The Wire with Castor

National MP, Greg Flemming, is pushing for cross-party support for anti-trafficking legislation to expand on his members’ bill.

This comes as recent court documents and child welfare agencies have shown cases of adoptive parents with criminal histories abusing children who have been adopted from overseas.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to a board member of ECPAT Child Alert; an organisation aimed at ending child sexual exploitation, Rebecca Kingi, about current anti-trafficking legislation in Aotearoa and what these proposed changes aim to do.

This week on the Monday Wire:

For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Producer Evie speaks to MP Simon Court about the government’s proposed changes to Early Childhood Education (or ECE) regulations, NZ First’s proposed gender bill and ACC’s ethnic outcomes target.

Evie speaks to early childhood representative on the NZ Educational Institute National (NZEI) Executive Zane McCarthy about the proposed changes to ECE, and why they spark cause for concern.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel speaks to Queer Endurance / Defiance member, Leliel Trethowen, about Winston Peter’s proposed gender bill.

Joel speaks to a board member of ECPAT Child Alert; an organisation aimed at ending child sexual exploitation Rebecca Kingi, about National MP, Greg Flemming, calling for cross-party support for anti-trafficking legislation.

And Global Innovator, Matt Hart, joins us in studio to discuss changes in the way AI is being used.

Whakarongo mai.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni about the recent cross-party delegation to the Pacific, New Zealand First’s new trans-exclusionary members' bill and Winston Peters’ threat to cut RNZ’s funding.

For International Desk, they spoke to Jane Fae, director at TransActual UK, about the UK Supreme Court decision that excludes trans women from the legal definition of a “woman.”

For City Counselling, Wire Producer Sara spoke with Auckland Councillor Julie Fairey about the intense weather of the Easter weekend, as well as latest developments in Auckland’s public transport system.

She also spoke with climate activist Adam Currie from this week’s protest at the Stockton mine which is seeking a fast-track approval for activity expansion.

A cross-party delegation of MPs recently visited Tonga, Hawai’i and Vanuatu as part of a Pacific trip organised by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters.

Earlier this week, New Zealand First proposed new legislation that would exclude trans communities from the definition of “woman” and “man” in law.

Winston Peters defended the bill on RNZ’s Morning Report, where he called interviewer Corin Dann a “disgrace” for raising the criticism against the bill that was brought forward by opposition parties.

During this interview, Peters threatened to cut RNZ’s government funding.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these topics.