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.
Whaikaha, the Ministry of Disabled People, is set to be restructured, losing its responsibility to deliver support services, which will be moved to the Ministry of Social Development.
This has faced backlash by multiple political parties, such as Labour and the Green Party, as well as from disability activists.
News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to the CEO of the New Zealand Disability Support Network, Peter Reynolds, about the reshuffling, and what will change about Whaikaha.
They started off by asking Peter what this would mean for disabled New Zealanders.
Last week, the Government announced a bill which they say will enable the development of time of use schemes, also known as congestion charges.
Generally, time of use schemes charge motorists to use roads depending on time and location. This encourages motorists to adjust their travel time, and method of transport to reduce road congestion.
Under the planned legislation, councils propose their own time of use schemes to the central government. Waka Kotahi, the New Zealand Transport Agency then provides strong oversight in the development of schemes to consider the impact on motorists and businesses.
Under the plan, all final proposals will require the approval of the central government.
Last year, Auckland Council voted in favour of a time of use scheme and has been planning to introduce it by 2025. However, there are concerns among experts that the proposed legislation may make it more difficult for the successful implementation of time of use schemes; by over-exposing councils to central government oversight.
Producer Josef spoke to one such expert, Senior lecturer in Urban Planning at the University of Auckland, Dr Timothy Welch, about the legislation, congestion charges, and how Auckland’s own scheme might be impacted.
Fonterra’s recently revealed ‘regenerative agriculture’ practices have been criticised for greenwashing. The announcement indicates that Fonterra believes existing practices, such as cows eating outside, constitute regenerative agriculture.
Greenpeace disagrees, pointing out Fonterra’s position as Aotearoa’s biggest climate and freshwater polluter. They accuse Fonterra of greenwashing - performatively claiming environmental friendliness while continuing to pollute or harm the environment.
Wire host Castor spoke to Greenpeace’s Sinead Deighton O’Flynn about greenwashing at Fonterra and the company’s environmental impact.
On Dear Science, we chatted with our expert Professor Allan Blackman about spikes in aging, poisonous book covers, and underground water on Mars.
For our weekly catchup with the National Party's Katie Nimon, Wire host Castor asked her about the newly appointed Human Rights and Race Relations commissioners, and about new funding for more drunk driving tests.
They also spoke to Greenpeace agriculture campaigner, Sinead Deighton -O'Flynn, about greenwashing in Fonterra's new regenerative agriculture policy.
Producer Josef spoke to Dr Timothy Welch about congestion charges and their implementation in Aotearoa.
And News and Editorial director Joel Armstrong spoke to CEO of the New Zealand Disability Support Network, Peter Reynolds, about restructures in Whaikaha, the ministry for disabled peoples.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith recently confirmed the new Human Rights and Race Relations Commissioners: Dr Stephen Rainbow and Dr Melissa Derby. Following the announcement, the two were met with controversy for previous discriminatory comments.
Dr Rainbow had previously criticised the platforming of transgender activist Shaneel Lal, and expressed anti-Palestine views. Dr Melissa Derby has similarly expressed anti-transgender views at events.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Katie Nimon, Wire host Castor asked about the appointment of these two individuals and the alignment of their views with the government.
The government also recently announced one point three billion dollars of funding to address drink and drug driving. While the funding is appreciated by the NZ Police Association, there are worries that there aren’t enough police officers to meet the new targets.
Castor discussed each of these issues with Katie in their weekly catchup.
The Auckland Council is set to decide when the Auckland Local Alcohol Policy will be put in place for the city.
The policy details stricter measures in Tāmaki Makaurau, which means bottle shops won’t be able to sell liquor after 9pm, and would put a two-year freeze on new liquor licences in high priority areas.
Joel spoke to Lawyer and Secretary of Communities Against Alcohol Harm, Dr Grant Hewison, about the policy, and what this will mean for Aucklanders.
The government recently announced that they’ll be moving forward with changes to maths teaching in schools a year earlier than intended.
Changes revolve around implementing stricter structure to the way maths is taught, and introducing more standardised maths assessments for children in years 0-8.
The Prime Minister has said that this may mean deferring the arts and music curriculum to allow for these changes.
In a Newsroom article, Professor in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland, Peter O'Connor says that pushing the arts curriculum to the side would be detrimental for students.
Producer Evie spoke to O’Connor about why arts and music is so important for students, as well as having the ability to lift their maths and literacy results.
For our weekly catch up with Te Pāti Māori, News and Editorial Director, Joel, speaks to Mariameno Kapa-Kingi about Waitangi Tribunal calls for Treaty Principles Bill to be scrapped, and the controversial development of a cultural space, that shares the same attributes as a marae, in Sydney, Australia
Producer Evie, for her weekly catch up with the ACT Party, speaks to Simon Court about the Waitangi Tribunal’s calls to scrap the Treaty Principals Bill, as well as the party’s calls for stricter sanctions on beneficiaries.
