The Wire with Oto

This week for our weekly catchup with Dr Reti, Nicholas asked Dr Reti about the National Party’s plans to scrap Fair Pay Agreements.

Fair Pay legislation was passed last year, the legislation would require employers in certain sectors to negotiate minimum working conditions for employees, with Unions and employee representatives.

The interview began with a question about National’s potential lack of MP’s of Pacific Island descent. As it currently stands Angee Nicholas would be the only National MP of Pacific Island descent. Angee Nicholas currently holds her seat by thirty votes so it is possible she may end up out of parliament. 

Nicholas began by asking Dr Reti how National plans to make sure the Pacific Island population of Aotearoa is represented in the new government.

The lead up to this year’s election has been marked by conversations regarding Māori rights and crown obligations under Te Tiriti O Waitangi.

As our country reckons with the contentious history of colonisation, work has started on imagining a new Aotearoa.

Matike Mai is a working group dedicated to researching ways in which Aotearoa’s constitution can better reflect He Whakaputanga (The declaration of Independence), Te Tiriti O Waitangi and the United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples.

Nicholas spoke to a member of Matike Mai, Te Matahiapo to discuss the mahi that has been done so far, as well as the reasons why constitutional reform will benefit not just Māori  but all people who call New Zealand home.

Nicholas began by asking Te Matahiapo to explain what Matike Mai is.

On the show today...

Rosetta spoke to Greenpeace spokesperson Amanda Larson about Christopher Luxon’s plan to reintroduce offshore gas and oil exploration, and the IEA’s report on this.

Rosetta also spoke to ​Virologist and Professor at the University of Otago Jemma Ghee-gan about the rise in outbreaks of avian influenza, or bird flu, around the world and in the Antarctic region.

And for our bi-weekly segment of Get Action, where we speak to petitioners from Get Action about their causes, Rosetta spoke to Erin Thomas, director and change maker at ICAAD about their petition to bring justice to the Banaban People of Rabi, Fiji.

For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party Rawan spoke with Simon Court about updates regarding the ACT and National coalition as well as the party’s viewpoints on the Israel-Palestine war

Rawan also spoke with Samira Zaitoun, the Co-convener of Justice for Palestine about the Pro-palestine marches over the weekend as well as clarifications around statements made by Simon Court. 

Thanks for tuning in!

New research from The University of Sydney, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne and The University of Hong Kong suggest that the epicentre of avian influenza, more commonly known as bird flu, has shifted out of asia. The virus was first detected in China in 1996, however several outbreaks have occured since 2014 in both wild birds and commercial farms across Europe and Africa, as well as a recent discovery of cases in birds in the Antarctic region. 

Rosetta spoke to Virologist and Professor at the University of Otago Jemma Ghee-gan about the virus and Aotearoa’s bio security systems in place to protect against avian influenza reaching New Zealand.