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.
For their weekly catch up with the Green Party, Oto spoke to Ricardo Menendez March about the government’s recent tourism and biodiversity fund, as well as Destiny Church’s protests at recent pride events and the deportation notice given to 18-year-old Daman Kumar.
For this week’s Get Action! Oto spoke to Vanessa Cole from public housing futures to discuss a campaign of hers calling for the government to construct more public housing for people on the “true waitlist”.
And he spoke to Carrie Leonetti - an associate professor in Law at the University of Auckland at the University of Auckland, to discuss the government’s new anti-stalking legislation, and why it falls short of protecting stalking victims.
Sasha spoke to Dr Chanelle Duley, a lecturer in Business at the University of Auckland, about the introduction of a new bill that will aim at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses.
Amani spoke to University of Auckland’s School of Population Health and spokesperson for Health Coalition Aotearoa, Dr. Kelly Garton, on why we should give kids a break from junk food ads.
She also spoke to Professor at Lincoln University’s Department of Soil & Physical Sciences and Co-Director of Bioprotection Aotearoa, Amanda Black, on how the use of pesticides is worsening the “biodiversity crisis.”
For Dear Science this week, our expert Dr Cushla McGoverin, joins us in studio to discuss ancient Egyptian mummies smelling good, antidepressants potentially being able to protect against infections and sepsis, and using quantum inspiration to develop methods for classical computing memory, thanks to MOTAT!
For our weekly catchup with the National Party's Tom Rutherford, News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to him about the storming of a library in Te Atatū by groups linked to Destiny Church over a lesson into the science of rainbows taught by a drag king to children, the resignation of Director-General of Health, Dr Diana Sarfati, and Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, and Tourism Minister, Louise Upston, announcing a $500,000 tourism campaign to incentivise Australian tourism in Aotearoa.
They also speak to the Chief Executive of OutLine Aotearoa; a rainbow support service, Emmaline Pickering-Martin, about the protests at the Te Atatū Library, and the organisation's thoughts regarding this.
Finally, they talk to rangatahi development advocate, Aaron Hendry, about these protests as well, specifically discussing the ‘ManUp’ group, who were involved during the rally.
And Producer Athena speaks to Senior lecturer in Critical Studies in Education at the University of Auckland, Dr Jude MacArthur, about the coalition government's move to bring back charter schools.
In recent weeks, primary to secondary school students have been returning to class for the year, with some students entering newly established charter schools. This comes after Associate Education Minister, David Seymour, announced in May 2024 that charter schools would be returning this year, with the government allocating a budget of $153 million to fund the privately owned schools.
According to Minister Seymour, charter schools will offer “new and innovative ways to help students struggling to succeed in school”. However, the 2024 announcement has raised concern amongst educators and researchers in the state system, who have been asking for better resources and funding for several years now.
Producer Athena spoke to Senior Lecturer in Critical Studies in Education at the University of Auckland, Dr Jude MacArthur, about the differences between charter schools and state schools, and how students will be affected.
Over the weekend, an estimated 50 protesters, a part of Destiny Church-linked groups, stormed the Te Atatū Community Centre and library, where a show discussing the science of rainbows was being performed to children by a drag king as a part of Auckland Pride festivities.
Protestors attempted to storm the library, trying to push through volunteers and librarians, which resulted in 30 children and adults being forced to lock themselves in a room for protection.
News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to the Chief Executive of OutLine Aotearoa; a rainbow support service, Emmaline Pickering-Martin, about these protests, and what the organisation hopes will come next to support the LGBTQIA+ community as we start to wrap up Auckland Pride festivities.
As well as this, a noticeable group at the protest was that of the men’s support group, ‘ManUp’ which has links to Destiny Church.
The group were seen displacing merchandise of their group in videos that were streamed online.
However, concerns have been raised about the group, due to their non-peaceful protest actions at the library.
Joel also spoke to rangatahi development advocate, Aaron Hendry, about the protests and the ‘ManUp’ organisation, and his concerns with this group in light of their actions protesting the pride event.
In light of RFK Jr, a notorious, prominent anti-vaxxer, being appointed as the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, many are concerned about what direct consequences we could see as a result of this move.
News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to vaccinologist and Professor in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, Dr Helen Petousis-Harris, about the appointment of RFK Jr, and what consequences we could see not only in the US, but internationally, due to this decision.
They started off by asking who RFK Jr is, and how he was able to take up this role.
