For years now, the development of Ihumātao has been a contentious topic for everyone involved. In 2014 Auckland City, using the Special Housing Areas Act, designated 32 hectares adjacent to the Ōtuataua Stonefields Historic Reserve as a 'Special Housing Area'. This decision has since divided both iwi and public opinion. Here are a few segments dedicated to this, firstly the history of Ihumātao, then the Prime Minister commenting on the issue, an excerpt from a speech made by organiser Pania Newton, and some live coverage and discussion around what was happening at the site on the morning of the 24th July - the day after Fletcher officials and NZ Police moved onto the site to serve an eviction notice.
It's The Thursday Wire with Stewart Sowman-Lund and Deb Rawson!
This week:
The Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has lashed out at coalition partner Labour, over their handling of the abortion law debate. Commentator Ben Thomas breaks down what this means for the government.
Plus, the Official Cash Rate dropped yesterday by 50 basis points… double market expectations. But what is the official cash rate? And why should we care that it’s dropped. Economist Shamubeel Eaqub explains it in language we can all, hopefully, understand.
After that, Justice Minister Andrew Little is here for his weekly catch-up. Stewart asks him whether he was blindsided by Winston Peters’ talk of a referendum on abortion use.
Then, as protests at Ihumatao continue, Deb asks what this all means from a legal perspective.
And finally - we’ll catch up with our Australian Correspondent to get all the latest news from across the ditch in Neighbourhood Watch!
Producer Bronwyn Wilde spoke to Don Carson from Forest Owners Association. This interview arose out of an earlier interview last month with a representative from 50 Shades of Green - a group of farmers who are concerned about the Billion Trees program encouraging investors to buy up prime farmland in order to plant trees and reap the carbon credits. The main takeaway from that initial interview was that 50 Shades of Green wanted those billion trees to be native, and planted on marginal land.
Don Carson heard this interview and got in contact to defend pines and forestry as the solution to sequester our carbon in the short term, and supply jobs for farmers who will be forced to change their lifestyles.
He began by telling us what he sees as the weaknesses of the 50 Shades of Green campaign.
The labour party have been subject to seven formal complaints, and up to twelve general complaints regarding a labour staffer who works around parliament. No disciplinary action was taken by the party when these complaints were looked into in March, and Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has since admitted the party did not handle the complaints as well as they could have.
Sherry spoke to University of Auckland Employment law professor Dr Bill hodge to understand where a political party falls under employment law and why investigations have been kept internally so far.
This day in history goes back to 1953 for the flight of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi from Iran amidst a coup which ousted democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.
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.
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