Nine To Noon for Tuesday 28 November 2023

 

09:05 Massive cruise ship fails to berth in Wellington due to wind

A large cruise ship has turned around from Wellington this morning because of the wind.  The Ovation of the Seas arrived in the capital's harbour this morning from Australia but turned around a short time ago. Kathryn speaks with Wellington Harbourmaster Grant Nalder.

09:15 Scrutiny on seasonal worker scheme as government promises RSE expansion

New Zealand needs more seasonal workers from the Pacific, but regional leaders are sounding the alarm about the impact on their economies. The number of Pacific Island seasonal workers coming to Aotearoa has doubled in the last decade, and has jumped by almost a third in the last three years. National pledged during the election campaign to double the cap on seasonal workers from 19,000 to 38,000 under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme. In the year to June 2023, 48,000 people left the Pacific to participate in New Zealand's RSE scheme and the Australian equivalent - but Pacific leaders in Samoa, Vanuatu and Fiji have expressed concern, saying their own economies are being impacted. Samoa's Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa said countries like hers should not be seen merely as `outposts' which `grow' labourers for developed nations, and has since brought in legislation to try and exert some control over labour movements. Meanwhile, New Zealand's National and Act parties have signed a coalition agreement to increase the cap, but did not specify by how much. Kathryn speaks to Massey University's Dr Apisalome Movono and Professor Regina Scheyvens about the implications. 

09:20 Surprising levels of drug and alcohol use in Asian communities 

The results of a recent survey paints a surprising picture for Asian New Zealanders - a community often referred to as a 'model minority'. The nationwide survey - commissioned by Asian Family Services and the New Zealand Drug Foundation - found higher levels of drug use in Asian communities than previously thought, with some groups exceeding the national average. The organisations are now calling for more services that cater specifically to Asian New Zealanders to try and combat harm. Kelly Feng - chief executive of Asian Family Services - speaks to Kathryn. 

09:45 US: Divisions over Gaza as Palestinian students shot in Vermont

Ron joins Kathryn to talk about how the Hamas-Israel conflict continues to have an impact in the US, including the weekend shooting in Vermont of three college students from Palestine. Democrats are badly divided about Israel's response to October 7  - as well as that of President Joe Biden. And as lawmakers return to Congress after the Thanksgiving break - there's a lot to get through, as the latest financial numbers suggest the economy will end the year on a good note.

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

10:05 Light and Reflections: A story of prominent artists in private collections 

Helen Beaglehole is a Wellington writer, editor and historian whose family has been collecting contemporary New Zealand art over two generations and nearly 90 years. Nine to Noon spoke to her last year when she published her book One Hundred Havens: A History of the Marlborough Sounds. Helen has now opened her red front-door for her latest book: Light and Reflections, published alongside photographer Matthew O'Reilly, to share her life of collecting work from the now-prominent names, who were then up-and-comers.

10:35 Book review: The Stirrings by Catherine Taylor 

Kiran Dass reviews The Stirrings by Catherine Taylor published by Weindfeld and Nicholson

10:45 Around the motu: Todd Niall in Auckland

Todd looks at the biggest issues facing our biggest city - including Auckland Council selling the Downtown carpark to Precinct Properties, despite a last-minute flurry of opposition and threat to sue. So what's planned for the site? Mayor Wayne Brown has taken a trip to India, against official advice, and one to Melbourne that his own councillors didn't know about. And how much of a blow to the city is the loss of the Sail GP series?

Todd Niall is Stuff's Senior Auckland Affairs Journalist

11:05 Business: Altman vs OpenAI board, Andrew Bayly's new commerce role

Business correspondent Rebecca Stevenson joins Kathryn to look at what's happened to the OpenAI board in the wake of the Sam Altman sacking debacle. She'll also talk about Andrew Bayly's new role as Commerce and Consumer Affairs minister - what can we expect from him on issues like open banking, financial institution conduct and market competition?

Rebecca Stevenson is a senior journalist at BusinessDesk

 

11:30 What are the common legal headaches for Kiwis?

Citizens Advice Bureau deputy chief executive Andrew Hubbard joins Kathryn to look at a new report done by Otago University's Civil Justice Centre into the most common legal problems experienced by Kiwis and what kind of help they need. Citizens Advice Bureau data fed into the report, with researchers looking at it in the context of wider concerns about access to justice and potential barriers to it. So what did they find - and what could make a difference to helping people? 

11:45 Sports-chat with Glen Larmer

Glen will look at the Black Caps being action today, this time with the first of two tests against Bangladesh. The Kiwis coach Michael Maguire has resigned and is off to New South Wales as State of Origin coach - so who's in the running to replace him? The Phoenix men's and women's teams are having a ripper start to the season - but where are their supporters? And who will be representing New Zealand in Sport Climbing at the Paris Olympics next year?

Music played in this show

• Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me)
• Vampire Weekend - A-Punk