The Wire with Caeden

Despite recent years' initiatives to mitigate child poverty, it remains an important issue that negatively impacts children's development and health. Experts have proposed cost-effective solutions to improve children's neurological, physical, and mental health, emphasising the importance of the first 2000 days of a child’s life to development. 

Intergenerational disadvantage and inequity is a key cause of continuing child poverty, with up  to 30% of Aotearoa New Zealand’s children lacking their basic needs’ adequate fulfilment. 

The Knowledge Hub for Maternal and Child Health at Koi Tū has released a report aimed at the Government to implement these solutions through policy, which parents and guardians can read for their own benefit.

Olivia spoke with the leader of the Knowledge Hub for Maternal and Child Health at Koi Tū, Dr Felicia Low, about the current state of child poverty, and Koi Tū’s report on evidence-based solutions.

The Tuesday Wire team is joined by Dr Alan Blackman, where they discuss a failed superconductivity project, the health positives and negatives associated with alcohol consumption and why going Vegan might just be better for our health.

Nicholas spoke to Professor Claire Charters, co-author of He Puapua, about the reports' genesis and controversy surrounding He Puapua.

Nicholas catches up with the National Party's Dr Shane Reti about the policy aimed at Māori will be affected under National’s coalition agreements with Act and NZ First. As well as comments made by Chris Bishop about Labour’s smokefree plans.

Nicholas also spoke to to Kerri Nuku, the spokesperson for the New Zealand Nurses' organisation about the needs they want the new Government to adress.

He Puapua, the odds are that you may not have read it, but it is most likely that you have at least heard of the controversial report.

The report was labelled as “segregation by stealth” by the former National Party Leader Judith Collins, and the report even garnered a special mention in National’s Coalition Agreement with NZ First, with the National Party agreeing to stop all work on He Puapua.

Amidst the controversy and outrage one question has remained unanswered, what actually is He Puapua?

He Puapua was a report published by a working group intended to help envision what Aotearoa would look like if we were compliant with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous people.

The National government signed New Zealand up to the declaration in 2010 after we had previously rejected joining the declaration, despite the declaration not having any legislative effect in Aotearoa.

He Puapua was written to give advice and recommendations, but had no legal authority or legislative power.

Despite this He Puapua has been purposefully obfuscated and misconstrued.

Nicholas spoke to Co-author of He Puapua Claire Charters about the report, our discussion began with a question about the reports inception.

E whai akei nei, on the show today:

Rosetta spoke to Vira Paky, one of the UNICEF Young Ambassadors travelling in a delegation to COP28 in Dubai this week.

Rosetta also spoke to Agnes Naera, CEO of Global Women, about their research which finds that from the 30th until the end of the year, women are effectively working for free compared to their male counterparts due to the gender pay gap in Aotearoa.

In our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Lou spoke to ACT MP Simon Court about some of the proposed plans announced last wednesday for the new governments first 100 days, including the repeal of the Fair Pay Legislation, increase in crack down for serious youth offending and the removal of smokefree legislations.

Lou also spoke to Ella Sheperd, President of ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa on the Governments decision to remove Relationship and Sexuality Education in school curricula.