Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Joel Armstrong, Sara Mckoy, Max Micheel, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
A new term for Tāmaki Makaurau’s city council is rolling out amidst sizeable public transport changes for the city. Namely, the restructuring of responsibility that transfers primary policy and planning powers to council and leaves transport delivery responsibilities to Auckland Transport.
It has also been announced that 4162 of the approximately 10,000 special votes in the recent Auckland election were deemed invalid due to outdated enrolment details, or missing and incorrect declarations on voting forms.
Producer Jasmine spoke to Councillor Fairey about her thoughts on the future of Auckland’s transport systems and policy in the coming years, and her concerns around disenfranchisement of local democracy in light of the large number of discounted votes.
Health Coalition Aotearoa is calling for a permanent fix to New Zealand’s School Lunch Programme.
The current contract is being delivered by provider ‘The School Lunch Collective’, after National axed the prior Ka Ako, Ka Ora programme model. This latest iteration of the school lunches programme has seen smaller meals, lower nutritional quality, and disengagement from community-based providers.
Currently, the funding for the government’s school lunch programme is due to end in late 2026, with no proposed initiatives in its place.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Dr. Kelly Garton about the inefficacies of the current contract, and the urgent need to invest in this support for our rangatahi.
October 13th is the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction with the United Nations.
The day focuses on the rising cost of disasters, as well as disaster risks, including the impact of climate change and development choices.
Fatma Özdoğan, PhD Candidate and Researcher at the University of Montreal, co-wrote an article on this topic, focused on the impact of how we talk about disasters, with Professor Ali Asgary of York University.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to Özdoğan for International Desk.
Today, about 100,000 public sector employees are going on strike.
The action has been labelled as a “mega strike”, as it includes teachers, nurses and other public sector workers who are calling for better pay, staffing levels, and working conditions.
The government is strong against the strike, with Public Services Minister Judith Collins issuing an open letter, which she called the action “politically motivated.”
Rob Campbell, who has a background in trade unionism, business leadership, governance and public service, wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, with his view on how the government should be responding to the strikes.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to Campbell about the strike and his letter.
The government is looking to introduce a raft of reforms to the driver licence system, officially called the Graduated Driver Licensing System.
The government aims to make getting a full driver’s licence easier and cheaper for New Zealanders, which is why one of the proposed changes to the system includes scrapping the full licence test.
However, the government is also calling for reduced eye exams for class one licence holders, saying repeated eye exams don’t have any significant benefit on safety.
Producer Vihan spoke to the New Zealand Association of Optometrists (NZAO) President Hadyn Treanor about his views on the reduction of eye exams.
He also spoke to a couple of university students about the changes, and their thoughts on it.
For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez March about the mega strike happening tomorrow, the Labour Party releasing their first major policy ahead of next year’s general election, and the government moving forward with their Roads of National Significance programme.
Max also spoke with Paul Taillon, a senior lecturer in US History from the University of Auckland, to discuss the recent court win by United States President Donald Trump in his attempts to deploy the national guard in democratic cities.
Producer Manny spoke with Fleur Fitzsimons, the National Secretary of the Public Service Association, to discuss the upcoming mega strikes and why so many unions are facing the same problem.
And Producer Vihan spoke to the President of the New Zealand Association of Optometrists, Hadyn Treanor, and a couple of university students about the government’s proposed changes to the driver licence system, and what the reduction of eye exams needed for class one license holders means for the future of New Zealand drivers.
Tomorrow, we are set to see what could be the largest strike in last 40 years, as seperate unions representing nurses, teachers and many more come together to put pressure on the government to take their negotiations seriously. In total, it'll likely be around 100,000 kiwis pushing for better working conditions.
Frequent in their demands are requests for better pay that has been eroded by the inflation of the past few years, as well as safer staffing levels, as many professionals vacate the New Zealand workforce for better working conditions in Australia, leaving our hospitals, schools, and workplaces understaffed.
To discuss the upcoming Mega-Strike, Wednesday Wire Producer Manny spoke with Fleur Fitzsimons, the Natioal Secretary of the Public Service Association.
On Monday this week, the Labour Party announced their first major policy ahead of next year’s general election, which is titled the “Future Fund”. Although Labour didn’t include many specifications about the policy, the aim is to invest in New Zealand businesses that are inventive and resourceful. They also announced the fund would begin with a $200 million investment.
In addition to this, the government made a decision to move ahead with its Roads of National Significance programme. The coalition announced that they’ve allocated $1.2 billion worth of funding to the programme, of which $550 million is being used to buy properties in order to move the project forward.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez March, Wednesday Wire Host Max speaks to him about the Green Party’s stance on the Labour Party’s new policy, as well as the government’s decision to move forward with the Roads of National Significance programme.
