09:05 Brakes on Auckland? AT considers lower speed limits

The board of Auckland Transport has a big decision to make today: whether to slow traffic on key roads across the city in a bid to reduce deaths and injuries. In 2017, 64 people died on the regions roads and another 749 were seriously injured - that's a 78 per cent jump since 2014. Under the speed limits bylaw that will be voted on today, 10 per cent of high-risk rural, urban and residential roads across the Auckland region could have their speed limits reduced - including a new 30 kilometre per hour speed limit set for Auckland's CBD. With Kathryn to discuss this is Freightways chief executive Mark Troughear and Barb Cuthbert from Bike Auckland.

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Photo: Auckland Transport

09:20 Obesity challenging NZ's aged care sector

Photo of young carer helping the elderly woman

Photo: 123RF

A new VUW School of Nursing report into aged residential care facilities has found them ill equipped to accommodate the increasing number of New Zealanders who need bariatric specific care, due to extreme obesity. It's calling on the Ministry of Health to urgently develop comprehensive standards for bariatric care within acute and community settings, as well as to review national standards, improve equipment and implement safe staffing ratios.

Dr Caz Hales says the implications of not addressing these concerns include increasing the financial burden on the aged care sector, longer acute hospital stays, and further stigmatisation of people with obesity. Dr Hales is presenting her research at the NZACA Conference in Wellington 22-24 October. Kathryn Ryan is joined by Dr Caz Hales and her colleague Dr Helen Rook who is also a lecturer at the VUW School of Nursing.

09:45 Trump's G7 host backtrack and Pelosi's trip to Jordan

US correspondent Susan Milligan joins Kathryn to discuss a rare backpedaling by Donald Trump on plans to host the G7 at his resort in Florida and attempts by acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney to finesse his walk-back of comments that yes, Trump did hold up aid to Ukraine to get an investigation of a debunked theory about Ukraine, a DNC server and election violations. She'll also talk about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's surprise delegation to Jordan to discuss the crisis in Syria and the Kurds.

Mick Mulvaney answers questions from the White House press corp.

Mick Mulvaney answers questions from the White House press corp. Photo: AFP

10:05 The Laundromat: Panama Papers real-life thriller.

The Laundromat

The Laundromat Photo: Netflix

Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jake Bernstein takes us inside  the world revealed by the Panama Papers; one of secretive offshore tax havens, corruption, and fraud on a massive scale. Jake was a senior reporter on the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Panama Papers project which won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting. (He earned his first Pulitzer Prize  in 2011 for coverage of the financial crises.) His exploration of the scandal is now a book and a major motion picture starring Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, and Antonio Banderas.

The film, The Laundromat, has already been released on Netflix in the US, despite a lawsuit from Mossack Fonseca lawyers trying to shut it down.

10:35 Book review - R. A. K. Mason: Uncollected Poems

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Photo: Cold Hub Press

Harry Ricketts from quarterly review periodical New Zealand Review of Books Pukapuka Aotearoa reviews R. A. K. Mason: Uncollected Poems, edited by Roger Hickin. Published by Cold Hub Press.

10:45 The Reading

The Imaginary Lives of James Poneke by Tina Makereti read by Mitch Thomas. Episode 9 of 12

11:05 Zero Carbon Bill report: How did business react?

Business commentator Rod Oram takes a close look at reaction to the Environment Select Committee's report back on the Zero Carbon Bill, which left its most contentious point about a methane target for 2050 unchanged. National is seeking seven changes it wants in the Bill, while some business leaders fear the Government won't have the numbers to pass it.

Carbon dioxide emissions control concept. 3d rendering of co2 cloud on fresh spring meadow with blue sky in background.

Photo: 123RF

11:30 Could Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles ever overtake battery EVs?

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Photo: Toyota

Electric Vehicles have seen a dramatic rise in popularity in this country, and would seem to be light years ahead of  hydrogen vehicles which are yet to hit the road because of a lack of refueling infrastructure. However, some industry leaders, like Hyundai and Toyota believe hydrogen has a significant role to play in decarbonising the transport fleet. Meanwhile, in September the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment put out a green paper on the vision for hydrogen in this country.

Dr Richard Meade joins Kathryn Ryan to discuss the relative merits of rechargeable electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Dr Meade is Principal Economist at Cognitus Economic Insight, a Senior Research Fellow in Economics at Auckland University of Technology, and Vice President Auckland of the Law & Economics Association of New Zealand.

11:45 MediaWorks sale -  the implications.

MediaWorks is selling its TV business posing an uncertain future for stars such as Samantha Hayes and Mike McRoberts.

MediaWorks is selling its TV business posing an uncertain future for stars such as Samantha Hayes and Mike McRoberts. Photo: Getty Images

Standing in for Gavin Ellis this week is Andrew Holden, a journalist for more than 30 years including five as Editor of The Press (in Christchurch) and four as Editor-in-Chief of The Age in Melbourne. Andrew is now the Director of Communications for New Zealand Trade & Enterprise. He and Kathryn discuss the big news in the media this week: the sale of MediaWorks New Zealand TV business.