About a month ago, Wednesday Wire host Manny spoke to a researcher sounding the alarm over the state of our primary healthcare, here and globally.

Across the globe, services meant to be the first port of call for health issues such as dental, GPs and pharmacists, were found to be increasingly under stress as costs grow and the workforce fails to keep pace with demand.

Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners Workforce Survey in 2022 raised concerns: Over half of GPs were planning to retire within the next decade, a declining number of GPs work in GP run practices and filling that gap is an increasing number of corporate healthcare providers.

As the holder of the Green parties Primary Healthcare Portfolio, our Green Party interviewee is the perfect subject to discuss his parties platform on the subject.

So for our weekly catch-up with the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March, we talk primary healthcare, it’s current state in Aotearoa, the issues it faces and where the Green Party would like to take it.

Last week, Thursday Wire host Caeden spoke to Dr Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland, about New Zealand’s reliance on cars in the face of a fuel crisis.

Earlier this week the Government announced a fuel crisis relief package, which includes giving 150,000 families an extra $50 a week to help with fuel costs. 

The Green Party proposed an alternative support package that includes free public transport for three months on top of targeted relief payments.

Caeden spoke to Dr Timothy Welch again, this time about the government’s response and alternative proposals that focus on increasing public transport usage.  

They started by asking if he could give an overview of what is in the Government’s relief package. 

This week on the Wednesday Wire...

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about his Primary Healthcare portfolio.

Then Toby spoke to professor Jennifer Frost about the recent wave of anti-Trump demonstrations in the United States and beyond.

And finally Theo spoke to Professor Terryann Clark about the recent court findings against social media giants, and the implications for Aotearoa New Zealand.

It's the first of April! Amidst April Fools yarns and short-week excitement, Rosetta and Milly have a great Wednesday Breakfast show for you lined up. E whai ake nei, coming up on the show i te ata nei; a kōrero with the crew behind the Tonic Collective Te-Ika-a-Māui Tour, Parakuihi Pals with RadioActive, What's The Buzz with Hayden, plenty of prizes, and more! Whakarongo mai nei!

Thanks to eighthirty coffee roasters!

This July, the United States of America will celebrate 250 years since the declaration of independence, when the original thirteen colonies broke away from the British Empire under King George III. Recently, however, millions of Americans have taken to the streets to voice their disapproval of a man they see as a new monarchical figure: President Donald J. Trump.

The original ‘No Kings’ protests were held on the fourteenth of June last year, to coincide with Donald Trump’s birthday military parade. The most recent round of demonstrations occurred last weekend, and drew an estimated 8 million people, united by the belief that the President must respect the boundaries of his office.

Producer Toby spoke to Jennifer Frost, professor of history at the University of Auckland and chairperson of the New Zealand chapter of ‘Democrats Abroad’ about the significance of these demonstrations in the context of American history.

Rosetta and Milly catch up on all things Pōneke with Radio Active's wonderful new breakfast host Frida! Whakarongo mai nei!

Rosetta and Milly are joined by Insula and Rizzo, chatting about the Tonic Collective Te-Ika-a-Māui tour - which arrives in Tāmaki this Saturday April 4, featuring performances Insula X Niph (AU), Hasji, Kraus, and Ludus. Whakarongo mai nei!

Hayden joins Rosetta and Milly for a chat about the most recently published reports from The Drug Foundation - covering off some key findings from the past year of drug checking! Whakarongo mai nei!

Thanks to The Level!

About a month ago, Wednesday Wire host Manny spoke to a researcher sounding the alarm over the state of our primary healthcare, here and globally.

Across the globe, services meant to be the first port of call for health issues such as dental, GPs and pharmacists, were found to be increasingly under stress as costs grow and the workforce fails to keep pace with demand.

Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners Workforce Survey in 2022 raised concerns: Over half of GPs were planning to retire within the next decade, a declining number of GPs work in GP run practices and filling that gap is an increasing number of corporate healthcare providers.

As the holder of the Green parties Primary Healthcare Portfolio, our Green Party interviewee is the perfect subject to discuss his parties platform on the subject.

So for our weekly catch-up with the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March, we talk primary healthcare, it’s current state in Aotearoa, the issues it faces and where the Green Party would like to take it.

Last week, courts in the United States found that Meta and YouTube were responsible for the childhood addiction and mental health issues of a woman known as ‘KGM’, awarding $6 million USD (or $10.4 million NZD) in damages. 

Meanwhile, in New Mexico, Meta was fined $375 million USD (or, $650 million NZD) for endangering children.

Internationally, countries are increasingly coming to reckon with the effects of social media. Australia, which last year banned under-16s from accessing social media, is pursuing further potential legal action against the social media giants, while debates around a similar ban in Aotearoa New Zealand continue to polarise. 

However, in the light of the harms posed by social media, a ban is not the only solution that has been proposed. To speak to us on some of these alternative approaches, Producer Theo was joined by Professor Terryann Clark, of the University of Auckland’s School of Nursing.