Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Rosetta Stone, Nicholas Lindstrom, Rawan Saadi, and Jessica Hopkins focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), or COP28, is currently taking place in Dubai. The conference began on the 30th of November and runs until the 12th of December, and UNICEF Aotearoa is sending a delegation of young ambassadors to represent young New Zealanders priorities’ regarding climate change. The delegation will leave to Dubai on Wednesday, are all aged between 18 and 24, and offer a range of perspectives including Māori, Pasifika, rural and urban living experiences, and LGBTQIA+ youth. COP is the biggest climate conference in the world, and this year over 70 thousand people from both business and political sectors will attend. In the past, youth advocates such as Greta Thunberg have criticised COP conferences as too much talk and too little action, and the conference has already started with controversy after the BBC reported that leaked briefing documents revealed plans by the United Arab Emirates to discuss fossil fuel deals with 15 nations. The conference also comes at an interesting time for Aotearoa, as the new government has pledged to reintroduce oil and gas exploration, which has come under criticism by many of the delegations present at COP28
Rosetta spoke with Vira Paky, who is one of the Young Ambassadors in the UNICEF delegation. We spoke about the importance of having young voices represented at COP28, and discussed what role the new government should be playing in involving Aotearoa in global conferences like this.
Global Women Aotearoa has said that based upon the gender pay gap of 8.6% according to Statistics New Zealand, women in Aotearoa have been effectively working for free from the 30th of November until the end of the year. This disparity is much higher for Māori women, who face a pay gap of 14.3%, and Pasifika women, who face a pay gap of 15.2%. The statement from Global Women is a part of their eight percent matters campaign, which aims to make New Zealanders more aware of the gender pay gap. Global Women says they want New Zealanders to use this time of year to talk about topics like pay equity and pay transparency with those around them, and the campaign is an attempt to spark that conversation
Rosetta spoke to Agnes Naera, CEO of Global Women, about the eight percent matters campaign, what the current state of the gender pay gap in Aotearoa looks like, and what more needs to be done.
Last week the Government confirmed its plan for its first 100 days, combining the 100-day plan National campaigned on, with the priorities of the partner parties ACT and New Zealand First.
Announcing the plan at his first post-Cabinet briefing held last Wednesday, Luxon spoke of 49 ambitious actions they plan to deliver in the next 100 days. During the briefing Luxon spoke that New Zealanders voted for a change of government, policies and approach, And the plan announced reflects this, with many of the actions proposed being repeals of the previous government’s doing.
The Plan revolves around three key areas- the economy, law and order and public services.
In our weekly catch up with Simon Court, Lou enquired about the ACT Party’s response and support of the repeal of the Labour government’s Fair Pay legislation, their promise to begin work towards the crack down on serious youth offending, and ACT's stance on the intent to remove the current Smokefree legislations.
As part of the coalition deal between National, ACT and New Zealand First, the Government intends to refocus school curriculum on academic achievement, which includes the removal and replacement of the gender sexuality and relationship-based education guidelines.
In 2020, former New Zealand First MP and minister Tracey Martin initiated Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE), giving our youth a safe space to learn about themselves, as well as develop knowledge and skills towards acting in positive and respectful ways with others. Now, current Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is reversing this policy, primarily because parents oppose the RSE curriculum.
ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa recently released a statement condemning the Luxon governments plan to remove RSE from school curricula, arguing that the government would be ignoring decades of evidence-based research carried out in Aotearoa and overseas.
Lou discusses the removal of RSE with Ella Shepherd, President of ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa further.
Producer Castor spoke to Professor of Māori Studies at the University of Auckland and chair of Te Rūnanga ā Iwi o Ngāti Kahu of the far North, Margaret Mutu, about how the new government will impact Māori and Te Tiriti.
Former Wire host Spike interviewed the President of University of Auckland Student Justice for Palestine, Layan Khalil, about protests against Israeli-owned shipping vessels and goods entering Aotearoa.
For City Counselling, producer Beth chatted to Counsellor for Waitakere Shane Henderson about proposed congestion charges.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins speak to Associate Professor of Journalism at Massey University in Wellington, James Hollings, about Winston Peters's false allegations of media bribery concerning the Public Interest Journalism Fund.
Castor spoke to the CEO of SAFE for Animals, Debra Ashton, about the government repealing the ban on live exports.
Beth spoke to Professor of Education at the University of Auckland, Katie Fitzpatrick, about the government’s plan to remove relationships and sexuality education from school curriculum.
