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.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Karen Chhour about renters' rights and ACT's policy for 17-year-olds to be tried in adult court.
She also spoke to Professor of Public Health Nick Wilson from the University of Otago about addressing poor ventilation on public transport.
Producer Caeden Tipler spoke to Child Poverty Action Group’s Sarita Divis about their calls leading up to the election.
And Rebecca Kingi, who is a new mum, about funding cuts facing Nga Hau Birthing Centre.
Producer Nicholas Lindstrom spoke to Jackie Paul, an advisor that worked on a new report into the housing crisis released by Te Kahui tika Tangata the Human Rights Commission.
The Child Poverty Action Group has released their policy and three key asks for this election: free preschool education for every child; a warm, safe dry home for every child and good food for every child.
Caeden spoke to Sarita Divis about what the Child Poverty Action Group is pushing for in the lead-up to the election and why these demands are so important.
Caeden started by asking why they’ve highlighted these three asks.
The Nga Hau Birthing Centre in Māngere has closed a huge health gap for local communities, but the centre is facing closure this year after funding cuts.
Caeden spoke to new mum and Action Station petitioner Rebecca Kingi about why the centre is so important for the community, and why government funding to save it is crucial.
For our regular catch-up with Labour MP Andrew Little, he spoke about more than 6300 overseas workers joining Aotearoa’s health workforce in the past year and expansions to working visas for New Zealand and UK residents.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins talked to Professor of Medicine and Acting Dean of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, Warwick Bagg, about the need for more medical students and why the University is against National's proposal to have a third medical school at the University of Waikato.
And for Get Action! Otago University Students’ Association President Quintin Jane and Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association Te Aka Tau-ira President Jessica Ye discussed their petition to make tertiary education more accessible and introduce a universal study wage for all.
Producer Rawan Saadi spoke to screenwriter and Associate Professor Shuchi Kothari about the Pan-Asian Screen Collective and the initiative to have more Asian stories on screen.
The Wire is back with another stacked show for your Rāapa Wednesday! On today's show:
Emilia chats to Green Party co-leader James Shaw about his party’s housing policy announced last week.
Andre speaks to Donovan Gray, a Year 12 student at Rutherford College about a new toolkit that Netsafe has released designed to combat online bullying, harassment and sextortion.
Arno speaks to Dr. Fabio Morreale about the new song from The Beatles that was restored using the help of AI.
And he also chats with Dr. Felicia Low, a research fellow at Koi Tu, The Centre for Informed Futures about the importance of playtime for kids growing up.
And finally, on the Green Desk Jack Marshall speaks to Rachael James, a Professor of Geochemistry from the University of Southampton, about enhanced rock weathering as a form of carbon capture.
Andre Fa'aoso speaks to Donovan Gray, a Year 12 student at Rutherford College, about a new online toolkit for teens developed by Netsafe's Youth Action Squad (YAS) to combat online bullying, harassment, and sextortion.
Artificial intelligence algorithms are being used to clean up an old recording of John Lennon of the Beatles and the music is slated for release, being dubbed “the last Beatles record” - with a release date more than fifty years after it was recorded.
Dr Fabio Morreale is a senior lecturer and coordinator of music technology, School of Music at the University of Auckland. He has unique insight into the restoration process and also how AI will impact music production in the future.
Arno started by asking him if the entire song would be using AI restoration or just the vocals.
A new initiative by Koi Tū, The Centre for Informed Futures, highlights the importance of play in the cognitive, physical, and mental wellbeing of children. Koi Tū are calling for the government to ease the burden of raising children and to make it easier for children to have access to play.
Not only is play important in honing motor skills, it also helps expand the brain and prepare it for things such as numeracy and literacy.
Arno spoke with Dr Felicia Low, a research fellow at Koi Tū, to find out more about the importance of children’s play. Arno started the interview by asking how the initiative came about.
Wire producer Rosetta spoke to Bill McKay, senior lecturer at the University of Auckland School of Architecture and Planning, regarding the Green Party's recently announced Pledge to Renters. They discussed what the pledge involves, gaps the policy is missing, and where the pledge leaves young voters in the upcoming election.
For their weekly catchup, Hanna spoke to Takutai Kemp about the party's 20-year old candidate for Hauraki-Waikato, Hana Maipi-Clarke. They discussed whether youth may bring insight rather than hindrance, rangatahi representing rangatahi on issues which affect them, and how future generations can bring tradition forward.
They then discussed the Chief Ombudsman's scathing review of Corrections, which showed no change since the 2020 Waikeria riot despite repeated recommendations. They covered resistance to change within Corrections, Māori mass incarceration, and changes Te Pāti Māori would make - both inside and outside the prison.
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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