The Wire with Castor

This week on the Wednesday Wire:

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max, spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March about The National Party’s newly announced Kiwisaver policy, The Green Party’s reaction to the COP30 Climate Summit, as well as their reaction to the Government choosing to halt new prescriptions for puberty blockers for young people with gender dysphoria.

Following this, Max also spoke with Robert MacCulloch, the Matthew S. Abel Chair of Macroeconomics, and Professor in the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Auckland, to discuss The National Party’s new Kiwisaver policy.

Producer Castor spoke to James Russel, a Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of Auckland, about the government considering adding feral cats to the Predator Free 2050 list.

And News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to Aaron Hendry, the General Manager and Co-Founder of KickBack, about an open letter they have signed over the government’s proposed policy to ban rough sleeping in Auckland’s CBD.

Last week, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka announced plans to add feral cats to the government’s list of pests to be eradicated by 2050. The decision follows a campaign promise from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon made in a debate in 2023. 

Feral cats pose numerous wildlife risks when compared to other predators such as rats or stoats. In addition, their larger size makes trapping more difficult, meaning new techniques will need to be developed. To discuss the change, why it’s important, and how it fits in with the larger predator free 2050 mission, producer Castor spoke to Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of Auckland, James Russell.

At COP30, New Zealand has not joined over 80 countries in signing a global plan to phase out fossil fuels.

Climate Minister Mark Mitchell has defended this move, saying that the government was already committed to “transition away” from fossil fuels, as of two years ago.

News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to Sebastian Gehreke, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Climate and Energy Finance Group at the University of Otago, about COP30 and whether New Zealand’s climate policies are enough to justify not signing this roadmap

Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka announced the government’s release of the new social housing investment plan which aims to shift to a “needs-based, data driven approach”.

The new flexible fund includes $41 million dollars in operating funding over the next four years, and the government have stated they expect to support up to 770 social homes and affordable rentals in the initial phase.

As well, Health Minister Simeon Brown last week announced a Cabinet decision to stop new prescriptions for puberty blockers for young people identifying as trans or experiencing gender dysphoria. 

The rule, in effect from 19th of December, is based on recommendations from a UK National Health Service review which determined that the evidence to the benefits or risks of the treatment was “remarkably weak”.
The government is expected to pause new prescriptions until the outcome of a clinical trial being conducted in the UK, expected to be completed in 2031. 

Wire Host Sara spoke with MP Carl Bates about all of these topics, firstly by asking about the flexible fund which will replace the so-called ‘patchwork of programmes’ in place for social housing.