Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Jessica Hopkins, Castor Chacko, Nicholas Lindstrom, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
Last month, the government announced Te Aka Whai Ora, or the Māori Health Authority, would be dis-established, just 18 months after it launched.
News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Associate Professor in Anthropology at the University of Auckland and Director of the James Henare Māori Research Centre, Marama Muru-Lanning (Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Whātua), and Senior Research Fellow at the James Henare Māori Research Centre, Dr Hilary Lapsley, about the government dis-establishing Te Aka Whai Ora and its impact on kaumatua.
Following the government announcing its fast track consents bill, which gives ministers ultimate authority on whether to approve significant projects, environmental groups have raised concerns this will undermine exisiting environmental protections.
First, News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to the Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki Chairperson and former Green MP, Catherine Delahunty, about how the bill could affect protected areas in the Coromandel.
The environmental group, Climate Justice Taranaki, have also protested the bill over concerns it could open up new seabed mining projects in Taranaki. Jessica Hopkins asked spokesperson, Urs Signer, for their thoughts on the bill.
For our regular catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Simon Court about the government’s proposal to fast-track the resource consent process for significant regional and national projects.
She also spoke to Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki Chairperson and former Green MP Catherine Delahunty and Climate Justice Taranaki Spokesperson Urs Signer about the government’s new fast-track consenting proposal.
She had a kōrero with Associate Professor in Anthropology at the University of Auckland and Director of the James Henare Māori Research Centre, Marama Muru-Lanning (Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Whātua) and Senior Research Fellow Dr Hilary Lapsley about the government dis-establishing Te Whai Aka Ora, the Māori Health Authority.
And a black market for vapes has emerged in New Zealand schools, according to a report by the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation. Producer Ezra spoke to Asthma and Respiratory Foundation Māori Community Liaison Sharon Pihema about this.
Earlier this week, world-leading general medical journal ‘The Lancet’ published a series of papers warning about the ‘overmedicalisation’ of menopause and have emphasised the importance of a fresh and conscious approach in how we support wāhine as they age. The research emphasises the importance of “going beyond medical treatments, to empower women using high-quality information on symptoms and treatments, empathic clinical care and workplace adjustments as required.”
Producer Jasmine speaks with the general manager of Women’s Health Action, Isis McKay, to further discuss what changing the conversation around menopause in Aotearoa looks like.
This week for City Counselling Caeden spoke to Auckland Councillor Shane Henderson about the consultation process on Auckland Council’s long term plan, and the removal of some of Auckland’s public rubbish bins.
On the 4th of March 2024, the National Government presented their updated Land Transport plan.
To pay for new roading infrastructure, the Government announced a $50 price increase on registration costs, as well as a 12-cent increase in excise fuel tax beginning in 2027.
Nicholas asked Green Party Co-Leader James Shaw about his party’s position on the plan and their response to the Government’s reasoning behind building new roads.
Nicholas also spoke about the implications of a reversal of a ban on oil and gas exploration. A reversal that the Green Party has been firmly in opposition to.
It’s been a week since the government went ahead with its decision to dismantle Te Aka Whai Ora, the Maori health authority, reversing the 2022 initiative by the labour government to improve health services and outcomes for Maori.
The move has been widely criticised across the country, with many calling the move a step-back in progress towards improving Maori health, and indigenous rights as a whole.
Producer Oto spoke to Clive Aspin, a public health researcher and associate professor at Victoria University of Wellington, to discuss the dissolution of Te Aka Whai Ora, from the perspective of a health professional and what the move means for Maori Health outcomes.
The Citizens Advice Bureau is a nationwide, but locally based, community organisation that aims to provide advice on a range of topics.
The Citizens Advice Bureau is mainly comprised of volunteers, and next week from the 11th to the 17th of March they will be holding their awareness week.
Nicholas spoke to Vani Kapoor and Cat Finai about the work that the bureau does as well as their upcoming awareness
Much of our infrastructure and architecture has been constructed by able-bodied people, with little regard for those with different mobility needs.
Accessibility for differently abled people is usually a secondary consideration, with wheelchair ramps and similar accessibility measures sometimes being crudely installed at the back of buildings as a quickfire measure to comply with building accessibility requirements, leaving those with different mobility needs often feeling like second class citizens
Producer Oto spoke to Bill McKay, a senior lecturer of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland, to talk about universal design, the idea that buildings and infrastructure should be constructed in a way that is accessible to people of ALL mobility needs and capabilities.
Disability communities have been rallying against a surprise change in purchasing rules in the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha. Communities have said the changes will have massive impact, despite no consultation on these changes or a formal announcement.
The Department of Conversation also recently proposed staffing cuts to meet funding demands. DoC controls a third of Aotearoa’s landmass which is all conservation land. It remains uncertain how job losses in the Ministry could impact conservation land management.
For weekly catch-up with the Labour party Wire Host Caeden spoke to Labour spokesperson for Disability Issues and Conservation Priyanca Rahdakrishnan about both of these issues.
For our weekly interview with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to MP Simon Court about the government’s proposal to increase student attendance rates and his post on X last week, in which he stated he stands with Israel.
The Ministry of Social Development is not immune to job cuts seen in other public service departments, with MSD calling for voluntary redundancies after cost-saving efforts failed to meet Government targets. For our weekly catch-up with Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni Wire Host Caeden asks her about the impact of cuts at MSD, especially amongst other Government policies disadvantaging beneficiaries.
They also ask about the Samoan Citizenship Bill led by Teanau Tuiono, and the impact of losing independent media giants such as Newshub for democracy.
A proposal to merge the Ōtara-Papatoetoe and Māngere-Ōtāhuhu local boards has been met with criticism, with consultation opening at the end of next month.
A new report has also been released on the quality of living in Tāmaki Makaurau with our city receiving mixed results by scoring high on some areas (the environment), and lower on others (education).
Wire Host Caeden speaks to Counsellor Lotu Fuli about both these topics for City Counselling.
For this week's Get Action! Sofia spoke to petitioner Abdul Safi and his campaign to place sanctions on Israel amidst genocidal acts that are widely considered war crimes.
If you want to sign this petition, you can find it here:
For City Counselling this week, Wire host Caeden spoke with Counsellor Lotu Fuli about the early morning vandalisation of the Rainbow Crossing on Karangahape Road.
They also ask about the end of half-price fares for under 25s, and the relationship Wayne Brown, as well as Auckland Council more generally, has with Auckland Transport.
It is estimated that 50 million people worldwide are currently involved in some form of slavery. Many of those who have been enslaved for their labour, and work as child labourers, produce goods that we import and consume on a regular basis here in Aotearoa.
Currently, there is no existing legislation in Aotearoa that requires companies to disclose the source of their goods, or to ensure that their products are being ethically produced; giving them free rein to indulge in modern slavery in order to cut their production costs.
Producer Oto spoke to Dr Susan Maiava, Co-Founder of the ethical directory Fair & Good who have created a petition and open letter urging the government to introduce modern slavery legislation.
95bFM 
