Podcasts about Pasifika

The Government's confident it's getting on top of youth vaping, with more rules coming in today. New rules come in today including stricter advertising restrictions for vape retailers and a ban on disposable vapes. It's in an effort to clamp down on youth vaping, with around 10% of teenagers currently regular vapers. Associate Health Minister Casey Costello told Mike Hosking she believes we'll see further declines in youth vaping. She says Action for Smokefree data shows youth vaping rates have declined over the last three years. However, she says New Zealand isn't ready for a full crackdown, and Australia's prescription only approach won't work here. She says Pasifika and Māori continue to have the highest smoking rates, and reducing availability for those who aren't engaging with the health system is problematic. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Pacific Waves today: Fiji national describes Israel-Iran conflict as 'freaky'; Bougainville independence talks conclude; Tonga's Princess calls for whales to have legal rights; Pacific Climate Warriors take climate change message to Pasifika in Porirua. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In Pacific Waves today: Los Angeles protests show no signs of slowing down - Pasifika journalist; Bougainville independence talks underway in Christchurch; NZ govt's new visa excludes Pacific - Green Party MP. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

It's far from a well worn path, David Feliuai gave up on footy until a re-ignition in Romania that has led him to Super Rugby finals with the Brumbies in 2025. Chatting to Declan Byrne on 'The Saturday Sledge', Feliuai talks not knowing rugby even existed in Romania, Pasifika pride and his Samoan culture and what appealed to him about the Brumbies when the Rebels got the flick.

Honestly, I don't know why we report on polls. Seriously, I don't know why I'm even talking about them myself, but it's really ripped my nightie overnight. They're so frustrating, and because media companies commission them, it makes the media look like master manipulators. This is from 1News last night (I didn't watch 1News, obvs) but this is from their website – both National and Labour have slid in the latest 1News-Verian poll, while New Zealand First have moved to their strongest position in eight years. If an election were to be held today, the right bloc of National, ACT, and New Zealand First would have 63 seats —enough to form a coalition— while the left bloc of Labour, the Greens, and Te Pati Māori would have 58 seats. So that's from 1News and their Verian poll. This is from Radio New Zealand – after the budget and pay equity changes, the left bloc would have the support to turf the coalition out of power, the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll shows. The preferred Prime Minister and leadership ratings are also bad news for the government, with the exception of Winston Peters, who's seen his highest results since 2017. The ratings of the government's general performance have also continued to slide, with Labour, the Greens and Te Pati Māori all gaining compared to the previous poll, they would have a majority with 63 seats between them, compared to the coalitions 57. A direct opposite of what 1News-Verian said. How can this be? And it's always headline news. You've got 1News talking about the right bloc being able to hold on to power, but only just, and look out. You've got RNZ crowing about the fact that the coalition government would be turfed out of power with the left gaining hold. And both lead with it, and it leaves me scratching my head and doubting both of them. How do you imagine the pollsters collect their data? Random phone calls of 1000 people? No, no, no. It's far more tricky than that, and they put it in every story. It must be an obligation on the part of the media company to say how the data was collected. From TVNZ: Between May 24 and May 28, 1002 eligible voters were polled by mobile phone (500) and online, using online panels (502). What are online panels? Are they things you sign up to yourself? Who knows? The maximum sampling area is approximately plus 3.1%. Party support percentages have been rounded up or down to whole numbers. The data has been weighted to align with Stats NZ population counts for age, gender, region, ethnic identification and education level. So what does that mean? If I'm a numpty, am I worth 2 points as opposed to somebody who leaves school worth NCEA and that's worth one? What does that mean? If I'm 18 and I respond, does that mean because there are fewer 18 year olds who respond, does it mean that my reckon is worth double that of somebody who's 50+. How can you weight the information? And not all 18 year olds think the same way. If you're looking at ethnic identification, not all Māori, not all Pakeha, not all Pasifika, not all Chinese people, think the same way. The sample for mobile phones is selected by random dialling using probability sampling. Online sample is collected using an online panel. So that's from 1News. This is from RNZ: This poll of 1008 people was conducted by Reid Research using quota sampling and weighting to ensure representative cross section by age, gender and geography. The poll was conducted through online interviews between the 23rd and 30th of May 2025, has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1%. I'm of a mind to never discuss the polls again. The statisticians and the research pollsters and the companies all say, oh, no, no, no, it's terribly scientific. Is it really? When you've got two polls conducted over the same time, presumably using the same scientific methods, coming up with two completely different results. If the polls were scientific, surely you'd see a consensus of opinion. You wouldn't go sniffing like a truffle hunter looking for respondents that agree with your particular version of the way things should be. It's like you're researching into an echo chamber. It's not worth the time and the money. If this is what RNZ is spending their money on, given that they are funded by the taxpayer, I'd rather they spend it on training up young reporters or allowing a veteran reporter to spend some time doing some investigative journalism, rather than coming up with a poll that supports their worldview. And which is in direct contrast to the other taxpayer funded organisation, which is kind of paying its way at the moment, which is 1News. What is the point? How on earth can we take them seriously when they come up with completely different results and when all the data is weighed, quotas are taken, samplings adjusted. It's an absolute crock. The emperor is stark naked and shouldn't be taken seriously at all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A delegation of seven Māori and Pasifika artists are at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, for the grand reopening of the Arts of Oceania Galleries.

