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.
It’s pride month, and there has been extensive coverage of events in the rainbow community recently. Stella spoke with Kyle Tan from the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa about the landscape of accessibility to healthcare and mental health of Aotearoa’s transgender youth.
Aotearoa’s culture of masculinity and gender is notoriously troublesome in a lot of ways. Projects are arising to combat such rigid roles, such as Shifting the Line, from the University of Auckland. Its first round of workshops started way back in 2017, and those findings are still relevant today. I spoke to Kris Taylor, one of the researchers, about what’s happened in the interim, where we go from those results, and the intricacies of the project.
Welcome to another Wednesday Wire with Stella! This week, Alex chats with ACT Leader David Seymour about the Tauranga by-election and New Zealand’s foreign policy in the Pacific.
Stella speaks to Kris Taylor from the University of Auckland about the ever-relevant project Shifting The Line.
Stella talks to Kyle Tan from PATHA about the mental health of the transgender community in Aotearoa.
Aneeka talks to European correspondent Cameron Mulgan on this week’s episode of Eurovision.
This week, News and Editorial Director Aneeka Moheed discussed emergency department wait times and Matariki with Dr Shane Reti from the National Party in their regular segment.
AUT Professor Allan Blackman joined Christina live in studio for Dear Science. This week, they discussed light therapy as a cancer treatment, the origin of the Black Death, and carbon and nitrogen levels in the sun, as well as a quick detour into astrology and marmots.
Aneeka had her weekly chat with the National Party's Dr. Shane Reti, where they discussed emergency department wait times and Matariki.
Jack also spoke to Dr Dan Hikuroa, a Māori Studies lecturer from the University of Auckland, about Matariki.
Christina spoke to Alejandra Jaramillo Aristizabal, a University of Auckland education student originally from Columbia, about the recent presidential election that saw a left-wing president elected for the first time in the country's history.
This Friday Aoteroa will be celebrating Matariki as a public holiday for the first time. To mark the occasion Jack spoke to Māori Studies professor Dr Dan Hikuroa from the University of Auckland about the significance of the holiday.
A recent OIA request has found people reporting incidents of sexual assault in schools of universities are up 70% since 2015. Christina spoke to Viv Whyte, the national coordinator for Thursdays in Black, about this statistic.
Colombia has elected its first left wing president in the country’s history. Gustavo Petro, an ex-rebel fighter, will step into the country’s top job, winning 50.5% of the vote over millionaire and construction magnate Rodolfo Hernández. Christina spoke to Alejandra Jaramillo Aristizabal, an education student from Colombia, about Petro’s victory.
Aotearoa Justice Watch is a new initiative designed to allow individuals that have experienced the prison system to tell their stories of human rights abuse. The initiative has been driven by various organisations as a response to the harms caused in the current criminal justice space.
Trishil spoke with Amnesty NZ Campaign Director Lisa Woods about the initiative to learn more about it's potential use.
On this week’s regular segment in collaboration with OurActionStation, we’re discussing sand mining. Jessie Stanley, creator of the Stop Sand Mining On Pakiri Beach petition, spoke with Trishil today about the petiton, greenpeace's support, and how the ecosystem is threatened by this move
The United States has frequently been in the news cycle recently for the Trump administration’s unstable foreign policy decisions.
This includes their decisions to cut 90% of USAID foreign contracts and to pause military aid to Ukraine following a fiery meeting between the leaders of both countries.
University of Otago’s Professor Richard Jackson describes President Trump’s behaviours as a threat to global order and security.
For International Desk this week, Wire Host Caeden spoke to him about the instability of United States foreign policy and the global ramifications of this.
Earlier this week, an investigation was launched into the school lunch programme after baked-in plastic was found in several lunches.
However, principals say the programme has already had various issues since Associate Education Minister David Seymour switched providers as a cost-saving measure last year.
And the coalition government is set to introduce legislation that would give the option of 4 year parliamentary terms.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy LeaderCarmel Sepuloni about both of these topics.
Recently, Auckland Council has re-committed $15 million in funding; which they have pledged since 2016, to restore the historic St. James Theatre in Auckland’s CBD — one part of a cross-party agreement between the Council, Central Government, and owner of the theatre.
