95bFM: The Wire

Iwi leader and climate activist Mike Smith had put forward a landmark climate litigation case against major polluters in New Zealand, set to be heard in April next year. The government changed the law to prevent this case from going forward, claiming that it reduced business confidence in the legal system. 

Smith, in response, has launched a case against the government directly, claiming that in putting forward this change, the government only consulted with the defendants. 

To discuss the full situation, the likelihood of success for Smith, and the ramifications of this case going forward, News Director Castor spoke to Associate Professor of Law Vernon Rive.

A report from the Auditor-General has found that while the government’s school lunch programme is saving money compared to Labour’s, it has not been able to show if it is delivering on its aims.

Health Coalition Aotearoa h expressed concern about the meals not meeting nutrition standards, meaning they fail to “provide enough energy, protein, grains, and vegetables, ideally covering between a quarter to 30% of what children need in a day, depending on their age.”

The evaluation found that the School Lunch Collective lunches only provide half to two-thirds of the recommended energy and are 40% lower in energy compared to the meals provided in 2022 before the programme changes.

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Dr Kelly Garton, Health Coalition Aotearoa spokesperson and Senior Research Fellow in the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland, about the report and the impact of cutting costs.

A new study looking into the best ways to recover from multi-pronged nicotine addiction has just been launched.

While typical addiction recovery methods include weaning off a product or using a lighter dosage, this study looks into a new drug, cytisine, which can help reduce nicotine addiction. This study aims to find the most effective way for people to make a clean break from nicotine dependence.

To discuss the drug, addiction recovery, and what this study could mean more broadly, Producer Pranuja spoke to author Professor Chris Bullen from the University of Auckland.

The fast-track application for the Northwest Busway project has been halted over a dispute between Auckland Council and the New Zealand Transport Agency.

Funding could be paused for the business association Heart of the City following mass resignations from the organisation and calls for an audit.

And Mayor Wayne Brown says underestimated disaster recovery costs are partly to blame for Auckland's higher rates this year. 

For City Counselling this week, Wire Host Caeden asked Councillor Shane Henderson about all of these topics.

This weekend saw the Labour Party hosting its annual congress, with discussions over campaign organising and new policy announcements. 

At the congress, the party discussed a proposal to expand New Zealand’s Apprenticeship Boost, which they argue should support young people to access qualifications, making it easier to get a job. 

Labour also recently confirmed it would not go ahead with the government’s announced rent increase for those living in state housing, an increase which leader Chris Hipkins argued is “cruel” and “wrong”. 

Lastly, the Regulatory Standards Act came into effect this week, which the government has argued will improve lawmaking by holding new policies to certain guidelines. Its opponents, however, say these guidelines are arbitrary, and have criticised them for not including protections for the environment or Te Tiriti.

For this week’s catchup with the Labour Party’s Shanan Halbert, producer Pranuja asked about each of these issues, beginning with Labour’s annual congress. 

For City Counselling this week, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson on progress for the Northwest busway being halted, a potential funding pause for Heart of the City, and the Mayor saying disaster recovery costs are contributing to a rates increase.

And they spoke to Dr Kelly Garton, Health Coalition Aotearoa Spokesperson and Senior Research Fellow in the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland, about a report from the Auditor-General warning that the government’s school lunch programme is not able to show if it's delivering on its aims.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke to MP Shanan Halbert about Labour’s congress, the party’s proposed apprenticeship boost, state housing rents, and the Regulatory Standards Act. 

She also spoke with Professor Chris Bullen about multi-pronged nicotine addiction, and his new study into alternative ways to quit smoking.

Last week, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka announced that the government would be removing a clause from the Conservation Amendment Bill that permitted expanding the sale of conservation land. The decision followed multiple weeks of pressure from members of the public, environmental activists, and political parties, who claimed that the change would open pathways to selling large portions of Aotearoa’s natural landscapes. 

Earlier this month also saw the government backtrack on another bill, the Fisheries Amendment Bill. Among other changes, the bill would have reduced restrictions on overfishing and disallowed members of the public from accessing footage from shipping vessels. 

Lastly, recent polls have seen centre-left political party Opportunity polling close to or above 5%. With Opportunity spending much of its campaign period targeting the Green Party, it’s unclear what a coalition between the two could look like. 

For this week’s catch-up with the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez March, News Director Castor asked about each of these issues, beginning with the Conservation Amendment Bill.

This week on the Wednesday Wire...

For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, News Director Castor asked about changes to the Conservation Amendment Bill, the backtracked Fisheries Amendment Bill, and the potential for collaboration between the Greens and Opportunity. 

They also spoke to Principal Advisor for Advocacy and Engagement at the Problem Gambling Foundation Andrée Froude, about the rise in the popularity of online prediction markets. 

And for Get Action this week, producer Theo spoke to the Advocacy Lead at the Asylum Seekers Support Trust, Becky Little, on their petition to stop the proposed Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Bill.

Prediction market sites are becoming an increasingly popular way to gamble online. The two main sites, Kalshi and Polymarket, offer users a wide variety of different issues to bet on, from politics to sports to military confrontations. 

While the sites are illegal in New Zealand, many continue to use them. Regulating online gambling has been particularly difficult in New Zealand, with these new companies creating a new dimension in need of attention. 

Atop all of this, CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg recently announced the company’s intention to establish its own prediction market app called Arena. The announcement has raised concerns from gambling advocates and regulators, who say it could bring prediction markets further into the mainstream and make them harder to legislate. 

To discuss prediction markets more broadly and how they operate in Aotearoa, News Director Castor spoke to Principal advisor for advocacy and engagement at the problem gambling foundation Andrée Froude. 

Back in March, the Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Bill passed its first reading in Parliament, and is currently in the select committee phase, with a report due by mid August.

The bill makes some significant changes to how Aotearoa New Zealand’s immigration system operates - particularly for refugees and those seeking asylum.

Some key points include the prevention of individuals from applying for a further visa while in New Zealand after withdrawing an asylum claim, and greater restrictions on the rights of those seeking asylum for humanitarian appeals.

However, particular attention has been drawn to new powers that would be given to immigration officers, which would allow them to request information of those they may suspect of being in breach of their visa conditions or that may be liable for deportation. These powers have been compared by critics to those wielded by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (or, ICE) in the United States.

Many of the organisations who work with refugees and asylum seekers in Aotearoa are greatly concerned at the consequences that the proposed legislation will have for those who live in this increasingly precarious position. 

So, for this week’s Get Action, Producer Theo spoke with the Advocacy Lead at the Asylum Seekers Support Trust, Becky Little, on their petition to stop the proposed Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Bill.

If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it on the ActionStation website, or just here.