Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Castor Chacko, Alex Fox, Emmanuel Orange, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
Thousands of locals have protested the Winter Olympics in Milan, citing issues like cost of living and the environmental impact of the games, as well as the presence of law enforcement officers from the United States.
For International Desk, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Dr Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer in Modern European History and Sports History at Macquarie University, about these protests in Milan, and their broader context within Olympic history.
The Commerce Commission, responsible for regulating competition and fair trading in Aotearoa New Zealand, recently took two businesses to court over their ‘unconscionable conduct’.
Among other behaviour, the businesses were found to have misled and exploited consumers, and targeted particularly vulnerable customers.
This is the first time that the Commerce Commission have pursued cases under this prohibition, with ‘unconscionable conduct’ being added to the Fair Trading Act back in 2022.
To understand exactly what ‘unconscionable conduct’ entails, and how future cases may play out, Producer Theo spoke to Professor of Law at the University of Auckland Dr Jodi Gardner.
Last week we saw the release of a draft decision to decline sea bed mining in the Taranaki bite, a move celebrated by a number of local and environmental groups.
One of the voices opposing the project was Forest and Bird. They are now appealing a fast-track gold mine consent in Waihi North.
Following reforms to the fast-track approvals scheme pushed through last year which cut them and other community groups out of the process, the Waihi mine is the final project which Forest and Bird is invited to input on.
Wednesday Wire host Manny spoke to the Waikato and Taranaki regional conservation manager for Forest and Bird, Elvisa Van Der Leden, about the draft decision to decline seabed mining in Taranaki, Forest and Bird's appeal of the Waihi North Goldmine application, and the reforms to the fast-track approvals scheme.
For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the National Party's idea of a rates cap, local governments infrastructure crisis and the decision to decline a seabed mining project in Taranaki.
They then spoke to Elvisa van der Leden, Waikato and Taranaki regional conservation manager for Forest and Bird about the draft decision to decline the sea bed mining project in Taranaki, their appeal of the Waihi north Goldmine application, and the reforms to the fast track approvals scheme which is cutting them and other community groups out of the process.
Finally producer Theo spoke to Law Professor Jodi Gardner on the first two cases pursued by the commerce commission under its unconscionable conduct prohibition.
Earlier this year, an Oxfam report revealed that once again, billionaire wealth increased in 2025 — three times faster than the previous five-year average.
In January, Oxfam also proclaimed ‘Pollutocrat Day’ on the 10th of January, on which the richest 1% have already exhausted their annual carbon budget.
Professor of Business & Society at the University of Technology in Sydney Carl Rhodes has delved into the ‘myth of the heroic billionaire’ and the problems generated for political processes and global inequality.
Wire Host Sara spoke to Rhodes about the influence of billionaires, in particular with regard to climate action, starting by asking what the myth of the heroic billionaire is, and how it is perpetuated.
For Dear Science this week our expert, Professor Allan Blackman chats with us about snow, ice, and “freezing-point depression”
For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Ryan Hamlilton about Waitangi Day & National Party views on some of the recent environmental legislation
For Green World, Sara spoke to Professor Carl Rhodes from the University of Technology in Sydney, about the influence of billionaires on global climate progress
Producer Toby spoke to Associate Professor Maria Armoudian, from the University of Auckland, about the Trump administration’s targeting of political opponents in the United States
On Thursday last week, politicians including Prime Minister Chris Luxon and ACT party leader David Seymour addressed the audience during the Waitangi Day events at the Treaty Grounds.
The theme this year was Mō tātou, mā tātou, which is for all of us and by all of us.
As well, the past week has seen various news updates in environmental legislation including the draft decision to reject consent for seabed mining in the South Taranaki Bight, Greenpeace voicing concerns about a ‘kiwi killing clause’ in the proposed Natural Environment Bill, and a new Green Party bill calling to recognise the legal personhood of Tohorā — whales.
This week, Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Ryan Hamilton about all of these topics, starting with Waitangi.
Over the past year, the Trump administration has taken a series of actions targeting political opponents. Under Trump’s second term, the polarisation of American politics has seemingly reached unprecedented levels, with members of the administration accusing a variety of peaceful individuals and groups of ‘domestic terrorism.’
Dr. Maria Armoudian is a professor of politics and international relations at the University of Auckland, who has written books on international human rights and the role that the media plays in shaping the future.
She is also a dual citizen, having been born and raised in the United States, and this year she hopes to visit her home country. But she’s worried that some of her viewpoints may land her in hot water when she arrives.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News Director Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about the party’s stance on Te Tiriti in light of this past Waitangi Weekend, and the employment relations amendment bill in light of a recent protest.
They also spoke to Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Auckland, Avril Bell, about public sentiment on Te Tiriti and interpreting the government’s stance on it.
And producer Alex spoke to Senior Lecturer in Education and Social Practice at the University of Auckland, Dr Jude MacArthur, about the Government’s recent moves to fund new ‘special schools’ for disabled children, and what that says for exclusivity versus inclusivity in our education.
