The Panel with Victoria Stewart and John Barnett (Part 1)

Countdown, SuperValue and Fresh Choice supermarkets are going stop selling plastic straws by October. Some companies are also committing to phasing-in the use of 100 per cent reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025. Religious belief has been used as a defence in two recent cases in the United States. One was a baker who wouldn't make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple and the other was a florist who wouldn't supply flowers for the same reason. Meanwhile in New Zealand, there are legal moves to tighten up on laws around racist speech and the possibility of amendments to the Bill of Rights, which Thomas Beagle from the Council for Civil Liberties joins the Panel to talk about.