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.
This week Prime Minister Hipkins announced a plan to scrap cuts to speed limits on many roads. The safety benefits of lowering speed limits has been well documented, but Professor Len Gillman is an advocate for the lowering of speed limits to help reduce emissions. Simon began by asking Professor Gillman what the benefits of lowering speed limits across Aotearoa are.
Emilia chatted with Green Party co-leader James Shaw about Chris Hipkins’ so-called policy bonfire, the debate around mitigation and adaptation policies, and the importance of amplifying the youth voice in politics for their first weekly catch-up this year.
News & Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins speak to Mark Potter, President of Te Riu Roa, the New Zealand Education Institute, acting president of Te Wehengarua, the Post Primary Teachers' Association, Chris Abercrombie, and Maddy, an intermediate teacher, about teachers striking for better pay and conditions.
Producer Arno Cronje speaks to Good Samaritans Aotearoa New Zealand chairman Tony Robinson about his organisation and how it is helping post-Cyclone.
And Melissa Ansell-Bridges, the National Secretary of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, on both protections for bus drivers and contract workers
Samaritans Aotearoa New Zealand is an organisation that allows people to speak to empathetic volunteers who can help them deal with emotional and practical issues they are experiencing. In the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, many people have called in with various issues and been given an empathetic ear by the Samaritans. Arno spoke to Tony Robinson, chairman of Samaritans Aotearoa New Zealand to find out more about the organisation. Firstly, Arno asked him about the mission of Samaritans.
If you or a loved one needs someone to talk to about any problems, please call them on 0800 72 66 66.
Increasing violence towards Auckland’s bus drivers has prompted several union groups to issue statements demanding better working safety protections for drivers.
Arno spoke to Melissa Ansell-Bridges, secretary of the NZCTU, the council of trade unions, to find out more about the issue.
Arno also spoke to Melissa to find out more about improving contractor positions in Aotearoa. The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions is calling for better employment protections for contractors, many of whom earn below minimum wage for hours worked. This follows a landmark win where Uber drivers became classified as employees instead of contractors last year.
Arno started on the first topic by asking what Auckland bus drivers are concerned about.
As many as 50,000 kaiako and tumuaki (teachers and principals) will go on strike tomorrow for better conditions and to improve public education for tamariki.
This is the education sector’s biggest industrial action since 2019.
Most schools and kura will close on Thursday due to the strikes, and nationwide protest marches are planned.
The strikes have been organised by the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI), representing primary and kindergarten teachers, and the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA), representing secondary school teachers.
First, News & Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Mark Potter, President of the New Zealand Education Institute. I started off our interview discussing why kindergarten and primary staff are striking.
Then she spoke to the acting president of Te Wehengarua, the Post Primary Teachers' Association, Chris Abercrombie. To begin, I asked about why secondary staff are striking.
Lastly, she spoke to Maddy, an intermediate teacher, about why she is striking. I started by asking Maddy about her background in teaching.
The average New Zealander emits over 6 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, and 1.4 tonnes of this comes from electricity usage. Ecotricity has become the first energy company in Aotearoa to become climate positive certified. In today's Wire Beth spoke to the co-founder and CEO of Ecotricity Al Yates about the company.
This week on the Tuesday Wire, Milly has her weekly catch-up with the National Party's Dr Shane Reti, and speaks to him about Housing Minister Chris Bishop's most recent speech delivered last week. In the speech, Chris Bishop revealed a number of changes regarding legislation and policy to do with the current build-to-rent scheme, including changes to the Overseas Investment Act and to the Income Tax Act. Dr Shane Reti and Milly discuss the current issues to do with housing and the party's plans to help ease the pressure on the housing market.
This week on the Tuesday Wire, Milly spoke to Chanelle Duley from the University of Auckland's Faculty of Economics regarding the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank, exploring what caused it, the flow on effects, especially in the tech sector, and the effects that this might have on our banks here in New Zealand.
This week on the Tuesday Wire, Milly speaks to Lokesh Padhye from the University of Auckland's faculty of Environmental Engineering regarding the proposed ban on the use of PFAs in makeup products. Milly explores what PFAs are, why they are harmful to us and the environment, and what we can do as citizens of Aotearoa to combat their use.
