95bFM: The Wire

This week on the Tuesday Wire...

For Dear Science this week, we chat with our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin, about the Gut microbiome and radiation, the resilience of native forest, and multitasking.

For our weekly catchup with the National Party, host Alex speaks with MP Ryan Hamilton about the OCR rate changing, the Ocean of Peace Alliance, and changes to Roads of National Significance.

For Green World this week, producer Liam with Greenpeace Aotearoa's Senior Campaigner Gen Toop about their upcoming March for Nature, which will be held in Auckland on September 19, as well as reflections on the government's policies towards nature and the environment. 

And Liam also talked to Associate Professor Van Jackson from Victoria University of Wellington, about how war profiteering and insider trading has played out in the US-Iran war and other international conflicts, who is benefiting from the current climate of war, and how New Zealand is involved in this system. 

Heading into the nineteenth week of the US-Iran War, there is still little sign of an upcoming end to the conflict. Despite mentions of a ceasefire, United States President Donald Trump has regularly changed his diplomatic stance between war and peace, and just today launched new strikes and another naval blockade on Iran. Amidst this, the Trump administration has been accused of insider trading and war profiteering, with reports of well-timed stock trades and bets on prediction markets made just minutes before major announcements by Trump. 

I spoke to Van Jackson, Associate Professor in International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington, about the extent of war profiteering in modern warfare, reports of insider trading amongst the Trump administration, and New Zealand's place in this system. 

Currently, to be awarded NCEA at any level, students need to take a numeracy and reading test in year 10.

According to a Qualifications Authority report, many students have yet to pass it due to its contextual and challenging nature.

However, starting in 2028, the Ministry of Education will replace the numeracy test and NCEA as a whole with two new national qualifications: the New Zealand Certificate of Education for Year 12 and the New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education for Year 13.

As for the standard numeracy test of year 10, it will be replaced with a new qualification called the “foundational award”, which will be taken during year 11 instead. 

Many are concerned that the new “foundational award” will be harder on students, with higher stakes. Leading to more implications down the line.

To learn more about this change, the differences between the examinations and their possible future implications, producer Jude spoke with University of Auckland Senior Lecturer, Dr Lisa Darragh.

This week on the Monday Wire... 

For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, News director Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about ACT’s proposed three strikes rule for burglaries and the party’s thoughts on the Green Party’s new fertiliser and water infrastructure policies. 

Producer Thomas spoke to University of Otago Associate Professor of public health Angela Curl about transport poverty caused by the fuel crisis and potential solutions.

And Producer Jude spoke with Senior Lecturer of Education and Social Practice at the University of Auckland, Dr Lisa Darragh, about changes to NCEA and their possible future implications.

In the latest Public Health Communication Centre briefing, researchers have warned that New Zealand's reliance on volatile fuel prices is increasing the country's transport poverty issue. 

The briefing outlined how households already spend an average of $252 dollars per week or 15.7% of their total expenditure on transport, and fuel price increases from recent conflict in the Middle East have added $65 a week on average to these costs. 

Higher transport poverty can force people to choose between essential trips, such as grocery shopping or medical appointments, leading to poorer physical and mental health outcomes.

The briefing recommended several long-term, systemic solutions that focus on reducing New Zealand's reliance on private vehicles and fuels, rather than just short-term relief.   

To discuss transport poverty and the recommendations in the report, producer Thomas spoke to University of Otago Associate Professor Angela Curl.

Last week the ACT Party announced a three strikes policy for burglaries. The policy would penalise those who commit three instances of burglary or are convicted three times of burglary, with a punishment of three years in prison. The ACT Party says this will decrease the total number of burglaries, but evidence is unconvincing on the success of three strikes policies as a deterrent. 

Also in recent weeks, the Green Party announced its policy for water management, which included particular attention to fertilisers and nitrate levels. The ACT Party has been highly critical of this policy, rejecting the Green Party argument about environmental impact and noting the necessity of synthetic fertilisers for modern food production. 

For this week’s catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News Director Castor asked about each of these topics, beginning with three strikes.

Due to audio and connectivity issues, the interview was cut short before the two had the chance to properly discuss water infrastructure and nitrate levels.

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Professor Jacqueline Beggs from the University of Auckland School of Biological Sciences about the Conservation Amendment Bill.

And they spoke to the Founder of Pet Refuge, Dame Julie Chapman, about a proposal from the ACT party to strengthen protections for pets in family violence situations. 

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Pranuja spoke with Shanan Halbert about energy security, Labour’s solar policy, NZ First’s proposal on voting rights, and the tobacco excise review.

She also spoke with Associate Professor Tim Tenbensel from the University of Auckland about winter hospital pressures, health underfunding, and why temporary beds and extra staff may not be enough.

Health New Zealand has announced temporary beds and extra staffing to help hospitals cope with winter pressure, but health policy experts say the response is still too reactive. Winter demand happens every year, yet hospitals continue to face pressure from respiratory illnesses, staff shortages, and underfunding. Producer Pranuja spoke with Professor Tim Tenbensel from the University of Auckland about why the health system struggles to plan for winter, and what a more sustainable response could look like.

A controversial clause in the Conservation Amendment Bill that would allow more conservation land to be sold has been removed. However, environmental advocates are still calling for the Bill to be scrapped.

Submissions on the Bill to the Environment Select Committee have also been extended, and are open until midday on Monday 13 July.

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Professor Jacqueline Beggs from the University of Auckland School of Biological Sciences, who has English, Scottish, Irish, and Ngāti Awa ancestry, about why the Bill still poses a threat to the interests of Māori and to conservation land.

The ACT Party has announced a new policy that would amend the Crimes Act to make it an offence to use animals as a means of control or a way to coerce victims, particularly in situations of family violence.

It would also strengthen protections so offenders couldn’t withhold, sell, or give away a pet. 

The policy was launched by ACT at a Pet Refuge on Sunday.

Wire Host Caeden spoke to the Founder of Pet Refuge, Dame Julie Chapman, about the issue of pets in family violence situations and ACT’s proposal.