Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Joel Armstrong, Sara Mckoy, Max Micheel, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
This week, we chat to Kevin Moar from the productivity commission about a proposed plan for tertiary subsidies, Joel also chats to Jonathon Gee from the New Zealand Union of Students Associations about the issue. Joel and Tess have their weekly chat with National MP Jami-Lee Ross, this week we discuss Maori run prisons and the DOC funding. Joel spoke to Radio Adelaide's Nicole Wedding for all the latest in Australian news. Lastly, Tess spoke to Marnie Prickett from freshwater campaign group Choose Clean Water about a report released by NIWA about New Zealand's water standards.
Last night the government voted against a Green Party Bill that was proposed to help reduce the gender pay gap in Aotearoa, which currently stands between 12 and 14 per cent. Wire producer Harry Willis spoke with Green Party Women's Spokesperson Jan Logie about the Bill, beginning with the question of what it actually is and what it hopes to achieve.
New research is claiming that New Zealand has one of the most distorted tax environments for housing of any country in the OECD. Dr. Andrew Coleman, an Affiliate of Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, argues that had tax policy been different, the country might not be seeing the housing crisis currently in effect. bFM reporter Ximena Smith spoke with Dr. Coleman earlier this week, starting with a breakdown of the tax problems we're currently are facing.
With more retail spaces going up for sale in St Kevin's arcade this week, Karangahape Road continues its spruce up in preparation for the City Rail Link. bFM reporter Harry Willis speaks to St Kevins Arcade alumnus, Search and Destroy's Alison Reid, on why the favourite second-hand clothing store has moved out, and her thoughts on the changing face of K Road.
This week, Jogai and Harry chat with Jan Logie about the government rejection of the Green Party’s Equal Pay Amendment Bill, and bFM reporter Katie Doyle has a report on threatened species strategy with Forest and Bird’s Kevin Hackwell. Our news director Ximena Smith catches up with Andrew Coleman to discuss the impacts of tax distortion on our current housing crisis, and Harry chats to owner of Search and Destroy about the changing face of Karangahape Road. Andrew Little is also back for our weekly chat. All this and more on the Thursday Wire - check out the full podcast here.
Sam Fraser-Baxter is back with us again for Dear Science, covering Allan while he is still away overseas. This week, Sam chats to Ximena about the two sides to the Stewart Island cage diving controversy - locals are arguing the booming cage-diving industry on the island is attracting more sharks and that this will inevitably provoke a shark attack, while cage-diving advocates say there isn’t enough evidence to suggest this is the case. Sam also talks to Ximena about a small French island east of Madagascar, which is also known as the most dangerous place in the world for shark attacks.
This week on the Wednesday show, Ximena & Adam hear a series of critical perspectives from a number of different voices, including Greater Auckland’s Matthew Lowrie on recent plans from Auckland Transport, as well as the Pacific Panther Network’s Sina Brown-Davis on the concept of Māori-run prisons. Sam Fraser-Baxter also joins us again this week for Dear Science, following-up on last week with a second round of fascinating shark-related fodder.
Greater Auckland (formerly know as Transport Blog) are criticising Auckland Transport’s preferred option for inner city bus routing. They say the plan is bad not only for buses and congestion, but also for business as a whole in the center city. The Wire producer Adam Jacobson speaks with Greater Auckland Editor, Matthew Lowrie, to learn more about what he thinks is wrong with Auckland Transport’s plan.
In New Zealand, Māori incarceration rates are disproportionately high - in 2015, 15% of New Zealand’s population identified as being Māori, while they currently make up around half of the prison population. Earlier this week the idea of Māori-run prisons resurfaced again within the media, with Labour corrections spokesperson Kelvin Davis saying it’s one solution to tackling high Māori incarceration rates, and Marama Fox telling us on The Wire yesterday that this is a solution the Māori Party has repeatedly raised with the government. But not everyone agrees this will be an effective way to approach this problem. Māori prison abolitionist and member of Pacific Panther Network, Sina Brown-Davis, told Ximena her thoughts about the proposal.
