Nine To Noon

Australia correspondent Bernard Keane joins Kathryn to look at what was included in the latest Budget, the fourth in two years. The $7.5b plan is designed to help ease the cost of living ahead of new inflation figures out today.

Outward Bound in New Zealand turns 60 this year - and in the time it's been running, some 70,000 Kiwis have gone through the programme. Kathryn is joined by Outward Bound's CEO Malindi Maclean and Darryl Carpenter, who was an Outward Bound instructor in the 1990s.

Minister for Agriculture Damien O'Connor talks with Kathryn Ryan about the tough choices farmers are facing, including looming emissions pricing, and the temptation to sell into carbon farm forestry.

Andrew says the pressure points for private media companies continue: Stuff is re-arranging its smallest newsrooms to create a regional breaking-news team, which may end up meaning job cuts. And the price of newsprint continues to rise, up 20-30 per cent in the past year. And National says it will de-merger TVNZ and RNZ if it wins the election in a year's time. How would those involved in the new public media organisation create a success if that's hanging over their heads?. Also, the BBC turns 100.

The age of free trade agreements is over - could this be a blessing in disguise for NZ producers? And could Auckland Mayor, Wayne Brown inadvertently stiffen the government's spine on 3 waters.

Gareth, Brigitte and Kathryn talk about how the Hamilton byelection is an unwelcome litmus test for Labour, the Government's decision to dump its Covid powers and a possible Royal Commission into the Covid response. The economic hangover continues, could National's social investment proposal work and the PM has met with Auckland's new mayor.

Sonja de Friez reviews Nina Simone's Gum by Warren Ellis.

He's one of New Zealand's best-known chefs but a new book takes an intimate look at the life of Simon Gault beyond his culinary skills. He's been the driving force behind Bell House, Euro, Jervois Steak House, Gault's on Quay and Giraffe - and spent five years as a judge on Masterchef New Zealand. A scare with Type-2 diabetes helped shape his interest in getting healthier and he fronted two TV shows encouraging others to do that: Why are We Fat and Chef on a Mission. Perhaps less well-known is Simon's passion for flying - something he goes into depth in, in his new biography Simon Gault: No Half Measures. It's been written with help from journalist and restaurant reviewer Kim Knight. And for the food-lovers among us, it's also peppered full of Simon's favourite recipes.

The Republicans are slowly chipping away at Democrats' formidable lead with Latino voters. Danielle explores some of the theories about why this is happening. She also looks at a national "don't-say-gay" bill. House Republicans have introduced a bill that would prohibit federal funds from being used to support any 'sexually-oriented' programs, events, and literature for children under 10; ban federal facilities from hosting or promoting such events or literature; and allow parents and guardians to sue government officials, agencies and private entities if a child under 10 is 'exposed' to such materials. Danielle says it has very little chance of passing in this Congress.

Zinc is widely used to galvanise steel and iron, putting a protective layer over it to make the metals non-corrosive. But the process creates a lot of waste, and recycling zinc is more emissions-intensive than mining it in the first place. It's a problem Jonathan Ring went back to university to solve, working on it for his masters at the University of Canterbury under engineer Aaron Marshall. Together the pair co-founded Zincovery - which recycles zinc dust back its pure form. Jonathan joins Kathryn to explain how Zincovery's technology works and their plans for scaling up.