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.
Last week, Police Minister Mark Mitchell announced the Cabinet’s decision to amend the Policing Act, to restore the right for police to collect and use images in public spaces.
This follows a recent Supreme Court case which ruled that an image of a person taken during a traffic stop could not be used against them in an unrelated crime.
Privacy law specialist Gehan Gunasekara says the revision could extend police powers towards a “surveillance state”.
The government has also announced a change of eligibility for the jobseeker benefit to come into effect from next November — which will see 18 and 19 year olds with parents making more than a combined income of $65,529, no longer able to receive payments.
In the June 2025 quarter, 12.9% of this country’s 15 to 24 year olds were not in jobs, education or training, and despite claims by Prime Minister Chris Luxon, employers and recruitment agencies have said there aren’t enough roles for those seeking.
Finally, on Sunday the government announced their plan to change methane emissions reduction targets in New Zealand, aiming for between 14 and 24% by 2050, compared to 2017 levels, as opposed to the previous target was between 24 and 47%.
Agriculture and Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay says the decision is in alignment with evidence, as well as the practicality for farmers — but the decision goes against the Climate Change Commission recommendations to increase the targets, and has been called a “step back” for our climate targets.
Wire Host Sara spoke with National MP Carl Bates about all of these topics, starting with the Policing Act amendment. She started by asking about the expected benefits of the change
The government’s Animal Welfare bill has passed its first reading, and has already sparked outrage among animal rights activists. The bill would amend the Animal Welfare Act 1999 to permit the ongoing use of farrowing crates and mating stalls for pigs.
One of the bill’s main opponents is SAFE (Save Animals from Exploitation). Producer Faith spoke to SAFE ceo Debra Ashton about the bill.
A new report from the NZ Drug Foundation has highlighted the need for safer drug laws, to focus on harm reduction. Experts from the foundation believe that stronger action needs to be taken in order to combat the growing statistics of overdoses, substance abuse, and drug-related deaths.
Producer Faith spoke to the foundation’s policy director Dr. Jacek Kolodziej about how the law needs to change, and how drug addiction should be addressed
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to MP Simon Court about the government’s Jobseeker Support changes for 18-to-19-year-olds, and the government’s amendments to the Policing Act.
Following Joel's chat with Simon, they spoke more about the amendments to the Policing Act with Gehan Gunasekara - the Convenor of the Surveillance Group within the Privacy Foundation and an Associate Commerical Law Professor at the University of Auckland, about concerns these changes will create a “surveillance state”.
Producer Alex spoke to a Professor in the Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland, Rochelle Constantine about what the new Hauraki Gulf Protections Act means for our larger wildlife.
On Thursday, 95bFM Intern Zanoor spoke to Dr Lucy Hardie, a Health Research Fellow at the University of Auckland, about research showing global vaping companies are using tactics to target young people.
And Alex to an Associate French Professor at the University of Auckland, Deborah Walker-Morrison, about the ongoing political crisis in France, and what the instability means for President Emmanuel Macron and his party going forward.
The government has recently announced that 18-to-19-year-olds whose parents earn $65,528 annually will no longer be eligible for Jobseeker Support. The Government estimates that 4300 young people would become ineligible under this new policy.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says these changes to Jobseeker Support eligibility are “tough love” and that he did not want the government to “send a message to young people” that 18-to-19-year-olds could “just drift into welfare and that's it”.
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 topic.
They also discussed the government saying they would amend the Policing Act to guarantee police have the power to collect intelligence through means of photographing and videoing potential perpetrators.
But first, they discussed the changes to the Jobseeker benefit.
Following my chat with Simon, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke more about the amendments to the Policing Act with Gehan Gunasekara - the Convenor of the Surveillance Group within the Privacy Foundation and an Associate Commercial Law Professor at the University of Auckland, about concerns these changes will create a “surveillance state”.
Despite the government imposing regulations that restrict the advertisement of vaping, international campaigns are still reaching young New Zealanders through influencer marketing and sponsorship of popular overseas sporting events.
In a recently published paper, University of Auckland School of Population Health Research Fellow Dr Lucy Hardie examined how e-cigarette companies can target young New Zealanders through social media marketing and legal loopholes.
95bFM Intern Zanoor spoke with Hardie about this research and her concerns about the harm these campaigns can cause.
