The Wire with Alex

Since the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attack, the Labour Government has been looking to expand our hate speech laws. 

Under the Human Rights Act, people in Aotearoa are protected from hate speech on the basis of colour, race, ethnic or national origins.

The Government initially proposed extending this to other groups who are vulnerable to harmful speech, including women, disabled people, and queer people. 

But the government announced this week that they will only make one amendment to hate speech laws to include religious communities and are seeking broad support across parliament. 

95bFM News & Editorial Director spoke to Activist Shaneel Lal about the changes.

This week on the Tuesday Wire, Allan Blackman joined Casper and Milly in the studio for our Dear Science segment.

Casper spoke to National Party MP Dr Shane Reti about their new Youth Offenders policy announced last week.

Daniel put together a package on the movement to lower the voting age to 16, speaking to Make it 16 cofounder Sanat Singh and Greens MP Golriz Ghahraman.

And Milly had a chat with Kristina Hillock about a new Hector dolphin sighting and updated dolphin recording methods.

Daniel put together a package on the recent supreme court judgement that the voting age of 18 constitutes unfair discrimination.

He first spoke to Make it 16 cofounder Sanat Singh, followed by Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman.

Spike speaks to Jason Attewell from Stats NZ about the 2023 census including, for the first time, questions about gender and sexual identity.