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.
Vaping is still shrouded in a cloud of mystery, and the effects it has on our health is largely unknown. With record numbers of Kiwis turning to vapes, a lot of interest has been placed in finding out how bad they really are.
Last time Arno spoke with Dr Kelly Burrowes, bioengineering PhD at the University of Auckland, they were calling for tighter regulations on vaping. Many of these regulations are now imminent.
Dr Burrowes recently obtained two research grants that will together span a total of five years, looking into the effects of vaping on the lungs. Arno started our interview by asking about these grants.
Care and support workers are currently in the midst of a pay equity agreement, with all three major unions undertaking work to make sure workers are paid equitably.
The workers, predominantly women, last received a pay rise in 2017, and their wages have simply not matched the cost of living. In some cases workers, who often use their own cars to drive to clients, have to stay beyond their paid hours just to make sure the people they are caring for receive the appropriate care.
Te Whatu Ora has delayed the pay equity settlement, despite not being directly involved in the relationship between employees and employers. This has got some union members and representatives riled up.
Following international Care And Support day, Arno spoke to the Public Service Association assistant secretary Melissa Woolley. Arno started our interview by asking what the PSA is and what it does.
Next, Arno spoke to a Care And Support worker named Monique Behan-Kitto. They have unique insight into the struggles faced by workers and the struggle for pay equity. Arno started our interview by asking about Monique’s role as a care and support worker.
The Tuesday Wire team is joined by Allan Blackman. They discuss a new conflict surrounding animal naming conventions, the role of light in water evaporation and a breakthrough in waterproof surfaces.
Nicholas catches up with the National Party's Dr Shane Reti about the on-going conflict in Israel and Palestine.
Nicholas also spoke to Aya Oba, a spokesperson for the coalition for the protection of racehorses to discuss their protest against the Melbourne Cup
Producer Lou delivers a special report into scam safety in New Zealand.
Today the team is joined in the studio by Allan Blackman. They discuss a new conflict surrounding animal naming conventions, the role of light in water evaporation and a breakthrough in waterproof surfaces.
For our weekly catchup with Dr Shane Reti, Nicholas decided to ask questions regarding the on-going conflict in Israel and Palestine.
On October 7th members of Hamas’ militant wing entered Israel and killed 1,400 iIsraelis and took 240 hostages.
Israel’s response has been swift, with the Associated Press recently reporting that nine thousand Palestinian have been killed in retaliation with Al Jazeera reporting over four thousand of those deaths being Palestinian children.
New Zealand has recently voted in favour of the ceasefire, and Nicholas' questions to Dr Reti were centred around his party’s response to the violence.
Today Rawan spoke with ACT MP Karen Chhour about the final election results released on Friday.
Rawan started off by asking what the overall experience has been since the final results were released. They then spoke about the National ACT coalition having to include New Zealand first and what this might look like moving forward.
Rawan also asked about the impact of having no Pacifica MPs in government as well as the likely possibility of disassembling the Maori health authority
Te Whatu Ora has released data showing a sharp increase in what they say are 'preventable' pediatric hospital admissions across Aotearoa over the past year. The rise shows a 30% rise overall, with certain regions and groups disproportionately effected. Child Poverty Action Group has called on the incoming government to address the issues at the root of increasing health issues amongst our tamariki.
Rosetta spoke to Professor Emeritus of Paediatrics in the University of Auckland’s Department of Paediatrics Innes Asher, who is on the management committee of the Child Poverty Action Group about the data, and what these preventable issues are. They also spoke about what CPAG wants to see from the incoming government in order to tackle the issue.
Thanks for tuning in! E whai akei nei, on the show today…
Rosetta spoke to Professor Innes Asher from Child Poverty Action Group about Te Whatu Ora data showing a sharp rise in preventable pediatric hospital admissions over the past year
She also spoke to Bernard Sama, University of Auckland doctoral candidate at the Faculty of Education and Social Work and recipient of Te Whainga i Te Tika Award for Social Justice about his work as a refugee advocate, and why Aotearoa should be accepting more refugees fleeing humanitarian crises
Rosetta also spoke to University of Auckland Associate Professor Sir Collin Tukuitonga, who is co-director of Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences about What the official election results will mean for our Pasifika community
For our weekly catch up with the ACT party, Rawan spoke with ACT MP Karen Chhour about the final election results released on Friday and what this means for our incoming government
Rawan also spoke with Derek Handley Founder of FInancial assistance company Aera about a report they released showing the difficulties first home buyers face.
Aera is a service that assists Kiwis in buying their first home by helping them save and gain interest on their money.
They recently put out a report expressing just how difficult it has become for the incoming generation to purchase their first home. The report showed that we can expect a rise in house prices and that first home buyers will no longer be able to rely simply on their savings and bank loans.
Rawan spoke to Aera founder Derek Handley about what this report means and what young New Zealanders need to do if they are looking to buy their first home.
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
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