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The Wire with Joel

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The Pay Equity Amendment Bill w/ the National Party’s Tom Rutherford: 20th May, 2025

The Pay Equity Amendment Bill w/ the National Party’s Tom Rutherford: 20th May, 2025 The Pay Equity Amendment Bill w/ the National Party’s Tom Rutherford: 20th May, 2025, 13.72 MB
Tue 20 May 2025

Just under two weeks ago the government passed the pay equity amendment bill under urgency. This bill would change existing pay equity legislation to make it more restrictive, which the government says will save billions of dollars. 

The process was originally introduced to address issues of pay inequity between sectors. While the Equal Pay Act mandates that people working the same job are paid the same regardless of gender, Pay Equity is meant to ensure industries dominated by women are not paid less than similar industries dominated by men. The process has worked by allowing applicants to compare their positions with positions in other sectors with similar workloads, skills, or experience. 

The government’s changes will limit the criteria for comparators, allow only industries with over 70% women in the workforce as opposed to the previous 60%, and removing the ability for the authority to award back pay, among other changes. 

These changes have been met with criticism from rights organisations, advocacy groups, and opposition parties. In our weekly catchup with National’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about the government’s reasoning behind the Pay Equity Amendment Bill. 

Social media influence on young people and their mental health w/ Professor Terryann Clark: 20th May, 2025

Social media influence on young people and their mental health w/ Professor Terryann Clark: 20th May, 2025 Social media influence on young people and their mental health w/ Professor Terryann Clark: 20th May, 2025, 15.63 MB
Tue 20 May 2025

Social media use among young people has been the subject of recent conversation, sparked by National MP Catherine Wedd’s private members bill. While the bill hasn’t been drawn, the proposal to restrict social media from those under sixteen was met with criticism and support from other political parties. 

Wire host Castor spoke to Professor Terryann Clark from the University of Auckland about how a social media ban might affect young people and address the issues they face around mental health.

The Wire w/ Castor: 20th May, 2025

The Wire w/ Castor: 20th May, 2025 The Wire w/ Castor: 20th May, 2025, 109.4 MB
Tue 20 May 2025

This week on the Tuesday Wire...

For Dear Science, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman chats with us about personalised gene therapy treatment, using molecules to crack passcodes, and Olympic pool bombing. 

In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about Pay Equity in light of the government’s recent changes. 

They also spoke to Professor Terryann Clark from the University of Auckland about social media use among young people. 

Producer Faith spoke to the Dr Chanelle Duley, an economics lecturer at the university of Auckland, about how financial technology can be used for good, and what we need to be cautious of.

She also spoke to Professor Frederique Vanholsbeeck from the university’s physics department about deep tech, and how NZ can better utilise it. 

The "Fintech" Frontier w/ The University of Auckland's Dr. Chanelle Duley

The "Fintech" Frontier w/ The University of Auckland's Dr. Chanelle Duley Chanelle Duley, 19.13 MB
Tue 20 May 2025

We’ve all heard about NFTs, AI, crytpo, and all those buzzwords... but do we really know what financial technology is, and how prevalent it is in our daily lives? 

Producer Faith spoke to Dr. Chanelle Duley from the University of Auckland about financial technology– or the “fintech” frontier.

Deep Tech Investment w/ The University of Auckland's Professor Frederique Vanholsbeeck

Deep Tech Investment w/ The University of Auckland's Professor Frederique Vanholsbeeck Deep Tech Investment w/ The University of Auckland's Professor Frederique Vanholsbeeck, 12.74 MB
Tue 20 May 2025

Many experts believe that New Zealand should also be grabbing more opportunities to keep up with the rest of the world, and invest more in “deep tech."

Producer Faith spoke to Professor Frederique Vanholsbeeck from the University of Auckland’s physics department about deep and quantum technologies, and their benefits. 

The Wire w/ Joel: 19 May, 2025

The Wire w/ Joel: 19 May, 2025 The Wire w/ Joel: 19 May, 2025, 107.18 MB
Mon 19 May 2025

This week on the Monday Wire:

For our weekly catch up with Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Kemp, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, speaks to her about the Privileges Committee’s recommendations to suspend co-leader’s Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer for 21-days and MP Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke for their haka during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill, and the Waitangi Tribunals recommendations regarding the Regulatory Standards Bill.

