Launch in new window

Stereolab - Aerial Troubles

You are here

The Wire

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.

Reviewing Local Government Elections w/ Bonita Bigham: October 10, 2022

Reviewing Local Government Elections w/ Bonita Bigham: October 10, 2022 Reviewing Local Government Elections w/ Bonita Bigham: October 10, 2022, 20.2 MB
Mon 10 Oct 2022

Local Government New Zealand ran a multi-faceted campaign to increase the diversity of candidates as well as voter turnout this year, but preliminary results still indicate there is a massive gap to bridge between turnout for local elections compared with central government elections.

LGNZ says “To make a real difference, however, it will require a deliberate effort by councils and communities to better engage with each other in the decisions councils are making, so voters feel more connected to local government, as well as making the process of voting easier."

Joe is joined by Bonita Bigham, Chair of Te Maruata at LGNZ, to speak on the matter.

 

Cannabis Decriminalisation w/ NZ Drug Foundation's Sarah Helm: October 10, 2022

Cannabis Decriminalisation w/ NZ Drug Foundation's Sarah Helm: October 10, 2022 Cannabis Decriminalisation w/ NZ Drug Foundation's Sarah Helm: October 10, 2022, 13.02 MB
Mon 10 Oct 2022

US President Biden announced last Friday he would be pardoning thousands of cannabis possession charges, signalling a change of course in drug policy from the home of the War on Drugs, and a path towards decriminalisation of cannabis in the States. 

Cannabis has been completely banned in Aotearoa since 1961 after the signing of the UN Convention on Narcotic Drugs, a treaty pushed heavily by the US. Between 1980 and 2022, over 120,000 people have been convicted of cannabis use or possession. In the wake of Biden’s announcement, the New Zealand Drug Foundation has renewed calls for reform and launched a petition calling on the government to decriminalise cannabis and pardon possession charges.

Spike Keith spoke to New Zealand Drug Foundation Executive Director Sarah Helm about the effects of cannabis criminalisation here, and what decriminalisation would look like.

The Wire w/ Joe: October 10, 2022

The Wire w/ Joe: October 10, 2022 The Wire w/ Joe: October 10, 2022, 100.74 MB
Mon 10 Oct 2022

This week on The Wire for Rāhina Monday!

Joe looks at Local Government New Zealand’s call for a review of local government elections. He speaks Bonita Bigham, Chair of Te Maruata at LGNZ on the matter.

Spike will dive into cannabis decriminalisation here in Aotearoa, following Joe Biden’s pardoning of thousands of Americans who were convicted due to cannabis possession. 

Joe also look at the current state of our water infrastructures in Aotearoa New Zealand, he speaks to Dr Lokesh P. Padhye, Senior Lecturer in Civil and Environmental Engineering at The University of Auckland.

Finally, Joe speaks to Dr Nic Rawlence from the Paleogenetics Lab at the University of Otago about the recent discovery of Pterosaur-like creatures in Scotland.

That's us for this weeks Monday Wire!

Pterosaur-like reptiles in Scotland w/ Dr Nic Rawlence: October 10, 2022

Pterosaur-like reptiles in Scotland w/ Dr Nic Rawlence: October 10, 2022 Pterosaur-like reptiles in Scotland w/ Dr Nic Rawlence: October 10, 2022, 21.09 MB
Mon 10 Oct 2022

Researchers have settled the mystery of a tiny, enigmatic reptile that left an impression on Scottish sandstone nearly a quarter of a billion years ago after more than a century of debate. 

The Scleromochlus taylori, was discovered near Elgin in Moray in the early 1900s, however due to a lack of remaining evidence, paleontologists were unsure of its features. In hopes of solving this mystery, researchers led by Davide Foffa at National Museums Scotland turned to computed tomography (CT) scans to reveal the creatures features in detail.

Joe spoke to Dr Nic Rawlence from the Paleogenetics Lab at the University of Otago, to get some insight into this fascinating discovery!

 

Aotearoa's Water Infrastructure w/ Dr Lokesh P. Padhye: October 10, 2022

Aotearoa's Water Infrastructure w/ Dr Lokesh P. Padhye: October 10, 2022 Padhye: October 10, 2022, 20.49 MB
Mon 10 Oct 2022

We’ll be looking at what's happening behind the scenes when drinking water gets to our taps or our wastewater is discharged – and how might climate change get in the way.

Joe spoke to Dr Lokesh P. Padhye, Senior Lecturer in Civil and Environmental Engineering at The University of Auckland about his thoughts on what needs to be done to address the issues within our water infrastructure.

