The Wire with Castor

On Sunday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán suffered an election defeat, heralding the end of his 16-year regime that has seen his government come under fire for a variety of claims regarding the illiberal and anti-democratic nature of his leadership. WIth the Tizsa party, led by Péter Magyar winning 138 seats to Orbán’s Fidesz’s 55, the election signals a rejection of Orbán’s platform, which has seen both an authoritarian domestic approach, and Hungary often working in opposition to the EU, in favour of Russia.

Host Alex spoke with a Teaching Fellow for the International Office at the University of Otago, Dr Balazs Kiglics, about the election, and what Magyar’s victory might mean for Hungary both domestically and internationally.

Last week, two new propositions for job cuts in the Ministry of Justice and Te Puni Kōkiri were announced, which would get rid of a combined FIFTY THREE jobs.

A large portion of the proposed jobs that would be slashed were roles that help advise Māori and Crown relations, raising worries that the government won’t be reaching its treaty obligations.

The entire inquiry team that deals with Waitangi tribunal inquiries at the Ministry of Justice would be let go, and the cuts at Te Puni Kōkiri would mean 21 percent of the workforce will have been lost under this government.

To discuss these job cuts and their impact on Māori, producer Thomas spoke to Te Kaihautū Māori for the PSA, Jack McDonald.

Auckland Council and the government have recently announced plans to cooperate with a new Auckland City Deal. The deal concerns collaborations between council and central government over the next few decades, across issues such as Eden Park’s ownership and operation or investigations into a potential bed levy. 

Part of the plan and part of Auckland Council’s recent disputes with government has been housing planning. In February of this year, the minimum housing cap for Auckland was lowered from 2 million to 1.6 million, and was lowered again in March to 1.4 million. 

The drop came alongside complaints from many residents of central suburbs such as Ponsonby, Mt Eden, and Epsom, who say intensification would hurt the character of their neighbourhoods. On the other side of the debate are those who say that intensification is necessary to ensure housing remains affordable, especially close to the CBD. 

To discuss the debate and what the City Deal has for Auckland, News Director Castor spoke to Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, Dr. Elham Bahmanteymouri.

A new UNESCO report looking at gender equality in creative industries across more than 100 countries has found that while women make up a large part of the workforce, they’re still underrepresented when it comes to power, pay, and visibility.

The report also highlights growing concerns around bias in generative AI and increasing online abuse, which are shaping who gets to participate in digital creative spaces.

Producer Pranuja spoke with Associate Professor of Communications at the University of Auckland, Bridget Conor, about what’s driving these inequalities, and what’s at stake if they continue.