The Wire with Oto

New Zealand and key allies have imposed sanctions on two “extremist” Israeli politicians for their role in “inciting violence against Palestinians” in the West Bank.

However, opposition parties, including Labour as well as the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, are calling for further action to be taken against Israel.

It comes after Israel kidnapped 12 pro-Palestine activists on international waters, who were intending to break the aid blockade and reach Gaza.

And earlier this week, the National Business released their annual rich list.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, I spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about these topics.

Trump’s response to the LA protests has been a critical point this week for US politics, as the public onlooks the face-off of protesters against Trump’s immigration policies and his excessive military backlash.

US-trained legal academic Auckland University Associate Professor Scott Optican says the move threatens core rule of law and use of force principles that have guided past American presidents, saying this purposeful escalation allows him to employ “anti-immigrant rhetoric to stoke fear and galvanise his political base”

University of Auckland’s Politics and International Relations Associate Professor Maria Armoudian also said it’s yet more evidence of Trump’s unchecked power and the country’s apparent slide into authoritarianism.

Producer Sara spoke with Scott Optican about the implications of Trump’s response to these protests, and the discourse around immigration. To start, she asked him to explain how Trump’s use of force threatens the principle of appropriate use of force, and the rule of law.

The release of Jacinda Ardern’s new book, has sparked a renewed interest in the leadership style that was present as Prime Minister of New Zealand, between 2017 and 2023.

Leadership is constantly being tested and redefined. However, it was Ardern’s leadership and circumstances throughout her tenure as Prime Minister that caught global attention and recognition.

Professor Brigid Carroll, from the University of Auckland, is an expert in leadership identity and practice. Her work challenges many of the ideas that we have traditionally seen as good leadership traits. She believes that now is a good time to explore what effective leadership can look like.

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March, Oto spoke to him about the seizure of the Madleen freedom flotilla by Israeli Defence Forces and the greens’ calls for Sanctions on Israel, The government's new Parent Boost Visa and the unrest in Los Angeles opposing the US immigration policies and how it could impact immigration policy here in Aotearoa.

For this week’s Get Action! Oto spoke to Sue Coutts from Zero Waste Network New Zealand about a petition calling for Aotearoa to be kept incinerator free.

And he spoke to Neal Curtis a professor in the Faculty of Arts and Education at the University of Auckland to discuss why “reclaim the wealth” is a better phrase than “tax the rich.”

Max spoke to Brigid Carroll, a professor at the University of Auckland, to talk about the traits that make an effective leader.

And he spoke to Heemi Kapa-Kingi, Co-Founder of the ‘Soften Up Bro’ movement, to talk about men’s mental health.