Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news & current affairs show, The Wire. Your hosts Amanda Robinson, Mack Smith, Ximena Smith (no relation), Jogai Bhatt and Tess Barnett focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere, in independent-thinking bFM style. Weekdays 12-1pm on 95bFM.
The Warehouse and Ministry for Social Development recently unveiled their Red Shirts in the Community Programme, based on a pilot scheme last year.
Around 1000 young people will spend three weeks working at Warehouses across the country, to gain, in the words of Minister for Social Development, Anne Tolley, "valuable work experience".
However, they will not be paid for their labour, which has prompted criticism from FIRST union.
Producer Ben speaks to FIRST's Retail, Finance and Commerce Secretary Maxine Gay.
Amnesty NZ held a protest outside the Australian consulate this week, calling for an end to the country's policy on asylum seekers.
This is based off the findings of Amnesty's 2016 report into the detention centres, Island of Despair, which were rejected by the Australian government.
For more, producer Ben speaks with Amnesty's NZ campaign director, Meg de Ronde.
This Thursday on the Wire, Produer Ben talks to Amnesty International’s Meg de Ronde about their protest outside the Australian consulate last week, and also speaks with FIRST union’s Maxine Gay about the Warehouse’s (controversial) Red Shirts Community Programme. Harry brings you State of the States, talking President Trump's dismal approval rating, and also speaks with leader of the Labour Party Andrew Little on this week's newly released Labour fiscal plan 2017. Stay tuned 'til the end to catch advice corner in tribute to Jogai too.
The Opportunities Party has released policy regarding a universal basic income for 18-23 year olds who will receive $200 a week unconditionally. Party leader Gareth Morgan says it is no more controversial than giving over 65's a pension and that people in an affluent society like this are owed a duty of being able to live in dignity. 95bFM producer Reuben McLaren speaks to The Opportunities Party deputy leader, Geoff Simmons, to find out more about this policy.
If you’re a music-loving female, then chances are you’ve experienced uncool behaviour at gigs - sexual harassment and douchebags are rife in packed crowds and moshpits. A band trying to change the conversation around this is In Hearts Wake - their new music video for Nomad has got an all female moshpit, highlighting the need to make the gig space safe and friendly for everyone. Ximena catches up with Jake from the band ahead of their trip to New Zealand for an upcoming gig.
If you’re keen to see In Hearts Wake, they are playing at the King's Arms Tavern on August 26th.
A criminal justice forum will be happening tomorrow night at Auckland University’s Library Basement. The talk, organised by JustSpeak, aims to critically analyse New Zealand's issues with the criminal justice system, and to hear from politicians about their criminal justice policies going into this year’s election. Jacinda Ardern, Simon O’Connor, Jan Logie, Mahesh Bindra, Damian Light, Geoff Simmons and Elliot Ikilei will all be in attendance, with journalist Paula Penfold hosting the evening. 95bFM producer Will Parsonson speaks to JustSpeak’s chair, Katie Bruce, about what people can expect from the talk taking place tomorrow.
This week on the show, Ximena & Will are joined by a new producer, Reuben, now that Adam has left us for the world of ~paid~ journalism. They dive deep into a diverse range of topics, including a new youth policy from The Opportunities Party that proposes all 18-23 year-olds receive $200 per week, an upcoming criminal justice election forum happening at Auckland University tomorrow night, and the prospect of making moshpits female-friendly spaces. AUT’s Allan Blackman also rocks by the studio for some hectic Dear Science banter about storing video in DNA, and NZ First’s Tracey Martin lays out the argument for why there should be a referendum on abolishing the Māori seats in parliament.
Following on from the Spotify fake artists story last week, this week it is fellow music streaming site SoundCloud that is under the spotlight, with questions over its future coming to the fore. Reporter Sam Smith spoke to Public Address blogger Russell Brown about the future of SoundCloud and the state of music streaming.
This week on Tuesday Wire we looked at Metiria Turei's "benefit fraud" allegations, Winston Peters wanting a referendum on the Maori seats, the future of SoundCloud and lots more.
Last week, advocacy organisation The Disabled Persons Assembly held a pre-election forum in Wellington where politicians took questions from voters on their approach to disability policy.
I spoke with Green candidate Teall Crossen who spoke at the debate about what the attendees' major concerns were and the policies their party would implement if in Government.
Labour's Andrew Little joins us for our weekly chat. This week, Harry discusses Labour's fiscal plan released this week, unpacking how Labour would spend $17 billion to work for New Zealand.
This week on State of the States Harry and Nick talk Trumps dismal 36% approval rating, and yet more legislative failure, this time for TrumpCare, the affordable healthcare act.
At New Zealand First's election convention in Auckland on Sunday, Party leader Winston Peters made the promise that if New Zealand First was part of the next government, then they would initiate a referendum about abolishing Māori seats in parliament. This week on the show, Ximena talks to Tracey about the arguments for and against keeping the seats.
The nerdy science banter continues on Dear Science this week, even though our dear producer Adam has gone for good over to his big-boy job at Fairfax :( Allan nevertheless ploughs on sans-Adam, telling the Wednesday crew about how the first female to receive a prestigious mathematics award has died; how Harvard scientists have managed to store video inside DNA (and about a band who have released an album on strands of genetic material); and about how the New Zealand team got one silver and three bronze medals in the recent Chemistry Olympiad.
Green Party co-leader James Shaw joins Wire host Amanda Jane Robinson to talk about the Party's AGM and proposed families package, and co-leader Metiria Turei's admission of benefit fraud.
Joel talks to National's Andrew Bayly about his thoughts on Labour's recently announced Family Package which removes National's proposed tax cuts and puts the money towards social wellfare programs.
New research has proven that exposing the endangered bettong to the wild is increasing its chances of survival and despite its extremely cute appearance, perhaps babying them is not the best way to preserve them.
Also, Australians are calling for a space program, claiming they are in the right position economically and globally to do so, and Tesla is about to build the world's biggest Lithium Ion battery in South Australia.
Labour's Andrew Little is back for our weekly chat. This week, Jogai discusses Labour's new Families Package, and comments from National's Steven Joyce calling it a "convoluted spaghetti of entitlements".
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