The Wire with Joel

This week on the Monday Wire:

For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, speaks to MP Simon Court about the party’s stance on the Paris Agreement.

Joel also speaks to Dr Maria Armoudian, an Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland, the director of the University’s Sustainability Hub, and the co-director of the Ngā Ara Whatū Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society at the University, about the ACT Party’s stance on the Paris Agreement, and the importance of the framework.

And Alex speaks to The University of Auckland’s Dr Stephanie D’Souza about a study showing that high-level rugby players faced an increased risk of Alzheimer’s and other dementias at later ages.

Whakarongo mai!

High numbers of roaming dogs in Auckland’s communities have continued to be a persistent problem. New data revealed shows nearly 17.000 reports of unruly behaviour from dogs with nearly 1300 attacks on people and 1200 attacks on other animals. 

Dog shelters are also increasingly under strain with nearly 10,000 dogs being impounded in the last year. I talked to Councilor Shane Henderson today about what the drivers behind these increased incidents and how Auckland Council is trying to respond. 

In other news, inner city suburbs have been hosting public forums on Plan Change 78, a change to Auckland’s zoning and intensification framework that would allow for the development of high density housing in the central isthmus. 

There has been vehement public opposition in inner city suburbs with residents shouting and heckling at MPs, councillors and even members of the public that do support high density housing.Councilor Chrstine Fletcher has also made claims that this housing intensification plan will cost Aucklanders nearly $20 billion in associated infrastructure costs. Mayor Wayne Brown has decried these claims, calling them “complete rubbish” 

Producer Sanat wanted to talk to Councilor Henderson about why there is so much public opposition to this plan and whether housing intensification will change the city for the better or the worse.

The University Advisory Group headed up by Sir Peter Gluckman made more than 60 recommendations to improve the fragmentation, poor governance and funding woes of the university sector. Sitting above them all was a ‘highest priority’ call to set up a standalone government agency to administer separate strategy and funding for universities. The Government has said no.

Producer Sanat spoke to the Tertiary Education Union’s spokesperson Sandra Grey about the Government’s response to this report and whether it will change the Tertiary Education Sector fundamentally to respond to the persistent challenges that have affected New Zealand’s Universities.  

Over the weekend, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck in Eastern Afghanistan.

The death toll has passed at least 1400, with another 3000 injured and 500,000 impacted. 

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Associate Professor in Disaster Resilience at the University of Newcastle, Iftekhar Ahmed, about the earthquakes and the challenges with the disaster response.