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The Wire with Joel

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Pay Equity Amendment Bill affects on Wāhine Māori and Pacific Women w/ PSA's Janice Panoho: 13 May, 2025

Pay Equity Amendment Bill affects on Wāhine Māori and Pacific Women w/ PSA's Janice Panoho: 13 May, 2025 Pay Equity Amendment Bill affects on Wāhine Māori and Pacific Women w/ PSA's Janice Panoho: 13 May, 2025, 6.81 MB
Tue 13 May 2025

The government’s recent changes to laws on gender pay equity have received backlash from unions– particularly the Public Service Association.

Producer Faith spoke to the union’s kaihautu Janice Panoho about these changes, how they affect Maori and Pacifica women, and what steps need to be taken moving forward

The Wire w/ Castor: 13th May, 2025

The Wire w/ Castor: 13th May, 2025 The Wire w/ Castor: 13th May, 2025, 106.48 MB
Tue 13 May 2025

This week on the Tuesday Wire...

For Dear Science this week, our expert, Doctor Cushla McGoverin, chats with us about a new twist on the famous marshmallow experiment, a new snake antivenom, and new steps towards lithium batteries. 

In our weekly catch-up with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about social media restrictions for young people and NZ First’s recent gender bill. 

They also spoke to Director of Global Studies at the University of Auckland, Chris Ogden, about the India/Pakistan ceasefire and stability in the region. 

Producer Faith spoke to public health researcher, Professor Janet Hoek, from the University of Otago about Labour MP Dr. Ayesha Verrall’s tobacco transparency bill

She also spoke to the Public Service Association union’s kaihautu, Janice Panoho, about how the coalition government’s recent law changes will affect Maori and Pacifica women in particular

Tobacco Transparency Bill w/ University of Otago's Professor Janet Hoek

Tobacco Transparency Bill w/ University of Otago's Professor Janet Hoek Tobacco Transparency Bill w/ University of Otago's Professor Janet Hoek, 15.08 MB
Tue 13 May 2025

Producer Faith spoke with public health researcher and professor from the University of Otago Janet Hoek about the benefits of Labour's health spokesperson Dr. Ayesha Verrall's new bill.

India/Pakistan ceasefire and regional stability w/ Director of Global Studies at the University of Auckland Chris Ogden: 13th May, 2025

India/Pakistan ceasefire and regional stability w/ Director of Global Studies at the University of Auckland Chris Ogden: 13th May, 2025 India/Pakistan ceasefire and regional stability w/ Director of Global Studies at the University of Auckland Chris Ogden: 13th May, 2025, 7.6 MB
Tue 13 May 2025

Military confrontation between India and Pakistan has many regional and international actors concerned about stability in the region. While a ceasefire agreement has been reached, conditions are still uncertain, especially given indications that India doesn’t see it as a ceasefire. 

Wire host Castor spoke to Director of Global Studies at the University of Auckland, Chris Ogden, about the ceasefire both now and moving into the future. 

The Wire w/ Joel: 12 May, 2025

The Wire w/ Joel: 12 May, 2025 The Wire w/ Joel: 12 May, 2025, 111.47 MB
Mon 12 May 2025

This week on the Monday Wire:

For our weekly catchup with Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Kemp, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to her about the Pay Equity Amendment Bill being passed, as well as the draft framework for relationship and sexuality education, or RSE.

For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Producer Evie, speaks to Simon Court about the government passing the pay equity amendment bill under urgency, as well a National members bill proposing a social media ban for under 16’s. 

Joel spoke to Anna Curzon, the co-chair of B416; an organisation pushing to ban under 16 year olds from social media, in light of National MP Catherine Wedd’s members bill.

Joel also spoke to Dr Alex Beattie, a lecturer in Media and Communications at the Victoria University of Wellington, about his concerns with Wedd’s members bill, and what other ways we should regulate social media for young people as opposed to an outright ban.

Evie speaks to Theology Researcher at University of Otago Dr Greg Marcar about the selection of the new pope, Leo XIV.

And Global Innovator, Matt Hart, joins us in studio for our last chat!

Whakarongo mai!

Selection of Pope Leo XIV w/ Theology Researcher at The University of Otago, Dr Greg Marcar: 12 May, 2024

Selection of Pope Leo XIV w/ Theology Researcher at The University of Otago, Dr Greg Marcar: 12 May, 2024 Selection of Pope Leo XIV w/ Theology Researcher at The University of Otago, Dr Greg Marcar: 12 May, 2024, 19.41 MB
Mon 12 May 2025

The Catholic Church has a new leader — Pope Leo XIV — elected after just two days of conclave in what many are calling a quick and unified decision. He follows Pope Francis, whose time as pope was known for major reforms and a focus on social issues. Now, people are asking: will Leo continue that legacy, or take the Church in a new direction?

