Ash Davida Jane reviews Strong Words 3: The best of the Landfall Essay Competition Selected by Lynley Edmeades and Emma Neale published by Otago University Press

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton joins Kathryn to talk about how the country's 'national carrier' is feeling the wrath like it rarely has in the past, following it posting a $2.4b profit this week off the back of a shambolic post-pandemic performance and ultra high airfares. Retiring Qantas CEO Alan Joyce revealed to a parliamentary committee this week that travellers hold $500m in credit from cancelled Covid-era flights but the airline's giving them till Christmas to use it or lose it. Australia will learn today when the proposed indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum will be held, two women will referee NRL matches this weekend and former deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has backed a recent call from retiring NZ Labour MP Jamie Strange to merge Australia and New Zealand.

Advocates for migrant workers who have been turned around at the border, or told not to travel here because they're at risk of exploitation, say they should instead be given open visas. Ten migrants have been turned around upon arrival in New Zealand, and up to 200 others warned not to come because they're caught up in visa scams - paying thousands of dollars for jobs that don't exist. A handful of employers are being investigated by Immigration New Zealand over the mistreatment of 115 migrant workers from India and Bangladesh. Last week Immigration Minister Andrew Little said the Public Service Commission would review the accredited employer visa scheme following whistleblower claims that checks on employers weren't being made. Anu Kaloti, Migrant Workers Association President, says the right thing to do now would be to allow those affected workers who'd already been granted visas to be given an open visa instead, that doesn't tie them to any one employer.

As the government promises a range of initiatives to boost nursing numbers, Massey University is scrapping its Bachelor of Nursing at its Auckland campus. From next year, the programme will be available at the Manawatu and Wellington campuses only. Massey University says discontinuing the course will "reduce the duplication of resources". The announcement comes a month after the government revealed a plan to address the nursing workforce shortage, including a 'significant increase' in the number of nurses trained domestically. The plan has been described as 'short-sighted' by both the nurses union and the Tertiary Education Union. Kathryn speaks with Kere Nuku, Kaiwhakahaere (president) of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation and TEU Organiser Ben Schmidt.

Dr Jack Poulson is a Silicon valley whistleblower shining a light on the link between tech companies and the military. Five years ago, he quit as a Research Scientist in Google's AI division, over plans the tech giant had to build a censored search engine for the Chinese market. That plan was shelved, but Jack Poulson felt strongly that tech company employees should have the right to know when they are working on projects they may find ethically unacceptable. He and several other tech defectors founded a non profit organisation called Tech Inquiry, with a mission to crunch data and map out relationships between big tech and governments. Dr Poulson says increasingly tech companies are evolving into military contractors.He's in New Zealand from New York, to speak at a Canterbury University workshop this week, and will deliver a public talk this evening.

Sam talks record-breaking results and not all of the good kind for NZ sports over the last few days. He looks at the repercussions on reputations and asks, is there ever a good time to lose in professional sport?

Even the gentlest of family pets can bite - for a range of reasons. Research by Auckland emergency doctor Dr Natasha Duncan-Sutherland has found there are around 25,000 dog-related injuries recorded each year - leaving hundreds of people in hospital. Dr Kat Littlewood is a Lecturer in Animal Welfare and Veterinary Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics, & Law at the School of Veterinary Science at Massey University. She's says there are some simple steps people can take to ensure they and the dog stay safe. Text questions for Kat to 2101 or email [email protected].

Victoria discusses the Mainzeal Supreme Court judgement and the significance for company directors.The Supreme Court rejected an appeal the appeal of the four directors of the collapsed construction firm with $39.8m in damages, plus interest, awarded against them for breaching the Companies Act. Also workplace safety at Talleys is in the spotlight, and she looks at the locking in of some public service Chief Executives to the 2026 election and beyond. BusinessDesk investigations editor, Victoria Young.

Jonathan Leask is in Ashburton, where the effectiveness of newly implemented 30km/h zones around schools, outside of school hours, is under doubt. And, both major political parties have now committed to a second Ashburton bridge - but there is debate over the best location for it. Finally, the new library and civic centre has been gifted a new name - Te Whare Whakatere. Local Democracy Reporter - Mid Canterbury Jonathan Leask from the Ashburton Guardian

Phil Vine reviews Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen published by Allen and Unwin.