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.
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.
Israel has now killed more than 8000 Palestinians, including thousands of children who are trapped in Gaza with no way to leave.
Israel is continuing to bomb Gaza indiscriminanently with a refugee camp among the most recent places bombed following the 7 October terrorist attack from Hamas in Israel.
However, the occupation of Palestine by Israel did not begin this year. Caeden spoke to Dr Rand Hazou, Palestinian-Kiwi and Senior Arts Lecturer at Massey University, about the impact the conflict has had both recently but also for generations.
Kiwis are being urged to be vigilant about measles to get vaccinated. Measles vaccination for children in Aotearoa is currently sitting at 83.2% when it needs to be 10% higher to be taking full effect. Today Beth spoke with Microbiologist and PAA ambassador Dr Juliet Elvy about the importance of measles vaccination in Aotearoa, and where we need to be sitting in order to keep our communities safe.
Caeden spoke to Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni about the recent election result and her achievements over the past three years.
They also spoke to Dr Rand Hazou about the ongoing situation in Palestine, and the impacts of the Israeli occupation which has lasted for decades.
Beth spoke to Counsellor for Waitakere Shane Henderson about rising rates and water bills in Tāmaki Makaurau and Auckland Council’s endorsement of Auckland Transport’s Public Transport Growth Programme 2023/24.
She also spoke to manager of the Tūpuna Maunga Authority Nick Turoa and asked him about the closure of Tūpuna Maunga over Guy Fawkes.
And she spoke to Microbiologist and PAA ambassador Dr Juliet Elvy about the importance of measles vaccination in Aotearoa, and where we need to be sitting in order to keep our communities safe.
The Tūpuna Maunga Authority will be closing the Maunga leading up to Guy Fawkes. This decision follows the devastating fires of 2019 and 2020. The 14 ancestral Tūpuna Maunga will be closed from Thursday 2 November to Sunday 5 November 2023. Beth caught up with the manager of the Tūpuna Maunga Authority Nick Turoa and asked him why it is important that the maunga are closed for Guy Fawkes.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party Caeden spoke to Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni about Labour’s achievements over the past term, and her hopes for Labour’s upcoming time in opposition. They started by asking her what she was most proud to have achieved as a minister over the past term.
News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Green Party Co-Leader, James Shaw, about the Green Party's stance on New Zealand’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the Auckland Council voting against having indigenous representation in the form of Māori seats.
She also spoke to President of University of Auckland Student Justice for Palestine, Layan Khalil, about students showing solidarity with Palesrine.
And she spoke to Co-Founder of Alternative Jewish Voices, Marilyn Garson, about reports of increasing anti-semitism and Islamophobia, the conflation of being critical of Israel with anti-semitism, and calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Arno spoke to Well Foundation CEO Tim Edmonds about the funding of a garden inside the new North Shore hospital building.
And he spoke to Diabetes New Zealand CEO Heather Verry about Diabetes Action Month and how diabetes can lead to blindness.
Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable blindness in New Zealand, and less than 50% of Kiwis with diabetes are getting free regular eye checks. Diabetes can lead to deteriorated vision, and even complete blindness — with this happening overnight in certain cases.
This month marks Diabetes Action Month. This month Diabetes New Zealand is focusing on raising awareness to make sure that the growing number of people suffering from diabetes do not have to endure further eye problems as well.
To find out more, Arno spoke to Diabetes New Zealand CEO Heather Verry.
With the construction of a new facility at the North Shore Hospital in Auckland underway, the Well Foundation has put together a campaign to put five hundred plants inside the massive four hundred square metre atrium.
Extensive research has shown that gardens improve health outcomes, reduce admission time, and reduce blood pressure.
The Well Foundation has asked the public to fund this $2m campaign, and has already received $1m in funding.
To get a deeper look into the health benefits of plants for wellbeing, and to find out more about this project, Arno spoke to Well Foundation chief executive Tim Edmonds.
Arno started the interview by asking about their “Give A Bit Of Green” project.
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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