Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Joel Armstrong, Castor Chacko, Oto Sequeira, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
Last week, Statistics Minister Shane Reti announced plans to scrap the census moving forward. The changes have raised concerns around gathering data on marginalised groups and communities. Lower sample sizes and differences in the method of data collection can expose the data to biases and could lead to poor representation of marginalised and minority groups. The collection and use of administrative data also raises concerns around data sovereignty and increased state surveillance.
To discuss these concerns, Wire host Castor spoke to Associate Professor of Politics at Victoria University and Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Statistics at the University of Auckland, Dr. Lara Greaves. You can find more information about Te Mana Rauranga here.
For Dear Science, our expert, Dr. Cushla McGoverin, chats with us about early human subspecies Denisovan, plants having a second set of roots, and sea spiders farming bacteria.
In our weekly catch-up with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about plans to scrap the nationwide census and concerns from statisticians around the decision.
They also spoke to Associate Professor of Politics at the University of Victoria, Dr. Lara Greaves, about how the census changes could impact Māori and issues around data sovereignty and surveillance.
Producer Faith spoke to researcher Nusch Herman from the Co-Created Ageing Research Centre about normalising having older adults in the workplace.
Although sixty-five is still New Zealand’s retirement age, there has recently been an increase in over sixty-fives in the workforce, for a number of reasons.
Researchers such as Nusch Herman from the Co-Created Ageing Research Centre believe that having older adults in the workplace should be normalised.
Producer Faith spoke to Nusch about ageism, and breaking the stigma around over sixty-fives still working.
With Psilocybin set to be more available for those with treatment-resistant depression comes the question of accessibility.
Currently only one specialist will be able to provide psilocybin to patients, with concerns over how much the treatment will cost.
News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, a Professor in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Auckland, about psilocybin, and what should be expected with allowing psilocybin to treat treatment-resistant depression.
The government is considering changes to the rules surrounding who can ride bikes on the sidewalk and e-scooters in the bike lane. Currently e-scooters are not allowed in the bike line, despite many riders using it, and bikes can only be ridden on the sidewalk by young children.
The government is planning to change this, allowing e-scooters in the bike line legally, and raising the age cap for bike riding on the sidewalk.
Producer Samantha spoke to Tim Jones, President of Living Streets Aotearoa regarding these proposed changes and their implications.
Recently, Statistics Minister, Shane Reti, has announced that Stats NZ will be moving away from the Census to collect data, cancelling the next scheduled Census in 2028.
The move will result in data already collected by government agencies to be used as the primary source of population data.
To ensure minority communities are accurately portrayed in national data, Stats NZ say they will be working with these communities, with plans to implement smaller surveys and targeted data collection.
However, concerns have been raised about whether this is enough.
News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Liza Bolton, a Professional Teaching Fellow in the Department of Statistics at the University of Auckland, about this move, and her concerns regarding moving away from the Census to collect data.
Concrete is one of the world’s most polluting materials, accounting for between 5 and 8 percent of global CO2 emissions.
For the past several years, University of Auckland Engineering Faculty, Dr Enrique Del Ray Castillo has been researching and developing an alternative which could decrease the environmental impact of concrete by reducing the amount of cement required in its production.
Using a blend of volcanic ash – or pumice – and kaimoana shells, both of which are natural, local and more sustainable materials, Castillo has explored how traditional Roman engineering and mātauranga Māori could work together to make a material that’s built to last
Last Saturday, over 2,000 protests took place across all 50 American States against President Donald Trump.
The protests coincided with Trump’s birthday and the 250th anniversary of the US Army, and they served as a direct response to the military parade in Washington, DC.
The organisers of the protests say they aimed to reject “authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarisation of our democracy.”
Wire Host Caeden spoke to Jeremy Pressman, Professor of Political Science at the University of Connecticut about the protests and the backlash towards them from the Trump administration.
Last friday, Israel launched a series of missile strikes on Iranian soil, aimed at destroying Iran’s nuclear research facilities and assassinating their top generals and scientists.
In response Iran fired a series of their own missile strikes into Israeli territory, striking areas like Tel Aviv and the Israeli port city of Haifa.
Both countries have attacked civilian areas in this round of fighting, with Israel strikes into Iran hitting Iran’s state broadcaster in Tehran as well as the Farabi Hospital in Kermanshah, killing at least 200 people, with Iran’s strikes targeting a number of residential areas in urban Israel similarly.
