The Wire with Alex

Food Standards Australia New Zealand is currently consulting on a proposal to make health star ratings mandatory, with the present voluntary system coming under fire.

Currently, only 36% of eligible packaged foods in New Zealand display a health star rating, well short of the 70% goal set by food ministers in November 2025. 

Additionally, a recent briefing by the Public Health Communication Centre had nutrition experts arguing that labels can help improve dietary choices, encourage product reformulation and strengthen transparency. Front-of-pack nutrition labelling is also recommended by the World Health Organisation.

To discuss making food health star ratings mandatory, producer Thomas spoke to University of Auckland Professor Dr Sally Mackay.

The Government is considering expanding prescribing powers for emergency paramedics, allowing them to prescribe certain medicines, including antibiotics, for conditions such as respiratory and ear infections. 

Supporters say the move could improve access to healthcare, particularly in underserved communities, but some experts are warning that stronger safeguards are needed to prevent unnecessary antibiotic use and growing antimicrobial resistance. 

Producer Pranuja spoke with Professor Bruce Arroll from the University of Auckland about the safeguards needed with this policy to protect public health.

Last week, the Independent Childrens Monitor Aroturuki Tamariki released its second annual report on outcomes for Māori in the care and protection system.

The report looks at the existing context of Māori children and young people’s struggles in state care systems, and assesses current outcomes. It examines what is currently being done to support Māori within the system, and what more could be done to remediate the current inequities. 

To discuss the report, and what more New Zealand’s protection and care systems could be doing to support our tamariki Māori, News Director Castor spoke to the Children’s Commissioner Claire Achmad.

While the election is still over four months away, parties are already deploying what has become an election period staple, the budget hole. The idea that a party vying for government may have bungled the numbers is quite the attack, but without every kiwi trying to break down the numbers themselves, we often have to be taking at least someone at their word. The Green party is among a number of voices proposing a fix to this - a parliamentary budget office that would vet the costs of party policies and be able to answer that age old question, how big is their hole.

And ahead of the release of their own tax policy the Greens have highlighted that The richest 150 New Zealand individuals and family dynasties now own as much as half of the country between them. These numbers, from the National Business Review, show that this small group of kiwis grew their collective wealth from  $102b to $129b last year, that’s a 26% increase in just one year. As the current government gives tax breaks to landlords, and cuts to social services, the Green party says they should be looking at this growth instead, but how do they propose we claw that wealth back?

For our weekly catch-up with the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the call for an independent parliamentary budgetary office, the growing wealth disparity, and gig workers rights.