The Wire with Castor

News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Green Party Co-Leader, James Shaw, about the Green Party's stance on New Zealand’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the Auckland Council voting against having indigenous representation in the form of Māori seats. 

She also spoke to President of University of Auckland Student Justice for Palestine, Layan Khalil, about students showing solidarity with Palesrine.

And she spoke to Co-Founder of Alternative Jewish Voices, Marilyn Garson, about reports of increasing anti-semitism and Islamophobia, the conflation of being critical of Israel with anti-semitism, and calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. 

Arno spoke to Well Foundation CEO Tim Edmonds about the funding of a garden inside the new North Shore hospital building.

And he spoke to Diabetes New Zealand CEO Heather Verry about Diabetes Action Month and how diabetes can lead to blindness. 

The Tuesday Wire team is joined by Davide Mercadante for Dear Science. The team discusses the discovery of hidden trees throughout Europe that gives new hope for carbon storage, potentially hazardous litter leaf and the pitfalls of biodegradable bags might not be as good as we thought to recycle organic waste!

For our weekly segment Nicholas catches up with the National Party’s Dr Shane Reti to discuss National’s potential Pasific Island caucus and the Party’s plans to scrape Fair Pay legislation.

Nicholas also spoke to activist and academic Te Matahiapo about Matike Mai, a working group looking into possible avenues for constitutional reform in Aotearoa. 

Lou spoke to Samuel Andrews on his findings on Sexualised Drug use in Gay and Bisexual men in New Zealand

And, Josh spoke to Dr Arama Rata on the coverage of the Auckland Palestine march, and coverage of Palestine, in New Zealand Media and Omar Hasaniah, a former Gazan Resident, on his experiences in Aotearoa this month.

This week for our weekly catchup with Dr Reti, Nicholas asked Dr Reti about the National Party’s plans to scrap Fair Pay Agreements.

Fair Pay legislation was passed last year, the legislation would require employers in certain sectors to negotiate minimum working conditions for employees, with Unions and employee representatives.

The interview began with a question about National’s potential lack of MP’s of Pacific Island descent. As it currently stands Angee Nicholas would be the only National MP of Pacific Island descent. Angee Nicholas currently holds her seat by thirty votes so it is possible she may end up out of parliament. 

Nicholas began by asking Dr Reti how National plans to make sure the Pacific Island population of Aotearoa is represented in the new government.

For our bi-weekly segment of Get Action, where we speak to petitioners from Action Station about their causes, Rosetta spoke to Erin Thomas, director and change maker at the International Center for Advocates Against Discrimination, or ICAAD. ICAAD has been working to bring awareness and justice to the Banaban people residing in Rabi, Fiji, as a result of displacement due to phosphate mining of Banaban in the mid 20th century.

Rosetta spoke to Erin about ICAAD’s recently launched petition to the New Zealand ministry of Foreign affairs and trade ‘Protecting the to life with dignity of the Banaban community’