Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Jessica Hopkins, Castor Chacko, Nicholas Lindstrom, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
The government's decision to remove funding for pre-sentencing cultural background reports has faced criticism from advocates, particularly for how it could impact Maaori and Pasifika.
News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Action Against Poverty Coordinator, Brooke Stanely Pao, about their recommendations for how the government could better reduce crime in Aotearoa.
For Dear Science this week Dr Cushla McGoverin chats about new developments with 3D printing and the human brain, coral reef biodiversity, and Scorpions.
MP James Meager is taking over from Dr Shane Reti for our weekly catch-up with the National Party. This week News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Meager about the government scrapping the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax and funding for pre-sentencing cultural reports.
She also spoke to Action Against Poverty Coordinator Brooke Pao Stanely about cultural reports.
Producer Sofia spoke to head farmer at OMG farm Jake Clarke about the impact of western farming practices on soil fertility.
And she talked to Senior transport planner at Arup, a collective of engineers and consultants, Tiffany Robinson, about urban design and indigenous wisdom.
In 2018, Women in Urbanism Aotearoa conducted a survey that found more than 75% of women experienced harassment while using public transport, cycling, or walking.
The survey is being conducted once again, and this time is paired with workshops aimed at better understanding Wāhine Māori experiences in a western framework.
ARUP, a collective organisation of engineers and designers, are heading the research project to see what urban space and transport systems might look like planned from a Te Ao Māori perspective.
Sofia spoke to Senior Transport Planner at ARUP Tiffany Robinson about the project.
Wedged in between a city-rail link office and an empty building is a netball-sized green sanctuary; otherwise known as OMG: the Organic Market Garden farm.
Charity organisation For The Love of Bees revitalised the small block of land into a regenerative farm that provides vegetables for over 40 families alongside hosting bee-friendly workshops.
The garden is an outlier in the way its farming benefits the soil and ecosystem in stark comparison to western practice, which are the leading cause of soil degradation.
Sofia spoke to Head Farmer Jake Clarke about the garden and its nourishment of both soil and community
For our weekly catch up with Te Pati Māori, Takutai Kemp and Rosetta had a kōrero about Waitangi day and how last week unfolded. They spoke about how the government was received at Waitangi, Rawiri Waititi’s repeated call for the establishment of a Māori parliament during his speech, and Te Pati Māori entering Waitangi alongside the Kiingitanga rather than other opposition parties. Rosetta and Takutai also caught up on the events at Rātana a couple of weeks ago and David Seymours comments about the day.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, Jess asked MP Simon Court about how ACT was received at Waitangi, after Seymour and other members of government were reportedly drowned out with booing and a protest Waiata.
At Waitangi, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said National would not support ACT’s Treaty Principles bill past its first reading. Jess asked Court about his thoughts on this.
Two Aotearoa researchers are arguing that indigenous knowledge and western science need to be taught alongside each other in a recently published paper in Science journal titled “Teach Indigenous knowledge alongside science”. Amanda Black, co-director of Bioprotection Aotearoa and Professor at Lincoln University and Jason Tylianakis, professor of ecology at University of Canterbury, are the two lead authors of the paper. They argue that while indigenous knowledge and science are not interchangeable, they are equally as important to be taught in their own rights, and are equally as important on a global scale when discussing climate policy. The paper also discusses the misinformed common attitude towards indigenous knowledge as less valuable or inferior to western science.
Rosetta spoke to Amanda Black about the paper further.
The largest hikoi protest to Waitangi Grounds in modern history took place this Waitangi, with thousands gathering to voice their concerns about the new government’s proposed policies, including a referendum on the principles of Te Tiriti, ending co-governance, and removing Te Reo from the names of public services.
News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Action Station Director Kassie Hartendorp (Ngāti Raukawa), about this significant show of solidarity and her reflections of the day.
She also spoke to rofessional Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland Law School, Eru Kapa-Kingi (Te Aupōuri, Ngāpuhi, Waikato-Tainui, and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), about his impression of what went down and how members of government were received.
Following the largest turnout at Waitangi commemorations in modern history, News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Professional Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland Law School, Eru Kapa-Kingi (Te Aupōuri, Ngāpuhi, Waikato-Tainui, and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), about his impression of what went down and how members of government were received.
With the U.S. presidential election on the horizon, the stakes of the fight for the youth vote are higher than ever.
Beth spoke to Professor of History at the University of Auckland, Jennifer Frost, about the historical suppression of the youth vote in the United States, including grassroots movements fighting for the vote, past bills and the significance of the 26th Amendment.
The coalition government has made changes to the Residential Tenancies Act, including allowing landlords to charge an additional bond of up to two weeks rent on top of the standard bond of up to four weeks, if a tenant wishes to have a pet on the property.
No-cause evictions have also been reintroduced, allowing landlords to evict tenants without providing a reason, provided they give them 90 days notice.
For our weekly interview with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to MP Simon Court about these changes.
Disability communities have been rallying against a surprise change in purchasing rules in the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha. Communities have said the changes will have massive impact, despite no consultation on these changes or a formal announcement.
The Department of Conversation also recently proposed staffing cuts to meet funding demands. DoC controls a third of Aotearoa’s landmass which is all conservation land. It remains uncertain how job losses in the Ministry could impact conservation land management.
For weekly catch-up with the Labour party Wire Host Caeden spoke to Labour spokesperson for Disability Issues and Conservation Priyanca Rahdakrishnan about both of these issues.
For our weekly interview with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to MP Simon Court about the government’s proposal to increase student attendance rates and his post on X last week, in which he stated he stands with Israel.
A proposal to merge the Ōtara-Papatoetoe and Māngere-Ōtāhuhu local boards has been met with criticism, with consultation opening at the end of next month.
A new report has also been released on the quality of living in Tāmaki Makaurau with our city receiving mixed results by scoring high on some areas (the environment), and lower on others (education).
Wire Host Caeden speaks to Counsellor Lotu Fuli about both these topics for City Counselling.
The Ministry of Social Development is not immune to job cuts seen in other public service departments, with MSD calling for voluntary redundancies after cost-saving efforts failed to meet Government targets. For our weekly catch-up with Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni Wire Host Caeden asks her about the impact of cuts at MSD, especially amongst other Government policies disadvantaging beneficiaries.
They also ask about the Samoan Citizenship Bill led by Teanau Tuiono, and the impact of losing independent media giants such as Newshub for democracy.
For this week's Get Action! Sofia spoke to petitioner Abdul Safi and his campaign to place sanctions on Israel amidst genocidal acts that are widely considered war crimes.
If you want to sign this petition, you can find it here:
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