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.
Plastic Free July has been supported by sustainable.org around New Zealand this month, as they aimed to see households and organisations cut down on single-use plastic items and the urgency our environment faces to be rid of these.
This Friday on The Wire, producer Kelly Enright speaks to Sustainable.org CEO Rachel Brown and CommonSense Organics Spokesperson Marion Wood about Plastic-Free July. Amanda speaks to National MP Paul Foster-Bell about Transport Minister Simon Bridges claiming vindication after being cleared of trying to improperly influence officials into keeping a report secret. They also discuss newly proposed changes to immigration regulations. Amanda speaks to Nicole Wedding about all the latest Australian news for Neighbourhood Watch. And finally, Amanda talks with Depot Manager Lynn Lawton about new book discussing suicide in Aotearoa, The Roaring Silence.
The Roaring Silence is a book about suicide awareness, comprising of contributions from 79 artists, writers, poets, and a few professionals from all generations and backgrounds. Host Amanda talked to Lynn Lawton, one of the contributors, about the purpose and content of the book.
With New Zealand's largest construction firm, Fletcher Buildings rocked this month by a slashed earnings projection, 95bfm Producer Ben speaks to the head of the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation, Warwick Quinn, about whether we're seeing a shortage of skilled tradies.
With at least eight people dead, and many more hospitalised, by synthetic highs over the past month, 95bfm Producer Ben speaks with the Drug Foundation's Ross Bell.
With the government announcing planned changes to the ETS, 95bfm producer Ben speaks to policy fellow at Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Catherine Leining.
On The Wire today, Ben speaks to Warwick Quinn from the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation on a shortage of skilled tradespeople. Harry has his weekly chat with Labour leader Andrew Little on the passing of the second reading of his Healthy Homes Bill, and touches down on the Metiria Turei news cycle. Ben talks to Catherine Lining, a policy fellow at Motu Economic and Public PolicyResearch on planned changes to the emissions and trading scheme. State of the States is back to unpack the failure of Republican healthcare, Trump disallowing trans soldiers in the military, and a new press secretary. Finaly Ben talks to the Drug Foundation's Ross Bell on the recent deaths from synthetic highs.
According to a Radio New Zealand report released today: hospitality bosses say they are struggling to get locals to apply for jobs and need skilled migrants to stay in the country to keep the industry going. Hospitality workers have hit back saying that if they want more New Zealand staff they need to pay more. 95bFM reporter Reuben McClaren speaks to Chloe King, a hospitality veteran who has launched a workers campaign called Raise the Bar.
Mental health is an issue that has been greatly talked about over the last few months, with acknowledgement of its massive impact on New Zealanders beginning to be addressed in mainstream media. However, we do have a way to go, with New Zealand's suicide rate still being one of the highest in the world. 95 bFM producer, Will Parsonson, speaks to Ekant Veer, a lecturer on marketing and media from Canterbury university about the impacts that media can have in changing socially ingrained perceptions of mental health issues.
This week on the show, Ximena, Will & Reuben are back with a tonne of great stories for ya, everything from hospitality workers demanding more pay to the media’s influence on mental health. AUT’s Allan Blackman joins the team for Dear Science, chatting today about how ISIS are apparently not very “smart” for failing to build a dirty bomb, as well as about the dangerous mislabelling of ‘synthetic cannabis’. NZ First’s Tracey Martin also has a chat with Ximena about a new survey that shows high living costs are driving significant numbers of teachers away from Auckland.
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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