95bFM: The Wire

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Aotearoa New Zealand later this year. The expected visit follows the signing of the trade agreement between India and New Zealand last month. However, Prime Minister Modi is a controversial figure in Indian politics, largely for his religiously divisive policy and anti-Muslim speeches. Wire Host Caeden spoke to Sapna Samant, GP, storyteller, and activist, who is critical of Indian Prime Minister Modi and his supporters in the diaspora, about his expected visit.

A survey of Automobile Association members' views on time-of-use charging has been presented to the Auckland Council's Transport and Infrastructure Delivery Committee.  The survey found that members were open to congestion charging if it worked, even if they thought it was unfair. Labour leader Chris Hipkins gave a ‘State of Auckland' speech last week, focusing on the need for cross-party collaboration on infrastructure projects. Wire Host Caeden spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson about both of these topics.

The recent OECD report conducting an autopsy on the economy here in Aotearoa came back with huge concerns and transformative suggestions going forward. And while some, such as the suggestion to raise the age of superannuation, have been taken on board by the leading National Party, others, like a renewable energy transition, have been poo-pooed. Current energy policy discussions in New Zealand have focused on liquid natural gas, also known as LNG, which needs to be stored in special conditions. The government is moving forward with plans to spend over a billion dollars on a terminal specially designed to import LNG into the country and fund it with a tax on electricity. But buying natural gas is no simple endeavour. Along with petrol, LNG prices are spiking at the moment, and standard practice is to set up to buy a regular contracted amount, which, due to limited storage conditions, may have to be used or risk costing us more. To understand the ins and outs of the OECD report on energy policy, we got Emeritus Professor of Economics and former director of the Energy Centre, Basil Sharp, to sit down with Host Manny in the studio to share his concerns with LNG and his ideas to on how to reform the electricity market.

Last week, figures published by RNZ showed that Afterpay made close to $20m in late fees in Aotearoa New Zealand, in the year to December 2025. This revenue is an increase on their 2024 earnings, and comes after legislation was introduced to bring Buy Now Pay Later lending services—such as Afterpay—under similar regulation to other lenders. Prior to September of 2024, buy now pay later lenders were exempted from the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act that governs other lenders. This is because, unlike other lenders such as credit card companies, buy now pay later schemes do not charge interest or any other fees—so long as the debts are repaid on time—meaning they did not meet the definition of a ‘consumer credit contract'. After September of 2024, however, they came under the act, with some exemptions, such as that they don't have to carry out the same checks as other lenders to see if a borrower can actually afford a loan. A later amendment exempted them from the prohibition on charging unreasonable fees and also exempted them from being required to ensure default fees do no more than reasonably compensate the provider for their costs. Earlier this year, Consumer New Zealand and FinCap (with support from Victoria University and funding from the Borrin Foundation) published the second stage of their report examining Buy Now Pay Later schemes in Aotearoa New Zealand, before and after these regulatory changes. So, to discuss the recently reported Afterpay late fee revenues within the wider context of what that report found, producer Theo spoke to the senior policy advisor at FinCap, Jake Lilley.

This week on the Wedne For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the changes to accommodation supplement eligibility, NZ First's proposal to buy BNZ, and the power of minor parties. He then spoke to Emeritus Professor of Economics and former director of the Energy Centre, Basil Sharp, about the recent OECD report's findings on Aotearoa's energy policy. Producer Theo spoke to Jake Lilley, the senior policy advisor for FinCap, on Afterpay's recently publicised late fees revenue, and the issues of buy now pay later lending services. Finally, News teamer Liam spoke to Professor Warwick Bagg, Dean of the Faculty of Medical Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, about the recently announced changes to undergraduate health programmes and what this will mean for students.   

This week has seen discussions on New Zealand Firsts announcement that if they win the election they plan to buy BNZ and nationalise it into kiwibank, a plan some estimate to cost $30,000,000,000 and has been completely ruled out by their coalition partner in the National Party. Despite this, it's sparked conversations around how we should be engaging with our banking sector, the vast majority of it dominated by Australian owned banks. And critics fear that National party changes to the accommodation supplement is going to hit poor working families at a time they're already doing it rough, nullifying other support that they are offering the rest of the country more broadly, repeating a pattern of policies that hurt poorer communities worse than the rich. So for our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March on what impact he thinks will come from restrictions to the accommodation supplement, particularly for the poor, they then discussed New Zealand Firsts policy to buy BNZ bank, and whether minor parties tend to over promise if they are constrained by the major parties who they will inevitably have to work with if they make into parliament.

