95bFM: The Monday Wire with Will Pollard

12.07 Morning News Team Report: Lindsay looks at the recovery of New Orleans, five years on from Hurricane Katrina.

12.20 Dr Murray Laugesen, public health physician and spokesperson for End Smoking NZ

In April, taxes on factory-made cigarettes increased by 10% and on loose tobacco by 25%. The latest data from research company AC Nielsen suggests that this has been met with a fairly sizeable reduction in tobacco sales at supermarkets, of around 15%. The anti-smoking group End Smoking NZ says the news is, extraordinary. With further tax increases planned in the next two years are we well on our way to a smokefree society?

End Smoking NZ spokesperson and public health physician Dr Murray Laugesen joins us at around 12.20pm to discuss the issue.

12.30 Rodney Hide, ACT Party Leader and Minister for Local Government

The heads of the new Council Controlled Organisations formed as part of Aucklands transition to a Supercity have been announced this week. There are a few familiar names in the line-up, including outgoing Waitakere mayor Bob Harvey and former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Sir Don McKinnon. The Local Government Minister Rodney Hide spared a few minutes this morning to speak with us about the process of finding the right people for the job Ill play that brief interview at around 12.30pm, before we speak to

12.35 Phil Twyford, Labour Party spokesperson for Auckland Issues

Twyford has already criticised some of the decisions made in appointing the new CCO heads. He is concerned at the appointment of Mark Ford to the head of the organisation overseeing transport in the supercity. Twyford says its not right that Ford should take arguably the most important position, when he has been involved with overseeing the transition to Supercity through his role on the Auckland Transitional Agency. We will be joined by Phil Twyford at around 12.35pm and hear his response to Rodney Hides thoughts.

12.45 Kate Gainsford, President of the Post-Primary Teachers Association

Then last up in the show well be speaking to the president of the Post-Primary Teachers Association, Kate Gainsford, as the members of her union prepare to strike over a pay dispute with the government. Teachers have asked for a 4% pay rise which has been rejected by the government, but Gainford says there is more to the strike than just the money. That interview at around 12.45pm.

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