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.
Earlier this month, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Council entitled ‘From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide’.
The report names companies who have financially supported or sustained Israel’s ongoing war and genocide against Palestinians, and highlights pathways to accountability that “transcend legal and diplomatic rhetoric”.
She calls on civil society to respond to the actions of Israel in light of the limited power of the United Nations to effectively end the violence.
The United States has since imposed sanctions on Albanese, calling for her removal for allegations they say are “false and offensive”.
Exploring more in depth the potential impact of this Economy of Genocide report, as well as the obligation and power of the United Nations as a whole, and the New Zealand government to respond to the situation, Producer Sara spoke with University of Otago Professor for Politics & International Relations Robert Patman, as well as Amnesty International Aotearoa community manager Margaret Taylor.
Patman has published two pieces recently, criticising the New Zealand government’s failure to adequately respond to the US’ role in particular in the violence in Gaza.
For Dear Science, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman, chatted with us about lightning created by peeling tape, links between talc and cancer, and a new form of Nitrogen.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about the government’s health contributions in light of recent strikes.
They also spoke to Emeritus Professor Tim Hazledine about David Seymour’s plans to address the supermarket duopoly in Aotearoa.
On the topic of the recent Economy of Genocide report released by UN Special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, producer Sara spoke with both University of Otago’s Professor of International Relations Robert Patman, as well as Amnesty International Aotearoa’s Margaret Taylor.
ACT Party leader David Seymour announced plans to address the supermarket duopoly at the party summit on Sunday. Seymour proposed that international competitors haven’t begun operations in New Zealand due to restrictive approval processes.
Seymour says that while his opponents have proposed breaking up the duopoly or imposing taxes, his solution of introducing a third competitor would be the only truly effective answer.
Wire host Castor spoke to Emeritus Professor of Economics, Tim Hazledine, about his thoughts on Seymour’s proposal and alternative solutions to break up the New Zealand supermarket duopoly.
Following up on my chat with Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke with the Pōneke Anti-Fascist Coalition’s Anne Campbell.
The ACT Party’s choice of James Lindsay as a keynote speaker has raised concerns about his spread of conspiracy theories and thoughts on minority communities, such as the LGBTQIA+ community.
They spoke to Campbell about James Lindsay, his controversial comments, and what this means for Aotearoa.
Recently, Science and Technology Minister, Shane Reti, announced New Zealand’s first-ever artificial intelligence, or AI, strategy.
With this, Aotearoa becomes the last country in the OECD to establish guidelines around the use of AI.
Despite the establishment of this strategy, which is aimed at enticing the private sector to incorporate and invest in AI, there are concerns that the strategy does not introduce any new legislation to regulate AI, rather using already existing legislation, and fails to address ethical concerns.
News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Dr Collin Bjork — a senior Communications lecturer at Massey University, about this strategy document, and how much of an impact this strategy will have on the private sector to be better engaged with AI usage.
They also spoke to AI and technology governor, Dr Karaitiana Taiuru, about how te ao Māori is engaged with this strategy, and whether more needs to be done.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about the party’s annual rally that happened yesterday, and the choice of US author, James Lindsay, as a keynote speaker, as well as the recent public hearings into the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the government’s Covid-19 response.
Following up with their chat with MP Simon Court, Joel spoke to the Pōneke Anti-Fascist Coalition’s Anne Campbell, about James Lindsay, and his controversial views.
Joel spoke to Dr Collin Bjork — a senior Communications lecturer at Massey University, about the government’s recently released AI strategy.
And Joel spoke to AI and technology governor, Dr Karaitiana Taiuru, about how the government’s AI strategy coexists with te ao Māori.
Producer Samantha spoke to University of Auckland Geology Professor, Phil James, about the sustainbility issues with modern society in the global north.
Yesterday, the ACT Party held their annual rally, being called the “Free and Equal Rally”.
Notably, US author, James Lindsay, was a keynote speaker at the event.
Lindsay is the author of ‘Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything About Race, Gender, and Identity—and Why This Harms Everybody’ - among other titles, such as ‘Race Marxism: The Truth About Critical Race Theory and Praxis’ and ‘The Queering of the American Child: How a New School Religious Cult Poisons the Minds and Bodies of Normal Kids’.
Party Leader, David Seymour, says Lindsay is a “prominent advocate for free speech”. Prior to the event, a spokesperson for the party said Lindsay would discuss “reclaiming liberalism in an age of extremes”.
For our weekly catch up, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to the ACT Party’s Simon Court about the rally, why the party chose Lindsay as a keynote speaker, and we address some of the concerns with Lindsay’s previous comments.
They also discussed the first public hearings into the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the former government’s Covid-19 response, and what to expect heading into the next hearings in Wellington next month.
But first, they discussed ACT’s 2025 “Free and Equal” Rally.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Arena Williams about Phase Two of the Covid-19 inquiry and advisory group recommendations on climate adaptation legislation.
For International Desk, they spoke to Charles Hunt from Boise State University about United States President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill”.
For this week’s City Counselling, Producer Sara spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson about Mayor Wayne Brown’s recent council body reforms, as well as concerns around homelessness in the CBD this Winter
Regarding Phase Two of the Covid-19 Inquiry, she spoke with both Restaurant Association Chief Executive Marisa Bidois, and public health expert Sir Collin Tukuitonga
This week’s second phase of the national covid-19 inquiry has seen public hearings from the community and experts talking about the wider impacts of mandates and lockdowns during the pandemic.
As health experts are urging the government to anticipate and better prepare for a future pandemic, and people in all sectors across New Zealand still work through the ongoing effects of Covid-19, this inquiry needs to inform critical decision making and processes for the central government.
Speaking more about the inquiry and the general effects of Covid-19, I spoke with public health expert Sir Collin Tukuitonga about his research findings and the importance of pandemic preparedness, as well as Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois about the need to support businesses and hospitality in New Zealand
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.
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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