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The life and passing of Pope Francis w/ Senior Lecturer of theological and religious studies, Dr. Nick Thompson: 22nd April, 2025

The life and passing of Pope Francis w/ Senior Lecturer of theological and religious studies, Dr. Nick Thompson: 22nd April, 2025 Nick Thompson: 22nd April, 2025, 19.88 MB
Tue 22 Apr 2025

Yesterday, at the age of 88, Pope Francis passed away from stroke and heart failure. As head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis was also known for being outspoken on various rights issues, including around immigration, refugees, climate change, and the occupation of Palestine.

The next pope is expected to be decided over the coming weeks, with multiple people seen as frontrunners for the position. 

To discuss the life, accomplishments, and death of Pope Francis, Wire host Castor spoke to senior lecturer of theological and religious studies, Dr. Nick Thompson.

Kāhui Ako's inconsistencies in wake of leaked cuts w/ Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Education at the University of Auckland, Camilla Highfield: 15th April, 2025

Kāhui Ako's inconsistencies in wake of leaked cuts w/ Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Education at the University of Auckland, Camilla Highfield: 15th April, 2025 Kāhui Ako's inconsistencies in wake of leaked cuts w/ Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Education at the University of Auckland, Camilla Highfield: 15th April, 2025, 9.52 MB
Thu 17 Apr 2025

Kāhui Ako is a government programme providing funding to teachers and schools identified by the government as having greater educational quality. Recent government leaks have revealed that the programme may be cut. 

While the programme did provide funding for the education sector, its implementation was inconsistent. 

To discuss the programme, why it's being cut, and what the government could do for education, Wire host Castor spoke to Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Education at the University of Auckland, Camilla Highfield.

ACT Party using AI in social media w/ the University of Otago’s Dr Olivier Jutel: 17 April, 2025

ACT Party using AI in social media w/ the University of Otago’s Dr Olivier Jutel: 17 April, 2025 ACT Party using AI in social media w/ the University of Otago’s Dr Olivier Jutel: 17 April, 2025, 15.16 MB
Thu 17 Apr 2025

As artificial intelligence systems including the likes of chatbots and art generators become more advanced, their use has begun to pervade the political arena. 

Across the world, political leaders and parties including Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and now New Zealand’s own ACT Party, have used AI images to promote a certain political agenda or message. 

In the case of the ACT Party, an artificial stock image from Adobe AI titled “happy Māori couple sitting in a living room” was featured in a social media post underneath the tagline “Kiwis are saving over $150 per week on their mortgages since ACT entered government”.

Producer Sara spoke with University of Otago Media, Film and Communications Professor, Dr Olivier Jutel about this new era of AI political content. 

To begin, she asked him to discuss why ACTs recent social media post was so problematic.

The Wire w/ Caeden: 17 April, 2025

The Wire w/ Caeden: 17 April, 2025 The Wire w/ Caeden: 17 April, 2025, 106.92 MB
Thu 17 Apr 2025

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to MP Shanan Halbert about Casey Costello’s Te Whatu Ora language directive, consultation opening on the new relationship and sexuality education draft framework, and the Treaty Principles Bill being voted down at second reading.

For International Desk, they spoke to Jean Lantz Reisz from the University of Southern California Law School about the removal of Kilmar Abrego García from the United States without due process.

Wire Producer Sara spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson for City Counselling about council amalgamation and the roles available in Auckland Council in this year’s local elections.

And she spoke to Dr Olivier Jutel from the University of Otago on the use of AI in political content, specifically ACT’s recent social media post.

International Desk: The impact of Kilmar Ábrego García’s deportation on the rule of law in the United States w/ the University of Southern California’s Jean Lantz Reisz: 17 April, 2025

International Desk: The impact of Kilmar Ábrego García’s deportation on the rule of law in the United States w/ the University of Southern California’s Jean Lantz Reisz: 17 April, 2025 International Desk: The impact of Kilmar Ábrego García’s deportation on the rule of law in the United States w/ the University of Southern California’s Jean Lantz Reisz: 17 April, 2025, 14.85 MB
Thu 17 Apr 2025

Kilmar Ábrego García, a man legally in the United States, was wrongly deported to a maximum security prison in El Salvador earlier this month. 

The Trump administration refuses to bring Ábrego García back to the United States despite a Supreme Court ruling stating that Trump must “facilitate” this process.

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Associate Professor Jean Lantz Reisz from the Gould School of Law at the University of Southern California about Ábrego García's removal from the US and what this means for the rule of law.

