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.
Earlier this week, an investigation was launched into the school lunch programme after baked-in plastic was found in several lunches.
However, principals say the programme has already had various issues since Associate Education Minister David Seymour switched providers as a cost-saving measure last year.
And the coalition government is set to introduce legislation that would give the option of 4 year parliamentary terms.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy LeaderCarmel Sepuloni about both of these topics.
For their weekly catch up with the Green Party, Oto spoke to Ricardo Menendez March about the 4th government investigation into school lunches, The proposal to cut Te Reo Māori resource teachers and the Greens call to the government to rule out joining AUKUS.
He spoke to Esmé Hulbert-Putt from Aotearoa Christians for Peace in Palestine about the open letter from Christian leaders calling for humanitarian visas for Palestinians, as well as the Gaza ceasefire pilgrimages that will be happening across the motu later today.
And he spoke to Shiva Gounden from Greenpeace Aotearoa about Greenpeace’s call for reparations from the United States to the Marshall Islands for the impacts of the Castle Bravo nuclear bomb’s detonation in the Bikini Atoll in the 1950s.
Sasha spoke with Professor Bruce Glavovic from Massey University about Urban Fire planning and Global Warming.
And he also spoke to Professor Robert Patman, from the University of Otago about recent global political developments.
Recently, the Trump Administration has cut 90% of funding to USAID; the largest international aid organisation.
This move has received wide condemnation regarding what this will mean for those reliant on the support provided through the initiative.
At the same time, in his opinion piece on Newsroom, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland, Ritesh Shah, analyses the current international aid structure with the substantial funding cuts to USAID, and calls for international aid agencies to redirect what he says are their vested interests
News and Editorial Director, Joel, started off by asking him should other prominent aid agencies, including the New Zealand Agency for International Development, reevaluate how foreign aid is delivered.
Recent developments within global politics have been under great scrutiny by many journalists and political thinkers, and now the meme phrase “nothing ever happens” may not be so true.
This past month has seen the inauguration of Trump into office and his cozying up with Putin and the billionaires. He has also implemented great tariffs onto many countries meaning everything will continue to rise in price.
Sasha spoke to Professor Robert Patman from the University of Otago, Dunedin, about these recent global developments and the implications for the world. We also briefly touched on New Zealand’s response and potential implications for AUKUS
As global temperatures continue to rise through unprecedented global warming, the risk of urban and wildfires continues to expand. Many countries continue to fight increasing global warming by phasing out the sale of petrol cars. These countries include most in the European Union, and additionally Canada and China are expecting to do so by the 2030’s.
However, with the United States leaving the Paris Agreement following president Trump’s inauguration, the future of mitigating global warming becomes more unlikely. A temperature rise of four degrees is projected should we not take any action to reduce it.
Producer Sasha spoke with Professor Bruce Glavovic from Massey University about these issues in addition to urban fire planning in New Zealand. We talked about how we can avoid urban fire scenarios and the world’s state of global warming.
Recently an open letter was sent by 100 Christian leaders across Aotearoa to the government, calling for humanitarian visas to be granted to Palestinians in Gaza who have family in New Zealand.
The letter’s delivery to parliament grounds will be accompanied by nationwide Gaza ceasefire pilgrimages held today on Ash Wednesday, symbolising the walk from Bethlehem to Jerusalem and stopping to pray at points that also symbolise Israeli checkpoints in the West bank.
The open letter’s writing and delivery are part of a wider movement in Aotearoa spearheaded by Aotearoa Christians for Peace in Palestine - a cross-denominational group of Christians in support of Palestinians in the occupied territories looking to counteract the Christian Zionist Evangelical movement.
Oto spoke to Esmé Hulbert-Putt - a coordinator at Christians United for Refuge Aotearoa, to discuss the open letter, the ceasefire pilgrimages and why Christians should support the Palestinian people.
On 1 March 1954, the Castle Bravo nuclear bomb was detonated on Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands as part of a nuclear weapons test.
The bomb, which was 1,000 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, required the atolls 200 indigenous inhabitants to be relocated to the Rongerik Atoll before being allowed to return in the 1960s.
However, has had devastating impacts on the Islands ecosystem and has created lasting health impacts that Marshall islanders face today.
As such, Greenpeace have issued a call to the US government to pay reparations to the Marshallese people for the impacts of nuclear testing and to comply with Marshallese demands for recognition and nuclear justice.
Oto spoke to Shiva Gounden from Greenpeace Australia Pacific to discuss their calls for reparations, as well as the rainbow warrior voyage, which will be travelling to the marshall islands to conduct research on the impacts of nuclear testing.
Roughly 50 principals from low-income schools have banded together to express their concerns regarding new online NCEA reading, writing, and maths tests.
Over half of NCEA students at low-income schools last year failed reading and writing tests, with three quarters of those failing numeracy testing.
Students will not be able to receive their NCEA qualifications without passing these tests
The alternative option to this, which is only available until the end of 2027, is to complete up to 20 additional credits in numeracy and literacy.
These principals also say that these online tests will result in a generation of students without qualifications, and will disproportionately affect Māori and Pacific students.
News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to the Principal of Papakura High School, Simon Craggs; one of the principals criticising these tests, about these concerns, and what he suggests as an alternative to this testing method.
They started off by asking him what are the barriers that students in low-income schools are facing regarding these new tests, and what he has been seeing at his own school.
For Dear Science this week, our expert, Doctor Cushla McGoverin chats with us about the cleanliness of the International Space Station, colours on birds of paradise, and stretchable display materials, thanks to MOTAT!
In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Tuesday Wire Host Castor asked about the new citizen’s arrest policy and its potential impacts across society.
News and Editorial Director, Joel, speaks to the Principal of Papakura High School, Simon Craggs, about the roughly 50 principals from low-income schools who have expressed concerns about the new NCEA tests.
Castor spoke to the Co-Chair of Health Coalition Aotearoa, Professor Lisa Te Morenga, about the government’s new school lunch program.
And Joel spoke to a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland, Ritesh Shah, about the substantial cuts to USAID, and whether we should revise the models of international aid organisations.
The government’s new school lunch program, spearheaded by ACT party leader David Seymour, has come under fire for a raft of problems related to its implementation.
With rollout issues continuing since the first week alongside quality and quantity concerns, many are questioning whether the program change was necessary.
School lunches often support struggling families and students to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.
Tuesday Wire Host, Castor, speaks to Co-Chair of Health Coalition Aotearoa, Professor Lisa Te Morenga, about why a school lunch program is necessary and how the new program stacks up.
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.
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.
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.
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
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 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
With the rise of fast fashion outlets like Shein and Temu alongside the wider mainstream options available that contribute substantial amounts of clothing waste to landfill, experts are calling for an urgent response on a governance, business, and individual level.
Wire Host Sara spoke to Mindful Fashion Chief Executive Jacinta Fitzgerald about the problem, and the industry response to sustainability, as well as University of Auckland Marketing Professor Mike Lee about the importance of ethical consumption.for individuals.
First, is the interview with Fitzgerald, where she begins by talking about the organisation Mindful Fashion.
Following this, Sara spoke to Marketing Professor Mike Lee about the research he has undertaken around consumerism.
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