Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Castor Chacko, Alex Fox, Emmanuel Orange, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
Recently, commentators and industry voices have been raising the alarm about the state of our public health service while thousands of nurses strike for better conditions. One facet of this is concerns over inadequate nurse staffing compounded by the underhiring of nurse graduates. Leaks from Health New Zealand last week show reforms that will ensure nurse graduates are offered some work, but they will also be offered fewer hours of support and training.
Dr Sue Adams, a senior lecturer of Nursing specialising in developing the Nursing workforce at the University of Auckland has called Health New Zealand's move wrong-footed.
Producer Emmanuel spoke to Dr Adams to discuss the implications of these reforms, the state of the public health system as a whole and the silencing of nurses raising concerns.
For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Wednesday Wire host Oto spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March about the government’s announcement to expand support services for rough sleepers, Green MP Benjamin Doyle’s resignation from Parliament and Erica Stanford’s recently announced measures to crack down on overstayers.
And, for this week’s Get Action! He spoke with Fiona McDonald from Education Outdoors New Zealand about her petition to keep outdoor education on the list of senior curriculum subjects.
Wire producer Max spoke to Stephen Hoadley - a retired professor in international relations, to discuss the potential for more European and US sanctions against Russia.
And he also spoke to Will Alexander, a former actor on Shortland Street to discuss the recent global news of an Actors strike against Israel.
And Wire producer Manny spoke to Dr Sue Adams, Senior Lecturer of Nursing, to discuss Health New Zealand/Te Whatu Ora’s nursing reforms leaked last week and their implications for the workforce.
When a White House reporter asked the President of the United States, Donald Trump, whether he was ready to move to the “second phase” of sanctions against Russia and Vladimir Putin earlier this week, Trump responded with a blunt “yeah I am” and chose not to elaborate any further.
Following this, the European Union’s most senior sanctions envoy was confirmed to be holding talks with US counterparts, which were reported to have taken place yesterday. The main topic was to look for tougher measures to weaken Vladimir Putin’s war machine, after Russia launched its largest-ever airstrike against Ukraine this past weekend.
To discuss what the “second phase” of sanctions against Russia could be, and how it could impact the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Producer Max talked to Stephen Hoadley, a retired professor of international relations at the University of Auckland.
Hundreds of actors, directors and other film industry professionals, including the likes of Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton have signed a pledge, which was submitted by the group “Film Workers for Palestine”, where they have vowed not to work with Israeli film institutions that they say are “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people”, the pledge is inspired by the cultural boycott that contributed to the end of apartheid in South Africa.
Taking it back to last year, Will Alexander, a New Zealand actor who has appeared on Shortland Street in the past, chose to go on a hunger strike due to what he referred to as the New Zealand government being complicit in an ongoing genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people.
As he has personally acted against Israel in the past, Producer Max spoke to Will to get his opinion on the news of other global actors choosing to strike against Israel and how an actor can shape public perception.
For Dear Science, our expert, Allan Blackman, chatted with us about the Voyager One getting really hot in space, breakfast impacting life expectancy, and nuclear fusion in Palladium metal.
For our weekly catchup with the National Party, News director Joel spoke to MP Carl Bates the recent Budget documents have shown an almost $8.5 billion hole in future funding, the government’s expansion of support for those rough sleeping, and changes to Auckland Transport.
Producer Faith spoke to researcher and epidemiologist from Massey University, Professor Jackie Benschop, about the changing risk factors of leptospirosis in Aotearoa.
She also spoke to tax expert Nick Miller from Tax Justice Aotearoa about big tech companies’ tax avoidance, and what steps the government needs to take to address it.
Aotearoa continues to have one of the highest leptospirosis rates among developed countries, with flooding (notably the Hawkes Bay floods in 2023) being one of the main catalysts.
A recent study shows that other causes include exposure to rodents, working with uncovered cuts, and handling of livestock. The carried lepto strains are currently not protected by any existing vaccines.
Last week, producer Faith spoke to researcher and epidemiologist Professor Jackie Benschop from Massey University about the disease, and what needs to be done.
