The Wire with Joel

Last week the government finally launched their Youth Offender Military Academies, more commonly known as ‘boot camps’. 

Since their announcement, the idea of the camps has caused a lot of concern surrounding their effectiveness and treatment of youth. 

The first camp has taken in 10 youth, nine of which are Māori. 

In Aotearoa’s history as well as globally, there is repeated evidence that a tough approach to boot camps hasn’t been effective in lowering youth crime, or rehabilitating the youth involved. 

On top of this, the release of the royal commission of inquiry into abuse in state care last week has amplified concerns that these boot camps may contribute to a cycle of abuse, particularly for Māori youth. 

Producer Evie spoke to lecturer in counselling, human services and social work at the University of Auckland Kendra Cox about what these boot camps may look like, and the potential impact they’ll have on Māori youth.

Last week the government released the findings of the inquiry into abuse in care that was established in 2018. This inquiry was established to investigate abuse in faith and state-based care from 1950 to 1999. Māori, Pacific, and Disabled rangatahi were all overrepresented in this report.

Now people are asking what to expect next when there is evidence abuse in state care remains ongoing, and while the government has promised an official apology and redress scheme.

Wire Host Caeden spoke to the University of Auckland’s Stephen Winter about the report, how it compares to international standards, and what we can expect to come next as a result of the report.

The health system in Aotearoa has experienced issues of overcrowding and underfunding since before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. While the current government campaigned last year on increasing funding to the health sector, most of this funding went to Pharmac and providing new cancer drugs.

Despite staff shortages in the health sector, the government has continually criticised what they claim is an overspend and poor budgeting. The new health commissioner, Lester Levy, went as far to describe the system as ‘bloated’, with similar criticisms from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in his descriptions of ‘fourteen layers of bureaucracy.’ 

Tuesday Wire host Castor spoke to the executive director of the association of salaried medical specialists, Sarah Dalton, about staffing issues in the health sector and how the government can address them.

Students in Bangladesh have been protesting against the reinstatement of the quota allocation for government jobs. These quota allocations are for relatives of veterans from the country’s war of independence from Pakistan.

The protests began when students at Dhaka University peacefully held placards and flags against the quota allocation but escalated after they were violently attacked by individuals associated with the ruling political party and police. 

Since then 200 people have been killed and another 10,000 people detained.

The protests have now turned into students and other people protesting against the ongoing killings, arrests, attacks and disappearances. 

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Fiasol Miah from the Bangladesh skilled migrants association of New Zealand about these protests.