Nine To Noon

Anne Else reviews Robin White, Something is Happening Here Edited by Sarah Farrar, Nina Tonga and Jill Trevelyan, published by Te Papa Press and and Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki. The book was published to accompany the major retrospective exhibition featuring more than 70 works from across Robin White's 50-year career - Robin White: Te Whanaketanga Something is Happening Here - which will open at Te Papa on 4 June, followed by Auckland Art Gallery in late-October 2022.

The history of this tough profession and the transition it underwent when "modern nursing" was brought to New Zealand via English expat nurses, has been captured in a new book called New Zealand Nurses: Caring for our people 1880 - 1950 by Pamela Wood. It looks at how New Zealand developed its own distinct 'Kiwi' nursing culture - and is stacked with the words of the nurses themselves - sometimes sad, often times matter-of-fact and many times, downright funny. Kathryn talks to her about New Zealand became the first country to have not only a chief nurse, but a specific Nurses Registration Act, an enfranchised nursing workforce and an eight-hour day for nurses in training.

Australia correspondent Annika Smethurst joins Kathryn to talk about the decisions facing the Liberal and Nationals parties, following their defeat in the weekend election. Annika Smethurst is political editor at The Age.

Pounamu Skelton is dedicated to helping whanau grow food and to trade it. She runs the popular Waitara crop swap. Her interest in food is steeped in the legacy of her Tipuna Maori, respecting food as medicine, nourishment and connection. In addition to running the monthly food swap, Pounamu also teaches others how to grow their own food and she is the co-chair of the Maori Organics Authority. Earlier this month, she held the He Whenua Rongo online conference, with hundreds of participants from the kai and soil resilience movement.

It's been called a blunt instrument, discriminatory and hopelessly outdated, and now the end is in sight for the decile funding system for school. From next year, a new equity index will be introduced, funded by 75-million-dollars in the Budget. Schools will find out in September if they will be winners or losers when decile numbers are replaced. But the government has promised no schools will be worse off, at least for the first year.What will the changes mean for schools and students? And will it mean more children are enrolled at their local school? Kathryn discusses with Secondary Principals' Association President Vaughan Couillault; Te Pohue School principal Richard Gillespie and principal at Kaitaia Primary School, Brendan Morrissey.

Andrew reviews what the budget means for the TVNZ/RNZ merger, takes a look at media coverage of the Australian election, and remembers a media stalwart, Brian Gaynor. Andrew Holden is a journalist for more than 30 years including five as Editor of The Press (in Christchurch) and four as Editor-in-Chief of The Age in Melbourne.

A couple with a shared love of conservation have devoted the last seven years to protecting the banded dotterel living on the shores of Kaikōura . The birds nest on the sand, making them particularly vulnerable to predators - especially cats - as well as tide and storm surges, and disturbance from people who can't spot the well-camouflaged birds. Dotterels, or tuturiwhatu, are critically endangered, with numbers estimated to be around 19,000 nationally. Ailsa McGilvary-Howard and her husband Ted Howard spend their time monitoring the nests and eggs, trapping predators, researching and tracking flightpaths, advocating for cat containment, and much more. Last year, the pair were honoured with a Queen's Service Medal for their conservation work.

Pattrick explains why Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's trip to the United States is so important, both economically and politically. Also the looming global food and energy crisis created by the Ukraine war, and what it might mean here. Pattrick Smellie is the editor and co-founder of BusinessDesk and has reported on the New Zealand economy and business since 1983.

Sally Wenley reviews The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird by Diane Campbell, published by Simon & Schuster

One of Britain's most successful contemporary writers, Anthony Horowitz' work spans books, TV, films, plays and journalism. He's perhaps best known for Midsomer Murders, Foyle's War, his Sherlock Holmes novels and the teen spy series Alex Rider. Anthony already has two James Bond novels under his belt, Trigger Mortis and Forever and a Day. Now he's got another one on his ejector seat. With a Mind to a Kill is the final part of a trilogy for the Ian Fleming Estate. Set partly in 1960's East Berlin and Moscow it's classic Bond territory, with all the gadgets and the girls. Bond novels have sold more than 60 million copies since Casino Royale in 1953. They sparked the hugely successful film franchise. We first saw Sean Connery as 007 in Dr No in 1962. Anthony was awarded an OBE for his services to literature in January 2014. He tells Kathryn Ryan Bond has been a great companion to write about.