95bFM: The Wire

Many experts believe that New Zealand should also be grabbing more opportunities to keep up with the rest of the world, and invest more in “deep tech."

Producer Faith spoke to Professor Frederique Vanholsbeeck from the University of Auckland’s physics department about deep and quantum technologies, and their benefits. 

This week on the Tuesday Wire...

For Dear Science, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman chats with us about personalised gene therapy treatment, using molecules to crack passcodes, and Olympic pool bombing. 

In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about Pay Equity in light of the government’s recent changes. 

They also spoke to Professor Terryann Clark from the University of Auckland about social media use among young people. 

Producer Faith spoke to the Dr Chanelle Duley, an economics lecturer at the university of Auckland, about how financial technology can be used for good, and what we need to be cautious of.

She also spoke to Professor Frederique Vanholsbeeck from the university’s physics department about deep tech, and how NZ can better utilise it. 

Recently, the World Health Organisation has declared an outbreak of Polio in Papua New Guinea.

Previously, the nation had been declared polio-free in 2000. However, Papua New Guinea faced an outbreak in 2018. This was eradicated in the same year.

Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, said that New Zealand is ready anytime to assist Papua New Guinea if needed, however, he says he has not received a formal request for help as of this morning.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Mark Thomas, an associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of Auckland, about the World Health Organisation’s declaration, and what needs to be done to mitigate future outbreaks heading forward.

Last week Finance minister Nicola Willis announced a $190 million social investment fund that will invest in at least 20 social service initiatives over the next year. 

Three projects will receive initial funding: an Autism New Zealand programme providing early support to 50 families; an expansion of Emerge Aotearoa’s work with at-risk youth; and He Piringa Whare, a data-informed programme to support at-risk Māori.

Social Investment is a policy that has been seen from previous National governments, largely associated with former prime minister Bill English. 

Under English, the policy involved using data to calculate which groups of people cost the government the most over a lifetime. Interventions aimed at reducing that cost are then targeted at those people. 

However critics say this often leads to fiscal outcomes being valued over social outcomes, or profit over people. 

Producer Evie spoke to the University of Auckland’s Associate Professor in Environment Tom Baker about the fund, and how we can expect it to take effect this time around. 

This week on the Monday Wire:

For our weekly catch up with Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Kemp, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, speaks to her about the Privileges Committee’s recommendations to suspend co-leader’s Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer for 21-days and MP Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke for their haka during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill, and the Waitangi Tribunals recommendations regarding the Regulatory Standards Bill.

For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Producer Evie speaks to Simon Court about the Waitangi Tribunal recommending an ‘immediate halt’ to the Regulatory Standards Bill and the government opening a review into the Waitangi Tribunal.

Evie also spekas to The University of Auckland’s Tom Baker about the government’s newly announced Social Investment Fund.

Joel speaks to Mark Thomas, an Associate Professor in Infectious Diseases at the University of Auckland, about the World Health Organisation declaring an outbreak of Polio in Papua New Guinea.

Whakarongo mai.

Last week, Pope Leo XIV, or American Cardinal Robert Prevost, was chosen to succeed the late Pope Francis.

Before his ascent to the papacy, Pope Leo XIV had been a vocal critic of American President Donald Trump’s policies on immigration.

In an article for The Conversation, Associate Professor of Political Science at the Paris Cité University, Speranta Dumitru, discussed how the defence of migrants has been a key pillar of the papacy since World War 2, and of the Catholic faith for longer.

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Associate Professor Dumitru about what we know about Pope Leo XIV’s views on migration, and how this fits into a broader context of his calls for peace and the mantle he’s taking up from his predecessors. 

This week the government announced some of its education funding allocation in advance of next week’s budget. The announcement included $100 million for expert maths teachers and new maths tests in school.  

$4 million has been allocated for a new maths test for students in their first two years of schooling. Education Minister Erica Stanford sez the test will help teachers identify students in need of additional support, with these additional needs to be met by the new team of specialist maths teachers. 

These tests join a series of other tests introduced by the current government across all levels of primary and secondary education. To discuss how tests like this work for students and teachers on the ground, Wire host Castor spoke to PhD student in Education at the University of Auckland and primary school teacher, Tom Pearce.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Labour’s Shanan Halbert about Chris Hipkins pre-budget speech at the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, the government’s review into the Waitangi Tribunal, and the cost of National’s FamilyBoost policy.

For International Desk, they spoke to Associate Professor in Political Science at Paris Cité University, Speranta Dumitru, about Pope Leo XIV’s views on migration and what this means for the papacy more broadly. 

For City Counselling, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke with Auckland Councillor Shane Henderson, about how much of an impact the climate crisis will have on voters heading into local elections and incorrectly recycling lithium-ion batteries.

And Tuesday Wire Host Castor spoke to PhD student in Education at the University of Auckland and primary school teacher Tom Pearce about the government's stance towards testing in schools and his concerns of over-testing.

Yesterday, the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, delivered a petition, which was signed by more than 16,000 citizens. The petition calls on the government to stop the Police’s hasty withdrawal from mental health callouts, until an alternative service is up and running.

Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, Shaun Robinson, has said that “The Police are a critical safety net for people in distress needing urgent access to mental health support”, and that the government removing the support of the police without an alternative in place is comparable to removing the engine of a car while it is running. Robinson believes that both situations are “dangerous, and likely to lead to an accident”.

To talk about the dangers of this development, Producer Max spoke with Shaun Robinson

Just this week, New Zealand’s first measles case in 2 years was reported in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.

The patient contracted the disease while travelling in Asia before coming back to Aotearoa and, with global measles cases on the rise, concerns have been raised about the potential for an outbreak and its impacts on New Zealand’s already overburdened healthcare system.

Oto spoke to Helen Petousis-Harris, an Associate Professor in General Practice & Primary Healthcare at the University of Auckland, to discuss the recent measles case in Aotearoa and its potential implications.