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.
This week on the Tuesday Wire Milly speaks to Carina Walters of the University of Auckland and the New Zealand ministerial Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs on New Zealands opioid culture in the midst of American Opioid crisis.
Researchers from the University of Cantebury have launched the new online app and social media campaign Te Puа̄waitanga: Beyond the Birds and Bees, aimed at creating widely accessible and accurate information online for young people regarding relationship and sexuality education.
Wire producer Rosetta spoke with Tracy Clelland, lecturer at the University of Cantebury and project director of Te Puа̄waitanga, about how the platform opperates and why such resources are important.
Following the passing of the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion (safe areas) Amendment Bill in March of last year, the Government has implemented six abortion safe areas, or spaces outside abortion clinics protected from anti-choice harrassment, across Aotearoa.
Wire producer Rosetta spoke to Abortion Law Reform Association New Zealand president Ella Shepherd about why the safe areas are important and what more needs to be done to increase abortion care accessibility.
Welcome to the Tuesday Wire! This week on the show:
For Dear Science, Allan Blackman joins Milly and Rosetta in the studio to talk uncertainty, Superconductors and one worm in particular
For our weekly catch up with the National Party, Milly chat to Dr Shane Reti about the Breast Cancer Screening Bill and removing GST on fresh fruit and vegetables
Milly also speaks to Carina Walters from the University of Auckland about Opioid use in New Zealand
Rosetta speaks to Tracy Clelland, lecturer from the University of Canterbury and project director of Te Puāwaitanga: Beyond the Birds and Bees, about improving Relationship and Sexuality education in Aotearoa.
Rosetta also spoke to Ella Shepherd, President of Abortion Law Reform Association New Zealand, about the newly implemented safe areas across different clinics in Aotearoa.
For 95bFM's weekly catchup with the National Party, Milly talks to Dr Shane Reti about the Breast Screening bill recently pulled from the ballot box and the Labour Party's plans to remove GST from fresh fruit and vegetables.
This week, Spike spoke to MP Simon Court about the new NIWA forecast predicting a 90% chance of an El Niño event over the next three months, and their new policy for privatised highways.
They started by asking what Court’s thoughts were on the new NIWA forecast.
Last week E Tū picketed outside the special general meeting of the Building Service Contractors of New Zealand, the employer association for cleaning companies.
E Tū have been in negotiations for a collective agreement but have been offered nothing by employers - including a lack of a 30c pay increase which has been offered in previous years.
This comes during the cost of living crisis, and Auckland Airport cleaner Jackie Clark said, “We feel that cleaning companies don’t care about the cleaners, and they don’t respect us.”
Caeden spoke to E Tū Campaign director Sarah Thompson about why they picketed, fair pay agreements and what we can expect to happen in the context of the election.
For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, host Spike Keith spoke to Simon Court about NIWA’s El Nino forecast, and ACT’s new policy around privately built highways.
They also spoke to Auckland University urban planning researcher Dr. Tim Welch about the use of misinformation in opposition to the Great North Road cycleway project.
Rawan Saadi spoke with Lisa Woods, spokesperson for Amnesty International, about the two reports that were released by the Office of the Ombudsman concerning the state of prisons in Aotearoa
Caeden Tipler spoke to E Tū Union Director Sarah Thompson about why cleaners from several industrial cleaning companies are picketing for fairer wages and conditions.
And on Tomorrow's World, a segment that looks into issues around science, technology and the environment, Leilani Cardosa spoke with Professor Paul Glue from the University of Otago about the use of Ketamine injections to treat depression.
The Labour government announced last week that it will make ram-raiding its own criminal offence and build two new Youth Justice residences. We thus enter an election season where both major parties converge on using 'tough on crime' measures on rangatahi.
Hanna spoke to Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Kemp about why the party does not endorse Labour's policies even though they claim to have a more rehabilitative focus than National's, their strong opposition to placing rangatahi in carceral institutions, addressing the systemic drivers behind youth offending through community integration and manaakitanga, and what space Te Pāti Māori have to push their policies when both Labour and National agree on punitive approaches to youth offending.
Auckland Transport has recently announced a draft Regional Public Transport plan, which will take effect over three stages, long-, medium- and short-term. The proposal outlines AT's priorities for Tāmaki Makaurau's public transport system until 2031. Beth spoke to Luke Elliott, Principal Planner at AT, about the plan.
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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