Nackie and Carl talk about "Graduation Season" and review last week's Pasifika Mental Health Conference that took place in West Sacramento Ca.

Explore space, time, and technology in science fiction through indigenous lenses with award-winning author Dr Gina Cole (Black Ice Matter; Na Viro) and writer, critic and producer, Dan Taipua. Dr. Gina Cole is an award-winning author of Fijian, Scottish and Welsh descent. Her collection Black Ice Matter won the Hubert Church Prize for Best First Book Fiction in 2017. Her science fiction fantasy novel Na Viro (Huia, 2022) is a work of Pasifikafuturism following sisters wayfinding through sea and space. Awarded the 2023 Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer's Residency in 2023, she is currently working on the second book in her Turukawa Trilogy. Dan Taipua (Waikato-Tainui) is a writer and critic working in Tāmaki Makaurau. His interests cross through art history, popular culture and Te Ao Māori with a particular focus on futurism and imagined worlds. In 2015, Dan Taipua and Sophie Wilson produced the documentary Aotearoa Futurism for RNZ Music, interviewing Māori and Pasifika artists whose works explore the boundaries of technology and time. This work has inspired further study of indigenous futurisms by scholars and creators alike and continues to shape Taipua's own critical practice. This talk is in association with our sci-fi exhibition 'Other Worlds' and the 'Tāmaki Untold' series. Exhibition is open from 19 February to 2 August 2025 in the Heritage Gallery, Level 2, Central City Library / Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero. Explore selected works by Dr Gina Cole and Dan Taipua along with some of the books, authors and works mentioned in this episode – all available either at Auckland Council Libraries or online. Na Viro by Gina Cole. Huia Publishers, 2022 Wayfinding Pasifikafuturism : an indigenous science fiction vision of the ocean in space : a thesis by Gina Cole. Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand, 2020 https://mro.massey.ac.nz/items/21b05630-28b2-4d93-85e9-f7156be8f0d9 Aotearoa Futurism Part One: Space Maori and Astronesians - podcast by Dan Taipua and Sophie Wilson, RNZ Music, 2015 https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nat-music/audio/201782605/aotearoa-futurism-part-one Aotearoa Futurism Part Two: South Pacific Futurists podcast by Dan Taipua and Sophie Wilson, RNZ Music, 2015 Remains to be Told: Dark Tales from Aotearoa edited by Lee Murray. Clan Destine Press, 2023 Walking the Stars: An Anthology of Indigenous Science Fiction edited by Grace Dillon Star Waka by Robert Sullivan Auckland University Press, 1999 The Routledge Book of CoFuturisms edited by Taryne Jade Taylor, Isiah Lavender III, Grace L. Dillon and Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay. 1st edition, 2023. Full text available via Open Access with Taylor and Francis under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. How To Loiter in a Turf War by Coco Solid. Penguin Random House NZ, 2022 Island Time: South Pacific Futurism From a Contemporary Aotearoa Perspective by Jessica “Coco” Hansell published in The Funambulist, Issue 24: Futurisms, 2019 Navigator by Che Fu (Music CD) Sony, 2001 Lisa Reihana: Emissaries by Lisa Reihana. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 2017 Goddess Muscle by Dr Karlo Mila Huia Publishers, 2020 Waerea by Mokotron (Music LP). Stebbing Recording Studio, 2024 Terra Nullius by Claire G. Coleman. Hachette Australia, 2017 How Māui Defied the Goddess of Death by Peter Gossage. 3rd edition, Puffin Books, 2012 You Are Here by Peata Larkin and Whiti Hereaka. Massey University Press, 2025

