The Wire with Caeden

AUKUS - a security pact signed between Australia, the UK and the US is a contentious topic for Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Due to its pro-nuclear sentiments, New Zealand has been inherently hesitant to join the pact because of the impact it could have on New Zealand’s diplomatic relations with its Asia-Pacific allies. 

Anti-AUKUS sentiments have dominated the political discourse around the topic, with many academics and politicians past and present against the pact because of the geopolitical tensions it could muster. Former Prime Minister Helen Clark called the AUKUS deal an “entanglement” that New Zealand shouldn’t get itself into. 

To receive more input, Andre Fa'aoso spoke with Doctor Arama Rata, an independent researcher and spokesperson for Te Kuaka, a group that advocates for progressive foreign policy.

Currently New Zealanders dump 300,000 tonnes of food each year in landfill where it emits methane, contributing to global warming. Aucklanders bin 100,000 tonnes of food and it makes up half of our kerbside waste. To address this, Auckland Council is rolling out a foodscrap collection this year. The scraps will go through an anaerobic digestion process to create fertiliser and biogas that will be used in horticultural systems south of the city. However, environmental campaigners argue that local composting leads to better soils and lower emissions. Alex Bonham spoke to Carla Gee of Ecomatters, that runs the Compost Collective, and Elise O'Brien, Senior Organic Waste Advisor at Auckland Council to talk about the amazing resource that is food waste. 

Founder of Consent Law Reform NZ and Auckland University Students’ Association Women's Rights Officer Layba Zubair is calling on the government to reassess Aotearoa’s consent laws.

The NZ Crimes Act 1961 currently only defines in what circumstances a person cannot give consent.

News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Zubair about why Aotearoa needs a clear definition of consent, and their plans to make an oral submission to the Justice Committee on 4 May. 

This week marks the start of the second term of the school year for students across Aotearoa. 

For education staff it means a return to roles that are often undervalued in our society. 

An often under represented group in education reform action, principals across the country have started a work-ban this week. 

The ban seeks to highlight the work Principals do and to garner some recognition from the ministry of education. 

Nicholas Lindstrom sat down with Lynda Stuart, lead negotiator for the New Zealand Institute of Education about the work-ban and how the government can better support principals.