The Wire with Castor

Last Friday the government announced it’s Covid-19 Protection Framework. Aotearoa will move to the new framework when 90 percent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated in each DHB region. However, critics have said that the 90 percent vaccination target for DHBs is unfair for Māori and Pacific communities. This is because Māori and Pacific vaccination rates across the country are still significantly lower than non-Māori and non-Pacific.

News and Editorial Director Jemima Huston speaks to Dr Rhys Jones, a public health physician and senior lecturer in Māori health at the University of Auckland about this critique. They discuss Dr Jones' position on the government’s new traffic light system, what Māori and Pacific vaccination rates are looking like and whether the 90 percent threshold is equitable. 

This morning the government announced significant changes in New Zealand's response to Covid-19. Noah Ferguson-Dudding spoke to Professor Nikki Turner, Director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre, and Professor Michael Plank, an epidemiological modeler from the University of Canterbury about their reactions to the announcement.

This morning, Ilena talked to Golriz Ghahraman, the Green Party spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, on the need to urgently introduce legislation to better regulate the export of military products that could be used to breach human rights in other countries. 

At the beginning of this year, it was discovered by journalists that Air New Zealand staff helped maintain and run vessels from the Royal Saudi Navy while they were enforcing the blockade of Yemen. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had signed off on the export of military-use equipment in Saudi Arabia.

The report from a recent independent review by MPs has a number of recommendations to hold companies and exporters to account. 

Golriz talks about why better regulation is needed and what recommendations are in the report.

Students at years 11-13 who live in alert level 3 areas will be able to return to classrooms next Tuesday after the Labour Day weekend.

Education and Covid-19 response minister Chris Hipkins said yesterday that all students will need to wear a mask and keep record of their whereabouts, while staff need to produce a negative test before they return.

NCEA and New Zealand scholarship exams would also continue nationwide but students who cannot attend the exams would receive an Unexpected Event Grade.

But the Post Primary Teachers’ Association said it is dismayed and angry at the decision. 

Its Tāmaki Makaurau regional chair Michael Cabral-Tarry spoke to Justin Wong.