Last Week, French Prime Minister and President Macron Appointee, Sebastien Lecornu, resigned from his post after his hours old government collapsed. By the end of the week, Lecornu was reappointed as prime minister by Macron. At the time of his first appointment, Lecornu was already the 5th french prime minister in two years.
These events are the latest occurrences in the recent political instability in France that was further stoked by Macron’s dissolution of government and the ensuing parliamentary elections that took place last year, in a failed bid to secure the government. Instead, the government now sees itself split evenly between multiple blocs, with Macron desperately trying to maintain control
Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Associate Professor in European Language and Literature at the University of Auckland, Deborah Walker-Morrison, about these moves, France’s instability, and what this means for the future of France’s government and the popularity of the far right.
Last week, the government passed a New Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection act. The Act includes a new organisation of marine protected areas, and new rules for fishing, in the hopes that they will address environmental issues in the gulf. Concerns, however, remain over the wellbeing of marine life, both now and going forward, and particularly that of larger marine life like whales and dolphins.
Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Professor of Marine Ecology and Conservation Biology at the University of Auckland, Rochelle Constantine, about the welfare of these larger marine animals, how this bill will help them, and what work there remains to be done.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke with Shanan Halbert about benefits changes for 18 and 19-year-olds, the Reserve Bank cutting the official cash rate, and the recent protests outside Winston Peters home.
For International Desk, they spoke to Acacia O’Connor from the Global Movement to Gaza about the experiences of activists detained by Israel.
And they speak to 95bFM reporter Castor Chacko who is on the ground at the protest against RocketLab outside the University of Auckland engineering building.
On City Counselling this week, Producer Sanat spoke to Councilor Julie Fairey about Auckland’s voter turnout and the importance of casting your vote by the 11th of October
He also spoke to the Executive Officer for the Child Poverty Action Group Sarita Divis about changes to the JobSeeker Benefit for 18-19 year olds.
From Dec 27 to Jan 18, all train lines across Tāmaki will be shutting down for summer maintenance, a closure which is expected to be the last of its kind ahead of the opening of the City Rail Link.
The current measles outbreak in Tāmaki is being continually monitored, with exposure sites being updated daily on info.health.nz. The public are encouraged to track whether they’ve been in possible contact with the virus, and get up to date on any vaccinations to limit possibilities of transmission.
Auckland Council are supporting arts initiatives across the summer months, with Music in the Park kicking off in early January, and Movies in the Park following in February.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about these topics, and also asked for comment following the attack by two gunmen at Bondi Beach earlier this week.
Yesterday, the latest six-monthly survey of housing support providers under the National Homelessness Data Project, or NHDP, showed that homelessness in Auckland has more than doubled in the year to September. The report also found that 14 of the 21 agencies interviewed reported an increase in homelessness.
As well as this, Australia’s ban on social media for children under 16 has taken effect. And according to an interim report into social media harm, a social media ban for children in New Zealand is worth exploring further.
And last week the Government announced the replacement of the Resource Management Act, or RMA. The coalition said its replacement will slash red tape and supercharge growth.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about the Government’s new RMA reforms and a potential social media ban in New Zealand.
But first they discussed the latest report on Auckland homelessness.
The Parliament’s Workforce and Education Committee has released an interim report on an inquiry into the harm young New Zealanders face online. The government has recently announced an overhaul of the Resource Management Act and introduced two new bills in its place, the Natural Environment Bill and the Planning Bill.
For our weekly catch-up with the National Party, Producer Vihan spoke to MP Carl Bates, who is also the Deputy Chairperson of the Workforce and Education Committee, about the new findings of the interim report, the new Natural Environment Bill, and the Fast Track Approval Amendments Bill.
The government has announced the overhaul of the Resource Management Act (RMA), which will be replaced by two different bills, the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill. The RMA is set to be fully replaced by 2029.
The RMA, which has been in effect for 34 years, is polarising across the political spectrum.
In announcing the reforms, RMA Reform Minister, Chris Bishop, says that “pretty much everything” will be quicker and less costly under the new regime.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about this overhaul of the RMA.
They also discussed The Education and Workforce Committee’s interim report on the harms young people experience online, with a majority recommending a ban on social media for under-16-year-olds.
But first, they discussed the overhaul of the RMA.
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
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
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