The Wire with Manny

Producer Evie speaks to the ACT Party’s Simon Court about the government's findings from the abuse in state care report and the overturn of the court appeal on the Marine and Coastal Area Act. 

She spoke to Te Pāti Māori’s Mariameno Kapa-Kingi about the same issues. 

Wire host Sofia speaks to ActionStation Director, Kassie Hartendorp, about the Māori wards bill passing its second reading last week. 

And Tuesday Wire host Castor speaks to Associate professor of Criminology at the University of Auckland, Dr Tamasailauu Sualii about the abuse in state care inquiry and its impact in Aotearoa’s Pacific communities. 

Last week, the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill passed through its second reading.

The bill would reverse changes made to increase Māori representation in local government by reverting the Māori ward rules to restore the referendum mechanism. 

This would mean if any council wanted to establish a Māori ward, and a petition that had been signed by 5% of people was presented, a binding referendum would have to be held. 

Wire host Sofia caught up with ActionStation Director, Kassie Hartendorp, (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) about this and their campaign to keep Māori wards.

Yesterday the Abuse in Care Inquiry was released to the public. It came with a set of formal recommendations, including a suggestion for a formal apology from the government, compensation, and new legislation to do with mandatory reporting. 

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins also acknowledged Labour’s role in beginning the inquiry and their response to the 2021 interim report, stating, “We didn't do enough and the ball now falls to you and your government.” He added that “this must be bigger than politics.”

And Data released last week showed the number of benefit sanctions being issued by the government is up 50% compared to this time last year. This has been met with criticism but the Minister for Social Development says the sanctions are because the government is serious about getting people into work.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden asks about both of these topics, as well as a bill that was dumped yesterday because the Minister failed to turn up to its first reading. 

They started by asking about the number of benefit sanctions.

Greenpeace says they “are raising the alarm” on Fonterra’s role in derailing international Climate Action. 

This comes after the Netherlands-based Changing Markets Foundations released a report last week outlining the actions of 22 of the biggest meat and dairy companies across four continents. The report highlights Fonterra and the New Zealand livestock industry as key players in a strategy to delay regulation of agriculture emissions. 

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Greenpeace spokesperson Sinead O’Flynn about the report and Greenpeace’s concerns. 

They started by asking about Fonterra’s role in preventing international climate action.’