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.
Wire Host Caeden speaks to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News on the latest United States election polling numbers and the execution of Marcellus Williams for State of the States.
For our weekly catch-up the Labour Party Wire Host Caeden speaks to mental health spokesperson Ingrid Leary on Mental Health Awareness Week and broader mental health policy in Aotearoa.
Discussions on mental health and wellbeing became a focal point during the COVID-19 pandemic, with millions of people around the world being confined to their homes during lockdown and having both their social lives and self-autonomy restricted and changed.
However, for many, the period of time in lockdown was an important period of introspection, and so the time spent at home allowed for key discussions about mental health to be held on social media platforms such as X, formerly twitter.
Forwarding to the present day, a team of researchers from the University of Auckland conducted a study evaluating how social media platforms were used during and how they played a key role in facilitating discussions on mental health.
In line with mental health awareness week, Oto spoke to Shohil Kishore, a researcher in the Business School of the University of Auckland who conducted the study, who I also spoke with about the role social media platforms played in facilitating mental health discussions.
Recently, the United States Federal Reserve has cut interest rates by 50 basis points, citing signs of economic slowdown and lowering inflation rates. This decision, although overseas, is heavily connected to New Zealand as almost all state economies are tied to the United States. Following this decision, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand may choose to follow in the same footsteps.
This decision may reduce or slow the current recession, which New Zealand is already in the midst of, worse than the two-thousand and eight financial crisis. However, the odds of igniting consumer price may also increase leading to asset inflation additionally increasing.
Sasha spoke to professor of Business and Economics Robert MacCulloch from the University of Auckland about a deeply complicated issue, which affects all New Zealanders.
For their regular catch-up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March about the party’s upcoming Special General Meeting to discuss using the Waka Jumping Legislation to remove former MP Darleen Tana from Parliament. They also spoke about Nicola Willis’s announcement to clamp down on public sector Work From Home Arrangements and Minister for Social Development Louise Upston rejecting suggestions for a $3 billion investment to fix child poverty
He spoke to Dr Paula O’Kane from the University of Otago for an expert’s perspective on Nicola Willis’s Work from Home proposals
He spoke to Shohil Kishore from the University of Auckland to discuss a study he conducted evaluating the role of social media in mental health discussions during the Pandemic.
And he spoke to Dr Chris Wilson, also from the University of Auckland, to discuss the release of New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens from captivity by the West Papuan Liberation Army, as well as the conflict itself in West Papua.
Sasha spoke to professor of Business and Economics Robert MacCulloch from the University of Auckland about the United State’s Federal Reserve rate cut putting pressure on RBNZ.
And for this week’s Get Action! Sasha spoke to Dave Macpherson from The Future is Rail about a petition he started to ensure replacement Cook Strait ferries can carry trains.
Just this week, 38 year old pilot New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens was released from captivity after being held hostage for more than a year by milliants the West Papua Liberation Army, also known as TPNPB.
While many in Aotearoa are celebrating the safe release of Mehrtens and return to his family, discussions have also been started about the TPNPB and the struggle of the people in West Papua for independence from Indonesia.
West Papua is a province in Indonesia that was formerly ruled by the Dutch empire before being controlled by Indonesia in 1962. The calls for independence are mainly coming from West Papua’s native Melanesian people, who allege that the Indonesian government have committed human rights abuses against the native population and exploited the region’s natural resources.
Oto spoke to Dr Chris Wilson a senior lecturer in politics and international relations at the University of Auckland, to discuss the implications of Phillip Mehrtens release and the most recent developments of the conflict in West Papua.
95bFM journalist, Oto, spoke to Dr Paula O’Kane, a senior lecturer from the University of Otago, regarding Public Service Minister and Minister of Finance Nicola Willis announcing clampdowns on work from home arrangements for public sector employees.
This comes a day after Nicola Willis announced she had instructed Public Service department heads to restrict the number of Work from Home days given to employees, to reduce them from a default entitlement to a special arrangement to be formally agreed upon by employers and requiring agencies to regularly report on the number of Work from Home days given to employees.
