A new road user charge is applying to electric vehicles from the 1st of April this year. This has been expected for a while, but some people are concerned the cost is arbitrary and forcing EV users to pay more to use the roads than their petrol car using counterparts.
Caeden spoke to Massey Professor Ralph E H Sims about why the numbers don’t make sense, and his comment that the whole road user charge system needs to be reviewed.
For our first catch up with Te Pāti Māori of 2024, Rosetta spoke to Takutai Kemp about the hui-a-motu held by the Kiingitanga at Tūrangawaewae Marae on Saturday. The hui had a turnout of around 10,000 people, Māori and non-Māori, all uniting to protest the current government’s efforts to challenge Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Rosetta and Takutai spoke about what action plan has been taken from the hui in order to protect Te Tiriti and Māori. They also spoke about leaked documents posted by Rawiri Waititi which show intentions from the government to erase Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and Te Pāti Māori’s labelling of the government as ‘overpromising’ Finally, they spoke about South Africa’s case against Israel in the International Court of Justice and Te Pāti Māori’s vocal support of this.
Ahead of the new school year, concerns have been raised about the high cost of compulsory school uniforms amid the rising cost of living.
New research has found that 20% of students in one school in a higher socioeconomic area worried about whether their parents could afford their uniform.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Lecturer in the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Dr Johanna Reidy, about what can be done to ensure students experience the benefits of school uniforms without added pressure on families.
This week we have the first of a weekly catch up with Te Pāti Māori. News and Editorial Director Jemima Huston will speak weekly with co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer about the latest news with the Māori Party and issues in politics.
Today Jemima and Debbie discuss how 2021 has been for Te Pāti Māori so far, the party's call for an investigation into anti-Māori hate speech and the comments made by the National Party's leader Judith Collins and Education Spokesperson Paul Goldsmith about colonisation and "separatist" policies.
In 2018, the Women in Urbanism organisation conducted a survey that found more than 75% of women experienced harassment while using public transport, cycling, or walking.
The current urban space, which is typically masculine in its design, has been found to not accommodate the different ways in which Women navigate around cities.
Current chair of Women in Urbanism Aotearoa, Emma McInnes spoke to producer Sofia about a new survey being conducted regarding issues identified by wāhine in urban space.
The survey, which closes on the 16th of February, seeks information and experiences from women, non-binary, and marginalised groups that can ultimately be turned into data used for better change.
In December of 2023, the government passed legislation to fully reinstate 90-day trials for employers, which was campaigned for by both National and ACT in the lead up to the election. The policy means that employees can be dismissed within 90 days of starting work without a given reason. Migrant workers are proving to be disproportionately affected by reforms in the employment sector. Just in the past week, A group of ten migrant workers, previously employed by S.E.A.L. Security have been made redundant months into their three-year employment agreement, after paying up to 70,000 dollars to secure employment in Aotearoa. Etū, one of the largest worker advocacy groups and unions in the country, has expressed serious concern about what new policies in the employement sector will mean for these workers.
Rosetta spoke to Director at Etū Georgie Dansey about what 90-day trials and the repeal of Fair Pay Agreements will mean for our most vulnerable Migrant Workers.
New research looking into vaccination hesitancy in Aotearoa has been released from the University of Auckland.
The research was prompted by lower rates of vaccination following the covid-19 pandemic. The research aimed to uncover what was most important to Kiwi’s considerations around vaccination.
Nicholas spoke to lead investigator Associate Professor Amy Chan, about the study’s findings.
In our weekly interview with National’s James Meager, Wire host Castor began with last week’s announcement of the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora.
Te Aka Whai Ora, or the Māori Health Authority, was established to address several Māori health issues, including overrepresentation in the health system and underrepresentation in the workforce. Castor asked James about why it was disestablished and the replacements that the National party might offer.
Castor and James also talked about the smokefree legislation repeal, which was also introduced in the last few weeks. The repeal has been met with backlash from opposition parties and public protests, with many arguing it follows arguments from within the tobacco industry. The two discussed the repeal and these possible links, as well as National’s continual commitment to Smokefree 2025.
On the 4th of March 2024, the National Government presented their updated Land Transport plan.
To pay for new roading infrastructure, the Government announced a $50 price increase on registration costs, as well as a 12-cent increase in excise fuel tax beginning in 2027.
Nicholas asked Green Party Co-Leader James Shaw about his party’s position on the plan and their response to the Government’s reasoning behind building new roads.
Nicholas also spoke about the implications of a reversal of a ban on oil and gas exploration. A reversal that the Green Party has been firmly in opposition to.
Much of our infrastructure and architecture has been constructed by able-bodied people, with little regard for those with different mobility needs.
Accessibility for differently abled people is usually a secondary consideration, with wheelchair ramps and similar accessibility measures sometimes being crudely installed at the back of buildings as a quickfire measure to comply with building accessibility requirements, leaving those with different mobility needs often feeling like second class citizens
Producer Oto spoke to Bill McKay, a senior lecturer of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland, to talk about universal design, the idea that buildings and infrastructure should be constructed in a way that is accessible to people of ALL mobility needs and capabilities.
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