For our weekly catch up with the ACT party, Producer Evie spoke to Simon Court about critiques he’s received for ‘mansplaining’ period products, the Destiny Church pride protests and the Director General of Health’s resignation.
News and Editorial Director, and Monday Wire Host, Joel, speaks to the Co-Director at the Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Education and Social Work, Professor Jay Marlowe, about a recent report, which is a collaboration between the University and the New Zealand Red Cross, which expresses concerns into the country’s seven-year backlog of the family sponsorship system.
They also speak to vaccinologist and Professor in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, Dr Helen Petousis-Harris, about the concerns with prominent anti-vaxxer, RFK Jr, being appointed as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.
And Matt Hart joins us in studio to discuss fandoms and micro-fandoms, following on from Laneway the week before last.
The report ‘Reuniting Families, a path forward for Aotearoa New Zealand’; a collaboration between the University of Auckland and the New Zealand Red Cross, was recently released, with the report highlighting the concerns with Aotearoa’s family sponsorship system regarding the intake of those forcibly displaced from their home countries, and the 7-year backlog of those a part of the system.
News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to the Co-Director at the Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Education and Social Work, Professor Jay Marlowe, about the report, and what the report details to better correct the system.
Firstly, they started by asking how the family sponsorship system works.
Global Innovator, Matt Hart, joins News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, and Producer Evie to discuss Fandoms and Micro-Fandoms in light of Laneway a couple of weeks ago!
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about Waitangi Day and the new ‘State of the Nation’ report from the Salvation Army.
And for the inaugural International Desk, 95bFM’s new segment focused on breaking and under-reported news from around the globe, they speak to Brock University’s Dr. Jordan House about California’s use of incarcerated individuals as firefighters.
For City Counselling this week, Producer Sofia catches up with Councillor Fairey about further criticism regarding Auckland Council’s proposed restrictions on dog walking, as well as further criticism on the decision process to move the Western Springs speedway to Waikaraka Park.
And she speaks to co-President of the New Zealand Association of Scientists and Principal Investigator in Te Pūnaha Matatini Centre of Research Excellence, Troy Baisden, about US President Donald Trump cutting and limiting rafts of funding for science and health research and its implications.
The recent wildfires in Los Angeles drew attention to the hundreds of firefighters who came from California’s prison system.
The California Department of Corrections has claimed their “Fire Camp Program” is voluntary but this has come into question by prison reform advocates and ex-incarcerated individuals.
Advocates have called for stronger protections for incarcerated workers, especially as climate change creates a need for an expanded labour force to respond to natural disasters.
For our inaugural International Desk, 95bFM’s segment focused on breaking and under-reported news from around the globe, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Brock University’s Dr Jordan House about this programme and its potential in other jurisdictions such as Canada.
On Tuesday, Aucklanders checked the updated property valuations of their house, for many to find declines in value by 10s of thousands of dollars —- on average, by 9% from when they were last done in 2021.
According to the Council. rating valuations were based on market trends and recent sales activity, as of May 1 2024.
Wayne Brown said in response to the decreased values, “The economy's been faltering for a while, and It's really driven by government policies rather than Auckland's policies,”
Also, as we get closer to 2026 and the completion of the City Rail Link, Aucklanders have expressed various concerns about the standard of completion, including incorporation of public feedback.
I discuss the incorporation of the wider neighbourhood in Mt Eden at the Maungawhau station and the dismissal of public perspectives at the K Road station
New Zealand and key allies have imposed sanctions on two “extremist” Israeli politicians for their role in “inciting violence against Palestinians” in the West Bank.
However, opposition parties, including Labour as well as the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, are calling for further action to be taken against Israel.
It comes after Israel kidnapped 12 pro-Palestine activists on international waters, who were intending to break the aid blockade and reach Gaza.
And earlier this week, the National Business released their annual rich list.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, I spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about these topics.
Los Angeles is approaching a week of protests against ICE, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
Over 200 protestors have been arrested since the protests began, and restrictions have been placed on protestors, including a curfew.
The White House has sent 2,000 members of the National Guard to the city already, and another 2,000 are expected to be deployed. This is despite California Governor Gavin Newsom attempting to stop their deployment.
For International Desk, I spoke to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News about the protests.
The Green party recently made renewed calls to the government to sanction Israel for its illegal occupation of Palestine following the seizure of the Madleen, a vessel that aimed to deliver food and medical aid to Gaza.
