The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin
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by Megan Nicol Reed, New Zealand author. She’s a great observer of middle class life and this is set in a suburb called Point Heed, where everyone knows everyone else and they all live nice middle class lives with, every so often, a hint of hypocrisy. When a man amongst them is convicted of the possession and distribution of child pornography and granted name suppression, they all start to suspect one another and things get very tense. Throw into that mix the three families who have for years holidayed together, but during the last summer things went badly wrong between them and now there’s a huge rift in friendships, and in the community. This is a book for fans of Liane Moriarty and Jodi Picoult - a really well drawn group of regular people with a moral crisis at the core. By Sam Neill. Sam was diagnosed with an aggressive form of blood cancer and realised he might be running out of time so decided to get his memoir down while he still could - and it gave him something to do during the treatments. It’s the story of the son of an English Army Major who grew up in Dunedin (though was sent away to boarding school at 8 years old) and has spent much of his life working around the world in over 150 movies. There’s a lot of name dropping, famous friends, reflections on some of the films and a real sense of disbelief that he’s had the life he’s had - and it’s warm and funny and very entertaining, with some terrific anecdotes. He’s in remission now but will need to have chemo once a month for the rest of his life. It’s an interesting read. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton has touched down in Rarotonga and has found some personal highlight to share. Megan returned from the Saturday morning markets and says visiting them is an experience not to be missed. She also recommends Sunday's Muri Night Markets and their local cuisine. This coming week will be a busy one for Megan, as she has a planned e-biking tour and a fishing charter trip to look forward to, as well as several restaurant bookings. Read more about Megan's advice for travelling through Rarotonga here https://www.bloggeratlarge.com/rarotonga-things-to-know-before-you-go/ LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week on The Sunday Panel, BusinessDesk Investments Editor and host of the Cooking the Books podcast Frances Cook and political commentator and partner at Freebairn and Hehir lawyers Liam Hehir joined in on a discussion about the following topics: Anti-trans activist Posie Parker's Auckland rally got out of hand- pushing and fighting broke out between the attendees and counter-protestors and Posie Parker was doused in red liquid before being rushed out of Albert Park. Was this an acceptable reaction? What do we think of this? Chris Luxon launched National's new education policy in a a bid to push back against Hipkins' popularity in the polls. Will this push up New Zealand's international rankings? Are there any areas the education plan could be improved in? NZ First leader Winston Peters delivered his State of the Nation speech earlier in the week, is this a sign he needs to throw in something new to his political formula? A Chinese start-up has invented a 'kissing machine' that transmits user data collected through silicon lip-shaped sensors. Would you use this? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Summer sunshine has plenty of health benefits and many Kiwis have felt disappointed with the last few months. This last summer has been plagued with rain, grey skies and extreme weather for the upper North Island, which has impacted the region's collective ability to enjoy the benefits of sunny weather. Naturopath and Golden Yogi director Erin O'Hara says the summer holidays are important for resting and recharging, and reduced exposure to sunny weather is harmful in the lead-up to winter. Erin O'Hara says summer sun exposure increases our vitamin D levels and boosts our immune systems ahead of winter, and the lack of sunny days this summer could have an adverse impact on our health. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week I will bring you some sad news. Tony's Vineyard restaurant in Henderson has closed, the message on Facebook was very sudden and brought a restaurant of some 38 years to a very abrupt close. The Tony's chain was originally established in Wellesley Street, Auckland, some 40 years ago by its' founder Tony White. But in 1983 Tony's Vineyard opened its doors in Henderson. Named after the vineyards in the area at this time. I first started my career in hospitality as a dishwasher in this restaurant some 36 years ago. Started on Friday nights at 6pm by getting totally smashed by endless piles of dishes, again again and again, all night! Why, do you tell me? Because at 9pm, the boys in the kitchen would cook me staff dinner! Never before had I experienced a dish quite like it. Perfectly cooked scotch fillet served with a gravy based mushroom sauce, super fat crispy potato chips and just cooked cauliflower with handmade cheese sauce. Does the world of food get any better for a 14-year-old boy? Whilst I have moved on to other restaurants and my own establishments since those earlier days at Tony's, I will never forget those days. Thank you for the memories. MUSHROOM GLAZED RUMP WITH SHALLOTS AND ROASTED POTATOES (SERVES 4) 600g rump steak 400g brown button mushrooms 500g baby potatoes 2 cloves garlic, crushed 150ml cream 2 egg yolks, beaten 2 tsp Dijon mustard 3 Tbsp oil 250g shallots, peeled and left whole 100ml red wine 200ml good