Host Olivia talked to the incredibly insightful Jean Te Huia about the child welfare system and how it's structure disproportionately affects Māori. They discussed the history of the child welfare system and also talked about some recommendations for its reform. Olivia began by asking what the origin of Aotearoa's child welfare system was?
On 11 November 2019, Gambia filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Myanmar of breaching its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention. The complaint included an urgent request for the Court to order “provisional measures” to prevent all acts that may amount to or contribute to the crime of genocide against the Rohingya and protect the community from further harm while the case is being adjudicated. De facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, rejected accusations of genocide, and urged the court to reject the case and refuse the request for provisional measures. At the end of last month, the Myanmar government- established Independent Commission of Enquiry concluded that while the Myanmar security forces may have been responsible for war crimes and “disproportionate use of force”, it found no evidence of genocidal intent. The full report has yet to be made public. However, the International Court of Justice has now officially ordered Myanmar to take “provisional measures” to prevent genocidal acts against the Rohingya community. Lillian Hanly spoke with Francisco Bencosme, the Asia Advocacy Manager for Amnesty USA, about what this means.
After winning around 8%of the votes over the weekend, the Act party is set to bring 10 MPs into Parliament - the most in the party’s history. In 1999, the party won 9 seats, but in recent history has been a one-person party. Bronwyn spoke to Act party deputy leader, Brooke van Velden about the party’s success and what is next for her as an MP.
With the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party wrapping up, President Xi Jinping has been handed a third term in power. It breaks the unofficial precedent established since Mao Zedong’s death in 1976, where presidents have traditionally ruled for just two terms.
For more on this monumental event in recent Chinese history, Christina spoke to Dr Stephen Noakes, a Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations from the University of Auckland.
132 nations are currently asking the International Court of Justice, the world's highest court, to recognise the harm caused by climate change and outline countries' climate obligations.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to Dr Justin Sobion from the University of Auckland about the case, who is at the court in the Hague representing Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Lucia.
For the first time in its history, staff at the government drug-buying agency, Pharmac, are going on strike. The action will happen this week, after Health economists, Māori health experts, and medical practitioners, who are members of the New Zealand Public Service Association, received what was described as an “unacceptable pay offer” and a “clawback of conditions”.
Pharmac is responsible for deciding which medicines and medical devices are publicly funded in New Zealand – an important part of the country’s healthcare system.
To talk about the details surrounding the first-ever strike, Producer Max spoke with the Public Service Association’s National Secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons.
The International Court of Justice has issued an advisory opinion that nations can be held legally accountable for greenhouse-gas emissions.
The Court found that those who are harmed by human-caused climate change could be entitled to reparations.
The case was spearheaded by Pacific island students and the government of Vanuatu, and then backed by 105 sponsor countries.
For International Desk, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to Justin Sobion, a University of Auckland Senior Tutor in Law who also acted as counsel for Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Currently, the Auckland Art Gallery is housing a free exhibition of more than 120 portraits by artist Gottfried Lindauer, whose paintings feature prominent New Zealand historical figures and rangatira from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Lindauer’s portraits reveal a long history of engagement with protagonists from New Zealand’s past. Pearl speaks to the Auckland Art Gallery’s Maori curator Nigel Borrell about the trials and tribulations of the exhibition.
95bFM reporter Caitlin McIlhagga spoke with Sonja Cooper from Cooper Legal, a specialist firm in Wellington which deals with historic abuse and human rights cases. They spoke about the impact compensation payments received by the Crown have on means-tested benefits. This has come up in the news because a previously unused regulation which defines a Crown compensation payment as an income asset has started being used by WINZ.
Obama reduced the sentence of Wikileaks source Chelsea Manning 29 years before she was due to be released. In 2010, Manning released a trove of documents to Wikileaks. Most people convicted of leaking have received sentences of between one and three years. bFM reporter Amanda Robinson speaks to Margaret Taylor from Amnesty International about the historic move.
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