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.
With unanimous support, a bill passed through parliament under urgency which levies targeted sanctions towards Russia and key Russian figures. This Russia sanctions bill is New Zealand’s method of condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine without a resolution passing through the UN’s security council, which was previously the only legal way New Zealand could have imposed sanctions on Russia.
Casper spoke with Dr Robert Patman from the University of Otago about the bill, how it differs from a previously proposed autonomous sanctions bill, and what it says about New Zealand’s modern approach to international relations.
On Thursday, Broadcasting and Media Minister Kris Fafoi announced that a new public media entity will be created through the merging of TVNZ and Radio New Zealand.
Fafoi has stated that this will future proof both organisations and provide a centralised source for all New Zealanders to rely on for public journalism.
The announcement has received mixed responses from across the media sector, with it being called a "solution looking for a problem” by National Party broadcasting spokesperson Melissa Lee .
Liam spoke to former MP Tracey Martin, who was a chairperson on the Public Broadcasting Governance Group about what we could see out of the new entity.
The Government has introduced legislation that would see random roadside drug testing beginning in 2023. Police would use saliva testing to check for the presence of drugs in a driver's system, and if the test detects any, the driver will be fined and stopped from driving for a minimum of 12 hours.
Emilia Sullivan spoke to Kali Mercier, Policy and Advocacy Manager of the New Zealand Drug Foundation about how this new legislation would work.
Today on The Wire, our regular interview with Labour’s Andrew Little is back. Tuva’a speaks to Little about hospital bed capacity, health system restructure and the new Pharmac review.
Emilia speaks to Kali Mercier, the Policy and Advocacy Manager of the New Zealand Drug Foundation about new roadside drug testing legislation.
She also talks to Tony Mitchell, Chair of Bike Auckland about the current state of cycling safety in Auckland, whether we will see a change in the urgency of reforms as gas prices get steeper, and how more kiwis turn to cost-efficient transport such as cycling.
Finally, Joe speaks to Niamh O'Flynn, the programme director for Greenpeace, who today was sailing to Helena Bay to protest against the war in Ukraine.
Today, Greenpeace has set sail on a peace flotilla to Helena Bay in Northland, in protest outside Russian oligarch Alexander Abramov’s residence, amidst the conflict in Ukraine. Joe speaks to Niamh O'Flynn, the Programme Director for Greenpeace, while they were on their way to Helena Bay.
In the 10 weeks of 2022, 10 cyclists have sadly died on our roads. While Auckland Transport has adopted 'Vision Zero', an approach that aims for zero deaths on our roads by 2050, there is a desire for a more immediate response.
Emilia Sullivan spoke to Tony Mitchell, Chair of Bike Auckland to get his views on the current state of cycling in Auckland.
This week on the Wire, Frances and producer Alex kick off with the new weekly segment 'EuroVision'. Europe Correspondent Cameron Mulgan updates Frances from the ground about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and we talk a little about International women’s day celebrations in Europe.
Alex speaks with National’s Dr Shane Reti about how the government can do more for Pacific peoples during the pandemic and Frances talks to Professor Maurice Curtis from the University of Auckland about a big new study that’s come out on the effects of covid-19 on the brain
Then Alex has his weekly chat to the ACT party’s Brooke Van Velden, this week about what the “cooling” housing market means for first home buyers and whether the NZ-UK FTA signed last week is a good precedent for future trade deals. He also speaks with Dr. Bodo Lang about what the Commerce Commission's report on the supermarket sector means for consumers.
At the end of the show we farewell our News and Editorial Director, Jemima, as she heads off on a new adventure. That's us for this Wednesday!
Producer Alex and Dr Shane Reti of the National Party discuss how the government can do more for Pacific peoples during the pandemic. Pacific peoples have suffered infections at a rate eight times higher than non-Maori and four times higher than Maori. Dr Shane issued a press release on Saturday calling for greater collaboration between government and faith and community leaders, as well as action on housing, to try and combat this. We discuss this in greater detail.
This week on our new segment 'EuroVision', Wire host Frances Wright catches up with our European Correspondent Cameron Mulgan. Cameron joins Frances from London, and updates her on developments in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, what it’s looking like on the ground for refugees around Europe, and a little about International Women’s Day in Europe.
This week, one of the biggest COVID-19 brain imaging studies was released from researchers in the UK. In the study, researchers looked at the results of 785 people before and after Covid-19 infection. The scans showed that those infected with Covid-19 display changes in areas of the brain that affect memory and smell, and that the virus may result in increased cognitive decline. To understand the study and its findings a little further, Frances caught up with Professor Maurice Curtis from the University of Auckland where he is the head of department in Anatomy and Medical Imaging. They talked about the results of the study and its implications for life going forward.
Yesterday, the ACT Party held their annual rally, being called the “Free and Equal Rally”.
Notably, US author, James Lindsay, was a keynote speaker at the event.
Lindsay is the author of ‘Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything About Race, Gender, and Identity—and Why This Harms Everybody’ - among other titles, such as ‘Race Marxism: The Truth About Critical Race Theory and Praxis’ and ‘The Queering of the American Child: How a New School Religious Cult Poisons the Minds and Bodies of Normal Kids’.
Party Leader, David Seymour, says Lindsay is a “prominent advocate for free speech”. Prior to the event, a spokesperson for the party said Lindsay would discuss “reclaiming liberalism in an age of extremes”.
For our weekly catch up, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to the ACT Party’s Simon Court about the rally, why the party chose Lindsay as a keynote speaker, and we address some of the concerns with Lindsay’s previous comments.
They also discussed the first public hearings into the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the former government’s Covid-19 response, and what to expect heading into the next hearings in Wellington next month.
