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.
Earlier this week the government announced a major policy overhaul, they called it a reshuffle, which included dropping some of the less popular or seemingly viable intitaitives like the TVNZ/RNZ merger to focus more on ‘bread and butter’ issues.
Also announced was a $1.50 hike to the minimum wage, a delay to the income insurance scheme and hate speech reform, the scrapping of the biofuel mandate, and ambiguous future changes to three waters.
Casper had a chat with National MP Dr Shane Reti about the announcement and how it’s been received by National.
The industry of disability service providers is an entirely government-funded collection of entities that provide free-of-charge services to those in need. Recent increases in costs of providing services have made it difficult for these organisations to provide the same level of care for a given budget.
Arno spoke to Peter Reynolds, CEO of the New Zealand Disability Support Network - a society of organisations that provide support to disabled people. He started off by asking if the government was doing enough to meet rising inflation by funding disability worker organisations.
- Spike speaks to Unite Union National Secretary John Crocker about the latest minimum wage rise
- Arno speaks to Dr. Gavin Ellis from Koi Tu about the TVNZ-RNZ merger
- Arno speaks to Peter Reynolds from the New Zealand Disability Support Network about a lack of government funding for support workers
- And on Tomorrow's World today, Stella and Isla speak to Professor Pauline Norris about new research that shows removing the $5 cost of prescriptions reduces hospital admissions and time spent in hospital
On 8 February Chris Hipkins announced work on the TVNZ-RNZ public media entity "will stop entirely". This comes several years after the bill was first tabled by former broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi as a way to address declining audience numbers. Arno speaks to Dr Gavin Ellis, affiliate of think tank Koi Tū, “the centre for informed futures”. He started by asking what the difference between public and private broadcasters meant for the public.
Arno speaks to Peter Reynolds, CEO of the New Zealand Disability Support Network - a society of organisations that provide support to disabled people. The industry of disability service providers is an entirely government-funded collection of entities that provide free-of-charge services to those in need. Recent increases in costs of providing services have made it difficult for these organisations to provide the same level of care for a given budget.
Cabinet, as part of its policy reset on Wednesday, announced minimum wage would be rising $1.50, up to $22.70 an hour to match inflation. Many are welcoming the increase, but Unite Union says it’s not enough for workers to just match inflation. Spike speaks to the National Secretary, John Crocker, about this latest rise.
On 8 February Chris Hipkins announced work on the TVNZ-RNZ public media entity "will stop entirely". This comes several years after the bill was first tabled by former broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi as a way to address declining audience numbers. Arno spoke to Dr Gavin Ellis, affiliate of think tank Koi Tū, “the centre for informed futures”. He started by asking what the difference between public and private broadcasters meant for the public.
Already in october 2010 Maori health organisations raised concerns about the shocking toll tobacco use has in their communities. They found that overall people were smoking less, but more and more maori and pacific people were smoking.
As response the NZ government developed the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan. The plan features three radical interventions. One, called the smoke-free generation strategy, will make it illegal to ever sell combustible tobacco products to those born in 2009 or later. The goal is to create an ever-growing generation that never picks up the smoking habit. Together with two other policies, reducing nicotine content in tobacco to below addictive levels and less retail outlets selling tobacco, tobacco use would virtually end.
There are two issues: Vapes and Inequities. Daily smoking rates are in general at an all-time low but remain high for Māori. 34% of Māori teens aged 14 and 15-year vape regularly and The statistics are even higher for Māori girls of this age, with 40% vaping regularly.
Daniel spoke with associate professor Andrew Waa, Public Health researcher at the University of Otagoa, bout these issues.
The Student Volunteer Army is doing a wonderful job. Last weekend Around 200 volunteers supported door-knocking at 1200 homes.
SVA CEO Jana Hood said: “The smell of rotting food and rotten carpets in some houses was just horrendous, but they don’t want to leave their homes and their communities,”
Daniel spoke with Auckland Club President of the SVA, Jake Parsons about what their experiences are and what the progress of their work is.
David brings us City Counselling with Mike Lee about flood recovery and preparing for Cyclone Gabrielle. He also speaks to Oxfam and partners mounting response in Turkiye, and Syria amidst destruction of life and property due to the earthquake.
Joe speaks to Eileen Joy from the School of Counselling, Human Services and Social Work at the University of Auckland about recent child development theories having influenced child protection in Aotearoa in ways that have further stigmatised struggling families.
Daniel chats with Jake Parsons about the work the Student Volunteer Army is doing related to the Auckland floods. He also spoke to Andrew Waa, a Public Health researcher at the University of Otago about Smokefree 2025, vapes and inequities.
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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