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The Wire with Joel

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The Wire w/ Castor: 27th May, 2025

The Wire w/ Castor: 27th May, 2025 The Wire w/ Castor: 27th May, 2025, 100.7 MB
Tue 27 May 2025

This week on the Tuesday Wire...

For Dear Science this week, our expert, Doctor Cushla McGoverin, chatted with us about night vision contact lenses, giant sloths, and how to best break down biofilms. 

In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about Kiwisaver and the Jobseeker benefit in light of the Budget announcements last week. 

Producer Faith spoke to the University of Auckland’s Dr. Brian Don about the links between economic hardship and wellbeing.

She also spoke to Dr. Joel Rindelaub about microplastics, and how they’re more common than we think.

Budget 2025’s lack of addressing youth homelessness w/ KickBack’s Aaron Hendry: 26 May, 2025

Budget 2025’s lack of addressing youth homelessness w/ KickBack’s Aaron Hendry: 26 May, 2025 Budget 2025’s lack of addressing youth homelessness w/ KickBack’s Aaron Hendry: 26 May, 2025, 10.21 MB
Mon 26 May 2025

Concerns have been raised about how little youth homelessness has been addressed in Budget 2025, as well as how funding is being allocated, that will impact vulnerable rangatahi and tamariki.

Boot camps have received a $33 million boost over four years to create more camps, $1 billion has been stripped from emergency accommodations, and 18 and 19 year olds are set to have their Jobseeker and emergency benefits tested against their parents. 

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Aaron Hendry - the co-founder and general manager at Kickback; an organisation aimed at tackling youth homelessness, about Budget 2025, and how youth homelessness should have been addressed in the Budget.

Budget 2025 and how this will impact the National Party's chance of re-election w/ the University of Otago’s Brian Roper: 26 May, 2025

Budget 2025 and how this will impact the National Party's chance of re-election w/ the University of Otago’s Brian Roper: 26 May, 2025 Budget 2025 and how this will impact the National Party's chance of re-election w/ the University of Otago’s Brian Roper: 26 May, 2025, 12.31 MB
Mon 26 May 2025

With the announcement of how the government is planning to spend money over the next year comes the question of how this will impact the National Party’s chances of being re-elected into power in next year’s General Election.

When presenting her work to Parliament, Finance Minister, Nicola Willis, said that “every Kiwi knows this government has their back”.

However, elements of the Budget have been criticised by opposition parties and various activist groups, with opposition leader, Chris Hipkins, calling funding decisions in the Budget “strange and unnecessary”.

The Budget can play a major role in whether a government will be re-elected or not. 

Labour’s 1958 Budget, for example, which has since become known as the ‘Black Budget,’ resulted in Finance Minister at the time, Arnold Nordmeyer, imposing additional taxes on cars, alcohol, and tobacco, in an attempt to limit the need for international goods during the payments crisis in late 1957. This caused political tensions, and as a result, Labour lost the 1960 general election after one term.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Brian Roper — an Associate Professor in Politics at the University of Otago, about how Budget 2025 will impact National’s chances to be re-elected, and his opinion on what party, or parties, will make up the next government.

The Wire w/ Joel: 26 May, 2025

The Wire w/ Joel: 26 May, 2025 The Wire w/ Joel: 26 May, 2025, 112.83 MB
Mon 26 May 2025

This week on the Monday Wire:

For our weekly catchup with Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Kemp, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, speaks to her about Budget 2025 and its impacts on Māori initiatives, and the deferral of the debate into the suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs.

For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, Joel speaks to him also about Budget 2025, specifically around spending on education and how the Budget will impact young people.

They speak to Brian Roper — an Associate Professor in Politics at the University of Otago, about the 2025 Budget, and how much of an impact this Budget will have for the National Party’s chances of a re-election.

And they speak to the Co-Founder and General Manager of KickBack, Aaron Hendry, about his concerns with Budget 2025 in addressing the youth homelessness crisis.

Whakarongo mai.

International Desk: Israel’s Blockade on Aid into Gaza and the Role of International Law w/ Australian National University’s Donald Rothwell 22 May: 2025

International Desk: Israel’s Blockade on Aid into Gaza and the Role of International Law w/ Australian National University’s Donald Rothwell 22 May: 2025 International Desk: Israel’s Blockade on Aid into Gaza and the Role of International Law w/ Australian National University’s Donald Rothwell 22 May: 2025, 16.2 MB
Thu 22 May 2025

International pressure is mounting against Israel for the 11-week-long and ongoing blockade of aid into Gaza.

The few aid trucks that have been let into Gaza have not been distributed, according to the United Nations.

It comes as cases against Israel in the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court (ICC) for existing violations of international law remain ongoing.

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Professor Donald Rothwell from the Australian National University Law School about the aid blockade and response in international law.

