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.
Zoë Larsen Cumming brings us a report on education under rahui. She dives into the bubbles of some people who have been highly affected by an online school shift. She interviews eight year old Artemis Sloan, ten year old Clara Bayliss, year thirteen student Harrison Cooke, and an exoplanet hunter and professor of astrophysics, Pr. Daniel Bayliss.
Zoë Larsen Cumming brings us a report on education under rāhui. She dives into the bubbles of some people who have been highly affected by an online school shift. She interviews an eight year old, a ten year old, a year thirteen student and an exoplanet hunter and professor of astrophysics.
Lillian Hanley continue with this, and speakes to her younger cousins also under rāhui to see how their first day of term went. Lillian also speaks to Spinoff Columnist Emily Writes about the pressure on teachers and parents this online shift brings.
Bronwyn Wilde brings us a report on prisoner voting rights, looking into the first round of public submissions to the select committee.
We have Southern Cross as usual, with the latest updates on the Pacific. This week on COVID-19 free zones in the pacific, journalists working remotely and restrictions on media freedom.
Last week Lillian was looking into the start of term 2. Lillian rang her cousins, Winter and Beatris, who are under rāhui in their home in Waitakere to see how their first day of term went. The main issue it seemed to them was that they didn’t get to see their friends during the school day. This chat was last week, and their mum told me they were appreciating the shift back into a routine. This week, it's been a little more difficult. Their mum talked about figuring out how they work, the two different platforms they are being given work on plus the emails.The challenges are unprecedented and this is important to acknowledge - for children for parents and for teachers. Emily Writes is an author and columnist for the Spinoff Parents, as well as a mum of two. Last week she wrote about the way online learning is a major shift in education and that we shouldn’t put so much pressure on kids, teachers or parents at this moment. Lillian asked her what her initial response to that shift was.
With submissions on the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill closing this Friday, Bronnie sheds light on the contentious issue of prisoner voting rights.
Among other changes, the Bill would reform the 2010 prisoner voting ban, reinstating the right to vote for those serving sentences of less than three years. As well as the usual debates that accompany an issue of constitutional gravity such as this, there has been particular criticism of the speed at which the government is progressing this reform in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This report begins with a brief history of prisoner voting rights in New Zealand: from the 1993 Electoral Act, to the 2010 reform and subsequent Waitiangi Tribunal report and Taylor v Attorney General Supreme Court case. We then hear excerpts from the Parliamentary debate at the first reading of Andrew Little's proposed Bill. Lastly are the highlights from the first round of oral public submissions to the Justice Select Committee which was held via Zoom.
Public submissions on the Bill close on the 24th of April.
On Tuesday, the Treasury announced some unemployment figures based on modelling from different scenarios relating to the Covid19 pandemic and our subsequent rāhui.
The scenarios show:
That unemployment can be kept below 10%, and return to 5% in 2021 with additional Government support. Work is already well advanced on further fiscal support.
Without additional support, unemployment could have hit 13.5% under scenario 1 (four weeks in Level 4), while scenarios requiring more time in Level 4 showed a peak of 17.5%-26%.
New Zealand’s underlying strength means the economy can bounce back to be $70 billion larger by 2024 than in 2019.
So, the best outlook we are dealing with at the moment is an increase in unemployment to just under 10 percent, and some commentators have pointed out this number is already a reality for Māori. So! What does this all mean? And what effect will Covid19 have on the economic system in general? To get some idea, Lillian Hanly rang Rod Oram. They started off by talking about the figures but ended up talking about Capitalism more generally.
Image credit:
Original image from Harvard Business Review | Animation by Thomas Fink-Jensen
Moving into our fourth week of the rāhui, the government yesterday outlined what Alert Level 3 would look like.
The principles for level 3 are to restrict contact with others as much as possible. The Prime Minister indicated this shift would not be a rush to normality, it is a progression, and carries many of the restrictions in place at level 4.
Lillian Hanly fills us in on what kind of restrictions we will be looking at for alert level three...
The flooding in Owhiro Bay this week paints a picture of what is likely to become a more frequent event over the next decades. Reports indicate that many in Aotearoa will be affected by the rising sea levels. Wellington council for one is taking it seriously with officials claiming that consequential conversations around costal flooding need to be had this year. The events in Owhiro Bay are acting as a catalyst for these talks.
Social Welfare is an integral part of our society, it serves to provide for those in hard times, a safety net that should be sufficient for families & makes up the social policy of Aotearoa.
Today on the show we had Laura bringing us the regular chat with the National Party’s Denise Lea...
A quick poll position touching on whether you think the government will leave level 4 or not at the end of the 4 weeks.
We hear from Louis Laws who is looking into the state of our welfare system and how this could change. We heard from AAAP, CPAG, and CTU on how we got to this point and what problems we have with the system at the moment.
And Lillian spoke with Rod Oram, following the Treasury’s announcement regarding possible unemployment figures. We also spoke about how the pandemic could impact capitalism.
This morning's Epidemic Response Committee meeting heard from RBNZ, CTU, and Trade Ministers; we're summarising key points for you. Hanna speaks to sociologist Campbell Jones about the change in language during rāhui; what was once ‘unskilled’ work has become ‘essential services’. Labour’s Andrew Little tells Mary-Margaret about why the tertiary package only includes the ability to accumulate more debt, and what he makes of the claims of the group calling for a ‘Plan B’. Rachel brings an update on the State of the States. Finally, Radio Adelaide’s Zoe Kounadis shares what conversations look like in Australia about their Chief Medical Officer’s comments at our own Epidemic Response Committee, as well as the newest DC superhero: an Aboriginal character from Pilbara.
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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