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.
Tune in for TOP's final election discussions with James Tapp, a return of City Counselling with Pippa Coom, Food Poverty with KiwiHarvest, 90 day Trials and more with the Young Workers Resource Centre, Asthma and Healthy Homes and The Week That Was.
A huge thank you to everyone who was involved in making this show happen.
Today on the wire James hosted his first ever show with the help of news director, Jemima Huston.
This week on the weeky chat with justice minister Andrew Little, we discuss end-to-end encryption, Labours manifesto as well as policy surrounding Te Tiriti o Waitangi and incarceration rates.
James brings us teo reports, one on rainbow law and one on electoral law in preperation for Saturday when election day rolls around.
James also brings an interview with Justin Sobion, an international postgraduate student whose wife is stuck in Switzerland. Next week james will bring a follow up interview to understand the situation better.
James spoke to justice minister Andrew little this week, starting off by talkinf abour end-to-end encryption and the threat it poses.
Thry also discuss policy in the final week before the election, with this week focusing on human issues. This week they talked about Labour's manifesto, Te tiriti o Waitangi and incarceration rates.
With the borders still closed to the rest of thr world, only a small number of people are bring allowed into New Zealand. Justin Sibion, a post graduate law student at the university of Auckland, has been here alone for almost a year as his wife is stuck in Switzerland. Justin talks to James about his struggles so far and what he wants to see happen.
This week on the Wire, Dear Science's Allan Blackman talks the Nobel Prize in chemistry for the discovery of CRISPR, and kiwi scientist Roy Kerr.
Our topic for election coverage this week is Human Issues, so Bronwyn speaks to NZ First’s Tracey Martin about the party’s Tertiary Policy and new early-intervention for at risk tamariki.
Felix brings us a report on the different parties’ policies affecting young people.
And on a brand new legal segment called “approach the bench” Bronwyn speaks to Dr Jane Norton about both Greenpeace and Family First being granted charitable status.
On the first installment of Approach the Bench, Bronwyn speaks to Dr Jane Norton from the University of Auckland Law School about charitable trusts. Historically, a group could not qualify as a charity if they had a political purpose as their main objective. However, since the “political purpose doctrine” was removed in 2014, a number of new groups have become elligble to be charities - provided they can prove their work is for a public benefit - a tricky assesment when the group is politically controversial.
As a result of this, both Greenpeace and Family First suceeded in being granted charitable status earlier this year. It is clear how protecting the environment is a public benefit, but what about Family First who, in campaigning on the importance of the traditional family, hold some harmful views agaisnt abortion, LGBTQ rights and pro-conversion therapy?
Dr Jane Norton discusses whether, in light of these two very different decisions, we should regret the removal of the public purpose doctrine.
While Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made tackling child poverty one of her main issues, measures of child poverty have largely remained stagnant since Labour entered government in 2017. Hanna spoke to Child Poverty Action Group spokesperson Janet McAllister about the construction of child poverty as a distinct category from poverty, and the extent to which it can be addressed in isolation.
Today on the Wire it is our final week of election coverage and we're looking at human issues.
Karanama looks into the inequity faced by Māori in the healthcare, justice and economic systems in Aotearoa. He speaks with the Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson and the National Party’s healthcare spokesperson Dr Shane Reti about these issues.
Hanna talks to spokesperson for the Child Poverty Action Group, Janet McAllister, about whether the government’s targeted focus on child poverty has really made a difference this parliamentary term.
Jemima talks to Māori Party co-leader John Tamihere about Oranga Tamariki and the Māori Seats in Parliament.
To wrap up the show Jemima chats to University to Auckland politics lecturer Dr Lara Greaves about the Māori Electoral Roll and the Maori Seats and what impact they have on participation in elections.
For 95bFM's election coverage, Jemima Huston speaks to University of Auckland politics lecturer Dr. Lara Greaves about the Māori Electoral Roll and the Māori Seats in Parliament. Dr. Greaves explains how the Māori Roll and Seats came to be, what impact they have on Māori participation in elections and what some of the issues are with this electoral system.
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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