The Social Impact of Budget 2025 w/ University of Auckland’s Susan St John and Child Poverty Action Group’s Isaac Gunson: 22 May, 2025

The Social Impact of Budget 2025 w/ University of Auckland’s Susan St John and Child Poverty Action Group’s Isaac Gunson: 22 May, 2025 The Social Impact of Budget 2025 w/ University of Auckland’s Susan St John and Child Poverty Action Group’s Isaac Gunson: 22 May, 2025, 15.22 MB
Thu 22 May 2025

Today is Budget Day 2025, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis is calling it a “no BS” budget that will create growth for New Zealand.

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Susan St John, Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Auckland Faculty of Business, about the potential social impact of the Budget.

They also spoke to Isaac Gunson from the Child Poverty Action Group about the particular impact of the Budget on child poverty.

Pre-budget Announcements and the Suspensions of Te Paati Māori MPs w/ Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni: 22 May, 2025

Pre-budget Announcements and the Suspensions of Te Paati Māori MPs w/ Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni: 22 May, 2025 Pre-budget Announcements and the Suspensions of Te Paati Māori MPs w/ Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni: 22 May, 2025, 11.31 MB
Thu 22 May 2025

Today is Budget Day, the day the government releases their spending plans for the next year.

The embargo on the budget lifts at 2pm, however, there have already been several pre-budget spending announcements.

Earlier this week, the debate on the Privileges Committee report into the Treaty Principles Bill haka, led by Te Paati Māori, was deferred. 

Opposition MPs have raised concerns that because the debate has been deferred, the Te Paati Māori co-leaders may not be back in time to vote on the budget.

For our weekly catch-up with Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni, Wire Host Caeden asked about all of these topics.

Global Pandemic Treaty & New Zealand's pandemic preparedness w/ Toha Chief Scientist Shaun Hendy: 22 May, 2025

Global Pandemic Treaty & New Zealand's pandemic preparedness w/ Toha Chief Scientist Shaun Hendy: 22 May, 2025 Global Pandemic Treaty & New Zealand's pandemic preparedness w/ Toha Chief Scientist Shaun Hendy: 22 May, 2025, 24.25 MB
Thu 22 May 2025

Since Covid-19 shocked the global health system with the impacts of lack of pandemic preparedness, the World Health Assembly has undertaken intense negotiations to help develop a stronger and more equitable response to future pandemics. 

Producer Sara spoke with the Chief Scientist at Toha, and founder of Te Pūnaha Matatini about the pandemic treaty adopted by the World Health Organisation, and how New Zealand should be preparing for future health crises.

The Wire w/ Caeden: 22 May, 2025

The Wire w/ Caeden: 22 May, 2025 The Wire w/ Caeden: 22 May, 2025, 82.98 MB
Thu 22 May 2025

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about Budget Day today and the suspensions of three Te Paati Māori MPs over the Treaty Principles Bill haka. 

For International Desk, they spoke to Professor of International Law at Australian National University, Donald Rothwell, about the ongoing famine in Gaza due to Israeli blockades and the response under international law.

And ahead of Budget 2025 being announced, they spoke to University of Auckland Associate Professor Susan St John and Isaac Gunson from the Child Poverty Action Group about the potential social impact of the budget.

For her interview with Julie Fairey for this week’s City Counselling, Producer Sara discusses the issue of littering in Auckland, including the rise of illegal dumping. They also talk about Mayor Wayne Brown’s interest in transforming Auckland into the ‘premier tech city’ of New Zealand.

She also interviewed Chief Scientist at Toha, and founder of Te Pūnaha Matatini about the recent global pandemic treaty adopted by the World Health Organisation.

UNICEF's Child Wellbeing Report and why it's worrying w/ Chief Children’s Commissioner, Dr Claire Achmad: 21 May, 2025

UNICEF's Child Wellbeing Report and why it's worrying w/ Chief Children’s Commissioner, Dr Claire Achmad: 21 May, 2025 UNICEF's Child Wellbeing Report and why it's worrying w/ Chief Children’s Commissioner, Dr Claire Achmad: 21 May, 2025, 9.67 MB
Wed 21 May 2025

Last week, UNICEF published their latest child wellbeing report, comparing childhood experiences, child poverty rates and mental wellbeing in OECD countries.

In the report, Aotearoa New Zealand was ranked 32 out of 36 OECD countries for child wellbeing and at the very bottom of this list for child mental health.

The report also showed that New Zealand had the highest suicide rate amongst rangatahi in the developed world and the second highest rate of children experiencing bullying.

Chief Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad, said that the findings in the report were unacceptable, that they were attributed to the ongoing issue of child poverty in New Zealand and called on the government to act immediately to combat child poverty and invest in mental health services for tamariki and rangatahi.

Wednesday Wire Host, Oto, spoke to Achmad about this.