The Wire with Oto

On the Tuesday Wire this week...

For Dear Science this week, we chatted with our expert Dr Cushla McGoverin about a parasite carrying drugs to the brain, tarantulas with lots of friends, and lions changing social groups with age. 

In our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire host Castor spoke to MP Katie Nimon about changes to visa fees and police involvement in firearms law reform. 

They also talked to president of the New Zealand Police Association Chris Cahill about the association’s open letter to the government about firearms legislation reform. 

And they spoked to CEO of immigration advice organisation Aims Global and chair of the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment, Arunima Dhingra, about the visa fee changes and how they’ll impact immigration to Aotearoa. 

The New Zealand Police Association yesterday released an open letter to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon discussing firearms legislation reform. In the letter, the association called out the government for their exclusion from the policy making process, as the Police Association has been a key group calling for the introduction and continuation of a firearms registry.

The Police Association also called into question the involvement of gun lobby groups in discussions of reform, particularly the history of Associate Minister and minister in charge of the reforms, Nicole McKee. Before becoming an MP, McKee had been the spokesperson for the Council of Licensed Firearms Owners, a gun lobby group. This has led some to call into question her impartiality and ability to assess evidence regarding firearms legislation reform. 

Wire host Castor spoke to President of the New Zealand Police Association, Chris Cahill, about the letter, the firearms registry, and involvement of gun lobbyists in firearms legislation decision making. 

For their weekly catchup, Wire Host and News and Editorial Director, Joel, speaks to the ACT Party's Simon Court, about calls from the New Zealand police association for ACT MP, Nicole McKee, to step down from her responsibilities in the firearms reform.

Also for our week catchup, they speak to Te Pāti Māori's Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, around local council's voting on the future of Māori wards in their constituencies, the Ngāpuhi hīkoi over the government's plans to reverse section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act, and Te Pāti Māori's calls to boycott the newspaper, The Herald.

They spoke to Professor at the University of Auckland Faculty of Law, Claire Charters, around the controversial decision to include an advertisement by right-wing lobby group, Hobson's Pledge, in The Herald.

The also spoke to Professional Teaching Fellow in Social Sciences at the University of Auckland, Chris McMillan, about whether the Olympics, as well as team New Zealand, are doing enough to lower their carbon footprint.

Finally, they spoke to youth worker and co-founder of Kick Back, Aaron Hendry, about the Ministry of Social Development changing their eligability for Emergency Housing, and what this means for vulnerable youth.

Recently, the Ministry of Social Development changed its eligibility for those trying to access Emergency Housing.

On top of having tougher eligibility, the policy also means that those caught breaking the rules of their Emergency Housing needs will have a stand-down period of 13 weeks for a housing grant.

Kick Back, a youth development organisation, has condemned the government’s move, and is calling for the government to reassess the criteria, due to how the new criteria will significantly displace young people requiring access to Emergency Housing.

Joel spoke to youth worker and co-founder of the organisation, Aaron Hendry, about the shift of eligibility, and what this will mean for vulnerable young people