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.
Liam spoke to Jan Logie of the Green Party about her open letter to the Prime Minister to improve welfare support for parents of young children.
David spoke to Pedro Mello about the upcoming Brazilian Elections.
We also have a series of interviews from Jack Horsnell at last week's Climate Protests in Tamaki Makaurau. He spoke to protesters about what they were calling for and why they believe climate change is important.
Liam also had a chat with Anton Ashcroft from Divergent Thinking NZ about the struggle neurodiverse students go under in schools.
David also spoke to the first haast tokoeka kiwi chick of the 2022-23 season Polina Stucke.
And finally Liam had a korero with Kelly Dombroski from Massey University about how Christchurch has implemented community installations and arts events after the earthquakes.
A major research project has recently concluded, investigating the urban transformation of Ōutautahi Christchurch.
Made with the support of arts organisation Life in Vacant Spaces, the project has reflected on the arts events and creative spaces that were formed at the outset of the earthquakes.
The research also detailed the positive mental health affects of the installations and events, as well as some positive ecological impacts.
Liam spoke to Massey University research fellow and lead researcher Kelly Dombroski, first asking her to run through the research titled Huritanga: ten years of transformational place-making.
Public transport is crucial in the fight against climate change, making our cities more liveable and supporting sustainable mobility for vulnerable and low-income communities.
However bus drivers, passengers and the environment have been victims of a decades-long experiment in privatisation.
In July 2021 FIRST Union’s #BusFair campaign called for the Ministry of Transport to abolish the current tendering model (the “PTOM”), massively increase investment in public transport, and work together with stakeholders to bring our public transport back into public ownership.
Trishil spoke to Louisa Jones from First Union on the matter for this weeks delayed ActionStation.
We’ve got our regular segment with Andrew Little brought to us by Tuva’a. He speaks to the Health Minister about Mental Health awareness week and the new funding for Pharmac.
Joe speaks to Professor Karen Waldie, a developmental neuropsychologist from the University of Auckland and research lead for the Growing Up in New Zealand Psychology Domain about this years theme of reconnecting for Mental Health Awareness Week.
Trishil brings OurActionStation over to the Thursday Wire this week, today we look at the #BusFairCampaign seeking to end privatisation of public transport, he spoke to Louisa Jones from First Union on the matter. Trishil also speaks to Ban-Al Galani 0800 What’s Up about their youth mental health focus over the last 21 years
Finally, we’ve got Frances with the Green Desk. She looks at Reconnecting with nature this week, and spoke with Drew Divehall, the Speak Wellbeing Adviser at the Department of Conservation on the matter.
On 21 September 2001, the counselling service 0800 What’s Up answered its very first phone call. They have since have answered close to 1.5 million calls and over 29,000 chats.
The impact of COVID-19 on health, education, and employment uncertainty, as well as the rising costs of living, housing affordability, and other global factors at play means that the world our children and young people are growing up in is full of distressing and difficult challenges.
These issues highlight why services such as 0800 What’s Up are still crucial to understanding the mental health needs for our young, 21 years on since that very first phone call.
To celebrate 21 years of mental health service, and Mental Health Awareness Week, I spoke to 0800 What’s Up Team Lead Ban Al Galani about their support efforts for our young, and the impact they have made in this time.
The focus of mental health awareness week on “reconnecting” is timely as research published this year from the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study reveals the importance of connections with family, friends and community for maternal mental health and their children’s development in the early years. Growing up in New Zealand is the largest study of child development in this country and both parental and child mental health are research focus areas.
Joe spoke to Professor Karen Waldie, a developmental neuropsychologist from the University of Auckland and research lead for the Growing Up in New Zealand Psychology Domain, about their work and the importance of reconnecting for Mental Health Awareness Week.
The new UK government has only been in power for less a month, yet has already found itself in economic and political turmoil following the release of a package of tax cuts and borrowing.
Newly appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng, released his ‘mini-budget’ last week, prompting a sharp devaluation of the Great British Pound against the greenback.
The International Monetary Fund today took aim at the package, warning that "large and untargeted fiscal packages" would likely increase inequality in Britain and could undermine monetary policy.
To get more on the currency crisis, as well as how it may impact us in Aotearoa, Emilia spoke to Murat Üngör from the University of Otago.
Cities across Iran have erupted in protests following the death of 22-year old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini 2 weeks ago.
Amini was arrested by the so-called morality police in Tehran for allegedly breaching the country’s strict modesty laws that require women to wear a hijab.
Authorities claim Amini died of heart failure after she was taken into custody to be quote ‘educated’, however her family claims she was beaten and tortured, before falling into a 3-day coma and eventually succumbing to her injuries.
Iran Human Rights said it had recorded the deaths of 76 protesters across 14 provinces as of Monday, including six women and four children, although it warned that restrictions on the internet placed by the Iranian government were causing delays in reporting.
Emilia spoke to Dr. Forough Amin, founder of Iranian Women in New Zealand.
On this week’s installation of Eurovision, Emilia chats with our European Correspondent Cameron Adams from Berlin about Ukraine, the Italian elections, and wildlife in Europe.
