The Wire with Castor

Last week the government announced its new transport plan, focusing primarily on car and road developments and their flagship ‘roads of national significance’. This focus on roads and car developments has led the government to pull funding from other areas, such as public transportation, walkways, and cycleways. 

Last week, the commerce commission also released its first annual grocery report, identifying issues with a lack of competition in Aotearoa’s grocery sector and increased prices faced by consumers. The report advises that the problems stem from a lack of regulation, which enables the supermarket giants to act as they please. 

This week in our catchup with the National Party, Wire host Castor spoke to Katie Nimon about the government’s new transport plan and the commerce commission’s first annual grocery report. 

The ACT Party’s treaty principles bill was a hot topic during the election campaign last year, and made it into the coalition agreement, with the National party committing to support it to the first reading.

The bill has met controversy since the campaign, criticised by Māori leaders for its potential to remove Māori from decision making processes entirely. Recently, a group of 440 Christian leaders also spoke out against the bill in an open letter to MPs asking them to vote against the bill. 

Wire host Castor spoke to Professor of Māori Studies Margaret Mutu of Ngāti Kahu, Te Rarawa, and Ngāti Whātua, about Cabinet’s reviewing the first draft of ACT’s treaty principles bill and its potential impacts on Māori.

Last Thursday, following a six day tangihanga to honour the passing of Kīngi Tūheitia, a new Māori monarch was selected.

That monarch is his youngest child and only daughter, Kuini Nga wai pono i te po. Kuini Nga wai is 27 years old making her the second-youngest Māori monarch to be appointed, and only the second female monarch of the Kiingitanga. 

Kuini Nga wai’s ascension to the throne signals a new era and forward movement for the Kiingitanga. 

Producer Evie spoke to University of Auckland kaiārahi, Waikato descendant, and whānau of the Kiingitanga, Tui Kaumoana-Steedman about how Kuini Nga wai was selected for the role. 

They also discussed how she may take the Kiingitanga in a new direction, what issues she’ll be aiming to highlight, and how her rule may have an effect on Aotearoa as a whole.

Dementia is expected to double in the next 20 years in Aotearoa, but for Pasifika and Māori, it’s expected to triple. 

New research shows the risk of developing dementia is 60% higher for people living in the most deprived areas of NZ compared to those in the least deprived areas.

Because of the disproportionate representation of Māori and Pasifika in lower socio-economic groups, the risk of those developing dementia also sits at a disproportionately high level. 

Senior lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Auckland, Etuini Ma’u led the public health expert briefing that took a deep dive into the research. 

Producer Evie spoke to Ma’u about the factors of poverty that lead to this increased dementia risk, and how these can be combated on both an individual and wider structural level.