The Wire with Sara

The Waitangi Tribunal today released its report on the ban on prisoner voting, saying it disproportionately affected Maori and the government should act urgently to repeal it before the next election. This follows a recent Supreme Court decision saying the ban was inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act. Lachlan spoke with Cosmo Jeffrey from The Howard League NZ about the ban, and why it needs to be overturned.

This week on the Monday Wire, Lachlan speaks to Cosmo Jeffery from the Howard League about the prisoner voting ban. Southern Cross is back with the latest from across the Pacific. Jemima talks to Green Party co-leader James Shaw about the changes to the Misuse of Drugs Act, the Abortion Legislation Bill and waste minimisation. Finally, Lachlan wraps it up with an interview with Richard Medlicott from the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners about advertising prescription drugs in New Zealand. 

Producer Bronwyn Wilde spoke to Don Carson from Forest Owners Association. This interview arose out of an earlier interview last month with a representative from 50 Shades of Green - a group of farmers who are concerned about the Billion Trees program encouraging investors to buy up prime farmland in order to plant trees and reap the carbon credits.  The main takeaway from that initial interview was that 50 Shades of Green wanted those billion trees to be native, and planted on marginal land. 

Don Carson heard this interview and got in contact to defend pines and forestry as the solution to sequester our carbon in the short term, and supply jobs for farmers who will be forced to change their lifestyles.  

He began by telling us what he sees as the weaknesses of the 50 Shades of Green campaign.