Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Joel Armstrong, Sara Mckoy, Max Micheel, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
With the ongoing cost of living crisis, many kiwis have had to make choices between feeding themselves, and their pets– often skipping meals and putting their pets first.
Producer Faith spoke to NZ Food Network CEO Gavin Findlay about the issue, and what needs to be done to address food insecurity in Aotearoa
For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin talks to us about Inca record keeping, snail eyes, and imaging embryo implantation, thanks to MOTAT.
For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire Host Sara spoke to MP Carl Bates about the Resources Management act changes, and the removal of te reo Māori from the Ready to Read phonics series.
Sara also spoke to University of Auckland student magazine Craccum’s News Editor Irene Parsaei about proposed cuts to the magazine’s funding.
Producer Faith spoke to Gavin Findlay, CEO of the NZ Food Network about how many kiwis have been choosing to feed their pets over themselves.
A couple of weeks ago in our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, we discussed multiple countries moving to formally recognise Palestinian Statehood, and what New Zealand’s plans were in this regard.
Last week, Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, said the country would carefully weigh its position over the next month in recognising the state of Palestine.
During a debate in Parliament, the government’s delay in recognising a Palestinian state, as opposed to other countries such as France, the UK, Canada, and Australia, led Green Party co-leader, Chlöe Swarbrick, to refer to the country as “outlier,” and called for the government MPs “with a spine” to “stand on the right side of history”. This led to her being ordered to leave Parliament by Speaker Gerry Brownlee, after refusing to apologise for her statement.
As well as this, last week, Education Minister, Erica Stanford, announced cancelling the early-reading book At the Marae from its Ready to Read Phonics Plus series.
The government’s reasoning for this is through “mixed” evidence suggesting that learning both English and te reo Māori for young learners could confuse them.
The move has been widely criticised by linguists, academics, and educators, for being “an act of racism” and “white supremacy”.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, Producer Castor spoke to Simon about both these topics, starting with recognising a Palestinian state.
Find out more about the Māori words which are a part of the official Oxford English Dictionary here
Last week, the Greyhound Racing Association requested that the High Court block the Government’s planned ban on the Industry next year until a judicial review of the legislation and industry were undertaken.
The association’s lawyers claim that the move by the government ignores improvements to the industry and the standard of welfare for Greyhounds, and that the industry should have been consulted before the decision to ban Greyhound Racing.
Producer Alex spoke to the University of Auckland’s Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere about whether or not the government was required to consult the Association and Industry, and whether or not the Association’s claims about welfare improvements are valid.
Following on from our chat with Simon Court, Thursday Wire Host, Caeden, spoke to Margaret Mutu - a Māori Studies Professor at the University of Auckland, who has a PhD in linguistics, about Education Minister, Erica Stanford’s announcement, that the early-reading book At the Marae from the Ready to Read Phonics Plus series, will be canned.
The ministry told RNZ that At the Marae, unlike other books in the series, the book uses six kupu Māori, could result in challenges for young learners.
However, Officials have advised the ministry that there was “limited” research regarding the effect kupu Māori had in early-reading books.
Caeden spoke to Mutu about this, and the positives of raising tamariki with both English and te reo Māori.
Last week, the Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa published the results of a survey poll showing public support for sanctions on Israel. The PSNA have backed the results as proof that popular opinion in Aotearoa is against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Further, PSNA claims that by doing nothing, the Government and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters are falling out of alignment with the public on the issue, and demands action from the Government.
Producer Alex spoke to Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa Co-Chair John Minto about the results of the survey, what they mean, and what PSNA want to see from the Government.
Last week, Green Party co-leader, Chlöe Swarbrick, was kicked out of Parliament for a week for refusing to withdraw her comments calling for MPs to get “a spine”.
Her comments came during a debate on recognising Palestine as a state. She also urged MPs to support her member’s bill, which would sanction Israel for its war crimes in Gaza.
This comes as Australia, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom have indicated their own plans to recognise a Palestinian state.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the media last week that “a two-state solution is humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza.”
Despite stating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost the plot”, our own Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has refused to commit to recognising a Palestinian state.
Caeden spoke to Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa co-chair Maher Nazzal about Swarbrick’s removal from Parliament and the need for Aotearoa to take action for Palestine
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, Producer Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about Green Party co-leader, Chlöe Swarbrick, being kicked out of Parliament for her speech on Palestine, and te reo Māori being discontinued in the ‘Ready to Read: Phonic Plus series’.
Thursday Wire Host Caeden spoke to Margaret Mutu - a professor in Māori Studies at the University of Auckland, about the discontinuation of the ‘Ready to Read: Phonic Plus’ series, and the positives of tamariki being raised with both te reo Māori and English knowledge.
And Caeden spoke to the co-chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa, Maher Nazzel, on Chlöe Swarbrick being kicked out of Parliament for her speech on Palestine, and the need for Aotearoa to take action for Palestine.
Alex spoke to the University of Auckland’s Marcelo Rodriquez Ferrere about the Greyhound Racing Association’s turn to the High Court to halt the Government’s ban on the industry until a Judicial review of the legislation, and whether the Association’s objections to the ban hold weight.
He also spoke to Co-Chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa John Minto about a recent Survey poll published by the PSNA that showed a majority of the public support the government applying sanctions on Israel, and how the Government should react
This week the Dental for All campaign set out on a national roadshow to build public support over communities across the country.
The campaign team stands for universal, free and te-tiriti consistent dental healthcare that is delivered through our public health care system.
Under the current system individuals above the age of 18 have to access dental healthcare privately and those in need can apply for a WINZ grant of $1000, which is strictly means tested. This often means that those who do not qualify for the grant simply do not access dental health care.
According to public polling carried out in 2022, 74% of the public supports the idea of universal dental health care.
