The Wire with Manny

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, Sadiq Zarrouk.

The Government is changing the law so only elected councillors can vote on council committees, stopping iwi representatives and independent experts from being full voting members.

And last week, the Government announced the Budget for the next year. It includes investment in areas such as housing, health, and rail infrastructure in Auckland.

For City Counselling this week, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about both of these topics.

For City Counselling this week, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about a law change that will mean only elected councillors can vote on council committees and what Budget 2026 means for Auckland.

And they spoke to both Professor Te Kaka Keegan from the University of Waikato and Professor Nirmal Nair from the University of Auckland about a new UN University report on the environmental impacts of AI.

And Tuesday Wire Host Alex spoke with Elliot Crossan, the co-chair of Auckland Action Against Poverty, about the changes made to social housing in the 2026 Budget.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke with Shanan Halbert about the 2026 Budget.

And she also spoke with Senior Lecturer Dr Lisa Darragh, challenging the idea that New Zealand is facing a maths education crisis

According to a recent report by Community Housing Aotearoa, homelessness in this country has reached its highest level in history, with more than 50% of people experiencing homelessness being under the age of 24. People continue to die on the streets every year, and as we enter the winter months, the risks to people without a roof over their heads grow even more serious.

To discuss the issue of youth homelessness in the context of the government’s recent budget announcement, producer Toby spoke to Aaron Hendry—a youth development worker and advocate based in Auckland. Hendry works with the organisation Kick Back, which runs an open space on Karangahape Road called “the Front Door,” providing shelter and essential services for young people in vulnerable situations.