The Wire with Joel

The Budget for 2025 came out two weeks ago, with news for the nation on how funds will be allocated over the coming year. The budget held big news for defence spending, $12 billion over the next four years, including $9 billion of new spending. 

The funding is planned to go towards various technologies and equipment for different branches of the military, including replacements for two Air Force Boeing 757 planes and new helicopters to be operated from Navy ships. Defence Minister Judith Collins also announced plans to acquire new killer drones with increased lethality, raising some human rights concerns. 

In our weekly catchup with National’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about the defence spending announcements, concerns over killer drones, and if this money is best spent on more military equipment.

Last Thursday Budget 2025, the “Growth” Budget, was announced.

As part of the Budget, there were significant changes to Kiwisaver.

There are also new eligibility limits for 18 and 19-year-olds to access benefits, based on parental income.

And the ACT Party’s Regulatory Standards Bill has passed its first reading and is now before the Finance and Expenditure Committee.

The bill has been criticised for its potential effect on the place of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in our laws. 

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

Global military expenditure reached a record high of two point seven trillion dollars in 2024, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. This is the tenth consecutive year that military spending has increased across the world.

Last week’s Budget announcement, as with declarations of investments earlier this year, in which $12 billion was committed to defence over the next four years, with an aim to reach 2% of GDP, demonstrate the New Zealand government’s interest in keeping up with global standards. 

Peace Movement Aotearoa have called this central government decision “deplorable”, as the same budget made cuts to crucial social services, and has underinvested in urgent issues within sectors like health, climate action, and infrastructure.

Producer Sara spoke with Massey University’s Associate Professor in the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, Anna Powles, about why both global and national military spending is increasing despite other crucial areas needing investment.

Sara also spoke with Peace Movement Aotearoa co-ordinator Edwina Hughes about the effects of this increased militarisation taking priority over efforts to address humanitarian issues. 

She began her interview with Associate Professor Anna Powles, by asking what some of the key drivers of this increased global military spending are. 

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March, Oto speak to him about the recent Budget 2025 announcement, specifically related to the: Environment, Māori outcomes and housing.

He spoke to Rodger Tiedemann, a hematologist at Auckland City Hospital and Associate Professor of Cancer Research at the University of Auckland, about the lack of additional funding for blood cancer treatments in Budget 2025.

And he spoke to Professor Patria Hume a Professor Human Performance AUT about the recent death of a 19-year old from Palmerston North taking part in a runit-styled tackle game.

Max spoke to Dan Hikuroa, an associate professor at Waipapa Taumata Ra University of Auckland, about the current water crisis that New Zealand could be facing.

And he spoke to Chris Hall, an associate professor at the department of molecular medicine and pathology at the University of Auckland about how daylight can boost our immunity.