The Wire with Caeden

Around this time last year, the government banned TikTok on devices with access to the parliamentary network following in the footsteps of countries like Canada and the UK.

This time, parliament is considering a ban on popular Chinese messaging app WeChat.

Sofia spoke to Associate Professor of Commercial Law at Auckland University Gehan Gunasekara about cyber security risks and why it seems to only concern Chinese-owned apps.

It’s been a week since the government went ahead with its decision to dismantle Te Aka Whai Ora, the Maori health authority, reversing the 2022 initiative by the labour government to improve health services and outcomes for Maori. 

The move has been widely criticised across the country, with many calling the move a step-back in progress towards improving Maori health, and indigenous rights as a whole. 

Producer Oto spoke to Clive Aspin, a public health researcher and associate professor at Victoria University of Wellington, to discuss the dissolution of Te Aka Whai Ora, from the perspective of a health professional and what the move means for Maori Health outcomes.

This week on the Wednesday Wire;

Nicholas speaks to Green Party Co-leader James Shaw about the Government’s transport plan and the reversal of the ban on oil and gas exploration.

Oto speaks to Clive Aspin, a public health researcher and associate professor at Victoria University of Wellington, to discuss the dissolution of the Maori Health Authority from the perspective of a health professional.

Sofia speaks to Associate Professor at Auckland University Gehan Gunasekara about the proposal to ban MPs from using the Chinese-owned messaging app WeChat.

Oto also speaks to Bill McKay, a senior lecturer of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland, to talk about universal design and its role in creating accessibility in modern buildings.

Finally, Nicholas speaks to Vani Kapoor and Cat Finai from the Citizens Advice Bureau about their upcoming awareness week.

MethaneSAT, a global initiative to track and reduce methane emissions, is launching today. 

Although primarily funded by the US Environmental Defence Fund, the satellite is the first government funded space mission in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

The US side of the project will focus on measuring and identifying methane leaks from oil and gas production, while scientists in New Zealand will use the satellite to study global emissions from agriculture. 

Producer, Sofia Roger Williams, spoke to Spacecraft Mission Operations Director at Te Pūnaha Ātea, the Space Institute at the University of Auckland, Chris Jackson, about the launch, New Zealand’s role, and how the data gathered can help us make global and local recommendations to reduce methane emissions.