Nine To Noon for Friday 15 November 2024

09:05 Lay advocate's abusive conduct prompts fresh calls for sector regulation 

There are renewed calls from employment lawyers to regulate lay advocates following an Employment Court ruling where the judge strongly criticised the "unprofessional" and "abusive" conduct of an advocate toward the opposing party's lawyer. The court's judgment refers to correspondence from the advocate, Lawrence Anderson, which includes making phone calls and sending texts to the opposing counsel late at night, including at 1.21am on the day the hearing was scheduled to commence and using multiple accounts to post one star Google reviews of the lawyer. The Law Association's Employment Law committee wants lay advocates to face rules and regulations similar to what lawyers must comply with, such as duty of care to clients. Graeme Colgan is an experienced employment lawyer. He sat for 28 years as an Employment Court judge - the last 12 of which as the Chief Judge. Among other credentials he is a Life Member and Patron of the Employment Law Institute of New Zealand. He says there is a need to regulate lay advocates for the benefit of the courts and its proceedings, and to protect the clients for whom these advocates represent.

09:20 Teacher PD providers at risk of shutdown

The contractors who provide professional development to teachers say the speed of introduction of the new structured literacy and numeracy curricula means they may not have the staff to deliver the new programmes to teachers. Professional development facilitators are contracted by the Ministry of Education to run workshops and conferences on half of the allocated Teacher Only days each year. The Education Minister Erica Stanford has allocated $20 million for the ministry to design the professional development models for the new structured curricula. There are also changes to the way contracted providers are funded. The association representing the contractors has written to the Minister with their concerns - they say the speed of changes, and a lack of transparency,  has caused three operators to shut down so far. Whare Isaac-Sharland is the co-president of the Professional Learning and Development Association.

09:30 The mental health benefits of fishing

A new exploratory study has found that the act of standing in a river, trout or salmon fishing, has mental health benefits. The study was commissioned by Fish and Game, conducted by Centre for Pacific Studies at Otago University and recently published in the Journal of Social Sciences Online. It asked a group of regular anglers, how getting out in the back-country with a rod helped them. This initial study is part of a larger scale wellbeing research initiative by Fish & Game to be reported on later in the year. Kathryn speaks with the CEO of Fish and Game, Corina Jordan, and cancer survivor and keen angler, Paul Catmur.

09:45 Pacific correspondent Koroi Hawkins

RNZ Pacific Editor Koroi Hawkins 

10:05 How running coach Maree Leith is helping women go the distance

Maree Leith's introduction to running wasn't exactly a happy one. It was off the back of some blunt advice from a surgeon about her weight. The gain had been gradual, and borne of grief - Maree had lost three babies. While not pleasant, the surgeon's advice turned motivational - and led Maree to a six kilometre run...then 10km...a half-marathon, a full - and even ultra marathons. Maree started a Facebook Community called Go Run Girls to help women learn how to enjoy running in the same way she does. She's now written a book full of inspirational stories like - and including - hers, called Finding Her Stride. All nineteen women have a diverse range of backgrounds and running experience - but have, as Maree explains, put themselves on their "to-do list", and achieved things in the process.

10:35 Book review: Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk

Martene McCaffrey of Unity Books Auckland reviews Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk published by Scribe: 'Across two different time periods, two women confront fear, loneliness, mortality, and a haunting yearning that will not let them rest. A breakout, genre-blurring novel from one of the most exciting new voices of Latin America’s feminist Gothic.'

10:45 Around the motu: Tess Brunton in Dunedin

The Waitaki District Council says it avoided a possible environmental disaster by removing thousands of tonnes of historic waste. The New Zealand Nurses Organisation has petitioned Parliament to roll back its cuts to the new Dunedin Hospital and Health NZ has not said what it is spending on the consultants it has looking into retrofitting the old ward tower block. Otago Regional Council is considering how to tackle a significant flood hazard risk in a Dunedin suburb. And the government has earmarked more than $2 million to expand an aquaculture business hub in Southland.

RNZ reporter Tess Brunton in Dunedin covering Otago and Southland.

11:05 Music reviewer Grant Smithies​

Grant says it's time for uplifting music, so plays dancefloor friendly gems from Detroit’s Aged In Harmony, South London indie trio St Etienne and Los Angeles gospel diva, Betty Griffin.

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

Big news from the Black Caps, with one of their most experienced players announcing his retirement. Sam Ackerman looks at some big selection calls for the All Blacks and the Black Caps, as well as a rare home appearance for one of NZ’s top paid sporting stars and the influence of youtubers on sport goes under the spotlight. 

11:45 The week that was with Donna Brookbanks and Irene Pink