Nine To Noon

With Easter nearly upon us, lots of chocolate-eating is on the horizon. But did you know the flavour and shape of the chocolates you prefer can reveal your personality type? "Chocologist" Murray Langham tells Kathryn Ryan about the psychology of chocolate selection.

Stephen Mills is an executive director at Talbot Mills research limited which is the polling firm used by Labour. He is a former political adviser to two Labour governments. Brigitte Morten is a director with public and commercial law firm Franks & Ogilvie and a former senior ministerial advisor for the previous National-led government.

Ralph McAllister reviews Harbouring by Jenny Pattrick, published by Penguin

Academic, writer, journalist and editor Julianne Schultz's book The Idea of Australia takes looks at what her country represents. She asks some critical questions including : What defines the soul of the nation? Is it an egalitarian, generous, outward-looking country? Or is Australia a nation that has retreated into silence and denial about the past and become selfish, greedy, and insular? Julianne Schultz is an emeritus professor of media and culture from Queensland's Griffith University , and the publisher and founding editor of the Griffith Review.

In what's turned out to be a tight, nail-biting French presidential election, the gap has closed between the far-right and incumbent President Macron in the race for the Elysee Palace. After the first round of voting, exit polls put Macron on 28.1% and far-right leader Marine Le Pen on 23.3%. It'll be a fierce fight in the second round in two weeks' time, on April 24. Seamus reports from Paris.

Will the recent closure of scallop fisheries in Northland, most of Coromandel and the Hauraki Gulf be enough for the shell fish populations to recover? In the past nine years, scallop biomass in the Coromandel fishery, which includes the Hauraki Gulf, has declined by 77-percent, while biomass in the Northland fishery has fallen 63 percent over 14 years. From April 1, the Fisheries Minister David Parker closed almost all the scallop fisheries in Coromandel and Northland, while two areas around Hauturu/Little Barrier Island and near the Colville Channel will remain open.His decision has angered some critics who believe it doesn't go far enough and taking scallops from those two areas should also be banned. Kathryn speaks with Dr James Williams, a NIWA fishery scientist who led a survey of scallop beds in the Hauraki Gulf last year, and whose findings were part of the advice to the Minister.

A petition is gathering pace to prevent a swathe of treasured East Coast agricultural farmland being converted to overseas-owned pine forestry. Almost 6,686 signatures have been gathered from a target of 7,500. The petition was set up by farmer and provincial president of Federated Farmers Gisborne-Wairoa region Toby Williams. Mr Williams is intent on saving some six-thousand hectares at Huiarua and Matanui stations. Toby tells Kathryn he's determined this fine agricultural land doesn't become a carbon sink-hole. The purchase of these stations is currently before the Overseas Investment Office.

Te Radar and Irene Pink bring a few laughs.

Sam breaks down the Tiger Woods hype train, and he has reaction to Super Rugby Pacific's red card crackdown. He also looks at why British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's getting involved in the transgender athletes debate.

Pedal steel? Check! Stetsons? Check! Nudie suits? Check! Two dudes from garage-punk legends The Cavemen have gone country as Sin City, and their new record rules. We'll hear two tracks from that today, alongside some lovely shoegazing dream-pop from Christchurch's T.G. Shand and a Nigerian Afro-disco classic from The Funkees' Harry Mosco.