The Wire with Joel

On their weekly chat, Justin and Health and Treaty Negotiations Minister Andrew Little talked about overseas nurse recruitement, home isolation, and revisiting past treaty settlements.

Neighbourhood Watch reports on an Australian of the Year being told not to badmouth the Prime Minister, and the passing of a controversial bill.

Justin also spoke to Paul Callister of Save Our Trains about their campaign for intercity rail.

Joe talked to Victoria McArthur from Mates in Construction about construction worker mental health.

He also chatted with Allergy NZ's Mark Dixon about a new free EpiPen campaign.

Two years into the global pandemic, the world has faced a lot of changes: from new variants of the coronavirus running rampant, to the rollout of vaccines to protect us against Covid-19. We have seen nations mobilise to tackle the virus but we have also seen a small minority of people pushing back against the health measures that have been enacted. And in our digital age, it is no surprise that social media is fuelling the spread of fear and misinformation alongside the virus.

So why exactly does a global crisis invoke such strong reactions? 

Christina Huang spoke to Associate Professor Danny Osborne from the University of Auckland Social psychology department about the recent antivaccination protests, anti-government attitudes and how our mindset towards the pandemic has shifted over the past two years.

Today on the Wire, we start with Dear Science. Christina Huang asks AUT Professor Marcus Jones about how Omicron affects children, the concerning rise in methane levels in the atmosphere, astronomers taking a stand against an the massive number of satellites in space.

Christina speaks to the National Party’s Covid-19 Response spokesperson Chris Bishop live about the party's ten point plan to tackle Omicron.\

Aneeka Moheed reports on her conversation with Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon about his call for compulsory Te Reo Māori classes to be introduced in schools.

Christina talks to Associate Professor Danny Osborne from the University of Auckland Social psychology department about the recent antivaccination protests, anti-government attitudes and how our mindset towards the pandemic has shifted over the past two years.

Finally, Jemima speaks to ACT Party Deputy Leader Brooke van Velden about the first three months of the End of Life Choice Act 2019 and the second reading of the bill that would ban conversion therapy in Aotearoa.

Today on the Wire, Emily Bell speaks to University of Auckland Māori Studies Professor Margaret Mutu about the significance of Waitangi Day.

Jemima Huston talks to Professor Michael Plank about why Australia has opened its borders to all fully vaccinated travellers, when New Zealand has decided to reopen gradually with a five-step process. 

Emily interviews the CEO of the Bus and Coaches Association NZ Ben McFadgen about how the pandemic has impacted the bus and coach industry.

Jemima catches up with with promoter rep and freelance tour manager Sarin Moddel about her feelings on the government's $121 million covid relief funding announcement for the arts and culture sector. 

Finally, Jemima speaks to Dr Roshini Peiris-John, Associate Professor at the School of Population Health in Auckland, about her study into the Youth19 health survey and the finding that young Asian people who experience discrimination and racism are more likely to forgo healthcare.