quality beef jus (I like to use foundation foods) 1 bunch fresh watercress Salt Freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 180*C. In a hot frying pan, cut the rump in two pieces and seal, then put in the oven for 4-6 minutes (depending on desired doneness). If you prefer to just cook it entirely on the BBQ. Remove from oven or BBQ and leave to rest. Slice the potatoes into thick slices and put in a paper-lined baking tray with a little oil, fresh rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook in the oven until tender. Heat an oven-proof fry pan and sauté the whole shallots in 1 tbsp oil. Add the red wine and beef jus and put in the oven uncovered on 180*C for 30 minutes or until the jus has reduced and the shallots are glossy. Quarter the mushrooms and sauté in a little oil. Season with salt and pepper. Leave to cool in a sieve so that some of the juices can drain from the mushrooms. Preheat the grill in the oven to the hottest setting. Beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add the egg yolks, mustard and ½ tsp salt, then fold the mushrooms through the cream mix and spoon onto the top of the steak. About two tbsp per piece of steak. Place the steak into a fry pan and place under the hot grill for about 3-4 minutes. The top of the mushrooms will glaze up and become golden. Slice the piece of rump and serve with the potatoes, shallots and fresh watercress LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If I was going to be a lab rat - I think I'd like to be these lab rats! A hormone injection that sobers up mice might offer hope for treating drunk humans according to a paper published this week in the journal Cell Metabolism. https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(23)00041-4 In the experiments, researchers gave mice so much alcohol that they fell unconscious and weren’t able to get back up when they were pushed onto their back (known as the righting reflex). The hormone being tested is naturally produced and called Fibroblast growth factor 21 or FGF21. In the mice that were bred not to make this hormone they stayed drunk for longer than ‘normal’ mice that could produce FGF21. Interestingly when the normal mice were given an injection containing FGF21 they sobered up an hour and a half faster than the other mice. The researchers think that FGF21 helps to activate nerve cells in the parts of the brain that are involved with simulating wakefulness and while FGF21 doesn’t help to break down alcohol in the body, it does help to protect livers from the toxic effects of alcohol while also reducing the animals desire to continue drinking. Humans have the same FGF21 pathway as mice, which means these findings might help to create a treatment for patients with acute alcohol poisoning. These patients are at a high risk of choking by aspirating their own vomit while intoxicated, and the researchers believe that being able to increase a patients alertness could significantly reduce this risk. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
New Zealand-Samoan director made his film debut with Pasifika-themed comedy 'Red, White and Brass'. Set during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the film follows a group of Tongan fans who form a brass band to get in as pre-game entertainment in a bid for tickets to the match between Tonga and France. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says this film manages to be a heart-warming and hilarious crowd-pleaser that captures the energy of Pacific Aotearoa on screen. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Comedian Tom Sainsbury is bringing his impersonation skills to the world of true crime podcasts. 'Small Town Scandal' is set in the fictional Wairarapa farming community of Te Hoiho and delves into the mysterious death of wealthy Mitch Buchanan, owner of Mitch’s Automatic Mowers. The six-part mockumentary podcast stars Tom Sainsbury voicing over 30 distinctive characters. Tom Sainsbury says true crime podcasts follow a formula that's easy to emulate for entertainment purposes. The first three parts of 'Small Town Scandal' are available now on iHeart Radio, Spotify, and Apple podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
New Zealand's own Dawn Aerospace will be launching their newest venture out of Kiwi airports soon. Rocket-powered space planes have been granted approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand to operate out of the nation's airports. The first round of Dawn Aerospace's planned test flights are set to begin within the next month. Dawn Aerospace founder and CEO Stefan Powell says the space planes are designed to bring the usability and utility of an aircraft to a vehicle with the power to get to space. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Anti-trans activist Posie Parker was escorted out of New Zealand after a skirmish at her Auckland rally. A small fight broke out between attendees and counter-protestors as Posie Parker made her way to the front of the crowd, where she was doused with a red liquid and escorted out of Auckland's Albert Park. Posie Parker has since cancelled her Wellington appearance and left for Auckland Airport on Saturday evening. NZ Herald political reporter Michael Neilson says several MPs showed up to the counter-protest, including Labour's Shanan Halbert and Greens co-leader Marama Davidson, who was injured after being struck by a motorcycle. