Nine To Noon for Monday 17 October 2022

09:05 Truss troubles: UK PM's leadership already in jeopardy?

It's been a rough weekend for UK Prime Minister Liz Truss. Her economic policies, which sparked turmoil on the markets, were then subject to a series of U-turns and she sacked her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng while he was on a mid-Atlantic flight. Three Tory MPs have already broken ranks to call for her to resign. Her newly-installed Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, has urged Conservative MPs to come together and back Ms Truss - but has the damage already been done? Kathryn speaks with Westminster correspondent Hugo Gye.

09:20 Does our EV charging network need powering up?

If the government's zero emissions target is to be met - we'll need another 1.5m low emission cars on our roads in the next 13 years. So is our charging infrastructure up to the job? The government's goal is to have 30 percent of the light fleet made up of zero-emissions vehicles by 2035.  Right now - we're at a little over one per cent, or around 40,000 zero emission vehicles. So as more New Zealanders switch to EVs - does the charging network also need to power up? Kathryn talks with Acting CEO and ChargeNet Director Damon Birchfield.

09:30 Tips for employers: how to recruit in a tight labour market

We're constantly hearing about the tight labour market and how employers are struggling to find talent. But data from the online job marketplace SEEK suggests employers can boost their chances of locking in the right person for the job by making some simple adjustments to the recruitment process. SEEK NZ Country Manager Rob Clark explains.

09:45 Europe: Italian coalition's cracks, Russian war recruits killed, Slovakia gay bar shooting

Europe correspondent Seamus Kearney joins Kathryn to talk about the difficulties facing Italy's coalition of far-right and rightwing parties just weeks after winning elections, with Forza Italia party Silvio Berlusconi reportedly furious with the woman poised to become the country's first female prime minister, Georgia Meloni. The death toll from an attack on a training centre for Russian recruits is likely far higher than the 11 reported. And a vigil has been held for two men killed in a shooting at a gay bar in Slovakia by the 19 year old son of a former far-right politician.

10:05  Kevin Iro - from league champion to ocean champion

Former Kiwi rugby league star Kevin Iro has gone from sports champion to ocean champion. After an exceptional 14 year professional and international sporting career Iro moved to the Cook Islands where he was alarmed to find once vibrant reefs and lagoons, damaged and depleted. It led him to spearhead Marae Moana - the world's largest multi-use marine park, extending across two million square kilometres of ocean. His work has now been recognised with a prestigious Seacology award for exceptional achievement in preserving island environments and culture. But with mining companies eyeing up valuable deep sea rocks and the ongoing pressures from commercial fishing, there are still plenty of challenges ahead. 

10:35 Book review: The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey

David Hill reviews The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey, published by Te Herenga Waka University Press

10:45 The Reading

In our reading this week we have some of the runners up from last year's Short Story Competition. Today's story, The German Girl, is written by Morag MacTaggart and told for us by William Kircher.

11:05 Political commentators Gareth Hughes & Liam Hehir

Gareth, Liam and Kathryn reflect on the local body election results including new Auckland Mayor, Wayne Brown's continued pressure on other  CCO members to resign; and imminent meetings between Transport Minister Michael Wood and mayors. Also, at New Zealand First's annual conference, Winston Peters has declared next year's election the most important in voters' lifetimes, as he gears up for a comeback from his 2020 disaster result.

Gareth Hughes is a former Green MP and now works for the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa. 
Liam Hehir is a Palmerston North lawyer, political commentator and a National Party member.

11:30 The Food Saver's A-Z : waste hacks, storage tips, swaps and shortcuts

How can you reduce waste, and make the most of each ingredient in your fridge, pantry or fruit bowl - even the bits that might seem too small, too far gone, or too boring?  The Food Saver's A-Z is a guide to using up odds and ends, and keeping food on the table, and out of the bin. Kathryn speaks to Alex Elliott-Howery, one half of the Cornersmith cafe and cooking school in Sydney, which she runs with her longtime friend Jaimee Edwards. The Food Saver's A-Z: The essential Cornersmith kitchen companion is the result of many years of swapping ideas for making the most of what they've got.

11:45 Off the beaten track with Kennedy Warne

Kennedy has an update on incoming flights of bar-tailed godwits, arriving on our shores from Alaska. He also explores a remarkable new decision from the Supreme Court on the place of tikanga in New Zealand law, and takes us offshore to listen in on the humpback hit parade.