Numerous political figures including Ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour have spoken out in the media this week with allegations that Auckland Council is trying to usher in ‘co-governance’ on a local level, with their proposal on the management of the Waitākere Ranges.
CEO of Te Kawerau ā Maki Edward Ashby called out the political lashback as “fear-mongering” and ‘misinformation’, affirming that the proposal is not actually a co-governance structure.
The proposal is for a decision-making committee of 50% representation from the Crown and tangata whenua to manage the land under a deed of acknowledgement.
The council says the deed of acknowledgement is in line with the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Act 2008, and follows on from the existing management structures in place.
Producer Sara spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson during his bus commute about this topic and the political commentary that’s been witnessed this week. Here is that interview
The Canadian election has been won by Mark Carney’s Liberal Party.
Despite losing the election, the Conservatives made significant gains in their levels of support, particularly with young people.
United States President Donald Trump also loomed large in the election, following his comments earlier this year that he would make Canada the “51st state” and the trade war he has started with Canada.
For International Desk, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Aleksi Toiviainen, co-organiser for Vote16 Canada and democracy advocate, about the results of the election.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has announced a total ban on prisoners voting will be reinstated.
The move has been criticised by the opposition parties, as well as those working in criminal justice.
Today is May Day, also known as International Workers Day and unions across Aotearoa are taking action against what they say is an “anti-worker agenda” from this government.
Workers across a wide range of industries are stopping work and taking strike action.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these issues.
Last week Transport minister Chris Bishop announced steps towards improvements to public transport from the Northwest of Auckland. The plan involves three stages, each promoting faster and more consistent public transport from the region. While early stages are planned for the next few years, later stages will be coming over the next ten or more years.
The government has also announced $53 million towards subsidising teachers registration fees. This announcement follows extensive campaigning from teachers on this issue, eliminating a barrier for new and long-time teachers in Aotearoa.
In our weekly catchup with National’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about each of these issues, starting with the transport upgrades in Northwest Auckland.
In March this year, the government made the decision to reduce the benefit for hospital patients who remain hospitalised after 13 weeks.
After 13 weeks, those experiencing long-term hospitalisation would see their benefit reduced to their "hospital rate" which was $55.35 a week (after tax), unless the person has a partner and a child or is a veteran.
For this week’s Get Action! I spoke to Fiona Charlton, volunteer president of New Zealand ME Society, who’s started a petition calling on the government to roll back benefit cuts to people experiencing long-term hospitalisation.
If you’d like to sign this petition, you can find it here:
Just yesterday, Finance Minister Nicola Willis made her Pre-Budget speech, in the leadup to Budget 2025 which will be delivered next month.
During her speech, Willis said that the government would be halving the operating allowance from $2.4 Billion to $1.3 Billion, going to a select number of government departments that Willis has described as “the most important priorities.”
The week before, it came to light that Climate Minister Simon Watts had rejected advice to review the carbon subsidies given to polluting companies like NZ steel and Methanex.
And the Greens recently made a call to the government to ban the use of engineered stone products.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wednesday Wire host Oto spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez-March about all of these issues.
In his role as regulation Minister, David Seymour is moving to simplify regulations for Early Childhood Education Centres by the end of this year.
This involves a review containing 15 recommendations, which cabinet has accepted. These recommendations concern a vast number of things, from simplifying licensing criteria for pre-schools to lowering qualification requirements for early childhood educators.
Both of these areas have sparked concern within the sector, with some educators concerned the review is simply a cost cutting exercise that will result in tamariki being put at risk.
For our weekly catch up Producer Evie spoke to ACT’s Simon Court about the review.
They also spoke about New Zealand First’s Members Bill aiming to have the biological definition of a woman and man defined in law.
And finally they discussed a clash between the party and National’s Scott Simpson over an ACC plan to reduce injury for Māori and Pasifika workers.
A cross-party delegation of MPs recently visited Tonga, Hawai’i and Vanuatu as part of a Pacific trip organised by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters.
Earlier this week, New Zealand First proposed new legislation that would exclude trans communities from the definition of “woman” and “man” in law.
Winston Peters defended the bill on RNZ’s Morning Report, where he called interviewer Corin Dann a “disgrace” for raising the criticism against the bill that was brought forward by opposition parties.
During this interview, Peters threatened to cut RNZ’s government funding.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these topics.