The Wire with Joel

More and more, New Zealand has seen candidates enter local elections being informed by conspiracy theories.

Groups that have spread misinformation about vaccines and the pandemic are entering their local races across the country.

The concerns are worsened thanks to the impacts of the anti-mandate parliament protests that hit the beehive earlier this year. 

David spoke to Stepehn Judd from FACT Aotearoa about those who are running and what it means for the country.

Welcome to the Thursday Wire! Today, Tuva’a has his regular catch-up with Labour’s Andrew Little, this week talking about security concerns with Tik Tok and a new cystic fibrosis medication. Green Desk is back as always, Frances updates us on the week’s environmental news.

Stella speaks to Associate Professor on veterinary epidemiology Carolyn Gates from Massey University about transmission mechanisms of foot and mouth disease. She also speaks to MPI’s chief veterinary officer Dr Mary Van Alden about what New Zealand’s plan is if the disease were to enter the country.

Stella speaks to the Green party’s spokesperson for education, Teanau Tuiono about the party’s calls for pay parity for early childhood teachers.

We finish the show with Stella chatting to a Research Assistant from the Manalagi Project, Allyssa Verner-Pula, about their work documenting the experiences of the LGBTQ+ Pasifika community in healthcare settings. AUSA provides a written comment about the current voting in student elections.

This week on The Green Desk, Frances talks to Ellie Hooper about Greenpeace's call to back the strongest possible Global Ocean Treaty.

The Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments in a case that could decide whether polluting companies are breaching important duties to New Zealanders. 

Sitting at the Environmental Court in Auckland, the Supreme Court will make a decision as to whether or not to strike out a claim against New Zealand’s 7 biggest emitters of greenhouse gasses by a Northland man who says they are breaching well-established common law principles by contributing to climate change.

Mike Smith is the climate spokesperson for the Iwi Chairs Forum, and is claiming that ongoing pollution by corporations such as Fonterra, Genesis and Z Energy has damaged his Whenua and sites of cultural and historical significance to him and his whānau.

To discuss the legal aspects of this case, as well as the role of tikanga Maori in the decision-making, Emilia Sullivan spoke to Geoff McLay from Victoria University Law School.