95bFM: The Wire

Last week, Treasury delivered the Long Term Insights Briefing entitled ‘Te Ara Mokopuna’ which examines the use of fiscal policy in New Zealand to respond to challenges and economic shocks.

The report used stakeholder feedback and consultation to underscore how the government can seek to promote “fiscal sustainability and improving wellbeing for future generations of New Zealanders”.

Of particular interest, the report highlights the effect of spending decisions made during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As well, Transportation Minister Chris Bishop has announced the government’s plans to change up the road user charges system in what he says is the ‘biggest change to how we fund our roading network in 50 years’.

The changes are aimed at making charges fairer across road usage, reflecting the evolution in the types of cars now available. 

Legislative work will be carried out in 2026, with changes expected to come into effect in 2027.

At the end of July, Pharmac made the decision to expand eligibility to a fully funded Meningococcal B vaccine to all children under five. This decision has been supported and welcomed by the Meningitis Foundation, who say it will benefit over seventy thousand children in New Zealand. 

Now, the Foundation is calling for eligibility to be increased to a higher age limit, to account for all young people in New Zealand. Currently, younger people’s access to the funded vaccine is dependent on whether or not they fit a specific criteria, such as a first year student in halls, and the Foundation believes that young people would benefit greatly from the expanding of these criteria to cover a larger portion of the vulnerable young population.

Producer Alex spoke to Gerard Rushton, the chair of the Meningitis Foundation, about Pharmac’s decision, how meningitis affects young people, and why we should be expanding the eligibility to take care of young New Zealanders.

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 proposed overhaul of the NCEA curriculum to a different curriculum.

Producer Alex spoke to Emeritus Professor at the University of Auckland, Ruth Bonita about the continued lower excise rate on heated tobacco products, and how it plays into combatting smoking harm and Aotearoa’s smokefree goals.

Joel spoke to Angela Ballantyne, a Professor of Bioethics at the University of Otago, on research she led into medical professionals using AI to transcribe patient notes and the concerns of doing so.

And Alex spoke to the Chair of the Meningitis Foundation, Gerard Rushton, about Pharmac’s decision to increase eligibility for the meningococcal B vaccine to all children under five, and the foundation’s desire to see funding expand to all young people.

Whakarongo mai!

Concerns have been raised with medical professionals using AI scribes to transcribe patient notes.

This follows research by the University of Otago, where researchers surveyed 197 health providers in February and March last year into their experiences using AI in their practices.

40% surveyed had used AI scribes for patient notes, with most saying they had found AI helpful.

However, concerns have been raised over the potential legal and ethical consequences of AI scribing patient notes, such as through data security and  patient consent.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to the lead researcher in the study, and Professor of Bioethics at the University of Otago, Wellington — Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Pōneke, Angela Ballantyne, about AI scribing, and how AI should be regulated in this space.

In July last year, the government announced a one year period of lower excise rates on the Heated Tobacco Products produced by Philip Morris. Last month, the government extended that period by two years, with evaluation now set for July 2027. 

This move has been seen by some as a tax break or a corporate subsidy for Philip Morris, but some have argued that it is a positive step for harm prevention through encouraging smokers to buy healthier nicotine products.

Producer Alex spoke to Emeritus Professor in Population Health at the University of Auckland Ruth Bonita about the government’s move, what it means for Philip Morris, and how this will impact the health of New Zealanders.

Last week, the government announced a proposal to replace NCEA with an alternative educational curriculum.

NCEA, which has been in place since 2002, has received mixed responses. In announcing the move, Education Minister, Erica Stanford, says that due to the flexibility of NCEA, this has “come at a cost” for young people to develop critical thinking skills and knowledge for future pathways.

The proposed changes include replacing NCEA level 1 with a foundational test, solely focusing on numeracy and literacy, replacing NCEA’s level 2 and 3 with two new qualifications, requiring students take five subjects, and having to pass at least four to obtain a certificate.

This move is not without its criticisms and concerns, however. For example, Many teachers have told RNZ that the changes, which are set to be phased in from next year, are too swift, with teachers saying they will need additional support during the transition process.

For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to him about potentially moving away from NCEA.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about the scrapping of NCEA, the opening of an FBI Office in Wellington, and the latest unemployment rate. 

For International Desk, they spoke to Assistant Professor in Journalism at Mount Royal University, Gabriela Perdomo Páez, about Canadian news coverage of Gaza.

For City Counselling this week, Producer Sanat spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson about the state of Local Democracy and a new funding mechanism for councils called regional deals.

He also spoke to Forest and Bird’s General Policy Manager Richard Capie about the Government’s new proposals around conservation land that could see a significant amount of conservation land carved out for commercial use. 

And he spoke to Professor Meihana Durie about the World Indigenous People’s Conference on Education, an exciting international event happening this November at the AUT campus about the international global indigenous education movement. 

The deadline for enrolling to vote in Local elections and nominations for candidates closed last week, with last minute pushes across the country to make sure as many seats as possible were being contested. 

There were concerns from the Electoral Commission and Local Councils across the country that some seats might go uncontested or only have one person running.

Producer Sanat wanted to understand what the state of local democracy is in Auckland and whether the council is doing enough to make sure it is healthy and thriving. 

Also in today’s discussion is a conversation about Regional Deals. Recently Auckland Council signed a memorandum of understanding with the government in order to begin “negotiating” a regional deal. 

Producer Sanat wanted to understand what a regional deal is and what it can do for Auckland, especially as recent unemployment and homelessness figures suggest that our city has been hit hardest by the recent economic downturn. 

He started off by asking Councillor Shane Henderson about the state of Auckland's Local Democracy.

With World Indigenous People’s Day coming up this Saturday we had an opportunity to talk to Professor Meihana Durie, who is the Co-Chair of this year’s World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education this November. 

WIPCE is one of the world’s most significant gatherings for Indigenous educators and thought leaders, returning to Aotearoa for the first time in 20 years

It will bring together over 2,000 Indigenous experts and creatives from 20+ countries - all focused on education, language, climate, arts, and decolonisation.

Professor Durie is a leading voice in Māori education and kaupapa Māori health.

Producer Sanat wanted to understand how this conference fits into the broader global indigenous right’s movement so I started by asking Professor Durie about the conference’s kaupapa. 

“When Genocide Wasn’t News” is a recently released Canadian book that documents major Canadian news organisations' reporting on Gaza.

The book claims the media has “whitewashed Israeli violence, dehumanised Palestinians and smeared a growing protest movement.”

Gabriela Perdomo Páez, Assistant Professor of journalism at Mount Royal University, says journalists who support peace efforts can easily be accused of being “biased” in favour of those promoting peace. 

For International Desk, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Perdomo Páez about Canadian news coverage of Gaza.