The Wire with Joel

The government recently announced a number of amendments to the employment relations act which would clarify whether a worker was legally considered to be an employee or a contractor. 

The amendments included a test with four added criteria, such as a written agreement with the worker specifying they were an independent contractor and that the business did not restrict the worker from working for other businesses and requiring them to take on additional tasks and engagements among other criteria.

If a worker met all of the criteria specified in the act, they would be considered as a contractor and wouldn’t be able to challenge their employment status through the courts. 

While Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden said that the changes would provide greater certainty for contractors and businesses, union members and labour rights advocates have criticised the move, saying that it would allow companies to strip away the rights of workers to boost profit margins.

For their weekly catchup, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March to discuss the recent changes to the Employment Relations Act and the party’s take on it.

They also had a korero about the Waitangi tribunal’s findings into the recent changes to the Marine and Coastal Areas act, as well as the recently released draft list of 35 minerals considered essential to New Zealand’s economy.

The government recently announced proposed changes to the Marine and Coastal Area Act, which, among other changes, would require iwi to prove continuous and uninterrupted occupation of a coastal area since 1840 to make a claim. The proposed changes were reviewed by the Waitangi Tribunal, and the resulting report was released yesterday. In their weekly catchup, Wire host Castor asked Katie Nimon about the government’s reaction to criticisms in the report.

They also asked about the government’s policies on Māori wards. Last year the National Party campaigned on putting Māori wards to referendums, with the goal of ‘restoring democracy’. Since asking councils to vote on the issue, all but two of Aotearoa’s local councils have voted to retain their wards. Local government minister Simeon Brown has expressed some discontent at this response, implying that the government may push for binding referendums. 

Wire host Castor spoke to National’s Katie Nimon about these issues in their weekly catchup, starting with the Marine and Coastal Area Act.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown recently proposed a second bridge across the Auckland harbour, which would go from Point Chevalier to Kauri Point on the North Shore. The new project would be aimed at reducing congestion, however, many are sceptical that it would have any impact due to the lack of existing infrastructure.

Wire host Castor spoke to senior lecturer of urban planning, Dr. Timothy Welch, about the proposal and potential issues with congestion and transport infrastructure.

This week on the Wire...

For our weekly catch up with Te Pāti Māori, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Mariameno Kapa-Kingi about updates regarding the Treaty Principles Bill, as well as Te Pāti Māori MP, Hana-Rawhiti Maipa-Clarke, being a recipient of the One Young World Politician of the year award.

For our weekly catch up, Producer Evie spoke to the ACT Party’s Simon Court about a government directive to create a public service that delivers on ‘need not race’, and the draft treaty principals bill being tabled at cabinet for the first time.

Producer Evie also spoke to the Public Service Association’s Janice Panoho about what the government has labelled ‘a colourblind public service’, and some of the concerns that come with us.

Host Joel spoke to Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Caroline Shaw, regarding a new study showing that ‘decarbonising’ transport would have a signficant impact on health; mental and physical.

Producer Evie spoke to the University of Auckland’s Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law Treasa Dunworth about her request for an inquiry to be made into whether New Zealand is sharing intelligence to aid Israel in its war on Gaza.

And finally, Host Joel spoke to the National Secretary for Retail and Finance at First Union, Rudd Hughes, about the Woolworths strikes that took place last week, with extra walkouts being planned for the 17th of September.

Whakarongo mai!