Nine To Noon for Thursday 20 February 2025

09:05 Australia looking more enticing to students and older NZers - migration stats

Tertiary sector leaders are warning the exodus of young people from the country will worsen if a funding reduction for the sector goes ahead, with the cost of studying in Australia getting close to the same as studying here. A record 72,000 New Zealand citizens left the country last year, with nearly 40 percent of them aged 18-30. University student leaders say any further cuts to courses would entice more students to Australia. It follows a report from documents leaked to Stuff, that the government plans to end a 64 million per year `lifeline' funding plan for universities that was announced in 2023. The government has said it won't pre-empt Budget decisions. Meanwhile the brain drain is also drawing away large numbers of older Kiwis, with a record number of 25 to 46 year olds making the move. Kathryn speaks to Tertiary Education Union president Sandra Grey, alongside Aura Consulting Manager Director Bede Ashby.

09:20 Health NZ's Chief Medical Officer on future for primary health

GPs here are struggling with what they say is inadequate funding and  rippling workloads leading to burnout. They're asking the new Health Minister Simeon Brown to intervene urgently. Health New Zealand's Chief Medical Officer, Dame Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard is a former Chair of the UK Royal College of General Practitioners, and a frontline NHS GP throughout the pandemic. She talks with Kathryn about what she sees as the future for the primary health care sector here

09:35 The new South Island Minister, James Meager, on what he hopes to achieve

The new year brought a new minister for the South Island, for the first time ever. In the role is Rangitata MP, James Meager. The Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, said there was a minister for Auckland and he wanted the same voice for the South Island, albeit outside of Cabinet. James Meager has said he wants to get around every part of the South Island and work out what the priorities are. He joins Kathryn to talk about the new role and what  he wants to achieve.

09:45 UK: Inflation spike, 'dangerous journey' migrant rule, Boris' high handshake

UK correspondent Lara Spirit joins Kathryn to talk about a sharp increase in inflation in the UK - where is risen most steeply and why? Where does the UK sit on any Ukraine peace deal? Why some migrants who experienced perilous journeys to the UK could find themselves locked out of citizenship and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson is charging a mint for a handshake ahead of talk in Edinburgh.

Lara Spirit is a reporter for The Times Red Box, where she covers politics from Westminster.

10:05 Magic, glamour and a near fatal tiger attack: Luke Di Somma on his hit opera

Siegfried and Roy were a legendary entertainment duo who for a long time were the highest-paid act in Las Vegas. From 1990 to 2003 they wowed audiences at the Mirage Resort with their flamboyant mix of magic - involving white lions and tigers. That all famously ended in 2003 when Roy Horn was attacked on stage by one of their tigers. New Zealand composer and lyricist Luke Di Somma has written their story as a stage show Siegfried & Roy: The Unauthorised Opera, which was a hit at the recent Sydney Festival. He's also written the original music for a new musical comedy TV series called Happiness - starting Rebecca Gibney, which has just begun filming, an a concert of his work is currently on as part of the Hamilton Arts Festival.

10:35 Book review: Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico 

Laura Caygill reviews Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico - translated by Sophie Hughes, published by Text Publishing; Anna and Tom’s life as creative professionals in Berlin is under the microscope in this millennial revision of Georges Perec’s novel, Things: A Story of the Sixties.’

10:45 Around the motu: Jimmy Ellingham in Palmerston North

Jimmy talks to Kathryn about the latest in Palmerston North including delays in gastro related services, alcohol issues played a large part in court martial, rural roads have been upgraded, and a fizzy drink ban has been proposed.

Jimmy Ellingham is a RNZ Checkpoint reporter based in Palmerston North.

11:05 Tech: Microsoft 's quantum computing leap, Kiwi science shakeup

Technology correspondent Peter Griffin looks at Microsoft's stated breakthrough in quantum computing - can it deliver a practical quantum computer in a decade as it claims? Where will New Zealand's own scientists in this field be left in the government's planned shake up to crown research institutes and shut down of Callaghan Innovation? And public submissions closed this week on the Gene Technology Bill, with debate about liberalising our biotechnology laws about to heat up.

Peter Griffin is a Wellington-based science and technology journalist.

11:25 How early attachment impacts adult relationships

Neuroscience educator and parenting coach Nathan Wallis talks about how early attachment can impact adult relationships. He says the first 1000 days, plays a critical role in defining later outcomes for our children and for their future. Nathan features in a new Australian documentary Seen which explores the importance of personal healing for parents on parenting and its impact on child brain development.

11:45 Screentime: Apple Cider Vinegar, Lockerbie, Queer Aotearoa

Film and TV reviewer Tamar Munch joins Kathryn to look at Netflix's series Apple Cider Vinegar, which dramatizes the true story of convicted Australian scammer Belle Gibson, who became a wellness influencer based on the lie she had cancer. Colin Firth is front and centre of Lockerbie, on TVNZ1, which examines the devastating impact of the bombing on a Pan Am flight. And Eli Matthewson takes viewers on a journey through the untold history of New Zealand's queer community.