Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Castor Chacko, Sara Mckoy, Emmanuel Orange, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
A new report from the NZ Drug Foundation has highlighted the need for safer drug laws, to focus on harm reduction. Experts from the foundation believe that stronger action needs to be taken in order to combat the growing statistics of overdoses, substance abuse, and drug-related deaths.
Producer Faith spoke to the foundation’s policy director Dr. Jacek Kolodziej about how the law needs to change, and how drug addiction should be addressed
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 government’s Jobseeker Support changes for 18-to-19-year-olds, and the government’s amendments to the Policing Act.
Following Joel's chat with Simon, they spoke more about the amendments to the Policing Act with Gehan Gunasekara - the Convenor of the Surveillance Group within the Privacy Foundation and an Associate Commerical Law Professor at the University of Auckland, about concerns these changes will create a “surveillance state”.
Producer Alex spoke to a Professor in the Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland, Rochelle Constantine about what the new Hauraki Gulf Protections Act means for our larger wildlife.
On Thursday, 95bFM Intern Zanoor spoke to Dr Lucy Hardie, a Health Research Fellow at the University of Auckland, about research showing global vaping companies are using tactics to target young people.
And Alex to an Associate French Professor at the University of Auckland, Deborah Walker-Morrison, about the ongoing political crisis in France, and what the instability means for President Emmanuel Macron and his party going forward.
The government has recently announced that 18-to-19-year-olds whose parents earn $65,528 annually will no longer be eligible for Jobseeker Support. The Government estimates that 4300 young people would become ineligible under this new policy.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says these changes to Jobseeker Support eligibility are “tough love” and that he did not want the government to “send a message to young people” that 18-to-19-year-olds could “just drift into welfare and that's it”.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to him about this topic.
They also discussed the government saying they would amend the Policing Act to guarantee police have the power to collect intelligence through means of photographing and videoing potential perpetrators.
But first, they discussed the changes to the Jobseeker benefit.
Following my chat with Simon, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke more about the amendments to the Policing Act with Gehan Gunasekara - the Convenor of the Surveillance Group within the Privacy Foundation and an Associate Commercial Law Professor at the University of Auckland, about concerns these changes will create a “surveillance state”.
Despite the government imposing regulations that restrict the advertisement of vaping, international campaigns are still reaching young New Zealanders through influencer marketing and sponsorship of popular overseas sporting events.
In a recently published paper, University of Auckland School of Population Health Research Fellow Dr Lucy Hardie examined how e-cigarette companies can target young New Zealanders through social media marketing and legal loopholes.
95bFM Intern Zanoor spoke with Hardie about this research and her concerns about the harm these campaigns can cause.
Last Week, French Prime Minister and President Macron Appointee, Sebastien Lecornu, resigned from his post after his hours old government collapsed. By the end of the week, Lecornu was reappointed as prime minister by Macron. At the time of his first appointment, Lecornu was already the 5th french prime minister in two years.
These events are the latest occurrences in the recent political instability in France that was further stoked by Macron’s dissolution of government and the ensuing parliamentary elections that took place last year, in a failed bid to secure the government. Instead, the government now sees itself split evenly between multiple blocs, with Macron desperately trying to maintain control
Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Associate Professor in European Language and Literature at the University of Auckland, Deborah Walker-Morrison, about these moves, France’s instability, and what this means for the future of France’s government and the popularity of the far right.
Last week, the government passed a New Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection act. The Act includes a new organisation of marine protected areas, and new rules for fishing, in the hopes that they will address environmental issues in the gulf. Concerns, however, remain over the wellbeing of marine life, both now and going forward, and particularly that of larger marine life like whales and dolphins.
Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Professor of Marine Ecology and Conservation Biology at the University of Auckland, Rochelle Constantine, about the welfare of these larger marine animals, how this bill will help them, and what work there remains to be done.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke with Shanan Halbert about benefits changes for 18 and 19-year-olds, the Reserve Bank cutting the official cash rate, and the recent protests outside Winston Peters home.
For International Desk, they spoke to Acacia O’Connor from the Global Movement to Gaza about the experiences of activists detained by Israel.
And they speak to 95bFM reporter Castor Chacko who is on the ground at the protest against RocketLab outside the University of Auckland engineering building.
On City Counselling this week, Producer Sanat spoke to Councilor Julie Fairey about Auckland’s voter turnout and the importance of casting your vote by the 11th of October
He also spoke to the Executive Officer for the Child Poverty Action Group Sarita Divis about changes to the JobSeeker Benefit for 18-19 year olds.
With 2 days to go before voting closes, the voter turnout throughout Tamaki Makarau still remains low, with around 20 percent of eligible voters having cast their vote throughout the city.
According to these statistics, voter turnout is tracking to be lower than 2022’s local elections which had a final turnout of 35.4 percent.
Thursday Wire Producer Sanat talked to Julie Fairey today to give our listeners (and prospective voters) a final elevator pitch as to why they should vote in their local elections.
