Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news & current affairs show, The Wire. Your hosts Reuben McLaren, Conor Mercer, Lillian Hanly, Lachlan Balfour and Kelly Enright focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere, in independent-thinking bFM style. Weekdays 12-1pm on 95bFM.
In light of the National Party's recent scandal, Jenn took to the University of Auckland footpath to see how the past week has affected opinions or positions.
First up on today's Wire we discuss the fallout from Jami-Lee Ross' secret recording of Simon Bridges, then Oscar unveils his new segment, Community Garden, this week speaking to Kieran from movespace. Andrew Little joins Lachlan for their regular chat, talking post prison support and the government’s response to an Israeli court ordering New Zealanders to pay a fine for encouraging Lorde to cancel a concert in Tel Aviv. Lachland also speaks with Ahi from gender minorities Aoteaora about the governemnet removing the cap on gender affirmation surgery, and finally, this day in history returns to look at the 2007 bombing in Karsaz, in Karachi Pakistan.
In the aftermath of former National MP Jami-Lee Ross releasing a secretly recorded tape between him and former leader Simon Bridges, the Thursday Wire team listens to an excerpt from the recording, as well as Bridges' reaction to it.
The Government has announced it will remove the cap on gender affirmation surgeries for trans people in Aotearoa. Previously, the cap stood at 4 surgeries every 2 years, leaving many on the over 100 person waitlist feeling deeply discouraged. Lachlan spoke with Ahi Wi Hongi from gender minorities Aotearoa about the cap being lifted.
This day in history looks at the 2007 Karsaz bombing in Karachi, Pakistan, which targeted People's Party leader Benazir Bhutto. Although it failed to kill Bhutto, the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan would be assassinated later that year.
Justine Sachs is a co-founder of Dayenu, which is a group of young New Zealand Jews against the occupation of Palestine. Sachs is also one of the co-authors of the open letter to Lorde urging her not to perform in Tel Aviv. Following the cancellation of Lorde’s concert, some Israeli teenagers took the case to court hoping to seek damages. This week, Justine and Nadia Abu-Shanab (the other co-author) became aware that they had been ordered by an Israeli court to pay ‘compensation’ of more than $18,000 dollars. This lawsuit is possible after the passing of legislation in 2011 that allows individuals or companies impacted by the Boycott Divest and Sanction movement to sue for damages in Israeli courts. Instead of paying the fine, Nadia and Justine decided to create a fundraising campaign which would be donated to the Gaza Mental Health Foundation. A statement from the give a little page says, ‘The foundation will send donations in their entirety to organisations which are providing vital mental health support to the traumatised families of the Gaza Strip. Emotional distress is a lived reality for Palestinians in Gaza, where over half of children suffer PTSD as a result of Israeli military attacks.’ I got in touch with Justine to find out more and started by asking for some context around the letter to Lorde.
Andrew Little joins Lachlan for their regular chat, this week discussing ex-prisoner reintegration and an Israeli court decision to fine two New Zealand activists.
From NZ First, Fletcher Tabuteau gives us his thoughts on the Simon Bridges and Jami-Lee Ross National Party dramas and tells us why he is going to Japan next week.
Today on the Southern Cross, Jemima talks to AUT Pacific Media Centre's reporter Rahul Bhattarai. Topics include, the iconic, internationally acclaimed human rights film on Paga Hill that was banned from a Papua New Guinea festival and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, responds to backlash against his purchase of 40 Maseratis.
Marc Jacobson has been working to take the world to 100% renewable energy by 2050 which he argues can slow down climate change and reverse some of the damage. Maria Armoudian spoke to Jacobson, who is also co-founder of the Solutions Project, about his ongoing work to counter climate change.
For wire worry week we focus on cultural appropriation. The haka party incident in 1979 saw conflict come to a head with protestors confronting University of Auckland engineering students over their practice of donning grass skirts, brown face and performing fake Haka as part of capping day celebrations. The confrontation is seen as a pinnacle moment of activism causing change in our country's history but is a story not often told from the activists experience. Hone Harawira was part of the protest that day, Jenn spoke to him on the incident, what lead to it and the challenges New Zealand still faces today.
Lachlan chats with Labour MP Andrew Little about prisoner voting rights, and whether this government plans to repeal the blanket ban put in place by the previous National government.
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