Spike speaks to Auckland University Associate Professor of Law Scott Optican about Trump's arrest in Manhattan this week, and the potential implications of the cases against him.

Kia ora, and welcome to The Wire for Rāpare Thursday!

This week, Spike speaks to:

- Labour MP Andrew Little about high rates of Defence Force attrition and the AUKUS alliance

- and Scott Optican about Trump's recent arrest, and its potential implications

Simon speaks to:

- Councillor Shane Henderson about Auckland Light Rail, the proposed extra harbour crossing and communities still recovering post-cyclone

- Morgan Donoghue from Ours Not Mines on mining on conservation land

- and Helen Petousis-Harris on a potential whooping cough epidemic 

Jim phones up to chat about garden journalling, and tasks for a reset ahead of Easter. Whakarongo mai nei!

Morgan Donoghue is the spokesperson for Ours Not Mines, an organisation that is standing up against the mining company OceanaGold and the New Zealand government over a proposed gold mine on conservation land in the Coromandel. In 2017 the Labour government promised no more mines on conservation land, yet OceanaGold is in the process of acquiring resource consent for a gold mine under conservation land. Simon began by getting Morgan to explain what OceanaGold is doing in the Coromandel and the implications of the proposed mine.

Delaney is in the studio for a yarn about nostalgic roadtrip foods, ahead of what's likely to be a roadtrip-heavy Easter weekend for all. Whakarongo mai nei!

This week, Spike speaks to Labour MP Andrew Little about high rates of Defence Force personnel turnover and the AUKUS alliance. 

Rod Oram dials in to speak with Rachel about Jacinda Ardern's legacy and the parliamentary crackdown on lobbyists. Whakarongo mai nei!

It's faux-Thursday! (It's Wednesday but in a short week.) Rob Bollix leads us to The Mind Trench, as we explore nature and noise. Leaping Tiger dials in all the way from London to chat to Rachel about his new album Godspeed! Harry and Alex from F.A.I.R.Y are in the studio to talk about  their gig in Tāmaki Makaurau tomorrow night at Whammy Bar, and their new album It Lives. Whakarongo mai nei!

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s plan to address the budget shortfall includes cutting funding to many public services, while retaining expensive golf courses that ratepayers are paying for. 

It also suggests selling public assets like shares in Auckland Airport to help fill a $295m budget shortfall. 

FIRST Union, a union representing 30,000 workers in Aotearoa, recently made a budget submission to Auckland Council. They branded Mayor Wayne Brown’s Submission as insufficient and irredeemable, and made several suggestions for improvement. 

Arno spoke to FIRST Union President Robert Reid, and started off by asking what FIRST’s position is on the proposed $21m budget cut for bus services.

Mātai Medical Research Institute and the Auckland Bioengineering Institute are working on new research to generate complete computerised models of children’s physiology, particularly internal organs. 

Currently, the only modelling data available is incomplete, from overseas, or of adult organs. Researchers hope to develop an idea of what normal physiology for New Zealand children looks like in order to allow for earlier detection of abnormalities.

Arno spoke to Dr Haribalan Kumar of the Auckland Bioengineering Institute to find out more. 

Arno started our interview by asking why complete child physiology models were only now being created.