The Frontline with Dr Gary Payinda

When kids or adults face poverty, hunger, and a breakdown in social relationships, is it any surprise that they turn to gangs, drugs, or violence? Isopo Samu of Tokotoko Solutions has spent a lifetime working with at-risk youth as a police officer, a teacher, and for the past 15 years as the founder or director of multiple youth and work-training organisations. We talk about how we can best use our time and money to help keep kids in school, and families together.

A chat with Mike Casey, cherry orchardist, tech bro, and green energy advocate. He's the CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, a charity that envisions a time when NZ is free from its dependence on fossil fuels and foreign energy. We talk about electric cars, rooftop solar, learning from Australia's experience, and moving towards cheap, clean, and plentiful energy. Just a dream, or could it be a reality?

Who would dare argue against a 'knowledge rich curriculum' or 'back to the basics' education? But what happens when 'knowledge rich' turns into regurgitating memorised lists, or when 'the basics' don't include enough teachers aides, school nurses, or that most basic thing of all: food?
A reframing of the real problems and their solutions with education expert, teacher, principal, and President of the NZ Principals Federation Jason Miles, speaking to a recent report by 34 educational groups expressing concerns that the currently proposed education reforms may actually portend a return to the bad old days of rote memorisation and an educational framework based on an outdated industrial model that's not fit for NZ's needs, and which will not prepare our kids to be competitive in the modern world.

Alcohol harm costs the NZ taxpayer roughly $7 for every $1 collected in alcohol taxes. So why are we weakening, rather than strengthening, our alcohol regulations?

Andrew Galloway of Alcohol Healthwatch talks about the proposed alcohol policy changes that will weaken our already remarkably feeble alcohol regulations.

Have your say. Subscribe and follow. And click hapaitia.co.nz/resources/ for help giving your submission to Parliament.

Glenn Barclay of Tax Justice Aotearoa answers our tax questions, from the $1 billion LNG import terminal 'levy/tax', to the IRD's treatment of high-net worth individuals, to how some multinational companies are diverting 94% of their NZ revenue offshore and avoiding paying billions in taxes. Plus the Salvation Army's report on surging child poverty and a 50% increase in food insecurity in NZ since 2019.