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.
While fish and chip shop customers in South Australia are eating threatened and endangered shark species labelled as “flake”, sharks are facing the risk of being extinct. As a 2020 study concluded sharks were “functionally extinct” on 20% of the world’s coral reefs. A new study building on this research from the journal Nature Communications shows that now 2 in 3 of the worlds sharks are being driven to extinction. The cause is clear and simple: overfishing. What will be the effects on the ocean ecosystem? What consequenses will this have for humans? And why do sharks have such a bad image?
This morning, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child called out the failure of the New Zealand Government to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility. Referring to the current minimum age of criminal responsibility, the Committee stated clearly that the NZ Government is "just not getting children’s rights right".
Joe speaks to Lisa Woods, Campaigns Director for Amnesty International Aotearoa on this matter.
Liam spoke to Robert MacCulloch from the University of Auckland about the recent reports on Aotearoa’s stagnant inflation.
They also had a chat with Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington's Dr Mona Jeffreys about long covid and reports on how the pandemic has been managed over the past few years.
We also heard from Troy Merry from UoA about a possible new life extending drug.
And lastly Liam spoke with Nicola Roos from UoO and the DOC about a research project utilising citizen science to track Kekeno AKA NZ fur seals.
New data from Stats NZ has recently shown the rate of annual inflation in Aotearoa has remained stagnant at 7.2 percent.
Food, construction and airfare prices have gone up, however the dropping prices of fuel have led the mean to being balanced where it was.
The news came in conjunction with the swearing in of Chris Hipkins as the new prime minister, who has stated his biggest priority is the cost of living crisis for lower and middle income New Zealanders.
To learn more about what the numbers mean, Liam spoke to UoA economist Robert MaCulloch.
A project aiming to track the lives and mortality rates of Kekeno AKA NZ fur seals has recently been approved for extension.
The Department of Conservation project was originally slated to take place from June to November of last year, getting citizens to become involved by submitting photographic sightings of the seals in various places across Aotearoa.
To learn more about their next steps and how the extension will benefit the research, Liam spoke to Nicola Roos, a student at Otago Uni who’s assisting with the research.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins, and producer Troy Matich, bring you The Wire for Rāapa Wednesday.
Jessica speaks to Associate Professor of Māori and Pacific Studies Jemaima Tiatia and the Associate Dean Pacific of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Sir Collin Tukuitonga, about Carmel Sepuloni becoming Aotearoa’s first Pasifika deputy prime minister.
She talks to Tertiary Education Union Organiser Jill Jones about the union's legal action against redundancies at the Auckland University of Technology.
She also asks Academic GP Nikki Turner about Jacinda Ardern’s legacy on child poverty.
Troy interviews SAFE For Animals Head of Campaigns, Jess Chambers, about why battery-caged eggs were banned.
Carmel Sepuloni has just become Aotearoa’s first ever Pasifika deputy prime minister.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Associate Professor of Māori and Pacific Studies, Jemaima Tiatia about what this historic appointment means for our Pacific communities in Aotearoa and our country?
Then, she spoke to the Associate Dean Pacific of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Auckland, Sir Collin Tukuitonga about why this appointment is a positive sign for Pacific health.
The phased out ban on battery caged eggs came to it's final stage as New Zealand entered 2023, meaning these cages are now one hundred percent illegal.
Since the ban eggs have been in short supply around the country, and the few cartons available have risen in price by 16% since November 2022.
Today Troy Matich spoke with Head of Campaigns for SAFE For Animals Jess Chambers about the realities of battery caged egg farming, the still legal colony cage farming, and why the egg industry is unethical.
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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