95bFM: The Wire

Last week, the Professional Firefighters Union went on strike from 12-1pm on Friday, calling for better pay and conditions for firefighters across New Zealand.

This week, we will see a ‘megastrike’ of nurses and teachers which is predicted to potentially be the largest labour action in forty years.

Among their agenda items are Palestine, NCEA changes, AI marking and the curriculum.

Finally, a petition with 20,000 signatures was delivered to Parliament relating to an amendment which will see tightened eligibility for Maaori groups to receive customary title under the Marine and Coastal Area act.

Wire Host Sara spoke with National MP Carl Bates about all of these topics, starting with the firefighter union strike

Te Pati Maori have drawn media speculation on the strength of their leadership, which has been described as “internal chaos” and “infighting,” despite the party announcing a reset.

Academic and professor of Maori management Jason Mika from the University of Auckland’s business school likens the conflict to “an open divorce court gone bad,” and believes that a shift in focus is needed. 

Producer Faith spoke to Mika about the party’s conflicts, and how he believes they need to refocus.

In a recent article for Newsroom, University of Auckland climate scientist Dr Kevin E Trenberth wrote about the continued ‘existential threat’ of climate change.

He outlines the key issues of climate change, including droughts, intense rains and flooding risks and tropical storms. All leading to food and water shortages.

In the article, he also called net-zero a “pipe dream”, given the shortfalls of the Paris Agreement and other climate accords 

Thursday Wire Host Caeden spoke to Trenberth, who is a Distinguished Scholar at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research, USA, and an honorary academic at the Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, about his article, including the most urgent climate change-driven threats and what role New Zealand has to play in enacting solutions.

They started by asking what about the current moment inspired him to write his article.

This week on the Monday Wire:

For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about the government's changes to methane targets and this week’s upcoming multi-sector strikes, which is expected to have 100,000 workers walk off the job.

Producer Alex spoke to Principal Scientist at Earth Sciences NZ Dr Nick Cradock-Henry about the Governments new National Adaption Framework for Climate Change, and what it means for policy and what holes remain.

Thursday Wire Host Caeden spoke to Dr Kevin E Trenberth, climate scientist and honorary academic at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Science, about the most pressing climate change-driven threats and the role of New Zealand in enacting solutions.

And Alex spoke to Associate Professor of History at the University of Auckland, Jennifer Frost, about the No Kings protests in the United States over the weekend, and what they mean politically for the country and the Trump Administration.

Whakarongo mai!

Over the weekend, a Second round of ‘No Kings’ protests took place across the United States, protesting the anti-democratic actions of the second Trump Administration.

The previous protests in june saw 5 million join in, and this round had 250 planned protests across all 50 states. Officials in New York estimated crowds of around 100,000 people.

Concerns, however, remain around whether or not these protests will do something, and whether or not they matter, in the face of Trump’s authoritarian leanings and the actions of his administration.

Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Associate Professor of History at the University of Auckland, Jennifer Frost, about these protests, and what they say about political attitudes towards Trump in the United States.

The government has recently reduced biogenic methane emission targets to 14-24% by 2050, changing the reductions passed in 2019 under the Zero Carbon Act of cuts between 24-47% below 2017 levels by 2050.

These changes have faced criticisms from the Opposition and climate activists, and scientists. Green Party co-leader, Chlöe Swarbrick, says “This methane denial betrays farmers who are on the front line of climate-driven extreme weather events that threaten global food production and rural livelihoods”.

For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, New and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to Court about the target changes.

They also discussed this week’s multi-sector strike action, which will be attended by workers from various sectors, such as the medical and education sector.

Public Service Minister Judith Collins, regarding teachers striking, called the strike action “unfair and unwarranted,” and said that the union, the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers' Association’s (PPTA’s) primary agenda was to discuss Palestine with Education Minister Erica Stanford. However, PPTA President, Chris Abercrombie, disputed this, saying Palestine was one of several topics the union had wanted to discuss with the Minister, including AI in education and changes to NCEA.

They discussed this, but first, we discussed the government’s changes to methane targets.

Last week, the Government released their first ‘National Adaptation Framework’ for adapting to Climate Change.

The announcement highlights the risks those in Aotearoa face regarding climate related disasters and harms, such as floods or storms as climate change gets worse. This comes alongside a focus on ensuring that Aotearoa’s economy is able to withstand, handle, and grow in the face of these risks.

While this is a positive step, there remain concerns around how adaptation fits in, whether this plan covers all bases, and what still needs to be done.

Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Principal Scientist at Earth Sciences New Zealand, Dr Cradock-Henry, about the framework, its strengths, and its drawbacks.

Only 32.6% of eligible voters voted in local elections, the worst turnout in 36 years. 

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has welcomed the ceasefire in Gaza.

And politicians across the house have criticised Te Pāti Māori for the confusing infighting between members that has played out over the past few days.

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

Earlier this month, the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture visited Aotearoa for the first time since 2013. The delegation made a range of unannounced visits to facilities such as prisons, police stations, and youth justice and protection residencies.  

The end of visit observations included a repeated emphasis on strengthening investment in and utility of our National Preventative Mechanism - the collective of Aotearoa’s independent statutory organisations tasked with advancing the kaupapa to keep detained people safe.

The subcommittee’s final report will be delivered to Aotearoa’s government, which is then up to government discretion whether the document is made public. 

Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Meg de Ronde, CEO of Te Kāhui Tika Tangata (Human Rights Commission) - the coordinating body of the National Preventative Mechanism - about the subcommittee's statements.

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ is celebrating a landmark moment for women’s health today as the Government officially extends breast screening nationwide to women aged up to 74.

After campaigning for eight years to increase the screening age limit from 69 to 74, the Foundation’s Chair, Justine Smyth, says the national roll-out marks a significant victory for early detection.

“A woman’s risk of breast cancer is actually higher at 70 than it is at 50, which is why we campaigned so hard to get the age limit raised,” Justine says.

“Thanks to the extension, more women will have the chance to detect breast cancer early, when it’s most treatable. And early detection means less invasive treatment, faster recovery, and most importantly – more lives saved.”

Thursday Wire Producer Sanat spoke to Justine about the changes, what they mean for families and communities across the country, their advocacy journey and the next steps for Breast Cancer awareness.