Every Thursday morning, Auckland Action Against Poverty will be campaigning outside of the Queen Street Work and Income offices. Their purpose? To help those most in need receive beneficial entitlements. 95bFM The Wire producer Adam Jacobson speaks with Auckland Action Against Poverty Spokesperson, Vanessa Cole, about their work across the city
On Sunday, “Block the Ban” held a protest against the government’s decision to ban new prescriptions of puberty blockers for young people with gender dysphoria.
The United Nations’ committee for the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination has released a report warning that New Zealand is at serious risk of weakening Māori rights.
And last week, the government rejected the recommended methane emissions targets.
This is despite officials warning against the government doing so, stating that lowering methane emissions targets could increase New Zealand’s contribution to global warming.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about all of these topics.
Safety measures on public transport are of growing concern this week following the fatal and unprovoked attack that took place on route 76 in East Tāmkaki on Monday night.
Earlier this week there were also multiple critical incidents that occurred simultaneously across Auckland’s West Coast beaches and waterways, seeing an unusually high deployment of emergency services and surf lifesavers for this early in the summer.
Swedish home and furniture retailer Ikea opened in Sylvia Park a week ago today, drawing huge excitement for many.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about these topics.
Last week was scrutiny week, where Parliament focuses entirely on holding government agencies and ministers to account, to check-in on how well the Government is performing.
Many of the questions surrounding scrutiny week have been focused on climate change, with many recent reports highlighting the Government’s questionable decision-making.. The biggest headline was that the coalition had chosen to reject all three of the climate change commission’s recommendations to strengthen New Zealand’s emissions targets.
Along with this, the United Nations released a new report, where they’ve warned that New Zealand is at serious risk of weakening Māori rights and entrenching disparities for the indigenous population. In the 14-page report, the UN expressed concerns over multiple government policies affecting Maori, including the disestablishment of the Maori Health Authority, cuts to public funding for Maori services, and minimising the role of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about the report released by the United Nations, but first they discussed Scrutiny Week and the Government’s recent climate change decisions.
The government is pausing the new prescriptions of Puberty Blockers to gender diverse and transgender young people from the 19th of December onwards, following a similar move by the UK after the results of the NHS’s Cass Review.
Wire Producer Flo spoke to activist Lauren Craig about the effects of the legislation, her petition “Reverse the decision to deny transgender and takatāpui young people access to puberty blockers” against the changes and the wider political motivation for the policy.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here
With the rise of fast fashion outlets like Shein and Temu alongside the wider mainstream options available that contribute substantial amounts of clothing waste to landfill, experts are calling for an urgent response on a governance, business, and individual level.
Wire Host Sara spoke to Mindful Fashion Chief Executive Jacinta Fitzgerald about the problem, and the industry response to sustainability, as well as University of Auckland Marketing Professor Mike Lee about the importance of ethical consumption.for individuals.
First, is the interview with Fitzgerald, where she begins by talking about the organisation Mindful Fashion.
Following this, Sara spoke to Marketing Professor Mike Lee about the research he has undertaken around consumerism.
The biannual Scrutiny Week took place in Parliament last week, with meetings across select committees and government departments focussed on scrutinising the outcomes of government work.
These include hearings on ministries like Health, Housing, Environment and Justice.
Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Carl Bates about Scrutiny Week, firstly by asking him to talk about the meetings he was involved in
The government has recently rejected all of the Climate Change Commission’s recommendations regarding strengthening the country’s methane targets recommendations.
The commission’s recommendations include strengthening the county’s 2050 methane emission targets, continuing lowering emissions after 2050, and that international shipping and aviation, which represents 9% of the county’s total emissions, should be included within targets.
Despite the commission saying that there would be upfront costs, many of the changes would result in cost savings over time, however, the government rejected this claim.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about the government rejecting these recommendations.
Tāmaki Makaurau’s council budget is among those impacted by the proposal of a rates cap, considering Tāmaki’s average 5.8% annual rates increase across the 25/26 financial year.
Youth homelessness is a growing concern as discussions continue around “move on” orders for those without housing in Auckland’s CBD.
And the Skycity Convention Centre is set to open in 2026, with high hopes for what it may bring for Tāmaki Makaurau after its prolonged development.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Counsellor Fairey about these topics.
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