The struggles faced by the hospitality sector have been highlighted in a recent trading report from the Restaurant Association covering the second quarter of 2024. The report outlines various challenges businesses face, including low customer numbers and customer spending, reduced staff availability, and cost of goods.
Wire host Castor spoke to the general manager of the New Zealand Restaurant Association, Nicola Waldren, about these issues and what more could be done to address them.
Last week, the government revealed statistics showing a drop in crime in Auckland’s CBD, the reduction accredited to increased police presence under this government.
Crime isn’t the only issue facing the CBD, with recent data showing that hospitality spending in Auckland’s CBD is down compared to previous years. Challenges faced by hospitality businesses have been particularly evident since COVID lockdowns, with some heritage businesses permanently closing in recent months.
The government has also been tabling discussions of increasing the parliamentary term from three to four years. While several previous governments have discussed such a change, some issues have prevented it from going ahead.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Katie Nimon, Wire host Castor asked her about these issues facing the CBD, and about the potential for a four-year parliamentary term, starting off with crime in the CBD.
For Dear Science our expert Doctor Cushla McGoverin chatted to us about pandas eating better in the past than they do now, using light to spot COVID, and separating liquids using other liquids.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire host Castor spoke to MP Katie Nimon about hospitality spending and the potential for a four-year parliamentary term.
They also spoke to general manager of the Restaurant Association, Nicola Waldren, about hospitality spending in Aotearoa and what more the government could do.
And on the Green Desk, Jack Marshall spoke to lecturer of sustainable architecture at AUT, Priscilla Besen, about solutions to Aotearoa’s energy crisis.
This month, a number of council body reforms have come into effect in the Auckland Council, fulfilling Mayor Wayne Brown’s promise to address issues and implement community feedback into the council’s format.
The three new divisions in the Auckland Council to improve organisation include the Auckland Urban Development Office, the Property Department, and an Economic Development Office, each of which are intended to make decision making more effective and accessible to the public.
As well, with the persisting cold temperatures and rainy weather hitting Auckland this Winter, I wanted to discuss the topic of homelessness in Auckland’s city centre, and to what extent the council is working to support those rough sleeping in the CBD
Public hearings as part of phase two of the Royal Commission into COVID-19 took place in Auckland this week.
The second phase of the inquiry has a stronger focus on lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and the impact of the Covid-19 response on business and the economy.
And yesterday, an independent reference group set up by the Ministry of Environment shared their recommendations for climate adaptation legislation.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Arena Williams about both of these topics.
Recently, a study was conducted by researchers at the University of Southampton which uncovered a shift in the circulation of the Southern Ocean.
The study showed that the shift would draw up more salt water from the deep ocean, subsequently accelerating the loss of ice in the Antarctic and leading to an increase of sea levels and global heating.
The week before, the government allowed the terrorist designation given to the far-right ‘Proud Boys’ group to expire, effectively decriminalising the act of funding or openly supporting the group here in Aotearoa.
And, just yesterday Finance Minister Nicola Willis confirmed a number of changes to Family Boost which she said would help families with the cost of living.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez March to get the party’s take on all of these issues.
The Southerner was a passenger express train in the South Island running between Christchurch and Invercargill from 1970 to 2002.
The train was eventually closed due a decline in passenger numbers and subsidies, although it was briefly revived in May this year for four days as part of a tourist experience.
Recently, a group of campaigners from Save our Trains launched a petition calling on the government to restore the Southerner train route as a more accessible form of travel for South Islanders.
Wednesday Wire Host Oto spoke with Dave Macpherson from Save Our Train - Southern, to discuss his petition and why the Southerner should be restored.
Hearings on the regulatory standards bill are currently underway, with around 23,000 total submissions both written and oral. Early analysis of the submissions estimated 88% percent are in opposition, while only 0.3% are in support.
