The Wire with Joel

Similar to how Prime Ministers choose who their cabinet members are, the Mayor last week announced his appointments for committees in Auckland Council.

Committees are powerful pieces of the Auckland Council machine, determining the direction on key policy issues around community assets, budgeting, transport and housing. 

Notably different to his approach last term, the Mayor has opted to appoint key allies to committee chair roles. These are councilors who have had a good working relationship with the mayor over the last three years and will mean that there are less roadblocks when it comes to advancing his agenda. 

At the same time the Mayor and Central Government are responding to increased complaints about anti-social behaviour in the CBD by considering laws and bylaws that would ban homelessness. 

Critics of this policy note that such laws would not address the key drivers to poverty and housing need and would simply endanger those individuals experiencing homelessness further. 

Thursday Wire Producer Sanat talked to Councilor Shane Henderson today about these committee appointments and this proposed ban on homelessness.

Recent tensions within Te Pāti Māori, which exploded into the light last month, have culminated in the expulsion of two rogue MPs: Mariameno Kapa-Kingi of Te Tai Tokerau and Tākuta Ferris of Te Tai Tonga.

Despite this, much remains unresolved, and controversy lingers over the preceding actions, the manner in which they were communicated online, and how the expulsion was handled by the party leadership. 
Wednesday Wire Producer Manny spoke with Jason Mika, Professor of Māori Management at the University of Auckland, to get his perspective on the expulsions.

During an interview with the ‘Morning Report’, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed that orders for the homeless in Auckland’s CBD to move on were “definitely a consideration”. He later stated, that “Aucklanders don’t feel safe going into the central city”, and both Central government and Auckland Council are considering how they can move homeless people out of the CBD ahead of summer. 

This follows previous reports that the Government was considering a rough sleeping ban for central Auckland.

This news comes as Stats NZ released their annual unemployment figures this week. The results show that national unemployment has risen to a nine-year high at 5.3%, with the New Zealand youth taking most of the damage.

For our weekly catchup with The Green Party, Wednesday Wire Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March, to discuss the new unemployment figures released last week. They also spoke about the Government’s new action plan to combat methamphetamine use.

But first, they discussed what The Green Party thought about the Government’s plan to decrease homelessness in the Auckland CBD

Last month, Professors James Renwick, Simon Hales, Rebecca Priestley and Alistair Woodward produced a briefing calling for urgent action on New Zealand’s climate policies, given the vast direct and indirect impacts of climate change on human health.

For Green World this week, Wire Host Sara spoke with Victoria University of Wellington Professor James Renwick, from the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, about their report, going into depth about the health consequences of climate inaction