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.
This Day in History goes back to May the 24th, 2002, for the signing of a arms reduction treaty between the Presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States of America
We caught up with managing director of the Hikurangi Cannabis Group Manu Caddie to learn more about how the group is planning to transform the small east coast community of Ruatoria after locals keen to invest in the growth of medicinal cannabis overwhelmed and crashed a crowdfunding page, raising $2 million.
On Dear Science with AUT’s Allan Blackman we talk enantiomers and magnets, and interstellar asteroid and really really hot water.
We speak with NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft, this week unpacking the NZ First wins in the budget and how this affects Maori development.
Tracey Williams of Auckland Council tells us about an art initiative taking submissions of art celebrating 125 years of women's suffrage in NZ
For our Wire Worry week we have Lisa Boudet with a report on ghost homes in New Zealand.
Harry Willis speaks with Manu Caddie from Hikurangi Cannabis company on record numbers of would-be medicinal cannabis investors crashing crowdfunding website Pledgeme raising $2M dollars in east coast districts.
This week's Wire Worry Week theme is Housing Crisis. Today, producer Lisa Boudet looks into Aotearoa's "ghost homes": houses that are left inoccupied by their owners.
While we wait for the 2018 census data to ba analysed, the previous figures of 2013 showed 185.000 houses in New Zealand had been listed as empty, with about 3/4 having effectively no one living in them at the time the data was collected. Earlier this month, the government announced a $100 million plan to fight homelessness in the country, including $37 milion in temporary motel accomodation.
Now voices, like political activist John Minto's, are rising saying another solution is taxing owners of underutilised houses.
Vancouver, Canada, has chosen this path. Every house that has not been rented for at least 4 months of a given year will be taxed 1% of its assessed value. This year, the city has collected CAN$30 million.
So, should New Zealand follow in Vancouver's footsteps?
As Hong Kong starts cracking down on pro-democracy and pro-independence activists, the rest of the world stays silent as it attempts to cut trade deals with China. Conor explores how Hong Kong is changing, why Hong Kongers are taking to the street more and more as well as how New Zealanders can best show solidarity with the young people fighting for the same rights we enjoy here in Aotearoa
In this Wire Worry Week: housing. Since last year’s election, Labour have planned to build 100,000 affordable homes for their scheme - Kiwi Build. With this year’s Budget having been announced last Thursday, the government has further detailed how this will be funded. The housing developments will take place over a decade, with the first 30 being constructed now, at the McLennan site in Papakura. Mary-Margaret spoke to Housing Minister Phil Twyford.
Lillian Hanly speaks to Willie Cochrane from the Public service association regarding the governments announcement to scrap the Waikato mega-prison.
The PSA is the largest corrections union representing 3000 staff at the department of corrections and has criticised the governments announcement stating Waikeria is in "absolute drastic need for upgrading".
Lillian investigated the claim of the need for more facilities with incarceration rates rising and the prison population swelling to bursting.
Lucy Austin speaks to Tania Mead from Just Speak, a criminal justice reform advocacy group, about the governments recent plans to scrap the Waikato mega-prison.
The group had been advocating against the mega-prison since its proposal and the question now is what to do next?
Within the climate of a swelling prison population Tania explores some of the wider issues that need to be addressed to combat this issue.
Lillian Hanly speaks to New Zealand's largest corrections staff union about the government's announcement to pull the plug on the proposed 'mega-prison'.
Lucy Austin also touches on the issue of increasing prisoner numbers with Tania Mead from Just Speak.
Green Party MP Chloe Swarbrick joins us live in studio to discuss her Election Access Fund Bill and doing away with tertiary loan caps.
It’s Wire Worry Week and we’re looking at housing. Mary-Margaret speaks to Housing Minister Phil Twyford about KiwiBuild and homelessness.
Producer Laura Kvigstad, talks with professor of economics and innovation, Christoph Schumacher and Head of Massey's Education Institute, John O'Neill on what this prioritises and where there may be some short falls.
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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