 

Ports of Auckland Privatization w/ Craig Harrison: October 7, 2022

07-10-2022 Craig Harrison Ports of Auckland.mp3 mp3, 10.68 MB
Fri 7 Oct 2022

During a recent Auckland mayoral debate, Wayne Brown refused to rule out selling parts of Ports of Auckland.

This has reignited the debate about whether the company should either be privatised, part privatised, or moved. 

David spoke to Maritime Union General Secretary Craig Harrison about why selling the port would be a bad idea.

Putin’s Nuclear Weapons Threat w/ Alexander Gillespie: October 7, 2022

Putin’s Nuclear Weapons Threat w/ Alexander Gillespie: October 7, 2022 Putin’s Nuclear Weapons Threat w/ Alexander Gillespie: October 7, 2022, 15.99 MB
Fri 7 Oct 2022

The tide of the war in Ukraine has turned and Russia forces are currently on the retreat across the Eastern part of Ukraine.

During the recent ceremonies announcing the illegal annexation of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, Vladimir Putin promised to defend these areas “by any means necessary” 

Many analysts think that may include nuclear weapons.

David spoke to Waikato University Professor Alexander Gillespie about whether Putin is serious and what would happen if he does use them.

The Wire w/ Liam: October 7, 2022

The Wire w/ Liam: October 7, 2022 The Wire w/ Liam: October 7, 2022, 101.85 MB
Fri 7 Oct 2022

Welcome to the Friday Wire!

Today we have a package covering the oppositions recent calls for tax cuts.

Liam spoken to Green party finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter and ACT Party Leader slash finance spokesperson David Seymour about their opinions on cutting back taxes

Liam also spoke to University of Canterbury economics and taxation professor Adrian Sawyer to help frame the conversation. 

Liam also has his regular chat with City Councillor Pippa Coom, to chat about the final day of the local election voting. 

David spoke to Waikato University Professor Alexander Gillespie about Vladimir Putin’s nuclear weapons threats.

David also spoke to Maritime Union General Secretary Craig Harrison about privatising Ports of Auckland

Tax Cuts w/ Adrianne Sawyer, Julie Anne Genter, & David Seymour: October 7th, 2022

Tax Cuts w/ Adrianne Sawyer, Julie Anne Genter, & David Seymour: October 7th, 2022 Tax Cuts w/ Adrianne Sawyer, Julie Anne Genter, & David Seymour: October 7th, 2022, 54.81 MB
Fri 7 Oct 2022

Announcements that government finances are in a healthier state than expected have renewed calls from National and ACT to implement tax cuts.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson said on Wednesday that books are better thanks to higher taxes and lower spending on Covid-19 support. 

A large reason why the government has received more income from taxes is due to revitalisations in the economy seeing more income gained from the goods and services tax.

Regardless, the opposition parties have stated that high taxes are a major contributor to New Zealand's ongoing cost of living crisis. 

These calls came days after the United Kingdom had been put through economic turmoil after prime minister Liz Truss called for tax cuts for the rich, seeing the pound reach a record low value against the dollar. 

This, alongside other factors, has caused Labour and Green to call the concept of tax cuts absurd. 

Liam had a chat to Green Party finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter and ACT Party Leader/finance spokesperson David Seymour about their opinions on cutting back taxes, but first they spoke to University of Canterbury economics and taxation professor Adrian Sawyer to help frame the conversation. 

 

Weekly Catch-Up w/ Andrew Little 6 October

Weekly Catch-Up w/ Andrew Little 6 October Weekly Catch-Up w/ Andrew Little 6 October, 14.31 MB
Thu 6 Oct 2022

Tuva’a who speaks to the Health Minister, Labour's Andrew Little in their weekly catch-up, today discussing pay differences for GP vs hospital doctor trainees.

 

Weekly Catchup w/ The Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez March: 14 May, 2025

Weekly Catchup w/ The Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez March: 14 May, 2025 Weekly Catchup w/ The Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez March: 14 May, 2025, 26 MB
Wed 14 May 2025

Last week, the government announced that they would begin an official review of the Waitangi Tribunal and the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975.

The government has said that the review is to ensure the Waitangi Tribunal remains effective and relevant, however, a number of Māori and treaty law experts have referred to the review as an attack on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles.

In that same week, the government announced that they would be investing $774 million towards improving the redress process for survivors of abuse in state care in Budget 2025. 

However, going against one of the key recommendations of both the Royal Commission and the Redress Design Group, the government will not be looking to set up a new redress scheme for abuse survivors.

