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.
In the Government’s 2024 Budget, over FIVE BILLION dollars has been allocated to military spending.
Despite this being a slight decrease from the actual number spent on the military over the past few years, this still equates to over ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN MILLION per week.
Producer Joel spoke to Coordinator of Peace Movement Aotearoa, Edwina Hughes, about the 2024 Budget and her thoughts on the money allocation to military services as opposed to other services.
They started off by asking her how much the military has been allocated in previous years.
Last Thursday, the coalition government revealed its annual budget for 2024.
While the announcement highlighted the government's efforts to lower income tax and expenditure, the budget came under fire from many for what they say were cuts that would put our public services under even greater pressure, and created disappointing outcomes for Maori and marginalised communities across Aotearoa that failed to uphold the government’s obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
For their weekly catch up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez-March to talk about budget 2024, with a specific focus on the areas of: Environmental Conservation, Tax and Te Tiriti obligations.
The Budget 2024 includes cuts to funding for the environmental sector such as the Department of Conservation, the Ministry for the Environment, Environmental Legal Aid, and the Climate Change Commission.
Greenpeace Aotearoa has said these cuts provide more reason to join the March for Nature on this Saturday the 8th of June.
Producer Sofia Roger Williams spoke to Greenpeace Aotearoa Executive Director, Dr Russel Norman, about the march and Greenpeace’s response to Budget 2024.
She began their kōrero asking him what parts of the Budget concerned Greenpeace the most.
The Budget 2024 has a notable lack of funding for Māori development and cuts to Māori housing.
In response, Te Kāhui Tangata, the Human Rights Commission, has urged the government to commit to te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Producer Sofia Roger Williams spoke to Tatau-Urutahi, shared leader at the Commission, Julia Whaipooti, about whether the Budget upholds te Tiriti and what it says about the government’s values.
She started the interview asking her what parts of the Budget concerned her.
For Dear Science this week, Doctor Cushla McGoverin about microbes in the baths of Bath, genetically isolated trout, and the James Webb Space Telescope.
Wire host Castor spoke to the National Party’s Tom Rutherford about the first home buyers bonus and last week's budget announcements.
Producer Sofia spoke to Executive Director of Greenpeace Aotearoa, Russel Norman, about funding cuts to environmental sectors in Budget 2024 and the March for Nature in Tāmaki Makaurau this Saturday
She also spoke to Tatau Urutahi shared leader at Te Kāhui Tika Tangata, the Human Rights Commission, Julia Whaipooti, about the Budget in terms of whether it upholds te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Last week the government released its budget, announcing cuts and new funding across sectors. Particularly notable were the tax cuts, promised during the campaign last year to support lower and middle-income families. The government’s calculator indicates that many will not receive a significant amount of money from these cuts, with those on high incomes benefiting the most.
The budget also contained changes to fees free in universities, moving the free year from students’ first year to their last.
Additionally, before the budget announcements, the government also scrapped the first home buyers grant, a policy introduced to support New Zealanders into their first homes.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire Host Castor spoke to MP Tom Rutherford about the first home buyers bonus, public reception of the tax cuts, and the changes to fees free in universities.
June is the month for Sweat With Pride in Aotearoa, where Kiwis can sign up to sweat for 21 minutes everyday to raise money for services provided by the Burnett Foundation, Rainbow Youth, OutLine and InsideOut for our rainbow and Takatāpui communities. Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to the Burnett Foundation’s Ella Sarigson ahead of the initiative kicking off this Saturday!
It’s not too late to get involved - head to sweatwithpride.com to signup and support our rainbow and takatāpui communities.
This week the Thursday Wire's usual host Caeden was away, so Tuesday Wire host Castor filled in.
For City Counselling this week, Castor spoke to Shane Henderson about the draft regional land transport plan for Auckland and the council’s hopes for budget announcements later today.
Producer Jasmine spoke with Dr. Hiran Thabrew about mental health funding following the Government’s budget announcement regarding investment in the I Am Hope Foundation.
She also spoke PSA Delegate Sian Dalaway about pay parity negotiations for NZ Blood Service workers ahead of tomorrow’s strike.
She also spoke with Ella Sargison from the Burnett Foundation about June’s Sweat With Pride initiative.
Last week the government announced a $24 million funding commitment to I Am Hope, the foundation behind Mike King’s Gumboot Friday initiative. The $6million annual allocation is set to fund two counselling sessions for those ages 5-25 years old. Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Senior Lecturer in Psychological Medicine, Dr. Hiran Thabrew, on differing strategies to address mental health investment needs.
Strike action by more than 290 NZ Blood Service Workers across the motu begins tomorrow. The decision follows seven months of stalled negotiations in pursuit of funding that seeks to rectify the 13-35% pay gap between NZ Blood Service Workers and their colleagues of the same job roles, skills, experience at Te Whatu Ora. Representatives of strike action have affirmed the support of the executive team at NZ Blood during this process, and have emphasised that frustrations lie around the unnecessary and harmful delays in securing the funding to solve the issue. Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Public Service Association Delegate, Sian Dallaway, ahead of tomorrow’s strike.
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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