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.
There are 38 organisations who are issuing a public call for Auckland Transport to urgently deliver the long overdue inner west cycle lanes and street improvements. Six of those are schools that want safer street for their students, there is the Grey lynn residents association, there are several businesses from ponsonby and K road that support the improvements and there are advocacy groups.
The Waitematā Safer Routes (also known as the Grey Lynn and Westmere improvements) is the project that hangs in the balance. It has been paused and this spawned criticism from the community who urge to continue the Grey Lynn and Westmere improvements.
The Waitematā Safer Routes are a vital link between the adjoining projects. Dropping the middle project would mean network benefits were lost, and the schools and communities of the inner west would be left disconnected.
There are 56 letters in support of Grey Lynn and Westmere improvements, while there are 6 letters opposing the improvements.
Daniel spoke with Mike Lee about his thoughts on the inner west cycle lanes and street improvements.
A question that sparks curiousity and contradiction is, are we in the midst of a wellbeing pandemic? The question may seem curious, even contradictory. Researchers say that if we look around us, the concept is everywhere and spreading in the media, in government institutions and transnational organisations, in schools, in workplaces, and in the marketplace
Joe spoke to Steven Jackson, Professor of Sport Policy and Politics at the University of Otago to get some insight on this matter.
Joe looks into why we chase wellbeing and how it may be unhealthy for us. He speaks to Steven Jackson, Professor of Sport Policy and Politics at the University of Otago on the matter. Joe also looks into sportswashing in relation to the Womens FIFA World Cup, he speaks to Dr Marilyn Giroux, senior marketing lecturer in Business and Economics at the University of Auckland on the matter.
Daniel brings us City Counselling with Mike Lee, they speak about inner west cycle lanes and street improvements. He also speaks to Philosophy Professor Robert Sparrow from Monash University about the ethics of our relationship with robots.
Dancers at the Calender Girls Club in Pōneke Wellington protested their unjust firing in the capital last week.
After a 2023 contract change, a joint letter saw a group of the workers call for better rights and pay as independent contractors, allowing them to receive clear income records and 60%
This led to them being fired via a facebook post, invigorating conversations about sex worker rights in Aotearoa over all.
Fired Up Stilettos, the group behind the protest, provided 95bFM with the following statement:
“We want industry wide changes for all dancers across New Zealand. We want all adult entertainment venues to be compelled to cease all practices which violate our independent contractor status. Remove all fines and bonds from our contracts.
We also require a limit on what these venues can take from our earnings as contractors. We believe that progress in our industry for workers rights is lagging behind severely because of the structural, social, and political stigma that has been attached to our occupation in the past.
Club owners in New Zealand use this stigma to their advantage, and are able to exploit our workers because we have not had any support. We need public and political support to be able to stop this from happening. Getting fired for standing up for yourself or your rights is systemic to our industry. Our mission is to end this cycle of rights violations, coercion and exploitation. It has to end.”
To learn more about the wider issues of sex worker rights in New Zealand, Liam spoke to Catherine Healey from the New Zealand Sex Workers Collective.
Present at the protests was Greens spokesperson for women and list MP, Jan Logie.
Logie will be speaking to fired up stilettos next month, discussing their demands and how they want to be supported politically.
Tuva’a spoke with defence minister Andrew Little for 2023, where they talked about the continued impact of the cyclone and the government's response
Liam had a chat with Catherine Healey from the New Zealand Sex Workers Collective and Jan Logie from the Green Party of Aotearoa about the recent Calendar Girls rights protests in Poneke.
They also spoke to UoA professor Robert MacCulloch about the Official Cash Rate Hike,
Hanna spoke to Dr Kevin Trenberth about the government's plan to tax methane emissions
And lastly Liam spoke to Cameron Adams for Eurovision, nearly one year on from the day Russia's invasion of Ukraine began.
The impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle have continued to be a major priority for the New Zealand Government, as they are likely to continue to be for the foreseeable future.
Recent photographs and examinations have revealed just how bad the extent of the damage has been, with areas in the west coast of Auckland and east coast of the North Island drastically affected.
The government's plan is slowly being solidified and outlined, as discussed by defence minister Andrew Little in his chat with Tuva’a Clifton this morning.
150 countries recently signed the Global Methane Pledge, promising the most effective course for reducing emissions and keepimg warming below 1.5°C. However, experts are calling this claim into question. This is particularly so in Aotearoa, whose largely agricultural methane emissions differ from that of other countries.
Hanna spoke to Dr Kevin Trenberth, Distinguished Scholar at Colorado's National Centre for Atmospheric Research and Honorary Affiliate at the University of Auckland. They talked about why biogenic methane cannot be treated like fossil methane, nor methane like carbon dioxide, and whether current climate policy is up to scratch.
Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr announced yet another official cash rate hike yesterday, by fifty basis points to four point seven five percent.
The reserve bank claims they aren’t yet sure what the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle will be on the wider economy, continuing to predict the OCR will peak at five point five percent.
The aim to control inflation will likely see borrowers suffer, as discussed by UoA Economics Professor Robert MacCulloch.
On The Wire for Rāapa Wednesday, News & Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins speaks to Sophora from Fridays for Future Tāmaki Makaurau about a youth-led global climate strike happening on 3 March.
For their regular catch up, the ACT Party’s Karen Chhour discusses the government’s initial cyclone emergency support and calls to make gender-affirming healthcare more accessible for Irawhiti and transgender people.
And Producer Troy Matich interviews Maggie Shui, and Eleanor about the new Re: docuseries, Dating While Asian.
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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