95bFM: The Wire 95bFM

From January 1, 2025, the New Zealand Council of Legal Education has plans to make teaching tikanga Māori and te ao Māori compulsory in the legal curriculum for students, meaning all core law courses will have a compulsory tikanga Māori component.


On the 7th of May, King’s Counsel Gary Judd filed a complaint to the Government’s Regulations Review Committee over this move, claiming that tikanga didn’t fall under “proper law subjects”.


Producer Sofia Roger Williams spoke to co-Tumuaki at Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa, the Māori Law Society, Tai Ahu (Waikato, Ngāti Kahu (Te Paatu)), about these changes to the legal curriculum and the role of tikanga Māori in law.

The Waitangi Tribunal recently found the government’s plans to reinstate a rule requiring all Māori wards to go to a local referendum, is not in line with the government’s obligations under Te Tiriti.


Introduced in 2001, the required referendum was cited by many as a significant barrier to Māori representation in local government. Before 2021, there were three councils with Māori wards or constituencies. After the requirement was removed in 2021, 34 territories and 7 regional councils have Māori wards or constituencies, increasing Māori representation and strengthening the overall decision making process.


This Māori wards legislation follows a slew of similar legislation surrounding Māori representation and the role of Te Tiriti in politics, with the current government continuing to remove protections and ignore advice or summons from the Tribunal.


In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Katie Nimon, Wire host Castor asked about the Māori ward legislation and the government’s relationship with the Waitangi Tribunal.

For Dear Science this week, Dr Cushla McGoverin chatted to us about synthetic leather made of mushrooms, DNA origami, and the colour of rodent teeth. 


Wire host Castor spoke to the National Party’s Katie Nimon about the government’s recent decisions surrounding Māori wards and the future of the Waitangi Tribunal.  


Producer Sofia spoke to Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner at Te Kāhui Tika Tangata, the Human Rights Commission, Saunoamaali’i Karanina Sumeo, about a report the Commission jointly released with KPMG last week, ‘Counting the Cost: Estimating the economic cost of workplace bullying and harassment on New Zealand employers’.


She also spoke to co-Tumuaki of Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa, the Māori Law Society, Tai Ahu (Waikato, Ngāti Kahu (Te Paatu)), about tikanga Māori being taught in law schools regarding King Counsel’s Gary Judd recent filing of a complaint over incoming compulsory teaching.

Last week, Te Kāhui Tika Tangata, the Human Rights Commission, jointly released a report with KPMG titled, ‘Counting the Cost: Estimating the economic cost of workplace bullying and harassment on New Zealand employers’. 


The report estimates the cost of bullying and harassment to employers in Aotearoa at around $1.5 billion a year, which is considered conservative as its estimate does not include all potential costs.


Producer Sofia Roger Williams spoke to Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner at the Human Rights Commission, Saunoamaali’i Karanina Sumeo, about the report and the importance of addressing bullying and harassment in the workplace.

Hundreds of thousands of Kiwis may not be able to heat their homes adequately this winter according to recent findings of fuel poverty in New Zealand.


Producer Ezra spoke to Professor of Law at the University of Auckland, Jodi Gardner about the impact of fuel poverty this coming winter and the steps needed to move forward.

Seventy-five researchers from across the globe recorded traditional music and speech in their native language for a recent cross-cultural study comparing global rhythm and pitch patterns.


Producer Ezra spoke to Senior Research Fellow of Psychology at the University of Auckland, Dr Patrick Savage about his involvement in this cross-cultural study.