95bFM: The Wire

Per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (or, PFAS) have been called ‘forever chemicals'. That's because these synthetic chemicals are incredibly durable, lasting thousands of years. This durability has made this large group of chemicals useful in a variety of industries, from cosmetics to electronic and cookware. However, PFAS have been linked to a myriad of health risks including cancers, liver damage, and suppressed immunity, bad news, given their ubiquity within the environment and humans. Recently, the Australian Government moved to sue the manufacturing giant 3M for $2.4b NZD, for their use of forever chemicals in firefighting foam, which contaminated numerous defence force bases across the country. While no such legal action is yet on the cards for New Zealand, increased attention is being given to the presence of PFAS in our environment. In 2022 PFAS were for the first time included in the suite of compounds analysed in a quadrennial groundwater survey. However, there is still a lack of information on how present PFAS are in Aotearoa New Zealand, so later this year the Environmental Protection Authority will be engaging with councils and other agencies to carry out further groundwater testing. To learn more, producer Theo spoke with the Environmental Protection Authority's acting manager of hazardous substances applications, Dr Shaun Presow.

Last week, the United Nations released a report on the environmental cost of artificial intelligence, giving estimates for the amount of carbon, water, and land that will likely be dedicated to powering AI in the near future. For example, the report predicts that by 2030, Artificial Intelligence could consume 3% of the world's electricity and require more water than the total amount drunk by the entire population of Earth annually.  However, experts in AI also predict that the technology will continue to become more efficient as time goes on, requiring less electricity, water and land to operate. To explain how all of this can be true at the same time, some people in the AI world have invoked the so-called “Jevons Paradox”—referring to an insight from the Victorian-period economist William Stanely Jevons, who noticed that the increased efficiency of steam engines went hand-in-hand with increased coal consumption. This morning, producer Toby spoke to Dr. Amanda Turnbull-McRae, senior lecturer in Law at the University of Waikato, about this apparent economic paradox as it relates to the future of AI.

This week on the Wednesday Wire..... For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the ongoing scandal over the government's missing emails with lobbyists; and energy policy. Producer Toby spoke to senior lecturer in Law at the University of Waikato Dr. Amanda Turnbull-Rae about the future of Ai energy use Producer Theo spoke to the Environmental Protection Authority acting manager of hazardous substances applications, Dr Shaun Presow, on upcoming groundwater testing of PFAS. He then spoke to the University of Auckland's Dr Gerhard Sundborn, a member of the New Zealand Beverages Guidance Panel, on the policy brief they released this morning calling for a ban on sugary drinks in schools.

The revelation of hidden correspondence shared between major NZ polluters and a private email account of someone working in the Prime Minister's Office has sparked a spiralling scandal.  Why were the emails not revealed when any such correspondence had been specifically requested if it existed?  Were key law changes made specifically to end a high-profile court case against these polluters?  How could the government's failure to provide such emails not be in breach of fundamental transparency rules? And what else might be hidden?  The Greens are now asking the Ombudsman to expand his investigation into the emails to use the full breadth of the powers availableto him to determine what has gone down. And this week the government walked back their plan to fund an import terminal for Liquid Natural Gas with a levy, or tax, on Kiwis' energy bills. While the policy is still going forward, how it will be funded remains an open question. And following the energy shock caused by the US war with Iran, the Greens highlighted their support for Rewiring Aotearoa's Ratepayers' Assistance Scheme to provide cheap loans for installing home solar systems, which they say would make widespread solar uptake accessible to more kiwi's, lowering energy bills and increasing energy security. So for our weekly catch-up with the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the ongoing scandal over the government's missing emails and energy policy.  

Sugary drinks are a favourite for many children across the country. However, this consumption of high-sugar drinks is proving harmful, with dental issues, heightened risk of diabetes, and other health issues tied to these drinks. Despite this, sugary drinks are stil readily available to children across Aotearoa New Zealand, even within their schools. This morning, the New Zealand Beverages Guidance Panel, published a policy brief calling for the ban of sugary drinks from school grounds - prohibiting them from being purchased or brought by students into schools To learn more, I spoke to the University of Auckland's Dr Gerhard Sundborn, a member of the New Zealand Beverages Guidance Panel, on their policy brief.

Two weeks ago, the 2026 Budget revealed the government's spending and funding plan. Notably absent, however, is support for care workers, except for a minor boost to mileage rates while the fuel crisis is ongoing. The E Tū union, however, has said that these changes do little to match the inflated costs, and still leaves support and care workers woefully unsupported in the midst of an already struggling health system. Host Alex spoke with the National Secretary of E Tū, Rachel Mackintosh, about the state of care work in NZ, and what this budget means for the priority given to care work by the government.  

The Carrington Hospital, also known as Building One, was built in 1867 and stands as a monument to Victorian era healthcare in New Zealand. Until 2018, this category 1 heritage building was part of Unitec's Mt Albert Campus, but was sold to the government as part of the Carrington Residential Development - Te Kukūnga Waka. The goal was to build 4,000 new homes in collaboration with Ockham Residential and various iwi. However, concerns have been raised by locals about the degrading state of Building One as well as whether local infrastructure will be able to cope with intensification. I spoke to a range of individuals who want to see the building preserved, and attended some of their protests. This Carrington Building One movement is also active on Facebook and Instagram.  Among the people I spoke to were Chris Casey, Chair of the Cachet Foundation, Helen White, MP for Mt Albert, Gareth Hughes, operator of the Waterview Coffee Project, Allan Matson, President of the Civic Trust as well as a high school student from Mt Albert. I also reached out to the owner's Ockham Residential and Marutūāhu, as well as Auckland Council and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, for comment. 

This week on the Tuesday Wire... For Dear Science this week, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman, chats with us about taking too many vitamins, bees, and AI failing psychological tests. For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Host Alex spoke with MP Ryan Hamilton about the US threat of further tariffs on New Zealand, our relationship with the US, and changes to local government committees to limit the impact of unelected members. Producer Liam spoke to a range of people, including Chris Casey of the Cachet foundation, about the current deteriorating state of the former Carrington Hospital in Mt Albert, also known as Building One, and efforts to see it restored and repurposed.  And Alex also spoke with Rachel Mackintosh, National Secretary of E Tū, about where the 2026 Budget leaves struggling care and support workers in Aotearoa.

Defence Minister Chris Penk recently tabled New Zealand's nuclear free stance for debate, when he suggested it could be a topic New Zealand should look into. In an interview with Newstalk ZB's Heather du Plessis-Allan, however, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon denied that the country's stance would change any time soon. While du Plessis-Allan asked about the military applications of nuclear technology, she also mentioned the potential benefits of nuclear energy. It's an important question, especially as New Zealanders see rising energy prices and seek to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.  To discuss the benefits of nuclear energy and how it compares to our current energy infrastructure in New Zealand, News Director Castor spoke to Associate Professor at the University of Auckland and co-director at the Geothermal Institute, Sadio Zarrouk.

This week on the Monday Wire... For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, News director Castor spoke to MP Laura McClure, filling in for Simon Court. They asked about the Budget 2026 and funding for health, defence, and cuts to fees free.  They also spoke to Associate Professor at the University of Auckland and co-director at the geothermal institute Sadio Zarrouk, about nuclear energy and if it has a place in New Zealand's energy ecosystem.  Producer Thomas spoke to University of Auckland Social Sciences Professor Barry Milne about a new study which has linked ‘deaths of despair' with living in deprived areas.  He also talked to Greenpeace freshwater campaigner Will Appelbe about the organisation calling for New Zealand to follow Denmark and lower the drinking water nitrate limit.

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.