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There are concerns about what National's newly proposed education policy might mean for neurodiverse learners. The Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand believe requirements from this proposed policy outline put neurodiverse students at a disadvantage. Dyslexia Foundation spokesperson Guy Pope-Mayell says it's highly concerning that National's educational policy doesn't mention neurodiversity, which affects 20 percent of school-aged children. "We certainly need early intervention and also early identification, and then we need the right interventions. It's all about the approach, doing more of the same is simply not going to work." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7 weeks ago, I mentioned on air how impressed I was with my insurance company. We had a small amount of water seep through the back of our house during the flood on Auckland Anniversary weekend. Nothing major, nothing that evicted us from our property, nothing we haven’t been able to live around. I left it a week before calling the insurance company to log a claim. I felt other people were much worse off than us and need to speak to someone more urgently. When I did manage to reach someone on a Saturday afternoon, I was impressed by their willingness to help, record the information and log and approve the claim on the spot. Little did I know that was to be the last time I would be able to contact my insurance provider easily. The carpet guys took a month to get here – and that’s understandable. The small amount of wet carpet had been dried and once lifted was in good shape. They left me a dehumidifier which sucked the life out of all of us for a couple of weeks. They were a reminder of how amazing people have been at getting on with the job post flooding and cyclone. The young man who picked up the dehumidifier had driven his van up from Christchurch to work in Auckland. He’d been here for 5 weeks, working nonstop, and was heading home two days later. He was returning without his work van which has to stay in Auckland for weeks until he could get a ticket on a Cook Strait ferry. Next came an external insurance assessor who measured rooms and said it all looked fine but didn’t have a moisture metre on her or make any effort to look beyond what was in directly in front of her. Who knows what her report says. I haven’t been able to find out. On follow-up calls to my insurer, I was waiting for up to an hour, before having to hang up and get on with life. I then did what was suggested and logged into my account to see if there was an update and messaged them as requested. They said they would get back to me within two working days. I didn’t hear back for a week. So on Friday I found myself working from home, with an extended time where I could wait on hold until I was able to talk to someone. I worked away and calmly listened to ads about how they were “Here to Help”, and “We’ll get your Sorted”. I was pleasantly surprised when someone answered my call in 50 minutes, rather than 2 hours I’d been advised. Once I got through, I can’t fault the service. I am no further ahead in knowing what’s going on, but while on the call the insurance rep did try to call the assessors to chase their report, talked to the carpet people and checked a few other questions I had with their supervisor - all while I waited. I may be no further along with my claim, but I appreciated the effort to answer all my questions and push things along. I was told and pleased to hear that those in the direst situations were getting help first. But with no timeframe being offered it became clear it’s going to take forever to get everyone who needed to contribute to my claim on the same page. So like many people I’m now in the process of finding my own contractors to quote and assess the job, and hope that what I come back with works for the insurance company. It will be interesting to see the result. The one communication I have received unprompted has been for my next home and contents insurance annual payment. It has risen $785.39 in a year. It’s also worth noting this is my first ever claim, and last year the increase was $515.00. It seems that whether you claim or not weather events are going to hit us all. So, I’m now even more motivated to make sure we all end up on the same page. My initial drive to make a claim has been replaced by a determination to make sure we get it sorted properly, by contractors we both agree on, however long it takes. The best news I got was that wait times for my provider should reduce next week – apparently another 100 people are coming on board to help. I think the insurance rep I was speaking to was more relieved than I. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The British Royal family has provided some of the most iconic moments in history. After becoming the go-to photographer to cover them in 1975, Arthur Edwards was the person most-perfectly placed to tell their story. Edwards has released a book called Behind the Crown, with some of his most famous shots. He told Francesca Rudkin on the Sunday Session he hadn’t always dreamed of being a Royal photographer and that it came about purely by accident. “I was in the office doing the Sunday morning shift and one of the reporters said I’m going to the polo today, do you fancy coming?” Arthur went along and once the game of polo was finished, then Prince Charles, now King Charles, was feeding sugar cubes to one of his ponies. “I was about 10 feet away with my camera and I took this really nice picture, offered it up and it went straight in the paper the next day. I thought God, this is easy.” Having noticed the quality of photo Edwards was turning in, his editor told him that he was to be tasked with finding out who Prince Charles was set to marry as the prince arrived at what was deemed an