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.
Green Party MP Jan Logie has recently spearheaded an open letter to see welfare improved for parents of young children.
Addressed to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni, the letter called for one central family support credit instead of multiple different kinds.
Logie also calls for the Best Start Credit that supports parents through weekly paid instalments to be increased from one year of funds to three years after the baby is born.
The best start payment was introduced in 2018, giving families with under twelve month old's $60pw depending on their income, a number the Greens are also calling to be increased.
On 21 September 2001, the counselling service 0800 What’s Up answered its very first phone call. They have since have answered close to 1.5 million calls and over 29,000 chats.
The impact of COVID-19 on health, education, and employment uncertainty, as well as the rising costs of living, housing affordability, and other global factors at play means that the world our children and young people are growing up in is full of distressing and difficult challenges.
These issues highlight why services such as 0800 What’s Up are still crucial to understanding the mental health needs for our young, 21 years on since that very first phone call.
To celebrate 21 years of mental health service, and Mental Health Awareness Week, I spoke to 0800 What’s Up Team Lead Ban Al Galani about their support efforts for our young, and the impact they have made in this time.
Public transport is crucial in the fight against climate change, making our cities more liveable and supporting sustainable mobility for vulnerable and low-income communities.
However bus drivers, passengers and the environment have been victims of a decades-long experiment in privatisation.
In July 2021 FIRST Union’s #BusFair campaign called for the Ministry of Transport to abolish the current tendering model (the “PTOM”), massively increase investment in public transport, and work together with stakeholders to bring our public transport back into public ownership.
Trishil spoke to Louisa Jones from First Union on the matter for this weeks delayed ActionStation.
We’ve got our regular segment with Andrew Little brought to us by Tuva’a. He speaks to the Health Minister about Mental Health awareness week and the new funding for Pharmac.
Joe speaks to Professor Karen Waldie, a developmental neuropsychologist from the University of Auckland and research lead for the Growing Up in New Zealand Psychology Domain about this years theme of reconnecting for Mental Health Awareness Week.
Trishil brings OurActionStation over to the Thursday Wire this week, today we look at the #BusFairCampaign seeking to end privatisation of public transport, he spoke to Louisa Jones from First Union on the matter. Trishil also speaks to Ban-Al Galani 0800 What’s Up about their youth mental health focus over the last 21 years
Finally, we’ve got Frances with the Green Desk. She looks at Reconnecting with nature this week, and spoke with Drew Divehall, the Speak Wellbeing Adviser at the Department of Conservation on the matter.
The focus of mental health awareness week on “reconnecting” is timely as research published this year from the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study reveals the importance of connections with family, friends and community for maternal mental health and their children’s development in the early years. Growing up in New Zealand is the largest study of child development in this country and both parental and child mental health are research focus areas.
Joe spoke to Professor Karen Waldie, a developmental neuropsychologist from the University of Auckland and research lead for the Growing Up in New Zealand Psychology Domain, about their work and the importance of reconnecting for Mental Health Awareness Week.
Cities across Iran have erupted in protests following the death of 22-year old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini 2 weeks ago.
Amini was arrested by the so-called morality police in Tehran for allegedly breaching the country’s strict modesty laws that require women to wear a hijab.
Authorities claim Amini died of heart failure after she was taken into custody to be quote ‘educated’, however her family claims she was beaten and tortured, before falling into a 3-day coma and eventually succumbing to her injuries.
Iran Human Rights said it had recorded the deaths of 76 protesters across 14 provinces as of Monday, including six women and four children, although it warned that restrictions on the internet placed by the Iranian government were causing delays in reporting.
Emilia spoke to Dr. Forough Amin, founder of Iranian Women in New Zealand.
The new UK government has only been in power for less a month, yet has already found itself in economic and political turmoil following the release of a package of tax cuts and borrowing.
Newly appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng, released his ‘mini-budget’ last week, prompting a sharp devaluation of the Great British Pound against the greenback.
The International Monetary Fund today took aim at the package, warning that "large and untargeted fiscal packages" would likely increase inequality in Britain and could undermine monetary policy.
To get more on the currency crisis, as well as how it may impact us in Aotearoa, Emilia spoke to Murat Üngör from the University of Otago.
On this week’s installation of Eurovision, Emilia chats with our European Correspondent Cameron Adams from Berlin about Ukraine, the Italian elections, and wildlife in Europe.
The Healthcare exec Brian Thompson was shot dead by a masked assailant last week.
The crime has gained significant controversy and attention online, with many using it to restart the debate on the inequities of the United States healthcare system.
And this week Yale University was the latest college to commit to divesting from weapons manufacturing after a student vote.
For State of the States this week Wire Host Caeden speak to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News about both of these topics.
The government as announced their plan for the Cook Strait ferry a year after they scrapped Labour’s plan, including cancelling the ferries the Labour government had ordered.
And a new report from the Ministry of Social Development has revealed nearly a quarter of beneficiaries are not receiving their correct entitlements.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about both of these topics.
For City Counselling this week, producer Sofia caught up with Councillor Shane Henderson about proposed time-of-use charging to solve congestion problems in Tāmaki and Council selling their remaining Auckland Airport shares last week.
The Green party recently released He Ara Anamata - the Green party’s emissions reduction plan.
The document covers more than 10 areas of the economy and energy Sector that a Greens-led government would be looking to adapt to minimise carbon emissions and protect the natural landscapes of Aotearoa.
It also comes 5 months after the government released their own draft emissions plan. Numerous experts pointed out that the government is behind on their own plan’s targets to meet the crucial emissions budget for 2031-2035.
For their weekly catchup, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March to discuss the party’s new emissions reduction plan and how they would address climate and the economy in a greens-led government.
Last election, one of the National Party’s main campaign promises was to be ‘tough on crime’, promising to increase police coverage and penalties for crimes. A target was set to increase the number of police officers by 500 by November 2025, however some police leaders today say this goal is unrealistic.
The government also announced this week some shakeups to insulation standards, which they say should make houses more affordable.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor spoke to him about police staffing targets and new insulation standards.
This week on Dear Science, our expert Doctor Cushla McGoverin chatted with us about what latrines teach us about people, climate variation affecting Chinese dynasties, and invasive species becoming threatened.
Thanks to MOTAT, the museum inspiring the innovators of tomorrow!
Last week it was revealed that two of the ten participants in the government's pilot bootcamp programme were on the run.
The youth were two months into the community rehabilitation phase of the programme, following the three month youth justice residence phase. Both teens were found in the weekend, but had allegedly reoffended, and are now set to come before the court.
For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, who have been heavily advocating for this programme, Producer Evie spoke to Simon Court about this incident.
She also talks to him about proposed changes to employment law which would give employers the power to dismiss workers earning over $180,000 without the employee refuting the decision.
And finally, she talks to him about David Seymour’s incumbent run as Deputy Prime Minister, which is set to begin in May of next year.
For City Counselling this week, Producer Sofia spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about changes to Auckland Transport’s responsibilities, nationwide bus and train fare hikes, and concerns over the opening of the City Rail Link.
For State of the States this week, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Andre Fa'aoso from the Yale Daily News about President Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden, who was due to be sentenced next week for three felony charges.
They also discuss Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for FBI director, who is the latest in a long list of unorthodox picks for government positions from Trump
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