For our weekly catch up with Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Kemp, News and Editorial Director, and Monday Wire Host Joel, spoke to her about the coalition government’s free school lunch programme, and the recent comments from Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, regarding this, the first reading of The Land Transport Management (Time of Use Charging) Amendment Bill, and changes made to free bowel cancer screening.
For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, Joel spoke to him about the changes to free bowel cancer screening, NCEA testing, and the Labour Party’s portfolio reshuffle.
Producer Evie spoke to the Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer NZ, Peter Huskinson, on the changes to free bowel cancer screening, and his organisation’s opinion that this move will be “a step backwards for health equity,” for Māori and Pacific people.
Joel spoke to the Director at E Tū Union, Michael Wood, about Canadian-born billionaire James Grenon purchasing 9.3% shares at NZME, which owns media outlets such as The Herald and Newstalk ZB, and the union’s concerns regarding this move.
Evie spoke to the Chair of Local Government New Zealand’s electoral reform working group, Nick Smith, on calls to make local governments four-year terms, in light of government introducing a four year parliamentary term.
And Global Innovator, Matt Hart, joins us in studio to discuss major life changes for young people in Aotearoa.
The coalition government’s free school lunch programme has faced significant criticism from various groups and individuals.
This follows the remodelling of the previous programme, the Ka Ora Ka Ako programme, to, in what ACT Party Leader David Seymour says, save taxpayers over $100 million and fix food wastage.
However, this current model has resulted lunches arriving significantly late, plastic having been found melted into food, and students describing the food as “bland,” and looking like “prison food”.
Responding to the criticisms facing the current model of the free school lunch programme, in an interview with Newstalk ZB, Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, says those complaining should “make a Marmite sandwich and put an apple in the bag.”
For our first weekly catch with Te Pāti Māori for the year, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Takutai Kemp about how she is viewing the lunch programme, and her opinions on Luxon’s recent remarks regarding the model.
We also spoke about the Land Transport Management (Time of Use Charging) Amendment Bill first reading in Parliament, and Te Pāti Māori being the only party not to support the Bill, and the changes to free bowel cancer screenings by changing the age from 60 to 58, which would result in scrapping the pilot programme that would have allowed Māori and Pacific people free screenings from age 50.
But first, they started off by asking her about how the party is feeling about the current state of the government’s free school lunch programme.
The government has announced plans to lower the free bowel cancer screening age from 60 to 58. In order to do this, they are scrapping the pilot programme that would have allowed Maori and Pasifika to have free screening from age 50.
While this opens the programme up for another 120,000 Kiwis, it takes away free screening from a different 100,000 - essentially just shuffling eligibility around.
Despite bowel cancer rates being lower in Maori than Pakeha the death rates are higher. Some are calling the change institutionalised racism.
It’s also been called a broken promise, with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon promising in his election campaign to match Australia’s free screening age, which stands at 45.
For our weekly catch up with the ACT party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Simon Court about the changes - which ACT has praised for its ‘needs not race’ initiative.
We also spoke about The ACT Party pushing back on calls for new online literacy and numeracy to be scaled back, after principals said they were failing students in poorer communities.
Along with last week's Labour cabinet reshuffle, which among the changes saw the introduction of a minister for jobs.
But, they started off by asking Court about the impact the Bowel Cancer screening changes will have on Māori and Pasifika, and whether the party denies that race should be considered when treating the disease.
Bowel Cancer NZ has called the changes to screening ‘a step backwards for health equity.’
Māori face 50% and Pacific peoples 63% higher death rates from the disease once diagnosed. Māori, in particular, are diagnosed with bowel cancer an average of 10 years earlier than the general population.The organisation says a standard screening age does not adequately address the increased risk that Māori and Pasifika communities face.
Just one week earlier Bowel Cancer New Zealand presented proposals to the Health Minister - detailing how parity with Australia – which screens from age 45 – could be fully achieved.
The proposals also outlined how to ensure equitable screening access for Māori and Pacific communities, who face bowel cancer risk a decade earlier.
On Friday, Producer Evie spoke to Bowel Cancer NZ Chief Executive Peter Huskinson about the changes to screening and what impacts it will have on patients.
The government has announced that it will introduce legislation for a four year parliamentary term - subject to referendum.
Most parties are largely in favour of a four year term - feeling that it gives more opportunity to develop policy and make changes.
However, exempt from this bill is Local Government, which also currently operates on a three year term.
Local Government New Zealand are now also calling for a four year term, saying the legislation provides a strong opportunity for central and local government to become aligned.
On Friday, Producer Evie spoke to Chair of Local Government NZ’s electoral reform working group, Nick Smith about why they are continuing to call for these changes.
Canadian-born billionaire James Grenon, after recently purchasing a 9.3% share of NZME; the media company that owns The Herald, as well as roughly half the country's radio stations, including Newstalk ZB, has announced plans to clear the NZME board and add himself, alongside three other directors, only keeping one of the original board members in their position.
This has resulted in concerns about whether Grenon will add his own political stances into media coverage of NZME platforms, especially in light of his involvement with the alternative media site, The Centrist, that has previously criticised the news coverage of The Herald.
News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to the Director of E Tū Union; a union representing many journalists at NZME, Michael Wood, about his concerns with this move, and whether he believes there is an ulterior motive regarding these developments.
Firstly, they started off by asking him about what we know about James Grenon.
Global Innovator, Matt Hart, joins News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, in studio to discuss big life changes facing new university students.
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