Nine To Noon

Liz Koh talks to Kathryn about the widening gap between those who own property and those who don't. She says there has been a lot of talk about first home owners, but not much attention paid to older people, and the rising number of retirees who are renting and going further into poverty. Liz also talks about the prospect of interest rates starting to rise early next year. What will the impact be on those who have taken out big mortgages to get onto the property ladder?

We've all been there. The frying pan's on the stove and the baby's crying and there's a knock on the door from someone holding a clip board. Kathryn speaks with market research interviewer Trish Palmer, who's been asking random people questions for almost 30 years. Her new book Knock Knock - Confessions of a Kiwi interviewer tells tales, some delightful some sad, from the other side of the door step. Her patch stretches from home in Kaikoura to Golden Bay.

Zespri shareholders vote on doing business with illegal growers in China, Education Perfect in Dunedin sells for $455m and Westpac decides not to float off its NZ operations; but sales of its life insurance business looks imminent.

Jessie Bray Sharpin reviews Still Life by Sarah Winman, published by HarperCollins.

After 16 years at the helm of the Port of Tauranga, Chief Executive Mark Cairns is handing over successor Leonard Sampson, leaving a legacy of significant investment in major infrastructure and staff development. It's a significant transition for a company rated by Mark Lister, head of private wealth research at Craigs Investment Partners, as one of the best quality businesses on the sharemarket. Mark Cairns has also won plaudits for his leadership style, as well as business strategy. He joins Kathryn Ryan to discuss leadership, the challenges the country faces in improving transportion of goods around the country, especially given government climate policy; and the future of the three main ports in the Upper North Island - Auckland, Northland and Tauranga.

Susan talks to Kathryn about a rare walk back of a veto threat to keep Biden's infrastructure plans together and Donald Trump is holding rallies again. Susan Davis is a congressional correspondent for NPR and a co-host of the NPR Politics Podcast. Based in Washington DC.

A new study has found most mothers would prefer to take more time off after having a child than the maximum length of parental leave allows. The research from Motu compared mothers' intentions and preferences for parental leave with the leave they actually took after their children were born. Currently 26 weeks of paid parental leave is available, with a year of job-protected leave. The research found, on average, working mothers would prefer to take 69 weeks of leave - about 14 months - but expect to be able to only take about 36 weeks, mainly because of financial constraints. Kathryn speaks with lead researcher Isabelle Sin.

People in areas with the lowest average incomes are paying the highest electricity prices in the country, according to the latest released data from MBIE, analysed by Consumer New Zealand. The MBIE data shows that residential prices went up one percent over the last year but that is being disproportionately felt across regions. Power customers in Kerikeri pay 30 per cent more than those in Auckland, where median incomes are 24 percent higher. Prices in Masterton are 15 percent higher than they are in Wellington, and the representative price in Westport, which has lower than average incomes, is 28 percent higher than in Christchurch, which on average has higher incomes. Paul Fuge, Manager of Powerswitch, the independent electricity and gas price comparison services, says in real terms power prices have increased by half since 2000.

Bill McKay attended the Co-Housing Hui at Victoria University. The Housing Innovation Society organised event saw co-housing advocates together sharing ideas and experiences.

Scott Wynands runs gluten free bakery OM Goodness. The Hawkes Bay operation which employs nine staff has recently expanded into the Auckland market, with an outlet in the Britomart train station. The business has risen out of years of trying out bread recipes to find one that would suit his gluten intolerant daughter. Scott says the aim was always to make a gluten free loaf that would be a great for toast and also for sandwiches.