Te Whatu Ora language changes, the new sexuality education curriculum, and the Treaty Principles Bill voted down at second reading w/ Labour’s Shanan Halbert: 17 April, 2025

Te Whatu Ora language changes, the new sexuality education curriculum, and the Treaty Principles Bill voted down at second reading w/ Labour’s Shanan Halbert: 17 April, 2025 Te Whatu Ora language changes, the new sexuality education curriculum, and the Treaty Principles Bill voted down at second reading w/ Labour’s Shanan Halbert: 17 April, 2025, 10.93 MB
Thu 17 Apr 2025

Associate Health Minister Casey Costello has directed Te Whatu Ora to say “women” instead of “pregnant people” in all communications.

The government has opened consultation on the new relationships and sexuality education (RSE) draft framework.

And last week, the divisive and controversial Treaty Principles Bill was voted down at second reading.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about all of these issues.

New report shows worsening outcomes for tamariki w/ UNICEF's Clare McLennan-Kissel: 16 April, 2025

New report shows worsening outcomes for tamariki w/ UNICEF's Claire McLennan-Kissel: 16 April, 2025 New report shows worsening outcomes for tamariki w/ UNICEF's Claire McLennan-Kissel: 16 April, 2025, 16.56 MB
Wed 16 Apr 2025

UNICEF Aotearoa recently put out a response to the child poverty statistics in the government’s Child and Youth Strategy report.

UNICEF have said that the coalition government lacked policies to make meaningful change to address the number of Tamariki living in material hardship and called for specific investment into programmes that would materially improve children’s lives.

I spoke to UNICEF Aotearoa’s Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor, Clare McLennan-Kissel, about the report and their calls to the government to address the number of Tamariki living in material hardship.

Nitrate Contamination in Canterbury w/ Greenpeace Aotearoa’s Will Applebe: 16 April, 2025

Nitrate Contamination in Canterbury w/ Greenpeace Aotearoa’s Will Applebe: 16 April, 2025 Nitrate Contamination in Canterbury w/ Greenpeace Aotearoa’s Will Applebe: 16 April, 2025, 17.04 MB
Wed 16 Apr 2025

Greenpeace Aotearoa recently conducted a round of water testing at a series of bore wells in the Ashburton district. 

The tests found that close to one in five private bores they tested were above the Government’s maximum allowable value of nitrate in drinking water, which is 11.3mg per litre, and that nitrate contamination had been linked to a number of preterm birth complications.

Greenpeace have also linked the nitrate contamination to the dairy industry and the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser which leaches into groundwater.

Oto spoke to Will Applebe, Greenpeace Aotearoa’s Freshwater campaigner, about nitrate contamination in the Ashburton district’s water and their calls to the ministry of health to address it.

Study Finds the Accommodation Supplement is Failing to Ease Housing Stress for Renters w/ the University of Auckland's Edward Yiu: 15 April 2025

Study Finds the Accommodation Supplement is Failing to Ease Housing Stress for Renters w/ the University of Auckland's Edward Yiu: 15 April 2025 Study Finds the Accommodation Supplement is Failing to Ease Housing Stress for Renters w/ the University of Auckland's Edward Yiu: 15 April 2025, 15.85 MB
Tue 15 Apr 2025

The Accommodation Supplement is one of Aotearoa’s primary social housing support programmes.

It provides weekly financial assistance to lower-income households struggling with housing costs.

A recent study by University of Auckland has revealed that the supplement is failing to ease housing stress, with renters receiving the subsidy spending more of their income on rent than those who don’t, across all income brackets.

Producer Amani spoke to University of Auckland Associate Property Professor Edward Yiu to find out more about this research and to see what advice he has for student renters.

Improving trust in New Zealand's media organisations w/ AUT's head of journalism, Greg Treadwell: 15th April 2025

Improving trust in New Zealand's media organisations w/ AUT's head of journalism, Greg Treadwell: 15th April 2025 Improving trust in New Zealand's media organisations w/ AUT's head of journalism, Greg Treadwell: 15th April 2025, 15.86 MB
Tue 15 Apr 2025

A report was released this week titled ‘Trust in News in Aotearoa New Zealand’, containing data on how much the New Zealand public trusts news organisations. While trust has been declining over the past five years, this year has seen some stabilisation and some optimistic statistics for the future. 

To discuss the report and what it means for the relationship between the public and media in Aotearoa, Wire host Castor spoke to one of the study’s authors and head of journalism at AUT, Greg Treadwell.

You can find the full report here