The Wire with Caeden

As home ownership is on a constant decline, the elderly are often left out of the discussion. Though with 8.1% of those above 65 homeless, and a prediction that half of New Zealanders will enter retirement without a home by 2053, the issue is both prevalent and alarming.

Josh Black spoke to Ollie Neas, a journalist who wrote about this in his piece "Where Will You Live When You’re Old?" for North and South, to learn more.

For our weekly catch up with the ACT party Rawan spoke to MP Simon Court about some of ACT’s policies to battle the housing crisis.

They started off by discussing their incentive for councils to increase the building of residential housing, looking at why it's important and how it will work. This incentive aims to take a 50% GST from the revenue of new residential buildings and give it back to councils.

Simon then discussed ACTs plans to scrap the Resource Management Act, taking out what they believe to be an excess of consents and regulations and focus more on development. He also talked about the reforms they plan to make to the business ACT and how this links into the housing crisis

University of Auckland Professor of economics, Susan St John, recently released an article discussing the state of low income households in the upcoming election.

Rawan spoke to her about her article and research that looked at the In Work Tax Credit (or IWTC) and the areas in which it was failing low income households.

They also discussed the policies that Aotearoa’s two major party’s, Labour and National, have pledged. This included their promise to increase low income households to $50,000 by 2026 as well as Labour’s forgotten promise to review and change the IWTC system

Caeden speaks to Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall and Greens MP Ricardo Menéndez March about both the Labour and Greens free dental policies, and how they compare to each other. 

News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins talks to Senior Lecturer in Māori education at the University of Waikato, Jennifer Smith (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi), about their kaupapa to make mātauranga Māori accessible to tamariki in Tuahiwi.

Beth speaks to City Counsellor for Manukau Lotu Fuli for City Counselling about Auckland Council’s consultation around Māori seats and the upcoming Midtown Street Party.

She also speaks to Chair of Bike Auckland Karen Hormann about their call to allocate a cycleway to the Harbour Bridge, referred to as Liberate the Lane.

Olivia speaks to Chief Executive of WWF New Zealand, Doctor Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, about the impact of climate change on our wildlife, and possible climate solutions.