The Wire with Max

Earlier this week the government announced changes to climate change policy, with a controversial response to the choice to delay the Carbon Neutral Government Programme benchmark from 2025 to 2050.

The move also shifts dynamics of decision-making and consultation. The government has removed the requirement of advisory from the Climate Change Commission when developing emissions budgets, significantly altering the influence of the cross-partisan collective established through the Zero Carbon Act in 2019.  

Producer Jasmine Gray spoke with Adam Currie, Campaigner and Movement Support Manager for climate organisation 350 Aotearoa, about these changes.

Aotearoa’s progress in reducing smoking has slowed for Māori, Pacific and European adolescents, and vaping could be the reason, according to research published  in The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific 

The study, conducted by researchers from the Universities of Otago, Auckland, and Sydney, along with the Daffodil Centre in Australia, analysed population-level data from almost 600,000 Year 10 students aged 14–15. The students were surveyed between 2003 and 2024 as part of the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Year 10 Survey.

They found rates of regular smoking among 14-15-year-olds declined significantly for Māori, Pacific, European, and Asian adolescents between 2003 and 2024. However, these declines in smoking slowed for Māori, Pacific, and European youth after vaping emerged in 2010.

Thursday Wire Producer Sanat spoke to the University of Auckland's Dr Lucy Hardie about these findings and what the response needs to look like from policy makers in order to mitigate the predicted harms.

Next week is the start of COP30, the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This year it’s taking place in Brazil.

Earlier this week, the Trump Administration confirmed that no high-level Government representatives would be attending the climate talks.

Trump has previously called the climate crisis a “hoax” and “con job”.

For International Desk, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Matt McDonald, Professor in the School of Political Science and International Studies, at the University of Queensland, about the lack of United States presence at COP30.

This week on the Wednesday Wire:

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March about Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s trip to South-East Asia where he met with multiple world leaders, The Green Party’s plans to call for evidence-based cannabis regulation, the government’s new draft school curriculum for years 0-10, and Education Minister Erica Stanford announcing plans to shrink the Teaching Council.

Producer Manny spoke with Glenn Barclay, Chairperson of Tax Justice Aotearoa and The Better Taxes for a Better Future campaign, about Labour’s Limited Capital Gains Tax Proposal.

Manny also spoke with Chris Puliuvea, Senior Lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, about the current measles outbreak in Aotearoa.

And Max spoke with John Minto, co-chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa, to discuss the current state of the Gaza ceasefire almost four weeks since it came into effect, as well as the news of an Israeli military lawyer being arrested, after admitting to leaking the August 2024 video of Israeli soldiers.