The Pasifika community is bracing for what is expected to be tightened government spending. From community support at home to aid for the wider region, Pasifika are hoping for the best, but many of those working in the community are feeling pessimistic about what Budget Day has in store for them. Kaya Selby has more.

In Pacific Waves today: Mixed feelings among Pasifika about Budget 2025; Fiji DPM responds to concern over teacher shortages; Metals company take US route for mining license; 'First Place' lead actress recalls Polyfest experience. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Last year the government announced it's progressively lowering eligibility for free bowel cancer screening to 58 years old, down from 60. It also ended a pilot programme that allowed Maori and Pasifika to access bowel screening at 50. That's despite Christopher Luxon's pre-election promise to match Australia's screening age of 45 years old. Rachael Ferguson spoke to Lisa Owen. 

The Naked Samoans launched a new era of popular culture in New Zealand with bro'Town and their smash hit Sione's Wedding films. They were instrumental in pushing Pasifika humour into the mainstream, and are still going strong after three decades. They're returning to the stage this month for the International Comedy Festival, performing The Last Temptation of the Naked Samoans. David, Shimpal, Robbie, and Mario piled into the ZB studio with Jack Tame, setting a record for the most guests squeezed in for an interview. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rangatahi advocates and mental health workers are calling for urgent action to reduce New Zealand's alarmingly high suicide rates among Maori and Pasifika youth. A just-released UNICEF report ranked New Zealand 32nd out of 36 countries for overall child wellbeing, and 36th out of 36 OECD and EU countries for its suicide rate. Maori News Reporter Emma Andrews has the details. 

In Pacific Waves today: Pacific parents react to Luxon's proposed social media ban; Auckland schools work to put an end to 'confession pages'; Pasifika rugby teams look to secure strong standings. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In Pacific Waves today: Fiji commemorates 146th Girmit Day anniversary; Violence in West Papua most intense - researcher; Pasifika unemployment rate increases in NZ; Pasifika influencers slam kava business. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In Pacific Waves today: Roman Catholic church reveals new pope; Catholic faithful calls on new pope to show strong leadership; Pay equity change will impact Pasifika 'massively' - PSA rep; Fast party chairman persists in removing Samoa PM. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The leaders of the PI organizations putting on the Pasifika Health & Unity Day come on to talk about what the day will hold for attendees.

