The Wire with Caeden

Princess Lātūfuipeka Tukuʻaho of Tonga has called for legal personhood for whales, some of the most intelligent animals we share the Earth with.

This would not be the first time that governments have recognised personhood for non human things, New Zealand having done so with a mountain, Taranaki Mounga, and the Whanganui river.

Producer Samantha spoke with Dr Justin Sobion, Professor of Law at the University of Auckland about the legal and industrial implications of such a move.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, sanctions placed on two ‘extremist’ Israeli politicians, and the NBR rich list.

For International Desk, they spoke to Andre Fa’aoso about the protests against ICE in Los Angeles.

And they spoke to the National Business Review’s Mike McRoberts about their recently published rich list.

For this week’s City Counselling, Producer Sara spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson about this week’s release of falling housing valuations along with rising rates, and the progress on key Auckland City Rail Link stations. 

As well, she spoke to Associate Professor Scott Opticon about Trump’s use of force against the LA anti-ICE protesters.

Trump’s response to the LA protests has been a critical point this week for US politics, as the public onlooks the face-off of protesters against Trump’s immigration policies and his excessive military backlash.

US-trained legal academic Auckland University Associate Professor Scott Optican says the move threatens core rule of law and use of force principles that have guided past American presidents, saying this purposeful escalation allows him to employ “anti-immigrant rhetoric to stoke fear and galvanise his political base”

University of Auckland’s Politics and International Relations Associate Professor Maria Armoudian also said it’s yet more evidence of Trump’s unchecked power and the country’s apparent slide into authoritarianism.

Producer Sara spoke with Scott Optican about the implications of Trump’s response to these protests, and the discourse around immigration. To start, she asked him to explain how Trump’s use of force threatens the principle of appropriate use of force, and the rule of law.

Los Angeles is approaching a week of protests against ICE, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Over 200 protestors have been arrested since the protests began, and restrictions have been placed on protestors, including a curfew.

The White House has sent 2,000 members of the National Guard to the city already, and another 2,000 are expected to be deployed. This is despite California Governor Gavin Newsom attempting to stop their deployment. 

For International Desk, I spoke to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News about the protests.