The Wire with Castor

For our regular catch-up with the ACT Party, Evie speaks to Simon Court about the Party’s funding for Charter Schools and new concerns surrounding the Fast Track Approvals Bill.

Former News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, speaks to NZ Parents and Guardians of Transgender and Gender Diverse Children Coordinator, Sharyn Forsyth (she/her), and Wren (they/them) a non-binary person, parent to a transgender child, and trans activist, about New Zealand First's bill which would ban people from using the designated bathroom that correlates with their gender identity.

Ezra speaks to Professor of Law at the University of Auckland, Jodi Gardner about the pressing issue of fuel poverty in New Zealand.

and he speaks to Professor of Psychology at the University of Auckland, Dr Patrick Savage about his involvement in a global study on traditional rhythms and pitches.

This week is Hospice Awareness Week in Aotearoa, a campaign aimed at opening the conversation around Hospice care and services. Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Wayne Naylor, Chief Executive of Hospice New Zealand, also known as Te Kahu Pairuri o Aotearoa, about Hospice Care, breaking the stigma, and how to support their kaupapa.

To learn more and support Hospice New Zealand, head to https://www.hospice.org.nz/

It’s almost been a month since protests began at Columbia University in New York, where students established a Gaza Solidarity encampment to demand that the university divest from companies associated with the State of Israel. 

With similar protests subsequently springing up at campuses across the globe, calling for universities to divest from Israel, the issue of ethical and responsible investment has become widely discussed in academic institutions across the globe. 

In the wake of the international student uprisings, an open letter and petition has been sent to the University of Auckland Foundation to divest from companies that are involved in gross human rights violations and weapons manufacturing. The Letter has been signed by a number of Professors, faculty members and students who are concerned about the University of Auckland’s possible investment ties, and are calling for the University to adopt a more ethical investment framework. 

Oto spoke to Dr Ritesh Shah, a senior lecturer in Critical Studies in Education and co-author of the letter, to discuss the calls for divestment to the University, as well as the current situation in Rafah, which he had also been researching.

If you'd like to sign the petition to the University of Auckland Foundation, you can find it here:

On 9 May the New Zealand Nurses organisation held a national day of action 2024, with rallies across the country calling for increased public health funding.

While the government has introduced measures to increase the number of nurses in Aotearoa, staffing shortages are still frequent in wards across the country. 

Additionally, there are worries that the recently scrapped Te Aka Whai Ora could impact the already struggling sector, taking focus away from those who need health support most and potentially increasing the workload for frontline health workers. 

Wire Host Castor spoke to the president of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, Anne Daniels, about nursing shortages and low health funding in Aotearoa from a frontline perspective.