But first, they discussed ACT’s 2025 “Free and Equal” Rally.
This month, a number of council body reforms have come into effect in the Auckland Council, fulfilling Mayor Wayne Brown’s promise to address issues and implement community feedback into the council’s format.
The three new divisions in the Auckland Council to improve organisation include the Auckland Urban Development Office, the Property Department, and an Economic Development Office, each of which are intended to make decision making more effective and accessible to the public.
As well, with the persisting cold temperatures and rainy weather hitting Auckland this Winter, I wanted to discuss the topic of homelessness in Auckland’s city centre, and to what extent the council is working to support those rough sleeping in the CBD
Public hearings as part of phase two of the Royal Commission into COVID-19 took place in Auckland this week.
The second phase of the inquiry has a stronger focus on lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and the impact of the Covid-19 response on business and the economy.
And yesterday, an independent reference group set up by the Ministry of Environment shared their recommendations for climate adaptation legislation.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Arena Williams about both of these topics.
Recently, a study was conducted by researchers at the University of Southampton which uncovered a shift in the circulation of the Southern Ocean.
The study showed that the shift would draw up more salt water from the deep ocean, subsequently accelerating the loss of ice in the Antarctic and leading to an increase of sea levels and global heating.
The week before, the government allowed the terrorist designation given to the far-right ‘Proud Boys’ group to expire, effectively decriminalising the act of funding or openly supporting the group here in Aotearoa.
And, just yesterday Finance Minister Nicola Willis confirmed a number of changes to Family Boost which she said would help families with the cost of living.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez March to get the party’s take on all of these issues.
The Southerner was a passenger express train in the South Island running between Christchurch and Invercargill from 1970 to 2002.
The train was eventually closed due a decline in passenger numbers and subsidies, although it was briefly revived in May this year for four days as part of a tourist experience.
Recently, a group of campaigners from Save our Trains launched a petition calling on the government to restore the Southerner train route as a more accessible form of travel for South Islanders.
Wednesday Wire Host Oto spoke with Dave Macpherson from Save Our Train - Southern, to discuss his petition and why the Southerner should be restored.
Hearings on the regulatory standards bill are currently underway, with around 23,000 total submissions both written and oral. Early analysis of the submissions estimated 88% percent are in opposition, while only 0.3% are in support.
The bill has been pushed by Minister for Regulation and ACT Party leader David Seymour, who says it should support the government to reduce regulation and ensure the protection of individual rights and private property. The bill has been criticised for not including clauses around Te Tiriti o Waitangi or environmental protections. It has also been criticised for potentially undemocratic elements, placing large amounts of control in the hands of the unelected Ministry for Regulation.
In our weekly catch-up with the National party, Wire host Castor asked Tom Rutherford about the regulatory standards bill in light of the select committee hearings and new criticisms.
Recently, the government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mayors of Auckland, Otago, and Western Bay of Plenty Councils over the government’s expectations of City and Regional Deals. These deals aim to tighten the partnership between central and local governments.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, speaks to MP Cameron Luxton about what to expect heading forward regarding the relationship between local, regional, and central government.
They also discussed last week's Youth Parliament.
Youth Parliament provides the opportunity for 143 rangatahi aged 16-to-24 as Youth MPs, representing MPs across the political spectrum, and Youth Press Gallery members, to understand the country’s political processes, understand how government works, and replicate the Parliamentary process.
Youth MPs had previously accused event organisers of ‘censoring’ their speeches. This follows the MPs being asked to remove elements of their speeches that were critical of government policies, such as the Treaty Principles Bill and pay equity.
However, The Ministry of Youth Development has come out saying the way they communicated their wishes with Youth MPs could have been clearer and more concise. The general manager of the Ministry, John Robertson, says reviewing speeches and suggesting changes was a part of the process, but these recommendations are not enforced.
They also spoke to Luxton about these accusations, and whether they are tantamount to censorship.
Finally, they discussed calls by over half of the Youth MPs represented in this year's Youth Parliament, from across the political spectrum, renewing calls for the voting age to be lowered, to allow 16-to-17-year-olds the right to vote.
5 ACT Youth MPs, including the Youth MP representing Cameron Luxton, Fletcher Brown, had signed a letter calling for the voting age to be reduced.
This follows the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling that found the current voting age is unjustified age discrimination and goes against the Human Rights Act 1993.
They also discussed these renewed calls to lower the voting age.
Following Israel and the US’ large-scale attacks on Iran, and Israel’s continued war on Gaza, this has raised the question on the future of international order.
News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to the Executive Director of the Britain Palestine Project, Dr Brian Brivati, about this turning point in international order, and what we should expect heading forward.
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones has suggested to the local government forum that regional councils may be abolished, stating that
"After the upcoming changes to the Resource Management Act, I doubt that there's going to be a compelling case for regional government to continue to exist.“
Regional councils across Aotearoa are responsible for matters relating to natural resource management, flood control, and biosecurity.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said effectiveness between different councils is varied, and that councils generate too much bureaucracy and are “too focussed on vanity projects”.
As well, in order to make the most of local and central investment into Auckland’s growing city, the government is asking Auckland Council to increase the housing development allowance around key Central Rail Link stations in the lead up to the project’s completion.
Seeking to amend the resource management act, the government hopes to increase housing height and density around Mount Albert and Baldwin Avenue stations, allowing upzoning of ten stories around these areas, in addition to allowing upzoning of fifteen stories around Maungawhau, Morningside and Kingsland.
Producer Sara spoke with Councillor Julie Fairey about both of these topics, starting with the proposal to scrap regional councils.
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