appropriate age. Having not originally been a follower of the Royals, Arthur told Rudkin he soon became obsessed with the job of locating Charles’ potential bride and that he began taking his family along to polo events in the hope of securing the prized shot, turning in a number of exclusive photos in the process. “The other newspapers started waking up thinking ‘woah, we’ve gotta start doing this’. Several girlfriends came along and went and then one day I went to a polo match on a Saturday, which is unusual because we don’t have a paper on a Sunday, and I was told he was there with a lady called Lady Dianna Spencer.” Arthur says he scanned the crowd of beautiful women, with his eyes eventually resting upon one wearing a necklace bearing the letter ‘D’. In a move that would jettison his career into another stratosphere, Edwards asked the young Lady Diana if she would allow him to photograph her. “She said yes and she posed up for me.” As Diana was only 19 at the time, he says he was unsure as to whether she was the potential bride he was after, only telling his editor to run the photograph when he saw Charles and Diana fishing together at the Royal estate at Balmoral. “I rang the office and said get that picture out. On Monday we ran a headline ‘Charles is in love again’ and this picture I did of Diana at the polo match and the caption was ‘Lady Diana Spencer: All the qualities to be Queen.’ And that was it, it, it was off and running.” See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
by Gregg Hurwitz. We’ve done his other books in previous years. This is the 8th (and possibly last) in the series about Evan Smoak, who was taken from an orphanage as a young boy and trained in black ops by the US government but turned his back on all that and used the skills he acquired to help people in need. Now he finds that things have gone full circle and the government is asking for his help - and if he doesn’t give it, things will get ugly. by Paris Hilton. I’d only ever known her as the celebrity socialite and assumed she came from enormous wealth (she did) and a very entitled background (yes, that too). What I didn’t know was that her parents despaired of their difficult daughter who had undiagnosed ADHD, and whose brain worked in different ways from everyone she knew - and eventually they despatched her to what the Americans refer to as an “emotional growth” boarding school and having read about it, I can tell you that she’s a true survivor and her life hasn’t been as easy as we all thought. It was fascinating, as it so often is to get the real story behind the person that you thought you knew about. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Vanuatu region has taken an intense battering from nature this March. Vanuatu was lashed by Cyclone Judy and Cyclone Kevin, two separate tropical cyclones in three days. BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton says Vanuatu is used to weather events of this scale and the capital, Port Vila is already back up and running. Megan Singleton says the island of Tanna will need an extra couple of months to recover, as it was quite badly hit. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Newstalk ZB Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills and commentator and TV producer Irene Gardiner joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss the following issues of the week: The columnists have come out in droves to say that Chris Luxon is coming up short in the polls. In the Chris vs Chris debate, Luxon is in decline. Is National losing momentum? Who could step up to lead the party instead of Luxon? The Green Party have delivered their State of the Planet speech today, and they're adamant that any party that wants to negotiate with them after the election must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action. What can the Greens do to keep climate policy on everyone's minds? See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Research suggests we may need to pay more attention to our brain health. Almost half of all cases of dementia and cognitive decline are preventable and the risk factors can be mitigated or controlled with lifestyle changes. Australian broadcaster and GP Dr Ginni Mansberg explained the best treatments to get ahead of cognitive decline in her guide: 'Save Your Brain'. Dr Ginni Mansberg says people can get a lot done to prevent mental decline in mid-life, but the years between 40 and 50 are full of outside distractions. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Daylight Saving is due to kick in on April 2nd, which will affect sleep schedules across the nation. A quality sleep experience is important for health and development, and wellness expert Erin O'Hara has some tips for getting ahead of the disruptions. Erin O'Hara says 45 percent of the world's population is affected by sleep problems, including onset of sleep and staying asleep. Erin advises creating a consistent sleep schedule and establishing a relaxing (and device free) regimen before bed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Let's wake up those taste buds as we enter autumn, with a bit of fire! The reason why I'm talking about rockmelons is that they are in season right now. We had to harvest ours last week, mainly due to the rains. But all melons, including watermelon are around at an affordable price now. A rockmelon season runs from January till March, however with all the weather events we have been going through you just need to harvest them when you can. A ripe melon can be identified by its ripe aroma. Storage of rockmelon is important as they have been known to carry