The Wire with Joel

Last week, on Monday 18th March, Whaikaha - the Ministry for Disabled People announced that it was making changes to its Purchasing Rules and Equipment and Modification Services. 

These changes mean that people can no longer use disability funding for expenses that provide respite, self-care services for carers and whānau, gifts for volunteers providing support, and overseas and domestic travel costs. 

The changes came into effect the same day they were announced. 

Producer Sofia Roger Williams spoke to Labour MP and Spokesperson for Disability Issues, Priyanca Radhakrishnan, about these changes and the implications they will have for disabled communities and whānau. 

Long COVID is a condition that continues to affect people after they contract COVID 19 with a wide range of symptoms. A new Public Health Expert meeting has called for urgent preventative action against long COVID, suggesting it will have long term financial and human costs. 

Wire host Castor spoke to the University of Otago’s Professor Michael Baker about Long COVID and how we can respond to it.

Last week, the government announced a complete ban on disposable vapes and higher fines for vape retailers and individuals caught selling to under-18-year-olds, as part of its ‘crackdown’ on youth vaping.

News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Co-Founder of Vape-Free Kids NZ, Marnie Wilton, about how effective she believes these measures will be in stopping youth vaping.

She also asked Associate Professor at the University of Auckland Bioengineering Institute, Kelly Burrowes, for her thoughts on the government’s crackdown.

She started off the interview asking what impact Burrowes thinks the recently announced measures will have on reducing vaping among young people?

For their regular catch-up News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to ACT’s Simon Court about youth vaping, public sector cuts, and calls for the government to create a special humanitarian visa for Palestinians in Gaza with family connections to New Zealand.

She also spoke to Co-Founder of Vape-Free Kids NZ, Marnie Wilton, and Associate Professor at the University of Auckland Bioengineering Institute, Kelly Burrowes, about how effective they believe the government’s new measures to reduce youth vaping will be.

Producer Ezra spoke to Pharmacy Lecturer Dr Jay Gong, and Clinical Pharmacist, Hoda Fahmy, from the University of Auckland, about a rise in opioid misuse among older adult and post-surgery patients.