Nine To Noon

09:05 Minister for Regulation on his Bill to guide good laws

A Regulatory Standards Bill, seeking to create a blueprint for good law-making, is set to pass this parliamentary term.  The bill, in various iterations, has been before parliament three times, promoted by the Act Party, and has failed each time. A discussion document over the summer attracted 23,000 submissions. The concept of the bill is to reduce state influence, and prioritise the personal property rights and freedoms of individuals. It also aims to improve the overall transparency of the law-making process. Act party leader and Minister for Regulation, David Seymour,  says better laws which reduce the amount of red-tape for the public will drive productivity, and be better for the country overall. Critics of the bill however, say such a law would actually be counter-productive, resulting in duplication, extra costs and would constrain governments from considering principles not related to personal rights and property. David Seymour speaks to Kathryn Ryan.

09:25 Young high schoolers keener to kick vaping

Researchers have found teens in school years nine to 10 have the highest desire to quit when taught about the risks of the habit. The study involved 332 students across four Christchurch schools - and mostly between the ages of 13 and 15-years-old. In the research students were given true and false statements to answer before and after they were given an information session about vaping risks as well as the tobacco industry's involvement in selling vaping products. The biggest takeaway the researchers found was the youngest who were quizzed - those in year 9 and 10 at school - showed more of a willingness to quit than older students. This comes after the latest ASH Year 10 survey found regular vaping rates of 14 and 15-year-olds had dropped for a third year in a row. Dr Ben Wamamili is one of the authors of the research and talks to Kathryn about how it was done. Sharon Pihema from the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation speaks about how the research lines up with her observations of working with young people trying to quit vaping.

09:45 Germany correspondent Thomas Sparrow 

Thomas Sparrow reports on Germany being just weeks away from the polls, a bleak economic outlook, and a debate about remembrance and historical responsibility after world leaders gathered at the former Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz to commemorate the 80th anniversary of its liberation.

10:05 Stage show celebrates film star and tech genius

Scientist and actor Heather Massie's stage show celebrates the life of the extraordinary Hedy Lamarr - a film star and tech genius. Dubbed the 'mother of wifi',  Hedy Lamarr developed frequency hopping technology that ultimately became the basis for today's WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth communication systems.  She was also a film star in the 1930s and 40s, and described as "the most beautiful woman in the world".  Heather Massie studied astrophysics and theatre. HEDY! THe Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, part of the Auckland Arts Festival, has been touring the world, and is the first in a triolgy of shows devoted to women in science.

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

Jenna Todd of Time Out Bookstore reviews her three favourite books from last year: All That We Know by Shilo Kino, published by Moa Press, Kataraina by Becky Manawatu, published by Mākaro Press, and All Fours by Miranda July, published by Canongate.

10:45 Around the motu: Keiller MacDuff in Christchurch

Keiller discusses how after more than a century, the Christchurch City Council has finally agreed to hand back a urupā in Pūrau, updates on a controversial wastewater treatment plant in Akaroa, and Christchurch born Dame Sophie Pascoe retires.

Keiller MacDuff is a RNZ Senior Journalist based in Christchurch.
 

11:05 Political commentators Hurdle and Moroney

Tim Hurdle is a former National senior adviser, was the National Party Campaign Director in 2020. He is a director of several companies, including Museum Street Strategies, a public affairs firm.

Sue Moroney is a former MP with the Labour Party and now chief executive of Community Law Centres Aotearoa. 

11:30 The Four Saucemen: Kiwi barbeque rub company finds success in the US

There's no such thing as a barbeque 'season', according to Adam Winter. And he should know. He's the co-founder, along with wife Sarah, of a Kiwi barbeque rub company that's finding its feet in the land of big barbeque.  The Four Saucemen's Manuka Hot Honey Rub took 6th place out of 900 entries at the world's biggest BBQ competition: the annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque. Not bad for a company that started in a home kitchen six years ago. Sarah and Adam Winter join Kathryn to talk about how a decent rub can transform your meat - and the heat that comes with cooking at the big BBQ competitions.

11:45 Urban Issues with Bill McKay

What to do about overheating homes? Bill McKay is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland.