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.
The new role of Creative Director of Auckland Pride has recently received unfortunate news following Creative New Zealand Arts Grants funding round. The person in this role - Nathan Joe, award-winning playwright, actor, performance poet, producer and arts administrator, said in an open letter that "It is an astonishingly difficult thing to step into a role and realise there is no infrastructural support from your main arts funding body."
Joe speaks to Nathan Joe about this loss of funding, what it means for those in Arts and Culture community, and the importance of supporting local artists.
As Aotearoa holds one of the highest rates of family violence in the world, with an act of family violence reported every four minutes to the police, community workers are in urgent need for extra support out in the field.
Papakura marae in south Auckland is taking a frontline, ground-up approach to tackle this nationwide issue, trialling a ground-breaking family violence support and prevention programme.
Marae Chief Executive, Tony Kake, has enlisted the support of Sir Ray Avery, Founder of the charity Help@Hand trust, to trial a domestic violence support programme to protect his frontline social workers as they go about their work in the community, giving them instant access to help if they need it and ensuring all his frontline staff are safe from harm.
Liam had their regular chat with city councillor Shane Henderson, chatting about his re-election to the Waitakere Ward seat, the local elections and his goals for this term of council.
We also have a report from David Liwei Shi, covering last week's tertiary education union strike.
They’ve also spoken to Caroline Mareko from NZCTU about the pacific pay gap inquiry and what needs to change about wealth inequality in Aotearoa.
We also have a kōrero with the green parties Ricardo Menedez March, on the government's re-opening of the migrant worker and parent visas, and some of the issues they’ve identified within it.
And lastly Liam spoke to Michael Plank from the University of Canterbury about the risk of new Covid-19 Subvariants.
A pair of resident visas that have been closed for some time have recently been re-opened.
Immigration minister Michael Wood announced the Skilled Migrant Category, and the Parent Category visas would be re-opened, allowing people to become residents through their careers or through their children.
However, various groups have criticised the conditions of entrance, including the Green Party who’ve raised concerns about class inequality becoming a part of the system,
Liam spoke to their immigration spokesperson, Ricardo Menedez March, about the current system and what can change.
Multiple sub variants of the Covid-19 Omicron variant have recently made their way into Aotearoa, seeing new territory for the country having to deal with multiple sub variants at once.
In the final Covid-19 media response, the Head of the Public Health Agency Andrew Old has made it clear to New Zealanders that the pandemic isn’t over.
Covid cases are currently on the uptick, with Poneke Wellington leading the pack in having case numbers doubling over last weeks amount.
To learn more about the next few months of the pandemic, Liam spoke to Michael Plank from the University of Canterbury about the new wave.
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and the Human Rights Commission have recently made recommendations to the government on how to minimise the pacific pay gap.
This came due to a report into the systemic gap seen between pakeha men and minority groups.
The groups have called for urgent pay transparency, as well as changes to the living wage and implementing protective measures.
To learn more Liam spoke to NZCTU’s Caroline Mareko about what they’re calling for and why it’s important.
This week on the show, today is World Sight day! Stella speaks to Dan Buckingham, CEO and Tamara Gussy, audio describer, from Able, a media accessibility trust about what they’re doing to celebrate. Tuva’a has his weekly catch up with Andrew Little. The Green Desk is covered by Joel, who interviews Emily Ward, a masters student from the University of Canterbury about making public transport more accessible. Stella speaks to Rob Major, a project lead on work that sets out a roadmap for ensuring Aotearoa’s seaweed industry is ready to boom.Stella has a chat to Shanan Halbert, MP for the Northcote electorate about resources in the community in response to crime.
Today is World Sight Day! Stella speaks to Dan Buckingham, CEO and Tamara Gussy, Audio Describer from Able, a media accessibility trust, about how they're celebrating.
Aotearoa’s seaweed sector has had a comprehensive industry plan released recently. Stella speaks to Rob Major, a project lead involved with the roadmap to help guide the development of the industry.
Numerous political figures including Ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour have spoken out in the media this week with allegations that Auckland Council is trying to usher in ‘co-governance’ on a local level, with their proposal on the management of the Waitākere Ranges.
