Nine To Noon for Tuesday 2 August 2022

 

09:05 Gold! Gold! Gold! NZ success at Commonwealth Games

New Zealand athletes at the Commonwealth Games have had a blinder overnight and this morning - winning five medals - three of them gold. Andrew Jeffcoat won the men's 50m backstroke, bringing the swimmers' medal haul to eight in total -  five gold, two silver and one bronze. And the cycling team won another four medals, two of them gold, on the final day of track cycling. Elsewhere squash stars Joelle King and Paul Coll won their singles matches to advance to the semi-finals and the women's lawn bowls fours are in contention for bronze. Susie speaks with New Zealand's Chef de Mission Nigel Avery from Birmingham.

09:10 Patients left waiting for biopsy results as med labs struggle

The country's lab workers say they must not be forgotten as the Government looks to boost the health workforce. Many patients, including those waiting for crucial cancer diagnoses, are waiting up to two weeks to get their biopsy results as med labs struggle with short-staffing and huge workloads. Official turnaround times for some biopsies have blown out, and in some areas have more than doubled from a target of five days to over eleven. It's bringing additional anxiety and stress for patients who fear their treatment could be delayed. Susie speaks to Terry Taylor from the Institute of Medical Laboratory Science about the pressures along with oncologist and Cancer Society co-medical director Dr Kate Gregory about the impact on patients.

09:30 Adoption law reform "long overdue"

The country's outdated adoption legislation is set for an overhaul by the Ministry of Justice, which admits the law hasn't kept up with modern life and families. Improving access to birth families, cultural heritage and putting the child's interests at its heart are among the proposed reforms. The Ministry of Justice will provide advice to the Government on final adoption law reform proposals by the end of the year. Mark Henaghan is a professor of law at the University of Auckland, specialising in Family Law. he tells Susie that the 67-year-old legislation has failed to meet the needs of a changing society, and does not acknowledge the importance of whakapapa, culture, and identity to a child's wellbeing. 

 

09:45 USA correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben

Danielle talks to Susie from Kansas where the state is due to hold a major vote on abortion. The Democrats have reached a climate deal, thanks largely to uber-centralist West Virginia senator Joe Manchin agreeing to it. And an investigation has found Georgia got rid of ballot drop boxes in places they were used the most, in the areas where voters were more likely to be people of colour.
Danielle Kurtzleben is a political correspondent assigned to NPR's Washington Desk

10:05 Insights from the lives of animals which assist human health

Cardiologist and evolutionary biologist Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz describes herself as an innovator for human health. She is a professor at Harvard University's department of human evolutionary biology and a professor of medicine at UCLA. She's also the co-author of bestselling books Zoobiquity and Wildhood. Dr. Natterson-Horowitz studies a range of wild animals including lions and giraffes in their natural settings, observing their evolutionary adaptations, which then offer clues for potential solutions to common medical disorders in humans. She says the biology of some female animals has evolved over centuries to resist diseases that still claim the lives of women today.

10:35 Book review: Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim

Robert Kelly reviews Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim, published by Harper Collins

10:45 The Reading

The final episode of 'Baby No Eyes' by Patricia Grace, read by Bradley Carroll.

11:05 Business commentator Pattrick Smellie

Pattrick discusses the sale of KiwiWealth to Fisher Funds, the deepening problems with three waters policy and why he thinks the $350 dollar cost of living payment is political poison of the worst sort.

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

11:30 Luke Elworthy: The Last Letter of Godfrey Cheathem

Marlborough-based author Luke Elworthy dives into the life of esteemed New Zealand writer Godfrey Cheathem,  who sadly died before publication of his great novel. It's based on a series of letters, written by Cheathem from Christchurch Men's Prison to his youngest sister Rosemary, that help detail his relationship with his family of overachieving siblings and his own succession of failures. The letters also explain Godfrey's state of mind leading up to - and during - the disastrous events at a family reunion for which he serves time. Except of course, it's all a work of fiction....mostly. Luke set out to write a memoir, but ended up with a novel, and joins Susie to explain.

 

11:45 Media commentator Andrew Holden

Andrew reflects on the resignation of TVNZ head of news, Paul Yurisich, a casaulty of the Kamahl Santamaria debacle. He also touches on the New Zealand social media code of practice, why Facebook is about to look a lot more like TikTok and what forced NZME to apologise and payout over two recent stories?.

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. 

 

Music played in this show

Artist: Maggie Rogers
Track: That's Where I Am
Time played: 9:45

Artist: Florence + the Machine
Track: Dream Girl Evil
Time played: 11:25

 

Artist: Jack White

Track: I've Got You Surrounded (With My Love)

Time Played: 11:45