Nine To Noon for Friday 20 August 2021

 

 

09:05 Rodney Jones: will the nationwide lockdown be extended?

Cabinet will decide this afternoon whether to extend the nationwide lockdown as the Delta outbreak continues to grow. Another positive case has been announced by the Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrell this morning. He's a young man in his 20s who tested positive after he went to Waitakere Hospital yesterday - he had been receiving treatment for an unrelated condition at North Shore Hospital earlier this week. North Shore Hospital is diverting patients elsewhere in response to the discovery. Meanwhile the list of locations of interest just keeps growing - now numbering 120. Public health experts and virus modellers are in agreement that an extension of the lockdown outside of Auckland and Coromandel is on the cards. Susie speaks with Wigram Capital Advisors economist Rodney Jones, who has been advising the government throughout the pandemic.

09:30 Construction waste : getting rid of "skip culture"

Local councils estimate that 40 to 50 per cent of total waste going to landfills is construction and demolition waste. Much of this could be diverted if it were sorted at the start. Susie speaks with Joe Youssef, founder and "chief encourager" of All Heart New Zealand, which partners with corporates to redirect and repurpose redundant and unwanted items. So far it has diverted 3 million kilograms of redundant materials from the corporate sector away from landfills. Susie also speaks with Tara Moala is with the Tamaki Regeneration Company about the programme she's running to repurpose and recycle 2500 old state houses.

09:45 Asia correspondent Ed White

Ed reports on China being expected to expand its influence and strategic interests in neighbouring Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban's stunning return to power and he has the latest on Beijing's hostage diplomacy with Canada.

Ed White is a correspondent with the Financial Times.

10:05 Champion jouster Sarah Hay

Sarah Hay is one of the world's best jousters, and the first woman in the world to win the Queen's Jubilee Horn, the most coveted in the world of international jousting.  The Australian born teacher lives and works in Saudi Arabia, but mostly competes in the medieval sport in Europe. Covid has put a major dampener on jousting competitions around the world, but Sarah says as soon as she can, she'll be back on horseback, wearing 30 kilograms of armour and facing off against her opponent.

10:30 Sir Michael Cullen dies aged 76

The former Labour finance minister and deputy Prime Minister Sir Michael Cullen, has died aged 76 in Whakatane. Sir Michael Cullen had a long and distinguished career in academia, politics and business governance. He is best known for introducing the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, also known as the Cullen Fund; Kiwi Saver and the Working for Families package. He was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer early last year. Sir Michael spoke to Kathryn Ryan in June about his career, life, and new memoir.  Susie speaks with the current finance Minister Grant Robertson.

10:35 Book review: Sinatra and Me: in the wee small hours by Tony Oppedisano

Leah McFall reviews Sinatra and Me: in the wee small hours by Tony Oppedisano, published by Simon and Schuster.

Leah says "Inevitably respectful and at times, reverential, this memoir by a confidante lends insight into the older Sinatra - a still-powerful but at times unhappy man, who relied heavily on an entourage of fixers and helpers. Also a portrait of a bygone twentieth-century America, of tuxedoed men in jazz clubs with Brylcreemed hair and pinky rings, who circled Sinatra and tended the flame of his celebrity until the end."

10:45 The Reading

Builder's Notebook, episode 5. Written and read by Sarah Boddy.

11:05 Covid-19 in Wellington suburb

RNZ understands there are as many as three positive cases of Covid-19 in Wellington. It's understood the cases are part of the same family in the eastern suburb of Miramar. They would be first cases outside of the Auckland Region in the current outbreak. Susie speaks with Nine to Noon Executive Producer Clare Sziranyi. 

11:10 New music with Jeremy Taylor

Sir Paul McCartney gets a helping hand on a rejig of last year's 'McCartney III' set, Billie Eilish serves up the dark side of fame on her second album, and Ace Records compiles Norman Whitfield's productions

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

Sam surveys the impact of the lockdown across sporting codes, including provincial level, rugby and basketball and internationally, the Paralympic team, the All Blacks and Black Caps whose travel plans have come under extra scrutiny. Also Sam talks to Susie about the independent inquiry launched following the sudden death of cyclist Olivia Podmore.

11:45 The week that was with

Comedians James Elliott and Elisabeth Easther with some much needed laughs.

Music played in this show

Track: Weekend Run
Artist: Unknown Mortal Orchestra 
Broadcast time: 9:25am