The Wire with Joel

Family for Every Child, VOYCE - Whakarongo Mai and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren have come together to collaborate with Tick 4 Kids, a movement designed to stimulate conversation around what must be done to improve the lives of children and young people in Aotearoa.

Today on the Wire Beth spoke to Christina Howe from Grandparents Raising Grandchildren about Tick 4 Kids’ scorecard, a survey that Family, VOYCE and GRG contributed to, that asks political parties which policy solutions surrounding care and protection they will implement if elected.

Other scorecards have been developed across other liveable incomes including housing, health, education, belonging, climate action and youth justice.

A modelling study from the University of Otago has found that increasing alcohol taxes, reducing its availability, and banning marketing would result in significant health gains for New Zealanders. 

To find out more about these health gains and what policies could be implemented to reduce alcohol harm, Arno spoke to Dr Anja Mizdrak, a senior research fellow at the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago Wellington. 

Arno started our interview by asking what the purpose of the study was.

For their weekly catch-up, News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins speak to Green Party Co-Leader James Shaw about violence against political candidates and farming in a climate-crisis world.

She also spoke to PhD candidate in New Zealand Politics at the University of Otago Michael Swanson about the MMP system 30 years on. 

Arno spoke to researcher in public health at the University of Otago, Dr Anja Mizdrak about research modelling alcohol advertising.

He also spoke to general Manager of Economic and Environmental Insights and Statistics at Stats NZ, Jason Attewell about record high temperatures in New Zealand.

And he spoke to optometrist Andrew Yu about people foregoing eye health checks due to costs.

Last Election, The Auckland Central seat was won by the Green Party’s Chlöe Swarbrick, the second Green MP to win an electorate seat. 

Recent polling has shown National Candidate Mahesh Muralidhar only two percent behind the incumbent Chlöe Swarbrick.

In the lead up to the election, Nicholas will be speaking to the Auckland Central Candidates from Labour, National, The ACT Party and The Green Party about issues facing this electorate.

Nicholas asked the candidates questions about housing security and affordability, public transport policy, relationship with the Auckland Council, and climate resilience. 

In this interview, Nicholas speaks to Auckland Central Candidate Felix Poole from the ACT Party.