The Wire with Caeden

Petrol prices have risen at least 20% since the start of the month, with the price of 91 Petrol now above $3.

The government has offered pay rises to primary teachers on individual employment agreements, undermining their current negotiations with the New Zealand Educational Institute.

And Lawyers for Climate Action and the Environmental Law Initiative are jointly taking a court case against the government for their dismantling of climate policies immediately after they were elected.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to MP Shanan Halbert about all of these topics.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to MP Shanan Halbert about rising fuel costs, the government’s proposed pay rise for some primary teachers, and the Lawyers for Climate Action case against the government for dropping climate policies.

They also spoke to Dr Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland, on rising fuel costs, New Zealand’s dependency on petrol, and alternative ways of thinking about transport. 

For City Counselling this week, News Director Castor spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about fuel insecurity and transport and energy alternatives in Auckland. 

Producer Pranuja spoke to Professor Nirmal Nair from the Department of Electrical, Computer and Software Engineering at the University of Auckland on making the switch to Electric Vehicles.

She also spoke with Dr Murat Ungor from the Department of Economics at the University of Otago on how New Zealand can deal with the price at the pump.

With the strait of Hormuz currently under an Iranian blockade, twenty percent of the world’s daily oil traffic now sits immobilised behind a wall of sea mines. Two and a half weeks into America’s war with Iran, people across the globe are feeling the effects of the conflict in the form of spiking fuel prices. With petrol prices in New Zealand surging past three dollars per litre, the government is considering its options.

Producer Toby spoke to Auckland University emeritus professor and energy economics expert Basil Sharp about the lessons we’ve learned (or perhaps failed to learn) from our response to the oil crisis of 1979, and what we could do now to improve our energy security in New Zealand.

This week on the Wednesday Wire... 

For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, News Director Castor spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about cost of living, the government being sued over its environmental policy, and the second phase of the government’s COVID 19 inquiry. 

They also spoke to Chief Executive of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, Paul Goulter, about the government’s newly announced funding boost for the health sector and how far it will go to address issues. 

Tuesday Wire host Alex spoke to founder of Kick Back, Aaron Hendry, about the National Day of Action at the end of March in protest against the government’s new move-on orders.

Producer Theo spoke to Auckland Law School’s Associate Professor Vernon Rive on climate litigation and the current case before the Wellington High Court. 

And Producer Toby spoke to Emeritus Professor Dr. Basil Sharp about surging petrol prices, and what New Zealand can learn from our response to the energy crisis of 1979.