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 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.
Auckland city council’s decision to sell a percentage of their shares in the Auckland Airport has placed a fresh spotlight on other Council owned assets.
No plans have been announced yet, but a review into Auckland’s ports could lead to the potential sale and privatisation of the currently council owned ports..
Nicholas spoke to Craig Harrison, The National Secretary of The Maritime Union of New Zealand, about the potential pitfalls of selling the ports of Auckland.
The Entrust dividend payment is a payout of Entrust’s dividends in Vector Limited, and is paid out to beneficiaries throughout Tamaki Makaurau who reside within the Entrust district. During the current cost of living crisis, the dividend payment is expected to be a welcome relief for Aucklanders eligible to receive it.
Last year Entrust paid out more than three-hundred dollars each to more than three-hundred-and-fifty-thousand Entrust beneficiaries throughout Auckland. To learn more about the Entrust Dividend payment, where the money comes from, and how many Aucklanders can expect to receive the payment this year, Andre Fa’aoso spoke to Denise Lee, Entrust’s Dividend Sub-Committee spokesperson and started off by asking her how much the 2023 dividend payment will be.
To learn more about Entrust’s operations, Andre asked Denise how Entrust operates, and also asked about a tax-reform campaign Entrust is fronting that aims to secure fourteen million dollars extra in dividends for Aucklanders.
A WW2 era shipwreck in the Hauraki Gulf has recently been brought back to attention as a potential environmental hazard due to the oil it contains.
Although the remains have been explored, there has been no survey of the risk and experts along with the Hauraki Gulf Forum are calling the government to invest in further assessment.
Rawan spoke with Kieth Gordon, a long term underwater explorer who was the first person to bring up these risks 33 years ago, about what this means now.
Spike speaks to Shane Henderson on City Counselling this week, covering the official passing of the Council budget, the Great North Road cycleway project finally being approved, and the Auditor-General report into Auckland Emergency Management. Spike also speaks to Tertiary Education Union national president Julie Douglas about the new university funding announcement, and Professor Paul Glue about a new trial into MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for cancer patients.
Rawan speaks to Taimi Allen about a recent Te Hiringa Mahara report on peer support in the mental health and addiction system, and Keith Gordon on the HMS Niagara shipwreck and the environmental risks it poses for the Hauraki Gulf.
The Wire is back with a stacked show for your Rāapa Wednesday! On today's show:
Our News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, speaks to Geoffrey Miller, a geopolitical analyst at the Democracy Project, about Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ visit to China this week.
She also talks to Sam Vincent from Uyghur Solidarity Aotearoa, a group focused on amplifying Uyghur voices and calling for action on the genocide of Uyghur people in China about Hipkins’ meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Andre speaks to Denise Lee, spokesperson for the Entrust Dividend Sub-committee about the Entrust Dividend Payment, and their recent tax-reform campaign that says Auckland beneficiaries are missing out on $14,000,000 in extra dividends.
Arno speaks to Rachel Jaros of the Liggins Institute on a new study showing the effects of long-haul Covid on a host of other health conditions.
And he also chats with Joe Gallagher about E Tu Union’s transition plan for 750 laid-off workers at New Zealand Post Auckland and Christchurch.
Producer Andre Fa'aoso speaks to Denise Lee, spokesperson for the Entrust Dividend Sub-committee about the Entrust Dividend Payment, and their recent tax-reform campaign that says Auckland beneficiaries are missing out on fourteen million dollars in extra dividends.
Long COVID or long-haul COVID is a series of conditions characterised by long-term, multi-system, often severe health problems persisting or appearing after the typical recovery period of COVID-19. However there is little consensus on the definition of the term as of earlier this year. A new study by the Liggins Institute, headed by Rachel Jaros, sheds new light on the long-term health implications Covid can have, including heart disease and Parkinson’s.
Arno started our interview by asking what clarifications the study focused on and to see what new research uncovered about Long Covid and its health effects.
750 postal workers living in Auckland and Christchurch are set to be made redundant due to lowering volumes of mail globally. E Tu Union, representative of the postal workers, are putting in place a Just Transition program to help postal workers to transition to new jobs. They similarly did something in March earlier this year when the Manawatu postal centre closed down.
Arno spoke to Joe Gallagher, E Tu Union representative, to find out more about the Just Transition plan. Arno started the interview by asking how the livelihoods of those workers would be affected.
Last week, the Human Rights Measurement Initiative released it's latest data on the state of Human Rights in Aotearoa. Both JustSpeak and Amnesty International Aotearoa have expressed concern over disproportionate violations of human rights against Māori communities. Human rights breeches were particularly prevalent against Māori in the judicial system, healthcare systems, and domestic and sexual violence.
Wire producer Rosetta spoke with Aphiphany Forward-Taua, executive director of JustSpeak, about what the data means for our Māori communities, particularly wihtin our prison systems, and what needs to change moving forward.
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
95bFM 