Today in the ArtZany Radio studio Paula Granquist welcomes Alyssa Herzog Melby from St. Olaf, Alexus Kreft from the Northfield Public Library and the Northfield History Center, and St. Olaf students John Lutterman and Owen Schwalm to preview the Celebrate Asia Pasifika event at the Northfield Public Library. Celebrate Asia Pasifika, Northfield Public Library, Saturday, May 3, 2025, 11:00am – 2:00pm. https://mynpl.libcal.com/event/13621305 https://pages.stolaf.edu/aapi/ This second annual event, […]

In Pacific Waves today: Calls in Tonga to rethink Sunday observance laws; Bougainville carver to feature work in Thames; Mana Moana to deliver more Pasifika musical magic. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A recent review of Pharmac, also known as Te Pātaka Whaioranga,  has found their current approach not fit for purpose, calling for an overhaul of their strategy and internal culture.  The pharmaceutical management agency faced criticism last year as a result of a lack of credibility and inconsistency of services.  With the proposal this week to scrap Pharmac's Māori directorate, concerns were especially emphasised about the equitable outcomes for Maaori and Pasifika populations. While the aim of the independent review was to look into ways to improve the services of Pharmac, it found that staff were sceptical that any meaningful changes could occur. Producer Sara spoke with University of Auckland's Professor of Health Economics Paula Lorgelly about the review and what changes are necessary. She started by asking about the key findings

A recent review of Pharmac, also known as Te Pātaka Whaioranga,  has found their current approach not fit for purpose, calling for an overhaul of their strategy and internal culture.  The pharmaceutical management agency faced criticism last year as a result of a lack of credibility and inconsistency of services.  With the proposal this week to scrap Pharmac's Māori directorate, concerns were especially emphasised about the equitable outcomes for Maaori and Pasifika populations. While the aim of the independent review was to look into ways to improve the services of Pharmac, it found that staff were sceptical that any meaningful changes could occur. Producer Sara spoke with University of Auckland's Professor of Health Economics Paula Lorgelly about the review and what changes are necessary. She started by asking about the key findings

A controversial new initiative to reduce injuries in the manufacturing sector has been put on pause by ACC. The tender process specifically focused on Māori and Pasifika workers. ACC Minister Scott Simpson initially stood by ACC, saying its tender “aligns with the Government's desire to support New Zealanders based on evidence of need”. However, he then U-turned by asking ACC to review the policy after the ACT Party complained. Scott Simpson joins the show to discuss the initiative. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his role as regulation Minister, David Seymour is moving to simplify regulations for Early Childhood Education Centres by the end of this year.  This involves a review containing 15 recommendations, which cabinet has accepted. These recommendations concern a vast number of things, from simplifying licensing criteria for pre-schools to lowering qualification requirements for early childhood educators.  Both of these areas have sparked concern within the sector, with some educators concerned the review is simply a cost cutting exercise that will result in tamariki being put at risk.  For our weekly catch up Producer Evie spoke to ACT's Simon Court about the review.  They also spoke about New Zealand First's Members Bill aiming to have the biological definition of a woman and man defined in law.  And finally they discussed a clash between the party and National's Scott Simpson over an ACC plan to reduce injury for Māori and Pasifika workers. 