But first, they discussed the upcoming mega strike from the unions.
Te Pati Maori have drawn media speculation on the strength of their leadership, which has been described as “internal chaos” and “infighting,” despite the party announcing a reset.
Academic and professor of Maori management Jason Mika from the University of Auckland’s business school likens the conflict to “an open divorce court gone bad,” and believes that a shift in focus is needed.
Producer Faith spoke to Mika about the party’s conflicts, and how he believes they need to refocus.
The government has announced the overhaul of the Resource Management Act (RMA), which will be replaced by two different bills, the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill. The RMA is set to be fully replaced by 2029.
The RMA, which has been in effect for 34 years, is polarising across the political spectrum.
In announcing the reforms, RMA Reform Minister, Chris Bishop, says that “pretty much everything” will be quicker and less costly under the new regime.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about this overhaul of the RMA.
They also discussed The Education and Workforce Committee’s interim report on the harms young people experience online, with a majority recommending a ban on social media for under-16-year-olds.
But first, they discussed the overhaul of the RMA.
Safety measures on public transport are of growing concern this week following the fatal and unprovoked attack that took place on route 76 in East Tāmkaki on Monday night.
Earlier this week there were also multiple critical incidents that occurred simultaneously across Auckland’s West Coast beaches and waterways, seeing an unusually high deployment of emergency services and surf lifesavers for this early in the summer.
Swedish home and furniture retailer Ikea opened in Sylvia Park a week ago today, drawing huge excitement for many.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about these topics.
On Sunday, “Block the Ban” held a protest against the government’s decision to ban new prescriptions of puberty blockers for young people with gender dysphoria.
The United Nations’ committee for the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination has released a report warning that New Zealand is at serious risk of weakening Māori rights.
And last week, the government rejected the recommended methane emissions targets.
This is despite officials warning against the government doing so, stating that lowering methane emissions targets could increase New Zealand’s contribution to global warming.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about all of these topics.
The government is pausing the new prescriptions of Puberty Blockers to gender diverse and transgender young people from the 19th of December onwards, following a similar move by the UK after the results of the NHS’s Cass Review.
Wire Producer Flo spoke to activist Lauren Craig about the effects of the legislation, her petition “Reverse the decision to deny transgender and takatāpui young people access to puberty blockers” against the changes and the wider political motivation for the policy.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here
Last week was scrutiny week, where Parliament focuses entirely on holding government agencies and ministers to account, to check-in on how well the Government is performing.
Many of the questions surrounding scrutiny week have been focused on climate change, with many recent reports highlighting the Government’s questionable decision-making.. The biggest headline was that the coalition had chosen to reject all three of the climate change commission’s recommendations to strengthen New Zealand’s emissions targets.
Along with this, the United Nations released a new report, where they’ve warned that New Zealand is at serious risk of weakening Māori rights and entrenching disparities for the indigenous population. In the 14-page report, the UN expressed concerns over multiple government policies affecting Maori, including the disestablishment of the Maori Health Authority, cuts to public funding for Maori services, and minimising the role of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about the report released by the United Nations, but first they discussed Scrutiny Week and the Government’s recent climate change decisions.
With the rise of fast fashion outlets like Shein and Temu alongside the wider mainstream options available that contribute substantial amounts of clothing waste to landfill, experts are calling for an urgent response on a governance, business, and individual level.
Wire Host Sara spoke to Mindful Fashion Chief Executive Jacinta Fitzgerald about the problem, and the industry response to sustainability, as well as University of Auckland Marketing Professor Mike Lee about the importance of ethical consumption.for individuals.
First, is the interview with Fitzgerald, where she begins by talking about the organisation Mindful Fashion.
Following this, Sara spoke to Marketing Professor Mike Lee about the research he has undertaken around consumerism.
The biannual Scrutiny Week took place in Parliament last week, with meetings across select committees and government departments focussed on scrutinising the outcomes of government work.
These include hearings on ministries like Health, Housing, Environment and Justice.
Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Carl Bates about Scrutiny Week, firstly by asking him to talk about the meetings he was involved in
The government has recently rejected all of the Climate Change Commission’s recommendations regarding strengthening the country’s methane targets recommendations.
The commission’s recommendations include strengthening the county’s 2050 methane emission targets, continuing lowering emissions after 2050, and that international shipping and aviation, which represents 9% of the county’s total emissions, should be included within targets.
Despite the commission saying that there would be upfront costs, many of the changes would result in cost savings over time, however, the government rejected this claim.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about the government rejecting these recommendations.
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