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Hybrid Work and Calls from PM Christopher Luxon to get Public Service Workers Back to the Office w/ Senior Lecturer at the School of Management at the Victoria University of Wellington, Stephen Blumenfeld: 30 September, 2024

 Hybrid Work and Calls from PM Christopher Luxon to get Public Service Workers Back to the Office w/ Senior Lecturer at the School of Management at the Victoria University of Wellington, Stephen Blumenfeld: 30 September, 2024 Hybrid Work and Calls from PM Christopher Luxon to get Public Service Workers Back to the Office w/ Senior Lecturer at the School of Management at the Victoria University of Wellington, Stephen Blumenfeld: 30 September, 2024, 10.02 MB
Mon 30 Sep 2024

Recently, the government has announced a push to get public services working back into working in the office, as opposed to current, alternative methods, such as through working-at-home models, and hybrid working models.

This comes as multiple academics from the Victoria University of Wellington are set to release an article in the New Zealand Journal of Employment Relations, discussing the positive findings of a hybrid working model.

Further findings in the past have proven claims that a hybrid working model improves productivity, such as a 2023 study from Human Resources New Zealand, which has shown 40% of HR professionals noted positive productivity gains from a hybrid working model.

I spoke to the Senior Lecturer at the School of Management at the Victoria University of Wellington, and co-author of the article, Stephen Blumenfeld, about the government’s calls to get public services workers back to the office, and the findings from the article.

Winston Peters at the UNGA w/ Spokesperson for Peace Action Wellington, Valerie Morse: 30 September, 2024

 Winston Peters at the UNGA w/ Spokesperson for Peace Action Wellington, Valerie Morse: 30 September, 2024 Winston Peters at the UNGA w/ Spokesperson for Peace Action Wellington, Valerie Morse: 30 September, 2024, 6.55 MB
Mon 30 Sep 2024

Recently, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters, addressed the UN General Assembly, regarding the New Zealand government’s stance on world affairs.

Peters’ discussed a variety of different topics, such as calling for a veto reform, and announcing New Zealand’s plans to petition for a seat on the UN Security Council for the 2039-2040 term. 

News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to the spokesperson for Peace Action Wellington, Valerie Morse, about Winston Peters at the UNGA, specifically regarding whether or not Peace Action Aotearoa believes the Foreign Minister adequately addressed Israel’s war on Gaza and attacks on Lebanon, following the country previously agreeing on a UNGA resolution, calling for Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories within 12 months.

Fonterra’s profits and rainforest destruction w/ Agriculture Campaigner at Greenpeace Aotearoa, Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn: 30 September, 2024

 Fonterra’s profits and rainforest destruction w/ Agriculture Campaigner at Greenpeace Aotearoa, Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn: 30 September, 2024 Fonterra’s profits and rainforest destruction w/ Agriculture Campaigner at Greenpeace Aotearoa, Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn: 30 September, 2024, 3.95 MB
Mon 30 Sep 2024

Last week, Fonterra announced it is returning a total dividend of 55 cents a share for the past financial year, off the back of a $1.1 billion net profit. 

In response to Fonterra’s profit announcements, Greenpeace Aotearoa has called out Fonterra for ‘profiting from rainforest destruction’. 

Since last week, Greenpeace has also announced the organisation are suing Fonterra, over allegations Fonterra are also misconstruing the claim that their dairy product is 100% New Zealand grass-fed, when findings show that a potential 20% of a cow’s diet could come from palm kernels importanted from rainforests in Southeast Asia.

On 26 September, Wire Producer Sofia spoke to Greenpeace Aotearoa Agriculture Campaigner, Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn, about this topic, asking her firstly about how concerning the profit announcement was to Greenpeace.

The Wire w/ Caeden: 26 September, 2024

 The Wire w/ Caeden: 26 September, 2024 The Wire w/ Caeden: 26 September, 2024, 111.99 MB
Thu 26 Sep 2024

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party Wire Host Caeden speaks to Labour’s Mental Health spokesperson, Ingrid Leary, about Mental Health Awareness Week.

For State of the States, they speak to Andre Fa’oso from the Yale Daily News about recent presidential election polling numbers and the execution of Marcellus Williams.

And they speak to Daniel Benson-Guiu, Assistant National Secretary of the Tertiary Education Union about today’s strikes across four universities. I also speak to University of Auckland’s Queer Rights Officer Artie Ho about what the strike means for students. 

For City Counselling this week, Sofia speaks to Councillor Julie Fairey about Council’s working from home policies and a rubbish bin graveyard found near Auckland Domain following Council removing public rubbish bins as part of its cost-saving drive

She also speaks to UNICEF Aotearoa Communications Director Tania Sawicki Mead about an open letter launched with the Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health calling for a multi-sectoral approach to tackle the global mental health funding gap.

