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.
Host Jessica Hopkins speaks to Save the Children's Child Rights Advocacy and Research Director, Jacqui Southey about the Government's progress in reducing child poverty.
She also has her regular chat with Auckland Councillor, Pippa Coom.
Producer Liam Hansen spoke with Investigative Journalist Nicky Hager about the Chief Ombudsman’s latest inquiry into his allegations of the New Zealand Defence Force misinforming the Chief about Operation Burnham.
Today on the Thursday Wire, Joe Wickins speaks to Tracy Morison, the President of ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa, about the government's plan for a funded national abortion telehealth service.
Alex Wierzbicki is producing the show for the first time! He explores how a move to Phase 3 of the Omicron response could impact hospitality workers and business owners. He interviews Jamie Freedman, President of the Auckland Branch of Hospitality New Zealand, and John Crocker, the National Secretary of Unite Union, about this and the wider impact of Omicron on the hospitality sector.
Christina Huang speaks to Dr Alice Mills, a Criminology professor from the University of Auckland, about perpetrators of intimate partner homicide, and the wider context of domestic violence in Australia and New Zealand.
Today on the Wednesday Wire, Christina Huang hosts for the first time!
Jemima Huston has her weekly chat with the ACT Party's Deputy Leader Brooke van Velden. They talk about teachers being considered essential workers, and international students entering the country.
Christina looks into the recent developments in the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. She speaks to Associate Professor Jim Headley from the University of Otago about the political background of the crisis. She also talks to Professor Robert Ayson from Victoria University about Aotearoa's role in de-escalating the situation.
Aneeka speaks to Dr Robert Smith from the university of Otago about the current marine heatwave, and its implications for iwi, a sustainable seafood industry, and research efforts.
And finally, Christina speaks to Dr Alice Mills, a Criminology professor from the University of Auckland, about intimate partner homicide statistics and domestic violence in Australia and New Zealand.
As Aotearoa experiences a record breaking heatwave, scientists involved in the 'Moana Project' have recently launched a marine heatwave forecast system for the country. The Moana project is funded by the Ministry of Business and Employment and is currently providing short range forecasts for up to 7 days of where and when marine heatwaves are likely to occur, for selected coastal sites around New Zealand. Aneeka speaks to Dr. Robert Smith, a lecturer in physical oceanography for the department of Marine Science at the University of Otago and an oceanographer for the Moana Project, about this heatwave and what it means for the country's marine ecosystems.
Christina looks into the recent developments in the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. She speaks to Associate Professor Jim Headley from the University of Otago about the political background of the crisis. She also talks to Professor Robert Ayson from Victoria University about Aotearoa's role in de-escalating the situation.
The next local election will take place this year on Saturday 8 October. The local elections determine the representatives of each city council, including the Mayor and the elected members of the District Health Boards. News and Editorial Director Jemima Huston speaks to Mayoral candidate Efeso Collins about his anouncement that he would bring fares-free public transport to Tāmaki Makaurau if he is voted in as Mayor. They discuss why he is running for Mayor, why free public transport is important and how it could be made possible, and why Aucklanders should get involved by voting or standing in local government elections.
Today on the Tuesday Wire, Jemima Huston speaks to Manukau Ward Councillor Efeso Collins about running for Auckland Mayor in this year's local elections and his campaign policy to make public transport free in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Emily Bell investigates what it is like to rent a house in New Zealand as a univeristy student. She speaks to three students from across the country, Green Party renting spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick, and a spokesperson from Renters United about this ongoing issue.
Finally, Jemima chats to University of Auckland Associate Professor Kerry Gibson to discuss the impact of social media on youth mental health.
Currently Russia is moving more forces up to it's border with Ukraine, with Western powers concerned that an invasion may ahppen any day now. Dr Robert Patman of the University of Otago discussed with Charlie the current situation of what's happening at the border and why this is occuring. Dr Nick Smith of the University of Cantebury also spoke on the situation looking at past events and how this military move compares.
The Green Party is calling for an urgent increase in public housing following a Salvation Army report which described the current situation as a 'catastrophe'. Emilia spoke with Green Party Social Development spokesperson Ricardo Menendez March about this issue.
National Party MP Catherine Wedd recently filed a private members bill that would look at restricting social media use for young people, mainly those under 16. While the bill has received some criticism from the ACT party, other parties such as Labour have agreed that legislation around this issue is important.
At the end of April New Zealand First MP Jenny Marcroft put forward a private members bill forward that would seek to define the word ‘woman’ in New Zealand law. The bill was received with criticism from opposition parties and the general public, who say the bill is drawing on transphobic sentiments to distract from more important issues.
