The Wire with Zoë Larsen Cumming

This week on the Wire, Dear Science's Marcus Jones tells Bronwyn about the Ig Nobel Prize winners, genetic discoveries about Vikings and IBM’s 1000-quibit quantum computer. 

Bronwyn speaks to NZFirst’s Tracey Martin about the Māori Party’s proposal for a new, independent 'Mokopuna Māori Entity' to replace Oranga-Tamariki.  

Election coverage this week is health and the referenda, so Bronwyn also speak to Minister Martin about the end of life choice bill and recreational cannabis.  

Then, Felix speaks to Lukas Marek, a researcher at the University of Canterbury, about childhood immunisation.

Lastly, Bronwyn speaks to lawyer Catherine Marks who fact-checks some of the claims made about the End of Life Choice Bill by anti-assisted dying campaign group ‘votesafe’.

The End of Life Choice referendum asks voters to make a moral decison. Both sides of the referendum raise ethical issues, meaning voters must grapple with questions of life, death, choice and inequity. Come October 17th, voters should know not only how they intend to vote in the referendum, but why they have come to that conclusion.  

For an ethics-centred perspective on Euthanasia, Hanna spoke to Dr Vanya Kovach, from the Philosophy department at the University of Auckland.

The End of Life Choice Referendum is a public vote on whether assisted dying under the End of Life Choice Act 2019 should become part of the law in Aotearoa. If a majority vote "yes" in the referendum, the Act will come into force and if a majority vote "no", the Act will not be able to be accessed. 

Jemima Huston explores the number of social and moral issues that surround the Act and assisted dying such as the input of family in the decision, coercion, the responsibility of doctors to preserve life vs. end life, the right for a doctor to opt out and the short "cooling down" period between prescribing and administering a lethal dose. 

ACT Party Deputy Leader Brooke van Velden and University of Auckland Associate Professor of Clinical Medical Ethics Phillipa Malpas provide an insight into these issues and help breakdown what exactly we are voting for in the End of Life Choice Referendum. 

Today on the Wire with Zoë: 

This week's theme for 95bFM's election coverage is health and referendums.

Zoë interviews Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick on the cannabis referendum. 

Then she brings a report on some of this ballot's parties' health policies. 

Next producer Aneeka Moheed interviews Shaun Robinson, CEO of the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand about what we need to see from the government and community to support struggling Kiwis.

Finally, Aneeka interviews Warren Rodricks, one half of Unity Mixes, about what the DJ collective are up to and their first event they are hoping to host this Friday.