The Wire with Manny

This week on the Wednesday Wire...

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Wire host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the fatal slip in Tauranga, Luxons refusal to rule out joining Trumps board of peace, and the New Zealand Defence Forces incorporation of drones.

Producer Flo spoke to Dr John Battersby, senior fellow for the center for defence and security studies at Massey University about current global security, the practical absence of an international rule based order and implications of US foreign policy on New Zealand.

Then Manny spoke to the Coordinator of Extinction Rebellion Tāmaki Makaurau, Carol Cowan, on their demands for government action on climate change.

Finaly Producer Theo spoke with Lindsey Horne, spokesperson and committee member for the transport advocacy group The Future is Rail, about regional rail in Aotearoa and the future of Te Huia.

Current US foreign policy under the Trump administration has significantly broken with long-term partnerships and traditional structures of the so-called international rules based order. With the US being at odds with its long-term strategic partners Canada and Europe, the future of NATO as well as security in the pacific have become contentious issues. Trump’s actions have revealed contradictions within the previous dominant functioning of International Relations with his administration’s foreign policy radically utilising the power position asserted and given to the US on the world stage.

Flo spoke to Dr John Battersby, senior fellow for the center for defence and security studies at Massey University about current global security, the practical absence of an international rule based order and implications of US foreign policy on New Zealand.

The government had announced meat would be inspected by officers employed by meat companies rather than independent inspectors, as is the current model. The PSA's National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says companies will be able to cut corners in terms of inspection and bow to company pressures. 

She also says the privatisation can impact New Zealand's reputation as a meat exporter as well. 

Tāmaki was hit with severe heavy rain warnings in recent days, with extreme weather and states of emergency declared around the motu. These heightened caution around risks of flooding in areas affected by 2023 Auckland Anniversary floods.

Last week, there were changes to national laws that now allow ‘granny flats’ to be built on properties without the need to obtain resource consent.

And stripping of marine life from rock pools around Whangaparāoa has raised discussion of shellfish protections, but not without increasing racial tensions in community discourse.

Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about how these topics impact Tāmaki Makaurau.