The Wire with Joel

This week on the Monday Wire:

For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to him about ACT local candidates opposing moves to mitigate the climate crisis at a regional level, the ban of Israeli MPs Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for visiting the country, and changes to proposed anti-stalking laws.

Joel also spoke to Claudia Rozas — a lecturer in Critical Studies at the University of Auckland, about the new English curriculum, and the need for Māori and Pacific authors to be engaged with.

Producer Samantha spoke to PSA organiser Claire Nickson about staffing and funding cuts at the National Geohazard Monitoring Centre and its implications for the public.

Samantha also spoke to Justin Sobion, Professor of Law at University of Auckland about the Princess of Tonga calling for whales to be granted legal personhood.

Whakarongo mai!

On Friday last week, the consultation process for the proposed new English curriculum for intermediate and high school students ended.

The proposed English curriculum will result in senior high school students learning Shakespeare and 19th-century texts, and spelling and keyboard lessons for younger students.

However, concerns have been raised that the proposed curriculum is ‘Eurocentric,’ does not engage with Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and lacks Māori and Pacific text.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Claudia Rozas — a lecturer in Critical Studies at the University of Auckland, about why elements of te ao Māori should be incorporated into the English curriculum and the importance of Māori and Pacific text being engaged with.

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.

Los Angeles is approaching a week of protests against ICE, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Over 200 protestors have been arrested since the protests began, and restrictions have been placed on protestors, including a curfew.

The White House has sent 2,000 members of the National Guard to the city already, and another 2,000 are expected to be deployed. This is despite California Governor Gavin Newsom attempting to stop their deployment. 

For International Desk, I spoke to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News about the protests.