The theatre, which has been inoperational since a fire broke out in 2007, left significant damage and resulted in the closure of the venue.
The revitalisation of St James has seen support from the public and a variety of different figures, including the co-leader of the Green Party and MP for Auckland Central, Chlöe Swarbrick, and the organisation Save the St. James Theatre Auckland.
For our weekly catchup with Auckland Council, News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson, about Auckland Council's re-commitment to revitalise the St James Theatre and their goals regarding this.
We also spoke about a proposal by Council to develop half of Takapuna Golf Course into wetlands, in aims of mitigating flooding risks which the area is susceptible to.
This move has been criticised by the Golf Course, who say there are better ways to adapt the park without taking away any of the area available to golfers.
But first, they started off by asking how Shane is feeling now that we are one step closer to having the St James operational again.
The ministry for Primary Industries has launched an investigation after a number of meals served to children by the School Lunch Collective were found to have their plastic packaging melted into their food.
This would be the fourth investigation launched into the collective after the government introduced the Alternative Provision Model for Ka Ora Ka Ako, replacing local suppliers.
Around this same period of time, a consultation document was sent to schools across the motu by education minister Erica Stanford asking for feedback on a proposal to defund and disestablish 174 full time roles for Resource Teachers of Literacy and Resource Teachers of Māori.
And the Greens recently issued a call to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon calling on him to rule out any possibility of joining the AUKUS military pact, following the contentious bilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Whitehouse last week.
For their weekly catch up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March for the Green Party’s take on all of these issues.
Last week the government announced a new citizen’s arrest policy that would allow members of the public to detain those who commit a crime. The policy has been met with criticism for its potential impact on retail workers and marginalised communities. While the government has asserted that citizen’s arrest should only be conducted when it is safe to do so, some are still worried about safety, especially with employer/employee power dynamics.
Others are concerned that the law will encourage members of the public to conduct citizens arrests on anyone they suspect of committing a crime, even if their suspicions are false. This would predominantly affect marginalised groups already affected by harmful stereotypes
In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Tuesday Wire Host Castor asked about how the new Citizens Arrest policy will work in Aotearoa.
For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin, chats to us about the International Space Station being too clean, birds of paradise being more colourful than we originally thought, and stretchy displays.
Thanks to MOTAT, the museum inspiring the innovators of tomorrow!
The government has announced that it will introduce legislation for a four year parliamentary term - subject to referendum.
Most parties are largely in favour of a four year term - feeling that it gives more opportunity to develop policy and make changes.
As part of their coalition deal, the ACT party designed a caveat to be included in the legislation that would put more ‘checks and balances’ on the government.
This essentially means the opposition would have more powers in select committees. If this legislation is passed and voted on, a four year government term would not be mandatory - but would instead be decided after the government was elected.
For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Producer Evie spoke to Simon Court about the legislation and why the party supports a four year term.
They also talked about the government giving retailers and members of the public more power to detain shoplifters under legislative reforms. Otherwise known as citizens' arrests.
Last week, Auckland Council presented a proposal to shift Kumeū’s town centre as an effort to address the area’s history of flooding.
Additionally, late last month public consultation opened on Council’s proposed bed night visitor levy. The levy would fill a budget gap of $7 million for major events in Tāmaki Makaurau.
For City Counselling this week, Sofia spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about both of these topics, beginning by asking her what current issues Kumeū is facing that informed the proposal to move its town centre.
Conflict has escalated in the Democratic Republic of Congo this year, driven by ethnic tensions and access to mineral resources.
The conflict has been marked by murder, violence, and forced displacement. Over 6.9 million people in the Congo were displaced by the end of 2023, and 7,000 have been killed since January this year.
For International desk this week, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Aotearoa African Foundation President Red Tsounga about the ongoing violence in the Congo and what more the international community can do to support those who have been displaced.
StatsNZ has released new data showing the government has missed all its child poverty targets, and that the number of children in material hardship has risen from 144,100 to 156,600.
The government’s proposal to expand citizen arrest laws has been met with a mixed response. The proposal has been criticised by business groups, First Union, and the Labour Party, largely for the risk to workers.
And protestors against a sewerage pipeline being installed through the tapu Lake Rotokākahu have committed to staying at the site after facing off with police.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these topics.
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