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.
Student-led Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been taking place at multiple Universities in the US, with encampments being set up on campus grounds.
Protesters are calling on their universities to divest investments supporting Israel, which United Nations experts and humanitarian organisations say is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Videos have shown hundreds of students and faculty members being forcefully arrested, including Columbia University in New York and the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), and students have been threatened with suspension if they do not vacate encampments.
News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Senior Lecturer of Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland, Dr Maria Armoudian about this.
The Waitangi Tribunal has urged the government not to scrap Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act, which legally requires Oranga Tamariki to adhere to Treaty principles and improve outcomes for tamariki Māori in state care, before allowing adequate time for an inquiry to review the legislation.
It warned repealing Section 7AA would diminish the rights, needs, and voices of tamariki Māori and cause a strong public reaction from communities.
The tribunal also summoned Children’s Minister Karen Chhour, who is responsible for the policy, which refused, and this request was overturned by the High Court.
News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Lawyer and author of ‘Understanding Te Tiriti – a handbook about Te Tiriti o Waitangi’, Roimata Smail (Ngāti Maniapoto, Tainui, English, Scottish, Irish descent), about the importance of the tribunal as a watchdog of Crown actions which breach Te Tiriti.
According to TradeMe figures, rental rates across the motu are at an all time high, rising by an average increase of $50 since last year and bringing the nationwide median rental price up to $650 a week.
Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland, which remains the most expensive region of the country to rent in, has experienced a rent increase of 6.2%, bringing rental rates to $690 a week.
For their weekly chat, Oto spoke to Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the party’s calls to introduce rent controls to combat the increase in rent we’re experiencing here in Aotearoa.
We also had a chat about the government’s RMA reforms last week and the recent 1News Verian Poll.
For Dear Science this week, Professor Allan Blackman chatted with us about stoner stereotypes, technology for detecting illegal ivory, and the voyager-1 probe resuming useful communications.
Wire host Castor spoke to the National Party’s James Meager about the Fast Track Approvals bill.
News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Associate Professor of Law at the University of Auckland, Carrie Leonetti, about a New York court overturning Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction.
And producer Sofia spoke to the Head of Campaigns at Greenpeace Aotearoa, Amanda Larsson, about the government’s amendments to the Resource Management Act.
The fast track approvals bill is a planned piece of legislation that aims to cut through existing consent processes for several future works. These developments include bridges, roads, and drilling, which each could infringe on conservation or protected land.
The bill has been met with backlash from members of the public, who up until the 19th of April have been able to make submissions on the bill as it goes through the select committee process. Criticisms and protests against the bill have continued in recent weeks, with many claiming that it undermines democracy and allows members of parliament to circumvent conservation laws or expert advice.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s James Meager, Wire host Castor asked him about the Fast Track Approvals Bill: whether his opinions have changed since the last time I interviewed him, how this bill affects New Zealand’s democracy, and the overall theme of urgency we’ve been seeing with the current government.
Last week, the government announced its plan for the next Resource Management Act amendment bill.
The Resource Management Act seeks to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources including land, water, and air.
As part of the first changes being made, farming, mining and other industrial regulations are being scrapped or amended.
In response, Greenpeace has criticised the repeal of intensive winter grazing regulations and revision of Te Mana o Te Wai, highlighting concerns for the protection of freshwater and the health of rural communities.
Producer Sofia Roger Williams spoke to the Head of Campaigns for Greenpeace Aotearoa, Amanda Larsson, about these changes, and the consequences they will have on our environment and access to safe drinking water in rural areas.
She started off the interview asking Larsson what the hierarchy of obligations under Te Mana o Te Wai are.
Last week, the High Court overturned a summons by the Waitangi Tribunal to Minister for Children Karen Chhour regarding the government's plans to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act.
Section 7AA requires Oranga Tamariki by law to improve outcomes for tamariki Māori in state care and adhere to the principles of Te Tiriti.
For their weekly interview, News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, asked ACT MP Simon Court about why Chhour has refused to present evidence to the tribunal.
They also discussed comments made in ACT's recent Free Press newsletter, which claimed Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has “styled himself as an elite, advertising his credentials as a former corporate CEO” and described Winston Peters as having more time at the centre of Government than any other current politician and that he "becomes much more erudite once elected".
Last week, National MP Melissa Lee was demoted from Cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio. National’s Penny Simmonds was also taken off the Disability Issues portfolio.
This comes after Lee faced criticism for her response to Warner Brothers Discovery announcing it would be shutting down Newshub and Simmonds apologising for mishandling the announcement of changes to purchasing rules for disabled people's equipment and support services.
News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to PhD Candidate in New Zealand Politics at the University of Otago, Michael Derek Swanson, about this cabinet reshuffle and the public response to it.
She started off the interview asking Swanson about Lee and Simmonds time in their various roles.
In the later half of 2023, the University of Auckland announced rent increases of more than 8% at their halls of residence. The University justified this as a necessary measure, caused by the impacts of inflation
However, students bearing the full brunt of the rent increase said the University’s decision to increase rent and subsequent explanation were unacceptable, pointing out that inflation rates only increased by 5.6%, and that the increases would make the cost of living unaffordable for a large number of students living at the halls of residence.
This prompted a number of students to form a “Students for Fair Rent”, a group advocating for rental rates at the University of Auckland to be made more affordable by matching rental rates to inflation rates and the average cost of housing in Central Auckland.
In August last year, Students for Fair Rent organised a petition on change.org that received 1500 signatures, urging the University of Auckland to lower the cost of living which the University of Auckland reportedly ignored.
