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.
A global climate strike is set to take place on Friday, 3 March.
In Aotearoa, Fridays for Future Tāmaki Makaurau have teamed up with School Strike for Climate and other Fridays for Future groups across the moto to demand climate action.
News & Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Sophora from Fridays for Future Tāmaki Makaurau about this kaupapa.
To start off our interview, she asked Sophora about the Fridays for Future movement, and how it started.
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.
This week, on Casper's final Tuesday Wire show, Joel Rindelaub chatted about animals that do drugs for Dear Science. Casper talked to National’s Shane Reti about infrastructure resilience and Gary Taylor from the Environmental Defence Society about managed retreat.
Milly spoke with Toby Williams from the Federated Farmers regarding the issue of forestry slash. She also talked to Tony Mitchell from Bike Auckland about Auckland cycleway plans.
Auckland Transport has come under fire for pausing the works on cycleway work in Auckland. Due to local government and mayoral changes, many cyclists have been left with disconnected routes, with approved plans that have been left on pause.
Milly had a chat with Tony Mitchell from Bike Auckland about the issue.
Casper had a chat with Gary Taylor, CEO of the Environmental Defence Society on the topic of managed retreat.
Managed retreat is a phrase that’ll come up a lot as National and Labour work on bipartisan legislation that will create the foundations of a multi-government strategy.
Forestry slash has been blamed for a lot of the damage caused by the cyclone and Milly spoke with Tairāwhiti farmer and national board member for Federated Farmers, Toby Williams, about the issue.
The devastating impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle have compounded discussions that were already underway after the intense flooding in Auckland two weeks earlier.
One topic on the minds of many is infrastructure. Casper had a chat about this with National’s Shane Reti – why it failed so bady, what do we need to do to fix it and whether it's time for New Zealand to change our approach to building for extreme weather.
Doctor Carisa Showden, of University of Auckland’s sociology department, is the editor of a new book on youth activism entitled Fierce Hope. The book has six segments from various youth-led activism organisations ranging in topic from climate change to indigenous rights. In the book young leaders of activism groups, loosely identified as those 18-29, are given the space to write about their journeys in the world of activism.
Arno started by asking for an overview of the topics contained within the book.
Several important conferences concerning trade deals between New Zealand and other countries, particularly Australia, are coming up this month and in July. Economic trade agreements are to be discussed and debated, and this is of major importance to New Zealand, a country that relies both on import and export to have a functioning economy.
Arno spoke to Professor Jennifer Curtin, director of the Public Policy Institute at the University of Auckland, to find out more about trade agreements. Arno started by asking what outcomes or information Professor Curtin hoped to see from the upcoming Auckland Trade and Economic Policy School event.
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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