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.
According to the latest 1News poll The Opportunities Party or TOP for short is polling around 1% of the party vote.
Despite this the party has garnered a lot of media attention and public interest for their bold policy ideas.
One of the more popular policies the Party has introduced is their Teal Card. The Teal Card has been introduced as a “Gold Card” for younger New Zealanders.
As part of the program New Zealanders over 18 and under 30 would receive free healthcare and public transport as well as a Five thousand dollar savings boost if they complete a national civics course.
Nicholas spoke to TOP’s Epsom candidate Dr Nina Su about the Teal card and TOP’s health policy.
Pharmac is the government’s medicine-buying entity, and it came under fire last year for long wait times in approving new medicines.
Arno set out to find out more about Pharmac and funding for medicine in New Zealand.
First Arno spoke with health economist Dr Paula Lorgelly about Pharmac and medicine in New Zealand, and the National Party's plans to fund 13 cancer drugs that are not available in New Zealand but are in Australia.
Next Arno spoke with Dr Kate Gregory from the New Zealand Cancer Society about access to cancer treatments in New Zealand.
Finally Arno spoke with Prostate Cancer Foundation New Zealand CEO Peter Dickens to find out about healthcare for those suffering from prostate cancer.
Milly joins Allan Blackman in the studio for Dear Science as they delve into the fascinating world of people who have experimented on themselves.
She also speaks to Dr Shane Reti for her weekly catchup with the National Party where they talk all things healthcare in Aotearoa.
She speaks to Kerri Nuku Kaiwhakahaere of the New Zealand Nurses Organization about better working conditions for nurses.
She also speaks to Professor Nick Wilson from the University of Otago and the Co-Director of Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa about why New Zealand's Political parties are not paying enough attention to long-term risks and potential future catastrophic risks according to the findings of a recent survey
All this and a bit more on the Tuesday Wire with Milly
For our weekly catch up with the ACT party Rawan spoke with Simon Court about some of the party’s health policies.
They talked about the party's proposed independent review of Pharmac to assess the cost-efficiency of current medical spending, looking at how they plan to undergo the review and why it is important.
They also discussed the party’s promise to subsidise private hospital elective surgeries as a way to tackle long waitlists and hospital shortages. Rawan asked about how they plan to subsidise a section of the private sector as well as what difference this will make.
The ACT party is also planning to establish a new service called Mental Health and Addiction New Zealand. Simon spoke about what this service will include and how it differs from current services.
It is our second week of 95bFM's election coverage, and this week's focus is health.
Rosetta spoke to Adele Gautier, Research and Strategic Programmes Manager at Breast Cancer Foundation New Zealand, about Pharmac's decision to replace Herceptin with Herzuma, but not to widen eligibility for multiple rounds of treatment for patients with advanced breast cancer.
For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, producer Rawan spoke to SImon Court about some of ACT's health policies, including their proposed review of Pharmac, their promise to subsidise more elective surgeries as well as establish Mental Health and Addiction NZ.
For our bi-weekly segment of Tomorrow's World where Rawan and Leilani explore current events around science, technology and the environment, Rawan looked into the increase of youth vaping and The Labour Party's proposed policies surrounding the topic. Rawan spoke to Otago public health expert Janet Hoek and The Health Coalition's Leitu Tufunga.
Finally, Rosetta spoke to Co-Chair of the Health Coalition's Alcohol Panel, Karen Wright, about The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Amendment (Community Participation) Bill, and reducing alcohol-related harm in Aotearoa.
Last Thursday, The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Amendment (Commmunity Participation) Bill passed it's third reading in Parliament. The Amendment is set to reduce alcohol-related harm by allowing communities to have a greater say in their Local Alcohol Policies (LAPs).
Rosetta spoke to Karen Wright, Co-Chair of The Health Coalition's Alcohol Panel, about the importance of the amendment, and what else needs to be done to reduce alcohol-related harm in Aotearoa.
Last Wednesday, Pharmac confirmed it would be replacing treatment Herceptin (brand name for the drug Trastuzumab) with Herzuma, another version of the drug which is equally as effective but at a lower cost. Pharmac has decided not to provide more retreatment opportunities for patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer, but Breast Cancer Foundation New Zealand is urging them to reconsider.
Rosetta spoke to Adele Gautier, Research and Strategic Programmes Manager for BCFNZ about the decision, and what more needs to be done to increase retreatment options in Aotearoa.
Labour recently proposed to implement compulsory financial literacy education in schools if they are re-elected. Many have welcomed this, with National also supporting this proposal.
Olivia spoke to Massey University Business School’s Associate Dean Māori, Professor Matthew Roskruge, about this proposal, and the importance of applying a Māori lens to it.
In June, the Greens announced their Income Guarantee plan, which would be funded by a Wealth tax. Last month, Labour ruled out the possibility of a Wealth and Capital Gains tax should they be re-elected, but the polls seem to be telling a different story about what Aotearoa wants, with a recent One News poll reflecting 63% in favour of a Wealth tax.
Beth sat down with Professor of Tax Law at the University of Auckland Craig Elliffe to speak about the economic viability of a Wealth tax in Aotearoa and the national support expressed in recent polls. She also caught up with Co-leader of the Green Party Marama Davidson about the Greens' Income Guarantee plan and Labour's decision to rule out a Wealth tax.
The recession has caused the tourism industry to face many challenges, such as decreased visitor numbers. However, the industry is slowly bouncing back, with Labour’s Better Work Action Plan providing eighteen point two million dollars to the industry.
Olivia spoke to Tourism Industry Aotearoa’s Chief Executive Rebecca Ingram about the state of the tourism industry, and their plans for improvement.
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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