A recently released study from researchers at the Otago, Canterbury, and Massey universities has found an association between nitrate concentrations in drinking water, and pre-term births.

The study is the first of its scale to investigate the health impacts of nitrate on health, involving the birth records of over 735,000 babies born between 2008 and 2021. 

It comes after the Ministry of Health launched a review into the health effects of nitrate in drinking water earlier this year, with groups such as Greenpeace long-arguing for a reduction in the maximum acceptable value of nitrate in drinking water for Aotearoa New Zealand.

So, to learn more about what the study found, Producer Theo spoke to its lead author, the University of Canterbury’s Associate Professor Tim Chambers.

A New Zealand parliamentary inquiry has backed stronger regulation of social media, including a possible ban for users under 16.

Supporters argue a ban could protect young people from addictive platforms, harmful content and worsening mental health. But University of Auckland researchers say the evidence does not support blaming social media as the main cause of rising youth distress.

To discuss this, Producer Pranuja spoke with Dr Terryann Clark, the Cure Kids Professorial Chair in Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the University of Auckland.

The government’s move-on orders policy has been under some scrutiny, with primary criticisms claiming that it does not adequately address the issue or that it unreasonably punishes the most disadvantaged groups in society. 

To discuss the specific impacts that the policy would have on Aotearoa’s young people, the impacts of homelessness more broadly, and how we can better manage the issue, News Director Castor spoke to Children’s Commissioner Claire Achmad.

This week on the Monday Wire... 

For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, News Director Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about newly announced ACT candidate Paul Henry, default union membership, and scrutiny over the ban on puberty blockers.

They also spoke to Children’s Commissioner Claire Achmad about problems with the proposed move-on orders bill and particularly how it can impact young people in Aotearoa. 

Wednesday Wire producer Theo spoke to University of Canterbury Associate Professor Tim Chambers about the impacts of nitrate levels on pre-term births. 

And Monday Wire producer spoke with Dr Terryann Clark, the Cure Kids Professorial Chair in Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the University of Auckland, about banning social media for under 16-year-olds in Aotearoa.

Last week, the ACT Party announced that former broadcaster Paul Henry will be running as a candidate in this year’s election. Henry has been subject to some controversy in the past, with derogatory comments made towards multiple public figures during his time as a breakfast show host. 

Also last week, the Green Party announced a policy of default union membership, meaning that a person will be automatically signed up for the appropriate union when they start a new job. The ACT Party says this policy impedes on personal freedoms, though the Greens have reiterated that people can still leave unions. 

Lastly, the government’s ban on puberty blockers has been under scrutiny following a court case from the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa. The association has put forward multiple critiques, primarily that the ban appears to be based in ideology rather than medical evidence. 

For this week’s catch-up with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News Director Castor asked about each of these issues, beginning with Paul Henry’s appointment as a candidate.

A new Infometrics report, commissioned by the Waitākere Indian Association, estimates that Kiwi-Indian businesses, households, international students and visitors contributed $37.3 billion to GDP in the year to March 2025.

The report highlights the economic power of Kiwi-Indians and argues that New Zealand could be making better use of the community’s skills, calling for improved recognition of overseas qualifications and greater support for migrant-owned businesses.

The report launched in Auckland just before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit, the first by an Indian prime minister in 40 years. Producer Pranuja attended the launch and spoke to community leaders, economists and politicians about what the findings mean and whether closer ties with India will translate into meaningful benefits for Kiwi Indians.

Producer Pranuja spoke to President of the Waitākere Indian Association Sunil Kaushal, Chief Executive and Principal Economist at Infometrics Brad Olsen, Secretary of the Waitākere Indian Association Sanjay Dutt Sharma, Labour’s immigration spokesperson and Te Atatū MP Phil Twyford, and Minister for Auckland, Revenue, Climate Change and Local Government Simon Watts.

To find out more on the report, go to kiwiindians.nz.

Workers at the Department of Internal Affairs went on strike on Monday, over a pay offer from the government which does not match the increased cost of living. 

To discuss the importance of the Department of Internal Affairs, why workers are striking, and how the government is responding, Tuesday Wire host Alex spoke to National Secretary of the Public Service Association, Duane Leo.

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) have released two new research papers outlining the impact of high housing costs. 

The reports show that housing costs are leaving families without enough income to cover essentials, particularly as the supply of affordable rental homes decreases across the motu. 

Wire Host Caeden spoke to research author Greg Waite about the findings.

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Child Poverty Action Group Housing Researcher Greg Waite about two new reports from the organisation on the cost of housing. 

Tuesday Wire Host Alex spoke to National Secretary of the Public Service Association, Duane Leo, about Department of Internal Affairs workers striking on Monday. 

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke with Shanan Halbert about the 6% Tertiary fee increase and Indian Prime Ministers Narendra Modi’s visit last friday.

And Waitakere Indian Association released The Economic Contribution of Kiwi Indians in New Zealand commissioned by Informetrics. Pranuja attended the launch and interviewed community leaders about the impact of these figures for the Kiwi Indian Diaspora.

Ahead of the CRL’s much anticipated opening later this year, many people have been reflecting on how expensive it has become to produce infrastructure in New Zealand and the waste that goes into projects that are thrown out after a change in government.

Consensus seems to be building around the need for a consistent pipeline that staggers works to maintain a consistent flow for industry and build agreement across parliament.

This week has seen the government introduce their Major Transport Projects Pipeline, or MTPP which in many ways motions towards this debate while also taking a step back from many roads whose costs have ballooned.

But how do opposition parties feel about this this Policy? Has agreement been found?

And this week, the visit of controversial Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sparked opposition from two radically differing sides, from those concerned with India's human rights record to those hostile to migration from India.

So for this week’s catch-up with the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez March, we discuss the Green Party's issues with the new MTPP and the political climate that has surrounded Modi’s visit.