95bFM: The Wire

Last week, Minister for Resources & Regional Development Shane Jones announced ‘From the Ground Up: A draft strategy to unlock New Zealand’s geothermal potential’.

This draft strategy highlights a shift in focus towards the geothermal market, identifying it as one with potential for growth and innovation as a cornerstone of New Zealand’s energy environment.

Producer Alex spoke to the Co-Director of the Geothermal Institute within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Auckland, Dr John O’Sullivan, about geothermal energy and what this focus could mean.

Last week, it was announced that the FBI would open a dedicated attaché office in Wellington, to investigate threats, such as terrorism, child exploitation, and cyber crime.

Announcing the office, director of the FBI, Kash Patel, sez the event is a “historic moment” and that with this move, symbolises the FBI’s prioritisation of having a permanent presence across all Five Eyes countries, which New Zealand is a part of.

Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, says Patel’s visit to the country “send[s] a clear message to criminals” that they “cannot hide behind an international border”.

For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel spoke to Simon about the FBI’s office, and some criticisms the move has had.

They also spoke about multiple countries recently indicating their moves to formally recognise a state of Palestine, and what plans Aotearoa has in this space.

But first, they discussed the FBI’s new office in the capital.

Recent findings from 6 countries, including New Zealand, of over 6.5 million cardiovascular disease hospitalisations, show a correlation between hospitalisations and the aftermath following a tropical cyclone.

The research looked into the hospitalisations of six different cardiovascular diseases, and showed that hospitalisations increased two months following a tropical cyclone and continued for six months after.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Professor George Laking from Te Aka Mātauranga Matepukupu Centre for Cancer Research at the University of Auckland about this study, and a similar study he helped conduct following Cyclone Gabrielle - ‘Te Weu me Te Wai’

Following the fire at the Victoria Park New World, Foodstuffs North Island promised to hire displaced workers at the soon to open New World Point Chevalier.

However, with the opening of the Point Chevalier store on the 19th of August, a significant number of displaced employees remain out of work, with 40% without job offers, as their paycheques come to an end.

Producer Alex spoke to Workers First Union Organiser Jas Giri about Foodstuffs’ promise, the current rehiring situation, and what the Union would like to see in the near future from Foodstuffs.

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 FBI opening up an office in Wellington, and multiple countries announcing their plans to formally recognise Palestinian statehood, and whether we plan to here, in Aotearoa.

Producer Alex spoke to the Co-Director of the Geothermal Institute at the University of Auckland, Dr John O’Sullivan, about the Government’s recent Draft strategy for geothermal energy, and what geothermal energy means for Aotearoa.

Joel spoke to Professor George Laking from Te Aka Mātauranga Matepukupu Centre for Cancer Research at the University of Auckland, about new research, showing hospitalisations of cardiovascular diseases increasing following tropical cyclones.

And Alex spoke to Workers First Union Organiser Jas Giri about Foodstuffs North Island’s promise that the workers displaced by the Victoria Park New World Fire would be rehired at the new Point Chevalier store, which has not fully come to fruition.

Whakarongo mai!

On Monday, Auckland Council staff were sighted taking belongings such as tents and sleeping bags from rough sleepers at the Grafton United Cricket Club ground. 

This is happening at a time where the amount of rough sleepers on Auckland’s streets has increased 90 percent since last September and 15 percent of those leaving emergency housing are going straight to homelessness. 

On Tuesday, Auckland Council’s Community Committee received updates on the state of homelessness in the city and discussed what the Council’s response will be. 

For City Counselling this week Producer Sanat spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about the worsening homelessness in the city. 

Sanat started by asking about the incident on Monday and whether Auckland Council is doing enough to respond to homelessness.

According to outreach providers, Auckland has had a 90% increase in homelessness since September last year.

Auckland Council’s Community Committee Chair Angela Dalton says government policy changes have “made it harder for people to access emergency housing.”

The committee has called for the government to work with frontline agencies to address the issue.

Yesterday, nearly 36,000 nurses, midwives, and healthcare workers went on strike for 24 hours.

This followed the breakdown of mediation talks between the nurses' union and Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand.

The union says they are striking because of the ‘dire’ staffing situation.

And the government has announced a series of electoral law changes, including the end to same-day voter enrollment. 

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these issues.

They started by asking about the increase in homelessness in Auckland.

Through a mixture of seasonal migration, deportations and cost of living pressures, Pacific Island nations are facing an unprecedented influx of meth into their communities. 

Producer Sanat spoke to Sir Colin Tukuitonga, Associate Dean Pacific and Professor of Public Health at the University of Auckland about this crisis in health.

He says that “Meth poses a dire health threat in the Pacific. It’s extremely addictive, devastates people’s mental health, and is driving the spread of HIV in Fiji at an alarming rate, through needle and blood sharing. “

According to Sir Colin more needs to be done by international health organisations and law enforcement to help fund better rehabilitation services and stop the inflow of meth into Pacific Island nations. 

Here is that interview.

The International Court of Justice has issued an advisory opinion that nations can be held legally accountable for greenhouse-gas emissions. 

The Court found that those who are harmed by human-caused climate change could be entitled to reparations.

The case was spearheaded by Pacific island students and the government of Vanuatu, and then backed by 105 sponsor countries.

For International Desk, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to Justin Sobion, a University of Auckland Senior Tutor in Law who also acted as counsel for Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Here is that interview.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni on the spike in homelessness in Auckland, yesterday’s nurses strike, and the end to same-day voter enrollment.

For City Counselling this week, Producer Sanat spoke with Councillor Julie Fairey about reports earlier this week of Auckland Council staff taking tents and sleeping bags from rough sleepers in the CBD and more broadly what Auckland Council’s response to homelessness looks like.

For International Desk, Joel spoke to Justin Sobion, Senior Tutor in Law at the University of Auckland and counsel for Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’, on the recent International Court of Justice ruling on states' climate change obligations.

And Sanat spoke to Associate Dean Pacific of the University of Auckland Sir Colin Tukuitonga about the growing drug crisis in the Pacific.