UNICEF and Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health’s open letter demanding increased investment in youth mental health w/ UNICEF Aotearoa’s Communications Director, Tania Sawicki Mead: 26th September, 2024

 UNICEF and Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health’s open letter demanding increased investment in youth mental health w/ UNICEF Aotearoa’s Communications Director, Tania Sawicki Mead: 26th September, 2024 UNICEF and Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health’s open letter demanding increased investment in youth mental health w/ UNICEF Aotearoa’s Communications Director, Tania Sawicki Mead: 26th September, 2024, 18.6 MB
Thu 26 Sep 2024

UNICEF and the Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health have launched an open letter calling for greater investment and action on child and youth mental health globally, urging a coordinated multi-sectoral response of at least $200 billion US dollars.

The letter has been signed by over 40 businesses and organisations including Jo Malone London, Les Mills, Pinterest, lululemon, and Spotify. 

Sofia spoke with UNICEF Aotearoa’s Communications Director, Tania Sawicki Mead, about the letter and why mental health support needs more funding. 

She began the interview asking her what the key demands of the letter were.

Election polling numbers and the execution of Marcellus Williams w/ Yale Daily News’ Andre Fa’aoso: 26 September, 2024

 Election polling numbers and the execution of Marcellus Williams w/ Yale Daily News’ Andre Fa’aoso: 26 September, 2024 Election polling numbers and the execution of Marcellus Williams w/ Yale Daily News’ Andre Fa’aoso: 26 September, 2024, 23.5 MB
Thu 26 Sep 2024

Wire Host Caeden speaks to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News on the latest United States election polling numbers and the execution of Marcellus Williams for State of the States.

Mental Health Awareness Week w/ Labour’s Ingrid Leary: 26 September, 2024

 Mental Health Awareness Week w/ Labour’s Ingrid Leary: 26 September, 2024 Mental Health Awareness Week w/ Labour’s Ingrid Leary: 26 September, 2024, 28.36 MB
Thu 26 Sep 2024

For our weekly catch-up the Labour Party Wire Host Caeden speaks to mental health spokesperson Ingrid Leary on Mental Health Awareness Week and broader mental health policy in Aotearoa.

WFH Clampdowns in the Public Sector w/ Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago Dr Paula O’Kane: 25th September, 2024

 WFH Clampdowns in the Public Sector w/ Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago Dr Paula O’Kane: 25th September, 2024 WFH Clampdowns in the Public Sector w/ Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago Dr Paula O’Kane: 25th September, 2024, 11.68 MB
Wed 25 Sep 2024

95bFM journalist, Oto, spoke to Dr Paula O’Kane, a senior lecturer from the University of Otago, regarding Public Service Minister and Minister of Finance Nicola Willis announcing clampdowns on work from home arrangements for public sector employees.

This comes a day after Nicola Willis announced she had instructed Public Service department heads to restrict the number of Work from Home days given to employees, to reduce them from a default entitlement to a special arrangement to be formally agreed upon by employers and requiring agencies to regularly report on the number of Work from Home days given to employees.

US Fed Reserve cutting interest rates w/ Professor of Business and Economics Robert MacCulloch from the University of Auckland

 US Fed Reserve cutting interest rates w/ Professor of Business and Economics Robert MacCulloch from the University of Auckland US Fed Reserve cutting interest rates w/ Professor of Business and Economics Robert MacCulloch from the University of Auckland, 16.62 MB
Wed 25 Sep 2024

Recently, the United States Federal Reserve has cut interest rates by 50 basis points, citing signs of economic slowdown and lowering inflation rates. This decision, although overseas, is heavily connected to New Zealand as almost all state economies are tied to the United States. Following this decision, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand may choose to follow in the same footsteps.

This decision may reduce or slow the current recession, which New Zealand is already in the midst of, worse than the two-thousand and eight financial crisis. However, the odds of igniting consumer price may also increase leading to asset inflation additionally increasing.

Sasha spoke to professor of Business and Economics Robert MacCulloch from the University of Auckland about a deeply complicated issue, which affects all New Zealanders.

The Wire w/ Oto: 25 September, 2024

 The Wire w/ Oto: 25 September, 2024 The Wire w/ Oto: 25 September, 2024, 118.37 MB
Wed 25 Sep 2024

For their regular catch-up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March about the party’s upcoming Special General Meeting to discuss using the Waka Jumping Legislation to remove former MP Darleen Tana from Parliament. They also spoke about Nicola Willis’s announcement to clamp down on public sector Work From Home Arrangements and Minister for Social Development Louise Upston rejecting suggestions for a $3 billion investment to fix child poverty

He spoke to Dr Paula O’Kane from the University of Otago for an expert’s perspective on Nicola Willis’s Work from Home proposals

He spoke to Shohil Kishore from the University of Auckland to discuss a study he conducted evaluating the role of social media in mental health discussions during the Pandemic.

And he spoke to Dr Chris Wilson, also from the University of Auckland, to discuss the release of New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens from captivity by the West Papuan Liberation Army, as well as the conflict itself in West Papua.

Sasha spoke to professor of Business and Economics Robert MacCulloch from the University of Auckland about the United State’s Federal Reserve rate cut putting pressure on RBNZ.

And for this week’s Get Action! Sasha spoke to Dave Macpherson from The Future is Rail about a petition he started to ensure replacement Cook Strait ferries can carry trains.