50,000 secondary and primary school teachers are striking today, with 15,000 in Aotea square. The strikes affect seven hundred and seventy three thousand students. The teachers strike is the largest in New Zealand so far, and involves two unions, the NZEI and the Post Primary teachers Association. However, the government is insisting it will not increase the total value of it’s offers of more than 1.2 billion over four years. Sherry reports live from the protest in Aotea square.
Every year thousands of New Zealands prisoners are put in solitary confinement meaning they are isolated from human contact for sometimes up to 24hours.
Today Lucy Austin headed down to Aotea Square to speak with Emmy Rakete from the organisation People against Prisons Aotearoa who have set up a protest to raise awareness of solitary confinement in New Zealand.
The group are seeking to end the practice in New Zealand arguing that it violates human rights.
Lachlan spoke with ACT leader David Seymour to discuss Labour's new foreign buyer directive which will require foreign buyers of land over 50000 square metres to undergo stricter checks from the government before they are able to make their purchase.
On Monday Cabinet announced the approval of regulations to ban the sale and manufacture of synthetic microbeads.
The government says the regulation will come into force in six months, although the New World, Pak'nSave and Four Square supermarket chains stopped selling products with microbeads from July.
Penalties for ignoring the ban may include fines of up to $100,000, with the Environmental protection Authority enforcing it.
Reuben McLaren spoke to Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage to find out more.
Grand Opening, a show presented by Wellington's Barbarian Productions and part of Auckland Live's Summer in the Square programme, takes a look behind the curtains of the Mighty Civic to reveal the histories and hidden corners that Joe Public mightn't otherwise get to see. Barbarian's Jo Randerson talks to Kate (okay, and a very excited Mike) about choirs, DKD coffee and general all-round mischief. Get your tickets for the limited showings HERE.
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