The Wire with Oto

Following the fire at the Victoria Park New World, Foodstuffs North Island promised to hire displaced workers at the soon to open New World Point Chevalier.

However, with the opening of the Point Chevalier store on the 19th of August, a significant number of displaced employees remain out of work, with 40% without job offers, as their paycheques come to an end.

Producer Alex spoke to Workers First Union Organiser Jas Giri about Foodstuffs’ promise, the current rehiring situation, and what the Union would like to see in the near future from Foodstuffs.

Last week, it was announced that the FBI would open a dedicated attaché office in Wellington, to investigate threats, such as terrorism, child exploitation, and cyber crime.

Announcing the office, director of the FBI, Kash Patel, sez the event is a “historic moment” and that with this move, symbolises the FBI’s prioritisation of having a permanent presence across all Five Eyes countries, which New Zealand is a part of.

Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, says Patel’s visit to the country “send[s] a clear message to criminals” that they “cannot hide behind an international border”.

For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel spoke to Simon about the FBI’s office, and some criticisms the move has had.

They also spoke about multiple countries recently indicating their moves to formally recognise a state of Palestine, and what plans Aotearoa has in this space.

But first, they discussed the FBI’s new office in the capital.

The International Court of Justice has issued an advisory opinion that nations can be held legally accountable for greenhouse-gas emissions. 

The Court found that those who are harmed by human-caused climate change could be entitled to reparations.

The case was spearheaded by Pacific island students and the government of Vanuatu, and then backed by 105 sponsor countries.

For International Desk, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to Justin Sobion, a University of Auckland Senior Tutor in Law who also acted as counsel for Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Here is that interview.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni on the spike in homelessness in Auckland, yesterday’s nurses strike, and the end to same-day voter enrollment.

For City Counselling this week, Producer Sanat spoke with Councillor Julie Fairey about reports earlier this week of Auckland Council staff taking tents and sleeping bags from rough sleepers in the CBD and more broadly what Auckland Council’s response to homelessness looks like.

For International Desk, Joel spoke to Justin Sobion, Senior Tutor in Law at the University of Auckland and counsel for Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’, on the recent International Court of Justice ruling on states' climate change obligations.

And Sanat spoke to Associate Dean Pacific of the University of Auckland Sir Colin Tukuitonga about the growing drug crisis in the Pacific.