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.
A 2025 survey regarding experiences of disclosure to donor-conceived children about their origins reported that the majority of parents do choose to have a conversation with their tamariki about their whakapapa.
Further research into donor whānau dynamics is being conducted by collaborative research group Donor Identity in Aotearoa New Zealand (DIANZ), with an intention to identify where support is needed for all parties of donor-conception in Aotearoa.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to researcher and Professor Cindy Farquhar from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at UoA, about the important role whakapapa plays in identity for donor-conceived tamariki, and the path to best support the wellbeing of these diverse whānau units.
The Government has passed with urgency a temporary halt on some international adoptions under the Adoption Amendment Bill.
The urgency of this bill is aimed at combating the exploitation of young children who have been adopted from overseas.
News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to the Children's Commissioner, Dr Claire Achmad, about this temporary pause, and what this will mean for some children overseas awaiting adoption.
The Government has announced some new secondary school subjects and changes to current ones, which will be a part of the proposed new curriculum.
Some of the subjects include: earth and space sciences, civics, politics, and philosophy, media, journalism and communications, and te mātai i te ao Māori
However, art history as a subject is set to be axed, instead being integrated into other visual art subjects such as design, painting, and photography. In addition to this, outdoor education as a subject is set to become fully vocational.
Those in these sectors have criticised these moves, with Auckland Art Gallery’s head of curatorial and exhibitions Sarah Farrar, saying the move will close doors for young people, with Claire Amos, principal at Albany Senior High School, saying that making outdoor education vocational will result in a loss of funding for the subject.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host spoke to him about these topics.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about the new school subjects set to be implemented into the new, proposed curriculum, and the drastic changes to art history and outdoor education.
Producer Alex spoke with the University of Otago's Robert Patman about international support for Palestinian Statehood, and whether or not Foreign Minister Winston Peters will follow his Australian and Canadian counterparts.
Joel spoke to the Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad about the temporary pause of international adoptions, and what this means for children overseas.
And Alex spoke with the University of Aucklands Helen petousis-Harris about the CDC reviewing vaccine recommendations and regulations under an anti-vax committee.
Last Week, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices met to review childhood vaccination recommendations in the US. The committee, whose members were appointed by anti-vaccination US Secretary of Health Robert F Kennedy Jr, have voted on a variety of recommendations for child vaccinations and restrictions of vaccinations from COVID-19 to Measles and Mumps immunisations.
This move has been met with concern, both over the implications for the health and wellbeing of children and the public, and what it means for one of the most prominent countries and advisory bodies to make such a move. In particular, the move itself was rife with confusion, with the advisory committee being ill-equipped to review the recommendations.
Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Associate Professor at the University of Auckland, Helen Petousis-Harris, about the confused and muddled recommendations, what they mean for public health, and what this says about the state of vaccine regulation.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has headed to New York for a conference on a Two State solution in the middle east, where debate over Palestinian recognition and statehood will take place during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.
As countries like Australia and Canada pledge support for Palestinian Statehood, alongside other countries that have either expressed intent or already done so, Peters has remained closed off as to whether or not New Zealand will join these ranks.
Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to the Professor of International Relations at the University of Otago, Robert Patman, about what these expressions of support for Palestinian Statehood mean in the long run, and what we can and should expect from Peters and the Government in this regard.
Bike Auckland, a pro-cycling advocacy group recently sent out their pledge for candidates which says
“I believe people of all ages should feel able to bike safely to get around. Auckland needs more climate-friendly transport to ensure a sustainable and resilient Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, protecting our environment and communities for future generations. If elected, I commit to making a safe, connected cycle network a priority.”
Several candidates have pledged their support for the bike pledge, so Thursday Wire Producer Sanat wanted to get some more insight from Councilor Shane Henderson into how cycling will play a role in the future of Auckland’s transport network.
Thursday Wire Producer Sanat also asked him about what he has to say to opponents of cycleways that argue the increased cost and congestion is part of a larger “war on cas”
In other Local Government news, an ACT candidate in Whangerei has had their hoarding shot at several times recently. This follows an increase in abuse and vitriol towards local government candidates, particularly from marginalised communities. Producer Sanat asked Shane what he thinks this means for the state of our local democracy.
Last week, thousands of young people began mass protests in Nepal, sparked by a social media ban but over larger frustrations with government corruption.
The protests have led to Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign, especially in the wake of public outrage over the killing of 22 people during the police crackdown on protestors.
