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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
With the rise of fast fashion outlets like Shein and Temu alongside the wider mainstream options available that contribute substantial amounts of clothing waste to landfill, experts are calling for an urgent response on a governance, business, and individual level.
Wire Host Sara spoke to Mindful Fashion Chief Executive Jacinta Fitzgerald about the problem, and the industry response to sustainability, as well as University of Auckland Marketing Professor Mike Lee about the importance of ethical consumption.for individuals.
First, is the interview with Fitzgerald, where she begins by talking about the organisation Mindful Fashion.
Following this, Sara spoke to Marketing Professor Mike Lee about the research he has undertaken around consumerism.
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
The government has recently rejected all of the Climate Change Commission’s recommendations regarding strengthening the country’s methane targets recommendations.
The commission’s recommendations include strengthening the county’s 2050 methane emission targets, continuing lowering emissions after 2050, and that international shipping and aviation, which represents 9% of the county’s total emissions, should be included within targets.
Despite the commission saying that there would be upfront costs, many of the changes would result in cost savings over time, however, the government rejected this claim.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about the government rejecting these recommendations.
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