Nine To Noon for Wednesday 12 November 2025

09:05 Louise Nicholas 'disgusted' by poice exec cover up

Sexual violence survivor advocate Louise Nicholas responds to a scathing report which has found serious misconduct at the highest levels of police including former Commissioner Andrew Coster over how police responded to accusations of sexual offending by former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. Ms Nicholas made rape accusations against police officers in the 1980s. The detective who initially handled her complaints was convicted of a cover-up in 2007. She has established a Trust and works to advocate for survivors of sexual violence. She talks with Kathryn Ryan about bombshell revelations about a cover-up and potential corruption at the highest level of the former police leadership.

09:15 Funds don't prioritise charities that work with sexual abuse survivors

Programmes that support victims of sexual violence are the least likely to receive funding according to new research. After nearly four years of dedicated reporting on sexual abuse and harassment in workplaces across New Zealand journalist and broadcaster Ali Mau started up the charity Tika. Tika was set up to advocate for those who have experienced sexual harm. But as she sought to secure funds for the charity it became clear that sexual harm support was not an area that funders saw as important. And research just completed  by Fundsorter - which helps connect funds with eligible charities - has found that out of almost 2-thousand contestable funds that NGO's and charities rely on for funding - only a dozen say family and sexual violence prevention and support is a priority. It found funds were most likely to support environmental and climate change initiatives. But only 0.8 percent of funds support initiatives that prevent and respond to family, domestic, and sexual violence, including crisis services, advocacy, and long-term recovery programmes. Lani Evans, who is the co-founder and CEO of Fundsorter and Ali Mau speak to Kathryn. 

09:30 Discovery offers hope for osteoarthritis sufferers

Women are known to suffer osteoarthritis at higher rates to men, but new research has found the way people respond to the disease depends on their gender. A University of Auckland scientist Raewyn Poulsen has discovered that while male cells focus on renewing tissue as a response to joint stress, female cells adopt a protective strategy. Osteoarthritis is a common joint condition where the cushioning between bones, called 'cartilage', wears down over time, leading to pain, stiffness, and difficulty moving. There's no cure as yet, but exercise, medication, and lifestyle changes can help manage symptoms. Kathryn speaks to Raewyn Poulsen, a pharmacology researcher,  has just received over a million dollars in Health Research Council funding to build on her findings and explore potential drug therapies.

09:45 Australia: Liberal climate policy, Sussan Ley leadership in doubt

Australia correspondent Bernard Keane looks at the opposition Liberal party meeting to discuss its climate policy and a likely tussle over what net zero by 2050 should look like. The issue will draw further attention to Sussan Ley's leadership of the party. And former Labor senator Graham Richardson has died and will likely get a state funeral. But the type of politics he employed makes Bernard ask, should he?

Bernard Keane is political editor for Crikey.com.au

10:05 Simon Winchester's new book examines the history and future of wind

It's just a few weeks since much of the country was whipped by waves of wild westerlies. The weather was unusually severe - even for spring - downing trees that had stood for over 100 years, tipping trucks on state highways like toys and causing one heck of a clean up. The power of the wind is something best-selling author Simon Winchester knows a lot about. He's investigated it in a thought-provoking book called The Breath of the Gods: The History and Future of the Wind. It covers the science of wind dynamics, how humans have tried to harness the wind, a look at its destructive powers - including New Zealand's 1968 Wahine disaster - and how the world's winds may be affected by a changing climate. Simon will be making his way to New Zealand as part of the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts for a talk on March 8. He joins Kathryn to talk about the genesis of his new book.

10:30 Dad with stage four cancer still finding time to help kids without a father figure

Eric Haagh's lived a life on the water, and this weekend he'll be sharing his love of the sea with a boatload of boys who don't have a father figure in their lives. He understands what they're going through - he lost his own father when he was just 12. He's also  living with stage four bowel cancer, and he knows his own time with his 10 year old son Flynn, is precious. Eric is co-director of boat rental firm Skipperi, and the boys on the water this weekend are part of the Big Buddy programme, which pairs boys aged 7 to 17 with a male mentor. He joins Kathryn to talk about why he's taking time to help out the Big Buddy programme.

10:35 Book review: Rangatiratanga and Gentlemanship by Grant Hodgson

Lynn Freeman reviews Rangatiratanga and Gentlemanship by Grant Hodgson, published by Writes Hill Press.

10:45 Around the motu: Lee Scan reports from Westport

Lee discusses local health services, The Buller Declaration and the nationwide health hikoi that has been in town and ,the new mayors for the region take office.

11:05 Music with Kirsten Zemke: Afrobeats

Music correspondent Kirsten Zemke looks at the genre of Afrobeats, an umbrella term which covers various contemporary West African pop music packaged for a global audience. She'll play a track from CKay that became the first African song to surpass a billion streams on Spotify.

Kirsten Zemke is an ethnomusicologist at the University of Auckland's School of Social Sciences.

11:20 The artist and beekeeper who made a real-life Beehive from honeycomb

Never work with children or animals - so the saying goes. But what about bees? Kapiti-based artist Studio Reset - real name Kim Kobialko - has had great success in using bees to help create her art - both 2D and 3D. She's used their wax to make encaustic painting - a common technique in ancient Greek and Roman painting. More recently she's also used the bees' honeycomb to make a sculpture of the Beehive - the one with the capital 'B' found in Wellington. It's on display at the moment at Auckland's NZ Sculpture OnShore, along with another work called 'Safe House'. Kim joins Kathryn to talk about how she collaborates with bees.

11:45 How workplace emails can land workers - and their employers - in hot water

Being constantly connected is part of the work landscape now - but it's not without risk. Whether its email or group chats, what employees pop in their messages can sometimes become problematic. Ainsley Palairet is Director of FixHR and well versed in how digital communication in the workplace can get out of hand. She'll talk to the risks, particularly for small businesses who might not have HR teams. So what kind of everyday messaging at work might cross professional or legal lines? And how can both staff and employers stay safe?