Nine To Noon

The economy shrank 0.6 percent in the three months ended December, as key sectors slowed. The annual growth rate eased to 2.2 pct. Business Editor Gyles Beckford discusses the contraction which was more than expected.

Constant complaints to the council about local roads are looking like they will pay off with an extra $1.5m for roads, meanwhile the major roadworks in Rakaia are costing a bakery in lost business. And Jonathan explains why pigeons are not welcome at the Ashburton Event Centre.

Kim Pittar from Muir's Independent Bookshop in Gisborne reviews Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry, published by Penguin Random House

Motivated by the isolation many tamariki were feeling during the lockdown, child psychologists Sarika Rona and Lisa Cherrington wanted to write a book to help tamariki with the emotional challenges of separation. Their new picture book The Awhi Warrior is about Teina, a little boy who is upset that he can't visit his Nanny Mihi and give her an awhi, a hug, during lockdown. Together they explore the power of the atua, the gods of te ao Maori, and Teina learns he can connect with his ancestors and the spiritual world to feel supported and loved. Kathryn speaks with Sarika Rona, an educational psychologist and co-author of the book.

UK correspondent Harriet Line joins Kathryn to talk about what Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered in his Budget, including an expansion of 30-hours free childcare to younger children, an extension to the energy price guarantee and increase in corporate tax from 19% to 25%. Harriet Line is Deputy Political Editor of the Daily Mail.

It took the humble telephone 75 years to gain 100 million users. It took Facebook four and a half years. ChatGPT, the AI driven chatbot, reached that figure in just two months. The large language model virtual assistant, developed by OpenAI, scans massive amounts of data in response to a question and generates a realistic (or human) sounding response. On Tuesday an updated version of the tool was released - ChatGPT-4. So which industries have been quick to deploy the technology and what will that mean for workers? Kathryn is joined by Madeline Newman, AIForumNZ executive director, and Frances Valintine, who's the founder of AcademyEX - which runs The Mind Lab and Tech Futures Lab.

The Swiss Central Bank is moving to shore up globally-influential bank, Credit Suisse, whose shares have fallen as much as a quarter to a new record low. Its largest investor, the Saudi National Bank, is refusing to offer further bail-outs. Trading of Credit Suisse shares on the Swiss market have been paused, sending shares of other European banks into a downward spiral. Global stock markets fell overnight and gains on Wall Street have reversed. This follows the collapse of Silicon Valley and Signature Banks in the United States this week. Kathryn speaks with BBC correspondent in Berne, Imogen Foulkes.

As bank profits soar, and calls are made for an inquiry into bank practices, a former banker with 25 years experience says it is savers who are being ripped off. New Zealand's banks' combined annual profit surged by more than $1 billion in the last year , exceeding $7 billion for the first time, according to KPMG's annual Financial Institutions Performance Survey. The Commerce minister, Duncan Webb, says the government is actively considering a Commerce Commission study into bank profits, and has dismissed National's suggestion of a shorter shorter select committee inquiry, describing it as a "quick and dirty" proposal. David Cunningham is Chief Executive of mortgage broker and lender Squirrel. He has spent nearly 25 years as a banker - with both Westpac and latterly as Chief Executive of The Co-operatoive bank. He says soaring mortgage interest rates have been in the headlines recently, but he believes borrowers actually get a great deal, and is is is savers who are bearing the brunt and boosting bank profitability

The beginning of the year can be expensive, due to the high costs of getting kids back to school - uniforms, stationery and school fees - and it's also the time when the impact of Christmas debt kicks in, with credit and store card payments needing to be made to avoid paying interest. Money expert Liz Koh has some tips for getting rid of short term debt and actions you can take if you're struggling.

Today is the fourth anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks, and The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand say the Muslim community is subject to more verbal abuse online than ever. Professor Paul Spoonley has spent four decades studying extremism in New Zealand. He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Honorary Research Associate in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Massey University; co director of the research centre at Victoria University He Whenua Taurikura. He speaks with Kathryn about Histories of Hate:The Radical Right in Aotearoa New Zealand, a new book he has co-edited.