Nine To Noon for Thursday 12 October 2023

 

 

09:05 Questions over effectiveness of child support system

Close to half of what New Zealanders owe in child support is made up of late payment penalties, prompting questions from tax and budgeting experts over its effectiveness for both halves of the family it serves. Inland Revenue, which acts as an intermediary collection if no private agreement can be reached, says as of the end of August outstanding debt amounted to $1.079 billion dollars. 488 million dollars of that was made up of penalties incurred from not paying on time. In 2021, the IRD wrote off close to one billion dollars in debt, and readjusted incremental penalties to an initial fine of 2%, and another 8% after 28 days. However tax expert Terry Baucher says on a monthly payment, this can mount up incredibly quickly - adding the sheer amount owing shows the system needs a rethink. Tauranga's Bay Financial Mentors manager Shirley McCombe deals both with clients who become snowed under mounting penalties, and those awaiting the payments to support their children. Terry Baucher and Shirley McCombe speak with Kathryn Ryan.

09:25 Study warns AI industry could use more energy than The Netherlands by 2027

A new study warns the artificial intelligence industry could use as much energy as a country the size of the Netherlands, by as soon as 2027. Tech firms have been heaping in to the AI race since ChatGPT entered the scene last year. The systems typically use more power than conventional applications as it requires more powerful hardware. Report author Alex De Vries is a PhD candidate at the VU Amsterdam School of Business and Economics. He warns AI's growth is poised to make it a significant contributor to global power use. 

09:35 New Zealand Liberation Museum finally opens in Le Quesnoy, France

After years of campaigning, a memorial museum has officially opened in the northern French town of Le Quesnoy, celebrating the role of New Zealanders who fought across Europe in both world wars. The New Zealand Liberation Museum - Te Arawhata features major pieces from Wētā Workshop, and is now a permanent fixture in the small town, where one of the final commemorative events of World War One took place. On November 4, 1918, Kiwi soldiers scaled the ancient walls of the town with a ladder, and liberated the people there after four years under German occupation. Not a single civilian was killed, but 135 New Zealanders lost their lives. Auckland military historian Herb Farrant has worked to secure millions in funding for the memorial, and he joining Kathryn Ryan from Le Quesnoy following the opening day.

09:45 UK: Reaction to Israel-Gaza, Starmer glitter-bombed, Luton airport fire

UK correspondent Matthew Parris joins Kathryn to look at the UK's reaction to the violence in Israel and Gaza, as 17 Britons are thought to be among the missing and dead. A protester has been arrested after throwing glitter over Labour leader Keir Starmer at the party's conference. Starmer made a direct appeal to moderate Conservative voters to back Labour at the next election and "face down the age of insecurity". London's Luton airport was shut down for hours following a large fire in a multi-storey carpark building with no sprinklers. And an experimental catapult designed to launch World War Two bomber planes into the sky has been excavated.

10:05 Las Meninas mystery: New book imagines secret behind famous painting

In 1656 Spanish painter Diego Velázquez completed a work depicting life at the Spanish court under Philip IV. Its intriguing composition led it to become one of the most famous paintings in the world: 300 years later Picasso created a series of work dedicated to it. That fascination, and a visit to the museum housing Las Meninas when she was young, led Andrea Hotere to pen her novel The Vanishing Point. She's woven a treacherous trail through the art world, as her main character Alex seeks to understand the clues Velázquez left in the painting alluding to a royal scandal. Andrea knows art well - she's the daughter of leading Kiwi artist Ralph Hotere and poet Cilla McQueen. 

10:35 Book review: The Observologist: A handbook for mounting very small scientific expeditions by Giselle Clarkson 

Louise Ward of Wardini Books reviews The Observologist: A handbook for mounting very small scientific expeditions by Giselle Clarkson published by Gecko Press

10:45 Around the motu: Georgina Campbell in Wellington

Georgina Campbell is in Wellington, with updates on three earthquake-prone or damaged buildings. The cost of earthquake-strengthening and redeveloping Wellington’s Town Hall has rocketed from $182 million to a possible $329m - though Mayor Tory Whanau says it is unsurprising given the building's age. And, Wellington City councillors have met to discuss the fate of the deserted Reading Cinemas on Courtenay Place, which closed in 2019. Finally, several elderly residents in a Wellington apartment block have died while waiting on a solution to fix their earthquake-prone building. The Herbert Gardens complex on The Terrace suffered non-structural damage in the 2016 Kaikōura quake.

11:05 Tech: FTX crypto fraud trial, generative AI and how much it takes to run

Technology correspondent Peter Griffin joins Kathryn to talk about the trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried as his ex-girlfriend takes the stand. What lessons have been learned in the crypto industry following the scandal? There are concerns about how much energy is required to run computer processing for generative AI, as a new report suggests Microsoft is losing money on one of its flagship AI products because it's so resource intensive to run.

11:25 Peaceful Parenting for Little People with Big Emotions

When Renee White had kids she was determined to raise them how she wished she had been raised. But when her son Eli was one and a half, in the middle of a tantrum, Renee found herself saying things she swore she'd never say to her own kids. The guilt that followed started her on a journey to better understand her emotional responses, and she discovered the peaceful parenting approach. Now, her business, Little People, Big Emotions offers resources for parents and kids to develop their emotional intelligence. The resources are used in three thousand homes and classrooms around the world. Renee White spoke with Kathryn about peaceful parenting techniques.

 

11:45 Screentime: Anatomy of a Fall, Shepherdess

Film and TV commentator Tamar Munch joins Kathryn to talk about new thriller Anatomy of a Fall (cinemas), which looks at what happens when a woman is accused of her husband's murder and the only witness is their blind son. She'll also profile a new local series, Shepherdess.

Music played in this show

Eagle-Eye Cherry - 'Save Tonight'