Nine To Noon for Thursday 29 July 2021

 

09:05 Draft report into the supermarket sector released

The Commerce Commission has just released its draft report of its study into the grocery sector. The Commission has been looking at the main supermarket chains for more than a year, focusing on the price, quality and range available to customers, whether the major retailers have too much bargaining power and if they co-ordinate with each other to profit more. RNZ business reporter Kim Savage has been at the Commerce Commission's presentation this morning and talks to Kathryn.

09:15 Proposed changes to surrogacy law

The Law Commission is publishing an issues paper about the review of surrogacy law, submissions on which are invited until 23rd September 2021.  Proposals for an overhaul of New Zealand's surrogacy law would grant intended parents immediate rights and give surrogate mothers more financial support and protection, including from exploitation. Currently the surrogate mother holds all the legal rights to parenthood, until intended parents complete an adoption process to assume legal responsibility for their new child.  Reform of the surrogacy law would remove this step, instead requiring the surrogate mother to sign over responsibility, following a comprehensive pre-approval process. Other proposed changes to the law include giving children better information about their gestational mother and whakapapa.  Kathryn speaks with Principal Adviser at the Law Commission, Nichola Lambie.

09:30 SeaChange: Kiwi company building a hydro-foil ferry

Max Olson is the founder and CEO of SeaChange, a company that wants to build hydro-foil car and passenger ferries that would deliver zero-emission transit. Earlier this year the company successfully trialled a prototype, and plans are now underway to scale it up and take it across Cook Strait. Max joins Kathryn to talk about why he believes there's been under-investment in ocean travel when it comes to transport and the benefits it could bring to the environment.

 

09:50 Supermarket shakeup: has the Commerce Commission gone far enough?

The Commerce Commission says competition in the grocery sector is poor with Foodstuffs and Countdown essentially a duopoly dominating the market with little room for new entrants or competition. But in a draft report this morning, it has stopped short of recommending that the two major players be forced to give up some of their stores to make way for new players. The government ordered the study last year into whether there was enough competition in the sector, pricing practices, and treatment of food suppliers. The Commission says Foodstuffs and Countdown dominate the sector, and avoid competing with each other too strongly, which is bad for consumers. It has made a range of recomendations including ways to make it easier for new competitors to enter the market. Kathryn speaks with Jessica Wilson Research Manager at Consumer NZ.

10:05 UK: Covid numbers drop, vaccine donations, 'chain gang' talk

UK correspondent Hugo Gye joins Kathryn to discuss the unexpected decline in Covid numbers and the UK's belated announcement it would give away four million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine - something other countries have been doing from the outset. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spent a week talking tough on crime, but courted controversy over his desire to bring back "chain gangs" for those sentenced to community service. And millions of Britons are heading out on holiday as border quarantine rules are eased.

Music played in this show

Artist: Gabriels
Song: Love and Hate in Different Times
Time played: 10:10

Artist: Sleater Kinney
Song: Pathway of Wellness
Time played: 10:43

Artist: Rostam
Song: These Kids We Knew
Time played: 10: 47

Artist: ZZ Top
Song: Gimme All Your Lovin'
Time played: 11:47