It is being reported as a scrap, which I'm not sure is accurate. But if it is, it is a shame and probably a lesson for the combatants, who are both supposed to be on the same side. But under MMP, is anyone on the same side? Act are concerned about ACC and their current desire to solve safety issues in the manufacturing sector. But by putting a race-based lens across it, ACC want people who have answers, or programmes, for injuries to Māori and Pasifika. This of course is not what the Government is supposed to be about and a Cabinet edict says so. The shame of this is both sides, in fact all three sides, are at one on the issue. They campaigned on the issue and they campaigned on it because the last Government got so obsessed with Māori issues and language and acquiescing to everything cultural that a large swath of voters got thoroughly sick and tired of it. So why we are here after a year-and-a-half and a Cabinet instruction is beyond me. The fact ACC, or any Government department, are still trying this on is the real problem. It goes to a theme we have highlighted too often this term and that is that a public service don't appear to be neutral, or operating under the instruction of the Government of the day, but rather to their own beat. There is no good news in two parties seemingly debating a formally agreed approach with each other and there is no good news in a department continuing to do something they shouldn't. We have enough to deal with at the moment without previously agreed approaches being re-litigated or disavowed. Obviously work safety is not a race-based problem. It is an industry or sector problem and ACC should know this. Even if they didn't, they should be following instruction. Act are on the right side of this. But they shouldn't have to be given the point of Government is enactment of policy, not endless re-litigation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now, listen, I hope that this ACC business is a Scott Simpson problem and not a National problem, but I'm starting to get a little worried about it - because this is at least the 3rd case of race-based stuff still happening under National when we thought National was going to put a stop to it. I mean, with the free GP visits in Hawke's Bay for Māori and Pasifika kids and no one else - at least that stuff could be blamed on rogue public health staff, and it was killed as soon as we discovered it was happening. And at least with the co-governance stuff that's going on in the Waitakere Ranges - at a stretch, we may believe that the Government didn't know about it. Maybe. But this ACC stuff, the minister knows about. And even though he was told about it, he's not gonna stop it because as I told you in the Newsroom article, he stands by ACC - and he thinks it's okay.Now, I reckon this is gonna be just a little disappointing to a whole bunch of voters who put this Government in power to stop this race-based stuff that Willie Jackson and the Labour Party were pushing. And who would have thought that that directive to the public service that went out last year telling the public servants to stop the race-based stuff was actually going to stop the race-based stuff? National needs to cut the stuff out. They need to stop this. They either need to stop it themselves or they need to go along to to Scott Simpson and tell him to stop it, because otherwise, a lot of voters are gonna wise up to exactly what ACT was warning us at the election - which is that National is not actually going to change anything. National is just Labour in blue clothes. And if you think I'm going too far saying that, just take a look at what is going on. I'll remind you, Nicola Willis has spent more in her last budget than Grant Robertson ever spent. Scott Simpson clearly loves himself a little race-based target. Now, what did we complain about ad nauseam with Labour? We complained about too much spending, but we've still got that going on. We complained about too much racial division - we've still got that going on. So how is this any different currently? As I say, National needs to cut this out, or it needs to risk losing voters to its coalition partners, because the coalition partners at this stage are actually taking a tougher line on this stuff. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT is criticising ACC measures that aim to reduce disproportionate workplace injuries among Māori and Pasifika. It's written to the ACC Minister, asking if targets with an ethnic focus match a Cabinet requirement for need-based public service. Act MP Laura McClure says she hasn't seen evidence to back the targets. "It's completely lazy - and I actually think it is a bit racist to say one particular group of people needs specific targeted training." ACC says it's confident its services are based on need, not race. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The club is celebrating the Pasifika culture and community this week, repping a jersey that represents not only the past, but the current and future Pasifika players and legacy, under one family in the Warriors. In this episode, Ben Searle is joined by Warriors royalty, Jerry Seuseu, Ali Lauiti'iti, and Monty Betham to chat Pasifika heritage, the club's celebration of Pasifika culture, and the new wave.Like and follow now so you’ll never miss an episode. Proudly presented by TAB New Zealand. 00:00 Introduction 01:22 Pasifika Week 03:57 The growth of the Pasifika community in Rugby League 05:47 The Warriors community. 09:52 The new wave. 12:29 The international game. 16:05 The impact of Pasifika players at the Warriors. 20:35 Players in leadership roles. 22:53 Putting Benny to the test. 25:33 The meaning behind the Pasifika jersey.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Pacific Waves today: Pacific countries eligible for multi-entry visas to NZ; Pasifika rugby legends recognised for excellence; Trump's domestic priorities impacting Pacific relationship; Niue children's book celebrates cultural knowledge. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Cam has Etuale Eddie from the EMPTY OUT THA CLIP podcast to talk about the Pasifika community backlash to the new Naked Samoans Poster promoting their new play, then they discuss Wallabie Jordan Petaia signing a contract to play for the LA Chargers in the NFL. Then finally the usos give their winners and losers with margins in this weeks NRL and Super Rugby Pacific matches.