For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Producer Evie speaks to Simon Court about the Waitangi Tribunal recommending an ‘immediate halt’ to the Regulatory Standards Bill and the government opening a review into the Waitangi Tribunal.

Evie also spekas to The University of Auckland’s Tom Baker about the government’s newly announced Social Investment Fund.

Joel speaks to Mark Thomas, an Associate Professor in Infectious Diseases at the University of Auckland, about the World Health Organisation declaring an outbreak of Polio in Papua New Guinea.

Whakarongo mai.

Government’s Social Investment Fund w/ Tom Baker 19 May: 2025

Government’s Social Investment Fund w/ Tom Baker 19 May: 2025 Government’s Social Investment Fund w/ Tom Baker 19 May: 2025, 20.8 MB
Mon 19 May 2025

Last week Finance minister Nicola Willis announced a $190 million social investment fund that will invest in at least 20 social service initiatives over the next year. 

Three projects will receive initial funding: an Autism New Zealand programme providing early support to 50 families; an expansion of Emerge Aotearoa’s work with at-risk youth; and He Piringa Whare, a data-informed programme to support at-risk Māori.

Social Investment is a policy that has been seen from previous National governments, largely associated with former prime minister Bill English. 

Under English, the policy involved using data to calculate which groups of people cost the government the most over a lifetime. Interventions aimed at reducing that cost are then targeted at those people. 

However critics say this often leads to fiscal outcomes being valued over social outcomes, or profit over people. 
This time around the government claims they’ll focus on social outcomes over financial ones - but the policy’s real effects are yet to be seen. 

Producer Evie spoke to the University of Auckland’s Associate Professor in Environment Tom Baker about the fund, and how we can expect it to take effect this time around. 

Polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea w/ the University of Auckland's Mark Thomas: 19 May, 2025

Polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea w/ the University of Auckland's Mark Thomas: 19 May, 2025 Polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea w/ the University of Auckland's Mark Thomas: 19 May, 2025, 6.32 MB
Mon 19 May 2025

Recently, the World Health Organisation has declared an outbreak of Polio in Papua New Guinea.

Previously, the nation had been declared polio-free in 2000. However, Papua New Guinea faced an outbreak in 2018. This was eradicated in the same year.

Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, said that New Zealand is ready anytime to assist Papua New Guinea if needed, however, he says he has not received a formal request for help as of this morning.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Mark Thomas, an associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of Auckland, about the World Health Organisation’s declaration, and what needs to be done to mitigate future outbreaks heading forward.

The Wire w/ Caeden: 15 May, 2025

The Wire w/ Caeden: 15 May, 2025 The Wire w/ Caeden: 15 May, 2025, 112.29 MB
Thu 15 May 2025

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Labour’s Shanan Halbert about Chris Hipkins pre-budget speech at the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, the government’s review into the Waitangi Tribunal, and the cost of National’s FamilyBoost policy.

For International Desk, they spoke to Associate Professor in Political Science at Paris Cité University, Speranta Dumitru, about Pope Leo XIV’s views on migration and what this means for the papacy more broadly. 

For City Counselling, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke with Auckland Councillor Shane Henderson, about how much of an impact the climate crisis will have on voters heading into local elections and incorrectly recycling lithium-ion batteries.

And Tuesday Wire Host Castor spoke to PhD student in Education at the University of Auckland and primary school teacher Tom Pearce about the government's stance towards testing in schools and his concerns of over-testing.

Testing in schools and impacts on students w/ the University of Auckland’s Tom Pearce: 15th May, 2025

Testing in schools and impacts on students w/ the University of Auckland’s Tom Pearce: 15th May, 2025 Testing in schools and impacts on students w/ the University of Auckland’s Tom Pearce: 15th May, 2025, 18.6 MB
Thu 15 May 2025

This week the government announced some of its education funding allocation in advance of next week’s budget. The announcement included $100 million for expert maths teachers and new maths tests in school.  

$4 million has been allocated for a new maths test for students in their first two years of schooling. Education Minister Erica Stanford sez the test will help teachers identify students in need of additional support, with these additional needs to be met by the new team of specialist maths teachers. 

These tests join a series of other tests introduced by the current government across all levels of primary and secondary education. To discuss how tests like this work for students and teachers on the ground, Wire host Castor spoke to PhD student in Education at the University of Auckland and primary school teacher, Tom Pearce.