Nine To Noon for Friday 27 January 2017
09:05 More inmates, more prisons, what next?
The prison population has never been higher, requiring big spending on new jails. Kathryn Ryan asks Corrections head Ray Smith what his department is doing about it.
09:25 Do taxes on foreign buyers work?
What are some of the world's most expensive cities doing to fight housing affordability? Originally from London, Mukhtar Latif is Vancouver's Chief Housing Officer, where last year a 15% tax on foreign buyers was implemented. He talks to Kathryn Ryan about what the effect has been.
09:45 Pacific correspondent Mike Field
New Caledonia, Guam and Bougainville are preparing for unusual self-determination referendums; CIA files reveal why the Soviet Union wanted bases in Tokelau and Tonga; and several Pacific countries outraged over public release of fishing boat tracks in exclusive economic zones - and in a New Zealand marine reserve
10:05 How do you decide where you belong?
Renee Liang talks to Kathryn Ryan about her play, the Bone Feeder, which is being turned into an opera for this year's Auckland Arts Festival. It tells the story of a young Chinese man searching for his roots & is inspired by the true story of the SS Ventnor. It is performed in three languages with Western, Maori and Chinese instruments.
10:35 Unity Books review - Best of 2016 - Cassie Richards
Cassie Richards of Unity Books shares her picks of the best books from 2016.
- Pond by Claire-Louise Bennett, published by Picador
- The Vegetarian by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith, published by Portobello Books
10:45 The Reading
Blessed Are by Sara-Kate Lynch, read by Ginette McDonald (Part 5 of 10)
11:05 New music
Grant Smithies falls head over heels in love with a compilation of rare jazz, funk and soul tracks from Brazil, Trinidad and Ghana, strapped together by Brighton label, Mr Bongo. Oh, and also the latest single from Wairarapa's finest, Lord Echo.
11:30 Sports commentator Brendan Telfer
Team NZ breaks ranks with the other 2017 Americas Cup syndicates over the new agreement for future Americas Cups, Stephen Fleming advises up and coming cricketers to think long and hard before putting test cricket ahead of limited over cricket and a preview Australian Open Tennis finals this weekend.
11:45 The week that was with Te Radar and Elisabeth Easther
Te Radar and Elizabeth Easther consider the plan to standardise symbols for high tech Japanese toilets, plus the news that US "doomsday preppers" are making a beeline for New Zealand.