The bill has been pushed by Minister for Regulation and ACT Party leader David Seymour, who says it should support the government to reduce regulation and ensure the protection of individual rights and private property. The bill has been criticised for not including clauses around Te Tiriti o Waitangi or environmental protections. It has also been criticised for potentially undemocratic elements, placing large amounts of control in the hands of the unelected Ministry for Regulation.
In our weekly catch-up with the National party, Wire host Castor asked Tom Rutherford about the regulatory standards bill in light of the select committee hearings and new criticisms.
Recently, the government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mayors of Auckland, Otago, and Western Bay of Plenty Councils over the government’s expectations of City and Regional Deals. These deals aim to tighten the partnership between central and local governments.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, speaks to MP Cameron Luxton about what to expect heading forward regarding the relationship between local, regional, and central government.
They also discussed last week's Youth Parliament.
Youth Parliament provides the opportunity for 143 rangatahi aged 16-to-24 as Youth MPs, representing MPs across the political spectrum, and Youth Press Gallery members, to understand the country’s political processes, understand how government works, and replicate the Parliamentary process.
Youth MPs had previously accused event organisers of ‘censoring’ their speeches. This follows the MPs being asked to remove elements of their speeches that were critical of government policies, such as the Treaty Principles Bill and pay equity.
However, The Ministry of Youth Development has come out saying the way they communicated their wishes with Youth MPs could have been clearer and more concise. The general manager of the Ministry, John Robertson, says reviewing speeches and suggesting changes was a part of the process, but these recommendations are not enforced.
They also spoke to Luxton about these accusations, and whether they are tantamount to censorship.
Finally, they discussed calls by over half of the Youth MPs represented in this year's Youth Parliament, from across the political spectrum, renewing calls for the voting age to be lowered, to allow 16-to-17-year-olds the right to vote.
5 ACT Youth MPs, including the Youth MP representing Cameron Luxton, Fletcher Brown, had signed a letter calling for the voting age to be reduced.
This follows the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling that found the current voting age is unjustified age discrimination and goes against the Human Rights Act 1993.
They also discussed these renewed calls to lower the voting age.
As the youth parliament is set to take place this week, a number of youth MPs have spoken out claiming they have been asked to change or remove elements of their speeches which criticise certain political figures or current topics like environmental action, pay equity and the treaty principles bill.
Youth Organisation Gen Z Aotearoa founder Nate Wilbourne was asked to edit parts of his speech calling out Ministers Shane Jones, Tama Potaka and Penny Simmonds on their role in environmental destruction.
He said “When your voices are edited to remove criticism, when ministers are shielded from being named, when we're told that our lived experiences are too political, that is not neutrality – that is protection of the status quo.”
As well this week, on July 1st a number of changes came into effect including the government’s Kiwisaver contributions and eligibility, the rate in payments for sole parents and through ACC, Healthy Homes standards, and procedures for receiving the job seeker benefit.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Sara asked Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about both of these topics
Following Israel and the US’ large-scale attacks on Iran, and Israel’s continued war on Gaza, this has raised the question on the future of international order.
News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to the Executive Director of the Britain Palestine Project, Dr Brian Brivati, about this turning point in international order, and what we should expect heading forward.
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones has suggested to the local government forum that regional councils may be abolished, stating that
"After the upcoming changes to the Resource Management Act, I doubt that there's going to be a compelling case for regional government to continue to exist.“
Regional councils across Aotearoa are responsible for matters relating to natural resource management, flood control, and biosecurity.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said effectiveness between different councils is varied, and that councils generate too much bureaucracy and are “too focussed on vanity projects”.
As well, in order to make the most of local and central investment into Auckland’s growing city, the government is asking Auckland Council to increase the housing development allowance around key Central Rail Link stations in the lead up to the project’s completion.
Seeking to amend the resource management act, the government hopes to increase housing height and density around Mount Albert and Baldwin Avenue stations, allowing upzoning of ten stories around these areas, in addition to allowing upzoning of fifteen stories around Maungawhau, Morningside and Kingsland.
Producer Sara spoke with Councillor Julie Fairey about both of these topics, starting with the proposal to scrap regional councils.
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