Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news & current affairs show, The Wire. Your hosts Jemima Huston, Mary-Margaret Slack, Lillian Hanly, Lachlan Balfour and Laura Kvigstad focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere, in independent-thinking bFM style. Weekdays 12-1pm on 95bFM.
The National Party’s, Denise Lee, joins Laura Kvigstad where they discuss the Terrorism Suppression Bill and the National Party's controversial amendments to the bill that were rejected quickly by government. Then, they chat about Simon Bridges questions being slashed for question time by Speak of The House, Trevor Mallard. They finish off by discussing the recent case of a repeat drunk driving offender being granted residency. The National Party expressed concerns around the decision however it was National MP Michael Woodhouse who granted the individual protected person status back in 2012.
After that, The Mental Health Foundation’s Shaun Robinson joins Laura to discuss the recent decision to implement a new mental health facility in the Waikato by the government.
Then, Jack Marshal speaks to Peter Courts, the Interim Retirement Commissioner about the proposal to allow KiwiSaver withdrawals for investment property
Then, Rachel Simpson speaks to Disability Minister Carmel Sepuloni talking about increased funding for people with disabilities.
And Finally, in the latest segment of Neutral Corner, Benjamin J Goldson takes a look at the media coverage around the most recent claims of an impending impeachment of US President, Donald Trump.
Stewart's back and it's a Wire for the history books, with two producers in studio at the same time! Mary-Margaret and Justin are back this week.
On the show:
With the news that Mediaworks has made some pretty major cuts to comedy and reality TV shows, Stewart Sowman-Lund speaks to journalist Philip Matthews. He’s the co-author of Funny As, a book about the history of Kiwi Comedy. Stewart gets his thoughts on what the cuts and cancellations to comedy programming might mean for the future of the industry.
Then, Labour Party MP and Justice Minister Andrew Little is here. Today, he talks about last week’s polling and a new counter terrorism bill
After that, Mary-Margaret learns about zero waste packaging with K Rd vintage shop, Crushes, who have just installed their latest initiative
Plus, producer Sherry asks Education Minister Chris Hipkins about amendments made to Pastoral Care laws for students in Halls of Residences
Then, International Desk is back - Justin delves into some history on the Turkey offensive into Syria.
All that plus a chaotic Poll Position and some texts from our listeners. It's The Thursday Wire and it's wired as.
Mediaworks, the owners of TV Three, confirmed yesterday they’ve cancelled Guy Williams’ new comedy show New Zealand Today, and made major cutbacks to long-running panel show 7 Days. It’s also expected we’ve seen the end of Married at First Sight - meaning there’s not a lot of new programming expected for Three in the new year. So what happens now? Stewart Sowman-Lund spoke to journalist Philip Matthews, co-author of the book Funny As, and started by asking him if these cutbacks were a surprise.
Skycity Chairman Rob Cambell is currently attending a “Wellbeing at Work” conference to talk with heads of business about the importance of fair and transparent practices for pay, performance management and promotion. Meanwhile outside the conference, Skycity workers will be picketing his talk over unfair wages for long and unsociable hours. Workers have gone on strike for the past month over not receiving time and a half pay for working late and on weekends. SEA-Unite Skycity Union Convenor Joe Carolan highlighted the two and a half thousand dollar entry fee to the conference, stating that “it's pretty safe to say there won’t be any low paid workers views expressed inside.” William Boyd spoke with Joe about the protest and workers pay troubles. Will started off by asking him why workers were picketing the conference.
Tuwhenuaroa talks to Tau Henare about his appointment to the Independent Māori Statutory Board, and some changes he’d like to see in Local government.
Will talks to SkyCity Union Convenor Joe Carolan over fair pay strikes by SkyCity workers
Lillian continues her investigation into phosphate imports from Western Sahara, today she hears from a spokesperson at Ballance Agri-Nutrients, one of the NZ companies that import that phosphate.
Phosphate. Fertiliser. Farming. Western Sahara. Morocco. And New Zealand. What is it that brings these things together?
Last week we played an interview with Saharawi resistance spokesperson Tecber Ahmed Saleh. Tecber was in New Zealand the past two weeks touring the country to try and educate people on her country’s situation. Tecber was born in one of the longest-standing refugee camps in the Western Sahara, formed after Tecber's country was occupied by Morocco in the 1970s and the Saharawi people were forced into the desert. Currently, the issue of governance is going through the United Nations - but this has taken years and is not yet resolved. Since 1991, there has been a UN-administered ceasefire that stopped the fighting between the Algerian-backed Polisario Front and the Moroccan government over who should govern the area known as Western Sahara. There is a referendum pending here that the Sahrawis people are waiting on. In fact, the NZ Council of Trade Unions called on the United Nations on Tuesday this week to organise, without further delays, a self-determination referendum for the people of Western Sahara. Furthermore, it called on New Zealand companies to “halt imports of phosphates from the occupied areas of Western Sahara until the legal status of the Territory is determined and the Saharawi people are allowed to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and Peace Plan of 1991.”
