The Wire with Caeden

Recently, NZ First has helped pass ACT’s Overseas Investment Bill through its first reading.

The amendment bill, if passed, will make it easier for multinational corporations to purchase land in the country, which has raised concerns over the environmental consequences of such as move.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Gen Toop — a senior campaigner at Greenpeace, on NZ First’s support of ACT’s Overseas Investment Bill, and Greenpeace’s concerns with the bill.

This week, Auckland council is facing scrutiny as Council chief executive Phil Wilson investigates the liquidation of a company owned by chief of staff, Jaswant Singh. 
His property company which called in for liquidation in June, has no assets and owes sole creditor Inland Revenue just under $560 thousand dollars.

In other news, Auckland Council is reinvigorating calls for stronger powers and the dog control act, as community leaders report a crisis of abandoned and roaming dogs across Auckland.
Both the local council and community organisations like SPCA are urging the central government to take action and support on-the-ground efforts with legislative change.

As well, a recent survey has found that local alcohol policy changes enacted at the end of 2024 have had a positive impact in Auckland. But one community advocate believes the council should not be complacent about improving policies to make the community safer against the harms of alcohol.

Tuesday Wire Host Sara spoke with Shane Henderson about all of these topics, starting with Singh’s company liquidation

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about the war on Gaza, Labour MP Camilla Belich’s pay secrecy bill, and the increase in KiwiSaver hardship withdrawals. 

For International Desk, they spoke to Ralph Hall, advisor at the Electoral Reform Society in the United Kingdom, about the significant electoral reform in the UK. 

News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to the New Zealand Principal’s Federations’ Blair Dravitski, on the government stopping the construction of open-plan classrooms.

For this week’s City Counselling, Tuesday Wire Host Sara spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson about the liquidation of council chief of staff’s business, calls for stronger powers to respond to roaming dogs, and Auckland’s local alcohol policy.

The United Kingdom is passing significant electoral reforms as part of an effort to “boost public trust in democracy.”

One of these reforms is to lower the voting age to 16 for all elections, aligning voting rights with Scotland and Wales which already have lowered their voting ages.

The reforms also include expanding acceptable voter IDs, a new automated system to register to vote, and a tightening of rules surrounding political donations. 

For International Desk, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Ralph Hall, advisor for the Electoral Reform Society, about these changes.