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.
At the beginning of May, advocacy group Students for Fair Rent, launched a ‘rent strike’ against the University of Auckland. This saw many students withholding their rent from their halls of residence.
Just over a month later a decision was made to end the strike. Now, still with no response from the University, the group is moving away from solely targeting the tertiary institution, and instead focusing on legislative change.
Producer Evie spoke to the groups organiser, Matthew Lee, who explains what happened over the course of the strike and what led to its end.
The government has proposed to reverse changes made to increase Māori representation in local government by reverting the Māori ward rules to restore the referendum mechanism.
This would mean if any council wanted to establish a Māori ward, and a petition that had been signed by 5% of people was presented, a binding referendum would have to be held.
Additionally, the bill requires that all the councils that created Māori wards since 2021 have to hold a poll about whether to keep them at the 2025 local elections, with the results of the poll to be binding and come into force in 2028.
ActionStation has released a report, ‘Protect Māori Wards’, which has gathered the stories of over 200 community members on their experiences of Māori wards.
Host Sofia Roger Williams spoke to ActionStation director, Kassie Hartendorp (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), about what the report found, why Māori wards are important, and the government’s proposed changes for Māori wards more generally.
New Zealand recognises the threat of climate change to Pacific nations but this is not reflected in our immigration policies.
As environmental disasters increasingly impact the pacific, many are calling for these laws to be reviewed to make migration more accessible.
Wire Host Caeden spoke about this issue with World Vision’s Dr Olivia Yates. They started by asking why there is a need to introduce new immigration policy relating to climate change in the Pacific.
The rising cost of living in Aotearoa is pushing many families out of cities and bringing them to smaller rural communities and towns.
The influx of new residents and housing developments in these areas is having a massive impact on the schools and teachers within those communities, reshaping the identity of the schools and the way they structure themselves.
Oto spoke to Dr Jennifer Tatebe, a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland, to discuss the impacts of urbanisation on rural schools.
Last week United States bank Wells Fargo made headlines for firing a dozen employees who were caught faking working from home.
Wells Fargo has started monitoring employees' computers which showed software being used to establish fake activity from employees’ computers.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to the University of Auckland’s Dr Emmy van Esch about this Wells Fargo example and the ethics of monitoring employees' computers more generally.
New Caledonia has been dominating headlines recently for ongoing riots and indigenous opposition against an attempt from France to tighten their political control over the territory.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to indigenous Kanak youth co-ordinator Viro Xulue about recent developments in their fight against French rule on this issue and more generally.
We also spoke about his comments that New Zealanders, especially Māori, should be standing in solidarity with the Kanak people.
He encourages everyone to write to their MPs in support of New Caledonian independence from France and to also organise and attend rallies for this cause.
They started by asking what the current situation is.
The current coalition government has decided not to implement Labour’s plans to do mandatory reporting for pay gaps with companies that have more than 250 employees.
Instead they will introduce a voluntary tool for companies to use in order to determine Gender pay gaps.
Rawan spoke with Senior human rights advisor Oliver Christeller from the Human rights commission about what this tool is and what the benefits could be.
They also talked about the Commissioners' call to include ethnicity pay gap into the conversation. They discussed the current state of the ethnicity pay gap and why there needs to be an increased focus on this now more than ever.
This week is scrutiny week in Parliament. This is a chance for the opposition to question relevant Ministers about the budget in select committees, and for the public to see the inner workings of government questioned in an accessible way.
Some of the headlines to have come out of this week include discussions of New Zealand failing to uphold climate commitments, supporting media, and what makes this country liveable in light of the high numbers of New Zealanders moving overseas.
For our weekly catch-up with Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez March Wire host Caeden asks about all these topics.
They started by asking about what scrutiny week means.
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
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