The Wire with Caeden

This week on the Tuesday Wire...

For Dear Science, our expert, Allan Blackman, chatted with us about the Voyager One getting really hot in space, breakfast impacting life expectancy, and nuclear fusion in Palladium metal. 

For our weekly catchup with the National Party, News director Joel spoke to MP Carl Bates the recent Budget documents have shown an almost $8.5 billion hole in future funding, the government’s expansion of support for those rough sleeping, and changes to Auckland Transport.

Producer Faith spoke to researcher and epidemiologist from Massey University, Professor Jackie Benschop, about the changing risk factors of leptospirosis in Aotearoa.

She also spoke to tax expert Nick Miller from Tax Justice Aotearoa about big tech companies’ tax avoidance, and what steps the government needs to take to address it.

Last week, a study was published in the Sports Medicine Journal revealing that over an extended period, male high-level rugby players were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or other neurodegenerative diseases than the general population.

This comes as increasing research and attention is being paid to head trauma, and the way it affects the individual long term.

Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Dr Stephanie D’Souza, co-author of the study and Senior lecturer at the University of Auckland, about the Study’s results, what they tell us about head and brain injuries, and what that means for New Zealand’s national sport.

Recently, ACT Party Leader, David Seymour, announced the party’s position statement on climate, saying that if the Paris Agreement isn’t reformed, the country should leave the agreement.

The Paris Agreement, signed by New Zealand by the then National-led government in 2016, aims to keep the global average temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with an overall aim of keeping the temperature increase to 1.5°C. Currently, Aotearoa is one of 195 UN parties to adopt this framework.

If the country were to leave the Paris Agreement, the country would join the likes of the US, who signed an executive order to withdraw this year, and Iran, Libya, and Yemen, who have never formally joined the agreement.

For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to him about the Paris Agreement, and our future with this framework.

High numbers of roaming dogs in Auckland’s communities have continued to be a persistent problem. New data revealed shows nearly 17.000 reports of unruly behaviour from dogs with nearly 1300 attacks on people and 1200 attacks on other animals. 

Dog shelters are also increasingly under strain with nearly 10,000 dogs being impounded in the last year. I talked to Councilor Shane Henderson today about what the drivers behind these increased incidents and how Auckland Council is trying to respond. 

In other news, inner city suburbs have been hosting public forums on Plan Change 78, a change to Auckland’s zoning and intensification framework that would allow for the development of high density housing in the central isthmus. 

There has been vehement public opposition in inner city suburbs with residents shouting and heckling at MPs, councillors and even members of the public that do support high density housing.Councilor Chrstine Fletcher has also made claims that this housing intensification plan will cost Aucklanders nearly $20 billion in associated infrastructure costs. Mayor Wayne Brown has decried these claims, calling them “complete rubbish” 

Producer Sanat wanted to talk to Councilor Henderson about why there is so much public opposition to this plan and whether housing intensification will change the city for the better or the worse.