Nine To Noon for Wednesday 18 February 2026

09:05 How will Health NZ find $500m in "efficiencies"?

Hospitals and public health services across the country are now looking for more than half a billion dollars in so-called "efficiencies" they've been told to find, to re-invest in patient care. In a response to written parliamentary questions from Labour's health spokesperson, Dr Ayesha Verrall, just before Christmas, Health Minister Simeon Brown confirmed Health NZ's four regions had been set "efficiency targets" of between 2 to 4.9 percent. He said reducing waste in back-office and procurement functions could free up up about $510 million, which could be re-invested back into patient care and government health targets, without reducing clinical staff. The union for senior doctors, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists,  is concerned about the new round of so-called efficiencies, while the effects of cutbacks of 2024 are still being felt. The Association's President Katie Ben joins Kathryn to talk about their concerns.

09:25 Are historians becoming history? 

Last year, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage / Manatu Toanga disestablished four out of five of its senior historian roles. It followed cuts to the ministry's budget, with the union expressing concerns about the effect on staff working on Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. It also follows a loss of funding for humanities and social science sections of the Marsden Fund. Dolores Janiewski was made redundant this month after 37 years teaching the history of the Americas, the Cold War and the 1960s at Victoria University of Wellington. She is concerned about the move's disregard of historians and humanities scholars.

09:45 Australia: New Liberal leader, Isis brides, premiums up

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton looks at the ousting of Sussan Ley after just nine months in the Liberals' top job, and Angus Taylor, who's replaced her. A group of Isis brides and children are set to return to Australia, after securing passports - but PM Anthony Albanese is under pressure to stop them entering the country. Health premiums are about to get their biggest hike in eight years and it's been a dream run for Australia's Winter Olympic team.

Karen Middleton is political correspondent based in Canberra

10:05 From diplomat to storyteller 

After a career in diplomacy Australian Ian Kemish has turned his hand to writing novels - this month publishing his debut non-fiction title. It follows a survivor of the Yugoslav war who finds refuge on a remote Scottish island. The novel Two Islands pulls from Ian's time working as a diplomat across Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia in the midst of the war in the 1990s. Ian's career has included stints in Australia's Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet as head of the International Division. He also led  Australia's response to the 2002 Bali bombings, for which he was given the Order of Australia. Now adjunct professor at the University of Queensland, Ian specialises in the history of Southeast Asia, and the Pacific and Australia's engagement with those regions. He talks to Kathryn about his career and his new novel Two Islands.

10:30 What makes some athletes succeed while others choke?

As the Winter Olympics in Milan enter the second week it's coming down to finals time in many sports. Pressure is nothing new to athletes competing internationally, but the Olympics brings a whole other level of stress. Dr Arne Nieuwenhuys is an associate professor in sport, exercise and performance psychology at Auckland University.

10:35 Book review: Gunk by Saba Sams

Lucy Black reviews Gunk by Saba Sams, published by Bloomsbury.

10:45 Around the motu: Chris Hyde Editor of Hawkes Bay Today

Chris talks to Kathryn about the three story government owned apartment block standing empty in Napier,  the grape harvest that is the earliest seen in more than 40 years and the Art Deco festival is on this weekend  amid forecast warm weather.

11:05 Music: Latin American musicians in the global mainstream

Music commentator Dave Wilson looks at how one of the biggest stories in music this year has been about Bad Bunny – winning the album of the year Grammy, the first for a Spanish-language-only album, and his Super Bowl performance. But could he have done it without the Latin artists who have gone before him? Dave highlights some of the artists who paved the way for Latin music to go global.

Dave Wilson is musician, composer, and ethnomusicologist, a senior lecturer at the New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University of Wellington

 

11:20 Designer Steven Junil Park on clothing as an artform

There's more than a little philosophy in Steven Junil Park's work. He's a Korean-born Ōtautahi Christchurch-based artist and designer whose label 6x4 makes bespoke pieces using second-hand or recycled materials, and are often hand-sewn with a strong East Asian influence. His garments have been worn in collaborations across theatre, dance and music - by the likes of Aldous Harding and for productions like the Auckland Theatre Company's Scenes from a Yellow Peril. His work is about to be on show next week at Lower Hutt's Dowse Art Museum as part of an immersive exhibition called The Vessel. He joins Kathryn to talk about the transformative nature of what we wear.

11:45 How the trades workforce is changing

As many polytechs and private training establishments crank back into gear for the year, how is the shape of trades training changing? The average trades apprentice is 24 and there are increasing numbers of women, Māori and Pasifika among them - as well as people changing careers or going back to study later in life. To talk about what's driving that change, as well as the role a highly-skilled vocational workforce plays in the Kiwi economy, Kathryn's joined by Di Lithgow. She's Director of Skills Trades Training which is part of Skills Group.