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.
Kiwis battling the deadliest form of breast cancer, are a step closer to gaining access to life-saving treatment. There are currently no funded treatment options for triple-negative breast cancer, but hope is on the horizon with Pharmac recommending funding for drug, Keytruda. Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Breast Cancer Foundation Chief Executive, Ah-Leen Rayner, about the path to rollout for patients in Aotearoa.
Climate change is a problem that hangs perpetually over the head of humankind.
In an effort to find a solution to this existential issue, some scientists have proposed using geoengineering to “hack” the climate.
Possible geoengineering proposals include injecting sea salt into clouds to increase their brightness and using giant space parasols to block the sun.
However, geoengineering has its critics.
Dr Kevin E Trenberth discussed the pitfalls of geoengineering in his recent newsroom article Hacking planet Earth will not save us from ourselves
In the article Dr Trenberth uses this fable to display ethical problems around who gets to control a hacked climate.
“Once upon a time in an idyllic country, near a small town and a farming community, a rope hung out of the sky. One pull on the rope changed the weather from fine and sunny to cloudy and rainy, and the next pull changed it back. For many years the people cooperated; the farmers used the rains to help grow crops, and the townspeople enjoyed the sunny periods. But there came a time when the townspeople protested the rain and wanted more sunshine. The farmers were concerned about their crops. And so arguments broke out, with a person from the town pulling on the rope, followed quickly by a farmer pulling it again, and they pulled and pulled and . . . broke the rope.”
Nicholas spoke to Dr Trenberth about his article and the implications of pursuing geoengineering as a solution to climate change
Nicholas spoke to Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the Fast Track Approval Legislation and the IMF’s recommendations regarding New Zealand’s tax system.
He also spoke to Dr Kevin E Trenberth about why we shouldn’t rely on geo-engineering as a solution to combat climate change.
Sofia spoke to Research fellow Marnie Prickett about public health concerns regarding the in-process fast-track approval bill
Oto spoke to Professor Giovanni Russello, the head of the school of computer science at the University of Auckland and a lecturer in cybersecurity, to discuss the state of cybersecurity in Aotearoa, and possible steps that can be taken to improve it.
Finally, Sofia spoke to Dr Jude Ball joins us to talk about the impending introduction of even MORE oral nicotine and tobacco products
In August 2021, New Zealand’s intelligence agency was hit with a cyberattack carried out by a group allegedly backed by the government of China, part of a series of attacks that also hit government offices in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.
However, the parliament data breach wasn’t the only cyberattack to happen here in Aotearoa. More than 100 staff members were the victim of cybercrime in 2023 alone, disrupting the operations of more than than a third of businesses nationwide. The repeated string of cyberattacks across the country has created discourse surrounding the vulnerability of cybersecurity systems in New Zealand.
Oto spoke to Professor Giovanni Russello, the head of the school of computer science at the University of Auckland and a lecturer in cybersecurity, to discuss the state of cybersecurity in Aotearoa, and possible steps that can be taken to improve it.
A Māori and Pasifika study space at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland, has engendered wide discourse about safe spaces in universities.
Commentary has included ACT MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar saying the space is a form of segregation, and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters saying it is comparable to the Ku Klux Klan and apartheid in South Africa.
Producer Sofia Roger Williams spoke to Dr Julie Douglas, the National Co-President for the Tertiary Education Union, about this commentary and the importance of these spaces for these tauira.
A nationwide climate strike organised by a coalition of organisations including Fridays for Future, School Strike 4 Climate, and Toitū te Tiriti is happening this Friday April 5th.
The strike is demanding the coalition government to slow down the Fast Track Approvals Bill, keep the ban on oil and gas, uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi, protect land and moana, and more.
It will also stand in solidarity with the call to free Palestine, demanding an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and calling for the New Zealand government to provide emergency humanitarian visas to Palestinians with family in Aotearoa.
Producer Sofia Roger Williams spoke to one of the organisers of the Tāmaki Makaurau strike, Sophora from Fridays for Future, about these demands, youth-led activism, and how people can get involved.
Social work students in Aotearoa along with many other countries undergo 120 hours of unpaid placement work as part of their qualifications.
During this time, many students experience financial and material hardship, juggling placement work with paid work or other commitments.
In a recently published paper, social workers discuss the conditions and offer possible solutions. Wire host Castor spoke to one of the paper’s authors, the University of Auckland’s professor Liz Beddoe, about the paper and how these issues affect social work students.
Sunday, March 31st, marked international transgender day of visibility, a day meant to highlight the achievements of transgender individuals and communities around the world and highlight the many legal struggles still affecting them.
Wire host Castor talked to James about what the government has to offer our trans rangatahi, especially given policies promoted by New Zealand First Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters before the election. They also spoke about the Fast Track Approvals Bill and the possible environmental consequences.
Education Minister Erica Stanford made several comments in mid-March regarding the government’s “one size fits all” approach to inequities in education.
However, a “one size fits all” approach has been critiqued by several education experts, citing differences in learning ability and environment that make a blanket approach impossible.
Wire host Castor spoke to Professor of Disability studies and inclusive education Missy Morton about the issues with a one size fits all approach and the possible alternatives to better address student needs.
For Dear Science, Professor Allan Blackman spoke to us about 100 year old preserved milk, climate change affecting the earth's rotation, and song lyrics becoming simpler over time.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party's James Meager, Wire host Castor spoke to him about transgender issues in light of transgender day of visibility, as well as the Fast Track Approvals Bill.
He also spoke to the University of Auckland's Professor Liz Beddoe about poor working conditions for social work students.
He also spoke to Professor Missy Morton about the government's "One size fits all" approach to education inequities.
Producer Sofia spoke to Doctor Julie Douglas from the Tertiary Education Union about the importance of safe spaces for tauira with regards to discourse surrounding a study space for Māori and Pasifika students at the University of Auckland.
She also spoke to Sophora from Fridays for Future Tāmaki Makaurau about the climate strike on Friday the 5th of April.
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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