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.
The government's decision to remove funding for pre-sentencing cultural background reports has faced criticism from advocates, particularly for how it could impact Maaori and Pasifika.
News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Action Against Poverty Coordinator, Brooke Stanely Pao, about their recommendations for how the government could better reduce crime in Aotearoa.
For Dear Science this week Dr Cushla McGoverin chats about new developments with 3D printing and the human brain, coral reef biodiversity, and Scorpions.
MP James Meager is taking over from Dr Shane Reti for our weekly catch-up with the National Party. This week News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Meager about the government scrapping the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax and funding for pre-sentencing cultural reports.
She also spoke to Action Against Poverty Coordinator Brooke Pao Stanely about cultural reports.
Producer Sofia spoke to head farmer at OMG farm Jake Clarke about the impact of western farming practices on soil fertility.
And she talked to Senior transport planner at Arup, a collective of engineers and consultants, Tiffany Robinson, about urban design and indigenous wisdom.
In 2018, Women in Urbanism Aotearoa conducted a survey that found more than 75% of women experienced harassment while using public transport, cycling, or walking.
The survey is being conducted once again, and this time is paired with workshops aimed at better understanding Wāhine Māori experiences in a western framework.
ARUP, a collective organisation of engineers and designers, are heading the research project to see what urban space and transport systems might look like planned from a Te Ao Māori perspective.
Sofia spoke to Senior Transport Planner at ARUP Tiffany Robinson about the project.
The largest hikoi protest to Waitangi Grounds in modern history took place this Waitangi, with thousands gathering to voice their concerns about the new government’s proposed policies, including a referendum on the principles of Te Tiriti, ending co-governance, and removing Te Reo from the names of public services.
News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Action Station Director Kassie Hartendorp (Ngāti Raukawa), about this significant show of solidarity and her reflections of the day.
She also spoke to rofessional Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland Law School, Eru Kapa-Kingi (Te Aupōuri, Ngāpuhi, Waikato-Tainui, and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), about his impression of what went down and how members of government were received.
For our weekly catch up with Te Pati Māori, Takutai Kemp and Rosetta had a kōrero about Waitangi day and how last week unfolded. They spoke about how the government was received at Waitangi, Rawiri Waititi’s repeated call for the establishment of a Māori parliament during his speech, and Te Pati Māori entering Waitangi alongside the Kiingitanga rather than other opposition parties. Rosetta and Takutai also caught up on the events at Rātana a couple of weeks ago and David Seymours comments about the day.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, Jess asked MP Simon Court about how ACT was received at Waitangi, after Seymour and other members of government were reportedly drowned out with booing and a protest Waiata.
At Waitangi, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said National would not support ACT’s Treaty Principles bill past its first reading. Jess asked Court about his thoughts on this.
Following the largest turnout at Waitangi commemorations in modern history, News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Professional Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland Law School, Eru Kapa-Kingi (Te Aupōuri, Ngāpuhi, Waikato-Tainui, and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), about his impression of what went down and how members of government were received.
Two Aotearoa researchers are arguing that indigenous knowledge and western science need to be taught alongside each other in a recently published paper in Science journal titled “Teach Indigenous knowledge alongside science”. Amanda Black, co-director of Bioprotection Aotearoa and Professor at Lincoln University and Jason Tylianakis, professor of ecology at University of Canterbury, are the two lead authors of the paper. They argue that while indigenous knowledge and science are not interchangeable, they are equally as important to be taught in their own rights, and are equally as important on a global scale when discussing climate policy. The paper also discusses the misinformed common attitude towards indigenous knowledge as less valuable or inferior to western science.
Rosetta spoke to Amanda Black about the paper further.
With the U.S. presidential election on the horizon, the stakes of the fight for the youth vote are higher than ever.
Beth spoke to Professor of History at the University of Auckland, Jennifer Frost, about the historical suppression of the youth vote in the United States, including grassroots movements fighting for the vote, past bills and the significance of the 26th Amendment.
For our weekly catch up with the Labour Party, News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about Waitangi, and the government’s announcement yesterday that it will no longer fund cultural reports used in sentencing.
The Healthcare exec Brian Thompson was shot dead by a masked assailant last week.
The crime has gained significant controversy and attention online, with many using it to restart the debate on the inequities of the United States healthcare system.
And this week Yale University was the latest college to commit to divesting from weapons manufacturing after a student vote.
For State of the States this week Wire Host Caeden speak to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News about both of these topics.
The government as announced their plan for the Cook Strait ferry a year after they scrapped Labour’s plan, including cancelling the ferries the Labour government had ordered.
And a new report from the Ministry of Social Development has revealed nearly a quarter of beneficiaries are not receiving their correct entitlements.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about both of these topics.
For City Counselling this week, producer Sofia caught up with Councillor Shane Henderson about proposed time-of-use charging to solve congestion problems in Tāmaki and Council selling their remaining Auckland Airport shares last week.
The Green party recently released He Ara Anamata - the Green party’s emissions reduction plan.
The document covers more than 10 areas of the economy and energy Sector that a Greens-led government would be looking to adapt to minimise carbon emissions and protect the natural landscapes of Aotearoa.
It also comes 5 months after the government released their own draft emissions plan. Numerous experts pointed out that the government is behind on their own plan’s targets to meet the crucial emissions budget for 2031-2035.
For their weekly catchup, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March to discuss the party’s new emissions reduction plan and how they would address climate and the economy in a greens-led government.
Last election, one of the National Party’s main campaign promises was to be ‘tough on crime’, promising to increase police coverage and penalties for crimes. A target was set to increase the number of police officers by 500 by November 2025, however some police leaders today say this goal is unrealistic.
The government also announced this week some shakeups to insulation standards, which they say should make houses more affordable.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor spoke to him about police staffing targets and new insulation standards.
This week on Dear Science, our expert Doctor Cushla McGoverin chatted with us about what latrines teach us about people, climate variation affecting Chinese dynasties, and invasive species becoming threatened.
Thanks to MOTAT, the museum inspiring the innovators of tomorrow!
Last week it was revealed that two of the ten participants in the government's pilot bootcamp programme were on the run.
The youth were two months into the community rehabilitation phase of the programme, following the three month youth justice residence phase. Both teens were found in the weekend, but had allegedly reoffended, and are now set to come before the court.
For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, who have been heavily advocating for this programme, Producer Evie spoke to Simon Court about this incident.
She also talks to him about proposed changes to employment law which would give employers the power to dismiss workers earning over $180,000 without the employee refuting the decision.
And finally, she talks to him about David Seymour’s incumbent run as Deputy Prime Minister, which is set to begin in May of next year.
For City Counselling this week, Producer Sofia spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about changes to Auckland Transport’s responsibilities, nationwide bus and train fare hikes, and concerns over the opening of the City Rail Link.
For State of the States this week, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Andre Fa'aoso from the Yale Daily News about President Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden, who was due to be sentenced next week for three felony charges.
They also discuss Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for FBI director, who is the latest in a long list of unorthodox picks for government positions from Trump
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