Nine To Noon for Tuesday 17 June 2025

09:05 Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey on new suicide prevention plan

The government has this morning released its second Suicide Prevention Action Plan. Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey joins Kathryn to discuss what's in it, and how it will sit alongside work to improve Kiwis' access to mental health and addiction services.

09:20 Further legal reform needed to deal with body corporate problems

The huge growth in apartments, and now adjoined terraced housing, has come with increasing in problems with governing body corporate committees. All owners within a one unit title development belong to the legal entity - the body corporate - but they then elect a committee and chair to be responsible for decisions over the care and maintenance. But a myriad of issues over who should pay for what and how owners are allowed to use their properties frequently appear in media reports. Nicola Willis, introducing an amendment bill to strengthen body corporate governance in 2021, spoke about people's worries they would be burned by undisclosed future repair bills and about being ripped off by excessive fees from body corporates for things that people dwelling in those buildings don't want. But problems appear to persist. Kathryn speaks to Associate Professor of AUT's Law School, Rod Thomas, who specialises in  property rights and  Tim Jones the Chair of Body Corporate Chairs' Group

09:35 New vaping laws banning disposables come into force today

The distribution, manufacture, sale and supply of disposable vapes are now banned. There will be increased penalties - up to $400,000 for manufacturers, importers and large retailers - and as much as $50,000 for any other person - who breaches the rules. The way stores look has to change from today as well - vape products must be kept out of sight. Online stores can't have images of vape products and they can't link to overseas websites with these pictures. Kathryn talks to Janet Hoek, a professor of Public Health at the University of Otago.

09:40 Women's rugby and its players - a new documentary for the Doc Edge festival

The determination of aspiring female rugby players in Taranaki is at the heart of a new documentary by Lisa Burd for this year's Doc Edge festival,  "No Tears on the Field."  It follows a season of women's grassroots rugby, highlighting the personalities of the club players, right through to sporting superheroes such as Black Fern Michaela Blyde. Taranaki helped kickstart women's rugby, and has been behind  some of the nation's greatest Black Ferns and rugby league players. Kathryn is joined by documentary maker, Lisa Burd, and one of the players in the documentary, Kate Thomson.

10.05 USA correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben

The latest from the G7 summit in Canada with the Iran-Israel conflict ramping up. The 'No Kings' protests hijack US President Donald Trump's birthday while the man who shot and killed former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband has now been found after a manhunt. 

Danielle Kurtzleben is a political correspondent assigned to NPR's Washington Desk.

10:15 Te Kahukura Boynton: achieving financial freedom

Money makes the world go round, but what happens when you have none? Te Kahukura Boynton - the founder of Māori Millionaire, which is a platform dedicated to educating others, particularly rangatahi Māori, on how to achieve financial freedom. Today, she's launched her debut book. Touted as a beginner's guide to clearing debt and building wealth, Te Kahukura says you can't budget your way out of poverty, but you can educate yourself and build wealth according to your values, for you and your future. Te Kahukura - of Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tuhoe and Te Whakatōhea descent - has her own personal goal of becoming a millionaire by age 25. Her book - Māori Millionaire: A beginner's guide to building better money habits - hits the shelves today.

10:30 Research indicates New Zealanders' perceptions of China turned negative

Last year, New Zealanders' perceptions of China were increasingly positive, but research released today indicates they have again turned negative. The Asia New Zealand Foundation, which promotes connections between this country and Asia, conducts annual research on the understanding of the region. But this year it also carried out a "mini poll" of a thousand people to assess the impact of foreign policy decisions in China and the US on attitudes here. The survey details have been released as the Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, heads to  Beijing in an effort to strengthen trading relationship. The wider research also found that  Asian countries are increasingly seen as important defence and security partners. Julia MacDonald is the director of Research and Engagement for the Foundation 

10:35 Book review: Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte 

Melanie O'Loughlin of Lamplight Books in Auckland reviews Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte published by Fourth Estate

10:45 Around the motu: Jesse Archer in Taupō

Taupō International Motorsport Park will remain on the Supercars calendar until at least 2028, tourism operators should benefit from Hamilton Airport going international, a mayoral race has emerged in Taupō as Trewavas faces Cozens challenge, and there has been global buzz around the dinosaur sculpture "Boom Boom".

Jesse Archer is a community broadcaster at Lake FM 89.6 Taupo.

11:05 Business commentator Victoria Young

The Government has reopened a coastal shipping fund but what is the future for the sector in this country - with only a handful of ships providing the important service.     The 2Degrees chief takes a swipe at the electricity industry's excuses for not building enough generation capacity, while Manuka honey company Comvita continues to struggle in a tough global environment.

Victoria Young is BusinessDesk editor.

11:30 Vogel's Think Big

Many will know the 'Think Big' infrastructure push from the Muldoon era of the 70s and 80s as large projects like the Clyde Dam. But there was lesser known 'Think Big' project some 100 years earlier under the stewardship of Premier Sir Julius Vogel. It brought in a lot of the transport connections through roads and rail and farmers were able to move their good around much more easily. He sold off land - often confiscated from Māori and used international loans to fund the major expansion. Historian Jock Phillips is in the Wellington studio. 

11:45 Sports chat with Glen Larmer

It will be the Crusaders and the Chiefs in the Super Rugby final after an enthralling season. In the golf - Kiwi Ryan Fox was involved in an exciting US Open and at football's Club World Cup in the US, Auckland City are thumped by one of the best teams in the world Bayern Munich. And Glen speaks about Nico Porteous' decision to step away from snowsports.