Some describe Leo XIV as a moderate, but we are yet to see what issues he will choose to act on. 

Producer Evie spoke to Dr Greg Marcar, a theology researcher at the University of Otago, about what we can expect from Pope Leo’s time in charge, and what it means that he’s the first American pope in history.

They also looked at why the conclave happened so quickly this time, and whether a new pope could bring changes not just for Catholics, but for the wider world.

Banning under-16-year-olds from social media w/ B416's Anna Curzon and the Victoria University of Wellington's Dr Alex Beattie: 12 May, 2025

Banning under-16-year-olds from social media w/ B416's Anna Curzon and the Victoria University of Wellington's Dr Alex Beattie: 12 May, 2025 Banning under-16-year-olds from social media w/ B416's Anna Curzon and the Victoria University of Wellington's Dr Alex Beattie: 12 May, 2025, 17.45 MB
Mon 12 May 2025

Recently, National MP, Catherine Wedd, has launched a members bill, that has been supported by the wider party, to ban under-16-year-olds from social media. Since, Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, has announced that Education Minister, Erica Stanford, will be “exploring options” that would be brought to Cabinet.

As such, Stanford’s education portfolio will be amended to ensure she can commission advice and direct officials to mitigate the harms of social media on under-16-year-olds.

Luxon says that he has received an "overwhelmingly positive response from mums and dads," regarding these moves. At the end of last year, in light of Australia passing a similar bill, a 1News Verian poll showed 68% were in support of New Zealand passing a similar bill, 22% were opposed, and 10% were undecided.

These moves come alongside the launch of B416, a group pushing to ban social media access to under-16-year-olds.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to the co-chair of B416, Anna Curzon, about why she supports this outright ban.

Despite a lot of support, what has been proposed has also received a lot of criticism.

Many are concerned about how effective this bill, if passed into law, would be.

As mentioned previously, Australia passed a similar bill last year, which is set to go into effect at the end of this year. However, there are still hurdles in the way before the implementation of this policy in December, such as what tech will be used to ensure under-16-year-olds aren’t on social media, and whether social media platforms themselves will comply.

Here in New Zealand, what is currently being proposed has seen relatively mixed opinions. NZ First supports the move, however, ACT does not. The ACT Party previously called the member's bill hastily drafted, simplistic, and unworkable, and has instead called for a “public inquiry” before the select committee.

Joel also spoke to Dr Alex Beattie, a lecturer in Media and Communications at the Victoria University of Wellington about what has been proposed, and his concerns regarding the bill.

Our final chat w/ Global Innovator, Matt Hart: 12 May, 2025

Our final chat w/ Global Innovator, Matt Hart: 12 May, 2025 Our final chat w/ Global Innovator, Matt Hart: 12 May, 2025, 5.66 MB
Mon 12 May 2025

Global Innovator, Matt Hart, joins News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, in studio for a last chat!

Lack of Public Consultation on the Pay Equity Amendment Bill w/ University of Auckland Law School teaching fellow Simon Schofield: 8 May, 2025

Lack of Public Consultation on the Pay Equity Amendment Bill w/ University of Auckland Law School teaching fellow Simon Schofield: 8 May, 2025 Lack of Public Consultation on the Pay Equity Amendment Bill w/ University of Auckland Law School teaching fellow Simon Schofield: 8 May, 2025, 13.69 MB
Thu 8 May 2025

This week, the New Zealand government has pushed through with urgency, the introduction of a Pay Equity Amendment Bill which makes changes to the Equal Pay Act 1972, making the criteria for pay equity claims stricter, and discontinuing thirty three existing claims, which were representing thousands of workers.

While coalition party politicians say the amendment would benefit women and could save ‘billions’, opposition parties and community commentators reject these notions and have expressed disappointment and frustration at the lack of opportunity for public engagement on the issue.

Producer Sara spoke with University of Auckland teaching fellow Simon Schofield about the issue. She began the interview by asking why this bill is so problematic

The Wire w/ Caeden: 8 May, 2025

The Wire w/ Caeden: 8 May, 2025 The Wire w/ Caeden: 8 May, 2025, 111.27 MB
Thu 8 May 2025

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni about the scrapping of existing pay equity laws, new statistics on unemployment rates, and the member's bill proposal from National that would ban social media for under 16s.

For International Desk, they spoke to video essayist Rohan Davis about the recent escalation of violence in Kashmir and the political context surrounding this.

Producer Sara spoke with two of the team members at Aspiring Materials, Dr Matt Watson and Dr Simon Reid about new research which found that treating wastewater with alkaline minerals could mitigate ocean acidification

She also discussed the Pay Equity Amendment Bill with University of Auckland’s Simon Schofield.