The Wire with Jessica

On May 9th the New Zealand Nurses organisation held a national day of action 2024, with rallies across the country calling for increased public health funding. While the government has introduced measures to increase the number of nurses in Aotearoa, staffing shortages are still frequent in wards across the country. 

Additionally, there are worries that the recently scrapped Te Aka Whai Ora could impact the already struggling sector, taking focus away from those who need health support most and potentially increasing the workload for frontline health workers. 

In our weekly catchup with the National party, Wire host Castor spoke to Katie Nimon about the government’s approach to public health policy and how the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora could affect the health sector. 

For Dear Science this week, Professor Allan Blackman chatted to us about Beethoven’s deafness, the first ever vaccination, and researchers mapping a small part of the human brain. 

Wire host Castor spoke to the National Party’s Katie Nimon about nursing shortages in light of rallies last week and how the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora could affect the health sector. 

He also spoke to New Zealand Nurses Organisation president Anne Daniels about these health issues from a frontline worker perspective. 

Producer Sofia spoke to Public Service Association Assistant Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons about the 325 job cuts to the Accident Compensation Corporation. 

She also spoke to Professor of Disability Studies and Inclusive Education Missy Morton at the University of Auckland about a new report from the Education Hub about how schools and early childhood centres are failing neurodivergent children.

As a part of the coalition government’s cost saving measures, there are 325 proposed job cuts at the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).

ACC says client-facing teams will not be affected, although, roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety are on the chopping block. 

The job cuts equate to a proposed 9 percent reduction of ACC’s total workforce.

Producer Sofia Roger Williams spoke to Public Service Association Assistant Secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons about the cuts to roles dealing with sexual violence prevention and the overall impacts these cuts to ACC will have on New Zealanders. 

For our regular interview with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to MP Simon Court, about the government continuing the Ka Ora Ka Ako, Healthy School Lunches Programme, power shortages across the country, his comments on boycotting pro-Israel and Zionist businesses, and NZ First introducing a bill that would ban transgender people from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

She also spoke to Halal Kiwi founder, Mohammed Soliman, about the intention behind their initiative boycotting pro-Israel and Zionist businesses and Co-Founder of Alternative Jewish Voices, Dr Marilyn Garson, on pro-Palestine boycotting movements and ACT MP Simon Court’s comments on the topic.

She spoke to Aida Oryantal, from Voice of Iranians, about Iranian hip hop artist Toomaj Salehi, who has recently been sentenced to death by the Islamic Republic regime, and many others facing brutal oppression and human rights abuses in Iran.

Producer Ezra spoke to Chief Executive of Brain Tumour Support NZ, Sarah Verran, about their newly launched fundraising platform “No Going Back” which marks the start of their awareness month campaign “Make May Better”.