Nine To Noon for Tuesday 30 November 2021

 

 

09:05 Rushed laws a "constitutional disgrace" - law prof

While the National Party was in the throes of its leadership crisis last Wednesday night, Parliament's Speaker had hours earlier taken the highly unusual step of lambasting the Labour government over the way it rushed through the far reaching traffic light system legislation, under urgency. The law that seriously curbs the freedom of unvaccinated people was rushed through in a 24-hour urgent session in order to be passed in time to take effect this week. The Speaker Trevor Mallard, himself a Labour MP, said the Government and the House had failed to fully scrutinise the bill. He made a specific ruling before the third reading debate started on the COVID-19 Response (Vaccinations) Legislation Bill yesterday, to lodge the criticism. One of a raft of critics of the way the legislation was rushed through is constitutional and public law lecturer Dean Knight, Associate Professor at Victoria University of Wellington School of Law. He tells Kathryn it is a 'constitutional disgrace.'  She also speaks with litigator and public law specialist Andrew Butler.

09:30 Earthquake strengthening with carbon fibre

World-leading New Zealand research hopes to provide a cheaper solution for earthquake strengthening in higher-risk buildings.  Kathryn speaks with Dr Enrique del Rey Castillo, University of Auckland Civil and Environmental Engineering lecturer and lead researcher in a project to earthquake strengthen damaged or earthquake-prone concrete walls, columns, and in a world first, floors with carbon fibre patches. Looking at 'axial failure' in pre 1980s concrete buildings, Dr del Rey Castillo's team has already tested fifty-six different combinations of concrete, steel and carbon fibre to see when and how walls and floors break.   The University of Auckland engineers have been wrapping danger-spots on at-risk walls in carbon fibre and testing whether this solution can bring the walls up to modern earthquake performance standards. 

09:45 USA correspondent Ron Elving 

America is gripped by Omicron panic, the latest Covid 19 variant. And Ron says inflation is also causing concern as dissent and disunity roils both major political parties. Eyes are also on the Supreme Court regarding the Texas abortion law.

Ron Elving is Senior Editor and Correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News.

 

10:05 Wai Pasifika: What we can learn from an indigenous approach to water

Without water, we'd be nothing. It's something environmental writer David Young, is on a mission to remind us, through his new book Wai Pasifika. It's an exploration of how water has been revered and understood by indigenous cultures across the wider Pacific region. He's drawn upon decades of exchanges with indigenous elders and experts from Aotearoa and Australia, to Hawai'i and Oregon, looking at the customary uses, traditions and myths of life-sustaining freshwater - or wai. He argues that Western culture is at risk of getting stuck in its current wasteful trend of how we use and regard our water - a different approach is needed.

 

10:35 Book review: Too Much Money: How Wealth Disparities Are Unbalancing Aotearoa New Zealand by Max Rashbrooke

Paul Diamond reviews Too Much Money: How Wealth Disparities Are Unbalancing Aotearoa New Zealand by Max Rashbrooke, published by Bridget Williams Books

10:45 The Reading

 Matt Chamberlain reads 'Ever After' - the second story in the series 'Men Behaving Sadly' by David Hill.

11:05 Business commentator Pattrick Smellie

Pattrick says the Trade Window listing last week must be the most successful  on the NZX for a very long time. Not only did it actually get to listing in the face of so many falling over this year, but it provided the biggest 'stag' in recent memory. He also discusses the politics versus the economics of slow border opening, however a lot of skilled labour is likely to  start leaving, particularly to Australia.

Pattrick Smellie is the editor and co-founder of BusinessDesk and has reported on the New Zealand economy and business since 1983.

11:30 In the Company of Gardeners

Photographer Juliet Nicholas and writer Sue Allison have produced a collection of New Zealand's most magnificent gardens, and met the inspired gardeners behind them. In the Company of Gardener has enough botanical detail to appeal to the most experienced of gardeners, while its stunning photography will also inspire newcomers to don gardening gloves. Kathryn speaks with Juliet Nicholas, an acclaimed garden photographer, and Sue Allison an award-winning journalist and author.  

11:45 Media commentator Andrew Holden

Andrew discusses the move by news publishers to collectively bargain with Google and Facebook for content usage.

Andrew Holden is 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.