The campaign is trying to make the case to communities across the country so that they can get buy-in necessary from political leaders, going into the 2026 election next year.
Producer Sanat wanted to get more insight into what the campaign team sees as its road to victory on this issue and whether this is a feasible proposal, so he talked to Dental for All campaigner Hana Pilkinton-Ching about her work.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about former Prime Minister Helen Clark’s comments on Israel obstructing aid to Gaza, the recent Taxpayers Union-Curia poll and changes to electorate boundaries and names for the next election.
For International Desk, they spoke to Assistant Professor in Journalism at Mount Royal University, Gabriela Perdomo Páez, about Israel’s targeted attacks on Palestinian journalists.
For City Counselling this week, Producer Sanat spoke with Councillor Julie Fairey about the CRL and building infrastructure in Auckland.
He also talked to Dental For All campaigner Hana about their new national roadshow.
And he had a conversation with Dr Gabriell McDonald from the University of Otago about the new GP funding formula and how it neglects ethnicity data.
From Dec 27 to Jan 18, all train lines across Tāmaki will be shutting down for summer maintenance, a closure which is expected to be the last of its kind ahead of the opening of the City Rail Link.
The current measles outbreak in Tāmaki is being continually monitored, with exposure sites being updated daily on info.health.nz. The public are encouraged to track whether they’ve been in possible contact with the virus, and get up to date on any vaccinations to limit possibilities of transmission.
Auckland Council are supporting arts initiatives across the summer months, with Music in the Park kicking off in early January, and Movies in the Park following in February.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about these topics, and also asked for comment following the attack by two gunmen at Bondi Beach earlier this week.
Yesterday, the latest six-monthly survey of housing support providers under the National Homelessness Data Project, or NHDP, showed that homelessness in Auckland has more than doubled in the year to September. The report also found that 14 of the 21 agencies interviewed reported an increase in homelessness.
As well as this, Australia’s ban on social media for children under 16 has taken effect. And according to an interim report into social media harm, a social media ban for children in New Zealand is worth exploring further.
And last week the Government announced the replacement of the Resource Management Act, or RMA. The coalition said its replacement will slash red tape and supercharge growth.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about the Government’s new RMA reforms and a potential social media ban in New Zealand.
But first they discussed the latest report on Auckland homelessness.
The Parliament’s Workforce and Education Committee has released an interim report on an inquiry into the harm young New Zealanders face online. The government has recently announced an overhaul of the Resource Management Act and introduced two new bills in its place, the Natural Environment Bill and the Planning Bill.
For our weekly catch-up with the National Party, Producer Vihan spoke to MP Carl Bates, who is also the Deputy Chairperson of the Workforce and Education Committee, about the new findings of the interim report, the new Natural Environment Bill, and the Fast Track Approval Amendments Bill.
The government has announced the overhaul of the Resource Management Act (RMA), which will be replaced by two different bills, the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill. The RMA is set to be fully replaced by 2029.
The RMA, which has been in effect for 34 years, is polarising across the political spectrum.
In announcing the reforms, RMA Reform Minister, Chris Bishop, says that “pretty much everything” will be quicker and less costly under the new regime.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about this overhaul of the RMA.
They also discussed The Education and Workforce Committee’s interim report on the harms young people experience online, with a majority recommending a ban on social media for under-16-year-olds.
But first, they discussed the overhaul of the RMA.
On Sunday, “Block the Ban” held a protest against the government’s decision to ban new prescriptions of puberty blockers for young people with gender dysphoria.
The United Nations’ committee for the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination has released a report warning that New Zealand is at serious risk of weakening Māori rights.
And last week, the government rejected the recommended methane emissions targets.
This is despite officials warning against the government doing so, stating that lowering methane emissions targets could increase New Zealand’s contribution to global warming.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about all of these topics.
Safety measures on public transport are of growing concern this week following the fatal and unprovoked attack that took place on route 76 in East Tāmkaki on Monday night.
Earlier this week there were also multiple critical incidents that occurred simultaneously across Auckland’s West Coast beaches and waterways, seeing an unusually high deployment of emergency services and surf lifesavers for this early in the summer.
Swedish home and furniture retailer Ikea opened in Sylvia Park a week ago today, drawing huge excitement for many.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about these topics.
Last week was scrutiny week, where Parliament focuses entirely on holding government agencies and ministers to account, to check-in on how well the Government is performing.
Many of the questions surrounding scrutiny week have been focused on climate change, with many recent reports highlighting the Government’s questionable decision-making.. The biggest headline was that the coalition had chosen to reject all three of the climate change commission’s recommendations to strengthen New Zealand’s emissions targets.
Along with this, the United Nations released a new report, where they’ve warned that New Zealand is at serious risk of weakening Māori rights and entrenching disparities for the indigenous population. In the 14-page report, the UN expressed concerns over multiple government policies affecting Maori, including the disestablishment of the Maori Health Authority, cuts to public funding for Maori services, and minimising the role of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about the report released by the United Nations, but first they discussed Scrutiny Week and the Government’s recent climate change decisions.
The government is pausing the new prescriptions of Puberty Blockers to gender diverse and transgender young people from the 19th of December onwards, following a similar move by the UK after the results of the NHS’s Cass Review.
Wire Producer Flo spoke to activist Lauren Craig about the effects of the legislation, her petition “Reverse the decision to deny transgender and takatāpui young people access to puberty blockers” against the changes and the wider political motivation for the policy.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here
The biannual Scrutiny Week took place in Parliament last week, with meetings across select committees and government departments focussed on scrutinising the outcomes of government work.
These include hearings on ministries like Health, Housing, Environment and Justice.
Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Carl Bates about Scrutiny Week, firstly by asking him to talk about the meetings he was involved in
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