Recently, ACT Party Leader, David Seymour, announced the party’s position statement on climate, saying that if the Paris Agreement isn’t reformed, the country should leave the agreement.
The Paris Agreement, signed by New Zealand by the then National-led government in 2016, aims to keep the global average temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with an overall aim of keeping the temperature increase to 1.5°C. Currently, Aotearoa is one of 195 UN parties to adopt this framework.
If the country were to leave the Paris Agreement, the country would join the likes of the US, who signed an executive order to withdraw this year, and Iran, Libya, and Yemen, who have never formally joined the agreement.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to him about the Paris Agreement, and our future with this framework.
Last week, a study was published in the Sports Medicine Journal revealing that over an extended period, male high-level rugby players were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or other neurodegenerative diseases than the general population.
This comes as increasing research and attention is being paid to head trauma, and the way it affects the individual long term.
Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Dr Stephanie D’Souza, co-author of the study and Senior lecturer at the University of Auckland, about the Study’s results, what they tell us about head and brain injuries, and what that means for New Zealand’s national sport.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, speaks to MP Simon Court about the party’s stance on the Paris Agreement.
Joel also speaks to Dr Maria Armoudian, an Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland, the director of the University’s Sustainability Hub, and the co-director of the Ngā Ara Whatū Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society at the University, about the ACT Party’s stance on the Paris Agreement, and the importance of the framework.
And Alex speaks to The University of Auckland’s Dr Stephanie D’Souza about a study showing that high-level rugby players faced an increased risk of Alzheimer’s and other dementias at later ages.
Following on from my chat with MP Simon Court, I spoke to Dr Maria Armoudian, an Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland, the director of the University’s Sustainability Hub, and the co-director of the Ngā Ara Whatū Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society at the University, on the ACT Party’s stance on the Paris Agreement.
ACT’s stance on the Paris Agreement has received substantial criticism. Despite NZ First also being in support for moving away from the Paris Agreement, National have been staunch on continuing with this framework, alongside the Opposition Parties.
Greenpeace campaigner, Amanda Larsson, has referred to ACT Party Leader David Seymour’s comments regarding the framework as “rage-baiting the extremist edge of the farming community to grab headlines” and that Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, “mustn’t bite”.
This comes as Luxon indicated last week changes to our methane targets. Methane makes up almost a third of global warming, and is over 80x more powerful than CO₂ in the short term.
News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to Armoudian about this, starting with how important the Paris Agreement is, and what exactly the framework is.
Earlier this week, Councillor Julie Fairey moved a resolution to investigate Auckland Council’s involvement with companies that are complicit in Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.
And this week, Auckland Council launched an AI virtual assistant to report issues such as graffiti, roaming dogs, and noise complaints.
For City Counselling, Wire Host Caeden spoke with Councillor Julie Fairey about both of these topics.
Last Friday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown announced the signing of a new ‘City Deal’.
The deal will see closer partnership between the central government and Auckland Council, coordinating planning in areas such as infrastructure and transportation.
The deal will see a long-term partnership between the government and council, with regular meetings and cooperation on strategies for innovation and transportation, with reviews of sporting venues such as Eden Park and the Auckland Tennis Centre.
However, the deal has been critiqued by some as being a collection of promises without any new funding.
So for our weekly catch-up with the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March, he and producer Theo discussed the signing of the Auckland City Deal, and how the Green Party would work with Auckland Council on issues such as transportation and infrastructure.
Last week, the Government and Auckland Council agreed on the ‘Auckland City Deal’, which seeks to enhance co-ordination between the two bodies to enable better investment in the city to get the most out of what Mayor Wayne Brown has called the ‘Engine’ of the economy. This will see better communication between the mayor and prime minister, co-operation on certain legislation, and funding.
The weekend also saw Cyclone Vaianu hit the country, with parts of the country facing damage and flooding. The government now has the job of responding to the damage, and deciding what needs to change, looking forward to future cyclones.
This week, Host Alex spoke with National Party MP Ryan Hamilton about each of these topics.