While in New Zealand, Tecber spoke with Lillian Hanly about the desperate situation in the refugee camps in the mean time and the link to the New Zealand companies who import phosphate partly extracted from the Western Sahara, through Morocco. If you want to hear this full interview check it out in the bCasts. But back to phosphate.
Ballance Agri-Nutrients and Ravensdown are two companies in New Zealand that provide fertiliser to the country’s farmers. Part of the ingredients required to make the fertiliser Ballance-Agri Nutrients and Ravensdown provide is phosphate. Tecber indicated that these two companies are two of the last companies, and therefore New Zealand is the last country external to Morocco that continue to trade with Morocco despite the governing dispute. After having spoken to Tecber Lillian contacted both Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-Nutrients to find out more.
Ravendsown responded with a written statement and more information, Lillian is following up with them on whether they can do an interview and that information will be covered next week. Their position is ultimately that they are in compliance with the UN framework around dealing with non-self governing territories, they say they are acting legally.
Ballance Agri-Nutrients also responded and Lillian conducted an interview with them. Warwick Catto is the Science Strategy Manager at Ballance Agri-Nutrients, a farmer owned cooperative that alongside Ravensdown provide fertiliser products. Part of Warwick’s role as Science Strategy Manager means he is involved in discussions around the Zero Carbon Bill and freshwater policies in order to ensure the company itself is complying with these new legislations, as well as looking to the future and innovative ways of reducing their carbon footprint for example. Warwick told Lillian that phosphate is one of 14 essential elements that living things use, calcium phosphate for example helps to make bones and teeth. Fertiliser products are necessary in any kind of farming to replace the nutrients and minerals (or the phosphate and sulphur) that are essentially eaten or consumed by animals and plants. Particularly in New Zealand Warwick said, these nutrients are lacking in the soil, and thus the importation of these nutrients and the replacement of the nutrients in soil is necessary. Here, a product called SuperPhosphate is used because the plants need phosphate and sulfur. Lillian had quite a lengthy conversation with Warwick about the situation in Western Sahara, but also New Zealand’s pastoral farming system, which is fairly distinctive in regards to the rest of the world, they also spoke about different methods of farming as well as finite resources and the obligation of finding alternatives - especially given phosphate is one of those finite resources. If you are interested in this you can find the full chat online here. For the show today though, Lillian focused on Ballance Agri-Nutrients' relationship to the Western Sahara.
NOTE: The same day as this was broadcasted, Radio NZ published a piece on the issue as well. A government official for Western Sahara stated they are close to initiating court action against New Zealand. Kamal Fadel is the Australia and New Zealand representative for Polisario, the United Nations-recognised independence movement for Western Sahara. Fadel says the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara was internationally disagreed with and New Zealand's purchase of phosphate from them, was at odds with this. "At the moment New Zealand companies are part of the problem, not the solution, because their involvement provides money to the Moroccans to buy arms and tools to oppress our people. It gives them moral support that they have a right to be in Western Sahara which they don't have ... It's a de facto recognition of Morocco's involvement."
Lillian will speak to Kamal Fadel for next week's show.
Phosphate. Fertiliser. Farming. Western Sahara. Morocco. And New Zealand. What is it that brings these things together?
Last week we played an interview with Saharawi resistance spokesperson Tecber Ahmed Saleh. Tecber was in New Zealand the past two weeks touring the country to try and educate people on her country’s situation. Tecber was born in one of the longest-standing refugee camps in the Western Sahara, formed after Tecber's country was occupied by Morocco in the 1970s and the Saharawi people were forced into the desert. Currently, the issue of governance is going through the United Nations - but this has taken years and is not yet resolved. Since 1991, there has been a UN-administered ceasefire that stopped the fighting between the Algerian-backed Polisario Front and the Moroccan government over who should govern the area known as Western Sahara. There is a referendum pending here that the Sahrawis people are waiting on. In fact, the NZ Council of Trade Unions called on the United Nations on Tuesday this week to organise, without further delays, a self-determination referendum for the people of Western Sahara. Furthermore, it called on New Zealand companies to “halt imports of phosphates from the occupied areas of Western Sahara until the legal status of the Territory is determined and the Saharawi people are allowed to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and Peace Plan of 1991.”
While in New Zealand, Tecber spoke with Lillian Hanly about the desperate situation in the refugee camps in the mean time and the link to the New Zealand companies who import phosphate partly extracted from the Western Sahara, through Morocco. If you want to hear this full interview check it out in the bCasts. But back to phosphate.
