Nine To Noon for Tuesday 18 December 2018

 

 

09:05 Have we reached tipping point?

China refused to take any more waste plastic at the start of 2018, and in April we saw startling images of mountains of recycling with nowhere to go.  This year will also be remembered as the year New Zealand joined other western countries in banning single use plastic bags in supermarkets. Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage has also announced changes to the Waste Minimisation Act to reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill, and a product stewardship scheme, subjecting companies to a surcharge to cover disposal at the end of purpose.  Minister Sage talks to Kathryn Ryan about how well NZ is measuring up in reducing our waste mountain.

09:20 Dame Silvia Cartwright: new rules needed for legal profession

New rules are needed in the legal profession to address unacceptable behavior, according to a Law Society working group chaired by Dame Silvia Cartwright. The report finds professional codes aren't effective for dealing with complaints about sexual violence, harassment, discrimination and bullying. It said the lack of equality and diversity in the legal profession allows for unacceptable behaviour to flourish. The report also points to a lack of confidence that the Law Society will act against perpetrators, and that conduct and reporting standards are unclear. Kathryn talks with Dame Silvia about the issues in the profession.

09:45 US politics - year end and year ahead 

From the US, Susan Milligan reflects on a tumultuous year in US politics with President Donald Trump at the helm. She will also look ahead to what 2019 may bring and whether the government may have a pre-Christmas shutdown if funds are not forthcoming for a border wall.

10:05 Fonterra CFO Marc Rivers: finding financial truth

As Chief Financial Officer of Fonterra, Marc Rivers' current focus is a wide ranging strategic review of the whole dairy co-op, after a year in which the company reported its worst ever financial result. His aim is to cut debt by $800 million and return the business to profitability in 2019. Mr Rivers was previously CFO of the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche.  He talks to Kathryn about his plans to turn Fonterra around.

10:35 Book review - A Different Drummer by William Melvin Kelley

Jenna Todd from Timeout bookstore reviews A Different Drummer by William Melvin Kelley, which is published by Quercus.

10:45 The Reading

 Dove on the water by Maurice Shadbolt, read by John O'Leary. Part 2 of 4.

11:05 Deteriorating global economic climate

Business commentator Rod Oram talks to Kathryn about the Reserve Bank wants banks to increase their capital, one reason is the deteriorating global economic climate, as the IMF's last forecast describes. Also the outcome of the climate negotiations in Poland. 

11:30 Abel Tasman National Park, the 'people's park'

Abel Tasman National Park is New Zealand's smallest national park, but it has the largest number of visitors, 250 thousand people annually. Ecologist Philip Simpson was born and raised right beside the wilderness reserve and the park's flora and fauna has always fascinated him. He writes of this and much more in his new book - Down the Bay - a natural & cultural history of Abel Tasman National Park.

11:45 Name suppression ignored globally, regional news shake-ups

Gavin Ellis says the Grace Millane homicide case is all the proof we need to demand the courts re-examine name suppression rules. Also NZME is following Stuff in taking the axe to community newspapers, adding to the growing gaps in news coverage, and Herald staff are facing another round of redundancies.

Gavin Ellis is a media commentator and former editor of the New Zealand Herald.  He can be contacted on gavin.ellis@xtra.co.nz