Samaritans Aotearoa New Zealand is an organisation that allows people to speak to empathetic volunteers who can help them deal with emotional and practical issues they are experiencing. In the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, many people have called in with various issues and been given an empathetic ear by the Samaritans. Arno spoke to Tony Robinson, chairman of Samaritans Aotearoa New Zealand to find out more about the organisation. Firstly, Arno asked him about the mission of Samaritans.

If you or a loved one needs someone to talk to about any problems, please call them on 0800 72 66 66.

Emilia chatted with Green Party co-leader James Shaw about Chris Hipkins’ so-called policy bonfire, the debate around mitigation and adaptation policies, and the importance of amplifying the youth voice in politics for their first weekly catch-up this year.

News & Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins speak to Mark Potter, President of Te Riu Roa, the New Zealand Education Institute, acting president of Te Wehengarua, the Post Primary Teachers' Association, Chris Abercrombie, and Maddy, an intermediate teacher, about teachers striking for better pay and conditions.

Producer Arno Cronje speaks to Good Samaritans Aotearoa New Zealand chairman Tony Robinson about his organisation and how it is helping post-Cyclone.

And Melissa Ansell-Bridges, the National Secretary of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, on both protections for bus drivers and contract workers

As many as 50,000 kaiako and tumuaki (teachers and principals) will go on strike tomorrow for better conditions and to improve public education for tamariki.

This is the education sector’s biggest industrial action since 2019. 

Most schools and kura will close on Thursday due to the strikes, and nationwide protest marches are planned.

The strikes have been organised by the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI), representing primary and kindergarten teachers, and the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA), representing secondary school teachers.

First, News & Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Mark Potter, President of the New Zealand Education Institute. I started off our interview discussing why kindergarten and primary staff are striking.

Then she spoke to the acting president of Te Wehengarua, the Post Primary Teachers' Association, Chris Abercrombie. To begin, I asked about why secondary staff are striking. 

Lastly, she spoke to Maddy, an intermediate teacher, about why she is striking. I started by asking Maddy about her background in teaching. 

Increasing violence towards Auckland’s bus drivers has prompted several union groups to issue statements demanding better working safety protections for drivers. 

Arno spoke to Melissa Ansell-Bridges, secretary of the NZCTU, the council of trade unions, to find out more about the issue. 

Arno also spoke to Melissa to find out more about improving contractor positions in Aotearoa. The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions is calling for better employment protections for contractors, many of whom earn below minimum wage for hours worked. This follows a landmark win where Uber drivers became classified as employees instead of contractors last year.

Arno started on the first topic by asking what Auckland bus drivers are concerned about.

Welcome to the Tuesday Wire! 

This week on the show:

This week on the Tuesday Wire, Milly has her weekly catch-up with the National Party's Dr Shane Reti, and speaks to him about Housing Minister Chris Bishop's most recent speech delivered last week. In the speech, Chris Bishop revealed a number of changes regarding legislation and policy to do with the current build-to-rent scheme, including changes to the Overseas Investment Act and to the Income Tax Act. Dr Shane Reti and Milly discuss the current issues to do with housing and the party's plans to help ease the pressure on the housing market. 

This week on the Tuesday Wire, Milly spoke to Chanelle Duley from the University of Auckland's Faculty of Economics regarding the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank, exploring what caused it, the flow on effects, especially in the tech sector, and the effects that this might have on our banks here in New Zealand. 

The average New Zealander emits over 6 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, and 1.4 tonnes of this comes from electricity usage. Ecotricity has become the first energy company in Aotearoa to become climate positive certified. In today's Wire Beth spoke to the co-founder and CEO of Ecotricity Al Yates about the company.

This week on the Tuesday Wire, Milly speaks to Lokesh Padhye from the University of Auckland's faculty of Environmental Engineering regarding the proposed ban on the use of PFAs in makeup products. Milly explores what PFAs are, why they are harmful to us and the environment, and what we can do as citizens of Aotearoa to combat their use. 

Why don't the world's other humanitarian crises see the same response as Ukraine? As beautiful as the response has been, why is there a discrepancy with people from other countries seeking refuge? 

Daniel asked this question to Ritesh Shah, a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland. His research bridges several disciplines — including sociology, politics, international relations, and anthropology.