The Wire with Joel

The latest unemployment figures were released last week, and now stand at 5.1% - this is the highest since September of 2020, and a number that has been steadily rising since 2022. 

Economist and Policy Director at The New Zealand Council of Trade Union’s Craig Renney says that there are much more complex and worrying numbers behind this number of 5%. 

Producer Evie spoke to Renney about why our unemployment numbers continue to rise, how the government can help people get back into work and whether we’re going to see an ease in these numbers anytime soon.

This week on the Monday Wire...

For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Producer Evie spoke to Simon Court about the ACT Party’s role at Waitangi Day, the latest unemployment figures and the government’s second emissions reduction target.

She also spoke to the New Zealand Council of Trade Union (NZCTU) Economist and Policy Director Craig Renney about the continuing rise in unemployment in Aotearoa.

News and Editorial Director, and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture at the Victoria University of Wellington, Christine McCarthy, about the need for colour in New Zealand's prisons.

Evie spoke to Geopolitical analyst at the University of Otago Geoffrey Miller about Aotearoa’s relationship with the Cook Islands - which made news headlines over the weekend.

And Global Innovator, Matt Hart, joins us in studio to discuss using AI in a working environment.

Whakarongo mai!

Donald Trump, inaugurated nearly two weeks ago, launched his own meme coin, a cryptocurrency that originates from a personality or internet culture. The coin was launched on January 17th, two days before his entering into office, and has now accumulated close to 100 million in trading fees over this time. 

The coin reached 14.5 billion dollars overall market value, now falling by two-thirds its original value. Questions have been raised about conflicts of interest, and intersection of business and government. 

Sasha spoke to Professor of Law and Business at The University of Auckland, Alexandra Andhov, about the Trump Crypto Launch and the wider influence of meme coins and cryptocurrency.

For their weekly catch up with the Green Party Oto spoke to Ricardo Menendez March to Shane Jones’s new mining strategy and critical minerals list, as well as his and NZ First leader Winston Peter’s comments in Parliament about migrants and the Kāinga ora Turnaround plan introduced by Chris Bishop.

He spoke to Dulani Jayasuriya - A senior lecturer in the accounting and finance Department at the University of Auckland, about the Deepseek AI model developed in China and how it might impact businesses here in Aotearoa.

And he spoke to Antje Fielder, Senior Lecturer in Management and International Business at the University of Auckland, to discuss US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China and how they will impact exporters.

Sasha spoke to the Professor of Law and Business at The University of Auckland, Alexandra Andhov, about the idea of the Trump Crypto Launch.

And he spoke to Justin O’ Sullivan from the Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, about the government lifting the ban on genetic research.

95bFM producer Castor spoke with President of the Post Primary Teachers Association, Chris Abercrombie, the effectiveness of the charter school model and what more the government could do for existing public schools.