Tertiary Education and Skills minister Penny Simmonds says unpacking the complicated financial situation is a major piece of work, as its constituent parts all have different financial positions. While some had maintained financial reserves, others had significant debt. The government's plan for disestablishment was due about now. But how will it happen? Kathryn spoke to Phil Ker, the former chief executive of Otago Polytechnic, and Julie Douglas, the president of the Tertiary Education Union. 

09:25 Wairoa mayor uses Givealittle page to raise funds for recovery

As the Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery visits Wairoa today, a mayoral relief fund on Givealittle for the town has swelled to more than $120,000. Minister Mark Mitchell had already announced the government would contribute $300,000 to help communities in Hastings, Wairoa and Tai Rāwhiti. The town's mayor Craig Little has warned the cost of last week's floods could be more than $40 million, which he says the town can't afford. Some 500 homes were damaged and many families have been left homeless. Craig Little is set to hold a media briefing with the Minister later this morning.

09:35 Ario's remote-parking scooters make world debut in Auckland

Ride-share scooters have been a familiar sight on New Zealand's city streets for the past six years - but what about one that can "scoot" to repark itself? Singapore-owned Ario is launching what it says are the most advanced shared e-scooters on the market  - and it's chosen New Zealand as its debut market. Specifically, the outer suburbs of Auckland - and at first, just New Lynn. The Ario scooters have a three-wheel design, which the company says makes them stable and therefore, more safe. They also have 360-degree sensors and cameras. But perhaps the game-changer for this scooter, is the ability to remote park them. Kathryn is joined by Ario's New Zealand General Manager Adam Muirson to explain more about how that will work and how riders' privacy will be protected.

09:45 Australia: New Governor-General, Senator exiled, vape ban, trippy gummies

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton joins Kathryn to talk about the swearing in of Sam Mostyn, the second-ever woman to take on the role of Governor-General. Meanwhile the first hijab-wearing woman in Australia's parliament, Fatima Payman, has been indefinitely suspended from Labor's caucus after she crossed the Senate floor to vote with the Greens on a motion to recognise a Palestinian state. A controversial new ban on the sale of flavoured vapes and restriction on sale through pharmacies has taken effect this week - but not everyone is happy and the makers of Uncle Frog brand mushroom gummies have had to withdraw them from sale after a number of people took ill. 

Karen Middleton is political editor of the Guardian Australia

10:05 Understanding dogs and coaxing canines to good behaviour 

Betty Hall recently retired after more than three decades in animal welfare in Tauranga. Her job with the Western Bay of Plenty District Council involved enforcement and education. She's dealt with canines with a range of behavioural issues and many animal owners who she could help to understand their pets better. After 35 years she's retired, headed north to Kaitaia to a property where her own three dogs can enjoy space to run.
 

10:35 Book review: The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North 

Louise O'Brien reviews The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North published by Hachette

10:45 Around the motu : Libby Kirkby McLeod in Hamilton 

The 80 thousand dollar reward offered by the police for information on missing Marokopa man Tom Phillips and his three children has expired, so what happens next in the search for the elusive fugitive?

11:05 Music with Kirsten Zemke: Important contributions to rock

Kirsten traces the important contributions made by Native Americans to rock music, particularly the guitar sounds. Starting out as black music -  rhythm and blues - rock and roll went global in the 50s and 60s, eventually becoming "rock" and often now dominated by white artists. Kirsten looks at the racial politics of the genre.

Kirsten Zemke is an ethnomusicologist at the University of Auckland's School of Social Sciences

11:25 How to be a good listener

Auckland therapist Jo Robertson talks about the key components to listening well and how important that is in a relationship.
 

 

11:45 Science: What bees and gold nanoparticles can do to cancer

Science commentator Allan Blackman joins Kathryn for a look at a new study that's found honeybees can detect the subtle scents of lung cancer in the lab - even from a patient's breath. And researchers have been looking at the benefits of gold nano-particles in fighting cancer cells - how what's been found could fuel further research and a flexible solution for separating gases could make the process less energy-intensive and cheaper.

Allan Blackman is a Professor of Chemistry, School of Science, Auckland University of Technology