Oto spoke to an Iranian New Zealander who is currently in Iran, going under the alias of ‘Maryam’ for her safety and security, who talked us about her experiences trying to flee Iran and contacting the New Zealand for assistance.
Last week, Statistics Minister Shane Reti announced plans to scrap the nationwide census moving forward. The census is the largest statistical survey done in Aotearoa, and provides the bulk of population data used in research and decision-making. Reti says the census is “no longer financially viable” and will be replaced with a combination of smaller annual surveys and administrative data.
While the change looks good on paper, there are concerns around how the change in data collection could affect representation of marginalised and minority groups. Census data tends to be more protected from bias than administrative data and smaller surveys, meaning there are more opportunities for misrepresentation. Some statisticians are particularly concerned about the potential exclusion of marginalised rural communities.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked him about the census decision and its implications on marginalised and minority groups.
Associate Health Minister, David Seymour, has recently announced changes to Psilocybin and Melatonin availability.
Psilocybin, the compound found in magic mushrooms, will be available for certain patients suffering from poor mental health outcomes. Melatonin, which is used for insomnia and jetlag, is set to be available over the counter.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to him about this move, and the potential accessibility concerns with accessing these medications.
They also discussed taxpayers set to be funding newly-funded cancer medicines for private facilities.
Finally, they discuss opposition parties criticised Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, over a lack of transparency regarding the effectiveness of boot camps for youth offenders, especially as boot camps have received a boost of $30 million, despite the pilot programme still being ongoing.
But first, they discussed Psilocybin and Melatonin.
Housing intensification is a key priority for Auckland Council as Auckland's population is forecast to reach 2.3 million by 2050.
But as planning for growth continues, some Auckland residents have expressed concern about the approval of developments in areas on flood plains or particularly prone to natural disasters.
With Kāinga Ora selling homes as ‘high risk investments’ in areas which were impacted by flooding in recent years, and 15 percent of all granted consents for new builds by Auckland Council being on floodplains, I spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about how the council is taking into account these issues for the coming years.
Last Saturday, over 2,000 protests took place across all 50 American States against President Donald Trump.
The protests coincided with Trump’s birthday and the 250th anniversary of the US Army, and they served as a direct response to the military parade in Washington, DC.
The organisers of the protests say they aimed to reject “authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarisation of our democracy.”
Wire Host Caeden spoke to Jeremy Pressman, Professor of Political Science at the University of Connecticut about the protests and the backlash towards them from the Trump administration.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon recently spoke to media saying that the government would announce reforms to the Holidays Act that would impact sick leave entitlements for part time workers.
Under the suggested changes, sick leave entitlements would be processed under an accrual system, meaning that part-time workers working half the hours of their full-time counterparts may only earn half of their previously entitled sick leave.
In that same week, a directive was recently given to Te Whatu Ora - Health NZ to give private hospitals 10-year outsourcing contracts to perform elective surgeries.
And earlier this week Associate Education David Seymour announced a review of the funding for early childhood education.
For our weekly Catchup with the Green Party, Oto spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez-March about all of these issues.
Last week, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston announced plans to double the tourism value by 2034, with increased funding to support the country in reaching this goal. The funding is primarily targeted at increasing the marketing of New Zealand tourism overseas, which has been met with mixed reactions from tourism operators in Aotearoa, many of whom have been struggling with existing tourist numbers.
Also this past week, the New Zealand government imposed sanctions on two Israeli ministers for ‘inciting extremist violence’ against Palestinians. While the move has received cross-party support, opposition parties such as the Greens and Te Pāti Māori have criticised the government for not taking further action against Israel.
In our weekly catchup with National's Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about each of these issues, beginning with the new tourism funding.
This week on Dear Science our expert, Professor Allan Blackman, chatted with us about characterising liquid carbon, a New Zealand led cleanup in Antarctica, and plants making their own pesticide.
The ACT Party has recently announced that candidates standing in local elections, if elected, will oppose attempts to mitigate emissions at a local level.
ACT Local Government spokesperson, Cameron Luxton, says council’s should “focus on what they can control,” and not “costly symbolic declarations”.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to him about this move.
We also discussed the government’s sanctions on Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
New Zealand has joined countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada, and Norway, in banning Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over allegedly “inciting extremist violence" against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and “undermin[ing] peace” for a two-state solution.
Finally, we discussed changes being made to the proposed anti-stalking laws.
But first, we discussed ACT candidates opposing attempts to mitigate emissions at a local level.
95bFM 
