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.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Labour’s Andrew Little about creating a single cybersecurity agency, the government’s $15 million pledge to restore the St James Theatre, and a review of weather forecasting systems.
Hanna Thompson spoke to Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Kemp about youth justice.
Nicholas Lindstrom talked to Auckland University Students' Association President Alan Shaker about AUSA elections, the upcoming AUSA Annual General Meeting, and calls for a universal study wage.
Olivia Bing speaks to the Green Party’s Golriz Ghahraman about their calls for affordable dental care.
And Beth Torrance-Hetherington spoke to Principal Planner for the Rapid Transit Network at Auckland Transport, Luke Elliott, about the draft Regional Public Transport plan.
Auckland Transport has recently announced a draft Regional Public Transport plan, which will take effect over three stages, long-, medium- and short-term. The proposal outlines AT's priorities for Tāmaki Makaurau's public transport system until 2031. Beth spoke to Luke Elliott, Principal Planner at AT, about the plan.
Forest and Bird Aotearoa is calling on parties to announce more policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, following the release of data from Statistics New Zealand about emissions over the course of 2022. The organisation says that while a downward trend is shown, it is not enough, and is urging people to vote accordingly.
Wire producer Rosetta spoke to Geoff Keey, strategic advisor for Forest and Bird, about what they want to see from parties towards the election, and about the Climate Shift initiative to guide climate policy.
Save The Children is making an effort to better inform children about the voting process, and encouraging communities to better include their voices in politics. The organisation held a true-to-life voting experience for tamariki over the weekend, at Tāmaki Makaurau's Kids Only Market, where children were encouraged to voice the issues they want covered by the government.
Wire producer Rosetta spoke to Jacqui Southey, Child Rights Advocacy and Research Director for Save The Children, about what the voting experiece entailed, and the importance of involving children in politics.
Welcome to the Tuesday Wire with Milly and Rosetta!
This week:
For Dear Science, Davide joins Milly and Rosetta to talk plants, cicadas and why you might be more attracted to your look alikes
For our weekly catch up with the National Party, Milly talks falling mathematics achievement and Nationals education plans as well as National’s recent commentary on the Labour Party’s approach to crime
Milly also speaks to Anusha Guler Electoral Commission’s Deputy Chief Executive Operations, about job opportunities in the upcoming election
Rosetta spoke to Geoff Key, strategic advisor at Forest and Bird, about what parties should be doing for climate change ahead of the election
She also spoke to Jacqui Southey, Child rights Advocacy and Research Director at Save the Children, about involving children in the election process.
This week on the Tuesday Wire, Milly has her weekly catchup with Dr Shane Reti of the National Party where they talk about crime rates and falling numeracy rates in students.
According to new research, Māori are a third more likely to be admitted to hospital with treatment injuries because of healthcare complications than non-Māori.
Research conducted at a similar time also found Māori were less likely to have access to heart failure medications.
Caeden spoke to report co-author and Pharmacist Dr Joanna Hikaka (Ngāruahine) about the report’s findings.
They also spoke to Hariata Vercoe from the Korowai Aroha Health Centre about the context of these barriers and solutions. Caeden started by asking for her perspective on the research.
On Sunday the Government announced they would match Auckland Council’s $15 million for restoration of the St James Theatre in Central Auckland.
Caeden spoke to Central Auckland MP Chlöe Swarbrick about the significance of the theatre and the benefit it will have for the public given the public funding going into the restoration.
Andre Fa’aoso speaks to Senior Lecturer in Business and Economics at the University of Auckland Dr Haipeng Zhang Aotearoa signing a free trade deal with the European Union.
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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