Nine To Noon for Monday 2 October 2023

09:05 Wellington business leaders worry as public sector cuts bite

As cuts to the public sector begin to bite, Wellington business leaders are worried about the future for the capital's central business district. In late August the government announced it would trim nearly $4 billion dollars from public spending, and instructed public sector agencies to cut 1 or two per cent off existing baselines, starting with contractors and consultants. National has said it will cut expenditure on average across the public service by 6.5 percent - although it says this will not impact front line services. Wellington businesses say they're experiencing a perfect storm of the budget cuts, more people working from home, infrastructure and earthquake issues, and changes to the Golden Mile, early work on which begins today. That plan will see the road from  Parliament to the Embassy Theatre pedestrianised, and would only allow buses to travel through. Kathryn discusses with Simon Arcus, Chief Executive, Wellington Chamber of Commerce and Carolyn Young, Chief Executive of Retail New Zealand.

09:30 Displaced Afghans' difficult start in NZ

After the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan two years ago, 16 hundred displaced people found refuge in New Zealand. But their experiences of resettling here were less than ideal, according to a new report by World Vision, Amnesty International , and ActionStation. The report finds many of the Afghan nationals spent months in hotel rooms, and struggled to access mental health support, employment and education. The agencies want the government to introduce a standard level of support for displaced people seeking refuge in Aotearoa New Zealand whether they arrive here as refugees, asylum seekers, or on special humanitarian visas. Rebekah Armstrong is World Vision's Head of Advocacy and Justice explains.

09:45 Auckland correspondent Simon Wilson

Simon Wilson is in Auckland where work continues to stem the tide of raw sewage pouring into the Waitemata Harbour from a 13-metre sinkhole in Parnell. At least 24 beaches have been closed and a rahui placed on the Harbour. And it's coming up on one year with Wayne Brown as the mayor. Simon looks at his biggest wins, and most controversial moments.

10:05 Election 2023: National leader Christopher Luxon

Christopher Luxon joins Kathryn Ryan for an extended interview on all the issues this election and why National should form the next government.

10:35 The huge (literally) enthusiast for tiny houses: Bryce Langston

We first met Bryce Langston nine years ago when there were only a tiny number of tiny houses, and he was a HUGE enthusiast. He was building his own micro house, making a documentary about it,  his instagram page Living Big in a Tiny House was new, and there was a growing interest in the idea of small space design. Bryce Langston now has half a million followers on instagram and a whopping 4.5 million subscribers to YouTube series of the same name. He's travelled all over New Zealand and the world visiting tiny homes and meeting the people who live in them. And despite being 193cm tall  (6 ft 4) he says he's never found one that was too small. Bryce Langston has just published a new edition of his book Living Big in a Tiny House.

11:05 Political commentators Morten and Moroney

Political commentators Brigitte Morten and Sue Moroney look at Labour and National's fiscal plans, as well as National's policy to tighten welfare. What impact will Chris Hipkins' Covid infection and isolation have on Labour's campaign, and how were the performances of both party leaders in the latest debate? New Zealand First's coffers are filling, but leader Winston Peters has been criticised for lashing out at TV interviewer Jack Tame at the weekend. And while polls show voters are lukewarm on multi-party coalition arrangements, what governing arrangements are possible?

Brigitte Morten is a director with public and commercial law firm Franks Ogilvie and a former senior ministerial advisor for the previous National-led government, a National Party member and currently volunteering for the party's deputy leader, Nicola Willis.

Sue Moroney is a former MP with the Labour Party, and now chief executive of Community Law Centres Aotearoa. Sue is also the chair of the Waikato Labour Electorate Committee.

11:30 Tamarind chutney from Jenny's Kitchen

Here's a chutney that's described as having a cult following. Jenny's Kitchen tamarind chutney was first made on Waiheke Island in 1998 by Jenny Stewart and is now found on shelves all around the country. The inspiration behind the chutney came from a trip to Fiji where Jenny and her husband Hilton were introduced to the tamarind fruit. Jenny then worked on cooking it into a sauce here and was convinced by friends to sell it at their Waiheke Island markets. Now, with Jenny's Kitchen having changed hands to new owners, the popular chutney is sold in stores all over the country. Kathryn speaks with Jenny's Kitchen owner Cathy Knight, who with husband Grant Hunter, bought the operation back in 2014.

11:45 Off the beaten track with Kennedy Warne

Kennedy will be discussing two outstanding art exhibitions which are showing in Auckland at the moment. Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia, at the Auckland Art Gallery, is the largest overview of art by First Peoples of Australia to be presented in Aotearoa. Always Song in the Water is a salute to Moana Oceania, the Pacific and its people. Both exhibitions are immersive experiences of place with relevance what's going on in the world today.

Music played in this show

Track: Vitamin C
Artist: Can
Time played: 9:43am