The Wire with Castor

As family violence service provider Shine amps up their July ‘light it orange’ campaign, the Coalition for the Safety of Women and Children have released a statement condemning the decision by Minister for Children and for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour to disestablish Te Pūkotahitanga.

This collective is a Māori partnership body for the elimination of family violence and sexual violence, which gives Māori leaders a critical voice at the decision making table. 

In their statement they said the decision “is disrespectful to both Māori and non-Māori, and furthers the systematic erosion of Tiriti-based governance, entrenching distrust of the Crown across all communities.”

Following a report released earlier this week by the National Mortality Review Committee which found that Maaori women are disproportionately impacted by family and sexual violence, experts in this field have stressed the need for a stronger multi-agency response that is effective, proactive and includes crisis support.

There have also been calls for a national conversation that “treats gender-based violence as a public, not private, issue”, and highlights the issue of femicide in Aotearoa.

To discuss this topic further, Producer Sara spoke with Chair of the Coalition for the Safety of Women and Children, Leonie Morris, about what the disestablishment of Te Pūkotahitanga means for mahi and outcomes relating to Māori

Wegovy, also known as Ozempic when marketed in lower doses, is a weight-loss drug that is already making headlines globally, and now as of the 1st of July, it’s available for prescription in Aotearoa.

Given that New Zealand is currently ranked 31st in the world for obesity rates, according to The World Obesity Federation, some experts believe Wegovy could have a major impact on obesity levels nationwide. Especially if it were to become publicly funded.

To talk about why the drug isn’t publicly funded at the moment, and what kind of impact Wegovy could have on obesity in Aotearoa, Producer Max spoke with Boyd Swinburn, Professor of Population, Nutrition and Global Health at the University of Auckland.

Recently, the Water Services Authority published their Taumata Arowai report analysing the state of drinking water safety.

The report found that seven registered water supplies exceeded levels of nitrate contamination, carrying possible risks of increased risk of preterm birth and other health conditions for a number of rural communities in the North Island.

Oto spoke with Greenpeace Aotearoa’s Freshwater Spokesperson - Will Applebe who says that the contamination of water supplies, largely caused by industrial agricultural output, is linked to the government’s removal of freshwater protections and their planned changes to the Resource Management Act.

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Oto spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March about The government pulling out of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, the government’s plan to electronically monitor asylum seekers and Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith's sentencing reforms.

He spoke to Will Applebe from Greenpeace Aotearoa about a new study uncovering high levels of nitrate contamination in rural freshwater bodies.

And he spoke to Dr Jaimie Monk, a research fellow at Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, about a study she conducted uncovering the links between public housing stability and child wellbeing.

Max spoke with Bill McKay to talk about the Healthy Homes standards being introduced

And he also spoke to Boyd Swinburn, to talk about the Weight-loss drug Wegovy being available for prescription in New Zealand.