Cabinet ministers are discussing changes to the Correction Act, on what mail can be sent and received by Prisoners. This comes after Corrections MInister Kelvin Davis reveals the alleged shooter of the Christchurch terror attacks sent five letters to people’s unidentified by Corrections. The letter was sent to a supporter in Russia, which was then posted on the website 4chan, popular with the alt-right, and white supremacists.
Prime Minister Jacinda Arden says discussions included whether the current law takes into account mail being published to a wider audience or captures broad hate speech. However corrections chief executive Christine stevenson has accepted its staff could have withheld those letters under current law.
Sherry spoke to barrister Marie Dyhrberg and People Against Prison Aotearoa’s Emilie Rakete on whether the current legislation is sufficient in stopping abusive, threatening content and hate speech being sent from prisons.
A hikoi from Ihumatao is making its way through Auckland, to Jacinda Ardern’s Mount Albert office. They're hand delivering a petition of over 20,000 signatures, calling on the Prime Minister to visit the site. Our reporter Tu was there, the pouring rain, and spoke to Stewart Sowman-Lund live.
This week on the Friday Wire, Denise Lee joins us to have a chat about the alcohol trading hours after the extending trading hours amendment, the revitalized controversy of a large donation to the National Party by a New Zealand company owned by a foreign billionaire and the National Party's opposition to the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act.
Following that, foreign interference in local and national elections have been raised as a concern by the GCSB and SIS with one of the primary concern being around political donations. Producer, Bronnie Wilde reached out Marama Davidson about why the Green Party is pushing for law changes around political donations
Next, Auckland Action Against Poverty Spokesperson, Ricardo Menendez March joins Laura Kvigstad to explain why AAAP is calling for better regulations around tobacco lobbying.
Finally, Benjamin J Goldson looks at the media coverage around the suspension of parliament by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Neutral Corner.
Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, has given her support to a YES vote in the upcoming cannabis referendum. Today, the Helen Clark Foundation has released a report outlining the reasons for legalising and decriminalising cannabis. The Foundation is an independent, non-partisan, public policy think tank from Aotearoa and aims to contribute to policy debates on how to achieve a more inclusive, sustainable and peaceful society. The report’s release comes in the lead up to the referendum set for next year on whether to decriminalise cannabis and Clark has spoken about the need for informed debate around this issue. Lillian Hanly spoke with her and started by asking her to explain the findings of the report.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced plans to make the teaching of New Zealand history compulsory in schools this morning. Ardern says this will "reset a national framework so all learners and ākonga are aware of key aspects of New Zealand history and how they have influenced and shaped the nation.”
Deb spoke to Education Minister Chris Hipkins about the planned changes, who started by explaining how New Zealand history is currently approached in schools.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced plans last week to make the teaching of New Zealand history compulsory in schools. Reporter Felix Walton spoke to University of Auckland senior history lecturer Dr Aroha Harris to find out more, and started by asking whether New Zealanders know much about NZ history.
The current benefits system is from a different time, harking back to times of World Wars and the Great Depression. The most common recipient of the benefit is no longer a male Pākehā war hero, but rather solo mothers, and disproportionately mothers who are Māori, Pasifika or have disabilities. These women are subjected to intrusive investigations, probing questions, regulations that keep them from seeking work, and policies that keep them from pursuing meaningful relationships.
95bFM reporter Rachel Simpson spoke to Georgie Craw, executive officer of Child Poverty Action Group. The group recently released a briefing paper calling for the government to take urgent action on the benefits system, which was delivered to the Prime Minister’s electoral office, along with a petition signed by 8,000 people.
This week on the Southern Cross, Pacific Media Watch contributing editor Michael Andrew talks to the Wire team about Papua New Guinea police issuing a warrant for their former Prime Minister's arrest, the University of the South Pacific investigation, Professor David Robie's research in Iran, and a film about a great waka builder and sailor.
Lillian Hanly takes us through one of the commemoration days for Te Pūtake o te Riri ki Waitara, Taranaki 2019. Lillian hears from the Prime Minister following the pōwhiri, as well as from some of those who organised the event, Ruakere Hond and Wharehoka Wano, Kelvin Day, manager of Puke Ariki, others who attended for different reasons - Ngahuia Murphy and Jess Mio, and from Mahanga Pihama who directed the NZ Wars: Stories from Waitara documentary now on RNZ. She finishes by asking how we can all contribute to that mahi that needs to happen in recognising this history, being accountable for it, and taking it with us in the reconciliation process.
Parliamentary submissions on the Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill were open recently, from the 6th to the 10th of November. The New Zealand Law Society presented its submission to Parliament’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee yesterday, highlighting a number of concerns about the Bill's substance, as well as the urgency with which it has proceeded.
The Bill was introduced last month by Justice Minister Andrew Little to impose restrictions on New Zealanders suspected of terrorism-related activity overseas attempting to return home. This came shortly after Prime Minister Jacinda Arden warned extremist Mark Taylor (who is currently believed to be detained in Syria) that if he came back to New Zealand he would face “the full force of the law”
Producer Bronwyn Wilde spoke to Geoff McLay of the New Zealand Law Society about their submissions. He began by noting the Bill's blurring of the realms of criminal and civil law.
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