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.
Recently, the government has amended gang legislation that would allow police officers to enter private properties of repeat offenders showcasing emblems, patches, and insignia.
The New Zealand Law Society sent an open letter, sent by the society’s vice president, David Campbell, outlining their concerns for the proposal.
The concerns raised include how gang insignia is identified, which if the clause is taken literally, could be interpreted as printed reproductions of logos, which could make it illegal to own newspapers or certain books with gang insignia in it, increasing in the risk of someone to be criminally liable around someone in possession of gang memorabilia, concerns that the amendment will have detrimental effects to communities and whānau in which gang members reside in, as well as infringing on rights protected by the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.
News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to the Convenor for the New Zealand Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee, Chris Macklin, about the committee’s open letter and the ethics of the amendment.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party’s Carmel Sepuloni, Wire Host Caeden asks about her being announced as a contestant on Celebrity Treasure Island. They also ask about the current Government reversing the ban oil and gas exploration that was put in place by the last government in 2018.
For State of the States, our weekly kōrero on the United States election, Caeden speaks to Yale Daily News’ Andre Fa’aoso. They discuss Robert F. Kennedy Jr dropping out of the Presidential race to endorse Donald Trump, and the pro-Palestine protestors at the DNC and recent Kamala Harris campaign events.
For City Counselling this week Sofia caught up with Councillor Julie Fairey about the annual Local Government New Zealand conference last week as well as Auckland Council’s Shoreline Adaptation Plans.
She also speaks to Greenpeace Aotearoa’s programme director, Niamh O’Flynn, about changes announced this week to the Fast-Track Approvals Bill.
And she also speaks to lawyer Harry Clatworthy from Te Mata Law about the government’s plans to restore a tougher test for Maori customary title claims in the foreshore and seabed and the urgent Waitangi Tribunal inquiry into this.
Earlier this year, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith in a private meeting with Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones and seafood industry representatives discussed potential changes to the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011, which is a piece of legislation that replaced the controversial Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004.
The Takutai Moana Act allows Māori to apply for certain customary rights over the foreshore and seabed under customary marine title.
The government intends to change section 58 of the Act which currently requires an applicant group to prove they have "exclusively used and occupied it from 1840 to the present day without substantial interruption". The proposed changes would change the section 58 test to reduce the 100% of coastline subject to customary marine title to 5%.
As a result, an urgent Waitangi Tribunal claim into the government’s proposed changes to the Act had its hearings this week.
This is the seventh urgent inquiry by the Tribunal into the coalition government’s policies.
Producer Sofia spoke to lawyer at Te Mata Law, Harry Clatworthy (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngai Te Rangi, and Ngāti Uenuku-Kōpako), about these proposed changes as well as the historical context of foreshore and seabed ownership in Aotearoa.
On Sunday, the government announced changes to the Fast Track Bill.
Of the most notable of the changes, the Bill will no longer give three ministers sign-off powers, having now delegated that responsibility to a panel of independent experts.
This comes after widespread public protest and submissions against the Bill.
Although these changes mean less power will be concentrated in the hands of three ministers than had been previously proposed, environmental groups continue to criticise the bill, saying these changes are not enough.
Producer Sofia spoke to Greenpeace Aotearoa’s Programme Director, Niamh O’Flynn, about these changes and Greenpeace’s response.
Last Sunday, the Cabinet proposed five changes they would make to the Fast-Track Approvals bill, which they recommended to the Environment select committee.
Some of the changes included shifting the final say on fast-tracked projects from ministers to an expert panel, requiring an iwi authority representative to be present on the panel alongside experts in Māori development and the environment, and extending the timeframe for comments on fast-tracked projects.
However, despite Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones saying the changes were based off feedback from submitters to make the fast-tracking process more inclusive, many advocates and experts say the bill still poses a threat to the environment and that it still prioritises development over conservation.
For their weekly catch up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March about the party’s take on the changes to the fast-track approvals bill.
They also talked about the government's plans to remove natural gas import barriers, and arsenic contamination of the Ohinemuri river caused by mining
For their regular catch-up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March about the recent changes to the fast track approvals bill, as well as the government’s plans to remove natural gas import barriers and the contamination of the Ohinemuri river.
He spoke to Kirsten Tilleman from the University of Auckland to talk about active bystanders and the role they play in reducing harassment on Auckland’s public transport.
He spoke to Nicola Owen from Disabled People Against Cuts Aotearoa to talk about austerity measures affecting the disabled community.
And he spoke to Dr Joel Rindelaub from the University of Auckland to talk about microplastics in human brain tissue.
Sasha spoke to Samantha Marsh from the University of Auckland to discuss worsening language skills in preschoolers.
He also spoke to Bill Kay Blake from NZ Institute of Economic Research about the rise of forestry farming over livestock farming
In a recent research paper funded by Our Land and Water National, the country will continue to see a significant shift away from livestock into pine forestry.
The implications this will have will not only be seen in nature, but also in the communities that rely on yearly income to support their families, rather than income that comes every twenty-five years. This paper also highlights the environmental issues that come with this transition, however neither are great for the environment.
Sasha spoke to Bill Kaye Blake, leading author of this paper on what’s driving the trend of replacing livestock farms with pine forestry.
A recent study involving commuters in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, found that women and people of intersectional identities were more likely to avoid using public transport out of fear of harassment.
Anti-harassment strategies proposed in that study promoted the idea of encouraging members of the public to become “active bystanders” during situations of harassment, where they could intervene by helping to de-escalate situations, reporting harassment incidents to transport staff and directly confronting perpetrators as a last minute resort.