This week on the Tuesday Wire... For Dear Science this week, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman speaks with us about politics and expertise, solar storms and trees, and droughts in Aotearoa.  For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Host Alex spoke with MP Ryan Hamilton about the state of the Social Media Ban for Under-16s, the Prime Minister's comments about immigration, and the upcoming budget.  And for Green World this week, Producer Liam spoke to Professor Nicolas Lewis about the government's plan to disestablish the Ministry for the Environment and merge it into a combined Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport, and what effects this will have in the short and long term? 

Public submissions for the policing amendment bill are currently being made, and several privacy concerns have been raised.  The bill is split into two parts, with the first focusing on intelligence gathering and the second giving police new powers to declare a wider range of public areas off limits earlier.  The impact of the first part on privacy rights in particular has been up for debate, as new changes would allow police to take photos and record in public with a much lower bar of justification and are not required to provide a right to access or deletion.  Originally, police were forced by the courts to stop taking photos unless they were directly related to a case, after it was revealed in 2020 that they had been taking photos of TENS of THOUSANDS of people not suspected of any crime, the majority of whom were Māori youth. To discuss the policing amendment bill and its potential privacy impacts, host Thomas talked to University of Auckland Professor of commercial law Gehen Gunasekara.

At the end of last year, Australia introduced a ban on social media use for those under the age of 16. While the policy was discussed across the globe in multiple countries, Australia was the first to actually introduce it.  New Zealand is one of the countries looking into introducing its own social media ban, despite a growing amount of evidence that the bans are ineffective. Young people are not only often resourceful enough to dodge the ban, but often the most significant causes of mental harm and distress run much deeper than just social media content.  With New Zealand announcing a pause to development of our social media ban policy on Thursday last week, News Director Castor spoke to the Director of Wellbeing, System Leadership, Data, and Insights at Te Herenga Mahara, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Dr Ella Cullen.

Lobby Reform NZ recently put forward a petition to the government asking for three changes that would improve transparency around lobbying. These changes have been compared to some introduced in New Zealand's international counterparts, which allow members of the public to assess with greater accuracy how different politicians are being influenced. In New Zealand, the legislation around lobbying is relatively lax, leaving the public almost entirely in the dark.  To discuss the petition and the scale of lobbying in Aotearoa, News Director Castor spoke to Ben Wright from Lobby Reform NZ. You can find more information about Lobby Reform NZ on their Instagram. You can find more information about their petition here. 

For City Counselling this week, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about the need for council to be involved in discussions about the details of an additional harbour crossing, and the number of job losses in the Auckland Transport restructure.  And they spoke to Māni Dunlop from Te Ao Māori News for our new bi-weekly catch-up on the political issues of the week from a Māori perspective. News Director Castor spoke to kaumatua and climate activist Mike Smith about his court case against Fonterra in the wake of the government removing its legal basis. They also spoke to Professor of Law at the University of Waikato, Alexander Gillespie, about the legal ramifications of such a decision.  For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke with Shanan Halbert about the Government disestablishing the BSA and scrapping the tertiary Fees Free scheme, as well as the Government's new citizenship test. She also spoke with Associate Professor Alice Mills about why secure housing is central to reintegration for those leaving prison.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says the council must be involved in any final decision on a second Waitematā harbour crossing.  And the number of jobs that will be lost in the Auckland Transport restructure has been revealed - a net reduction of 20.  For City Counselling this week, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about both of these topics.

A recent report from the Auditor-General found more than half of people leaving prison have an unmet housing need. Producer Pranuja spoke with Dr Alice Mills, Associate Professor of Criminology at the University of Auckland, about why housing is central to reintegration, and what gaps exist in the current system.

This week on The Wednesday Wire... For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the Immigration Amendment Act, the axing of Fees Free and the potential increase in the pension age. He then spoke to honorary associate professor working in the Pensions and Intergenerational Equity Hub at the Economics Policy Centre, Susan St John, about the pension age in more depth - why she opposes raising it and what alternatives she prefers. Then Toby spoke to infectious disease expert Siouxsie Wiles from the University of Auckland about the Huntavirus. And Theo spoke to Dr Ulrich Speidel from the University of Auckland's School of Computer Science on the recently released government report on our undersea cable resilience and security.

