The government recently announced it would increase funding to the New Zealand Pharmaceutical agency, also known as Pharmac, by $604 Million over the next four years to fund the treatment of 54 new drugs, 13 of which are cancer treating medication.
The announcement comes after the government experienced widespread backlash when cancer treatment funding was left out of the annual budget announcement made last month, going against Nationals promise during the general elections to increase funding for cancer treatments.
For their weekly catch-up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez-March to discuss the party’s take on the government’s recent announcement and decision.
They also talked about the government’s introduction of a new sentencing Category for Young Offenders and the implementation of check-in requirements for Jobseeker beneficiaries.
The findings of the Understanding Policy Delivery report have recently been released, which has shown that the NZ Police found “bias” and “structural racism,” targeting Māori individuals.
The report says that Māori are ELEVEN percent more likely to be persecuted compared to Pākeha, despite the same variables, and Māori are disproportionately more likely to be stopped and tasered by officers.
News and Editorial Director, and Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Criminology Lecturer and the University of Auckland, and spokesperson for People Against Prison Aotearoa, Emmy Rākete (Ngāpuhi), about these findings, and what can be done to mitigate these statistics.
Last week, multiple flights were delayed, due to an eruption, dubbed by scientists as “minor eruptive activity,” of Whakaari / White Island.
This comes as GNS Science discovered a new vent in the volcano, as the volcano has been experiencing ongoing volcanic activity since the beginning of this month.
News and Editorial Director and Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Associate Professor in the Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland and Geologist, Phil Shane, about this new vent and the disruption Whakaari has caused to air travel, and whether this should be viewed as a concern.
Good morning! a serving of the soundtrack of But I'm a Cheerleader (1996) that Joel recently watched, and their first show back after being wildly sick! Whakarango mai!
UNICEF and the Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health have launched an open letter calling for greater investment and action on child and youth mental health globally, urging a coordinated multi-sectoral response of at least $200 billion US dollars.
The letter has been signed by over 40 businesses and organisations including Jo Malone London, Les Mills, Pinterest, lululemon, and Spotify.
Sofia spoke with UNICEF Aotearoa’s Communications Director, Tania Sawicki Mead, about the letter and why mental health support needs more funding.
She began the interview asking her what the key demands of the letter were.
A recent report by Age Concern has revealed 59% of people aged 65 or older experience feelings of loneliness and social isolation, of which 30% experienced those feelings often or always. These results indicate what is being called a “loneliness epidemic”.
Producer Athena spoke to Joyce Cook Chair in Aging Well, and Professor at the University of Auckland, Ngaire Kerse, about how the loneliness epidemic among older people arose, the effects of loneliness and isolation, and potential ways to address the issue.
New technologies have always been announced and marketed as ways to advance society and push humanity forward. This past couple of years the hot new technology seems to be generative AI, which from its inception now sees use across almost every sector. From digital marketing to google to facebook, no part of the internet seems exempt from artificial intelligence.
The mass use of artificial intelligence has, however, raised alarm bells for some, who say its use and spread may disproportionately affect some groups of people. Wire host Castor spoke to Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Information and Technology in Monash University in Melbourne, Jathan Sadowski, about how new technology, particularly AI, seems to always benefit those on top.
To end off the year, Joel replays some of their favourite queer tracks on the show, and catches up with the runner-up's of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under Season 4, Mandy Moobs and Vybe, and the winner, Lazy Susan!
It's the final weekend of January 2025 (god I'm old), which means it's time for a Tairāwhiti throwdown with wall-to-wall killers courtesy of Campbell! Press the button...
One of the main promises that National and the coalition ran on in the lead up to the most recent general elections was that of tax relief, by lifting the personal income tax thresholds for low- and middle-income earners and families, and most notably, landlords and large businesses.
Funding these tax cuts have been widespread austerity measures, with almost 10,000 public sector roles having been cut as of December 2024.
In response to the government’s tax policies Tax Justice Aotearoa have launched a petition calling for capital gains taxes to be introduced and other tax reforms to achieve better social outcomes in Aotearoa.
Oto spoke to Glenn Barclay, Chairperson of Tax Justice Aotearoa and the better taxes coalition, about the petition and the issues with the tax system in Aotearoa.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here:
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