Nine To Noon for Tuesday 30 April 2019

 

 

09:05 Government Statistican on Census 2018

Kathryn talks with Government Statistican Liz MacPherson about Census 2018, which has been criticised as a "disaster" by some demographers.  No data has yet been released from the official survey, which was conducted online for the first time, and which had a low response rate. Statistics NZ says it is filling in the gaps with information from government records which it maintains is "real data about real people".

09:20 Where to put Queenstown's holiday park residents?

Around 300 residents of the former Lakeview holiday park in Queenstown face an uncertain future as plans to develop the site move ahead. The Queenstown Chamber of Commerce will hold a workshop in July to connect some residents with rental agencies - but is there room to squeeze more residents into Queenstown's notoriously tight rental market? The Chamber's new CEO Anna Mickell joins Kathryn to discuss.

09:45 Biden campaigns, NRA in turmoil

From the US, Washington bureau chief of The Guardian, David Smith talks to Kathryn about former Vice President Joe Biden's first campaign rally as he eyes up the 2020 Democratic nomination, an historian elegantly defends press freedom at the annual White House Correspondents' dinner and the National Rifle Association, the world's most powerful gun lobby, is in turmoil. 

10:05 A Woman of No Importance: The life of wartime spy Virginia Hall

Known as the "limping lady", Virginia Hall became one of the most feared spies during World War II. Sonia Purnell has examined her life and extraordinary talent at eluding the Nazis in occupied France - all the while coping with an amputated leg and the prosthetic she named "Cuthbert". Her book, A Woman of No Importance, looks at how Virginia Hall exceeded people's low expectations to become a legendary intelligence officer. 

10:35 NZ Books review

Sonia deFriez has our review today, she's been reading The Baker's Companion by Allyson Gofton.

10:45 The Reading

The Sound of Butterflies by Rachael King read by Elizabeth McRae. Part 3 of 11.

11:05 Insurance, R&D investment and meat alternatives

Business commentator Rod Oram talks to Kathryn about an IAG move to start charging homeowners more for their insurance in risky areas, also Douglas Pharmaceuticals invests $150m to expand its R&D and business, and Beyond Meat, the US maker of plant-based alternative 'meats', is heading for a near US$1bn float in the US.

11:30 Te Kotare: bringing a waiata dream to life  

A Kapiti early childhood teacher had a dream that she could write a whole lot of waiata, and travel around the country performing them to early childhood centres and primary schools.  Jenny Shearer died of brain cancer in 2015 and didn't live to see her dream become a waiata resource that is to be rolled out across all early childhood centres and primary schools by the end of May. Her husband Grant took on the mantle and created Te Kotare, a resource of ten waiata, recorded by several Maori vocalists.  

11:45 NZ Herald paywall & deciphering house price stats

Media commentator Gavin Ellis says there is a lot riding on the New Zealand Herald’s imminent paywall - including decisions on whether others will follow suit. Also, the phrase “lies, damned lies and statistics” is no more apparent than in stories on house prices. And the World Press Freedom Index pushes New Zealand up a notch.

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