The Wire with Sara

This week on the Monday Wire, Sherry talks to Mai Chen about the Chinese experience of the New Zealand court system. Lachlan speaks to Dr Garth Bennie from the New Zealand Disability Support Network about the gap in funding for disability services. Jemima talks to Green Party co-leader James Shaw about the US withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, Gareth Hughes' resignation and the Sustainable NZ party. Sherry wraps it up with an interview with Sam Stubbs from Simplicity NZ about diversity in New Zealand board rooms.  

Parliamentary submissions on the Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill were open recently, from the 6th to the 10th of November. The New Zealand Law Society presented its submission to Parliament’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee yesterday, highlighting a number of concerns about the Bill's substance, as well as the urgency with which it has proceeded. 

The Bill was introduced last month by Justice Minister Andrew Little to impose restrictions on New Zealanders suspected of terrorism-related activity overseas attempting to return home. This came shortly after Prime Minister Jacinda Arden warned extremist Mark Taylor (who is currently believed to be detained in Syria) that if he came back to New Zealand he would face “the full force of the law”

Producer Bronwyn Wilde spoke to Geoff McLay of the New Zealand Law Society about their submissions. He began by noting the Bill's blurring of the realms of criminal and civil law. 

International Desk talks about Bolivia and its ousted president Evo Morales

Mary-Margaret talked Peter Thompson of Victoria University on the possibility of a new public media entity replacing TVNZ and Radio New Zealand.

Justin talked to Justice Minister Andrew Little about the government's new legeslations regarding firearms and sexual violence victims and the new Sustainable New Zealand party and Bird of the Year results.

Mary-Margaret also talked to Auckland University's Siouxsie Wiles about the Wellington City Council's claim that breasfeeding in pools could cause contamination.

Wellington City Council has banned breastfeeding in pools, saying it poses a risk of contamination. Mary-Margaret asks microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles if breast milk really contains potentially harmful contaminants.