Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Nine to Noon today

9:05 Funding boost for elective surgery

Cathy Ferguson, Chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons; Graham Inglis, Orthopaedic surgeon; and Jeff Brown, President of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists

9:20 Cost of Iraq War

Theodore Lowi, Professor of American Institutions at Cornell University and author of several books including The End of Liberalism.
The House of Representatives considered the US $183.6 billion war supplemental bill on Thursday - George Bush is seeking extra money on top of what was initially sought in the budget last year to help pay for the war.

9:30 Long-winded MP sets 8 hour record

Greens MP Mark Parnell sets a record with a speech lasting eight hours.

A record has been set for the length of an MP's speech to the Upper House of the South Australian Parliament. Legislative Council members have sat through a speech by Greens MP Mark Parnell lasting more than eight hours, outlining his opposition to a bill to reduce workers' compensation payments.
Mr Parnell has made no apology for his long speech, saying the bill is the most important he has had to deal with.

9:45 Europe correspondent Seamus Kearney

10:05 Life on the US 2008 Presidential Campaign Trail

Interview with Samantha Power, Professor at Harvard, John F Kennedy School of Government

Samantha Power advised Barack Obama until a controversial parting of the ways when she called Hillary Clinton a "monster". She describes life on the campaign trail, with the man who would be president.

10:30 Book Review: A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam

Reviewed by Gina Faafoi
Published by John Murray, ISBN 978 071 956 0101

10:45 Book Reading: The Man With No Arms & Other Stories

Karen Calder reads the first part of her story from the Glen Busch collection

11:05 Politics with Matthew Hooton and Laila Harre

11:30 Guest Chef Peter Thornley

Sauté diver caught scallops, fried chilli oat cakes and ginger vinaigrette and Clevedon Coast oysters, tapiaco crust, lychee, chilli, lime and ginger salad

11:40 Wine with John Hawkesby

11:45 Sophist and Provocateur, Tommy Honey