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.
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.
An independent review of Immigration New Zealand’s continued practice of Dawn Raids has found that the law does need to change. The review by Senior Lawyer Mike Heron looked into out-of-hours immigration visits to communities throughout Aotearoa.
The report found that out-of-hours visits were still being used by immigration in New Zealand and targeted minority communities, particularly Pacific Islanders.
In the 1970s, dawn raids overly targeted Pacific communities with 86% of related prosecutions being of people of Pacific descent, even though Pasifika accounted for a third of overstayers. US and UK overstayers accounted for another third of total overstayers but accounted for only five per cent of prosecutions over this period.
The review found that there had been no change to immigration policy since the government’s official 2021 Dawn Raid apology.
To talk more about the findings of the review and what it means for communities across Aotearoa, producer Andre Fa’aoso spoke to Dylan Asafo, Senior Law Lecturer at the University of Auckland
Loneliness is an epidemic that is affecting more and more people every day. Some demographics are more affected than others. Loneliness can have physical health effects, as well as mental.
Professor in Psychological Medicine from the University of Auckland Elizabeth Broadbent is researching how robots and other AI tools such as ChatGPT can aid people in reducing their social isolation and improving their wellbeing.
Arno spoke to her to find out more about her research into companion robots and for a background on the health impacts of loneliness.
Arno started the interview by asking Elizabeth how loneliness affects people’s wellbeing.
Homeowners in the North Island displaced by this year’s severe weather events have been thrown a lifeline by the government.
A new interim payment will be available from the start of September to help bridge the gap once insurance payments for temporary accommodation run out.
Caeden interviewed deputy prime minister Carmel Sepuloni on this expansion of the temporary solution and what this will mean in the long term.
They started by asking the minister to outline of what this support will look like.
Producer Caeden is excited to share that Barbie (2023) hits cinemas across Aotearoa this evening.
In honour of what is an exciting event for many, including Caeden, they spoke to several feminists to analyse what the Barbie film means for the feminist movement and why so many people are excited about it.
First they spoke to Campus Feminist Collective chairwoman Lily Chen.
They then spoke to University of Auckland Communications Professor Bridget Conor for her perspective.
Emilia speaks to Green Party co-leader James Shaw about the Prime Minister’s decision to rule out implementing a capital gains and wealth tax, as well as a ruling from the High Court last week which found that the Government needs to reconsider their decisions on the settings of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Andre speaks to Senior Law Lecturer at the University of Auckland Dylan Asafo about an independent review into Immigration New Zealand’s continued practice of dawn raids.
Caeden speaks to Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni about a government announcement for homeowners impacted by severe weather events.
They also speak to Campus Feminist Collective’s Lily Chen and University of Auckland Professor Bridget Conor on the Barbie Film from a feminist perspective.
Arno speaks to Professor Elizabeth Broadbent from The University of Auckland about whether robots can help lonely people decrease their social isolation and improve their wellbeing.
And John Minto of Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa about PUMA’s complicity with Israeli racism in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Last week Chris Hipkins was in Brussels to sign a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union. The much-anticipated deal took years of negotiations with the agreement set to lead to billions of dollars in export savings.
As the agreement comes into place, more than ninety-one per cent of tariffs will be removed from New Zealand goods, and ninety-seven per cent of New Zealand’s current exports will be duty-free.
There will be an immediate tariff removal on the export of New Zealand goods such as kiwifruit, wine, onions, apples, mānuka honey and manufactured goods, as well as for almost all fish and seafood, and other horticultural products.
To talk more about the economic implications of this free trade agreement, Andre Fa’aoso spoke to Doctor Haipeng Zhang, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Auckland
In her weekly catchup with Dr Shane Reti, Milly speaks to Dr Shane Reti surrounding the Pothole repair fund which is sitting at a proposed 500 million dollars. as well as Te Whatu Ora's incorrect and insuffcient data reporting.
Last week, Chris Hipkins announced that the Labour Party is pledging to rule out any sort of capital gains tax or wealth tax if re-elected. Hipkins has stated that it is simple mot the time for big changes to the tax system given how much Kiwis are struggling with the cost of living. The pledge has received backlash and contrasts starkly with policies of Te Pati Māori and The Green Party, leaving a potential future coalition uncertain.
Wire producer Rosetta spoke to to Child Poverty Action Group's convenor Alan Johnson about the policy, and what the decision will mean for the wealth gap and child poverty in Aotearoa.
Last week, the Smithsonian abruptly cancelled the Asian American Literary Festival, which writers from around the world were set to attend. A delegation of writers from Australia and New Zealand were preparing to travel and had spent public funding on the event, when they received an announcement the festival had been cancelled. No reasoning or plans for postponement have been given, and members of the Australia/New Zealand delegation are left outraged.
Wire producer Rosetta spoke to New Zealand writers Chris Tse and Saraid de Silva, who were set to attend the festival in the United States, about their plans for the festival and what the cancellation means.
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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