Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news & current affairs show, The Wire. Your hosts Sherry Zhang, Justin Wong Mary-Margaret Slack, Lillian Hanly, and Laura Kvigstad focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere, in independent-thinking bFM style. Weekdays 12-1pm on 95bFM.
For our election coverage on health policy, Jemima spoke to the National Party's Dr Shane Reti last week about their health package. The policy covers a wide range of health issues but the party has particularly highlighted that they will increase funding to PHARMAC meaning better access to medicine, institute an elective surgery commitment, provide quicker cancer diagnosis and management, AND add to the general practice primary care team. The party has also rejected aspects of the New Zealand Health and Disability Sector Review which was led by civil servant Heather Simpson and released midway through this year. Jemima spoke to Shane about the health policy and why some of the Simpson review has been rejected. She also asked about the Party's Mental Health and Disability policies, which are expected to be announced this week.
James Tapp talked to Shane Le Brun of Medical Cannabis Awareness New Zealand on the cannabis referendum
Jemima Huston spoke to the National Party's Dr Shane Reti on the party's health policy.
On their weekly chat, Justin discussed with Justice Minister Andrew Little about extending the COVID-19 leave support scheme, and the party's stance on conversion therapy, as well as paid sick leave and minimum wage.
With the election creeping up, this week James gives an overview of what is including in the two referendums, the end of life referendum and the cannabis legalization and control referendum. James goes over where they started and what is included.
With the referndum all about recreational use of cannabis and how it is produced, as well as sold, James finds out about what impact this could have on medicinal cannabis. James talks to Shane Le Brun , the coordinatior of Medicinal Cannabis Awareness New Zealand (MCANZ), about the varying impacts a yes or a no vote could have.
Recent research from the University of Canterbury details some of the factors that have led to changes in immunisation rates around New Zealand from 2006 to 2017. While vaccination rates are steadily increasing overall, immunisation has started to decline in some wealthier areas - owing to increased mistrust and misinformation around vaccines. Felix Walton spoke to researcher Lukas Marek about his research.
This week on the Wire, Dear Science's Marcus Jones tells Bronwyn about the Ig Nobel Prize winners, genetic discoveries about Vikings and IBM’s 1000-quibit quantum computer.
Bronwyn speaks to NZFirst’s Tracey Martin about the Māori Party’s proposal for a new, independent 'Mokopuna Māori Entity' to replace Oranga-Tamariki.
Election coverage this week is health and the referenda, so Bronwyn also speak to Minister Martin about the end of life choice bill and recreational cannabis.
Then, Felix speaks to Lukas Marek, a researcher at the University of Canterbury, about childhood immunisation.
Lastly, Bronwyn speaks to lawyer Catherine Marks who fact-checks some of the claims made about the End of Life Choice Bill by anti-assisted dying campaign group ‘votesafe’.
The End of Life Choice referendum asks voters to make a moral decison. Both sides of the referendum raise ethical issues, meaning voters must grapple with questions of life, death, choice and inequity. Come October 17th, voters should know not only how they intend to vote in the referendum, but why they have come to that conclusion.
For an ethics-centred perspective on Euthanasia, Hanna spoke to Dr Vanya Kovach, from the Philosophy department at the University of Auckland.
Today on the Wire we focus on the End of Life Choice Referendum as part of our election coverage.
Jemima speaks to ACT Party Deputy Leader Brooke van Velden who outlines the End of Life Choice Act 2019 and the requirements to be eligible for assisted dying.
Jemima also highlights a number of concerns surrounding assisted dying and the Act, which are addressed by Brooke van Velden and Associate Professor of Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Auckland, Phillipa Malpas.
Hanna talks to Dr Vanya Kovach, who teaches Ethics in the Philosophy department at the University of Auckland, about the ethical issues surrounding euthanasia.
The End of Life Choice Referendum is a public vote on whether assisted dying under the End of Life Choice Act 2019 should become part of the law in Aotearoa. If a majority vote "yes" in the referendum, the Act will come into force and if a majority vote "no", the Act will not be able to be accessed.
Jemima Huston explores the number of social and moral issues that surround the Act and assisted dying such as the input of family in the decision, coercion, the responsibility of doctors to preserve life vs. end life, the right for a doctor to opt out and the short "cooling down" period between prescribing and administering a lethal dose.
ACT Party Deputy Leader Brooke van Velden and University of Auckland Associate Professor of Clinical Medical Ethics Phillipa Malpas provide an insight into these issues and help breakdown what exactly we are voting for in the End of Life Choice Referendum.
This week from the 21st to the 27th of September is Mental Health Awareness Week and this year's theme is He Tirohanga Anamata, or Reimagine Wellbeing Together. Aneeka speaks to Shaun Robinson, the chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation about what we need to see happening in the country to support Kiwis struggling with Mental Health.
Justin and Justice Minister Andrew Little talked about the decision to extend the COVID-19 leave payment scheme, and the Labour Party's stance on conversion therapy and the promise to increase the minimum wage and paid sick leave.
In the last few weeks, the western part of the United States has experienced one of the worst wildfire seasons in history. Not coincidently, some areas have also recorded the highest temperatures since records began. What is the relationship between climate change and the frequency, intensity, and destruction of wildfires? What role does forestry management play in these wildfires? Doug Becker speaks with George Perry, Peter Ward, Beverly Law, and William Moomaw.
For more stories like this head to www.thebigq.org
As part of this week's election coverage, Bronwyn speaks to NZ First Minster Tracey Martin about the two referenda. In particular, whether a referendum is appropriate for an issue such as assisted dying, and what happens if the recreational cannabis legislation doesn't pass.
The End of Life Choice Bill has some pretty strict eligibility requirements regarding the type of illness, physical capability, unbearable suffering and ability to make an informed decision. Despite this, campaign group 'Votesafe' believe there are not enough legal safeguards on the Bill. Bronwyn speaks to Catherine Marks, the lawyer behind the Lecretia Seales case, who fact-checks the accuracy of some of Votesafe’s concerns.
In her weekly chat with NZ First's Tracey Martin, Bronwyn asks the Minister about the Māori Party’s proposal to replace Oranga Tamariki with an independent 'Mokopuna Māori Entity' to overlook the protection of Māori children in state care. The $600 million dollar plan was announced the other week in Whangārei by Māori Party candidate for Te Taitokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.
For 95bFM's election coverage this year, Jemima Huston speaks to Māori Party co-leader John Tamihere about the referendums. They discuss what position the Party will be taking on the Cannabis Referendum and the End of Life Choice Referendum.
The End of Life Choice Referendum is a public vote on whether assisted dying under the End of Life Choice Act 2019 should become part of the law in Aotearoa. If a majority vote "yes" in the referendum, the Act will come into force and if a majority vote "no", the Act will not be able to be accessed.
Jemima Huston explores the number of social and moral issues that surround the Act and assisted dying such as the input of family in the decision, coercion, the responsibility of doctors to preserve life vs. end life, the right for a doctor to opt out and the short "cooling down" period between prescribing and administering a lethal dose.
ACT Party Deputy Leader Brooke van Velden and University of Auckland Associate Professor of Clinical Medical Ethics Phillipa Malpas provide an insight into these issues and help breakdown what exactly we are voting for in the End of Life Choice Referendum.
Zoë Larsen Cumming reports on most of the major parties' health policies on the 2020 election ballot. She looks at Labour, National, the Greens, the Māori Party, New Zealand First, ACT, and The Opportunities Party. The health policies have been broken up into the following subsections: COVID 19 response, public health, health services, alcohol and drugs and mental health.
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