Nine To Noon

Helen Melser's The Olive Tree in My Kitchen explores the versatility of the fruit and is a homage to the olive tree. Over the years she's produced many olive products from her grove in the Wairarapa, and swears by the health benefits of olives. She talks to Kathryn about a selection of recipes using olives and their leaves.

Labour is beginning to hurt in the polls as rating of Covid management slump and another day of more than 200 infections yesterday. Also at COP26 New Zealand pledges an completely unquantifiable sum of money, dependent on international carbon prices to buy its way out of cutting emissions. How much of a `fiscal risk' is this approach? Neale Jones was Chief of Staff to Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern, and prior to that was Chief of Staff to Andrew Little. He is the director of Capital Government Relations. Ben Thomas is a PR consultant and a former National Government press secretary.

Sally Wenley reviews Theroux the Keyhole by Louis Theroux, published by Macmillan.

Ai Weiwei has been described as the most important artist working today, and an `unsilenceable voice of freedom'. His sculptures and installations have been viewed by millions around the world. His architectural achievements include helping design the iconic Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing , although he later disowned the Games as state propaganda. His political activism has made him a target of Chinese authorities, and in 2011, around the time of the Arab Spring uprising in the Middle East, Ai Weiwei `disappeared' in China - held in secret detention, without charge, for months. His new memoir, 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows, reveals more about his own family's connections to the sweep of 20th century Chinese history. Ai Weiweii tells Kathryn how his father Ai Qing, an intellectual and poet, knew Mao Zedong , the founding father of the People's Republic of China.

There are new lockdowns in Europe as Covid infections climb, the EU considers action over Poland-Belarus border crisis and at COP26, a late change on coal introduced by India.

Some key areas of the adult decision making capacity law have been standing for decades and the Law Commission says it's time for a refresh. This aspect of law affects tens of thousands of New Zealanders, whose decision making capacity is compromised and is particularly relevant for people with acquired brain injuries, mental health needs, neurodisabilities and also for an increasingly ageing population. Law Commission/Te Aka Matua o te Ture Commissioner/ Kaikomihana Geof Shirtcliffe says core areas of the current law are out of step with international expectation, and the review will also focus on te ao Maori perspectives.

A former Health and Disability Commissioner,Ron Paterson is concerned that some people isolating at home, because there's no room at MIQ, are falling through the cracks and not being adequately monitored. 4264 people are isolating at home in this outbreak, including just 1855 Covid cases. In some cases very ill people have not received emails for phone calls to check on their condition and are being asked to report oxygen levels with no pulse oximeter and being offered throat lozenges and paracetamol as treatment. Ron Paterson says this is an unacceptable state of affairs.

Our comedians Te Radar and Irene Pink bring some levity to the end of the week.

The Black Caps will face Australia for the Twenty20 World Cup title on Monday morning - our sports commentator Sam Ackerman looks at what they'll need to do to win it. Plus the All Blacks step up a notch in their never-ending tour and why a victory for gender equality in Australia could mean bad news for New Zealand.

Covid testing centres are getting set up this morning in the Taranaki town of Stratford after the discovery of six positive cases.One patient is in hospital....all six are linked to the Auckland outbreak. RNZ reporter Jimmy Ellingham is in Stratford.