In Pacific Waves today: PNG health officials to address overcrowding in hospital; Progress still needed on Fiji gender issues - UN Pacific rep; Research underway on Pasifika financial wellbeing. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In Aotearoa-New Zealand, the proportion of doctors identifying as Māori has doubled from where it was a decade ago to over 5 percent. But there is still a long way to go before the workforce is representative of the broader population which is 17 percent Māori.The Auckland and Otago Medical Schools have in recent years turbocharged their intake of Māori and Pasifika students but these graduates don't seem to have trickled through to the RACP in great numbers. Just 3.5 percent of general physicians and 4.8 percent of paediatricians identify as Māori, and Pasifika doctors make up a further 1 and 2 percent respectively.In this podcast, three Māori medics discuss how the culture of training environments can be made more welcoming to junior doctors with diverse ethnic backgrounds. This discussion takes place in light of an independent review into the clinical examination for paediatrics in Aotearoa-New Zealand which found issues with standardization, transparency and cultural safety. 2024 was a tough year for Māori Health more broadly, as it saw the disestablishment of a dedicated Health Authority, Te Aka Whai Ora, after just twelve months of operation. Guests Dr Danny de Lore FRACP (Rotorua Hospital; University of Auckland)Dr Matthew Wheeler FRACP (Tauranga Hospital; University of Auckland)Dr Ngaire Keenan PhD (Sydney Children's Hospital, Westmead; University of Otago)ProductionProduced by Mic Cavazzini DPhil. Music provided courtesy of FreeMusicArchive includes ‘Periodicals', ‘In Paler Skies' by Blue Dot Sessions and ‘Wake Up' by Kai Engel. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘Subdivision of the Masses' by Philip Weigl and ‘Abyss' by Luwaks. Image of Dr Danny de Lore property of RACP  Editorial feedback kindly provided by RACP physicians Zac Fuller, Aidan Tan, Hugh Murray, Sasha Taylor, Anne-Marie Juengling and Simeon Wong. Thanks also to RACP staff Nick McCurdy and Sarah Millar. Please visit the Pomegranate Health web page for a transcript and supporting references.Login to MyCPD to record listening and reading as a prefilled learning activity. Subscribe to new episode email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health' in Apple Podcasts, Spotify,Castbox or any podcasting app. 

Cam from the WesWes Network talks about his visit to Go Media Stadium to watch his team the Manly Sea-Eagles lose to the NZ Warriors () then the usos from the EMPTY OUT THA CLIP podcast show up to help review the Pasifika movie TINA which is out in theatres starring Anapela Polataivao and Directed by Miki Magasiva ()

We've received another one of these “the Government went against official advice“ stories. This one was around bowel testing. The Government has recently announced that testing has dropped in age from 60 to 58-years-old. The money to pay for that extra testing has come from the separate Māori and Pacific testing, which cuts in at 50-years-old. The official advice is that more lives could be saved if you tested more Māori and Pacific Islanders. The new health minister said in response that what we need to do to save more lives is test more people. He is of course unquestionably right, because the word "people" is critical. We are all people and, given we all contribute to the system that tests us, exempting some from access i.e a non-Māori , is not right. Yet again, this is part of the race-based system we have in this country, which hopefully is slowly but surely being dismantled. Adding to this official advice part of the story is my increasing concern based on the Brian Roache report into the public service and the Deloitte report into Health NZ. It's possible this so-called "official advice" is either pointless or politically motivated. If you start with a system that anyone at anytime can get a test, and then work backwards because that is not effective or affordable, at some point you come to a hap-ish, affordable medium. Age will be a factor because there's no point in bowel testing a 29-year-old. So what is the magic number? They have decided 60years-old, until they decided 58-years-old. Breast screening mammogram have gone through the same debate. But at no point should race be a factor. Yet, it has been. Having just completed my first state participant bowel screen I would be deeply offended if I was bumped, delayed or stopped simply because I am not Maori or Pasifika. I am a taxpayer and a New Zealander. My right is no more or less important or relevant than anyone else's and yet there are those that would argue otherwise. By prioritising race, you are saying one life is worth more than another. You can't do that That's what makes the official advice wrong.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, James Parsons, Bryn Hall and Ross Karl break down how the Drua and Moana Pasifika stepped up for upsets, what's wrong with the Blues and Canes and the brutality that led to the Crusaders big win over the Reds.Should you be able to hurdle a player in rugby? The guys look at the new trend, which was already outlawed!Plus, jersey collector Duncan Wood from Boomfa Vintage breaks down what makes rugby kit collectable and the guys discuss the best jersey in their collection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pasifika Festival ran over the weekend at Auckland's Western Springs. Coco Lance reports.