CEO of Te Kawerau ā Maki Edward Ashby called out the political lashback as “fear-mongering” and ‘misinformation’, affirming that the proposal is not actually a co-governance structure.
The proposal is for a decision-making committee of 50% representation from the Crown and tangata whenua to manage the land under a deed of acknowledgement.
The council says the deed of acknowledgement is in line with the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Act 2008, and follows on from the existing management structures in place.
Producer Sara spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson during his bus commute about this topic and the political commentary that’s been witnessed this week. Here is that interview
The Canadian election has been won by Mark Carney’s Liberal Party.
Despite losing the election, the Conservatives made significant gains in their levels of support, particularly with young people.
United States President Donald Trump also loomed large in the election, following his comments earlier this year that he would make Canada the “51st state” and the trade war he has started with Canada.
For International Desk, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Aleksi Toiviainen, co-organiser for Vote16 Canada and democracy advocate, about the results of the election.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has announced a total ban on prisoners voting will be reinstated.
The move has been criticised by the opposition parties, as well as those working in criminal justice.
Today is May Day, also known as International Workers Day and unions across Aotearoa are taking action against what they say is an “anti-worker agenda” from this government.
Workers across a wide range of industries are stopping work and taking strike action.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these issues.
Last week Transport minister Chris Bishop announced steps towards improvements to public transport from the Northwest of Auckland. The plan involves three stages, each promoting faster and more consistent public transport from the region. While early stages are planned for the next few years, later stages will be coming over the next ten or more years.
The government has also announced $53 million towards subsidising teachers registration fees. This announcement follows extensive campaigning from teachers on this issue, eliminating a barrier for new and long-time teachers in Aotearoa.
In our weekly catchup with National’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about each of these issues, starting with the transport upgrades in Northwest Auckland.
In March this year, the government made the decision to reduce the benefit for hospital patients who remain hospitalised after 13 weeks.
After 13 weeks, those experiencing long-term hospitalisation would see their benefit reduced to their "hospital rate" which was $55.35 a week (after tax), unless the person has a partner and a child or is a veteran.
For this week’s Get Action! I spoke to Fiona Charlton, volunteer president of New Zealand ME Society, who’s started a petition calling on the government to roll back benefit cuts to people experiencing long-term hospitalisation.
If you’d like to sign this petition, you can find it here:
Just yesterday, Finance Minister Nicola Willis made her Pre-Budget speech, in the leadup to Budget 2025 which will be delivered next month.
During her speech, Willis said that the government would be halving the operating allowance from $2.4 Billion to $1.3 Billion, going to a select number of government departments that Willis has described as “the most important priorities.”
The week before, it came to light that Climate Minister Simon Watts had rejected advice to review the carbon subsidies given to polluting companies like NZ steel and Methanex.
And the Greens recently made a call to the government to ban the use of engineered stone products.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wednesday Wire host Oto spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez-March about all of these issues.
In his role as regulation Minister, David Seymour is moving to simplify regulations for Early Childhood Education Centres by the end of this year.
This involves a review containing 15 recommendations, which cabinet has accepted. These recommendations concern a vast number of things, from simplifying licensing criteria for pre-schools to lowering qualification requirements for early childhood educators.
Both of these areas have sparked concern within the sector, with some educators concerned the review is simply a cost cutting exercise that will result in tamariki being put at risk.
For our weekly catch up Producer Evie spoke to ACT’s Simon Court about the review.
They also spoke about New Zealand First’s Members Bill aiming to have the biological definition of a woman and man defined in law.
And finally they discussed a clash between the party and National’s Scott Simpson over an ACC plan to reduce injury for Māori and Pasifika workers.
A cross-party delegation of MPs recently visited Tonga, Hawai’i and Vanuatu as part of a Pacific trip organised by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters.
Earlier this week, New Zealand First proposed new legislation that would exclude trans communities from the definition of “woman” and “man” in law.
Winston Peters defended the bill on RNZ’s Morning Report, where he called interviewer Corin Dann a “disgrace” for raising the criticism against the bill that was brought forward by opposition parties.
During this interview, Peters threatened to cut RNZ’s government funding.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these topics.