In our weekly catchup with National’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about each of these issues, starting with the potential social media restrictions.
The ACT Party has defended the Government’s controversial move to pass changes to pay equity law under urgency — a move that immediately halted all current claims and raised the bar for future ones. The Government argues the new rules will provide more “clarity” and prevent costly legal disputes, while unions and advocates say the bill is a rollback of hard-won gains for women in low-paid sectors.
Critics also slammed the lack of consultation and the speed of the legislative process, while questions are raised over whether the move was made to plug a hole in the upcoming budget. For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Producer Evie spoke to Simon Court about why ACT supports the Pay Equity Amendment Bill, and whether it risks undermining efforts to close the gender pay gap.
They also discussed a National Party member’s bill that would ban under-16s from using social media — a proposal ACT has declined to back for now. National says the ban would protect young people’s mental health, while ACT argues it raises serious questions about freedom of speech and parental responsibility.
Last week, the controversial Pay Equity Amendment Bill passed under urgency.
The bill makes drastic changes to the Equal Pay Act 1972, making the criteria for equity claims stricter, and could can the 33 existing claims, affecting 150,000 female workers.
The passing of the bill has faced significant opposition from the Labour Party, Green Party, and Te Pāti Māori, over concerns this bill would set women back, and resulted in nationwide protests.
News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Kemp about the passing of the Pay Equity Amendment Bill, and how this would impact marginalised communities.
They also spoke about the Ministry of Education releasing the draft relationships and sexuality education, or RSE, framework, for students years 0 to 13, and the party’s concerns regarding this.
But first, they discussed the Pay Equity Amendment Bill
International relations experts are fearing a major conflict between India and Pakistan after sharp, escalating tensions, following a deadly terrorist attack in militarised Kashmir that killed 26 people.
Kashmiris have a long history of oppression. In modern times, this has been as India and Pakistan fight over the region while Kashmiris fight for independence.
Human Rights Watch reports on Kashmir reveal examples of forced displacement, sexual violence, disappearances and allegations of torture and death in custody.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to Rohan Davis about the recent terrorist attack and ongoing military escalation, as well as the historical and political context of the Kashmir crisis.
Davis is a video essayist on YouTube from Kerala, India, who covers Indian history and politics.
The government has changed pay equality laws, halting all existing claims and reducing the number of workers who can argue for better pay based on gender discrimination.
New figures show the unemployment rate has remained unchanged from last quarter at 5.1%.
And National has put forward a member's bill proposal that would ban social media for under-16s.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke with Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these topics.
Earlier this week, defence Minister Judith Collins announced that $2 billion would be set aside in this year’s budget to replace the Defence Force’s maritime helicopters.
This would be outside the additional $12 billion dollars that the government will be investing in the Defence Capability plan and would include another separate $1 Billion investment in the defence force over the next four years.
In that same week, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith recently announced that Cabinet had reinstated a total ban on prisoners voting in general elections, overturning laws under the previous Labour government allowing prisoners serving less than three years to vote.
And Green Party MP Steve Abel recently added The Animal Products (Closing the Welfare Gap) Amendment Bill to the biscuit tin, which would ensure that imported products in New Zealand met our animal welfare standards.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Oto spoke to Greens MP Ricardo Menendez-March to discuss all of these issues.
Winter is coming, and so is a projected increase in respiratory illnesses and COVID cases. Schools are particularly notorious breeding grounds for such diseases with children being more susceptible to respiratory illnesses.
Ultimately, this results in teachers also being subject to COVID and respiratory illnesses at a higher rate than other professions, and an increased number of teachers leaving the profession due to long COVID symptoms is worsening Aotearoa’s already severe teacher shortage.
For this week’s Get Action! Oto spoke to Tara Forde from Aotearoa Covid Action, to discuss a petition of hers calling for the government to prevent the spread of COVID in our schools by making improvements to school air quality and improving accessibility to Booster Vaccines and Rapid Antigen Tests.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here:
This past week the government announced plans to reinstate the prisoner voting ban. The ban was altered in June 2020 by the Labour led coalition government in a change which allowed prisoners serving a sentence of less than three years to vote in elections. This change followed a recommendation from New Zealand’s High Court, which found a prisoner voting ban was inconsistent with New Zealand’s Bill of Rights.
In 2025, the government is now looking at repealing the bill and reinstating the ban. The National Party has argued that there are certain responsibilities that members of society must uphold, and that those who do not fulfil these responsibilities will have their rights taken away. Asked about human rights concerns and the High Court ruling on the bill, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said “I do not care what anyone else says about it.” The bill is set to join others as part of this government’s “tough on crime” approach.
In our weekly catchup with National’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about the prisoner voting ban and how the change would benefit the general public.
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