The Wire with Caeden

With the election creeping up, this week James gives an overview of what is including in the two referendums, the end of life referendum and the cannabis legalization and control referendum. James goes over where they started and what is included.

For our election coverage on health policy, Jemima spoke to the National Party's Dr Shane Reti last week about their health package. The policy covers a wide range of health issues but the party has particularly highlighted that they will increase funding to PHARMAC meaning better access to medicine, institute an elective surgery commitment, provide quicker cancer diagnosis and management, AND add to the general practice primary care team. The party has also rejected aspects of the New Zealand Health and Disability Sector Review which was led by civil servant Heather Simpson and released midway through this year. Jemima spoke to Shane about the health policy and why some of the Simpson review has been rejected. She also asked about the Party's Mental Health and Disability policies, which are expected to be announced this week.

This week on the Wire, Dear Science's Marcus Jones tells Bronwyn about the Ig Nobel Prize winners, genetic discoveries about Vikings and IBM’s 1000-quibit quantum computer. 

Bronwyn speaks to NZFirst’s Tracey Martin about the Māori Party’s proposal for a new, independent 'Mokopuna Māori Entity' to replace Oranga-Tamariki.  

Election coverage this week is health and the referenda, so Bronwyn also speak to Minister Martin about the end of life choice bill and recreational cannabis.  

Then, Felix speaks to Lukas Marek, a researcher at the University of Canterbury, about childhood immunisation.

Lastly, Bronwyn speaks to lawyer Catherine Marks who fact-checks some of the claims made about the End of Life Choice Bill by anti-assisted dying campaign group ‘votesafe’.

The End of Life Choice referendum asks voters to make a moral decison. Both sides of the referendum raise ethical issues, meaning voters must grapple with questions of life, death, choice and inequity. Come October 17th, voters should know not only how they intend to vote in the referendum, but why they have come to that conclusion.  

For an ethics-centred perspective on Euthanasia, Hanna spoke to Dr Vanya Kovach, from the Philosophy department at the University of Auckland.