Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Joel Armstrong, Sara Mckoy, Max Micheel, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
This week at The International Desk, we discuss the intracies of the upcoming European parliament elections, the structure of the EU and the rise of right wing populism in Europe.
The government has announced a $320 million funding boost for sexual and family violence support services in what is the biggest funding announcement of its kind. Around one million New Zealanders experience sexual or family violence each year and Jacinda Ardern has made it a priority of the so called ‘wellbeing budget’.
Lachlan spoke with head of the Women’s Refuge Dr Ang Jury about the announcement, finding out about its effects on both her organisation and violence rates in general.
The Aotearoa Legal Workers Union is a new union that has been launched to advocate for people in the legal profession, particularly young people. Jemima spoke with interim President Hayley Cole.
This week on the Monday Wire, Jemima speaks to Green Party co-leader James Shaw about the Emissions Trading Scheme, climate policy in the Pacific and the cannabis referendum. Southern Cross is back with the latest in Pacific news. Lachlan talks to Dr Ang Jury from Women's Refuge about the government's recent sexual and family violence funding. Jemima waps it up with Hayley Coles from the new Aotearoa Legal Workers Union to discuss what the union has planned for the legal profession.
Sisonke MSimang is a writer and anti-racism activist, though on her Twitter it states, writer, mama, and bear. Of South African whakapapa, her work is focussed on race, gender and democracy. Born and raised in exile as the daughter of freedom fighters working to bring down apartheid in South Africa, the government had labelled her father as a terrorist. Currently living in Perth Australia, Sisonke is in Tāmaki Makaurau this week for the Auckland Writers Festival speaking tomorrow at Aotea Center on her book Always Another Country: A Memoir of Exile and Home. Lillian Hanly spoke with Sisonke about terrorism and freedom fighting, national identity, racism, privilege, the importance of stories and the concept of home. Sisonke starts by explaining her book and why she wrote it.
Drug driving is an issue that the Aotearoa is yet to get a grasp on. While drug impairment resulted in seventy-one deaths on our roads last year, it has been acknowledged by both the minister of police & minister of transportation that there is no “clear linear relationship” between the presence of a drug and potential impairment. This does not only concern currently illegal drugs, it includes prescription medication, as there is no line drawn in the sand as to how we regulate driving under any of these substances, & with the referendum on cannabis legalisation approaching, its time to speak up fast. So a public consultation into safety testing for drug driving has been launched by the government, hoping to conclude on the 28th of June to get a general consensus on the public opinion. I spoke with Fiona Hutton, Senior Lecturer at the School of Social and Cultural Studies at Victoria university of Wellington, to discuss this issue around testing drug driving.
From Dec 27 to Jan 18, all train lines across Tāmaki will be shutting down for summer maintenance, a closure which is expected to be the last of its kind ahead of the opening of the City Rail Link.
The current measles outbreak in Tāmaki is being continually monitored, with exposure sites being updated daily on info.health.nz. The public are encouraged to track whether they’ve been in possible contact with the virus, and get up to date on any vaccinations to limit possibilities of transmission.
Auckland Council are supporting arts initiatives across the summer months, with Music in the Park kicking off in early January, and Movies in the Park following in February.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about these topics, and also asked for comment following the attack by two gunmen at Bondi Beach earlier this week.
Yesterday, the latest six-monthly survey of housing support providers under the National Homelessness Data Project, or NHDP, showed that homelessness in Auckland has more than doubled in the year to September. The report also found that 14 of the 21 agencies interviewed reported an increase in homelessness.
As well as this, Australia’s ban on social media for children under 16 has taken effect. And according to an interim report into social media harm, a social media ban for children in New Zealand is worth exploring further.
And last week the Government announced the replacement of the Resource Management Act, or RMA. The coalition said its replacement will slash red tape and supercharge growth.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about the Government’s new RMA reforms and a potential social media ban in New Zealand.
But first they discussed the latest report on Auckland homelessness.
The Parliament’s Workforce and Education Committee has released an interim report on an inquiry into the harm young New Zealanders face online. The government has recently announced an overhaul of the Resource Management Act and introduced two new bills in its place, the Natural Environment Bill and the Planning Bill.
For our weekly catch-up with the National Party, Producer Vihan spoke to MP Carl Bates, who is also the Deputy Chairperson of the Workforce and Education Committee, about the new findings of the interim report, the new Natural Environment Bill, and the Fast Track Approval Amendments Bill.
The government has announced the overhaul of the Resource Management Act (RMA), which will be replaced by two different bills, the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill. The RMA is set to be fully replaced by 2029.
The RMA, which has been in effect for 34 years, is polarising across the political spectrum.
In announcing the reforms, RMA Reform Minister, Chris Bishop, says that “pretty much everything” will be quicker and less costly under the new regime.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about this overhaul of the RMA.
They also discussed The Education and Workforce Committee’s interim report on the harms young people experience online, with a majority recommending a ban on social media for under-16-year-olds.
But first, they discussed the overhaul of the RMA.
On Sunday, “Block the Ban” held a protest against the government’s decision to ban new prescriptions of puberty blockers for young people with gender dysphoria.
The United Nations’ committee for the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination has released a report warning that New Zealand is at serious risk of weakening Māori rights.
And last week, the government rejected the recommended methane emissions targets.
This is despite officials warning against the government doing so, stating that lowering methane emissions targets could increase New Zealand’s contribution to global warming.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about all of these topics.
Safety measures on public transport are of growing concern this week following the fatal and unprovoked attack that took place on route 76 in East Tāmkaki on Monday night.
Earlier this week there were also multiple critical incidents that occurred simultaneously across Auckland’s West Coast beaches and waterways, seeing an unusually high deployment of emergency services and surf lifesavers for this early in the summer.
Swedish home and furniture retailer Ikea opened in Sylvia Park a week ago today, drawing huge excitement for many.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about these topics.
Last week was scrutiny week, where Parliament focuses entirely on holding government agencies and ministers to account, to check-in on how well the Government is performing.
Many of the questions surrounding scrutiny week have been focused on climate change, with many recent reports highlighting the Government’s questionable decision-making.. The biggest headline was that the coalition had chosen to reject all three of the climate change commission’s recommendations to strengthen New Zealand’s emissions targets.
Along with this, the United Nations released a new report, where they’ve warned that New Zealand is at serious risk of weakening Māori rights and entrenching disparities for the indigenous population. In the 14-page report, the UN expressed concerns over multiple government policies affecting Maori, including the disestablishment of the Maori Health Authority, cuts to public funding for Maori services, and minimising the role of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about the report released by the United Nations, but first they discussed Scrutiny Week and the Government’s recent climate change decisions.
The government is pausing the new prescriptions of Puberty Blockers to gender diverse and transgender young people from the 19th of December onwards, following a similar move by the UK after the results of the NHS’s Cass Review.
Wire Producer Flo spoke to activist Lauren Craig about the effects of the legislation, her petition “Reverse the decision to deny transgender and takatāpui young people access to puberty blockers” against the changes and the wider political motivation for the policy.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here
The biannual Scrutiny Week took place in Parliament last week, with meetings across select committees and government departments focussed on scrutinising the outcomes of government work.
These include hearings on ministries like Health, Housing, Environment and Justice.
Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Carl Bates about Scrutiny Week, firstly by asking him to talk about the meetings he was involved in
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