Auckland's Pasifika Festival is back on the up and up after a difficult few years. After overcoming a number of hurdles, organisers hope the iconic event can remain a fixture of Auckland's central suburbs, and a chance to see Pasifika culture thriving in Aotearoa.

In Pacific Waves today: QLD Pasifika residents brace for Cyclone Alfred; Auckland's iconic Pasifika festival returns; The ongoing trauma nearly 30 years after end of Bougainville war; Pressure is on for Fiji Drua and Moana Pasifika. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Sacrificing Peter to pay Paul, institutional racism, disappointing, light on detail. These are some of the reactions to Health Minister Simeon Brown's announcement that the bowel screening age in New Zealand will fall from 60 to 58. To pay for it, the government's using money that was previously slated to go towards dropping the screening age for Maori and Pasifika people down to 50. Jimmy Ellingham reports.

Health Minister Simeon Brown has come under criticism for ditching a bowel screening programme for Māori and Pasifika that started at age 50. Brown spoke to Corin Dann.

On today's episode, Health Minister Simeon Brown has come under criticism for ditching a bowel screening programme for Maori and Pasifika that started at age 50, a school lunch so hot it gave a Gisborne student 3rd degree burns has resulted in a widened food safety investigation into lunch provider Compass, the national Pipe Band Championships get underway in Invercargill with 57 pipe bands from New Zealand and Australia competing, we have our weekly Political Panel and we cross the Tasman to get the latest from Kerry-Anne Walsh.

