95bFM: The Wire

A United Nations report from late October has criticised France for their crackdown on protestors in New Caledonia earlier this year.

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Viro Xulue, a Kanak advocate in New Caledonia, about the report and the continued movement for independence.

They started by asking about what the report said.

Last Thursday the first reading of the ACT party’s controversial “Treaty Principles Bill” took place in Parliament. Members of the opposition joined in the hīkoi in response to the bill and were there to greet protestors at Parēmata. 

And yesterday was the third and final reading of the Citizenship Western Samoa Amendment Bill. The bill restores the citizenship of 3480 Samoan elders.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about both of these topics.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum occured last week with the United States in attendance. The 21 nations discussed issues of free trade and climate change impact in the region.

The United States has also shifted their foreign policy on Ukraine, allowing the use of their missiles in Russia. 

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has received scrutiny for unconventional cabinet picks over the past week. The most controversial of these is Attorney-General nominee Matt Gaetz, who is under investigation by the House ethics committee for drug use, misuse of campaign funds, and allegations of sexual misconduct.

Wire Host Caeden speaks to Andre Fa'oso from the Yale Daily News about all of these topics for State of the States.

Earlier this week, the nine-day trek that was Hīkoi mō te Tiriti made it to its final destination, the grounds of Parliament. 

The hīkoi was in response to a myriad of policies from the National, ACT, and NZ First coalition government regarding Māori and te Tiriti o Waitangi, including the ACT Party’s highly controversial Treaty Principles Bill, and sought to highlight how te Tiriti unites Aotearoa through kotahitanga. 

Producer Sofia spoke to renowned Māori activist and artist, Tāme Iti, about the overall energy on the hīkoi, the support for its kaupapa, and the message he thinks it sent to the coalition. 

Wire Hosts Caeden and Castor were at the hīkoi in Te Whanganui-a-Tara on Tuesday. They spoke to Tangata Whenua, Tangata Moana, and Tangata Tiriti about why they were there, also asking protestors if they had a message for ACT leader David Seymour, who brought the Bill to Parliament.

It’s been almost two weeks since republican candidate Donald J Trump was announced victor of the 2024 US presidential elections.

One of the promises of the president-elect was that he would introduce tariffs on all imported goods coming into the United States.

With the US being the third largest trading partner of Aotearoa New Zealand, Trump’s tariff policy poses serious implications for our economy and relationship with the United States. 

Oto spoke to Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Auckland Jane Kelsey, to discuss Donald Trump’s Tariff proposal and it’s implications for Aotearoa, New Zealand

Oto spoke to Professor of Māori studies at the University of Auckland - Margaret Mutu of Ngāti Kahu, Te Rarawa and Ngāti Whātua descent, to discuss the treaty principles bill and why it generated such a strong reaction from those in attendance at the Hīkoi.

Margaret is an expert on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and says that ACT’s treaty principles bill would reinterpret Te Tiriti in a way that would undermine the rights of Māori and tangata whenua.

On November 19th, 2010 a coal mining accident in Pike River Mine resulted in a methane explosion claiming the lives of 29 miners on the site. Now as the ten year anniversary has come and gone, the minister of Workplace relations, ACT MP Brooke van Velden read a statement commenorating the miners who have passed. 

This comes after the minsters' actions on health and safety failed to understand the lessons of Pike River, the reduction of serious injuries and death at work, the harsh realities of workers needing safety standards. 

Producer Yesenia spoke to Savage, Director of Organusations at E Tū about the core messages workers have for the ministry of Health, the high number of deaths occuring in a singular day and where the Work and Safety Act of 2015 could be improved ro reflect workers vitality. 

For their regular catch-up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March about the arrival of hīkoi mō te tiriti on parliament grounds, as well as the government’s plan to introduce visitors fees to conservation areas.

He spoke to Margaret Mutu, a professor of Māori studies at the University of Auckland, for a follow up conversation about the hīkoi with a focus on Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

For this week’s Get Action! He spoke to Charlotte Melser representing the Concerned Communities of Taranaki and Manawatu, to discuss a petition of theirs opposing the granting of any seabed mining consents to Trans Tasman Resource Limited.
And he spoke to Emeritus Professor of Law - Jane Kelsey, to discuss the impacts of Donald Trump’s tariff proposal on the economy of New Zealand.

Yesenia spoke to Director of Organising at E Tū - Savage, about the unions calls to the ministry of health to improve the Work and Safety Act of 2015 in wake of the 10-year annviersary of the Pike River mine disaster which killed 29 miners.

This week on the Tuesday Wire...

For Dear Science, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman chats to us about how mining old data from NASA’s Voyager two has solved a variety of mysteries about Uranus, lizard spit being able to detect a rare pancreatic tumour, and elephants turning a hose into a showering tool, thanks to MOTAT.

For our weekly catchup with the National Party, News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to MP Tom Rutherford about the Treaty Principles Bill passing its first reading in Parliament, the haka in protest of this, and Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon considering joining Pillar 2 of the AUKUS agreement.

Tuesday Wire Host, Castor, spoke to acting head of research and advocacy at Consumer NZ, Jessica Walker, about scamming in New Zealand for Fraud Awareness Week.

Producer Athena spoke to Professor of Law at the University of Auckland, Alexandra Andhov, about frameworks being implimented to combat scamming, also in light of Fraud Awareness Week.

And Athena spoke to Buy NZ Made Executive Director, Dane Ambler, about the concerns regarding overconsumption during the upcoming Black Friday shopping season, and how consumers can be mindful during this period.

Whakarongo mai!