The Wire with Joel

The Ipsos New Zealand survey has shown Labour is the most trusted party for eight of the top 10 most important issues to voters. This includes issues like cost of living, healthcare, and the economy. 

The Government has amended the Education and Training Act to remove the requirement for school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 

A petition calling for a minimum age of 16 to access social media has been handed over to Parliament. 

And the Government is halting prescriptions of puberty blockers for young people with gender dysphoria, while continuing to allow them for cisgender young people.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about all of these topics.

The supreme court has made a final ruling on the four-year long court battle between four Kiwi Uber drivers and the Uber corporation. The case signals a huge win for acknowledging employment rights for drivers, amidst the exploitative pitfalls of contractor classifications. The result coincides with the current Employment Relations Bill that has passed its first reading, a piece of legislation that would only allow selected workers access to the Court or Authority to seek declaration of their employment status and secure any minimum rights. The bill was drafted in part, by Uber.

Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Anita Rosentreter, Deputy Secretary of Workers First Union, who supported the worker’s case, about what this means for Aotearoa’s employment law and protecting the rights of our workers.

On Monday, The Green Party announced that a Green Government will commit to revoking any consents, or permits, handed out under the fast-track process for coal, hardrock gold, and seabed mining, if they were to be permitted under the current government. 

In their announcement, the Green’s were adamant that it was possible to have an economy that employs people without destroying the ecological basis for our existence. While expressing that they consider these forms of mining to be “deeply destructive” and unsustainable.

Also this week, Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced new changes to the Clean Car Standard. In the new standards, importers will now be charged $15 per gram of CO2 for new imports, compared to the previous $67.50, a nearly 80% reduction. This has led to criticism from experts, who believe New Zealand will now become a dumping ground for high-emission vehicles.

And last week, The Green Party also condemned the Government’s decision to officially pass the Regulatory Standards Bill into law.

For our Weekly Catchup with The Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about the new Clean Car Standard, as well as the Regulatory Standards Bill. But first, we discussed The Green’s commitment to revoking any mining permits handed out under the fast-track process.

This week on the Wednesday Wire:

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March about The Green Party’s pledge to revoke, what they consider, the most destructive fast-track mining consents handed out by the current government, the adjustments to the Clean Car Standard, and the official passing of the Regulatory Standards Bill into law.

News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to Geoffrey Bertram, a visiting scholar and retired lecturer at the Victoria University of Wellington about the passing of the Regulatory Standards Bill, and what this means heading forward.

Max spoke with John Minto from the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa, to discuss the UN Security Council voting 13-0 in favour of implementing US President Donald Trump’s plan for a lasting peace in Gaza.

And Joel spoke to Peter Thompson, an Associate Media and Communications Professor at the Victoria University of Wellington, and board member of the Better Public Media Trust, about ACT MP Laura McClure’s member’s bill, proposing the disestablishment of the Broadcasting Standards Authority.