Ballance Agri-Nutrients and Ravensdown are two companies in New Zealand that provide fertiliser to the country’s farmers. Part of the ingredients required to make the fertiliser Ballance-Agri Nutrients and Ravensdown provide is phosphate. Tecber indicated that these two companies are two of the last companies, and therefore New Zealand is the last country external to Morocco that continue to trade with Morocco despite the governing dispute. After having spoken to Tecber Lillian contacted both Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-Nutrients to find out more.
Ravendsown responded with a written statement and more information, Lillian is following up with them on whether they can do an interview and that information will be covered next week. Their position is ultimately that they are in compliance with the UN framework around dealing with non-self governing territories, they say they are acting legally.
Ballance Agri-Nutrients also responded and Lillian conducted an interview with them. Warwick Catto is the Science Strategy Manager at Ballance Agri-Nutrients, a farmer owned cooperative that alongside Ravensdown provide fertiliser products. Part of Warwick’s role as Science Strategy Manager means he is involved in discussions around the Zero Carbon Bill and freshwater policies in order to ensure the company itself is complying with these new legislations, as well as looking to the future and innovative ways of reducing their carbon footprint for example. Warwick told Lillian that phosphate is one of 14 essential elements that living things use, calcium phosphate for example helps to make bones and teeth. Fertiliser products are necessary in any kind of farming to replace the nutrients and minerals (or the phosphate and sulphur) that are essentially eaten or consumed by animals and plants. Particularly in New Zealand Warwick said, these nutrients are lacking in the soil, and thus the importation of these nutrients and the replacement of the nutrients in soil is necessary. Here, a product called SuperPhosphate is used because the plants need phosphate and sulfur. Lillian had quite a lengthy conversation with Warwick about the situation in Western Sahara, but they also spoke about phosphate, New Zealand’s pastoral farming system, which is fairly distinctive in regards to the rest of the world, and about different methods of farming as well as finite resources and the obligation of finding alternatives - especially given phosphate is one of those finite resources. This is the full interview.
Oscar Perress returns to the helm with his imperfect maths to actually put together a full Wire, despite many unfulfiled promises of Minister Hipkins.
All (Bar Board Games) the regular segments return along with a rushed discussion about the DHB and a wonderful piece about the flawed internet rhetoric of the white supremacist stickers on UoA Campus.
Justin talks to Justice Minister Andrew Little about the government's changes to rental laws, a new national interest test when selling assests, New Zealand First's party donations and current progress at the Pike River Mine.
On dear science today Marcus Jones talks with us global wind speeds slowing down, the mapping of Saturn's moon Titan and the discovery of a new pure form of carbon.
Here in this wire piece, 95bFM reporter Dhan-nun(FreedomofCommon) was fortunate enough to speak with Cathy Livermore who runs Māori mindfulness. Cathy's paradigms combine mindfulness practices with Mātauranga Māori to develop a person's wairua and improve hinengaro.
Male infertility is a serious issue in Australia and Aotearoa and there is currently no medical solution besides ‘getting healthy’ to solve it. It is an issue that isn’t discussed enough throughout society and is responsible for 50% of infertility in couples. This week on Green Desk Mitch speaks to Ateronon founder Sam Hunter about the Tomato Pill. Sam has been on a mission to create the first ever naturally occurring male fertility pill which was based off the information and statistics about the benefits of the mediterrenean diet. He has since developed the tomato pill which has enhanced the bioavailability of the lycopene in tomatoes to increase grade A sperm in men by up to nearly 50%. To begin, Mitch asks Sam what gives the tomato the ability to help with male infertility.
The 21st century has already witnessed revolutions in Ukraine, Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya, alongside other uprisings and transformational movements that reach all over the world. Although these movements had their roots in earlier movements and revolutions, they are different from their predecessors. For one, these movements are increasingly non-violent, and secondly, they are less ideologically driven. Maria Armoudian discusses how revolutions have changed this century with Leandro Vergara-Camus, John Foran, and Jack A. Goldstone.
Justin talks to Justice Minister Andrew Little on the government's new firearms legeslation, a government bill on sexual violence victims, as well as his thoughts on the new Sustainable New Zealand party and Bird of the Year results.
On The Wire today, Dear Science with Allan Blackman takes us through protons, slippery ice and cleaning products that could kill.
Sherry is looking into the government’s announcements on changes in schools and speaks to two principals, one from Auckland Grammar School, and the other from Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake O Tāwhiuau in Murupara.
William speaks to Jarred Abbott from First Union about the upcoming bus driver strikes.
Lillian hears from Sean Freeman, chair of the Tree Council on why they support the Tupuna Maunga Authority’s plan to restore Owairaka maunga.
At the Green Desk today, we talk to Dr Julia Albrecht about the Tiaki Promise and about making a sustainable future for the tourism industry. Tune in to find out more!
95bFM 
