The Wire with Sara

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.

Justice Minister, Paul Goldsmith, recently announced a proposal to the Electoral Act and Constitution Act, removing the ability for an individual to enrol on election day.

Alongside this comes the proposal of halting the ability to enrol during the advanced voting period.

This move has received backlash - including from within the government. This morning, Attorney-General, Judith Collins KC, says the move goes against the Bill of Rights Act.

During the 2023 general election, over 450,000 enrolled in the 12-day period, with 110,000 enrolling on election day.

A significant proportion of those later enrolments consist of young people, and in areas of bigger Māori, Pacific, and Asian communities.

In light of this move, ACT Party Leader, David Seymour, says those who have left voting to the last minute are “drop-kicks”. As well as this, the ACT Party’s justice spokesperson, Todd Stephenson, added to this, saying “Democracy works best when voters are informed, engaged, and take the process seriously,” and that “It’s outrageous that someone completely disengaged and lazy can rock up to the voting booth, get registered there and then, and then vote to tax other people’s money away.”

For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel spoke to him about this move.

In a recent RNZ investigation, the investigation alleges that NZ First Party Leader, Winston Peters, has close connections to the multinational tobacco company, Philip Morris.

This has raised concerns about what impact alleged tobacco lobbying has on government policies and decisions.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Calvin Cochran, a spokesperson for the Smokefree Expert Advisory Group about RNZ’s investigation, and what needs to be done to tackle tobacco-industry lobbying in Aotearoa.

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