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For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about Budget 2025, particularly its impact on rangatahi, and the Regulatory Standards Bill.

For International Desk, they spoke to Greenpeace campaigner Juressa Lee about the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference. 

For this week’s City Counselling, Producer Sara spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson on Auckland Council’s recent approval for new development in the city centre, as well as the latest updates in the Western Springs speedway v stadium debate

For her second topic, of national and global military spending, she spoke with Massey University Defence and Security Associate Professor Anna Powles, as well as Peace Movement Aotearoa coordinator Edwina Hughes. 

Last Thursday Budget 2025, the “Growth” Budget, was announced.

As part of the Budget, there were significant changes to Kiwisaver.

There are also new eligibility limits for 18 and 19-year-olds to access benefits, based on parental income.

And the ACT Party’s Regulatory Standards Bill has passed its first reading and is now before the Finance and Expenditure Committee.

The bill has been criticised for its potential effect on the place of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in our laws. 

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke with Shanan Halbert about both of these issues.

Thanks to NZ On Air Music and Drake Street Studios!

Jonny chats to Labour MP Deborah Russell about the budget and it's impacts on young people, beneficiaries, and whether it favours high-income earners over social equity. 

Could a water crisis be in the pipeline for Aotearoa?

Sewage contaminating Oyster farms in Auckland, as well as more periods of extreme rainfall due to climate change, has highlighted the lack of investment in water infrastructure over the past couple decades.

Dan Hikuroa, an associate professor at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland, upholds a traditional Māori view of water as a sacred taonga, as something to be treasured, rather than being framed as a property right and commodity.

To talk about what we should change to protect our water in Aotearoa, Producer Max spoke to Dan Hikuroa.

Another significant funding gap in this year’s budget announcement was long-awaited funding for additional cancer treatments, particularly for blood cancer.

With no additional funding for blood cancer treatments announced in this year’s budget, patients, advocates and doctors have said that blood cancer patients have been left behind in the announcement and have called on the government to clear Pharmac's "backlog" of unfunded blood cancer medicines.

Oto spoke to Rodger Tiedemann, A Hematologist at Auckland City Hospital and Associate Professor of Cancer Research at the University of Auckland, about the lack of additional funding for blood cancer treatments in Budget 2025.

Last week, the government’s annual budget announcement for 2025 was made, detailing how government spending would be allocated over the course of the year and the programs that would receive additional funding.

While an array of programs are set to receive funding increases, critics have alluded to funding gaps in a number of areas, such as: Environmental Conservation, Māori development and Housing, all of which have received some funding boosts while simultaneously seeing cuts in a number of key initiatives.

For our Weekly Catchup with the Green Party, I spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about the party’s take on the Budget 2025 announcement.

Chris Hall, an Associate Professor at the department of molecular medicine and pathology at the University of Auckland, has led a study that looked into the impact that daylight has on our immune system.

The research identifies that many people could be experiencing what is scientifically described as “social jet lag”. The term describes the misalignment between our internal body clock, or circadian rhythm, and our social schedule.

Chris Hall led the study to look into how important our circadian rhythm is to our immune system, and how regular exposure to daylight can support a healthy immune system as well.

To talk about this, Producer Max spoke to Chris Hall.

On Morning Glory, Elle spoke to George Miller of Shock Corridor about their latest single Drag Nets. 

George touches on the band's history and how their individual experiences in music have shaped their current sound, giving some context to their "loud and nasty" new single and video. 

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March, Oto speak to him about the recent Budget 2025 announcement, specifically related to the: Environment, Māori outcomes and housing.

He spoke to Rodger Tiedemann, a hematologist at Auckland City Hospital and Associate Professor of Cancer Research at the University of Auckland, about the lack of additional funding for blood cancer treatments in Budget 2025.

And he spoke to Professor Patria Hume a Professor Human Performance AUT about the recent death of a 19-year old from Palmerston North taking part in a runit-styled tackle game.

Max spoke to Dan Hikuroa, an associate professor at Waipapa Taumata Ra University of Auckland, about the current water crisis that New Zealand could be facing.

And he spoke to Chris Hall, an associate professor at the department of molecular medicine and pathology at the University of Auckland about how daylight can boost our immunity.