And the government recently passed amendments to the Wildlife Act that would permit the “incidental killing” of certain native wildlife species by companies during lawful activities like construction and development.

For our weekly catchup with the Green party, Oto spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March for the party’s take on all of these issues.

Get Action! VUW Divest from Fossil Fuels w/ Hugh Acton from Climate Action VUW: 14 May, 2025

Get Action! VUW Divest from Fossil Fuels w/ Hugh Acton from Climate Action VUW: 14 May, 2025 Get Action! VUW Divest from Fossil Fuels w/ Hugh Acton from Climate Action VUW: 14 May, 2025, 16.16 MB
Wed 14 May 2025

In 2014, Victoria University of Wellington made an official promise to divest $650,000 worth of investments in fossil fuel companies which, at the time, comprised of 2.1% of the University’s total investments.

However, more than 10 years on, a student-led investigation found that the university still held significant investments in companies like Exxon Mobil and SHELL through third-party investment managers.

A year after a successful petition by Students for Justice in Palestine Pōneke calling on the university to divest funding from Israeli companies, a group of students from Climate Action Victoria University of Wellington have made renewed calls to the university to divest from fossil fuel companies. 

For this week’s Get Action! Oto spoke to Hugh Acton, a member of Climate Action Victoria of University of Wellington, who’s launched a petition calling on the university to disclose their investments in companies involved in fossil fuel production and to divest from them immediately.

If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here:

Social media restrictions and NZ First’ gender bill w/ the National Party’s Tom Rutherford: 13th May, 2025

Social media restrictions and NZ First’ gender bill w/ the National Party’s Tom Rutherford: 13th May, 2025 Social media restrictions and NZ First’ gender bill w/ the National Party’s Tom Rutherford: 13th May, 2025, 9.75 MB
Tue 13 May 2025

National Party MP Catherine Wedd recently filed a private members bill that would look at restricting social media use for young people, mainly those under 16. While the bill has received some criticism from the ACT party, other parties such as Labour have agreed that legislation around this issue is important. 

At the end of April New Zealand First MP Jenny Marcroft put forward a private members bill forward that would seek to define the word ‘woman’ in New Zealand law. The bill was received with criticism from opposition parties and the general public, who say the bill is drawing on transphobic sentiments to distract from more important issues.

In our weekly catchup with National’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about each of these issues, starting with the potential social media restrictions. 

Dear Science w/ Doctor Cushla McGoverin: 13th May, 2025

Dear Science w/ Doctor Cushla McGoverin: 13th May, 2025 Dear Science w/ Doctor Cushla McGoverin: 13th May, 2025, 21.22 MB
Tue 13 May 2025

This week on Dear Science our expert Doctor Cushla McGoverin chatted with us about a new variation on the classic marshmallow experiment, a strange method of developing snake antivenom, and a new development in lithium ion batteries

The Pay Equity Amendment Bill and draft RSE framework w/ Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Kemp: 12 May, 2025

The Pay Equity Amendment Bill and draft RSE framework w/ Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Kemp: 12 May, 2025 The Pay Equity Amendment Bill and draft RSE framework w/ Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Kemp: 12 May, 2025, 17.9 MB
Mon 12 May 2025

Last week, the controversial Pay Equity Amendment Bill passed under urgency.

The bill makes drastic changes to the Equal Pay Act 1972, making the criteria for equity claims stricter, and could can the 33 existing claims, affecting 150,000 female workers.

The passing of the bill has faced significant opposition from the Labour Party, Green Party, and Te Pāti Māori, over concerns this bill would set women back, and resulted in nationwide protests.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Kemp about the passing of the Pay Equity Amendment Bill, and how this would impact marginalised communities.

They also spoke about the Ministry of Education releasing the draft relationships and sexuality education, or RSE, framework, for students years 0 to 13, and the party’s concerns regarding this.

But first, they discussed the Pay Equity Amendment Bill

Pay Equity Amendment Bill and Proposed Social Media Ban w/ the ACT Party’s Simon Court:12 May, 2025

Pay Equity Amendment Bill and Proposed Social Media Ban w/ the ACT Party’s Simon Court:12 May, 2025 Pay Equity Amendment Bill and Proposed Social Media Ban w/ the ACT Party’s Simon Court:12 May, 2025, 25.89 MB
Mon 12 May 2025

The ACT Party has defended the Government’s controversial move to pass changes to pay equity law under urgency — a move that immediately halted all current claims and raised the bar for future ones. The Government argues the new rules will provide more “clarity” and prevent costly legal disputes, while unions and advocates say the bill is a rollback of hard-won gains for women in low-paid sectors.