Last week, the Ministry for the Environment together with Stats New Zealand released Our Freshwater 2026, a major report on the state of Aotearoa’s freshwater systems based on decades of data. The report highlights both long-term improvement and deterioration of waterways nationwide, with particular focus on groundwater sources and the impacts of agricultural land use and the climate crisis on water quality.
I spoke to Troy Baisden, co-president of the New Zealand Association of Scientists and Adjunct Professor at Victoria University of Wellington, about what the findings of this report mean and also about the strengths and limitations of freshwater reporting.
Over the past week, the conflict in Iran has seen consistent U-turns as the United States continues to change its strategy in the war. On Wednesday morning, US President Donald Trump threatened Iran, saying "a civilisation will die tonight", just hours before agreeing to a two-week ceasefire with Tehran.
This ceasefire is now in doubt, however, as Israel has escalated its bombing campaign in Lebanon, killing hundreds since it was signed, and Trump announced this morning that the US will block the Strait of Hormuz after failed peace talks with Iran in Pakistan.
Amidst all of this, New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the day of Trump's threats and wouldn't condemn the comments. Some New Zealanders are concerned by the country's limp response to these illegal threats and actions against Iran.
Also this month, the Act Party has continued to call for the abolition of the Broadcasting Standards Authority, after it was announced that a complaint about online site The Platform and its host, Sean Plunkett, would be looked at by the authority.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party's Simon Court, producer Thomas asked him about the ceasefire in Iran, the US blocking the Strait of Hormuz and the Broadcasting Standards Authority.
Over the past few weeks, the government has been hesitant to call out the US and Israel for their role in the recent conflict in Iran. While Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has called for all parties to comply with international law, he refrained from explicitly addressing either aggressor. Only in the past week has Luxon offered any criticism, calling Trump’s Iran policy “unhelpful” and Finance Minister Nicola Willis “alarmed” at Trump’s comments around destruction of civilisation in Iran. Labour has criticised the government for its lack of a hard stance.
Also this past week has seen funding for the Tukituki water security project secured, which could see flooding for significant amounts of conservation land in the Hawke’s Bay. The project could also see acceleration under the Fast Track Approvals bill, which Labour has also criticised since its inception.
Lastly, Auckland Council has repeatedly called for additional support for public transport amidst the fuel crisis. Despite these calls, the government has yet to deliver.
To discuss each of these topics and what the Labour party could bring to the table, News Director Castor spoke to Labour MP Shanan Halbert.
A record number of Aucklanders are using public transport amidst rising fuel costs. The average number of users is up 10% from the same time last year.
And yesterday, Watercare lifted its boil water notice for the suburbs of Hillsborough, Mt Roskill, Royal Oak, and Three Kings after 2 days under the notice.
The notice was due to a detection of bacteria on Monday, which a Watercare investigation found was caused by a single water quality monitoring tap.
For City Counselling this week, The Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about these topics.
This morning, with negotiations continuing to stall and his own deadline for ending the war approaching, US President Donald Trump threatened civilisational destruction on Iran if they did not concede to the US demands. Whether a sincere threat or an act of brinkmanship may remain unclear, as just before Trump’s deadline, Trump claimed a two week ceasefire had been agreed to.
Last week, the Green Party released their housing policy - a home for everyone. It takes a welfare-based approach, pitching rent controls, reversing tax breaks on the bright line test, and a public housing building program.
For our weekly catch-up with the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March, Wire host Manny asked about the gravity of Trump's threats on Iran, but began with the Greens' housing platform.
Cabbage, mull, buds, dak, smoke, skunk, hash, chronic, grass, pot, cannabis. It’s the fourth most used recreational drug in New Zealand, coming in behind caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco. Back in 2020, alongside the general election, voters were asked in a non-binding referendum whether they supported a proposed cannabis legalisation and control bill. The result was a vote opposing the legalisation of cannabis by a thin margin.
Currently, medicinal cannabis is available via prescription, but cannabis otherwise remains illegal to use, distribute, or produce.
For this week’s Get Action, producer Theo spoke to Patrick and Colden from the Reeferendum 2026 campaign, on their petition to legalise cannabis and reform drug laws and policing in Aotearoa New Zealand.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here.
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