Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Joel Armstrong, Castor Chacko, Oto Sequeira, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
University of Auckland Senior Lecturer for Biological Studies Dr Brendon Dunphy has spent the last 10 years studying seabirds as oceanic indicators of climate change. Wire producer Rosetta spoke to him about his research and findings.
Able is New Zealand's leading provider of media access services. Today is the launch of Able’s new app Earcatch.
Earcatch will provide blind and low-vision New Zealanders all-time access to synced audio description through wide streaming media platforms such as TVNZ.
Ash spoke to Able CEO Dan Buckingham about the app and what Earcatch will mean for Aotearoa’s blind and low-vision community.
The Labour Party announced their tax policy over the weekend. It included policies like dropping GST off fruits and vegetables and changes to Working for Families.
The Policy has received some support, but several organisations advocating for the eradication of poverty and tax reform say it does not go far enough to address the wealth gap in Aotearoa.
Caeden spoke about this with Glen Barclay, Chair of Tax Justice Aotearoa and the Better Taxes for a Better Future campaign which is a coalition of 20 organisations aiming to work for better taxes to grow revenue and have a fairer tax system.
They started by asking Glen if Labour’s announcement is fair tax policy.
Caeden also spoke to economist Susan St John for the Child Poverty Action Group’s position on the announcement. As they have been quite critical of it, they started by asking what the issues were.
The government recently announced a partnership with BlackRock, an American multinational investment company. BlackRock will invest two billion dollars into green energy, aiming to achieve one hundred percent renewable energy.
Olivia spoke to Climate Justice Taranaki researcher, Catherine Cheung, about their concerns with this deal and possible alternatives.
Concerns have been raised that Aotearoa’s social welfare system has problematic aspects that contribute to hardship, such as the continuation of repayable grants that are taken from people’s benefit, which advocates say are already too low.
Olivia spoke to Auckland Law School’s Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Equity, Hanna Wilberg, about the issues with our current system and where people can go for help.
Last week the government announced it was working on legislation to address modern slavery.
World Vision and Tearfund previously put out an open letter to the government calling for this.
For Get Action! News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to World Vision Advocacy Campaigns and Communications Manager Morgan Theakston about the government's proposed legislation and why it is important to address supply chain exploitation.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Labour’s Andrew Little about New Zealand’s first National Security Strategy, the proposed Immigration (Mass Arrivals) Amendment Bill, and reports that complaints of migrant exploitation have increased under Labour.
For City Counselling, councillor for Waitākere Shane Henderson spoke about the State of the City Report comparing Auckland to nine other cities globally and the government's plans for 19 new marine protection areas for the Hauraki Gulf.
World Vision Advocacy Campaigns and Communications Manager Morgan Theakston discussed the government's proposed legislation to address modern slavery and supply chain exploitation.
Producer Olivia talked to Climate Justice Taranaki researcher, Catherine Cheung, about the recently announced BlackRock green energy investment deal.
She also spoke to Associate Professor of Law and Associate Dean of Equity at the University of Auckland Law School, Hanna Wilberg, about issues with our social welfare system.
This year ConsumerNZ launched a campaign to rid our Supermarket shelves from “Dodgy Specials”.
The campaign asked for examples of misleading pricing in our supermarket aisles.
The Labour Government has just announced new regulations around Unit Pricing that could help combat these “Dodgy Specials”
The regulations mean that all similar products will have to be displayed with a consistent unit price, making it easier to distinguish which products are cheaper by unit.
Nicholas spoke to Consumer NZ’s Jessica Walker about these new regulations, as well at ConsumerNZ’s campaign to rid New Zealand’s supermarket of quote “Dodgy Supermarket Specials”
Recent drugs misrepresented as pure MDMA have caused hospitalizations in the Hawke’s Bay region, with four men admitted and two in critical condition.
Arno spoke to the NZ Drug Foundation’s executive director Sarah Helm to find out more. Arno started the interview by asking what the MDMA was laced with.
In the upcoming election there have been many discussions on all sides in regard to tax policy. A Newshub-Reid research poll in May found that a majority of Kiwi’s support implementing a wealth tax, although Labour, National and ACT have been reluctant to touch the subject with Labour still making no major tax reform announcements in the run-up to the election.
Union’s in Tamaki Makaurau have become vocal and have organised a protest advocating for tax reform targeted at New Zealand’s wealthiest. To talk more about the protest that is happening next week, Andre Fa'aoso spoke to protest organiser with Unite Union Joe Carolan.
The Healthcare exec Brian Thompson was shot dead by a masked assailant last week.
The crime has gained significant controversy and attention online, with many using it to restart the debate on the inequities of the United States healthcare system.
And this week Yale University was the latest college to commit to divesting from weapons manufacturing after a student vote.
For State of the States this week Wire Host Caeden speak to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News about both of these topics.
The government as announced their plan for the Cook Strait ferry a year after they scrapped Labour’s plan, including cancelling the ferries the Labour government had ordered.
And a new report from the Ministry of Social Development has revealed nearly a quarter of beneficiaries are not receiving their correct entitlements.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about both of these topics.
For City Counselling this week, producer Sofia caught up with Councillor Shane Henderson about proposed time-of-use charging to solve congestion problems in Tāmaki and Council selling their remaining Auckland Airport shares last week.
The Green party recently released He Ara Anamata - the Green party’s emissions reduction plan.
The document covers more than 10 areas of the economy and energy Sector that a Greens-led government would be looking to adapt to minimise carbon emissions and protect the natural landscapes of Aotearoa.
It also comes 5 months after the government released their own draft emissions plan. Numerous experts pointed out that the government is behind on their own plan’s targets to meet the crucial emissions budget for 2031-2035.
For their weekly catchup, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March to discuss the party’s new emissions reduction plan and how they would address climate and the economy in a greens-led government.
Last election, one of the National Party’s main campaign promises was to be ‘tough on crime’, promising to increase police coverage and penalties for crimes. A target was set to increase the number of police officers by 500 by November 2025, however some police leaders today say this goal is unrealistic.
The government also announced this week some shakeups to insulation standards, which they say should make houses more affordable.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor spoke to him about police staffing targets and new insulation standards.
This week on Dear Science, our expert Doctor Cushla McGoverin chatted with us about what latrines teach us about people, climate variation affecting Chinese dynasties, and invasive species becoming threatened.
Thanks to MOTAT, the museum inspiring the innovators of tomorrow!
Last week it was revealed that two of the ten participants in the government's pilot bootcamp programme were on the run.
The youth were two months into the community rehabilitation phase of the programme, following the three month youth justice residence phase. Both teens were found in the weekend, but had allegedly reoffended, and are now set to come before the court.
For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, who have been heavily advocating for this programme, Producer Evie spoke to Simon Court about this incident.
She also talks to him about proposed changes to employment law which would give employers the power to dismiss workers earning over $180,000 without the employee refuting the decision.
And finally, she talks to him about David Seymour’s incumbent run as Deputy Prime Minister, which is set to begin in May of next year.
For City Counselling this week, Producer Sofia spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about changes to Auckland Transport’s responsibilities, nationwide bus and train fare hikes, and concerns over the opening of the City Rail Link.
For State of the States this week, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Andre Fa'aoso from the Yale Daily News about President Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden, who was due to be sentenced next week for three felony charges.
They also discuss Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for FBI director, who is the latest in a long list of unorthodox picks for government positions from Trump
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