The Wire with Caeden

On the Tuesday Wire this week... 

For Dear Science, both of our usual experts were away, so Tuesday Wire host Castor and Thursday Wire host Caeden took us through a range of self-selected science stories. Spectacular! These included a study on reducing phone use while driving, potential life on mars, and komodo dragons with iron on their teeth.

In our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire host Castor spoke to MP Katie Nimon about the abuse in state care inquiry and the government’s education funding allocations. 

They also spoke to the Post Primary Teachers Association’s junior vice president Kieran Gainsford about this education funding, and the government’s decision to put some school developments on hold. 

They spoke to Executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, Sarah Dalton, about staff shortages in the health sector and how the government is responding. 

And they spoke to senior lecturer of sociology at the University of Auckland, Dr Carisa Showden, about Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, and his comments about single women.

Producer Josef also spoke to the Chief executive for the Ngāti Manuhere settlement trust, Nicola Macdonald, about yesterday’s drop of seven million Kūtai into the Hauraki Gulf.

The recent government decision to halt classroom developments across the country has met opposition from those working in the education sector, who say new developments are both urgent and necessary, including in the locations the government has chosen to put on hold. 

Additionally, the government has set aside $150 million for charter schools, which come with other controversies. Recently, the government announced changes to their charter school plans, which would give them access to the teaching resources given to public schools and prevent employers from negotiating a multi-employer collective contract with charter schools. 

Wire host Castor spoke to the Post Primary Teachers Association’s junior vice president Kieran Gainsford about the allocation of education funding and the government’s prioritisation of charter schools. We also speak further about charter schools - whether they work and the issues with blocking collective bargaining.

On the 29th July, 2024, Ngāti Manuhere Settlement Trust, in partnership with Revive our Gulf and the University of Auckland, dropped seven million kūtai, green-lipped mussels, into the Hauraki Gulf.

This comes as part of an initiative to restore the depleted kūtai population in the Hauraki Gulf. It is hoped that restoring these reefs will have a significant positive impact in reversing human-caused damage to the gulf and it's ecosystems.

Kūtai are vital in providing shelter, food, and protection to local species, but their resources have been depleted due to human activities such as dredging.

Producer Josef spoke to the Chief Executive for the Ngāti Manuhere Settlement Trust, Nicola Macdonald, about the initiative, what it means for the Gulf, and how similar schemes can be implemented across Aotearoa.

Producer Evie speaks to the ACT Party’s Simon Court about the government's findings from the abuse in state care report and the overturn of the court appeal on the Marine and Coastal Area Act. 

She spoke to Te Pāti Māori’s Mariameno Kapa-Kingi about the same issues. 

Wire host Sofia speaks to ActionStation Director, Kassie Hartendorp, about the Māori wards bill passing its second reading last week. 

And Tuesday Wire host Castor speaks to Associate professor of Criminology at the University of Auckland, Dr Tamasailauu Sualii about the abuse in state care inquiry and its impact in Aotearoa’s Pacific communities.