Sunday Morning for Sunday 27 August 2017

7:10 National Party launch

The National Party launches its official election campaign today in Auckland. 
Demelza Leslie explains what's on the cards. 

7:18 Parties pledge to cut cost of visiting GPs

The Labour Party says it will cut doctors' fees by 10 dollars a visit across the board if elected to government. And National is promising to give an extra 600,000 lower-income people access to 18-dollar GP visits.
The Royal New Zealand College of GPs president Dr Tim Malloy says both policies will make a big difference.

Note:  A listener sent this website in that compares doctor prices. 

7:32 Silver Ferns get up over South Africa

Newsroom sports writer Suzanne McFadden reviews the Silver Ferns winning opening match in the Quad series, played in Brisbane. 

7:40 All Blacks take the Bledisloe 

RNZ sports reporter Barry Guy reviews the cracking second test against the Wallabies in which the All Blacks got over the line with a minute to go. 

7:47 First time candidate: Raf Manji

In the eighth of our series of interviews with first time candidates in this year's general election we speak to Raf Manji - a Christchurch city councillor standing as an independent in the electorate of Ilam. Earlier interviews in the series: Tim van de Molen - National; Jan Tinetti - Labour; Golriz Ghahraman- Greens; Geoff Simmons - TOP, Will Fourie - Conservative Party; Gayaal Iddamalgoda - Migrants and Refugees Campaign; Rahui Papa - Maori Party

8:10 Insight: Are our buildings safe and up to scratch?

New Zealand is in the biggest construction boom in its history, but the industry is struggling on almost every front. Some builders are taking on too much work, with a shortage of skilled workers and managers, and councils often don’t have enough skilled inspectors to check it all.

Recent examples such as Grenfell Tower in London show how when construction  goes wrong, it can cost lives. Now an attempt is being made to transform and overhaul this crucial industry.

Phil Pennington investigates if it is possible to avoid a cycle that has lead to chronic and sometimes acute building failure.

8:38 Guy Standing: Universal Basic Income

Guy Standing is a professor of economics at the University of Bath and the University of London and the author of the recently released: Basic Income: and How We Can Make it Happen. He's also a co-founder of BIEN -  or the Basic Income Earth Network.

Guy Standing will give two public lectures - Wednesday 30 August, 5.30pm at Waikato University, Hamilton, and Thursday 31 August 6.30pm at the University of Auckland.

9:06 Mediawatch

This week: New Zealand’s most ambitious multimedia project yet in the digital media era and how it sought to lift the lid on our involvement in Afghanistan. Also: F-bombs, lipstick on pigs and the PM’s pimples overshadowed policies in political news this week.

Produced and presented by Colin Peacock and Jeremy Rose.

9:40 What shapes an Anders Breivik?

Theatre writer and director Anders Falstie-Jensen believes he knows a thing or two about the dangers of hateful rhetoric. He's directing another season of the acclaimed play Manifesto 2083, about Norwegian mass-murderer Anders Breivik, who in 2011 killed 77 people and wounded 200 in the Norwegian capital Oslo and on the island of Utoya. The solo show, starring Edwin Wright (pictured) is on at the Taranaki Arts Festival Sunday August 27 at 4pm and at the Christchurch Arts Festival from Thursday August 31.  

10:06 Telling the story of Chinese couturier Guo Pei

A new film by New Zealand film maker Pietra BrettKelly chronicles the life and work of fashion designer Guo Pei - it's called Yellow is Forbidden - currently in post production. Guo Pei - whose clients include Beyonce and Rihanna - is based in Beijing and Paris. 

Pietra Brettkelly is raising funds to finish her movie at Boosted. 

Here's her video about it: 

10:25 Neil Finn: wonder of modern music making

Neil Finn has been described as a "trailblazing troubadour" and he's certainly staying ahead of the musical game with the innovative recording of this new album, released on September 1.

On August 25, Neil Finn recorded Out of Silence at Roundhead Studios in Auckland in front of a live internet audience - the whole session was broadcast live on YouTube and Facebook.

The three previous Fridays he'd had an audience in the studio as well as live-streaming - it's a modern approach but in some ways harks back to the old way of recording an album.

Second Nature from the Album out on September 1, Out of Silence. 

11:05 Detective turns crime writer

Nathan Blackwell is a former undercover police detective who grew up on Auckland's North Shore.

He spent a decade in the police force, seven as a detective, investigating a wide range of cases including drug manufacture, child abuse, corruption, rape and murder.

Nathan Blackwell  is no longer an officer but his debut novel The Sound of Her Voice is written through the eyes of a detective. (Nathan Blackwell is a pseudonym.)

11:23 That Bloody Woman!

It's hard to believe coming up to an election that women in New Zealand once couldn't vote at all. These days 31 percent of our MPs are women and the person credited with kicking off that democratic process is Kate Sheppard in the early 1890s. That Bloody Woman, a musical about her efforts is about to go on a national tour beginning in Taranaki on 29 August. The musical is written by Luke Di Somma and Gregory Cooper and stars Esther Stephens as Kate, and Phoebe Hurst among many other cast members.   

11:44 Margaret Barker and the history of Larnach Castle

Dunedin's spectacular Larnach Castle is celebrating 50 years of ownership and restoration by the Barker family by holding a gala ball on September 9. The ball is a recreation of the first ball owner Margaret Barker put on in 1967 and more than 100 of the original attendees will be there. Margaret Barker is the driving force behind the restoration of the castle … which is now a successful family-run tourism business employing more than 90 staff.

Your Feedback for 27 August 

Music played on the show today

 

Artist: Human League
Song: Don’t You Want Me
Composer: Jo Callis, Philip Oakey, Philip Adrian Wright
Album: Dare
Label: Virgin
Played at: 9.38am

Artist: Neil Finn
Song: Second Nature
Composer: Neil Finn
Album: Out of Silence
Label: Lester Records
Played at: 10.28

Artist: Dixie Chicks
Song: Silent House
Composer: Neil Finn, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison
Album: Taking the Long Way
Label: Columbia Nashville
​Played at: 10:52