food borne illnesses. Listeria being the most common, it can go from the soil to the melon skin and although it doesn't grow on the skin, when we slice the melon to eat it that can introduce it into the flesh. Then we mightn't eat it all at once but a few days later cut it up some more and put it out to eat at a picnic, and the bacteria has grown even more. So, best practice is to wash the fruit thoroughly before consuming and I would go so far as to always peel it and keep all surfaces clean. Enjoy! BBQ CHICKEN SKEWERS W ROCKMELON CHILI PICKLE: Cook time: 25 minutes Prep time: 15 minutes Serves: 6 250gm boneless, skinless chicken thighs 3 cloves of garlic, crushed ½ tsp salt Juice of 1 lemon 1 tbsp grapeseed oil 12 bamboo skewers ½ rockmelon, peeled and diced in 2cm dice 150g tomatoes, skin and seeds removed, diced ½ white onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 2 tbsp peeled and grated ginger juice of 2 lemons ½ tsp salt ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground nutmeg ½ cup cider vinegar ½ cup caster sugar 1 red chili, cut in half and seeds removed Preheat your BBQ or oven to 180*C Cut the chciken into large pieces and marinate in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Skewer onto the bamboo and rub with oil before placing onto the BBQ to cook. For the rockmelon pickle: Place all ingredients apart from the rockmelon in a heavy-based saucepan. Over a medium heat, bring mixture to the boil, stirring frequently. Cook until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook out for 15 minutes, or until syrupy. Cool slightly before adding the diced rockmelon. Once the chicken is cooked, place all the skewers onto a platter and drizzle with rockmelon pickle. To serve as a main dish, serve alongside some cous cous and yoghurt if you wish. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week we are talking dad jokes: “What do you call cheese that isn't yours? Nacho cheese.” “Dad, did you get a haircut?’. 'No, I got them all cut!” “Why did the orange stop halfway up the hill? It ran out of juice.” The good old ‘dad joke’, defined as a wholesome joke of the type said to be told by fathers that has a punchline that is an obvious or predictable pun or play on words. Whether you roll your eyes or laugh at them, dad jokes have been found to serve an important function in the development of children according to a new article in the British Psychological Society. https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/o4kGCJypGDCLQ7QrTVUeFv?domain=bps.org.uk By striking at their children’s egos and emotions in a teasing way, dad jokes were found to help to build up a child’s resilience by getting them used to minor attacks and negative emotions in a safe space without them getting worked up. By continually telling their children jokes that are so bad that they’re embarrassing, fathers may push their children's limits for how much embarrassment they can handle. These experiences helped to teach the child impulse control and emotional regulation by letting them feel embarrassment and showing them that it isn’t that bad. While dad jokes don’t have to be told by dads, research shows that dads tend to be more vigorous and challenging in their play as well as joke more with their children when compared to mothers. The best time for dad jokes is when children are approaching adolescence, as during this phase they appear to be more prone to embarrassment, especially when it comes to their parents. Dads can exploit this phase and help toughen their children up by telling them jokes that are so unfunny they are embarrassing. So the next time you hear a terrible ‘dad joke’ don’t groan at the punchline, instead see it as a powerful pedagogical tool that could have huge benefits to the children rolling their eyes at them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Keanu Reeves returns to the screen this month for John Wick: Chapter 4. After being delayed in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, John Wick: Chapter 4 will be arriving in theatres on Wednesday March 22nd. This sequel will have a three-hour runtime, and Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, and Donnie Yen are confirmed to return, along with Lance Reddick in one of his final roles. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says that the John Wick franchise has evolved since the first film in 2014 and become more convoluted since the simple revenge premise of the original. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Billy T Award-winning comedian Kura Forrester is in for an eventful few months. Kura Forrester recently wrapped up a last-minute performance at the Billy T Jams comedy showcase after a nominee was unable to appear- and she's got more gigs coming. She'll be returning to the Comedy Festival for the first time since taking home the Billy T award in 2019 and will be headlining Maori Comic Relief to raise money for the victims of Cyclone Gabrielle. Kura Forrester says she hasn't done much stand-up since winning her Billy T Award, as her TV appearances on 7 Days and Shortland Street have been a bigger priority. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thousands of unlucky Kiwis have been cheated out of money from scams and fraud. The upcoming New Zealand International Fraud Film Festival seeks to expose these crimes and show the impact they have in New Zealand and overseas. Festival spokesperson and former acting director of the Serious Fraud Office Paul O’Neill explained that this festival was inspired by a similar idea developed by the Dutch. Paul O’Neill says fraud is a prevalent crime worldwide and the hook of entertainment will help raise awareness for this under-reported issue. This year's festival will take place on March 29-30 at Auckland's Q Theatre. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Stuart Nash is hanging on in Cabinet after being demoted to the lowest ranking. A third incident involving Nash's conduct as a Government Minister came to light on Friday, in which he approached a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment official about an immigration case. Chris Hipkins has gone on to say that any further lapses in Nash's judgement will result in his outright dismissal as a minister. NZ Herald political reporter Adam Pearse says someone with Stuart Nash's level of power and influence still has to follow the rules and needed the reminder to toe the line from the PM. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Foreign and domestic problems for Russia after the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant, for Vladimir Putin. The Russian President and his Commissioner for Child Rights are accused of unlawfully deporting children from Ukraine to Russia. Otago University International Relations professor Robert Patman says the ruling will change the way foreign leaders deal with Putin. He says it'll also make those in his inner circle nervous. "This will probably increase the view within Russia that Mr Putin has become a political liability. After all, Russia now is for all intents and purposes in legal terms, a pariah state." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On Kerre Woodham Mornings on Friday, Kerre had a robust discussion about what was taking place in our health system. There were two calls in particular which stopped me in my tracks. One was a chat with Christchurch surgeon Frank Frizelle, who this week spoke out about how local surgeons say they’re forced to decide which cancer patients to treat, as cancer patients are waiting longer for procedures due of a lack of resources, in this case anaesthetic technicians. What really got his goat though was the way the Te Whatu Ora Waitaha, formerly the Canterbury District Health Board, was presenting information that didn’t stack up with what those on the front line, those having the hard conversations with patients, are facing. We all have different experiences with the health system. Some are faultless, some are beyond belief. But there’s nothing more frustrating than being told there is nothing to see here, when there clearly is. I can’t imagine how demoralising it must be for the staff involved. So it’s good to see surgeons, GP’s, ED doctors, nurses, and paramedics speaking out, expressing their concerns at the lack of adequate planning, resources, and investment going into the health system. Their concerns should be our converns. When you hear from those in the know you realise it’s not just the media wanting to label things a crisis. This week, high profile surgeon Frank Frizelle talked to Kerre about the health system as a whole. He’s talking about an implosion, a disintegration of the system as a whole. He wants small changes so they can do something, even if it doesn't get the system operating who they would optimally like it to. How refreshing is it to hear someone say it as simply as it is. Frank was followed on Kerre Woodham Mornings by a caller named Bruce, a paramedic who isn’t allowed to speak publicly about his job or the state of emergency care. Despite this, he is so frustrated at being gaslit by those running the system he felt obliged to share this thoughts. They are about as far from comforting as you can get. Bruce talked about a situation last week where every single ambulance in the Waikato was ramped up at the hospital. Meaning there was not one ambulance available to respond to calls. That these ambulances are being ramped up for hours. The paramedics have tried to offer solutions but were turned down because actioning their suggestion of a triage tent would be a bad look. I mean, what do you say to that? We’ve heard about ramping for a while now, but understanding the brutal consequences as we’ve just heard is something else entirely. I want to say thank you to both Frank and Bruce for speaking out. And also thank the ED doctors who continue to calmly point out that, regardless of whether Te Whatu Ora gets their ED waiting times data correct, the problems faced by EDs across the country are a sign of intense pressure on the whole sector. No one expected to see a material difference overnight after establishing the centralised Te Whatu Ora. But we did expect a sense of urgency for practice reforms which would help take pressure of the system. There is no sign of the rapid and fast action Frank calls for. Until we do, I say bring on the whistle-blowers, and those on the inside calling it how it is. They’re doing it for us. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