And Jessica talked to Director at Our Land and Water National Science Challenge, Jenny Webster-Brown, and Research Lead and Director of Land Water People, Ton Snelder about their new research into New Zealand’s water quality.
The incoming government, particularly the ACT and New Zealand First parties, have campaigned on removing or reducing the impact of Te Tiriti o Waitangi on politics.
After releasing their policy agreements last Friday, Castor spoke to Professor of Māori Studies at the University of Auckland, Margaret Mutu, about the government’s obligations to Māori and some of the proposed policies.
Recently, we have seen members of the new coalition government be increasingly critical toward the media.
In particular, this week we saw NZ First leader, Winston Peters falsely accuse the media of accepting government bribery in the form of the Public Interest Journalism Fund.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Associate Professor of Journalism at Massey University in Wellington, James Hollings, about the purpose of the Public Interest Journalism Fund and state-funded media, and the potential implications of some members of the incoming government’s attitudes towards media.
At the end of April this year, the former Labour government introduced a ban on the live export of animals. The ban followed a two year transition period, giving farmers and businesses a chance to find alternatives.
The policy documents revealed last Friday indicated that the upcoming government plans to repeal this ban. Castor spoke to CEO of SAFE for Animals, Debra Ashton, about why this ban was put in place and what repealing it could mean.
A new report from Our Land and Water has found it will be extremely challenging to achieve New Zealand's water quality goals.
First, News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Ton Snelder, report lead author, and Director of Land Water People, about their findings and what they mean for New Zealand’s water quality?
She also spoke to Jenny Webster Brown, Director at Our Land and Water National Science Challenge about the water standards outlined in the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020.
The new government has announced a plan to remove and replace relationship and sexuality education guidelines, citing the need for a return to an ‘achievement-based’ curriculum, rather than what they have referred to as an ‘ideological’ one.
Beth spoke to Professor of Education at the University of Auckland Katie Fitzpatrick about the new policy, and what this means for rangatahi.
As part of the Auckland Climate Grant, Auckland Council is allocating $225,000 to community-run climate action groups. The funding round is set to open in March 2024.
The Council is reviewing its 10 year budget proposal. A consultation will take place in February, in which the public can make submissions about the topics that matter to them.
Beth spoke to Counsellor for Manukau Lotu Fuli about the Auckland Climate Grant and the review of the first proposal for Auckland Council’s 10 year budget, and began by asking her what the Council hopes to achieve with the grant.
For this week’s City Counselling, Beth caught up with Counsellor for Waitakere Shane Henderson. They spoke about proposed congestion charges, which could come into effect as soon as 2025.
Mayor Wayne Brown has previously proposed charges of $3.50 and $5 during peak hours for car-users on State Highway One, between Penrose and Greenlane, and State Highway 16, between Lincoln Road and Te Atatū Road.
This week for Tomorrow's world Rawan spoke with the head of the Institute of marine science, Simon Thrush about his new report on the Hauraki Gulf.
The report looked 150 years into the future of the Hauraki Gulf and predicted that there was a chance for a much better future for the region.
Rawan asked Professor Simon Thrush about how he came to this conclusion, what methods of conservation we need to use in order to achieve the vision he describes and how we can integrate iwi support.
This week Allan joins the crew to discuss allegations of manipulated data that supported a major stroke trial and important Alzheimer’s research, new research into the factors that influence decisions made by chess players and a new intravenous needle that softens once in the body.
For our weekly catch-up with Auckland Council, Beth spoke to Counsellor Shane Henderson about the Council’s consultation on Tāmaki Makaurau’s freshwater and community involvement.
This week Davide Mercadante joins the team in the studio for Dear Science. Davide talks the group through scientifically backed coaching methods, the genetic advantages of sunflowers and a new study that is looking at how our native language affects how we think.
For their regular catch-up, News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Green Party Co-Leader, James Shaw, about whether Aotearoa should be calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the Auckland Council voting against having indigenous representation in the form of Māori seats, while just under half of New Zealand’s 78 councils voted to have the indigenous representation.
This week Davide joins the crew to discuss the discovery of hidden trees throughout Europe that gives new hope for carbon storage, potentially hazardous litter leaf and the pitfalls of biodegradable bags might not be as good as we thought to recycle organic waste!
The Tuesday Wire team is joined by Davide Mercadante for Dear Science. The team discusses honesty migration drain, the false probability of coin flips and a new enzyme that fights against viruses and mutations.
95bFM 
