Nine To Noon for Wednesday 7 August 2024

09:05 Retirement village operators "open" to Ombudsman scheme

Retirement village operators say they're open to the idea of an ombudsman scheme to deal with complaints from residents. Over 53,000 New Zealanders currently live in retirement villages, with around 130 people move in to one each week. A new nationwide campaign, "Unite for Seniors," backed by the Retirement Village Residents Members Association, is calling for a radical overhaul of what is described as unfair laws governing retirement villages. A review of the 20-year-old Retirement Villages Act by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is underway and over 11,000 submissions have been made. Residents who do not own their units and only have rights to reside, must cover maintenance costs, and lose out when licences to occupy are resold when they leave. Consumer NZ has been campaigning for a law change for some time. Paddy speaks to Consumer's investigative team leader Rebecca Styles and also the Retirement Village Association's executive director John Collyns.

09:15 Australian defence expert cautions NZ over AUKUS Pillar 2

An Australian defence and foreign policy expert is cautioning New Zealand against joining AUKUS Pillar Two. Pillar Two of the security partnership between Australia, the UK and the US focuses on developing and sharing military technology between the group, including drones and hypersonics. Foreign Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand is "investigating" joining AUKUS Pillar Two, while the Prime Minister, Chrisopher Luxon told the Financial Times recently, New Zealand was "very open" to it. Former Prime Minister Helen Clark and former National and ACT Party leader Don Brash have teamed up to oppose any such move, saying it would be a radical change in NZ's foreign policy, which could upset our biggest trading partner, China. Australian National University Emeritus Professor Hugh White is in New Zealand at the invitation of Miss Clark and Dr Brash and joins Paddy Gower in studio.

09:40 New exhibition exposes hidden history of modern women artists

 The 50 years between 1920 and 1970 were full of societal and political upheaval. Now a new exhibition at Toi o Tamaki, Auckland Art Gallery, seeks to explore the role women artists had at shaping the art of the time. It's called Modern Women: Flight of Time, and combines more than 80 paintings, sculptures, prints and textiles from well-known artists like Rita Angus and Frances Hodgkins - to those who are lesser known. The exhibition takes its name from the book that accompanies it, offering more detail of the featured artists and their work. Julia Waite has curated the exhibition and talks to Paddy about its significance.

09:45 Australia correspondent Annika Smethurst

Australia has upped it's terror threat, with ASIO chief Mike Burgess renewing a all for politicians to watch their words. The threat level has been raised from  from possible to probable. 16 Aussie athletes have tested positive for Covid at the Paris Olympics. And the Reserve Bank of Australia says interest rate cuts are still six months away. It has kept interest rates on hold at 4.35 per cent.

Annika Smethurst is political editor at The Age

10:05 Lucy Foulkes: Why teens behave the way they do

Adolescence is a time many of us might want to forget: full of self doubt, peer pressure, bullying, and self consciousness. It's also a time of intense friendships, first love, risk taking and self discovery. Dr Lucy Foulkes is an academic psychologist at the University of Oxford, where she leads research into adolescent mental health and social development. In her new book, Coming of Age, she draws on decades of research to reveal why teens behave they way they do. Dr Foulkes says even though it's terrifying for parents, we need to let our teens take some risks - and recognise that much of what happens in adolescence is normal and healthy

10:35 Book review: Awatea's Secret by Fraser Smith 

Louise Ward of Wardini Books reviews Awatea's Secret by Fraser Smith published by Huia 

10:45 Around the motu: Samantha Gee in Nelson

A Nelson-based organisation that supports the most vulnerable tamariki and their whānau across the top of the South Island is set to lose almost 40 per cent of its frontlline staff, as Oranga Tamariki reduces its funding. Nelson council is investigating options for the  development of a new library, civic centre and community hub. A new experimental vineyard in Marlborough has been established to allow for more research into wine production - by controlling the environment in which grape vines are grown. And the discovery of a water dragon in the wild in the Tasman district comes with fears over invasive species. 

11:05 Unemployment rate rises to 4.6 per cent

The unemployment rate rose to 4.6 per cent in the June quarter, up from 4.3 per cent in the previous quarter.
Over the year, unemployment rose by 33,000 to 143,000. Economists had expected a rise with most picking it to land at 4.7 per cent. This data is the last to land before the Reserve Bank decides what to do with interest rates at its next meeting next Wednesday. Paddy speaks with RNZ's business journalist Anan Zaki.

11:10 Music with Charlotte Ryan

Music 101 host Charlotte Ryan joins Paddy to play a track from American singer-songwriter Bill Callahan, who's released his first album in nine years. She'll also celebrate an iconic album from Jeff Buckley that's 30 years old this month and a new single from Tami Nielson from her Willy Nelson covers album recorded at his ranch.

Charlotte Ryan is host of RNZ's Music 101

11:20 Signs leading up to a relationship breakdown

Auckland therapist Jo Robertson talks to Paddy about the common key components that lead to couples calling it quits.

11:45 Personal finance: The ins and outs of insurance

Money expert Lisa Dudson joins Paddy to talk insurance: what kind do you need, how much should you insure yourself for, how can you keep premiums under control and what things could get it voided?

Lisa Dudson is the owner of Acumen.co.nz. Her advice is of a general nature.