The vessel, which was en route to Gaza, was intercepted in the Mediterranean by the Israeli Defence Forces before being rerouted to Israel with all those on board, among whom was Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford recently announced the Parent Boost Visa, part of the government’s self-described commitment to supporting parents living overseas to visit and stay with their families here in Aotearoa.
And, over in the United States, 2000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines have been deployed to Los Angeles in response to protests opposing the city’s recent immigration raids.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Oto spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about all of these issues
Currently, 19 out of 38 OECD countries use incineration as a form of waste management.
With the process leading to a range of negative impacts, such as air pollution, Co2 emissions and respiratory illnesses, Aotearoa has luckily remained incinerator free.
However, calls have been made by some activists to strengthen New Zealand’s legislation to ensure that incineration facilities are not opened up in Aotearoa.
For this week’s Get Action! Oto spoke to Sue Coutts from Zero Waste Network New Zealand to discuss a petition calling on the government to keep New Zealand Incinerator-free.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here:
These past few weeks in politics have seen various issues that we spoke about in our weekly catchup with the National Party.
First up, at the Aotearoa Music Awards, National MP Chris Bishop was heard making disdainful remarks such as “what a load of crap” during a performance by singer Stan Walker.
Second, Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngārewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi were recently suspended from parliament for 21 days for their haka protesting the Treaty Principles Bill. The penalty is far harsher than any previous penalty for an MP, raising questions about whether it is justified or sets a dangerous precedent.
Finally, the government recently announced a new visa for parents of migrants, allowing them to come to New Zealand for a longer period of time than traditional visitors without having to acquire residency.
Wire host Castor asked about each of these issues in our weekly catchup with National’s Tom Rutherford, starting with Chris Bishop’s comments at the AMAs.
As per coalition agreements, ACT Party Leader, David Seymour, has been sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister, taking over from NZ First Leader, Winston Peters.
For our weekly catch up, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to the ACT Party’s Simon Court about Seymour’s new position, and what this means for the party.
They also discussed accusations Seymour made regarding submissions to the Regulatory Standards Bill.
In an interview with Guyon Espiner, Seymour claimed that 99.5% of the submissions against the Regulatory Standards Bill were driven by ‘bots’ and were ‘fake’ submissions.
Seymour later clarified to RNZ that by bots, he was meaning “online campaigns” creating “non-representative samples” that do not represent the public’s opinion.
The Ministry of Regulations received roughly 23,000 submissions on the bill. Of the submissions. Of the submissions, 0.33% were fully or partially supporting the bill, with 88% being against the bill.
Finally, they discussed the recommended suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs’ Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi, and Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke standing.
But they, we discussed David Seymour as Deputy Prime Minister.
The recommended suspension for Te Pāti Māori MPs, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi, and Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, over the MP’s haka in Parliament during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill last year.
Co-leaders Ngarewa-Packer and Waititi will be suspended from the House for 21-days, with Maipi-Clarke facing a seven day suspension. This is Parliament's harshest sanctions in the country’s history. Prior to this, the longest suspension an MP had faced in Parliament was three days.
The debate had previously been delayed so that the MPs could participate in the Budget debate — however, both co-leaders were not present at the debate.
During the debate MP Tākuta Ferris said that the debate was not about the haka, but at the heart, it was the House continuing to ignore Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori sovereignty, and that the “racism” in the House is hardly being hidden.
For our weekly catch-up, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Kemp about the suspension, and what’s next for the party.
They also discussed NZ First Party Leader Winston Peters’ comments regarding Waititi’s moko, referring to the MPs moko kanohi as “scribbles”. He was asked to apologise by the Speaker, which he did.
But first, they discussed the suspension of the MPs.
Auckland Transport are seeking community feedback on a proposal for a new T3 transit lane on Mount Smart Road to relieve congestion during peak times heading towards the Royal Oak roundabout.
Between better public transport systems, a ‘time of use’ charge, and different ways of managing Auckland traffic, Producer Sara asks Councillor Julie Fairey about how Auckland Council hopes to reduce peak-time congestion as the city’s population grows.
She also talk to Julie Fairey about the recent allocation of funds to community-led projects through Ngā Hapori Momoho. This year, the grant which aims to “improve financial security, improve health outcomes, and grow community and intercultural connection” has approved funding for eleven community groups, six of which are either Māori organisations or delivering ‘strong Māori outcomes’.
Sara begins with questions about Auckland central congestion.
*unfortunately the audio quality on Julie's end is poor
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