Tonight on The Huddle, Kiwiblog's David Farrar and former Labour minister Stuart Nash joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Foreign Minister Winston Peters made the decision to sack Phil Goff as High Commissioner to the UK after he questioned President Donald Trump's understanding of history. Was this the right call? The Government has revealed it plans to lower the age of eligibility for free bowel cancer screenings to 58. However, it's using funding set aside from the last Government's plan to lower screening for Māori and Pasifika to 50. What do we make of this? Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran has officially resigned - and will step down from the role this October. How will he be remembered? Did he make the right call? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Health Minister says higher testing rates are key to better bowel cancer outcomes. The Government is lowering eligibility for free screening to 58 from late this year. It's using funding set aside from the previous Government's plan to lower screening for Māori and Pasifika - who have worse early onset death rates - to 50. Simeon Brown says this will save more lives - but he explained they'll still pay attention to those communities. "We're also going to be doing a lot of work with Health NZ to focus on increasing the rates of testing amongst those Māori and Pasifika communities." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the end, it was just over an hour. Just over an hour between being asleep on the floor of Auckland hospital, to standing, bewildered under the delivery suite lights, helping to dress my newborn son. Mava had been induced on Sunday – the scans had suggested that all was ok but that our baby was small for his age. We spent an oddly serene day waiting for the induction medication to kick in. They give you a dose every two hours until you go into labour but sometimes it takes a few hours to work and sometimes it takes days. It was actually lovely, in a way. Mava and I both read for hours in-between the doses. We went for coffee and a stroll in the domain, Mava constantly assessing baby's every shift and every hint of a contraction. My goodness, though, when it happened... it happened. Zero to one hundred. A blur. I won't labour you with all of the details but it's become clear to me that there's a reason every parent has a birth story. It was surreal. It just felt like a week's worth of crazy experiences happened in the space of fifteen minutes. It was beautiful, wild, traumatic, thrilling... it was animal. All these things. Mava was incredible. I felt so proud of her, and yet so helpless at the same time. And weirdly through it all, I felt calm. I'm not bragging. I'm not saying calmness was a good response – honestly I was probably just a bit stunned – and it turned out our son was too when he came out. They hurried him off and chucked him on the oxygen and he regained his colour. I took my cues from our amazing midwife and the other hospital staff. She wasn't freaking out too much and so I didn't either. The scans were right – our son was small for his gestational age. But he what lacked in size he made up for in his capacity to feed. There can be no doubt he has inherited my skin tone, my hair colour, and my appetite. This morning is the longest I've been away from him in his life, but at five days old I know him well enough to know that right now he is probably feeding. Isn't it incredible how instinct works? Out of the womb, almost blind, and yet he absolutely throws himself at the boob. Head back, mouth wide, latch! Who taught him that?! A few random takeaways: 1) The placenta. Wow. That thing could feed a family of four. 2) We had three nights in hospital and a couple more in Birthcare afterwards. If our experience of the New Zealand healthcare system this week is anything to go by, it is being completely held together by migrant workers: Indians, Filipinos, Europeans, South Americans, Pasifika... they were fantastic. For all the justified concern over the health care system as a whole, we had a really positive experience and felt so grateful to the people working in what are often very tricky conditions. 3) Women's bodies, eh? To have the capacity to grow an entire human being, from his skinny little frog legs folded up at his belly, to his tiny little fingernails to the lightest fur on his pink little cheeks. To grow him, birth him, and then, having done it all, having done everything... to immediately switch to nourishing him day and night. What can I tell you about our son? He's got his mum's eyes. He sucks his thumb. His first music was the Koln Concert and he made sure to stay up to watch Will Young and Tom Latham score centuries against Pakistan. His name will be finalised soon enough. When he's bulked up a bit, he's got a long list of visitors waiting to meet him, too. After five nights away, yesterday I put our son in his carseat and drove him home. His older brother ran home from school and cuddled him on the couch. Through the madness and exhaustion of the week, running on caffeine, sugar, and love, we sat there together, a family. It was perfect.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The union representing public servants says any changes to long service pay rises in the public service will lead to discrimination against women, Māori and Pasifika. The PSA union's acting national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons spoke to Paddy Gower.

On today's episode, Foreign Minister Winston Peters wants to 'reset' New Zealand's relationship with the Cook Islands, Donald Trump has lashed out at Ukraine's President Zelenskyy on social media, calling him a "dictator without elections" who needs to "move fast" or lose his country, The union representing public servants says any changes to long service pay rises in the public service will lead to discrimination against women, Maori and Pasifika, and the Black Caps have opened their Champions Trophy ODI tournament with a 60-run win over hosts Pakistan in Karachi.

In Pacific Waves today: Covid response failed to meet Pasifika needs - report; Salvation Army report shows more children are going hungry; Scientist in line for a gong after decades of help to Pacific nations. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In Pacific Waves today: Miss Samoa wins Miss Pacific Islands title; Cook Islands PM heads to China to sign agreement; Pasifika team places bid for new NRL franchise. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The PI Clinician group comes on to talk about their upcoming Pasifika Mental Health Conference in West Sacramento in May.

In Pacific Waves today: Pasifika need to be part of Waitangi discussions - academic; Fiji MP retains seat following video leak; Cook Islands church push for Christian state declaration; Eight women contend for Miss Pacific Islands crown. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

An interview about Pan-Pacific solidarity with Jonathan Osorio and Tammy Tabe, two organizers of the 2024 Protecting Oceania conference. During the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture held on Oʻahu in 2024, Protecting Oceania brought together Pasifika philosophers and grassroots organizers to forge new alliances, formations, strategies, and tactics rooted in their own worldviews, to determine how best to address those issues causing the most harm to Pacific peoples. Their hope is that the Protecting Oceania convening is only the beginning of setting a new agenda of collective self-determination for the Pacific in the 21st century. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii