Summer Times for Thursday 17 January 2019

 

9:05 Brexit 

We check in on breaking news from the UK about the no confidence vote in the House of Commons. We're joined by Reader in Sociology Dr Katy Hayward from Queen's University Belfast.

9:20 Soldiers of Empire 

The New Zealand Wars defined almost every aspect of life in Aotearoa in the 19th century. They ranged for decades and were diverse in terrain and opponents. But at their core they were a contest for sovereignty between Maori and the British Empire. 

These wars brought a flood of imperial soldiers into the country and they made an indelible mark on the landscape, language and culture of modern New Zealand. But we don't think about that too hard, at least not until recently. 

Charlotte Macdonald and her colleague Rebecca Lenihan have been pursuing their project Soldiers of Empire since 2015 - trying to gain knowledge about the people who fought in these wars and those whose lives were upended by them. 

9:40 Adoption 

Around 300 couples and individuals are waiting, hoping to be able to adopt a baby in New Zealand at any one time. But in the past year the number available for adoption is down to around 20.

Figures show the number of actual adoptions was around 130 but most of those were under different circumstances.. including overseas adoptions and surrogacies, and step parents adopting children.To find out what's behind the statistics, and how adoptions have become less common but more open, I spoke to  Paula Attrill, General Manager Care Support at Oranga Tamariki.

She's worked for the department for almost 30 years, the last ten closely involved in adoptions - and she says there have been a lot of changes.

9:50 Hamilton in 2019

We are looking now at what the year ahead is likely to feature in Hamilton and Waikato with our reporter Andrew McRae.

10:05 Pip Tamahere 

Piles of uncollected rubbish everywhere, potholes that could swallow a car, and long queues outside ATMs that never have enough money - no wonder Kiwi journalist  Philippa Stevenson's called one of her first stories from Soloman Islands "We really don't know how lucky we are". 

Pip's working there for Volunteer Services Abroad on a six month assignment to help train journalists on Soloman Islands. Back home, she's part of the award winning  Tamahere Forum, an online news site serving Tamahere in the Waikato.

10:20 Singing together 

The New Zealand Secondary Schools Choir is joining is joining Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand. The number f secondary school students involved in choral singing is huge and this marks a major change in how it's all managed and administered. Arne Herrmann and Simon O'Neill join us to talk about why this is so significant. 

10:40 Got the kiwi blues

Blues man Darren Watson has a gig on this Saturday in Wellington and he's dropped into our wellington studio to talk NZ blues. 

10:50 Families on the Spectrum: Hilary Stace

"If you have met one person with autism you have met one person with autism'".

During this week's series talking to families with children on the autism spectrum, along with many parents sharing the experiences of our interviewees, we heard from Hilary Stace.

She started her email with that quote and went on to write this:  As a parent of a 33 year year old and as a researcher on autism including history and policy, and someone who knows numerous people with autism (across the age span) and their families, I has found it is very hard to make any generalisations.  

11:05 Iceland 

We've been travelling around the country over the past three weeks on Summertimes, today though we're in Iceland.  

This chilly part of the world is a super hot tourist destination these days. Last year I made an Insight documentary on how Iceland is really struggling with the onslaught of tourists. Truth is, I was there as part of that onslaught.

But while most go to soak in the Blue Lagoon and go in search of its famous geysers, glaciers and waterfalls, I was there to photograph puffins and whales.

11:30 Maia Faulkner 

Continuing our series on volunteers in New Zealand, and today we're talking to Maia Faulkner.
 
Maia Faulkner is an active leader with Girl Guides New Zealand. She is a WAGGGS National Trainer and Coach and was also the National Leadership Adviser for Girl Guides New Zealand for three years.
 
Maia has been involved with Girl Guides for over 23 years. She is a WAGGGS National Trainer and Coach and was also the National Leadership Adviser for Girl Guides New Zealand for three years.

11:40 Microbiology 

Our series of inteviews with researchers from the Malaghan Institute concludes today with a conversation with Dr Olivier Gasser who's a leader in its Nutrition & Microbiome research programme.

His team is part of the National Science Challenge focus on high value nutrition - that's aiming to create for Kiwis, and export, healthy food.

Olivier is particularly interested in the gut and its resident microbes. 

The Translational Immunology Research Group he leads is studying the immune system's evolutionary role as an environmental sensor. Translational immunology relates to conditions like gut health and eczema.