Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Joel Armstrong, Sara Mckoy, Max Micheel, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
The Tuesday Wire team is joined by Dr Alan Blackman, where they discuss a failed superconductivity project, the health positives and negatives associated with alcohol consumption and why going Vegan might just be better for our health.
Nicholas spoke to Professor Claire Charters, co-author of He Puapua, about the reports' genesis and controversy surrounding He Puapua.
Nicholas catches up with the National Party's Dr Shane Reti about the policy aimed at Māori will be affected under National’s coalition agreements with Act and NZ First. As well as comments made by Chris Bishop about Labour’s smokefree plans.
Nicholas also spoke to to Kerri Nuku, the spokesperson for the New Zealand Nurses' organisation about the needs they want the new Government to adress.
As part of the coalition deal between National, ACT and New Zealand First, the Government intends to refocus school curriculum on academic achievement, which includes the removal and replacement of the gender sexuality and relationship-based education guidelines.
In 2020, former New Zealand First MP and minister Tracey Martin initiated Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE), giving our youth a safe space to learn about themselves, as well as develop knowledge and skills towards acting in positive and respectful ways with others. Now, current Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is reversing this policy, primarily because parents oppose the RSE curriculum.
ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa recently released a statement condemning the Luxon governments plan to remove RSE from school curricula, arguing that the government would be ignoring decades of evidence-based research carried out in Aotearoa and overseas.
Lou discusses the removal of RSE with Ella Shepherd, President of ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa further.
Last week the Government confirmed its plan for its first 100 days, combining the 100-day plan National campaigned on, with the priorities of the partner parties ACT and New Zealand First.
Announcing the plan at his first post-Cabinet briefing held last Wednesday, Luxon spoke of 49 ambitious actions they plan to deliver in the next 100 days. During the briefing Luxon spoke that New Zealanders voted for a change of government, policies and approach, And the plan announced reflects this, with many of the actions proposed being repeals of the previous government’s doing.
The Plan revolves around three key areas- the economy, law and order and public services.
In our weekly catch up with Simon Court, Lou enquired about the ACT Party’s response and support of the repeal of the Labour government’s Fair Pay legislation, their promise to begin work towards the crack down on serious youth offending, and ACT's stance on the intent to remove the current Smokefree legislations.
Rosetta spoke to Vira Paky, one of the UNICEF Young Ambassadors travelling in a delegation to COP28 in Dubai this week.
Rosetta also spoke to Agnes Naera, CEO of Global Women, about their research which finds that from the 30th until the end of the year, women are effectively working for free compared to their male counterparts due to the gender pay gap in Aotearoa.
In our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Lou spoke to ACT MP Simon Court about some of the proposed plans announced last wednesday for the new governments first 100 days, including the repeal of the Fair Pay Legislation, increase in crack down for serious youth offending and the removal of smokefree legislations.
Lou also spoke to Ella Sheperd, President of ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa on the Governments decision to remove Relationship and Sexuality Education in school curricula.
Global Women Aotearoa has said that based upon the gender pay gap of 8.6% according to Statistics New Zealand, women in Aotearoa have been effectively working for free from the 30th of November until the end of the year. This disparity is much higher for Māori women, who face a pay gap of 14.3%, and Pasifika women, who face a pay gap of 15.2%. The statement from Global Women is a part of their eight percent matters campaign, which aims to make New Zealanders more aware of the gender pay gap. Global Women says they want New Zealanders to use this time of year to talk about topics like pay equity and pay transparency with those around them, and the campaign is an attempt to spark that conversation
Rosetta spoke to Agnes Naera, CEO of Global Women, about the eight percent matters campaign, what the current state of the gender pay gap in Aotearoa looks like, and what more needs to be done.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), or COP28, is currently taking place in Dubai. The conference began on the 30th of November and runs until the 12th of December, and UNICEF Aotearoa is sending a delegation of young ambassadors to represent young New Zealanders priorities’ regarding climate change. The delegation will leave to Dubai on Wednesday, are all aged between 18 and 24, and offer a range of perspectives including Māori, Pasifika, rural and urban living experiences, and LGBTQIA+ youth. COP is the biggest climate conference in the world, and this year over 70 thousand people from both business and political sectors will attend. In the past, youth advocates such as Greta Thunberg have criticised COP conferences as too much talk and too little action, and the conference has already started with controversy after the BBC reported that leaked briefing documents revealed plans by the United Arab Emirates to discuss fossil fuel deals with 15 nations. The conference also comes at an interesting time for Aotearoa, as the new government has pledged to reintroduce oil and gas exploration, which has come under criticism by many of the delegations present at COP28
Rosetta spoke with Vira Paky, who is one of the Young Ambassadors in the UNICEF delegation. We spoke about the importance of having young voices represented at COP28, and discussed what role the new government should be playing in involving Aotearoa in global conferences like this.
