The Wire with Manny

Today on the Wire, Lyric Waiwiri-Smith speaks to Minister Aupito William Sio about the importance of Samoan Language Week this week. 

In response to the massive flooding event in Canterbury, Jemima Huston talks to Caroline Orchiston from the University of Otago about community resilience to natural disasters and to Dr Judy Lawrence from the Victoria University of Wellington about how climate change has impacted weather events across the country. 

This week on What’s the Buzz - our weekly catch up with the New Zealand Drug Foundation - Aneeka Moheed and Executive Director Sarah Helm discuss ritalin and how people use it in Aotearoa. 

Finally, Jemima chats to Genevieve Early, who is a student at the Bio-Protection Research Centre, about her research into how an indigenous New Zealand fungus could be a natural solution to non-native, damaging Wilding Pine. 

Over the weekend Canterbury saw a massive flooding event that experts have described as a one in 100 year event. 

News and Editorial Director Jemima Huston talks to University of Otago Acting Director for the Centre for Sustainability Caroline Orchiston about the resilience of the Canterbury community throughout the rainfall event. Jemima also speaks to Senior Research Fellow at Victoria University of Wellington’s Climate Change Research Institute Dr Judy Lawrence about the growing relevance of climate warming in extreme weather events. 

Felix turns a journalistic eye to the world's most mysterious stories. This week, he investigates claims of the existence of Giants, and tries to understand the people who have dedicated themselves to proving it.

Rainbow activists are calling for a Rainbow Ministry, to help address the disparities our LGBTQITakatāpui+ communities face here in Aotearoa. 

Max Tweedie, Director of Pride says change is happening, but that a dedicated Government agency would ensure further progress is made. 

"The government has an opportunity to use its majority to establish a Rainbow Ministry and secure resourcing for our communities for years to come."

We started the interview discussing the 2021 Budget, which Tweedie says was underwhelming.