Episodes
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This week on the Tuesday Wire...
For Dear Science this week, we’re doing things a little differently, with two new experts, Professor Sebastian Leuzinger and Associate Professor Armagan Sabetian, chat with us about Octopus brains and fast-aging fish.
Host Alex speaks with Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Otago, Andrew Geddis, about New Zealand First’s promise to restrict voting rights for non-citizens.
Producer Liam chats with Associate Professor Jennifer Frost from the University of Auckland about America’s 250th Anniversary, how people have engaged with it, and how President Donald Trump is increasingly modelling himself as a king and distancing himself from the principals that founded the United States.
Liam also speaks to Dr John Horrocks, an independent researcher, about the continued use of leaded petrol in New Zealand for light aircraft and motor racing, the possible health consequences of the use of leaded petrol, and what this country can do to phase it out completely.
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In 1996, after 20 years of debate and pushback from oil lobbyists, New Zealand banned the use of leaded gasoline in cars. An exception, however, remained, with leaded petrol still permitted for use in light aircraft, helicopters and motor racing. Lead, even in small doses, has been linked to negative health effects including neurodevelopmental disorders.
I spoke with Dr John Horrocks, an independent researcher who, in collaboration with University of Otago Public Health Professor Nick Wilson, published a briefing on the continued use of lead in New Zealand. We discussed why leaded petrol is still being used, what health effects it might have, and what we can do to phase its use out.
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Missing episodes?
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On Sunday, New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters pledged that NZ First would bar non-citizens from voting, emphasising ideals about what citizenship means as a requirement to vote. A promise that Peters has made before, the pledge has been questioned over whether there’s actually any problem with the current system, how this will harm permanent residents in New Zealand, and what NZ First's goal is with the pledge against the background of their anti-immigration stances.
Host Alex spoke with Andrew Geddis, Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Otago, about this promise, and what it could mean for non-citizens.
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This week on the Monday Wire...
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, News Director Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about proposals to reduce the number of government ministries and about what the ACT Party has for Auckland.
They also spoke to Associate Professor of Law, Vernon Rive, about iwi leader and climate activist Mike Smith’s new case against the New Zealand government.
And Producer Jude spoke to distinguished scholar and scientist, Dr. Kevin Trenberth, about the heatwave in Europe and the eastern half of the United States.
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Europe and the eastern half of the United States are currently experiencing an intense heatwave.
This heatwave is caused by a strong high-pressure weather pattern, or otherwise known as an anticyclone or a "heat dome”. This traps a large amount of hot air, which then sinks to the ground. It brings with it dry and sunny days.
The current anticyclone has been stuck in place for roughly two weeks. With the trapped air absorbing more heat on the daily.
Heatwaves are considered the most dangerous type of weather event, with an approximated TWENTY THOUSAND heat related deaths in Europe alone.
The eastern half of the United States has also seen some extreme consequences from the heat, with at least TWENTY FIVE deaths confirmed over this weekend. The extreme heat has also coincided with Independence Day celebrations, prompting warnings that such hot and dry conditions could increase the risk of wildfires in some places.
Heatwaves to this extent aren’t caused purely by weather but are driven by global warming and climate change.
To learn more about this heatwave, its causes and what we can do about it. Producer Jude spoke to distinguished scholar and scientist, Dr Kevin Trenberth.
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Iwi leader and climate activist Mike Smith had put forward a landmark climate litigation case against major polluters in New Zealand, set to be heard in April next year. The government changed the law to prevent this case from going forward, claiming that it reduced business confidence in the legal system.
Smith, in response, has launched a case against the government directly, claiming that in putting forward this change, the government only consulted with the defendants.
To discuss the full situation, the likelihood of success for Smith, and the ramifications of this case going forward, News Director Castor spoke to Associate Professor of Law Vernon Rive.
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A report from the Auditor-General has found that while the government’s school lunch programme is saving money compared to Labour’s, it has not been able to show if it is delivering on its aims.
Health Coalition Aotearoa h expressed concern about the meals not meeting nutrition standards, meaning they fail to “provide enough energy, protein, grains, and vegetables, ideally covering between a quarter to 30% of what children need in a day, depending on their age.”
The evaluation found that the School Lunch Collective lunches only provide half to two-thirds of the recommended energy and are 40% lower in energy compared to the meals provided in 2022 before the programme changes.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to Dr Kelly Garton, Health Coalition Aotearoa spokesperson and Senior Research Fellow in the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland, about the report and the impact of cutting costs.
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A new study looking into the best ways to recover from multi-pronged nicotine addiction has just been launched.
While typical addiction recovery methods include weaning off a product or using a lighter dosage, this study looks into a new drug, cytisine, which can help reduce nicotine addiction. This study aims to find the most effective way for people to make a clean break from nicotine dependence.
To discuss the drug, addiction recovery, and what this study could mean more broadly, Producer Pranuja spoke to author Professor Chris Bullen from the University of Auckland.
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For City Counselling this week, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson on progress for the Northwest busway being halted, a potential funding pause for Heart of the City, and the Mayor saying disaster recovery costs are contributing to a rates increase.
And they spoke to Dr Kelly Garton, Health Coalition Aotearoa Spokesperson and Senior Research Fellow in the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland, about a report from the Auditor-General warning that the government’s school lunch programme is not able to show if it's delivering on its aims.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke to MP Shanan Halbert about Labour’s congress, the party’s proposed apprenticeship boost, state housing rents, and the Regulatory Standards Act.
She also spoke with Professor Chris Bullen about multi-pronged nicotine addiction, and his new study into alternative ways to quit smoking.
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The fast-track application for the Northwest Busway project has been halted over a dispute between Auckland Council and the New Zealand Transport Agency.
Funding could be paused for the business association Heart of the City following mass resignations from the organisation and calls for an audit.
And Mayor Wayne Brown says underestimated disaster recovery costs are partly to blame for Auckland's higher rates this year.
For City Counselling this week, Wire Host Caeden asked Councillor Shane Henderson about all of these topics.
