The Wire with Joel

Earlier this week, a number of leaders în the Green party’s Pasifika Greens group announced their resignation. The now former MPs, namely: Marie Laufiso, Alofa Aiono, and Vasemaca (vah-seh-mah-tha) Tavola released issued a joint letter saying that they felt culturally disempowered by the party’s treatment of former MP Darleen Tana, who they say was treated too harshly during while under investigation for allegations of migrant worker exploitation at her husband’s business.

The resigning MPs also said that they were not properly convened with or reached out to by Green Party leaders following the passing of late-MP Fa’anānā Efeso Collins, a prominent Pasifika member of the Greens and representative of the Pasifika community of Tamaki Makaurau.

For their weekly catch up, Oto spoke to Green party MP Ricardo Menendez-March about the resignation and statements made by the Pasifika Greens members. 

They also had a chat about the government’s changes to child poverty reduction targets and the Green Party's open call to the government on behalf of renters.

The most recent figures from the Global slavery index estimated that there were 8,000 people in Aotearoa who were victims of some form of labour exploitation and who legally fit the definition of being modern day slaves.

In spite of this, there are alarming gaps in providing victims of exploitation and trafficking with the resources they need to get assistance from organisations such as police, medical agencies and helplines. 

For this week’s Get Action! Oto spoke to Synteche Collins, acting director of the NGO End Child Prostitution and Trafficking, talking to us about a petition of the organisation calling for the New Zealand government to establish an official helpline for victims of exploitation and trafficking.

If you're interesed, you can sign the petition here:

On the 29th July, 2024, Ngāti Manuhere Settlement Trust, in partnership with Revive our Gulf and the University of Auckland, dropped seven million kūtai, green-lipped mussels, into the Hauraki Gulf.

This comes as part of an initiative to restore the depleted kūtai population in the Hauraki Gulf. It is hoped that restoring these reefs will have a significant positive impact in reversing human-caused damage to the gulf and it's ecosystems.

Kūtai are vital in providing shelter, food, and protection to local species, but their resources have been depleted due to human activities such as dredging.

Producer Josef spoke to the Chief Executive for the Ngāti Manuhere Settlement Trust, Nicola Macdonald, about the initiative, what it means for the Gulf, and how similar schemes can be implemented across Aotearoa.

The recent government decision to halt classroom developments across the country has met opposition from those working in the education sector, who say new developments are both urgent and necessary, including in the locations the government has chosen to put on hold. 

Additionally, the government has set aside $150 million for charter schools, which come with other controversies. Recently, the government announced changes to their charter school plans, which would give them access to the teaching resources given to public schools and prevent employers from negotiating a multi-employer collective contract with charter schools. 

Wire host Castor spoke to the Post Primary Teachers Association’s junior vice president Kieran Gainsford about the allocation of education funding and the government’s prioritisation of charter schools. We also speak further about charter schools - whether they work and the issues with blocking collective bargaining.