On the 1st of April, a cruise ship departed from the port of Ushuaia, in the far South of Argentina, carrying 175 passengers and crewmembers. Within a week, the first symptoms of the hantavirus infection began to show. A 70 year old Dutch man died onboard, becoming the first fatality of this outbreak, and his wife died not long after. With the death of a German woman in early May, the death toll now stands at three. The surviving passengers, who come from 23 different nationalities, have finally disembarked the ship in the Netherlands, and most have gone back to their home countries where they will go now through a period of quarantine To discuss the specifics of the hantavirus outbreak, producer Toby spoke to infectious disease expert and public science communicator Siouxsie Wiles.

A policy area looking to become a feature of this year's election is the Superannuation income allowance for those over 65. Although often considered an insured privilege paid across one's life, Superannuation is paid out of the yearly budget and is by far the largest benefit in New Zealand. Historically, it's been a thorny topic for any legislator, but as people live for longer and longer, and the age of eligibility for superannuation remains the same, the cost of the policy is increasing. A recent OECD autopsy of the New Zealand economy says this is becoming unsustainable, and the National Party says they agree and will campaign in this election to raise the age.  Host Manny spoke to Honorary Associate Professor working in the Pensions and Intergenerational Equity Hub at the Economics Policy Centre, Susan St John, about why she opposes raising the age of retirement and what alternatives she prefers.

Last week, the government announced plans to scrap a policy that gave university students one free year of study, known as fees free, with commitments to reallocate that funding to trades training. This comes at a time when an increasing number of young people are absent of employment, education and training. And an OECD report spelled bad weather for the New Zealand economy. To correct course, they urged for reforms to increase the age of eligibility of Superannuation all the way up to 72, among other policies. This was picked up by the National Party, who are campaigning on moving forward with their previous plans to raise the retirement age up to 67. So for our weekly catch-up with the Green Party, host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the scrapping of fees-free and raising the eligibility age for superannuation, but as we called in, Mr Menéndez March was just leaving an extended sitting of parliament to scrutinise Erica Stanford's Immigration Amendment Bill, and we began with a discussion on how he believes it will hurt vulnerable migrant communities.

A recently released report to the Associate Minister of Transport, James Meager, outlined progress on the resilience and security of New Zealand's critical underwater infrastructure. The heavily-redacted 9 page report detailed ten ‘no-cost, low-effort' options to mitigate vulnerabilities to undersea cables and to improve ways of working with industry and regional partners. While the incidents of cable faults that the report pointed to were typically accidents, or related to currents and seismic activity, a particular impetus for the report was the growing threat to critical underwater infrastructure internationally. With 99% of our international internet coming from just five cables, their importance to our day-to-day lives is difficult to understate. So, to discuss the report and the importance of the undersea cables connecting New Zealand to the rest of the world, producer Theo spoke to Dr Ulrich Speidel, from the School of Computer Science at the University of Auckland.

This week on the Tuesday Wire... For Dear Science this week, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman chatted with us about stress in sports, the chemistry behind the taste of beer, and Nobel Prize Winner Dorothy Hodgkin.  For our weekly catchup with the National Party, News Director Castor spoke with MP Ryan Hamilton about plans to scrap the Broadcasting Standards Authority, the government's stance on TVNZ and RNZ, and the proposed new test for immigrants.  For Green World this week, Producer Liam spoke to Richard Capie, Chief Advisor at Forest and Bird, about the government's proposed Conservation Amendment Bill which could make it easier for the government ministers to sell off conservation land, and what this could mean for Aotearoa's natural heritage.  He also spoke to Martin Campbell, Vice President of the New Zealand Professional Firefighter's Union, about the continuing firefighter strikes in New Zealand, what issues the fire service currently faces, and what the Professional Firefighters Union hopes to achieve. 

After years of hiring freezes, underfunding, and now cancelled pay equity claims, nurses' working conditions have continued to worsen, and many are now facing burnout, impacting their and their patients' well-being. Despite a clear need for more nurses, with THIRTY SEVEN per cent of all nursing shifts in public hospitals being understaffed, many newly graduated nurses are still struggling to find work, and those who do are more commonly being put on part-time contracts. With poverty and economic hardship increasing, emergency departments find themselves increasingly burdened and struggling to deliver quality care while being under-resourced. To discuss the state of nursing in New Zealand and why it's leading to burnout, host Thomas talked to University of Auckland Professor of Nursing Andrew Jull.  

