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The final report from the abuse in state care inquiry is due to be published on July 24th at 4pm. The report will discuss historic and present issues of abuse in state care, particularly how it affects marginalised groups such as Māori, Pasifika, and disabled children and young people. The report will then provide a recommendation to parliament on potential policy or funding changes. 

Additionally, last week, associate Health Minister and minister in charge of Pharmac, David Seymour, issued new instructions regarding the organisation’s focus. Particularly notable in the instructions were discussions of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, with Seymour 

In our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire host Castor spoke to MP Katie Nimon about the abuse in state care inquiry and the government's advice to Pharmac. 

On July 1st, the excise tax on heated tobacco products (or HTPs) was dropped unannounced by fifty percent. 

Speaking on the change, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello sez the reduction will help the government test the effectiveness of HTPs as a tool to help people quit smoking. 

However, given Costello’s previous parroting of tobacco industry talking points, there are worries that this change could also be coming from industry backed research. In addition, the scientific research to support the use of HTPs is slim to nonexistent. 

Wire host Castor to professor of public health at the University of Otago and co-director of the Aspire Aotearoa Research Centre, Janet Hoek, about heated tobacco products and the evidence to support them.

Hosted by PHILLIEE, featuring the Sound of Sydney courtesy of our man Carlos Avilés.

~ Universal Harmony ~

Oozing a grateful ora, massaging the creative mind.

This week on The Wire...

For Dear Science this week, we chatted to Professor Allan Blackman about plants not holding as much carbon as previously thought, low pressure making tea taste worse, and a giant millipede that was thought to be extinct. 

In our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire host Castor spoke to MP Katie Nimon about the abuse in state care inquiry and the government’s recent instructions to Pharmac. 

He also talked to Associate Professor of Politics and International relations, Stephen Noakes, about New Zealand’s relationship with China. 

And he spoke to Professor Janet Hoek from the University of Otago about the implications of reducing the excise tax on Heated Tobacco Products. 

And producer Josef spoke to Professor Emeritus Ralph Sims about the newly released draft of the second emissions reduction plan.

Last week Associate Minister of Health, David Seymour, laid out his expectations for Pharmac for the upcoming year. 

Some of what was in his letter of expectations has caused much public discourse - particularly the point in which Seymour says Te Tiriti o Waitangi shouldn’t be considered in decision making at Pharmac. 

Te Pāti Māori has called for Seymour to step down from his role as Associate Minister of Health, and one of Pharmac’s directors, Anthony Jordan, has resigned from his role, saying the removal of Treaty principles from Pharmac did not align with his own morals and ethics. 

Given the overwhelming evidence of poorer health outcomes for Māori, producer Evie spoke to the ACT party’s Simon Court about the reasoning behind these expectations, and the party’s feelings about the backlash.

In breaking news early this morning, President Joe Biden stepped down as the democratic candidate in the election race. It comes following mounting concern around Biden’s age and competence to serve another term as President, as well as a campaign from the party itself for the President to step back. 

Now, only three and half months out from election day the democrats must pick a new candidate, likely to be Vice-President, Kamala Harris. 

Producer Evie spoke to Geopolitical Analyst from the University of Otago, Geoffrey Miller, about what happens next and what effect this will have on the democrats chances of staying in office. We also talk about what impact the result of the election will have here in Aotearoa, as well as on the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine.

Suri reviews Hisham Matar's My Friends on Loose Reads. Whakarongo mai nei!

Monday Breakfast with Jonny

Producer Evie speaks to the ACT Party’s Simon Court about the government’s expectations for Pharmac in light of one of the directors stepping down.

Wire host Sofia speaks to Professor of health economics in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, Paula Lorgelly, about last week’s announced instructions for Pharmac. 

She also speaks to Senior Lecturer in Screen, Audio and Journalism at AUT, Merja Myllylahti, about AI and New Zealand news in light of the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill.

Evie also speaks to Geopolitical Analyst from the University of Otago, Geoffrey Miller, about Joe Biden’s recent decision to end his re-election campaign.

Sofia speaks to spokesperson for Communities Against the Fast-Track, Augusta Macassey-Pickard, about Minister for Resources Shane Jones’ undeclared meeting with mining companies about the fast-track

And she also speaks to Lecturer at the University of Canterbury Faculty of Law, Rachael Evans, about courts using mana in judgements. 

The government has decided to leave AI considerations out of its plans to revive the previous government’s Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill, saying the “broad issue of AI” would be considered later. 

However, there is increasing evidence that new generative AI internet search tools provided by OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google can increase the risk of returning misleading, false, or partially correct information. 

Research by senior Lecturer in Screen, Audio and Journalism at AUT, Merja Myllylahti, looks further into this and how search functions and chatbots shape news discovery. 

Wire host Sofia Roger Williams spoke to Merja about the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill and the risks of AI chatbots using news content.