Sunday Morning for Sunday 30 May 2021

7:10 Severe weather update with Philip Duncan 

It's going to be a weekend of wet and wild weather in Canterbury, with Metservice issuing a rare Red severe warning -- which are reserved for the most significant weather events. Philip Duncan is Head Weather Analyst and owner of WeatherWatch.co.nz. He joins the show for an update on what's happening in southern and central Canterbury and what people can expect from here on in. 

7:18 Why the Law Commission is reviewing succession law 

The Law Commission is currently reviewing succession law, which is the law that addresses who should get a person's property when they die. It's important law that affects all New Zealanders. Yet, most of the law was drafted in the mid-20th century and New Zealand has changed considerably since then. Helen McQueen is the Commissioner leading the Succession project. She joins the show to discuss the review. 

The consultation website can be found here:  https://succession-consultation.lawcom.govt.nz/

7.32 The House

Parliament hasn't been sitting this week so with time to look back - our Parliament programme The House - looks at the details and causes of a new rule at parliament that deputises all MPs to listen out for and to call out - racism.  

7:45 Michael Baker: 'Staging the Olympics is a very bad idea'  

Professor Michael Baker was our most regular guest in 2020 with his extremely insightful updates on the Covid-19 pandemic Professor Baker is back to look at a few different Covid-19 stories doing the rounds, including the prospect of an 'Olympic coronavirus' strain being created if the Games go ahead in Tokyo as planned this year. 

8:10 Calling Home: Rowan Bashford in Iceland 

Christchurch native Rowan Bashford is living his best life in Iceland, where he runs a guiding company with his partner, Guðný Diljá Helgadóttir, who grew up a stone's throw from where the couple are based on a farm called Malarás in the Öræfi region. Recently, he and Guðný dropped everything to drive five and a half hours to check out the eruption at Mount Fagradalsfjall -- which was the first of its type in almost 800 years. He's Calling Home this morning. 

8:33 Weather update -- Erin Cassie at Erewhon Station 

Earlier in the morning we caught up with Philip Duncan to see what's in store for the Canterbury region weather-wise today. Now we're heading to the normally-picturesque Erewhon Station, a high country property nestled right amongst the Southern Alps, to see what's happening there. Leaser holder Erin Cassie is with us for an update. 

8:41 The Weekend Panel with Josie Pagani and Chris Wikaira 

Joining us on the Weekend Panel this morning are Josie Pagani and Chris Wikaira. Among other issues, they'll be looking at the Canterbury weather, the idea of a four-day work week, white privilege, halting licences for new bottle stores because of increasing street violence, and National MP Simeon Brown's battle with the Mongrel Mob. 

9:06 Mediawatch

This week Mediawatch looks at the Australian company planning to put sport back on the radio here seven days a week. Also - digging up the dark past of a skiing pioneer - and RNZ's round-the-clock coverage of Bob Dylan's big birthday. 

9:37 How longer working hours are killing us

Long working hours led to 745,000 deaths from stroke and heart disease in 2016 - a whopping 29% rise since 2000, according to new research from the WHO and the International Labour Organisation. The study's co-author, Tim Driscoll is Professor of Epidemiology and Occupational Medicine at the University of Sydney. He joins the show to discuss the research and what's driving us to put our health at risk while working. 

10:04 Live cross to the Auckland 'Liberate the Lane' rally 

Bike Auckland's Liberate the Lane rally is taking place at Point Erin Park in Ponsonby this morning, as the organisation looks to push its proposal of a trial of relocating one lane of the Auckland Harbour Bridge to cycling for three months over summer 2021/22. The Chair and Spokesperson for Bike Auckland, Barb Cuthbert, joins us from the rally, which has just kicked off.  

10:16 A Glitch in the Matrix: Are we living in a digital simulation? 

Director Rodney Ascher's feature-length debut 'Room 237' offered up some wild theories about interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's visionary masterpiece 'The Shining.' His latest documentary, 'A Glitch in the Matrix' -- which is about to air at the DocEdge Festival -- asks the question of whether we are all being deceived by what we experience in our lives. Rodney joins the show to discuss the project and his motivations behind it.   

10:38 The Covid-19 experience through the eyes of a GP 

When we last spoke to Dr Gavin Francis in February 2020, he was optimistic about the measures the Chinese were taking in trying to combat Covid-19. History shows that things were not, in fact, under control. His new book, Intensive Care, offers his account of working as a GP in Edinburgh during the coronavirus pandemic and details the massive transformation the virus has imposed on his profession.      

11:11 Why the next pandemic could be a potentially deadly fungus 

While the world continues to struggle to contain Covid-19, scientists are warning of another coronavirus pandemic on the horizon -- one which is likely to come from a yeast-like fungus. Dr Tom Chiller is the Chief of the Mycotic Diseases Branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He joins the show to discuss why deadly fungi are the newest emerging microbe threat all over the world. 

11:34 Centrepoint survivor: 'Adults who failed us need to step up now' 

A new documentary, Heaven and Hell - The Centrepoint story - airs tonight on TVNZ. It's a gruelling but powerful watch - mainly from the perspective of some of the former children of the commune, including Christchurch GP Dr Caroline Ansley. Dr Ansley has also penned an open letter, signed by other child survivors and those with links the community, seeking restorative justice from the adults of Centrepoint who allowed the abuse to occur through their own silence or endorsement. She joins the show to discuss the documentary and how a way forward need to be found that changes the discourse around the Centrepoint story.