The Media and Communications Minister, Paul Goldsmith, has announced that the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) will be scrapped, with media to self-regulate instead.  Wire Host Caeden spoke to Dr Peter Thompson, Associate Professor in Media and Communications at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University and trustee at Better Public Media, about the change.

New research from the University of Auckland has found children's screen use is linked with later difficulties in skills like attention, planning, self-control, and emotional regulation. The study pulled together 58 studies from around the world, with 81 percent showing at least one negative association between screen use and executive function over time. Researchers caution this does not prove causation, but say the findings raise important questions about how screen use affects children's development. Producer Pranuja spoke with Doctoral Researcher Claire Reid about what the research found, what executive function actually means, and how parents, schools, and policymakers should think about healthy screen use.

For City Counselling this week, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about Council's transport policy statement and the Waitākere Ranges being left out of the Resource Management Act reforms.  They spoke to Associate Professor at Victoria University and trustee at Better Public Media, Dr Peter Thompson, about the Government announcing that the Broadcasting Standards Authority will be scrapped.  And they spoke to Migrant Rights Network President Sher Singh on the Government announcing a new test for people applying for New Zealand Citizenship.  For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke with Shanan Halbert about New Zealand's new trade deal with Singapore, Act's proposed immigration policy, and the Government's leaked emails on Iran. She also spoke with Doctoral Researcher Claire Reid from the University of Auckland about new findings in her research on how children screen use affects brain function.

The Government is introducing a new citizenship test on the “responsibilities and privileges” of New Zealand citizenship for future applicants.  Topics will include the Bill of Rights Act, voting rights, and the structure of government. Other proposed questions include human rights, certain offences, and general democratic principles.  Currently, applicants only need to sign a form stating that they understand these topics. Existing requirements regarding residency, good character, and English skills will remain.  The change was announced by Internal Affairs Minister and ACT MP Brooke van Velden, who says, “people seeking citizenship should understand New Zealanders believe in certain rights, like freedom of speech, or that no one person or group is above the law.” Wire Host Caeden spoke to Sher Singh, President of the Migrant Rights Network, about this change.

Auckland Council has approved their first-ever transport policy statement, which, together with the central Government's Policy Statement on Land Transport, will shape the future of transport funding in Auckland. And a petition is being hosted on Our ActionStation that calls on the Government to strengthen protections for the Waitākere Ranges.  For City Counselling, Wire Host Caeden spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson about both of these topics.

This week on the Wednesday Wire... For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the Green Party's bill to protect people placing emergency calls for drug overdoses and the tensions between National and NZ First over our stance on the Iran war. Producer Toby spoke to Auckland University emeritus professor Dr. Ralph Cooney about the uptake of renewable energy in the United States. Producer Theo spoke to Lo Aleen, campaigner calling for New Zealand to officially recognise the Armenian Genocide.

Last week, the Green Party's bill to protect overdose emergency callers from legal risks received cross-party support, passing its first reading, keeping it on track to potentially become law. Minor infractions, such as minor possession and paraphernalia, would be overlooked when calling for emergency services to obtain help for someone overdosing.  And an Official Information Request by the Herald into Winston Peter's Foreign Minister's office revealed disagreements between the NZ First Leader and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon over the Coalition government's stance on the war with Iran, with the prime minister pushing for greater support for the United States bombings. So for our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the Green Party's overdose emergency callers bill and the revelations over the US war with Iran.

For decades now, scientists have been raising the alarm about climate change, and urging those in power to move towards the adoption of greener, more renewable sources of energy production. These calls have often been met with fierce resistance from the political right in the United States, with republican president Donald Trump repeatedly describing climate change as a hoax and reversing efforts to transition away from fossil fuels. At the same time, however, the sun-drenched regions of the Southern United States have immense potential for solar power. Many states in this region are now switching to renewable energy sources for simple economic reasons, despite being Republican strongholds. Producer Toby spoke to chemistry expert Dr. Ralph Cooney about this growing trend.

