bCasts

The government has proposed to reverse changes made to increase Māori representation in local government by reverting the Māori ward rules  to restore the referendum mechanism. 

This would mean if any council wanted to establish a Māori ward, and a petition that had been signed by 5% of people was presented, a binding referendum would have to be held. 

Additionally, the bill requires that all the councils that created Māori wards since 2021 have to hold a poll about whether to keep them at the 2025 local elections, with the results of the poll to be binding and come into force in 2028. 

ActionStation has released a report, ‘Protect Māori Wards’, which has gathered the stories of over 200 community members on their experiences of Māori wards. 

Host Sofia Roger Williams spoke to ActionStation director, Kassie Hartendorp (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), about what the report found, why Māori wards are important, and the government’s proposed changes for Māori wards more generally.

Earlier this year Associate Minister for Health, and Pharmac minister,  David Seymour, announced a budget of over $6 billion for Pharmac over four years, the coalition government promised the funding of 13 cancer drugs alongside this. However on budget day there was a blow to many when the funding of these drugs wasn’t included in the budget as promised. 

Last week David Seymour said a decision on the funding of these cancer drugs was imminent. 

For their weekly catch up, producer Evie talks to the ACT party’s Simon Court about the funding of these drugs, as well as the ACT party’s views on politicians involvement with Pharmac. 

They also talk about the party’s policy surrounding social media, as old concerns arise surrounding party leader David Seymour’s use of Snapchat to communicate with minors.

The UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, recorded that 117.3 million people were forcibly displaced at the end of 2023 due to conflict, violence, or climate-related disasters - a record number. 

In light of World Refugee Day last week, Dr Ritesh Shah, a senior lecturer of comparative and international education in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland, says that the global refugee crisis is a symptom of a failed global system. 

Host Sofia Roger Williams spoke to Ritesh about the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, which provides the internationally recognized definition of a refugee and outlines the legal protection, rights and assistance a refugee is entitled to receive, as well as the global refugee crisis more generally.

The marvellous two metre selector Matene @KarenaMatene at the controls with 180 mins of soulful bumps + grooves including @ONRAbeats @MakayaMcCraven @nubya_garcia @FullCratexMar @Zo3hree5ive @LiamBailey @JesseBoykins3rd. Press ze button