The Wire with Caeden

Over the weekend, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck in Eastern Afghanistan.

The death toll has passed at least 1400, with another 3000 injured and 500,000 impacted. 

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Associate Professor in Disaster Resilience at the University of Newcastle, Iftekhar Ahmed, about the earthquakes and the challenges with the disaster response.

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party Oto spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March about the new laws allowing Foreign Investors to buy homes in Aotearoa, the ongoing nurse strikes happening this week and the Greens members bill to change laws regarding overdose responses.

He then spoke to New Zealand Nurse Organisation Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku for a follow-up conversation about the current nurse strikes.

Max spoke to John Minto, Co-Chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa, to discuss the ‘Gaza Riviera’ plan that was leaked to the Washington Post earlier this week.

And he also spoke to Dr. Ritesh Shah from the University of Auckland, to discuss why Universities in New Zealand choose to stay neutral on topics such as Gaza and whether a neutral stance is right

Earlier this week, The Washington Post published a leaked prospectus for a ‘Gaza Riviera’ plan that had reportedly been circulating the White House. 

Named the “Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust” or ‘GREAT’, the plan includes the forced displacement of Gaza’s entire population of 2 million people, as well as the territory being placed into a US trusteeship for at least a decade. Although it’s not yet clear whether the plan reflects US policy, it seems to match US President Donald Trump’s previously stated ambitions to “clean out” Gaza and redevelop it.

Critics of the plan identify it as a blueprint for mass deportation and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people disguised as a marketing development, and that if the plan were to be executed it would include international crimes on an unimaginable scale.

To discuss what the leaked plan says about US foreign policy under Trump and how Aotearoa, as well as other countries, should respond to this, Producer Max spoke with John Minto, Co-Chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.

In the past week, we’ve seen several noteworthy legislative moves across sectors. 

First, the government is seeking to address New Zealand’s supermarket duopoly as the cost of groceries for kiwi remains high across the motu. 

Economic Minister Nicola Willis announced numerous legislative changes that she hopes will improve supermarket competition in New Zealand.

Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has also shared some proposed changes to the Alcohol Sale and Supply Act, including limiting barriers to the approval of liquor licenses and making it easier to provide alcohol in special circumstances.

Finally, Defence Minister Judith Collins has approved changes that make it easier for the Defence Force to cover the operations of striking workers. 

Tuesday Wire Host Sara spoke to Bates about these topics.