This week on the Tuesday Wire... For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin, speaks with us about AI spotting Pancreatic Cancer, Foetal surgery, and Yellowstone. For our weekly catchup with the National Party, I spoke with Ryan Hamilton about the emails between Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon released last week, what they mean for growing tensions and instability within the coalition, and proposed changes to Treaty Obligations that would see the Te Tiriti only need to be ‘taken into account'. For Green World today, Producer Liam spoke with Max Harvey from the University of Otago, who lead a recent research study about the habitat usage of the Hector's dolphin, about the research that they carried out on dolphin populations in Southland, what they discovered and what it tells us about how we can better look after this dolphin species.  Liam also spoke to Professor Sally Gaw from the University of Canterbury, about the government's new rules to reduce the amount of lead in drinking water pipes, what this means for New Zealand and why it was not done sooner.  And Producer Flo spoke to Doctor Lucy Goodman, researcher at the University of Auckland's School of Optometry and Vision Science about her study into accessible eye health and potential government funding of eye care.

This week on the Monday Wire...  For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party's Simon Court, News Director Castor asked about the ACT Party's stance on conflict between National and NZ First within the coalition government. I also asked about the government's proposed changes to treaty principles and how they influence policy.  They also spoke to Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Otago, Christchurch, Jai Whelan, about Nitrous Oxide use and its harms amidst plans for a government crackdown.  Producer Thomas talked to E tū union director Mat Danaher about Tiwai Point workers taking industrial action this week. He also spoke to Brake New Zealand Director Caroline Perry about road safety week and how the campaign is encouraging safe driving.

Earlier this week, Councillor Julie Fairey moved a resolution to investigate Auckland Council's involvement with companies that are complicit in Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.  And this week, Auckland Council launched an AI virtual assistant to report issues such as graffiti, roaming dogs, and noise complaints. For City Counselling, Wire Host Caeden spoke with Councillor Julie Fairey about both of these topics.

For City Counselling this week, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about Council voting to investigate Council ties to companies involved in illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land and Auckland Council's new AI assistant tool.  And they spoke to Sue Coutts, Director of External Affairs at Zero Waste Aotearoa, about a proposal to export New Zealand waste to Fiji for incineration.    For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke to Shanan Halbert about the latest developments in the Iran conflict, rising fuel pressures linked to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and the government's response to recent cyclone events here in Aotearoa.  She spoke with Professor Treasa Dunworth from the University of Auckland about recent comments from US President Donald Trump and what these developments could mean from a legal perspective. And she spoke with Associate Professor Jennifer Frost from the University of Auckland about the US military draft and how it connects to broader concerns around power and militarisation.

This week on the Wednesday Wire... For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, co-host Theo spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the recently signed City Deal between Auckland Council and the central government. He also spoke to Associate Professor Alexandra Andhov on the implications of government adoption of AI  And co-host Toby spoke to Auckland University's Chris Ogden about the election results in Hungary and the future of right-wing authoritarianism.

Over the weekend, Hungary held its 2026 general election, which saw the largest voter turnout in Hungary's history as a democratic state. The electrified populace delivered a landslide victory for the relatively new ‘Respect and Freedom party,' securing them a two-thirds majority in parliament.  Incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has lost power after 16 years. For some younger voters, he is the only Prime Minister they can remember. Orbán has been a controversial figure throughout his long political career. To some, he is a power-hungry authoritarian who has stood in the way of European unity. To his supporters— which include US president Donald Trump—he is precisely the kind of strongman that a country like Hungary needs. Producer Toby spoke to Chris Ogden, professor of global studies at Auckland University, about what Orbán's defeat means for the future of global authoritarianism.

The use of AI across industries and governments is increasing at a rapid rate. However, recent gaffs involving improper AI usage in government agencies have continued to raise concerns about these tools' shortcomings, and how well regulated they are. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the government has provided advice on how agencies should go about using AI, but has stopped short of regulating this technology itself. This week, experts will be gathering at the University of Auckland for the Law, Technology, and Government Conference, which will discuss government use and regulation of AI, amongst other issues. This morning, producer Theo was joined by Professor Alexandra Andhov, an organiser and speaker at the conference, to discuss Aotearoa New Zealand's approach to AI and government.