Recently, we have seen members of the new coalition government be increasingly critical toward the media.
In particular, this week we saw NZ First leader, Winston Peters falsely accuse the media of accepting government bribery in the form of the Public Interest Journalism Fund.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Associate Professor of Journalism at Massey University in Wellington, James Hollings, about the purpose of the Public Interest Journalism Fund and state-funded media, and the potential implications of some members of the incoming government’s attitudes towards media.
At the end of April this year, the former Labour government introduced a ban on the live export of animals. The ban followed a two year transition period, giving farmers and businesses a chance to find alternatives.
The policy documents revealed last Friday indicated that the upcoming government plans to repeal this ban. Castor spoke to CEO of SAFE for Animals, Debra Ashton, about why this ban was put in place and what repealing it could mean.
Producer Castor spoke to Professor of Māori Studies at the University of Auckland and chair of Te Rūnanga ā Iwi o Ngāti Kahu of the far North, Margaret Mutu, about how the new government will impact Māori and Te Tiriti.
Former Wire host Spike interviewed the President of University of Auckland Student Justice for Palestine, Layan Khalil, about protests against Israeli-owned shipping vessels and goods entering Aotearoa.
For City Counselling, producer Beth chatted to Counsellor for Waitakere Shane Henderson about proposed congestion charges.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins speak to Associate Professor of Journalism at Massey University in Wellington, James Hollings, about Winston Peters's false allegations of media bribery concerning the Public Interest Journalism Fund.
Castor spoke to the CEO of SAFE for Animals, Debra Ashton, about the government repealing the ban on live exports.
Beth spoke to Professor of Education at the University of Auckland, Katie Fitzpatrick, about the government’s plan to remove relationships and sexuality education from school curriculum.
And Jessica talked to Director at Our Land and Water National Science Challenge, Jenny Webster-Brown, and Research Lead and Director of Land Water People, Ton Snelder about their new research into New Zealand’s water quality.
The new government has announced a plan to remove and replace relationship and sexuality education guidelines, citing the need for a return to an ‘achievement-based’ curriculum, rather than what they have referred to as an ‘ideological’ one.
Beth spoke to Professor of Education at the University of Auckland Katie Fitzpatrick about the new policy, and what this means for rangatahi.
From Dec 27 to Jan 18, all train lines across Tāmaki will be shutting down for summer maintenance, a closure which is expected to be the last of its kind ahead of the opening of the City Rail Link.
The current measles outbreak in Tāmaki is being continually monitored, with exposure sites being updated daily on info.health.nz. The public are encouraged to track whether they’ve been in possible contact with the virus, and get up to date on any vaccinations to limit possibilities of transmission.
Auckland Council are supporting arts initiatives across the summer months, with Music in the Park kicking off in early January, and Movies in the Park following in February.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about these topics, and also asked for comment following the attack by two gunmen at Bondi Beach earlier this week.
Yesterday, the latest six-monthly survey of housing support providers under the National Homelessness Data Project, or NHDP, showed that homelessness in Auckland has more than doubled in the year to September. The report also found that 14 of the 21 agencies interviewed reported an increase in homelessness.
As well as this, Australia’s ban on social media for children under 16 has taken effect. And according to an interim report into social media harm, a social media ban for children in New Zealand is worth exploring further.
And last week the Government announced the replacement of the Resource Management Act, or RMA. The coalition said its replacement will slash red tape and supercharge growth.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about the Government’s new RMA reforms and a potential social media ban in New Zealand.
But first they discussed the latest report on Auckland homelessness.
The Parliament’s Workforce and Education Committee has released an interim report on an inquiry into the harm young New Zealanders face online. The government has recently announced an overhaul of the Resource Management Act and introduced two new bills in its place, the Natural Environment Bill and the Planning Bill.
For our weekly catch-up with the National Party, Producer Vihan spoke to MP Carl Bates, who is also the Deputy Chairperson of the Workforce and Education Committee, about the new findings of the interim report, the new Natural Environment Bill, and the Fast Track Approval Amendments Bill.
The government has announced the overhaul of the Resource Management Act (RMA), which will be replaced by two different bills, the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill. The RMA is set to be fully replaced by 2029.
The RMA, which has been in effect for 34 years, is polarising across the political spectrum.
In announcing the reforms, RMA Reform Minister, Chris Bishop, says that “pretty much everything” will be quicker and less costly under the new regime.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about this overhaul of the RMA.
They also discussed The Education and Workforce Committee’s interim report on the harms young people experience online, with a majority recommending a ban on social media for under-16-year-olds.
But first, they discussed the overhaul of the RMA.
On Sunday, “Block the Ban” held a protest against the government’s decision to ban new prescriptions of puberty blockers for young people with gender dysphoria.
The United Nations’ committee for the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination has released a report warning that New Zealand is at serious risk of weakening Māori rights.
And last week, the government rejected the recommended methane emissions targets.
This is despite officials warning against the government doing so, stating that lowering methane emissions targets could increase New Zealand’s contribution to global warming.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about all of these topics.
Safety measures on public transport are of growing concern this week following the fatal and unprovoked attack that took place on route 76 in East Tāmkaki on Monday night.
Earlier this week there were also multiple critical incidents that occurred simultaneously across Auckland’s West Coast beaches and waterways, seeing an unusually high deployment of emergency services and surf lifesavers for this early in the summer.
Swedish home and furniture retailer Ikea opened in Sylvia Park a week ago today, drawing huge excitement for many.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about these topics.
Last week was scrutiny week, where Parliament focuses entirely on holding government agencies and ministers to account, to check-in on how well the Government is performing.
Many of the questions surrounding scrutiny week have been focused on climate change, with many recent reports highlighting the Government’s questionable decision-making.. The biggest headline was that the coalition had chosen to reject all three of the climate change commission’s recommendations to strengthen New Zealand’s emissions targets.
Along with this, the United Nations released a new report, where they’ve warned that New Zealand is at serious risk of weakening Māori rights and entrenching disparities for the indigenous population. In the 14-page report, the UN expressed concerns over multiple government policies affecting Maori, including the disestablishment of the Maori Health Authority, cuts to public funding for Maori services, and minimising the role of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about the report released by the United Nations, but first they discussed Scrutiny Week and the Government’s recent climate change decisions.
The government is pausing the new prescriptions of Puberty Blockers to gender diverse and transgender young people from the 19th of December onwards, following a similar move by the UK after the results of the NHS’s Cass Review.
Wire Producer Flo spoke to activist Lauren Craig about the effects of the legislation, her petition “Reverse the decision to deny transgender and takatāpui young people access to puberty blockers” against the changes and the wider political motivation for the policy.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here
The biannual Scrutiny Week took place in Parliament last week, with meetings across select committees and government departments focussed on scrutinising the outcomes of government work.
These include hearings on ministries like Health, Housing, Environment and Justice.
Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Carl Bates about Scrutiny Week, firstly by asking him to talk about the meetings he was involved in
95bFM 
