Nine To Noon

Bernard joins Kathryn to talk about the free trade deal announced between Australia and the United Kingdom, with 99 percent of Aussie goods able to enter the UK duty free once the deal comes into force next year. The deal was agreed while Scott Morrison was at the G7, where he was denied a one-on-one meeting with US President Joe Biden - was that a consequence of his support for Donald Trump and his climate denialism? And a Tamil family locked away on Christmas Island and under threat of deportation have been reunited at a Perth hospital where the youngest child is receiving treatment.

New data revealing the sheer unseen power of an earthquake, indicates a "mega flood" of rocks swamped Kaikoura's seabed during 2016's 7.8 quake. On-going research undertaken by NIWA using Swedish robots, shows boulders the size of a doubledecker bus, in a hundreds-of-metres high avalanche, have fundamentally altered Kaikoura canyon's geography and exceptional ecology. Before the earthquake the Kaikoura canyon was an acclaimed biodiversity hotspot. Just hundreds of meters off the coast, it contained more life than ever seen before at its depth. An online international Canyon Conference has been taking place this week. Keynote speaker NIWA marine geoscientist Dr Joshu Mountjoy tells Kathryn about his team's latest research findings.

Ski industry leaders are pleading with the Government to cut red tape and allow skilled overseas workers in for the winter, saying the economic revival of regional areas is at stake. Ski operators say they're in urgent need of highly-skilled groomer operators and don't understand why Immigration New Zealand is declining those visa applications. Meanwhile other specialised workers -- ski instructors -- are having visas approved, but are facing huge wait times to have them processed. They say the current restrictions are hampering the recovery of the country's ski industry and the winter tourism market. Kathryn speaks with Paul Anderson, the chief executive of NZSki, which manages three ski fields in the South Island; the Remarkables and Coronet Peak, and Mt Hutt, and Jono Dean, the chief executive of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, which runs Whakapapa and TÅ«roa skifields in the North Island.

The Wellington Regional Council is pushing the government to put buses and bus infrastructure back into public ownership. The capital's bus system continues to struggle with driver shortages - which have led to cancelled buses and changes to the timetables. There have also been strikes amid recent pay talks between NZBus and the union - a deal was reached yesterday, confirmed to RNZ by the Tramways Union. The Government is reviewing the Public Transport Operating Model which was introduced in 2013 to encourage competition between companies for long-term council contracts for bus services. Submissions close on Friday, and the Wellington Regional Council will be pushing for a return to public ownership. Kathryn talks with Chair of the Wellington Regional Council Daran Ponter.

In a week when an English Test cricketer is stood down because of social media posts he made as a teenager, and others are frantically checking their own histories, ABC journalists in Australia have been the subject of a barrage of questions in Federal Parliament about their social media posts. Andrew explores where the line should be.

Harry Ricketts is a poet, editor, biographer and has taught English literature and creative writing at Victoria University in Wellington. During his career he has published more than thirty books. His latest is - The selected poems of Harry Ricketts.

Rod discusses key themes in the Climate Change Commission's final recommendations to Government and what will happen next.

Kiran Dass reviews the 2021 International Booker Prize winner At Night All Blood is Black, written by David Diop, published by Pushkin.

American journalist Sebastian Junger's latest book ruminates on the concept of freedom and what it means to be free in a modern society. He had ample opportunity to do it during his 600-kilometre hike along railroad lines on America's east coast.

Susan talks to Kathryn about Joe Biden's first trip aboard as US President, and what will be on the table for his meeting later this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Susan Davis is a congressional correspondent for NPR and a co-host of the NPR Politics Podcast.