Last year, Auckland Council removed 30% of bins from public places with the hopes of saving about $9.5 million over an eight year period. While the council didn’t foresee an increase in littering, last week Stuff published an article sharing the frustrations of residents who observed a growing litter problem in council parks.
Illegal dumping has also been on the rise across Auckland.
With more than 1300 reports per month, the cost of retrieving illegally dumped items is about $2.7 million every year and rising.
Also Mayor Wayne Brown has announced that he wants to see Auckland become the “premier tech city” of New Zealand to boost our global influence and reputation—-- calling on the government to establish the new Advanced Technology Institute here, which he says could play a key role in guiding new start-ups, so ideas don’t ‘die on the vine’.
Beginning with the problem of rubbish in Auckland, Producer Sara started by asking Julie Fairey if she believed the removal of bins was to blame for increased littering
International pressure is mounting against Israel for the 11-week-long and ongoing blockade of aid into Gaza.
The few aid trucks that have been let into Gaza have not been distributed, according to the United Nations.
It comes as cases against Israel in the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court (ICC) for existing violations of international law remain ongoing.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to Professor Donald Rothwell from the Australian National University Law School about the aid blockade and response in international law.
Today is Budget Day, the day the government releases their spending plans for the next year.
The embargo on the budget lifts at 2pm, however, there have already been several pre-budget spending announcements.
Earlier this week, the debate on the Privileges Committee report into the Treaty Principles Bill haka, led by Te Paati Māori, was deferred.
Opposition MPs have raised concerns that because the debate has been deferred, the Te Paati Māori co-leaders may not be back in time to vote on the budget.
For our weekly catch-up with Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni, Wire Host Caeden asked about all of these topics.
Yesterday the debate in the privileges committee regarding the suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi was adjourned until after the upcoming budget announcement.
The Privileges Committee Report and recommended punishments for the three Te Pāti Māori MPs were issued last week for the Haka they performed during a parliamentary session in November 2024 in opposition to the ACT party’s Treaty Principles Bill.
In that same week, the Green party recently issued a call to the government to scrap the Regulatory Standards Bill after the Waitangi Tribunal found that the Bill breaches the Crown’s Tiriti o Waitangi obligations.
And the government recently passed the Social Security Amendment Bill, which the government says would support people into employment and off benefits, however, opponents of the bill have said it could harm beneficiaries and lower income New Zealanders.
For our weekly catch up with the Green Party, Oto spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez-March about all of these issues.
Just under two weeks ago the government passed the pay equity amendment bill under urgency. This bill would change existing pay equity legislation to make it more restrictive, which the government says will save billions of dollars.
The process was originally introduced to address issues of pay inequity between sectors. While the Equal Pay Act mandates that people working the same job are paid the same regardless of gender, Pay Equity is meant to ensure industries dominated by women are not paid less than similar industries dominated by men. The process has worked by allowing applicants to compare their positions with positions in other sectors with similar workloads, skills, or experience.
The government’s changes will limit the criteria for comparators, allow only industries with over 70% women in the workforce as opposed to the previous 60%, and removing the ability for the authority to award back pay, among other changes.
These changes have been met with criticism from rights organisations, advocacy groups, and opposition parties. In our weekly catchup with National’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about the government’s reasoning behind the Pay Equity Amendment Bill.
The Waitangi Tribunal review into the controversial regulatory standards bill has found that the Crown would be in breach of Treaty principles if it were to introduce the regulatory standards bill to Parliament without more consultation with Māori.
Because of this the tribunal has called for an immediate halt to be put on the bill.
Despite this, the bill is set to be introduced to Parliament today.
The recommendation came after following a one day urgent hearing from the Waitangi Tribunal last week, which was pushed forward from June 6, after it was revealed the bill would be introduced to Parliament today.
Critics of the bill fear it will work against Māori rights and interests. However, the ACT Party, fronted by Minister for Regulation, David Seymour simply say the Tribunal is ‘incorrect’.
For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Producer Evie spoke to Simon Court to unpack this further. Discussing why they contest the tribunal’s review, and where they plan to take the bill from here.
We also spoke about the government launching a review into the Waitangi Tribunal, which is heavily backed by ACT - David Seymour saying the tribunal needs to be ‘put in its place’.
Last week, the Privileges Committee recommended Te Pāti Māori co-leaders, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, be “severely censured” with a 21-day suspension, with Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi Clarke facing a 7-day suspension for their haka during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill.
Telling RNZ, Judith Collins - the chairperson of the Privileges Committee, says the ruling was unprecedented because the “situation was unprecedented” and said the decision was not taken lightly.
Te Pāti Māori’s lawyer says the punishment given to the MPs is an “absolute disgrace”.
For our weekly catch up with Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Kemp, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to her about this, and how she is feeling heading into the debate of the report tomorrow.
We also discussed the Waitangi Tribunals recommendations regarding the Regulatory Standards Bill.
But first, we discussed the Privileges Committee's recommendations.
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:
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.
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