The Wire with Jemima Huston

This week on the Wednesday Wire, Zazi Hewlett and Frances Wright continue to produce remotely from home as Auckland remains in Level 4 Lockdown, with Jemima hosting the show and bringing us the news. 

The show starts off with Frances having her regular segment Dear Science with Allan Blackman. This week Frances and Allan celebrate the life of Ernest Rutherford the week after what would have been his 150th birthday; discuss why Pluto is no longer considered a planet; and talk about the discovery of the world’s northernmost island.

Frances then speaks with both Deputy Controller for Auckland Emergency Management, Rachel Kelleher, and NIWA Meteorologist, Ben Noll, about the flooding in West Auckland.

Zazi talks to the Professor of Philosophy at the University of Denver in the United States, Thomas Nail, about the benefits walking has on the brain, and whether walking while learning could actually help students.   

Finally Zazi has her regular catch-up with ACT's Brooke van Velden, this week talking about ACT refusing to have Parliament sit virtually and Butchers being closed during lockdown. 

Earlier in the week West Tamaki experienced floods that caused road closures, extensive damage to many properties, and forced some residents to evacuate their homes. NIWA recorded the second wettest day on record for the area with rainfall of 201mm in just 14 hours and a staggering 149 percent of August’s normal monthly rainfall in just one day. On the Wire this Wednesday Frances Wright spoke briefly with Rachel Kelleher, Deputy Controller for Auckland Emergency Management about what the response has been like so far and what it will look like going forward and also to meteorologist Ben Noll from NIWA about the science behind the floods. 

Throughout the pandemic, there have been reports that zoo animals have been missing the public while zoos have been closed due to lockdown restrictions. News and Editorial Director Jemima Huston speaks to two representatives from New Zealand’s zoos about how the Level 4 lockdown has impacted their work and their animals. Jemima interviews Nathan Hawke, the Marketing, Public Relations and Visitor Services Manager for Christchurch’s Orana Wildlife Park, and Harmony Neil, the Team Leader for Primates at Wellington Zoo, about this. 

There are nine days left for people to make submissions to the Justice Select Committee to have their say on the proposed legislation to ban harmful conversion therapy practices. 

Conversion therapy has been discredited by the National Health Service (NHS) and the World Psychiatric Association.

At the time of our interview, Shaneel Lal, co-founder of Conversion Therapy Action Group said that there were more submissions against banning conversion therapy than for. This includes submissions from trans exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) groups. 

Jessica spoke to Shaneel Lal about why it is important for allies, parents and the LGBTQIATakatāpui+ community to make a submission.