The Wire with Joel

This week on The Wire for Rāapa Wednesday...

Alex speaks to Brooke van Velden in his weekly chat with the ACT Party deputy leader.

Emilia chats to Newsroom co-editor Tim Murphy about the Auckland Mayoral elections.

She chats to associate Professor Katherine Ravenswood from AUT about the report into the wellbeing of support workers.

She also speaks with Paul Brown from the Disabled Persons Assembly about the challenges that disabled people face in accessing transport

And she speaks to Cliona Ni Mhurchu from the University of Auckland about her research into added sugar labeling on grocery items.

That's us for the Wednesday Wire! See you next week.

New research published by the Human Rights Commission has shown there is a high prevalence of workplace bullying and harassment in Aotearoa with two in five people saying they have been bullied at work.

Young people, Māori, Pacific, Asian, as well as disabled and bisexual workers, were found to be disproportionately affected by bullying and harassment in the workplace. 

Firstly, Joe Wickins spoke to Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner, Saunoamaali’i Karanina Sumeo, who says people shouldn’t have to fear for their mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing while earning a living.  

“It is unacceptable that abuse is occurring and is so widespread in our workplaces. We are essentially failing our people." 

Then Jessica Hopkins spoke to Caitlin Wilson from the Young Workers Resource Centre about why young people are more likely to be on the receiving end of workplace bullying and harassment.  

Finally, Dr Mike Webster from The University of Auckland shares his thoughts on what causes a culture of bullying in the workplace and why it has been a prevalent issue in Aotearoa for so long.

Avocado seeds account for 13% of the waste from industrial production of cold-pressed avocado oil. A study from New Zealand based researchers aimed at valorising avocado seeds by converting it into an extruded snack product using a friction cooker and comparing their textural and physical characteristics to extruded brown rice and malted barley ready to eat snacks.

Joe spoke to one of the authors of the study, Rothman Kam, a Senior Lecturer of Food Science & Microbiology at AUT, about his findings and how this relates to addressing avocado wastage.

Greenpeace is calling on the New Zealand government to keep pushing for a Global Ocean Treaty as international negotiations falter at the last minute. Despite making good headway, United Nations member states failed to come to a consensus late last week as the fifth, and latest round of negotiations for a global treaty to govern the high seas wrapped in New York.
With the talks suspended, world leaders will need to call an emergency meeting to reconvene and finalise a Treaty, which if done right would deliver ocean sanctuaries that can protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030.

Joe spoke to Ellie Hooper, the Oceans Campaigner at Greenpeace Aotearoa, on the matter.