For International Desk, Wire Host Caeden spoke to University of Queensland Lecturer in Political Science Dr DB Subedi about the circumstances behind these protests, how they fit into the wider region, and the misinformation surrounding them.
The University of Auckland’s Maori and Pacific Academic Engagement Advisor for Students and Scholarly Services Mia-Mae Taitimu-Stevens talked to Thursday Wire Producer Sanat today about how social media is enabling higher engagement with Māori political Kaupapa.
Recently Te Pāti Māori won the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election, with candidate Oriini Kaipara using social media to far greater effect than Labour candidate Peeni Henare who relied on more tried and true campaigning tactics.
Mia-Mae walked Producer Sanat through how social media has been a transformative tool for Maori, as they rise to the political challenges of the day. Furthermore she walked Sanat through some of the aspects of kaupapa Maori that work particularly well in a social media model.
Tāmaki Makaurau’s council budget is among those impacted by the proposal of a rates cap, considering Tāmaki’s average 5.8% annual rates increase across the 25/26 financial year.
Youth homelessness is a growing concern as discussions continue around “move on” orders for those without housing in Auckland’s CBD.
And the Skycity Convention Centre is set to open in 2026, with high hopes for what it may bring for Tāmaki Makaurau after its prolonged development.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Counsellor Fairey about these topics.
The Trump administration has caused issues of significant food waste due to a range of its policies, including immigration raids, tariffs, cuts to food assistance programmes, and the destruction of food for programmes like USAID.
This has had huge consequences, including environmental impacts, as well as impacts on the estimated more than 47 million people in the US who don’t have enough food to eat, and those who have relied on US foreign aid that has been cut.
For International Desk, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Garrett Graddy-Lovelace, Provost Associate Professor in Environment, Development & Health at American University, about these issues.
Thanks to MOTAT, the museum inspiring the innovators of tomorrow!
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Recently, the government has announced some major reforms to how regional councils operate, with regional councillors proposed to be replaced by boards made up of city and regional mayors, and potentially even Crown-appointed representatives, called combined territories boards, or CTBs.
As well as this, Health Minister, Simeon Brown, has called for the decentralisation of Health New Zealand, with the expectation that the entity focuses on deliveries closer to the front-line, additionally expecting a plan to do so by the end of the year.
For our weekly catch up with the National Party, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to MP Stuart Smith about these topics, starting with the regional council.
From today until the 4th of December, a conference will be held in Queenstown that will look into pest management and how best to protect native species.
The event not only brings experts in the sector from Aotearoa, but will also involve Australian experts as well.
Tuesday Wire Host Sara spoke to Dr Sze-Wing Yiu, a Wildlife Ecologist at the Bioeconomy Science Institute, about this week’s conference, and what to expect.
The government has recently announced some major reforms to how regional councils operate, with regional councillors proposed to be replaced by boards made up of city and regional mayors, and potentially even Crown-appointed representatives, called combined territories boards, or CTBs.
The ‘shake-up’ of regional councils has left concerns that the move would water down environmental regulations at a local level, reduce Māori and iwi voices in decision making, and would result in central government overreaching into local politics.
As well as this, Parliament’s Justice Committee has recommended passing the Electoral Amendment Bill, albeit with some amendments
For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about both of these topics, starting with the changes to regional councils.
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka announced the government’s release of the new social housing investment plan which aims to shift to a “needs-based, data driven approach”.
The new flexible fund includes $41 million dollars in operating funding over the next four years, and the government have stated they expect to support up to 770 social homes and affordable rentals in the initial phase.
As well, Health Minister Simeon Brown last week announced a Cabinet decision to stop new prescriptions for puberty blockers for young people identifying as trans or experiencing gender dysphoria.
The rule, in effect from 19th of December, is based on recommendations from a UK National Health Service review which determined that the evidence to the benefits or risks of the treatment was “remarkably weak”.
The government is expected to pause new prescriptions until the outcome of a clinical trial being conducted in the UK, expected to be completed in 2031.
Wire Host Sara spoke with MP Carl Bates about all of these topics, firstly by asking about the flexible fund which will replace the so-called ‘patchwork of programmes’ in place for social housing.
Christmas Lights at MOTAT - experience Auckland’s most magical Christmas lights - heritage trams, festive music, Santa visits, and thousands of sparkling lights Tickets at MOTAT.NZ.
Thanks to MOTAT, the museum inspiring the innovators of tomorrow!
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