Midday Report

High schoolers who don't look white are experiencing racism at higher rates than others according to new research, and it's coming from teachers, police, healthcare providers, and their classmates. The research published in The Lancet today provides the data and context in a detail that backs up the lived experiences and shared anecdotes of many people of colour. University of Auckland associate professors Rachel Simon-Kumar and Roshini Peiris-John, of Waipapa Taumata Rau spoke to Mani Dunlop.

The police are going to return to Pike River mine to drill 10 new boreholes which they hope will help them figure out what caused the fatal first explosion more than a decade ago.

The November 2010 disaster resulted in the deaths of 29 miners.

Detective Superintendent Peter Read says the criminal investigation team needs more evidence to find out what happened. 

Māni Dunlop reports.

The Children's Minister has backtracked and apologised to an ACT MP after accusations of nastiness and race-based attacks went flying at Parliament yesterday, in a clash between ACT and Labour over the Children's Ministry.

Kelvin Davis told ACT's Karen Chhour to enter the Māori world and stop looking through a vanilla lens. 

The Minister today said "I absolutely acknowledge Karen's whakapapa and hope my comments did not cause her personal offence, I probably could have made my point better and I have apologised for that."

Karen Chhour spoke to Māni Dunlop.

News from the rural farming sector

Midday sports News for 29 September 2022

The White Ferns came up just short in the opening T20 against the West Indies in Antigua, falling to a one run loss as they failed to chase down the hosts' modest total.

News from the business sector

Nelson councillors have held a meeting with local government and emergency management minister Kieran McAnulty today.

Many residents still haven't been able to return home after heavy rain last month led to widespread flooding and numerous slips and landslides. 

Nelson mayor Rachel Reese says the city has made some good progress but it's been incredibly difficult. 

RNZ's Nelson reporter Samantha Gee is covering the meeting and spoke to Māni Dunlop.

Health ministers wanted nurses and dentists included in the "straight to residence" immigration pathway which was unveiled last month - and nurses believe they should revisit the decision.

The Health Minister Andrew Little says the "decisions about immigration green lists were made collectively by Cabinet.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation president Anne Daniels spoke to Māni Dunlop.

Advocates for seasonal workers want to see the horticulture and viticulture industries held to account for any mistreatment of workers.

The government has increased the quota of workers allowed under the RSE scheme by 3000 from next month.

In July this year, an investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity commissioner found RSE workers were exploited, bonded to unreasonable debts, living in slum-like conditions and denied religious and cultural freedoms.

It found fundamental human rights were being breached and some of it warrants criminal investigation.

The commissioner Saunoamaali'i Karanina Sumeo spoke with Māni Dunlop.

News from the rural farming sector

New Zealand King Salmon has reported a net loss of $24.5 million dollars for the six months to July, with increasing fish deaths, a lower harvest and a decline in biomass at sea.

And worker advocates warn that employers must not be allowed to exploit the next wave of seasonal workers from the Pacific.