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.
Todays Wire is jam packed, starting off with Dear Science with Allan Blackman, and NZ first party member Jenny Marcroft talking to Lillian about Maori media strategy. Later on in the show we dive into the recent discussion around plastic bags, talking to Green party MP Eugenie Sage about her announcement to ban all plastic bags, aswell as Emily Hunter from Greenpeace about how our society could do more in terms of disposable plastics. Finally we finish off by talking to Iain Lees-Galloway about international students work rights following graduation. Big show. Lots of good content. Listen.
Tuesday Wire for the 5th of May.
Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult about Housing issues in the district
Conor Knell does an International Piece on the Mexican Elections
Jack Marshalls Green Desk investigates Monarch Butterflies with Jim Early
Camden Howitt from Sustainable Coastlines discusses World Environment Day
Everyday People chats with an young American Bloke in Albert Park
On July 1st, 88 million Mexicans go to the polls in their first election since Donald Trump entered the White House on a wave of Anti-Mexican sentiment. Conor Knell explores the issues Mexico faces and how the leading candidate could cause a historic political upset
Leonard chats to Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult about Air Bnb laws, new appartments being built in the city, and how Queenstown is looking to cope with the growing masses who live and holiday there.
On World Environment Day, Leonard speaks to Camden Howitt from Sustainable Coastlines. Camden discusses what Sustainable Coastlines is all about, and what the organisation plans to do with the $2.7 Million Dollars that they were awarded in funding by the Government this morning.
Tina Ngata of Ngati Porou is calling for a hui to discuss the appropriation of moko by Pākehā and how Māori should respond to that. Guest reporter Hinehua Rapira-Kiel spoke with Tina around what that hui would look like, and what it would achieve.
Early voting for the By-Election of the Northcote Electorate MP has opened! Laura Kvigstad has a quick chat with Associate Professor for Massey University and Political Commentator, Grant Duncan and then talks with National Party Candidate, Dan Bidois and grabs a quick snippet of audio from Labour Candidates, Shanan Halbert's campaign rally where the candidates discuss the priorities if they were elected.
Miriam Clements wants a national referendum on whether Auckland's North Shore should become independent from the rest of New Zealand. Clements, a member of the Logic Party, says the North Shore should have its own Reserve Bank, currency and be governed by its own Prime Minister.
Stewart spoke with her and asked her why this is a good idea and how it would be achieved.
Miriam Clements wants a national referendum on whether Auckland's North Shore should become independent from the rest of New Zealand. Clements, a member of the Logic Party, says the North Shore should have its own Reserve Bank, currency and be governed by its own Prime Minister.
Stewart spoke with North Shore councilor Richard Hills and asked him whether he agreed and if the public would support the idea.
N.B.: TODAY'S WIRE CONTAINS INSTANCE OF POOR JOURNALISTIC PRACTICE.
The views of Miriam Clements were aired in truncated form without the listener being informed of the edit. The opposing views of Councillor Richard Hills were aired unedited. 95bFM does not consider this balanced journalism and wishes to apologise to Ms. Clements and Wire listeners for its error in judgement. 95bFM also wishes to make clear that any referendum on the topic concerned within said interviews would require 400,000 national votes - not votes contained within the North Shore region as potentially insinuated. - P.D.
Should the North Shore become its own country? Aucklander Miriam Clements wants a referendum on the subject. North Shore councillor Richard Hills and Miriam Clements give their thoughts to Stewart.
Kelly checks in with Te Roopu Nahinara National Party MP Jami Lee Ross.
We cross to Rachel McDonald to find out what is happening in Australian news.
Laura talks with Political Commentator, Grant Duncan on the Northcote By Election and got a quick comment from the National Party Candidate Dan Bidois.
And finally, Kelly speaks with Jason Te Kare on his upcoming show Cellfish, and the story he is trying to portray of incarceration and rehabilitation.
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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