Joel speaks to Lawyer and Secretary of Community Against Alcohol Harm (CAAH), Dr Grant Hewison, about Auckland’s planned alcohol restrictions.
They also speak to Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, Mark Thomas, about the new Mpox clade, and what this will mean for New Zealand.
and Evie speaks to Professor in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland, Peter O'Connor about the government’s stricter maths curriculum pushing arts and music education to the side.
Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu, declared Mpox, formally known as monkeypox, a global health emergency for the second year in a row.
This follows the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) experiencing its largest outbreak of the disease ever recorded, which has resulted in tens of thousands of infections.
Joel spoke to Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, Mark Thomas, about Mpox, and what this means for the country.
They started off by asking him if we should be concerned about this outbreak in New Zealand.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party Wire Host Caeden speaks to Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni about the government’s new benefit sanctions and the New Plymouth Mayor’s call for Labour to continue oil and gas exploration until 2050.
For States of the States Caeden speaks to Andre Fa'aoso on candidates joining, or potentially joining, livestreams. As well as the Trump campaign internal document hack, which they are blaming on Iran.
And they speak to Frankie Barclay from Amnesty Aotearoa on the recent alt-right riots in the UK, and their new report linking these riots to institutional racism.
For City Counselling this week, Producer Sofia speaks to Councillor Julie Fairey about plans to reform council controlled organisations, rates, and Council paying out secret financial settlements.
She also speaks to Principal Scientist at Plant & Food Research and Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland, Dr Andy Allan, about the government announcing to end the ban on genetic modification and genetic engineering outside the lab.
The Healthcare exec Brian Thompson was shot dead by a masked assailant last week.
The crime has gained significant controversy and attention online, with many using it to restart the debate on the inequities of the United States healthcare system.
And this week Yale University was the latest college to commit to divesting from weapons manufacturing after a student vote.
For State of the States this week Wire Host Caeden speak to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News about both of these topics.
The government as announced their plan for the Cook Strait ferry a year after they scrapped Labour’s plan, including cancelling the ferries the Labour government had ordered.
And a new report from the Ministry of Social Development has revealed nearly a quarter of beneficiaries are not receiving their correct entitlements.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about both of these topics.
For City Counselling this week, producer Sofia caught up with Councillor Shane Henderson about proposed time-of-use charging to solve congestion problems in Tāmaki and Council selling their remaining Auckland Airport shares last week.
The Green party recently released He Ara Anamata - the Green party’s emissions reduction plan.
The document covers more than 10 areas of the economy and energy Sector that a Greens-led government would be looking to adapt to minimise carbon emissions and protect the natural landscapes of Aotearoa.
It also comes 5 months after the government released their own draft emissions plan. Numerous experts pointed out that the government is behind on their own plan’s targets to meet the crucial emissions budget for 2031-2035.
For their weekly catchup, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March to discuss the party’s new emissions reduction plan and how they would address climate and the economy in a greens-led government.
Last election, one of the National Party’s main campaign promises was to be ‘tough on crime’, promising to increase police coverage and penalties for crimes. A target was set to increase the number of police officers by 500 by November 2025, however some police leaders today say this goal is unrealistic.
The government also announced this week some shakeups to insulation standards, which they say should make houses more affordable.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor spoke to him about police staffing targets and new insulation standards.
This week on Dear Science, our expert Doctor Cushla McGoverin chatted with us about what latrines teach us about people, climate variation affecting Chinese dynasties, and invasive species becoming threatened.
Thanks to MOTAT, the museum inspiring the innovators of tomorrow!
Last week it was revealed that two of the ten participants in the government's pilot bootcamp programme were on the run.
The youth were two months into the community rehabilitation phase of the programme, following the three month youth justice residence phase. Both teens were found in the weekend, but had allegedly reoffended, and are now set to come before the court.
For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, who have been heavily advocating for this programme, Producer Evie spoke to Simon Court about this incident.
She also talks to him about proposed changes to employment law which would give employers the power to dismiss workers earning over $180,000 without the employee refuting the decision.
And finally, she talks to him about David Seymour’s incumbent run as Deputy Prime Minister, which is set to begin in May of next year.
For City Counselling this week, Producer Sofia spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about changes to Auckland Transport’s responsibilities, nationwide bus and train fare hikes, and concerns over the opening of the City Rail Link.
For State of the States this week, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Andre Fa'aoso from the Yale Daily News about President Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden, who was due to be sentenced next week for three felony charges.
They also discuss Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for FBI director, who is the latest in a long list of unorthodox picks for government positions from Trump
95bFM 