At the beginning of March, BusinessNZ released a report which stated that without policy changes our tightest ever labour market will get tighter. The Sense Partners’ The Future of Workplace Supply report was commissioned by BusinessNZ, who also did a survey in September last year which revealed labour shortages were the biggest concern for New Zealand businesses. The Future of Workplace Supply report reveals New Zealand’s need for workers will outstrip supply by a quarter of a million people by 2048. Various measures are suggested to solve this problem, the most obvious solution in the short and long term is immigration. It became glaringly apparent during the pandemic just how heavily we rely on sourcing skills and labour from the international market. Always have. Always will. According to BusinessNZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope “We are in a global war for talent and New Zealand’s labour shortage is the most intense in the OECD.” He says this report “proves there is no slack in our labour market”. So it was with delight and concern this week I read about the changes to the Youth Mobility Visa with the UK coming into force earlier than expected. The scheme currently allows New Zealanders aged 18 to 30 to work in the UK for a year and live there for two - with pretty much the same arrangement for UK citizens coming here. It's now been extended to include New Zealand ‘youth’ up to 35, and with living and work rights extending to three years for both countries. This was supposed to be in place by the end of 2024 –it is now kicking off in June/July this year. I’m a lover of the OE. Being a borderless island tucked away at the bottom of the world is beneficial during a global pandemic, but the draw is strong for our young, and as it turns out now, not so young, to broaden their experiences personally and professionally on the other side of the world. The OE can be a life changing experience, an adventure, an opportunity to work out what you want from life. Many return to New Zealand with attitudes and skills that benefit locally based businesses. So, it’s a good thing. But I wonder, in this climate, what impact this news will have on employers? With a tight labour market, is it more frustrating than normal to have young workers who you may have trained up leave, and leave you with the challenge of finding someone to replace them and starting again? The changes will be well received by those who haven’t been able to get away for their OE, or those frustrated with the cost of living and housing in New Zealand. The OE has always been tolerated in New Zealand as many return, enticed home by family, our Kiwi laid-back attitude, the outdoors and ease of living. Aside from the family connections and outdoors, I’m not sure the allure of an affordable, laid-back life back here in NZ is a draw card anymore. And this works both ways right? UK citizens currently on the similar visa here in New Zealand can too extend their visa from July 1st. So not only do we need to encourage Kiwis to return, but we have to encourage UK workers to come here and work in our hospitals, horticulture, hospo and tourism. We need to compete with countries like Australia (who made similar changes to their equivalent youth mobility visa years ago) to bring both Kiwis and UK citizens to New Zealand. Now that’s going to be a hard marketing campaign for this Government to pull off, but with the current labour shortages, an aging population and stiff international competition they need to make policy changes. They need to be competitive, they need to make the process more seamless, they need more incentives, and they need to start now. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
by Shelly Read This begins in the late 1940’s, set in Colorado in a town called Iola, in Colorado, where young Torie lives with three very difficult men (her father, brother and uncle who was disabled in WW2) after her mother was killed in a car accident when she was 12. It was immediately assumed that she’d take over all the household duties and she spends the next several years cooking and cleaning and helping out on the family’s peach farm. One day, when taking a load of peaches into the town she has a chance encounter with a Native American man which changes her life irrevocably - with bigotry being alive and well in that era, her options are few and far between. It’s the first novel by this author and is being compared a lot to . by Reid Mitenbuler Extraordinary nonfiction about a larger than life great bear of a man named Peter Freuchen who was a Dane who spent 20 years living in Greenland and embarked on a series of Polar explorations – getting into some sticky situations from which you can scarcely believe he managed to extricate himself. With an extraordinary appetite for life and an eclectic CV to go with it, he explored the Canadian wilderness, spent time in Hollywood as a screenwriter and producer, won a major game show, met the President and married several times. I’ve attached the front cover image of the book as it’s so remarkable - the photo was taken by the legendary photographer Irving Penn of Freuchen and his third wife and sums him up quite well I think! See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hawke's Bay tourism is reassuring travellers that Napier is open for business again. 85 percent of operators in Hawkes Bay are open and were not affected at all, and all the hotels are open and ready for tourists. BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton says Napier needs an extra boost from tourism, especially from those West and South who can drive up during weekends and upcoming holidays. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this week's edition of The Sunday Panel, host of the Front Page podcast, Damien Veneto and commentator and editor, Jo McCarroll joined in on a discussion about the following topics: Is it acceptable that a starting teacher will be earning $1.99 more than the new minimum wage? Why would you teach if you could literally do any other job for the same money? How can we fix this problem for good and incentivise teachers? Claire Trevett wrote a piece in the Herald saying that Luxon is less likeable than Hipkins. How do you counter someone being likeable? Should likability be less of a factor when it comes to picking a Prime Minister? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
