Nine To Noon for Wednesday 24 July 2019

 

09:05 What's at the top of Boris Johnson's agenda?

Boris Johnson is the new Prime Minister of Britain, beating out leadership rival Jeremy Hunt. He's promised to deliver Brexit by Halloween on October 31 - but how realistic is that? Kathryn speaks with Tim Bale, a professor of politics at London's Queen Mary University. 

09:25 Law Commission recommends shake up of break up laws

The days of a straight 50-50 property split in the event of a relationship breakdown could be numbered if  Law Commission recommendations are adopted by the government. The commission has released its final review of the Property (Relationships) Act, making 140 recommendations, including changes to how the family home is shared. Rather than the automatic 50-50 split, if the family home was owned by one partner before the relationship began or was a third party gift or inheritance, only the increase in the value of the home during the relationship should be shared. The Law Commision's Deputy President and lead Commissioner Helen McQueen discusses the recommendations with Kathryn.

09:35 Climate Leaders' Coalition turns 1: what's been achieved?

Over 100 businesses,  including some of the country's biggest, have signed up to the year-old Climate Leaders' Coalition. 60 businesses including Z Energy, Fonterra, Air New Zealand, Kiwi Rail, Ngai Tahu Holdings, Spark, Vector and Westpac formed the coalition a year ago. By signing up, they committed to measuring and reporting their emissions to align with the Paris Agreement. That number has now grown to 107, representing 60 per cent of the country's gross carbon emissions. Kathryn asks Climate Leaders Coalition convenor and CEO of Z Energy Mike Bennetts, what's really been achieved

09:45 Citizenship brawling and Masterchef exit

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton reports on Scott Morrison and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton asking parliament for the power to ban some Australian citizens believed to have been associating with terrorists abroad from returning home for two years. She'll also look at the bombshell news that upset the final of Masterchef's season 11 last night - the departure of all three of the show's judges over a pay rise they were reportedly seeking of up to 40 per cent.

10:05 Orwell's 1984. 70 years on and still too close for comfort

It is hard to escape the influence of George Orwell's Nighteen-eighty Four. Phrases and concepts like, 'Big Brother', the 'Thought Police', 'Room 101', 'Doublespeak' and even 'Orwellian' have infiltrated the language and consciousness of countless individuals whether they've read the book or not. But it is more than just a collection of memes, which is perhaps why many people reached for it around the election of Donald Trump. Alternative facts anyone ? UK journalist Dorian Lynskey has written the first biography of 1984 that examines the novel in all its aspects. It is called The Ministry of Truth: A Biography of George Orwell's 1984.

10:35 Book review - Peat by Lynn Jenner

Holly Walker reviews Peat by Lynn Jenner, which is published by Otago University Press.

10:45 The Reading

Part three of Pearly Gates by Owen Marshall, read by Gavin Rutherford 

11:05 The shifting focus of the music business

Music reviewer Graeme Downes looks at how the music industry has extended itself beyond the music. The hook is no longer just confined to the handling of musical ideas - but extends to activities on social media. To demonstrate his point, he looks at the music of Billie Ilish and Calvin Harris.

11:20  Kelsey Gee:The Kea project 

Recent Massey University graduate Kelsey Gee talks to Kathryn Ryan about her design project helping to empower children of prisoners during visits to see their parents. Her project has been picked up by the Department of Corrections, and she is working with the High Impact Innovation Programme (HIIP) to implement it.

11:45 How powerful are judicial reviews?

We hear about lots of cases where people are seeking a judicial review of decisions of ministers, officials or public bodies - such as activist Mike Smith's challenge to the government's decision on climate change. But what are they and what power do they have?

Dr Dean Knight is an Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Victoria University of Wellington and a Visiting Fellow, Department of Law, London School of Economics and Political Science.