Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Castor Chacko, Alex Fox, Emmanuel Orange, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
For over a decade, the rules regulating diagnoses and treatment options available for those with ADHD have been demanding with high costs and requiring access to specialists with long waitlists.
New changes will now see GPs able to diagnose and prescribe medication to those 18 and up.
To understand what these changes will mean, I spoke to Professor of General Practice and Primary Care at the University of Auckland Dr Bruce Arroll.
For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the Civil Defence Payment for disaster victims, the state of the economy, and Waitangi Day.
They then spoke to Professor of General Practice and Primary Care Bruce Arrol, on the changes being made to ADHD diagnosis and access to medical treatments.
Producer Theo spoke with the spokesperson for Ka Lāhui Hawai’i, Healani Sonoda-Pale, on the seventeen-member delegation to Waitangi from Hawai’i, and solidarity between Māori and Kanaka Maoli.
They then spoke to Public Health Medicine Specialist Dr Sainimere Boladuadua on the Pacific shift in global health she and her colleagues have proposed.
Colonisation continues to deeply affect the Pacific, with the production of health inequities tied closely to the unequal power dynamics still inflicted on Pacific nations by external high-income countries.
A recent article by a group of women academics and health professionals based in Fiji, Tonga, Sāmoa, and Aotearoa New Zealand has called for a reimagining in how global health is approached in the Pacific.
This proposed shift would see greater sovereignty exercised by Pacific nations in research and health, and a pluralistic worldview reflecting Indigenous Pacific knowledge systems.
To understand the state of global health in the Pacific, the reimagining her group has proposed, and the role that Aotearoa New Zealand can play, Producer Theo spoke to Public Health Medicine Specialist Dr Sainimere Boladuadua.
This week, political, cultural, and community leaders have been gathering in Waitangi to commemorate the signing of Te Tiriti.
However, recent attacks on Te Tiriti, Te Reo Māori, and Te Ao Māori by the New Zealand coalition government are front of mind for many.
Ka Lāhui Hawai’i, a Kanaka Maoli initiative calling for self-determination and self-governance in Hawai’i, have sent a seventeen-member delegation to show solidarity with Māori.
To understand the demonstration of indigenous solidarity this delegation represents, as well as the ongoing colonial attacks on indigenous peoples across the Pacific, Producer Theo spoke to the spokesperson for Ka Lāhui Hawai’i, Healani Sonoda-Pale.
We are now more than a year into Donald Trump’s second term as president. Over the past twelve months, we’ve seen the United States flex its military muscles both within the Western Hemisphere and beyond, launching a military operation in Venezuela and capturing president Nicolas Maduro, making further threats to take over Greenland, and provoking Iran by sending a fleet of warships to the Persian Gulf.
Last year, President Trump even signed an executive order, renaming the ‘Department of Defence’ to the ‘Department of War’ on the basis that the former name was too “woke.”
This morning, Producer Toby spoke with University of Auckland professor Chris Ogden about the assertion of hard power in American diplomacy, and how this can be understood through the theory of ‘political realism.
New Zealand has declined its's invitation to join US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace after saying it will give due consideration to the invitation. The Co-Convenor of human rights group Justice for Palestine, Samira Zaitoon, has welcomed the move, but has expressed concern over the government's wording around declining the invitation.
She also talks about what the Board of Peace means for traditional global bodies like the UN, and what New Zealand can do in terms of policy-making on the issue.
Last week, communities around the world took part in the first annual ‘Reclaim the Economy’ week, calling on grassroots action to develop alternatives to existing economic systems that prioritise growth over people and the planet.
Wire Host Sara spoke to environmental activist and Director of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa Gareth Hughes about the meaning of ‘reclaiming the economy’ and the context behind this movement.
For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin chats with us about how light could be used as a painkiller, research on early signs of dementia, and the ‘mental trap’ that leads to indecision.
For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Ryan Hamlilton about New Zealand’s foreign affairs stance amidst a changing global world order.
For Green World, Sara spoke to Director of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa Gareth Hughes, about ‘Reclaim the Economy Week’.
Producer Vihan spoke to Justice for Palestine’s Co-Convenor Samira Zaitoon about New Zealand declining it's invitation to the Board of Peace and what it all means.
Producer Toby spoke to University of Auckland Global Studies Director Chris Ogden about Donald Trump’s vision of a ‘new form of diplomacy based on threats and coercion’.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, Wire host Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about the ACT party’s stance on a new modern slavery bill and the prison population reaching an all time high.
On the prison population and Te Pāti Māori’s new policy of prison abolition, they spoke to academic and activist Dr Emmy Rākete.
And they spoke to the University of Auckland’s Hyesop Shin about the challenges involved with introducing congestion charging.
Producer Alex spoke to Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Auckland, Treasa Dunworth, about New Zealand’s refusal to join the ‘Board of Peace,’ and what it means for our recognition of Palestinian Self-Determination.
He also spoke to Senior Research Fellow in General Practice and Primary care in the school of population health at the University of Auckland, Dr Samantha Marsh, about the new trial over Social Media Companies’ liability for adverse health affects of social media, and how it reflects and mirrors the decades of fighting against tobacco companies.
Last week, Christopher Luxon declined to join the ‘Board of Peace’ being championed by Donald Trump on behalf of New Zealand. The Board is supposedly aimed to restore and maintain stability, particularly looking at Gaza, which would involve this board working together to form a transitionary power structure in the region.
However, this board is facing a great deal of criticism; for starters, some see it as a way for Donald Trump to enforce structures that he sees as beneficial for himself. Importantly, also, there is a concern over the absence of any Palestinian voice from a board that claims to want to move the region forward, undermining their self-determination.
Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Professor of Law at the University of Auckland, Treasa Dunworth, about this rejection and the invite, and what it means for Palestinian self-determination and New Zealand’s stance.
Over the past few weeks, the government has been hesitant to call out the US and Israel for their role in the recent conflict in Iran. While Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has called for all parties to comply with international law, he refrained from explicitly addressing either aggressor. Only in the past week has Luxon offered any criticism, calling Trump’s Iran policy “unhelpful” and Finance Minister Nicola Willis “alarmed” at Trump’s comments around destruction of civilisation in Iran. Labour has criticised the government for its lack of a hard stance.
Also this past week has seen funding for the Tukituki water security project secured, which could see flooding for significant amounts of conservation land in the Hawke’s Bay. The project could also see acceleration under the Fast Track Approvals bill, which Labour has also criticised since its inception.
Lastly, Auckland Council has repeatedly called for additional support for public transport amidst the fuel crisis. Despite these calls, the government has yet to deliver.
To discuss each of these topics and what the Labour party could bring to the table, News Director Castor spoke to Labour MP Shanan Halbert.
A record number of Aucklanders are using public transport amidst rising fuel costs. The average number of users is up 10% from the same time last year.
And yesterday, Watercare lifted its boil water notice for the suburbs of Hillsborough, Mt Roskill, Royal Oak, and Three Kings after 2 days under the notice.
The notice was due to a detection of bacteria on Monday, which a Watercare investigation found was caused by a single water quality monitoring tap.
For City Counselling this week, The Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about these topics.
This morning, with negotiations continuing to stall and his own deadline for ending the war approaching, US President Donald Trump threatened civilisational destruction on Iran if they did not concede to the US demands. Whether a sincere threat or an act of brinkmanship may remain unclear, as just before Trump’s deadline, Trump claimed a two week ceasefire had been agreed to.
Last week, the Green Party released their housing policy - a home for everyone. It takes a welfare-based approach, pitching rent controls, reversing tax breaks on the bright line test, and a public housing building program.
For our weekly catch-up with the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March, Wire host Manny asked about the gravity of Trump's threats on Iran, but began with the Greens' housing platform.
Cabbage, mull, buds, dak, smoke, skunk, hash, chronic, grass, pot, cannabis. It’s the fourth most used recreational drug in New Zealand, coming in behind caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco. Back in 2020, alongside the general election, voters were asked in a non-binding referendum whether they supported a proposed cannabis legalisation and control bill. The result was a vote opposing the legalisation of cannabis by a thin margin.
Currently, medicinal cannabis is available via prescription, but cannabis otherwise remains illegal to use, distribute, or produce.
For this week’s Get Action, producer Theo spoke to Patrick and Colden from the Reeferendum 2026 campaign, on their petition to legalise cannabis and reform drug laws and policing in Aotearoa New Zealand.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here.
Last week, the Prime Minister revealed his cabinet reshuffle, which saw major changes to the roles of two prominent MPs and Ministers, Chris Bishop and Simeon Brown.
Last week also saw the passing of the Resource Management (Auckland Housing) Amendment Bill, after years of discussion, paving the way for a new approach to housing density and intensification in the future.
Of course, the fuel crisis is still hitting New Zealand, and discussions remain around the role public transport should play, and how the government should support public transit.
This week, Wire Host Alex spoke with National Party MP Ryan Hamilton about each of these topics, beginning with the cabinet reshuffle.
This week, the government announced another change to Plan Change 120, Auckland’s plan for future housing developments across the city. Originally, the plan proposed a minimum housing capacity of 2 million homes, but many in central suburbs raised concerns that intensification could harm the character of their neighbourhoods. In February, the government lowered the minimum capacity to 1.6 million, which Auckland’s council and mayor spoke out against.
Despite the disagreement, council developed new plans for the 1.6 million capacity. This week, however, the government announced plans to lower the minimum capacity further to 1.4 million, forcing council to make further changes to the plans.
Also these past few weeks we’ve seen disagreements between the government and council over how best to manage the fuel crisis. The government has focused on payouts to middle and lower class families with children, but Mayor Wayne Brown says a better solution could involve subsidising public transport.
To discuss each of these issues, News Director Castor spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey.
About a month ago, Wednesday Wire host Manny spoke to a researcher sounding the alarm over the state of our primary healthcare, here and globally.
Across the globe, services meant to be the first port of call for health issues such as dental, GPs and pharmacists, were found to be increasingly under stress as costs grow and the workforce fails to keep pace with demand.
Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners Workforce Survey in 2022 raised concerns: Over half of GPs were planning to retire within the next decade, a declining number of GPs work in GP run practices and filling that gap is an increasing number of corporate healthcare providers.
As the holder of the Green parties Primary Healthcare Portfolio, our Green Party interviewee is the perfect subject to discuss his parties platform on the subject.
So for our weekly catch-up with the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March, we talk primary healthcare, it’s current state in Aotearoa, the issues it faces and where the Green Party would like to take it.
Last week, Minister for Conservation Tama Potaka announced an update on the Predator Free 2050 strategy, which aims to rid New Zealand of rats, possums and stoats. Five and a half million dollars of funding was set aside by the government with the aim of making Wellington the first predator free city in the world within the next ten years.
This week on Green World, Wire producer Liam spoke to James Russell, professor of conservation biology at the University of Auckland, about the progress and impact of Predator Free projects in Wellington and nationwide.
95bFM 
