95bFM: The Wire

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to MP Shanan Halbert about rising fuel costs, the government’s proposed pay rise for some primary teachers, and the Lawyers for Climate Action case against the government for dropping climate policies.

They also spoke to Dr Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland, on rising fuel costs, New Zealand’s dependency on petrol, and alternative ways of thinking about transport. 

For City Counselling this week, News Director Castor spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about fuel insecurity and transport and energy alternatives in Auckland. 

Producer Pranuja spoke to Professor Nirmal Nair from the Department of Electrical, Computer and Software Engineering at the University of Auckland on making the switch to Electric Vehicles.

She also spoke with Dr Murat Ungor from the Department of Economics at the University of Otago on how New Zealand can deal with the price at the pump.

Petrol prices have risen at least 20% since the start of the month, with the price of 91 Petrol now above $3.

The government has offered pay rises to primary teachers on individual employment agreements, undermining their current negotiations with the New Zealand Educational Institute.

And Lawyers for Climate Action and the Environmental Law Initiative are jointly taking a court case against the government for their dismantling of climate policies immediately after they were elected.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to MP Shanan Halbert about all of these topics.

The government has announced a $25 million funding boost for the health sector, with 378 new roles. The government sez the boost will support our health system to manage during the winter illness period. 

Health unions have said that while they’re grateful for the funding, more is necessary to address the core issues within the health sector. The New Zealand Nurses Organisation pointed to existing understaffing across the country, and noted that, while a good step, this solution does not come close to fully solving the problem. 

To discuss the state of nursing and if the funding boost will help, News Director Castor spoke to Chief Executive of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, Paul Goulter. 

This week, Lawyers for Climate Action New Zealand took the Climate Change Minister Simon Watts to Wellington’s High Court on the government’s lack of consultation in dismantling dozens of climate policies shortly after the last election. 

Also under scrutiny, is the government’s over-reliance on offsetting climate emissions through planting pine trees.

Internationally, similar court cases have pressured governments like that of the Netherlands and United Kingdom to revisit their own climate change policies.

Next week, leaders in the field of climate litigation will gather in Tāmaki Makaurau to discuss these developments and more, with an eye to the changes occurring internationally.

To understand this arena of the climate crisis, I spoke to Associate Professor of Law, and Chair for the upcoming Climate Litigation Conference, Vernon Rive.

Community groups across Aotearoa are organising a National Day of Action to protest against the move-on orders proposed by the government. The Day of Action will be on Sunday, 29th of March, criticising the targeting of people who are already struggling on the streets.

The proposed changes would see police officers empowered to force homeless people to relocate, for behaviours such as begging or seeking to inhabit a space. Multiple groups have opposed the changes, claiming they punish people unfairly for something largely outside of their control. 

To discuss the move-on orders and the day of action, Wire host Alex spoke to founder of Kick Back, Aaron Hendry. 

With the strait of Hormuz currently under an Iranian blockade, twenty percent of the world’s daily oil traffic now sits immobilised behind a wall of sea mines. Two and a half weeks into America’s war with Iran, people across the globe are feeling the effects of the conflict in the form of spiking fuel prices. With petrol prices in New Zealand surging past three dollars per litre, the government is considering its options.

Producer Toby spoke to Auckland University emeritus professor and energy economics expert Basil Sharp about the lessons we’ve learned (or perhaps failed to learn) from our response to the oil crisis of 1979, and what we could do now to improve our energy security in New Zealand.

This week on the Wednesday Wire... 

For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, News Director Castor spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about cost of living, the government being sued over its environmental policy, and the second phase of the government’s COVID 19 inquiry. 

They also spoke to Chief Executive of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, Paul Goulter, about the government’s newly announced funding boost for the health sector and how far it will go to address issues. 

Tuesday Wire host Alex spoke to founder of Kick Back, Aaron Hendry, about the National Day of Action at the end of March in protest against the government’s new move-on orders.

Producer Theo spoke to Auckland Law School’s Associate Professor Vernon Rive on climate litigation and the current case before the Wellington High Court. 

And Producer Toby spoke to Emeritus Professor Dr. Basil Sharp about surging petrol prices, and what New Zealand can learn from our response to the energy crisis of 1979.

In 2023, New Zealand enacted a world first ban on live animal exports by sea. Part of the National and ACT coalition agreement included plans to reverse the ban. However, last week, the government announced it would not go ahead with repealing the ban, with Associate Minister of Agriculture Andrew Hoggard saying that a consensus within cabinet could not be achieved before this year’s general election. 

Wire producer Liam spoke to Debra Ashton, Chief Executive of SAFE For Animals, about the impact of the government’s decision and the future for live exports and animal welfare.

This week on the Tuesday Wire...

For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Host Alex spoke with Ryan Hamilton about the Government’s pay offer to primary school teachers on individual agreements, and the criticism of the move by the NZEI union. We also spoke about the release of the second phase of the Royal Commission Inquiry into the COVID-19 response, and what it tells us.

And Producer Liam spoke to Debra Ashton, the Chief Executive of SAFE for Animals, about the government’s decision not to go ahead with repealing the ban on live animal exports by sea. 

This week on the Monday Wire...

For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News Director Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about the second phase of the government’s COVID 19 Inquiry, and the creation of MCERT, the ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions, and Transport. 

They also spoke to spokesperson for NZEI Te Riu Roa, the union for Primary School Teachers, Liam Rutherford, about a recent dispute between the union and the government, where individual employment agreements were offered to non-union teachers before collective bargaining finished.

And they spoke to Director of Pūtahi research Daniel Collins about a proposed data centre to be built in Southland and concerns around its potential water use. 

Producer Thomas spoke to E tū Union Director for manufacturing and food Finn O’Dwyer-Cunliffe about Heinz Watties closing FOUR of its sites across the country and what can be done to protect workers from local producers shutting down.

And he also talked to Public Service Association National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons about the PSA calling on MPs to sign a pledge which promises to stop a bill that would cut holidays for thousands of workers.