Backbenches 28 May 2014
Prime TV announces:
THIS WEEK ON PRIME TV’s “BACK BENCHES”: Watch Wallace Chapman, Damian Christie, the Back Benches Panel and special guests discuss the week’s hottest topics!
ASIAN INVASION?: A survey from the Asian NZ Foundation highlights the growing resentment from Maori towards Asian immigrants. Competition is at the heart of the matter-competition for jobs and cultural funding but also to blame, the survey says, is a lack of understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi. Is this a fair observation or a skewed perception of reality? Are Maori more important than other kiwis? While some political parties are looking to restrict immigration and immigrants from buying NZ houses-there is a call for NZ to become more multi-cultural & multi-lingual. Do these policies mesh well?
YUP-WE’RE STILL REALLY FAT: New Zealand is STILL the 3rd fattest nation (behind Mexico & USA) in the OECD. That is 1.2 million fat kiwis. So, what are we to do about it? National announced $40million in the budget for anti-obesity initiatives. But how will that money be spent? Is it about teaching communities how to eat better? Or get more exercise? Is it just a drop in the bucket considering we spend $700m on obesity through diabetes and heart disease? Is it now a bigger health concern than smoking?
GENERATION “Y I DON’T VOTE”: Our under 30s are as likely to vote in the next election as they are to win the lotto. An exaggeration, perhaps, but more than 800,000 kiwis didn’t vote in 2011 and that is expected to be worse come the 20th of September. How do the political parties get the youth of today to get involved? Many say their vote won’t matter but with just under a million non-voters that is a very influential group, after all.
There are two ways to get in on the political pub action:
First, you can join the live audience in Wellington’s iconic Backbencher Pub on Wednesday, 28th of May at 6pm. Filming begins around 6:15pm.
Or watch us that night on PRIME TV at 10:30pm!
Plus, Follow us on Facebook (BackBenchesTV) or on Twitter @BackBenchesTV.
Our Panel: Green Party Co-Leader Metiria Turei, Labour MP Grant Robertson, National MP Tim Macindoe.
A co-leader, an aspiring leader and a whip!