The past few weeks have seen the New Zealand First Party and the National Party trading jabs, with the crux of the issue beginning with the India Free Trade Agreement.
The issue began with NZ First refusing to support the trade agreement, leading Labour to collaborate with National and back it to fruition. NZ First Deputy Leader Shane Jones expressed his concerns over the bill, making derogatory comments about an implied mass arrival of Indian immigrants.
The comments were rejected by ministers in National, ACT, Labour, the Greens, and Te Pāti Māori. Despite these criticisms, little has been done in response, and the coalition government remains intact.
Following the incident, another disagreement was observed when NZ First Leader Winston Peters leaked emails that indicated a disagreement between him and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon over New Zealand’s response to US Strikes on Iran. The emails allege that Luxon wanted to express support for the strikes, though New Zealand’s official response only acknowledged them.
Finally, the government has also been looking into changing how treaty principles influence policy. The plan has been criticised for its similarities to the Treaty Principles Bill, which was rejected in parliament and by the public, who protested en masse in 2024 against the bill. The current proposed changes are not set to be discussed by parliament until August.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party's Simon Court, News Director Castor asked him about each of these issues, beginning with the party’s take on discourse between NZFirst and National.
Health Minister Simeon Brown last week indicated that he’d like to crack down on the recreational use of Nitrous Oxide, commonly referred to as NOS or Nangs.
Brown says nitrous oxide is “becoming a serious public health concern”. However, when compared to other recreational drugs in Aotearoa, it seems that the risk factor is relatively low. In addition, nitrous oxide is used for medicinal purposes fairly frequently, meaning its health risks in standard doses are well documented.
To discuss the effects and risks involved with Nitrous Oxide, and how the government could develop a more holistic response, News Director Castor spoke to Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Otago, Christchurch, Jai Whelan.
Arini joins Rosetta for a whakataukī to guide us through our week! Whakarongo mai nei.
Kia hora te marino, kia whakapapa pounamu te moana, kia tere te kārohirohi i mua // May peace be widespread, may the sea glisten like greenstone, and may the shimmer of light guide you.
Castor and Alex join Rosetta as this weeks bosom selectas! They chat about their new show Stages Of The Ages - which you can catch bi-weekly Thursdays 5-7am, or anytime via the bCasts. Today they select a couple of tracks as a sneak peak for this week's show, where they will be time travelling to 2010!
Charlie is back up in the studio to kōrero kawhe with Rosetta! They recap the weekend's coffee competitions and an exciting new cafe spot in Ponsonby, and talk about the Kenyan single origin that bCard holders could win on Breakfast this week! Whakarongo mai nei.
Ata mārie! Milly is away this week but Rosetta is holding down your Monday Breakfast, complete with: Whakataukī o Tēnei Wiki with Arini Loader, This Is How We Brew It with Charlie, Loose Reads with Nate, and Bosom Selecta with Alex and Castor from Stages Of The Ages! Whakarongo mai nei!
This week E tū union members at Rio Tinto’s Aluminium Smelter at Tiwai Point in Southland are taking industrial action, after over two and a half years of bargaining has led to no collective agreement.
Workers will take action for four days in an attempt to force Rio Tinto to make compromises and reach a fair agreement. They are asking for recognition of their working conditions and their contribution they make for the company. With Rio Tinto securing the long-term future of the smelter until 2044 the agreement would have a large long lasting impact.
To discuss the industrial action and why bargaining has reached this point producer Thomas talked to E tū Union Director Mat Danaher.
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