Nine To Noon for Wednesday 12 February 2025

 

09:05 Pacific children worst off in State of the Nation report

Feeding a family is the most difficult it's been in years according to the Salvation Army's annual State of the Nation Report published today. It says one in four households are going without food 'sometimes' or 'often.' For Pasifika families that's even worse, with about half of Pasifika families reporting they go without food regularly. The Salvation Army says New Zealand is backsliding on much of its social progress, as food and housing become increasingly difficult to afford. Kathryn speaks to Dave Letele from  Buttabean Motivation Foodbank in South Auckland and Julie Chapman, the CEO and founder of Kidscan that helps children affected by poverty with food and clothing.

09:25 The Cook Island's deals with China - money and forging a sense of nationhood    

Unease is continuing over the planned comprehensive strategic partnership agreement to be signed between the Cook Island's and China. The Cook Island's Prime Minister, Mark Brown is in Beijing to finalise the deal. The New Zealand government says it wasn't consulted as required under agreements between this country and the realm nation, something Mark Brown disagrees with. The Cook Islands opposition has organised a protest in Rarotonga next week. All this in a year when the Cook Islands is celebrating it's 60th anniversary of self-governance with the theme "I know who I am, I have a homeland.' Cook Islands political commentator, Thomas Tarurongo Wynne, joins Katherine to talk about what is motivating the direction of the Cook Islands government.

09:35 Power lifter Avila Allsop excels late in life

At 89-years-old Avila Allsop turned heads at last week's Masters Games with her powerlifting. She picked up the sport three years ago and lifted a personal best of 70kg, winning the gold medal at the event held in Whanganui last week. Avila says she started powerlifting after her personal trainer encouraged her. She chats to Kathryn from her home in Huapai.

09:45 Australia: Trump plumping, ancestral repatriation, pets on planes

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton says PM Anthony Albanese had been trying to persuade US President Donald Trump to exempt Australia from the planned 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports - but the country got singled out for criticism anyway. The National Museum has held a ceremony to transfer the remains of two Moriori people back to New Zealand as part of a worldwide repatriation effort. Virgin Australia is trialing pets on planes and Australia's best beach has been named - in a rather surprising location.

Karen Middleton is Political Editor of the Guardian Australia

10:05 Custodio Victorino's life of tragedy and courage

When Custodio Victorino made a desperate plea for help, it was perhaps surprising a response came in the shape of a biographer. And probably more important: someone to listen to his life story of equal parts tragedy and courage. That person was retired Nelson dentist Ross Ferguson. Custodio was at a desperate low, after folding his business and his wife had been diagnosed with cancer and was having treatment. He found himself walking the streets of Nelson where he found a phone number on the door of a local church - and left a message asking for help. Ross was the person on the end of that number and over coffee the two met and he was able to hear Custodio's story. But his troubles in Nelson were only the start for Custodio. Born in Angola -  a country known for its decades-long civil war between communist and anti-communist forces - Custodio had to escape a military camp to avoid becoming a part of that war and walk hundreds of kilometres to get to Namibia where he was one of the first members of a massive refugee camp. He then made his way to South Africa as that country broke the shackles of apartheid. Custodio says he wants to tell his story not for others to feel sorry for him, but to offer hope and encouragement when times are tough.

To purchase a copy of the book - contact Ross at ryferg70@gmail.com

10:30 Major generators rally to keep Huntly going

The major electricity companies are in discussions to create a longer term back-up fuel supply after last year's dry year. Genesis, Mercury, Meridian and Contact have entered into discussions over buying a strategic fuel reserve to cover shortages - such as what happens in a dry year when the country's hydroelectric dams are at low levels. Last year's dry year combined with tight gas supply as well as intermittent supply from wind farms - to create an energy shortage that pushed electricity spot prices to a level that caused some industrial operators to shut down their operations. It also led to Genesis and Contact going to the country's biggest gas user Methanex to buy its gas supply to alleviate the fuel pressures last year. In a note to the NZX this morning, Genesis says it is working on a deal with the other generators to keep its coal-burning Huntly Power Station operating as the back up electricity source for the country. Genesis chief executive Malcolm Johns speaks to Kathryn.      

10:35 Book review: Three of the best from 2024

Hannah August reviews three of her favourite books from last year: The Life and Opinions of Kartik Popat by Brannavan Gnanalingam, published by Lawrence & Gibson, Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout, published by Viking, and Alphabetical Diaries by Sheila Heti, published by Fitzcarraldo Editions.

10:45 Around the motu: John Freer in Coromandel

John discusses the latest in the Coromandel Peninsula including tourist operators reporting a very successful summer season, fishermen are concerned over proposed high protected areas, and Kūaotunu fire updates.

John Freer is a CFM local news reporter from the Coromandel Peninsula.

11:05 Music: A tribute to Toni Huata

Music correspondent Dave Wilson talks about the contribution made to music in Aotearoa by Toni Huata, who has passed away. Huata was a champion of Māori music and te reo, and released much of her music in her mother tongue. She was also the Kaihautū Puoro Māori - director of Māori music at the SOUNZ Centre for NZ Music. 

Dave Wilson is a saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and interdisciplinary scholar, a Senior Lecturer in Music at the New Zealand School of Music-Te Kōkī.

11:20 Hayley Sproull on taking over as host of NZ's Comedy Gala 

Hayley Sproull is Kiwi comedian, scriptwriter and actor, as well as a TV and radio host. You might have seen her on The Great Kiwi Bake Off, Have You Been Paying Attention? or Taskmaster...maybe you've caught one of her comedy gigs. And if not - you're in luck - she'll be at this weekend's Saturday Laughs in Lower Hutt as part of the New Zealand Fringe Festival. She'll also be this year's host of the Best Foods Comedy Gala - which serves as the curtain-raiser for the International Comedy Festival in May.

11:45 Science: Quantum mechanics turns 100, Asteroid Bennu's life secrets

Science correspondent Allan Blackman talks about how the theory of quantum mechanics was born back in 1925, and the ways it's gone on to change our lives by enabling a range of technologies we now rely on. Asteroid Bennu has been providing researchers great clues into whether asteroids could've brought the building blocks of life to Earth. And research from NZ's NIWA has revealed a significant trend in the atmosphere's self-cleansing ability.

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