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.
Early in April, the Department of Conservation faced criticisms for spending $500,000 to remove one stoat from Chalky Island in Fiordland.
Wire host Castor spoke to the University of Auckland’s Professor James Russell, about conservation and pest eradication broadly in Aotearoa, individual community efforts, and this specific case of one nasty stoat.
The missile attack launched by Iran on Israel drew responses from a number of Western countries, spreading concern and condemning the actions of Iran’s government.
The attack followed an airstrike by Israel on the first of April, on Iran’s embassy in Damascus, Syria.
While international organisations, including New Zealand’s government, were quick to respond to the recent response from Iran, few commented on this earlier attack. Wire host Castor spoke to Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa’s chair John Minto about this and New Zealand’s response to Israel’s actions more broadly.
Last week, it was announced that 130 jobs at the Department of Conservation will be cut in a proposed restructure.
These are among the almost 2000 public service job cuts being made to meet the Finance Minister's cost-cutting target of a 6.5 percent reduction in spending.
Additionally, the cuts at DOC were announced the same day as the release of the Our Land 2024 report on Aotearoa’s natural ecosystems and landscapes.
Producer Sofia Roger Williams spoke to Group Manager of Conservation Advocacy and Communications at Forest and Bird, Richard Capie, about the impacts and significance of these cuts on the environment and the economy, in light of the Fast Track legislation, Our Land 2024, and the cuts to other departments contributing to the protection of Aotearoa’s environment
In a recent report card on Aotearoa’s laws and policies for vaping, the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation New Zealand found the government still has significant areas for improvement to address the youth vaping epidemic.
Producer Sofia Roger Williams spoke to Chief Executive, Letitia Harding, about New Zealand’s current laws and policies for vaping, the importance of regulation and restriction, and what measures the Foundation would like to see the government take to better address these.
For our regular catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to MP Simon Court about the government’s plan to address low truancy levels post-COVID-19, and Court’s X post stating he stands with Israel.
She spoke to Professional Teaching Fellow in Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland, Dr Brian Marsh, and Senior Lecturer in Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland, Dr John Fenaughty, about how the government can improve school attendance rates.
And she reported on Trade Me’s legal action against small business Trade Jobs NZ, speaking to the owner of Trade Jobs NZ, Colleen Getley.
Producer Ezra spoke to Associate Professor of Environmental Science at The University of Waikato, David Campbell, and Senior Ecologist at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Olivia Burge, about the climate-saving potential of Wetland Conservation.
A recent symposium by the National Wetland Trust has emphasised the critical role of wetlands in carbon absorption and supporting the ecosystem. With New Zealand having lost 90% of its wetlands over the last 150 years, experts have emphasised the need for conservation and restoration efforts.
Producer Ezra spoke to Associate Professor of Environmental Science at The University of Waikato, David Campbell, and Senior Ecologist at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Olivia Burge, about the climate-saving potential of New Zealand’s wetlands.
Following the government announcing its plan to improve school attendance rates, News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to experts in the education sector about their thoughts on the proposal.
First, she spoke to Professional Teaching Fellow in Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland, Dr Brian Marsh, about what factors are responsible for low truancy rates in the past few years.
She also spoke to Senior Lecturer in Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland, Dr John Fenaughty, about how we can make school a more inclusive space that is safe for LGBTQIA+ students.
Small business, Trade Jobs NZ, is facing a legal dispute with Trade Me over its name and branding, with Trade Me claiming copyright infringement for using the words 'Trade' and 'Jobs'.
Trade Me told 95bFM they cannot go into the details of the case while it is before the Court, but they provided us with the following statement:
“We have used the name Trade Me Jobs since 2006. It’s an important part of our business. We’ve worked hard to build a distinctive brand that is recognised and trusted by Kiwis. We rarely take the decision to go to court and we don’t take the decision lightly – it is something we would only consider as a last resort.”
News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Trade Jobs NZ owner, Colleen Getley, about their business and opposition to Trade Me’s claim.
The recent release of the Ministry for Environment’s Our Land 2024 report has again reiterated the impacts of intensive farming and agriculture on freshwater ecosystems. Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Head of Campaigns and Greenpeace spokesperson Amanda Larsson about the stakes for freshwater protections under the current coalition government.
The Ministry of Social Development is not immune to job cuts seen in other public service departments, with MSD calling for voluntary redundancies after cost-saving efforts failed to meet Government targets. For our weekly catch-up with Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni Wire Host Caeden asks her about the impact of cuts at MSD, especially amongst other Government policies disadvantaging beneficiaries.
They also ask about the Samoan Citizenship Bill led by Teanau Tuiono, and the impact of losing independent media giants such as Newshub for democracy.
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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