The Wire with Caeden

For the weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Wire host Sofia Roger Williams spoke to ACT MP Simon Court about taking agriculture out of the Emissions Trading Scheme, reports about the ACT Party’s mistreatment of staff, as well as the party’s 15% of the vote goal for 2026. 

She also spoke with Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at Victoria University, Dr Clare-Ann Fortune, about boot camps for young people who commit serious offences. 

Producer Castor spoke to New Zealand Director for Brake, the road safety charity, Caroline Perry, about the newly proposed speed limit changes. 

And producer Josef spoke to Debbie Ward, the National Disability Leadership Coordinator for CCS Disability Action, about the government announcing funding for specialist schools and classrooms for students with disabilities.

Whakarongo tonu mai!

The government has announced $90 million in funding for specialist schools and facilities for students with disabilities.

Disability and Human Rights groups are concerned about how this investment may undermine inclusive education and our obligations under the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.

CCS Disability is New Zealand's largest support and disability advocacy organisation. 

Producer Josef spoke with the National Disability Leadership Coordinator for CCS Disability Action, Debbie Ward, about what this focus on specialist schools could mean for disabled students.

In a recent study conducted by Dr Janine Swail and Dr Susan Marlow, 16 female entrepreneurs shared their experiences with starting their company. We discussed the perceived flexibility of entrepreneurship for women versus the harsh realities they face.

Rachel spoke with co-author of the “Entrepreneurship: why women quit” study,  Dr Janine Swail, about the perceived flexibility of entrepreneurship for women versus the harsh realities they face.

The Budget 2024 announcement was responded to with an outburst of protests across the motu, held in opposition to numerous aspects of the coalition government’s policies but largely focusing on the dissolution of organisations and funding dedicated to improving outcomes for Māori.

Preceding the budget announcement, Te Pāti Māori announced calls to establish a separate Māori parliament to protect the interests of Māori, based on the Kotahitanga movement originating in the 1800s. 

Oto spoke to Eru Kapa-Kingi, professional teaching fellow in the Faculty of Law at the University of Auckland and Vice-President of Te Pāti Māori, to talk about Kotahitanga, the Māori Parliament and what that might look like.