Nine To Noon for Thursday 25 November 2021

 

 

09:05 Crisis in the National Party

RNZ Political Editor Jane Patterson as a special caucus meeting takes place following the sudden demotion of Simon Bridges by National Party Leader Judith Collins, following an allegation of serious misconduct, some four years ago. RNZ has been told that Simon Bridges apologised to Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean following the incident, after being spoken to by the the-then leader Bill English. This follows prolonged speculation Mr Bridges may be preparing to challenge for the leadership, the process delayed by the party's Auckland MPs having been absent from Parliament during lockdown.

Simon Bridges says Ms Collins' behavior was desperate and she'll do anything to retain leadership

 

09:15 Fears for future of education scheme

An expert panel says an education scheme that clusters schools to work together is being neglected and is in danger of being scrapped. Kāhui Ako, or Communities of Learning, costs around $100million a year, most of it in extra pay for teachers and principals in leadership roles.  But there's opposition to the scheme, with the Principals Federation saying it should be disestablished, and the money spent on more urgent needs. However the panel that helps appoint lead teachers and principals to Kāhui Ako say the scheme is worth keeping, with schools in lower socio-economic areas seeing the biggest gains.Kathryn speaks to Prue Kelly, the former chair and now spokesperson of the New Appointments National Panel.

09:30 Black Friday: a real deal?

Retailers and consumers are being warned about price hikes ahead of Black Friday sales tomorrow.  A survey suggests two thirds of respondents will buy goods in the annual flash sale, with over a third (38%) intending to spend more than $500. Global consumer price comparison website Price Spy's survey finds the price of almost one in ten products listed on its website was hiked ahead of the sales period, only to be reduced on Black Friday. Meanwhile the Commerce Commission is warning retailers about fair sale practices as Black Friday looms and Christmas creeps up. Kathryn is joined by Commerce Commission chair Anna Rawlings and Jordan Tini, Pric Spy's tech commentator and gadget guru.

09:45 UK: PM under fire for Peppa Pig speech and flouting mask rule

UK correspondent Matt Dathan joins Kathryn to talk about the concerns from Tory backbenchers over Boris Johnson's chaotic Peppa Pig speech and new claims he flouted masking rules at an appearance at the theatre. 

10:05  Rates are rising: Adrian Orr

Kathryn is joined by Reserve Bank Governor, Adrian Orr, to discuss the central bank's decision to raise the official cash rate by 25 basis points (0.25 pct) to 0.75 percent as it looks to get strong inflation pressures under control.  The RB has signalled it expects to keep raising the OCR through next year as well.

10:35 Book review: Rick Stein at Home by Rick Stein

Louise O'Brien reviews Rick Stein at Home by Rick Stein, published by Penguin Random House

10:45 The Reading - Going Under by Heather McQuillan

One of the winning stories in the 2021 Nine to Noon Short story competition.

Two boys learning their pepeha bunk-off from school and go to the beach.

A heartbreaking tale of a boy finding his place in a challenging world.

Written by Heather McQuillan and told by Reuben Butler

Recorded by Adam Macaulay with post-production by Phil Benge

Produced by Duncan Smith

11:05 The rise of Web 3.0, and why did Meta delay encryption plans

Technology commentator Peter Griffin joins Kathryn to look at hype around the rise of Web 3.0 - what it is, who's pushing it and why some think it could be the answer to the dominance of Big Tech companies. He's also look at why Meta has delayed introducing encryption to Facebook Messenger and Instagram until 2023.

11:25 Helping children correct tongue thrust

Tongue thrust is a relatively common condition where children rest their tongue too far forward in their mouth. This can lead to slushy sounding speech. Wellington Speech and Language Therapist Christian Wright talks to Kathryn about the condition, how to spot it, and what to do about it.

11:45 Film and TV: Yellowjackets, Scribe: Return of the Crusader, Honeyland

Film and TV correspondent Tamar Munch looks at new drama-horror series Yellowjackets (Neon, Soho), in which a girls' soccer team survive a plane crash but are still living with the trauma of being stuck in the wild 25 years later. The series stars New Zealand actress Melanie Lynskey. She'll also preview a new 8-part documentary series about Scribe (TVNZ OnDemand) and Honeyland (Māori Television), a Sundance Film Festival favourite.