This week, on the Tuesday Wire... For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin speaks with us about Male Contraceptives, osteoarthritis, and Kākāpō breeding For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Host Alex spoke with Ryan Hamilton about the Auckland City deal between the Council and the Government, and Cyclone Vaianu. For Green World today, Producer Liam spoke to Troy Baisden, Co-president of the New Zealand Association of Scientists and Adjunct Professor at Victoria University of Wellington, about the Ministry for the Environment's recent Our Freshwater 2026 report on the state of Aotearoa's freshwater systems, and causes for concern as well as opportunities for change.  Host Alex also spoke with Teaching Fellow in the International Office at the University of Otago, Dr Balazs Kigilics, about Viktor Orban's defeat inm the Hungarian elections, and what it means for the country after 16 years.

On Sunday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán suffered an election defeat, heralding the end of his 16-year regime that has seen his government come under fire for a variety of claims regarding the illiberal and anti-democratic nature of his leadership. WIth the Tizsa party, led by Péter Magyar winning 138 seats to Orbán's Fidesz's 55, the election signals a rejection of Orbán's platform, which has seen both an authoritarian domestic approach, and Hungary often working in opposition to the EU, in favour of Russia. Host Alex spoke with a Teaching Fellow for the International Office at the University of Otago, Dr Balazs Kiglics, about the election, and what Magyar's victory might mean for Hungary both domestically and internationally.  

Last week, two new propositions for job cuts in the Ministry of Justice and Te Puni Kōkiri were announced, which would get rid of a combined FIFTY THREE jobs. A large portion of the proposed jobs that would be slashed were roles that help advise Māori and Crown relations, raising worries that the government won't be reaching its treaty obligations. The entire inquiry team that deals with Waitangi tribunal inquiries at the Ministry of Justice would be let go, and the cuts at Te Puni Kōkiri would mean 21 percent of the workforce will have been lost under this government. To discuss these job cuts and their impact on Māori, producer Thomas spoke to Te Kaihautū Māori for the PSA, Jack McDonald.

Last week, E tū union released a survey it took of its members in the journalism sector. The results found a concerning lack of stability and sustainability in the industry, with many journalists struggling. Issues outlined in the report included more than half rating their employers' implementation of AI as bad or unethical, increasing pressure to cover multiple roles as fewer journalists are hired and pay quickly falling behind comparable professions. To discuss the survey and potential crisis of journalism New Zealand faces, producer Thomas spoke to E tū director Mat Danaher. 

Auckland Council and the government have recently announced plans to cooperate with a new Auckland City Deal. The deal concerns collaborations between council and central government over the next few decades, across issues such as Eden Park's ownership and operation or investigations into a potential bed levy.  Part of the plan and part of Auckland Council's recent disputes with government has been housing planning. In February of this year, the minimum housing cap for Auckland was lowered from 2 million to 1.6 million, and was lowered again in March to 1.4 million.  The drop came alongside complaints from many residents of central suburbs such as Ponsonby, Mt Eden, and Epsom, who say intensification would hurt the character of their neighbourhoods. On the other side of the debate are those who say that intensification is necessary to ensure housing remains affordable, especially close to the CBD.  To discuss the debate and what the City Deal has for Auckland, News Director Castor spoke to Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, Dr. Elham Bahmanteymouri.

This week on the Wednesday Wire... For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny speaks to MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the letter they sent to the National Party detailing the measures they'd give their votes to to support Kiwis and conserve fuel during the Iran Supply Crisis. Producer Theo speaks to Leonie Morris, from Te Wāhi Wāhine o Tāmaki Makaurau - the Auckland Women's centre - on their petition to bring back Te Tiriti-based, inclusive relationships and Sexuality education in schools. Producer Toby speaks to theology expert Andrew Shepherd about religious rhetoric and Trump's war with Iran. Then Host Manny speaks to Danielle LeGallais, co-founder of Sunday Blessings, about the day of action in opposition to the government's proposed move on orders.

The government's planned expansion of police powers to allow them to charge people for sleeping in public and begging has generated a lot of community criticism accusing the government of targeting homeless people who they are not offering alternatives to rough sleeping. To protest these moves and show support for our street whanau Community groups across Aotearoa are organising a national day of action this Sunday to protest against the move-on orders proposed by the government. To discuss the move-on orders and the day of action, Host Manny spoke to co-founder of Sunday Blessings Danielle LeGallais.