The Wire with Joel

For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin chats with us about moss in space, a use for mosquitos, and how turtles detect magnetic fields

For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire Host Sara spoke to MP Carl Bates about the recently updated Social Housing Plan, and the government’s decision to “pause” access to puberty blockers.

For Green World, News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to Sebastian Gehreke, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Climate and Energy Finance Group at the University of Otago, about COP30, and New Zealand not joining over 80 other countries in agreeing to a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels.

Sara also spoke with University of Otago international politics professor Robert Patman about Trump’s peace plan for the Ukraine - Russian war

Last week, US President Donald Trump put forward a 28 point peace plan as a proposed resolution to the war between Ukraine and Russia — with an initial expectation of response by the 27th of November. 

The initial plan included an agreement by NATO to hold dialogue with Russia, to refuse current and future Ukrainian access to NATO, and not station troops in Ukraine, and Europe commit $100 billion to the investment into Ukrainian construction; also providing “financial compensation” for the role of the United States in mediation.

Following backlash from European leaders as well as negotiations between Trump and Zelenskyy, the plan has been refined, with further discussions to take place over the coming week.

Wire Host Sara spoke to University of Otago professor Robert Patman about Trump’s peace plan and the wider impact on international diplomacy

Recently, a lot of conversation has been had about the curriculum, with the government planning to roll out yet another new and expanded curriculum. This expanded curriculum, beginning in term one of next year, will seek to provide the tools for teachers to educate and assist students with ‘high and complex needs,’ who were otherwise ignored in the existing curriculum, or so the government claims. This comes against the background of this government’s push for effective teaching and learning, based in ‘science’.

However, concerns remain about this curriculum. For starters, this curriculum exists separately from the rest of Aotearoa’s student body; we seem to be getting one curriculum for those with complex needs, and one for those without, dividing our youth. This has led to questions about the role of inclusion in our education, and what it means that the government has not attempted to create one curriculum that can work for all students.

Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Senior Lecturer in Critical Studies in Education at the University of Auckland, Dr Jude MacArthur, about this separate curriculum, what it means for these students, and how it might affect their learning and inclusion.

Recently, ACT MP Laura McClure has launched a member’s bill, proposing the disestablishment of the BSA, or Broadcasting Standards Authority.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to The Victoria University of Wellington’s Peter Thompson last week on the bill, who said this bill would “enable private media corporations to operate with impunity in pumping out propaganda and disinformation and the cost of that would be a further erosion of our democracy."

As well as this, Recently, the government has announced it will be halting new prescriptions for puberty blockers for young people with gender dysphoria pending a clinical trial in the UK, with the outcome of this trial set for 2031.

This move has seen backlash from a variety of LGBTQIA+ organisations and health experts working in gender-affirming care, who believe the move goes against the best interests of transgender youth.

For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about both of these topics, starting with Laura McClure’s member’s bill.