They also talked about why it is that the design and structure of these elections are not conducive to higher voter participation and the change necessary to make civic participation cool again.
Recently the Government announced a new policy that would means test the Jobseeker benefit for 18-19 year olds.
This new means testing would disqualify those 18-19 year olds who have a combined parental income above $65,000.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaking directly to those young people receiving a benefit said that “I make no apologies, if you want a job, you go to where jobs are”
The official unemployment rate is 5.2% with 158,000 people unemployed. In June, young people from 15-24 years olds had an unemployment rate of 12.9% with Maori and Pasifika young people more acutely affected.
According to experts there are very few pathways left that actively support young people to get employment in our current job market. Current cost of living payments from Studylink amount to $9.50 per hour of full time study.
Aaron Hendry, founder of youth organisation Kick Back says that this change would increase the risk of homelessness for young people and put some of our most vulnerable young people in potentially dangerous situations.
Furthermore hundreds of teenagers with disabilities and chronic health issues, who currently live in a state of poverty, would be disqualified from accessing this benefit as well.
Thursday Wire Producer Sanat spoke to Sarita Divis, Executive Officer at the Child Poverty Action Group, about the implications of these changes.
arlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum that made international headlines.
The speech was focused on the future of global politics in the face of a world increasingly shaped by threats and hard power, and the need for “middle power” states to cooperate.
For International Desk, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Stewart Prest, Lecturer in Political Science at the University of British Columbia, about Mark Carney’s speech.
Last week, following weather warnings and torrential rain, slips across the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty wreaked havoc, cutting off communities, damaging houses, and worst of all, taking lives.
At the base of Mauoa, Mount Maunganui, a slip hit a council-owned campsite, claiming six lives and now eyes are turning towards how a tragedy like this could be prevented in future.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was among the world leaders offered membership on Trump's post conflict government body, the board of peace. The board has received scathing criticism for including people under investigation for war crimes and failing to have a representative voice for the Palestinian people. Luxon has, in turn, received criticism for not ruling out the invitation.
Finally, the New Zealand Defence Force has begun to incorporate uncrewed vehicles and drones as it moves into a new era of increased defence spending
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wire host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about Luxons refusal to rule out joining Trump’s board of peace, and the New Zealand Defence Forces incorporation of drones but began with asking him about the fatal slip in Tauranga,
As New Zealanders across the motu witness the fallout of extreme weather including landslips and flooding, climate experts reiterate the importance of connecting these events to a wider trend of increased frequency and intensity climate events.
In particular, experts including Dr Kevin Trenberth and Sustainability lecturer Sasha Maher say that New Zealand’s existing infrastructure needs to be upgraded to account for how future natural disasters and climate events will impact Aotearoa.
For Green World this week, Wire host Sara spoke to both of these experts about the challenges New Zealand will face on this issue.
First, Sara spoke to University of Auckland affiliated climate scientist Dr Kevin Trenberth about the drivers of extreme weather conditions, starting by asking how they reflect a larger pattern of temperature change.
Next, Sara spoke to University of Auckland lecturer Sasha Maher about the political response to these observable climate impacts.
Last week's landslide at Mount Maunganui has had severe consequences on people and the environment. Producer Vihan spoke to National MP Ryan Hamilton about the landslide and the government's response to it, as well as it's response to climate change, in general.
Tāmaki was hit with severe heavy rain warnings in recent days, with extreme weather and states of emergency declared around the motu. These heightened caution around risks of flooding in areas affected by 2023 Auckland Anniversary floods.
Last week, there were changes to national laws that now allow ‘granny flats’ to be built on properties without the need to obtain resource consent.
And stripping of marine life from rock pools around Whangaparāoa has raised discussion of shellfish protections, but not without increasing racial tensions in community discourse.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about how these topics impact Tāmaki Makaurau.
As a part of their energy policy, the current national-led government has reopened the door to offshore oil and gas exploration and mining after it was banned under the previous government. Last week, we saw reports of the first bid under the scheme, a sign of further oil and gas projects.
Alongside this the government has put through legislation increasing the maximum amount energy companies can be fined by three times, they say, to increase accountability.
Finally, rumours swirl that the central government is about to step in to override the rezoning plan crafted by the Auckland Council once again, as the groups protest the plan enabling higher-rise buildings around transport hubs.
For this week's Weekly Catch-up with the Green Party, Wire Producer Manny spoke to MP Recardo Menendez March about the expansion of fines on energy companies and the central government's intervention in Auckland Council's zoning plans. But first we discussed the first bid in offshore oil and gas.
The survey provides world-first substantial evidence of how unaffordable clean fuel supply can generate severe risks for health and climate in these communities.
Co-author Professor Hari Vuthaluru from Curtin's Western Australian School of Mines said toxic emissions, health issues and food contamination were among the consequences of this practice.
Wire Host Sara spoke to Vuthaluru further about the study in light of the environmental consequences.
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