Nine To Noon for Wednesday 18 March 2020

 

09:05 Will New Zealand's Covid-19 stimulus package be enough?

Grant Robertson talks to Kathryn Ryan about his unprecedented $12-point-one billion dollar stimulus package.  It includes wage subsidies of $5.1 billion, which for employers means $585 a week  for full time staff, and $350 a week  for part time staff capped at $150,000 per business, $126million for self-isolation support, $500 million for health and a bump in benefits. But already he's admitting not all jobs will be saved.

09:30 Eldercare sector : protecting the elderly, screening visitors

Ministry of Health pandemic safety protocols are being implemented throughout the eldercare sector. Restrictions include screening visitors. Radius Care yesterday blocked all non-essential visitors to its 22 homes across the country and Ryman Healthcare has done the same. 43-thousand New Zealanders live in retirement villages, with another 39,500 in aged residential care, including resthomes, hospitals and dementia facilities. A newly formed industry taskforce is working through challenges posed by the Covid-19 outbreak. Kathryn discusses with Carolyn Cooper, managing director of BUPA, the country's largest aged care provider, John Collyns, executive director of the Retirement Villages Association and Esther Perriam, who is the Director of Eldernet.

09:40 Global airlines will go bankrupt soon: Centre for Aviation

A Sydney airline analysis and consulting firm is warning most airlines will be bankrupt by May unless urgent action is taken. With large swathes of the globe effectively in lock down, and extensive travel restrictions and border closures, carriers are grounding services and air travel dwindling rapidly.Trading in Air New Zealand shares remains on hold - while the airline is in talks with the government - its major shareholder. Air New Zealand has drastically slashed its international services by 85% and domestic services by 30%. Yesterday's economic stimulation package contained $600 million in support for the aviation industry not including Air New Zealand at this stage. Kathryn talks with Peter Harbison, Executive Chairman of CAPA Centre for Aviation.

09:45 Australia's Covid cases double in two days

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton looks at the impact of Covid-19 in Australia, with an announcement on mass gatherings expected shortly. Qantas has axed 90 per cent of its international flights and big festivals and sports events are off. Australians are being warned to return home as soon as they can, because they soon be unable to. A new $10b package is expected to be targeted at the worst-hit industries. 

10:05 Bagpipes: a family playing together, keeping Scottish ancestry alive

Southlander Brendon Fairbairn is keeping his Scottish ancestry alive to the tune of the bagpipes! Not only is he an A grade solo piper, he makes bagpipes too, by hand. The talent runs in the family, his wife Fiona and their two children Liam and Jessica competed with him at the New Zealand Pipe Band Championships in Invercargill at the weekend.

10:35 Book review - AUP New Poets 6

Chris Tse reviews AUP New Poets 6 by Ben Kemp, Vanessa Crofskey and Chris Stewart. This collection is published by Auckland University Press.

10:45 The Reading

Snapper in a Landscape  written and read by Declan O’Neill:  Episode three.

11:05 Coronavirus reverberates around the music industry

Music 101 host Charlotte Ryan looks at the impact of Covid-19 on the music industry here: which bands have cancelled their tours to New Zealand, which New Zealand bands have had to cancel their tours oversea and what can Kiwis do to help support musicians through this time?

11:20 Law meets theatre in Pop Up Globe collaboration

A different take on sponsoring the arts is seeing lawyers take centre stage at Pop Up Globe. Thanks to a unique sponsorship approach with law firm Anthony Harper aspiring young lawyers have been using Shakespeare plays to hone their court-room skills. The theme that was to be explored this year was intellectual property and related matters that occur in the new play Emilia, currently making its international premiere at Auckland's Pop-up Globe, directed by Miriama McDowell. Emilia plays until March 22.

Kathryn Ryan is joined by Pop-up Globe's Associate Art Director and Head of Research, David Lawrence and Lythan Chapman, the Business Development and Marketing Manager at Anthony Harper.

11:45 Art: Representing historical art narratives

Arts correspondent Julia Waite talks about some exhibitions she's seen lately that have found new narratives when it comes to abstraction. She'll also talk about how women are being increasingly represented, and what's happening in places like Central and South America, as well as the Middle East. 

Music played in this show

 

Artist: Kacey Musgraves

Song: Silver Lining

Time played: 11:45