95bFM: The Wire

This week on The Wednesday Wire...

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the Immigration Amendment Act, the axing of Fees Free and the potential increase in the pension age.

He then spoke to honorary associate professor working in the Pensions and Intergenerational Equity Hub at the Economics Policy Centre, Susan St John, about the pension age in more depth - why she opposes raising it and what alternatives she prefers.

Then Toby spoke to infectious disease expert Siouxsie Wiles from the University of Auckland about the Huntavirus.

And Theo spoke to Dr Ulrich Speidel from the University of Auckland’s School of Computer Science on the recently released government report on our undersea cable resilience and security.

A policy area looking to become a feature of this year's election is the Superannuation income allowance for those over 65.

Although often considered an insured privilege paid across one's life, Superannuation is paid out of the yearly budget and is by far the largest benefit in New Zealand.

Historically, it's been a thorny topic for any legislator, but as people live for longer and longer, and the age of eligibility for superannuation remains the same, the cost of the policy is increasing. A recent OECD autopsy of the New Zealand economy says this is becoming unsustainable, and the National Party says they agree and will campaign in this election to raise the age. 

Host Manny spoke to Honorary Associate Professor working in the Pensions and Intergenerational Equity Hub at the Economics Policy Centre, Susan St John, about why she opposes raising the age of retirement and what alternatives she prefers.

This week on the Tuesday Wire...

For Dear Science this week, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman chatted with us about stress in sports, the chemistry behind the taste of beer, and Nobel Prize Winner Dorothy Hodgkin. 

For our weekly catchup with the National Party, News Director Castor spoke with MP Ryan Hamilton about plans to scrap the Broadcasting Standards Authority, the government’s stance on TVNZ and RNZ, and the proposed new test for immigrants. 

For Green World this week, Producer Liam spoke to Richard Capie, Chief Advisor at Forest and Bird, about the government’s proposed Conservation Amendment Bill which could make it easier for the government ministers to sell off conservation land, and what this could mean for Aotearoa’s natural heritage. 

He also spoke to Martin Campbell, Vice President of the New Zealand Professional Firefighter’s Union, about the continuing firefighter strikes in New Zealand, what issues the fire service currently faces, and what the Professional Firefighters Union hopes to achieve. 

After years of hiring freezes, underfunding, and now cancelled pay equity claims, nurses' working conditions have continued to worsen, and many are now facing burnout, impacting their and their patients' well-being.

Despite a clear need for more nurses, with THIRTY SEVEN per cent of all nursing shifts in public hospitals being understaffed, many newly graduated nurses are still struggling to find work, and those who do are more commonly being put on part-time contracts.

With poverty and economic hardship increasing, emergency departments find themselves increasingly burdened and struggling to deliver quality care while being under-resourced.

To discuss the state of nursing in New Zealand and why it's leading to burnout, host Thomas talked to University of Auckland Professor of Nursing Andrew Jull.

This week on the Monday Wire...

For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News Director Castor asked about the ACT Party’s new health policy focused on increasing the responsibilities of pharmacists, and about the government’s decision to scrap the BSA.

They also spoke to President of Te Aka Tauira the Victoria University of Wellington Student’s Association, Aidan Donoghue, and National Secretary of the Tertiary Education Union, Amy Ross, about the fees free programme in light of proposals to cut it from the next budget.

Host Thomas talked to University of Auckland Professor of nursing Andrew Jull about understaffing in nursing and how it is leading to burnout.

He also spoke to Chief Executive of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation New Zealand, Letitia Harding, about new global care for children with asthma, based on New Zealand research. 

Last week, NZ First Leader Winston Peters leaked that the government is planning to cut the fees free programme that would see University students not paying course fees during their last year of study. The plan was later confirmed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.

Many students and educators have expressed displeasure at the announcement. The original policy, fees free for the first year of study, was changed by this government earlier in its term to affect the final year. At the time, the argument was that the change would motivate students to finish their degrees. Now, with the programme set to go, it’s unclear what the reasoning is from the government. 

To discuss what the fees free programme meant for students and the financial benefits it presented, News Director Castor spoke to President of Te Aka Tauira the Victoria University of Wellington Student’s Association, Aidan Donoghue.

Next, to discuss the educator perspective on the announcement, they also spoke to National Secretary of the Tertiary Education Union, Amy Ross

Last week, the Global Initiative for Asthma released an update to the recommended approach for treating asthma in children. The change now advises that children should follow the same treatment approach as adults, using a 2-in-1 anti-inflammatory reliever inhaler rather than the currently commonly used reliever-only inhaler.

The announcement was based in part on findings from a study conducted by the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, which found that the change in treatment could reduce asthma attacks in children by an average of 45%.

To discuss the potential impacts of the global treatment update and New Zealand’s role in the change, host Thomas talked to the Chief Executive of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation New Zealand, Letitia Harding.

The Media and Communications Minister, Paul Goldsmith, has announced that the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) will be scrapped, with media to self-regulate instead. 

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Dr Peter Thompson, Associate Professor in Media and Communications at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University and trustee at Better Public Media, about the change.

New research from the University of Auckland has found children’s screen use is linked with later difficulties in skills like attention, planning, self-control, and emotional regulation. The study pulled together 58 studies from around the world, with 81 percent showing at least one negative association between screen use and executive function over time. Researchers caution this does not prove causation, but say the findings raise important questions about how screen use affects children’s development.

Producer Pranuja spoke with Doctoral Researcher Claire Reid about what the research found, what executive function actually means, and how parents, schools, and policymakers should think about healthy screen use.

Auckland Council has approved their first-ever transport policy statement, which, together with the central Government’s Policy Statement on Land Transport, will shape the future of transport funding in Auckland.

And a petition is being hosted on Our ActionStation that calls on the Government to strengthen protections for the Waitākere Ranges. 

For City Counselling, Wire Host Caeden spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson about both of these topics.