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.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about ACT MP Laura McClure’s members bill, proposing the disestablishment of the BSA, or Broadcasting Standards Authority, and the government's move to halt new puberty blocker prescriptions for young transgender people.
Following on from their chat with Simon, Joel spoke to the Vice President of PATHA, the Professional Association of Transgender Health Aotearoa, and GP specialist in gender-affirming care, Dr Elizabeth McElrea, more about puberty blockers, and how this temporary ban will affect transgender young people.
Producer Alex spoke to Senior Lecturer in Critical Studies in Education at the University of Auckland, Dr Jude MacArthur, about the Government’s plans to introduce an ‘expanded’ new curriculum for students with ‘high and complex needs’, and what it might mean for their learning.
And Joel spoke to the Co-Chair of Auckland Pride, Bhenjamin Goodsir, about the organisation's challenge to the High Court, following the removal of transgender guidelines for the participation in community sports.
Recently, ACT MP Laura McClure has launched a member’s bill, proposing the disestablishment of the BSA, or Broadcasting Standards Authority.
News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to The Victoria University of Wellington’s Peter Thompson last week on the bill, who said this bill would “enable private media corporations to operate with impunity in pumping out propaganda and disinformation and the cost of that would be a further erosion of our democracy."
As well as this, Recently, the government has announced it will be halting new prescriptions for puberty blockers for young people with gender dysphoria pending a clinical trial in the UK, with the outcome of this trial set for 2031.
This move has seen backlash from a variety of LGBTQIA+ organisations and health experts working in gender-affirming care, who believe the move goes against the best interests of transgender youth.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about both of these topics, starting with Laura McClure’s member’s bill.
Auckland Pride has filed a High Court challenge, following the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Mark Mitchell, advising the sports body, Sports New Zealand, to withdraw the entity’s Guiding Principles for the Inclusion of Transgender People in Community Sport.
The organisation says that the move goes against the kaupapa of Sports New Zealand and that Mitchell had not considered legislation such as the Bill of Rights Act and Human Rights Act in deciding on the move.
News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to the Co-Chair of Auckland Pride Bhenjamin Goodsir, about the organisation’s High Court challenge.
Recently, a lot of conversation has been had about the curriculum, with the government planning to roll out yet another new and expanded curriculum. This expanded curriculum, beginning in term one of next year, will seek to provide the tools for teachers to educate and assist students with ‘high and complex needs,’ who were otherwise ignored in the existing curriculum, or so the government claims. This comes against the background of this government’s push for effective teaching and learning, based in ‘science’.
However, concerns remain about this curriculum. For starters, this curriculum exists separately from the rest of Aotearoa’s student body; we seem to be getting one curriculum for those with complex needs, and one for those without, dividing our youth. This has led to questions about the role of inclusion in our education, and what it means that the government has not attempted to create one curriculum that can work for all students.
Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Senior Lecturer in Critical Studies in Education at the University of Auckland, Dr Jude MacArthur, about this separate curriculum, what it means for these students, and how it might affect their learning and inclusion.
The Ipsos New Zealand survey has shown Labour is the most trusted party for eight of the top 10 most important issues to voters. This includes issues like cost of living, healthcare, and the economy.
The Government has amended the Education and Training Act to remove the requirement for school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
A petition calling for a minimum age of 16 to access social media has been handed over to Parliament.
And the Government is halting prescriptions of puberty blockers for young people with gender dysphoria, while continuing to allow them for cisgender young people.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about all of these topics.
This week COP30, the world’s main annual climate summit, has continued in the Amazonian city of Belém, Brazil.
COP30 marks a new push from indigenous voices to be elevated at the summit, with the largest indigenous participation in history - an estimated 3,000 with 1,000.
Tens of thousands of people also protested outside COP30 last week in the first large-scale protest at a United Nations climate summit in years.
Wire Host Caeden spoke with Vira Paky, Youth Engagement Co-ordinator at Save the Children New Zealand, who is on the ground at COP.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about the results of the Ipsos survey, the removal of the requirement for school boards to give effect to the Treaty, the petition for a social media ban for under 16s, and the government banning puberty blockers for young people with gender dysphoria.
For International Desk, they spoke to Vira Paky, Youth Engagement Co-ordinator at Save the Children New Zealand, about her experience on the ground at COP30 in Brazil.
Producer Jasmine talked to Councillor Julie Fairey about Plan Change 120 and Tāmaki hosting the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education this week.
And she talked to Deputy Secretary of Worker’s First Union Anita Rosentreter about four New Zealanders that have won a four-year legal battle against Uber.
The supreme court has made a final ruling on the four-year long court battle between four Kiwi Uber drivers and the Uber corporation. The case signals a huge win for acknowledging employment rights for drivers, amidst the exploitative pitfalls of contractor classifications. The result coincides with the current Employment Relations Bill that has passed its first reading, a piece of legislation that would only allow selected workers access to the Court or Authority to seek declaration of their employment status and secure any minimum rights. The bill was drafted in part, by Uber.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Anita Rosentreter, Deputy Secretary of Workers First Union, who supported the worker’s case, about what this means for Aotearoa’s employment law and protecting the rights of our workers.
On Monday, The Green Party announced that a Green Government will commit to revoking any consents, or permits, handed out under the fast-track process for coal, hardrock gold, and seabed mining, if they were to be permitted under the current government.
In their announcement, the Green’s were adamant that it was possible to have an economy that employs people without destroying the ecological basis for our existence. While expressing that they consider these forms of mining to be “deeply destructive” and unsustainable.
Also this week, Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced new changes to the Clean Car Standard. In the new standards, importers will now be charged $15 per gram of CO2 for new imports, compared to the previous $67.50, a nearly 80% reduction. This has led to criticism from experts, who believe New Zealand will now become a dumping ground for high-emission vehicles.
And last week, The Green Party also condemned the Government’s decision to officially pass the Regulatory Standards Bill into law.
For our Weekly Catchup with The Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about the new Clean Car Standard, as well as the Regulatory Standards Bill. But first, we discussed The Green’s commitment to revoking any mining permits handed out under the fast-track process.
Yesterday, the United Nations Security Council voted 13-0 in favour of US President Donald Trump’s resolution for lasting peace in Gaza, although Russia and China chose to abstain. The plan includes vague references to Palestinian statehood in the future, along with the deployment of an “international stabilisation force” in Gaza.
Supporters of the resolution suggest it should lead to the immediate lifting of remaining opposition to the flow of aid into Gaza, and the creation of an international stabilisation force would fill the vacuum left by the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the region, while allowing for the immediate measures required to feed and protect the 2.2 million Palestinians living in the region.
To discuss Donald Trump’s latest plan for lasting peace in Gaza, and what it means for Palestine and Hamas, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke with Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa co-chair John Minto.
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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