Oto spoke to Doctoral candidate Kirsten Tilleman from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Auckland, to discuss what active bystanders are and the role they could play in preventing harassment on Auckland’s public transport
Amongst the numerous austerity measures the government implemented since coming into office are a variety of cuts that have impacted organisations and services for the disabled community of Aotearoa.
Some of these measures include the scrapping of a programme that would pay disabled workers the minimum wage, the restructuring of Whaikaha, the ministry for disabled people, and general austerity cuts likely to have an impact on the disabled community such as public transport fare increases and minimum wage stagnation.
Oto spoke to Nicola Owen from Disabled People Against Cuts Aotearoa, who have been leading a number of rallies and campaigns across the motu advocating for the disabled community of Aotearoa and protesting against the austerity measures that directly impact them.
If you're interested in following Disabled People Against Cuts Aotearoa and keeping up to date with their rallies and campaigns, you can follow their Facebook page here:
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of New Mexico in the United states revealed a high concentration of microplastics located in the brain tissue of a number of test subjects, as well as many other organs in the body.
While experts are still evaluating the exact physiological impacts of microplastic contamination, higher concentrations of these substances have been found in the brain tissue of subjects suffering from conditions such as early onset-dementia.
Oto spoke to Dr Joel Rindelaub, senior lecturer in the Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland, to discuss the presence of microplastics in human brain tissue and their potential impacts.
If you'd like to catch Joel's science-comedy show “Science Is No Joke”, you can get your tickets here:
Last week, Statistics Minister Shane Reti announced plans to scrap the nationwide census moving forward. The census is the largest statistical survey done in Aotearoa, and provides the bulk of population data used in research and decision-making. Reti says the census is “no longer financially viable” and will be replaced with a combination of smaller annual surveys and administrative data.
While the change looks good on paper, there are concerns around how the change in data collection could affect representation of marginalised and minority groups. Census data tends to be more protected from bias than administrative data and smaller surveys, meaning there are more opportunities for misrepresentation. Some statisticians are particularly concerned about the potential exclusion of marginalised rural communities.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked him about the census decision and its implications on marginalised and minority groups.
Associate Health Minister, David Seymour, has recently announced changes to Psilocybin and Melatonin availability.
Psilocybin, the compound found in magic mushrooms, will be available for certain patients suffering from poor mental health outcomes. Melatonin, which is used for insomnia and jetlag, is set to be available over the counter.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to him about this move, and the potential accessibility concerns with accessing these medications.
They also discussed taxpayers set to be funding newly-funded cancer medicines for private facilities.
Finally, they discuss opposition parties criticised Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, over a lack of transparency regarding the effectiveness of boot camps for youth offenders, especially as boot camps have received a boost of $30 million, despite the pilot programme still being ongoing.
But first, they discussed Psilocybin and Melatonin.
Housing intensification is a key priority for Auckland Council as Auckland's population is forecast to reach 2.3 million by 2050.
But as planning for growth continues, some Auckland residents have expressed concern about the approval of developments in areas on flood plains or particularly prone to natural disasters.
With Kāinga Ora selling homes as ‘high risk investments’ in areas which were impacted by flooding in recent years, and 15 percent of all granted consents for new builds by Auckland Council being on floodplains, I spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about how the council is taking into account these issues for the coming years.
Last Saturday, over 2,000 protests took place across all 50 American States against President Donald Trump.
The protests coincided with Trump’s birthday and the 250th anniversary of the US Army, and they served as a direct response to the military parade in Washington, DC.
The organisers of the protests say they aimed to reject “authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarisation of our democracy.”
Wire Host Caeden spoke to Jeremy Pressman, Professor of Political Science at the University of Connecticut about the protests and the backlash towards them from the Trump administration.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon recently spoke to media saying that the government would announce reforms to the Holidays Act that would impact sick leave entitlements for part time workers.
Under the suggested changes, sick leave entitlements would be processed under an accrual system, meaning that part-time workers working half the hours of their full-time counterparts may only earn half of their previously entitled sick leave.
In that same week, a directive was recently given to Te Whatu Ora - Health NZ to give private hospitals 10-year outsourcing contracts to perform elective surgeries.
And earlier this week Associate Education David Seymour announced a review of the funding for early childhood education.
For our weekly Catchup with the Green Party, Oto spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez-March about all of these issues.
Last week, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston announced plans to double the tourism value by 2034, with increased funding to support the country in reaching this goal. The funding is primarily targeted at increasing the marketing of New Zealand tourism overseas, which has been met with mixed reactions from tourism operators in Aotearoa, many of whom have been struggling with existing tourist numbers.
Also this past week, the New Zealand government imposed sanctions on two Israeli ministers for ‘inciting extremist violence’ against Palestinians. While the move has received cross-party support, opposition parties such as the Greens and Te Pāti Māori have criticised the government for not taking further action against Israel.
In our weekly catchup with National's Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about each of these issues, beginning with the new tourism funding.
This week on Dear Science our expert, Professor Allan Blackman, chatted with us about characterising liquid carbon, a New Zealand led cleanup in Antarctica, and plants making their own pesticide.
The ACT Party has recently announced that candidates standing in local elections, if elected, will oppose attempts to mitigate emissions at a local level.
ACT Local Government spokesperson, Cameron Luxton, says council’s should “focus on what they can control,” and not “costly symbolic declarations”.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to him about this move.
We also discussed the government’s sanctions on Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
New Zealand has joined countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada, and Norway, in banning Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over allegedly “inciting extremist violence" against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and “undermin[ing] peace” for a two-state solution.
Finally, we discussed changes being made to the proposed anti-stalking laws.
But first, we discussed ACT candidates opposing attempts to mitigate emissions at a local level.