Critics also slammed the lack of consultation and the speed of the legislative process, while questions are raised over whether the move was made to plug a hole in the upcoming budget. For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Producer Evie spoke to Simon Court about why ACT supports the Pay Equity Amendment Bill, and whether it risks undermining efforts to close the gender pay gap.

They also discussed a National Party member’s bill that would ban under-16s from using social media — a proposal ACT has declined to back for now. National says the ban would protect young people’s mental health, while ACT argues it raises serious questions about freedom of speech and parental responsibility.

International Desk: The escalation of violence in Kashmir and the political context surrounding this w/ video essayist Rohan Davis: 8 May, 2025

International Desk: The escalation of violence in Kashmir and the political context surrounding this w/ video essayist Rohan Davis: 8 May, 2025 International Desk: The escalation of violence in Kashmir and the political context surrounding this w/ video essayist Rohan Davis: 8 May, 2025, 19.83 MB
Thu 8 May 2025

International relations experts are fearing a major conflict between India and Pakistan after sharp, escalating tensions, following a deadly terrorist attack in militarised Kashmir that killed 26 people.

Kashmiris have a long history of oppression. In modern times, this has been as India and Pakistan fight over the region while Kashmiris fight for independence. 

Human Rights Watch reports on Kashmir reveal examples of forced displacement, sexual violence, disappearances and allegations of torture and death in custody.

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Rohan Davis about the recent terrorist attack and ongoing military escalation, as well as the historical and political context of the Kashmir crisis.

Davis is a video essayist on YouTube from Kerala, India, who covers Indian history and politics.

Pay equity claims halted by the Government, new unemployment statistics, and a proposal to ban under 16s from using social media w/ Labour's Carmel Sepuloni: 8 May, 2025

Pay equity claims halted by the Government, new unemployment statistics, and a proposal to ban under 16s from using social media w/ Labour's Carmel Sepuloni: 8 May, 2025 Pay equity claims halted by the Government, new unemployment statistics, and a proposal to ban under 16s from using social media w/ Labour's Carmel Sepuloni: 8 May, 2025, 9.17 MB
Thu 8 May 2025

The government has changed pay equality laws, halting all existing claims and reducing the number of workers who can argue for better pay based on gender discrimination.

New figures show the unemployment rate has remained unchanged from last quarter at 5.1%.

And National has put forward a member's bill proposal that would ban social media for under-16s. 

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke with Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these topics.

Weekly Catchup w/ The Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March: 7 May, 2025

Weekly Catchup w/ The Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March: 7 May, 2025 Weekly Catchup w/ The Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March: 7 May, 2025, 27.26 MB
Wed 7 May 2025

Earlier this week, defence Minister Judith Collins announced that $2 billion would be set aside in this year’s budget to replace the Defence Force’s maritime helicopters.

This would be outside the additional $12 billion dollars that the government will be investing in the Defence Capability plan and would include another separate $1 Billion investment in the defence force over the next four years.

In that same week, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith recently announced that Cabinet had reinstated a total ban on prisoners voting in general elections, overturning laws under the previous Labour government allowing prisoners serving less than three years to vote.

And Green Party MP Steve Abel recently added The Animal Products (Closing the Welfare Gap) Amendment Bill to the biscuit tin, which would ensure that imported products in New Zealand met our animal welfare standards.

For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Oto spoke to Greens MP Ricardo Menendez-March to discuss all of these issues.

Get Action! Clean Air in Schools w/ Tara Forde from Aotearoa Covid Action: 7 May, 2025

Get Action! Clean Air in Schools w/ Tara Forde from Aotearoa Covid Action: 7 May, 2025 Get Action! Clean Air in Schools w/ Tara Forde from Aotearoa Covid Action: 7 May, 2025, 20.55 MB
Wed 7 May 2025

Winter is coming, and so is a projected increase in respiratory illnesses and COVID cases. Schools are particularly notorious breeding grounds for such diseases with children being more susceptible to respiratory illnesses.

Ultimately, this results in teachers also being subject to COVID and respiratory illnesses at a higher rate than other professions, and an increased number of teachers leaving the profession due to long COVID symptoms is worsening Aotearoa’s already severe teacher shortage.

For this week’s Get Action! Oto spoke to Tara Forde from Aotearoa Covid Action, to discuss a petition of hers calling for the government to prevent the spread of COVID in our schools by making improvements to school air quality and improving accessibility to Booster Vaccines and Rapid Antigen Tests.

If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here: