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.
Wire host Joel Thomas spoke to Radio Adelaide’s Nicole Wedding about the latest in Australian news. She discussed Medicare card details being sold on the dark web, the problem with people using drones to photograph whale migration, and Australian cricketers who have found themselves out of a job after a failed agreement with Cricket Australia.
It’s no secret that women and minorities are under-represented in the music industry. With the release of the Northern Bass line up last week, this severe lack of representation became even more evident with the festival announcing a total of four acts for its female lineup. Wire Producer Harry caught up with pop music commentator and columnist, Miriama Aoake, to learn more about the music scene in New Zealand, and how we can provide more accessability and exposure for the women and minority communities involved.
With many countries pushing for progressive cannabis reform, there are calls for New Zealand to follow suit. The New Zealand Drug Foundation has released policy outlining the need to decriminalise all drugs, legalise cannabis, and regulate its market. They argue that current laws are outdated and make criminals out of drug users, when instead drug use should be treated as a health issue. Producer Reuben McLaren spoke to Ross Bell, the Executive Director of the New Zealand Drug Foundation to learn more, starting with a question regarding their proposed model.
The television landscape in New Zealand is changing faster and faster every year. For more than 40 years journalists have written about convergence of our media, and it seems we have reached peak, with internet and television becoming one. With the Sky and Vodafone merger appeal being withdrawn from the high court, it seems an impending monopoly of television in New Zealand has been put on hold. For now. Harry talks with news and technology writer Bill Bennett about whether this is the case, and about the state of New Zealand television in 2017.
This week, Jogai, Harry, and Reuben chat to news and technology writer Bill Bennett about the current state of television in New Zealand, and Reuben has a special report on decriminalising drugs and legalising cannabis with executive director of the NZ Drug Foundation, Ross Bell. 95bFM reporter Adel Abied speaks to Lisa McLaren about the Zero Carbon Act, and Harry catches up with pop music commentator and columnist Miriama Aoake about gender diversity in the electronic music scene, and Labour Leader Andrew Little is back for our weekly chat. All this and more on the Thursday Wire - check out the full podcast here.
A controversial water treatment plant is being proposed for a section of native bush just outside of the Titirangi township. The original plan had the plant situated in Oratia, with Watercare stating 12 houses would be required to be removed. However, a successful protest from the community has stalled this proposal, with Watercare now considering an alternative site - a four hectare patch of land which barriers Exhibition Drive, Woodlands Park Road and Manuka Road. Local residents voiced their concerns in early June by placing placards on trees with words such as "Watercare, don't chop me down”. On the Green Desk yesterday, Lily Peacocke spoke with the Titirangi Residents and Ratepayers Association, Dr Mels Barton, regarding this contentious issue, but residents are saying she represents only a small section of the Titirangi community. To illuminate an alternative perspective, 95bFM reporter Adam Jacobson speaks with the Titirangi Protection Group’s president, Simon Kitson.
The Auckland DHB is calling for more people to be immunised against the mumps disease after a spike in cases this year. More than 130 instances have been reported so far, compared with only 35 in 2016. 95bFM reporter Adam Jacobson speaks with Auckland DHB Clinical Director, Dr Julia Peters, about why the disease has spread across Auckland so quickly.
The 2017 Parliamentary Drug Law Symposium kicked off today in Wellington, bringing together a range of international and domestic speakers to talk about how better drug laws can be developed for the 21st Century. An increasing number of countries around the world are shifting their stance towards controlling drugs, away from a prohibitive approach and towards law & policy that promotes health and wellbeing. One of the speakers at the Symposium is Professor of Criminology at Durham University, Fiona Measham, who is also the Director of a non-profit in the UK that provides drug safety testing, as well as welfare and harm reduction services at nightclubs and festivals. 95bFM reporter Pearl Little catches up with Fiona to find out a little more about her work.
Check out the full podcast for this week's Tuesday show, where we speak to Marama Fox about the Māori Party's partnership with the One Pacific party, Assistant Health Minister Peter Dunne about getting drug testing legalised in music festivals, and more. We also have a full report on the implications for Al Jazeera being caught up in the Qatar Crisis, a falling out between the Arab states.
Reporters Sam Smith and Mack Smith look into the possibility of Qatari news network Al Jazeera closing in the wake of the ongoing Gulf states diplomatic crisis.
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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