Last week, on the 19th of April, Students for Fair Rent held a rally on Campus calling for a rent strike as a last resort protest against the cost of living at the halls and the University’s dismissal.
95bFM News Reporters, Shane and Oto, went down to the rally and spoke to Matthew Lee, the founder of Students for Fair Rent, as well as Green Party Co-Leader Chloe Swarbrick, to discuss call for a rent strike.
Earlier this week, the coalition government announced it would be re-introducing the Three Strikes sentencing law that was scrapped under the previous labour government.
The government plans to introduce harsher punishments for repeat criminal offenders, automatically giving the maximum sentence the third time someone commits an offence.
Oto spoke to Greens MP Ricardo Menendez about the Party’s stance on Three Strikes law, and how they believe recidivism in Aotearoa should be combatted.
They also had a conversation about the recent letter from Labour MP David Parker to Foreign Minister Winston Peters, calling for the government to officially recognise a Palestinian state.
The government is reviewing Treaty of Waitangi references across 28 pieces of legislation, with concerns that stronger obligations could be reduced to simply “taking into account” Treaty principles.
At the same time, New Zealand has signed a new Free Trade Agreement with India, while incidents of anti-Indian graffiti and political comments about Indian communities have raised concerns about rising anti-Indian sentiment in Aotearoa.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke with Shanan Halbert about proposed changes to Te Tiriti, the NZ–India Free Trade Agreement, and rising anti-Indian sentiment in New Zealand.
Last week, the Green Party released a statement highlighting the recently released Dental For All report, which they say confirms that New Zealand can afford a free, universal public dental service.
And the recently signed Free Trade Agreement between India and New Zealand is being touted as a pivotal moment, garnering support from both Labour and National parties, however, NZFirst MP and coalition minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones, expressed his opposition to the agreement with derogatory comments against potential indian immigrants that have drawn the ire of other parliamentary parties.
So for our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, I spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the Green Party’s Dental policy and their stance on the Free trade agreement with India.
Since its inception in 2008, the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (or ETS) has been, according to the government, its primary tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle the climate crisis. As part of the scheme, the government sets a price for carbon units, which companies must pay to offset their emissions. The Climate Change Commission has recently highlighted that the scheme was not stable and susceptible to changes in the market, and did not have sufficient carbon units to last until 2030, requiring urgent reform.
For Green World, Wire producer Liam spoke with Scott Burnett, the Regional Conservation Manager for the top of the South Island and Forest and Bird’s climate spokesperson about why Forest and Bird has called the system broken, what impact this has on Aotearoa and what reforms should be implemented.
Last week, NZ First MP and Government Minister Shane Jones was criticised over using derogatory language towards Indian Immigrants. These comments were condemned by the National Party and Christopher Luxon, who labelled NZ First’s belief system as ‘anti-immigrant’, and saidd Jones was ‘scaremongering’.
That was not the extent of criticism between NZ First and National, however, with tensions between the two sparking after NZ First Leader Winston Peters calling out Luxon for not giving coalition partners prior notice of his confidence vote during a national party caucus meeting last week. In turn, these comments have been dismissed, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Luxon accused NZ First and Peters of putting Labour Governments, like Arderns, into power. Despite all of this, however, Peters has insisted the coalition is as stable as a ‘three-legged stool’.
Last week also saw the Treasury announce that they would revisit their forecasts for the economy ahead of the impending government budget. The Government also announced some changes to the way Infrastructure is run by the government, giving more power to the Independent Infrastructure Commission, increasing their oversight and changing the way that Ministers receive advice and information.
This week, Host Alex spoke with National MP Ryan Hamilton about these developments, beginning with Shane Jones’ comments.
The Prime Minister has survived the recent confidence vote, but questions remain about the stability of Christopher Luxon’s leadership and what that means for the government going forward. At the same time, inflation has come in higher than expected, rising 3.1 percent annually and 0.9 percent in the March quarter, adding to ongoing concerns about the cost of living. And in Wellington, severe flash flooding has once again raised questions about whether our cities are prepared for increasingly extreme weather.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke to Shanan Halbert about all of these issues.
Despite a tenuous ceasefire, the fuel crisis - resulting from the US and Israel bombing of Iran, and subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz - drags on. Prices have remained high, hitting low-income households hard, and while fuel stocks in or on-the-way to the country sit comfortably above a month’s cover, approaches to conserving fuel remain front-of-mind for many.
One strategy that New Zealanders have been urged to adopt is switching to public transport, which would put fewer cars on the road. However, access is often dependent on location and affordability.
Over the past few years, the Ministry of Education has reviewed numerous rural school bus routes, cancelling some, cutting off students from ready access to their education.
For this week’s Get Action, producer Theo spoke to Alicia Hall from Parents for Climate Aotearoa, on their petition to restore rural school bus routes and make public transport free for children, and students under 25.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here.
Last week, the Green Party leaders, Marama Davidson and Chloe Swarbrick, hosted their state of the planet address, where they launched their call to electrify the nation.
On top of that, events this week have led the party to criticise the government. The first critique, instigated by the floods that swept the nation, hitting the Coromandel and causing a state of emergency in the Wellington Region, led the Greens to question the government's decreased funding of flood responses as harsh weather increases.
The second critique came with a cabinet paper this week that shows the government is planning on moving ahead with reforms to legislation that will see references to the Treaty of Waitangi and Te Tiriti o Waitangi redefined, in what the government sez is about ‘standardisation’ but what the Green Party sees as dishonouring Te Tiriti.
So for our weekly catch-up with the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March, we discuss their criticisms of the government but start with a discussion of their electrification policy.
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