This morning, with negotiations continuing to stall and his own deadline for ending the war approaching, US President Donald Trump threatened civilisational destruction on Iran if they did not concede to the US demands. Whether a sincere threat or an act of brinkmanship may remain unclear, as just before Trump’s deadline, Trump claimed a two week ceasefire had been agreed to.
Last week, the Green Party released their housing policy - a home for everyone. It takes a welfare-based approach, pitching rent controls, reversing tax breaks on the bright line test, and a public housing building program.
For our weekly catch-up with the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March, Wire host Manny asked about the gravity of Trump's threats on Iran, but began with the Greens' housing platform.
Cabbage, mull, buds, dak, smoke, skunk, hash, chronic, grass, pot, cannabis. It’s the fourth most used recreational drug in New Zealand, coming in behind caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco. Back in 2020, alongside the general election, voters were asked in a non-binding referendum whether they supported a proposed cannabis legalisation and control bill. The result was a vote opposing the legalisation of cannabis by a thin margin.
Currently, medicinal cannabis is available via prescription, but cannabis otherwise remains illegal to use, distribute, or produce.
For this week’s Get Action, producer Theo spoke to Patrick and Colden from the Reeferendum 2026 campaign, on their petition to legalise cannabis and reform drug laws and policing in Aotearoa New Zealand.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here.
Last week, the Prime Minister revealed his cabinet reshuffle, which saw major changes to the roles of two prominent MPs and Ministers, Chris Bishop and Simeon Brown.
Last week also saw the passing of the Resource Management (Auckland Housing) Amendment Bill, after years of discussion, paving the way for a new approach to housing density and intensification in the future.
Of course, the fuel crisis is still hitting New Zealand, and discussions remain around the role public transport should play, and how the government should support public transit.
This week, Wire Host Alex spoke with National Party MP Ryan Hamilton about each of these topics, beginning with the cabinet reshuffle.
This week, the government announced another change to Plan Change 120, Auckland’s plan for future housing developments across the city. Originally, the plan proposed a minimum housing capacity of 2 million homes, but many in central suburbs raised concerns that intensification could harm the character of their neighbourhoods. In February, the government lowered the minimum capacity to 1.6 million, which Auckland’s council and mayor spoke out against.
Despite the disagreement, council developed new plans for the 1.6 million capacity. This week, however, the government announced plans to lower the minimum capacity further to 1.4 million, forcing council to make further changes to the plans.
Also these past few weeks we’ve seen disagreements between the government and council over how best to manage the fuel crisis. The government has focused on payouts to middle and lower class families with children, but Mayor Wayne Brown says a better solution could involve subsidising public transport.
To discuss each of these issues, News Director Castor spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey.
About a month ago, Wednesday Wire host Manny spoke to a researcher sounding the alarm over the state of our primary healthcare, here and globally.
Across the globe, services meant to be the first port of call for health issues such as dental, GPs and pharmacists, were found to be increasingly under stress as costs grow and the workforce fails to keep pace with demand.
Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners Workforce Survey in 2022 raised concerns: Over half of GPs were planning to retire within the next decade, a declining number of GPs work in GP run practices and filling that gap is an increasing number of corporate healthcare providers.
As the holder of the Green parties Primary Healthcare Portfolio, our Green Party interviewee is the perfect subject to discuss his parties platform on the subject.
So for our weekly catch-up with the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March, we talk primary healthcare, it’s current state in Aotearoa, the issues it faces and where the Green Party would like to take it.
Last week, Minister for Conservation Tama Potaka announced an update on the Predator Free 2050 strategy, which aims to rid New Zealand of rats, possums and stoats. Five and a half million dollars of funding was set aside by the government with the aim of making Wellington the first predator free city in the world within the next ten years.
This week on Green World, Wire producer Liam spoke to James Russell, professor of conservation biology at the University of Auckland, about the progress and impact of Predator Free projects in Wellington and nationwide.
Fuel prices across the country are rising, and concerns over a potential fuel shortage are growing. In response, the government announced the national fuel response plan late last week. The plan has four stages, named Watchful, Precautionary, Managed, and Protected. The last two remain under consultation, and we’re currently under only the first.
Analysts have criticised the plan for being vague, especially in later stages, and the early stages for not doing enough. The Watchful stage involves increased monitoring, data publications, coordination, and an ad campaign encouraging people to reduce fuel consumption.
The government has responded to most critiques by comparing its response to that of the previous Labour government to COVID, which they have repeatedly criticised. They say government intervention is the wrong way to deal with a crisis, an idea which many have questioned.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News Director Castor asked him about the fuel crisis, what the government’s doing, and how the previous government plays into all of this.
Last week saw public transport usage in Auckland reach a 7 year high, on account of high fuel prices across the country. While high usage bodes well for public transport, the network is facing difficulties around overcrowding. In addition, Auckland Transport is pushing for central government support to lower fares, which ministers have rejected.
Auckland Council has also conducted a review into its resource management consenting processes, and found multiple spots for improvement.
And central government has announced dog control law reforms, which Auckland Council has welcomed given its extensive existing operations in animal control.
To discuss each of these issues, News Director Castor spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson.
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