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The Wire

Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Joel Armstrong, Sara Mckoy, 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.

Family Court using poor-quality evidence w/ the University of Auckland's Carrie Leonetti: 21 July, 2025

Family Court using poor-quality evidence w/ the University of Auckland's Carrie Leonetti: 21 July, 2025 Family Court using poor-quality evidence w/ the University of Auckland's Carrie Leonetti: 21 July, 2025, 16.25 MB
Mon 21 Jul 2025

According to a new journal article by Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Auckland, Carrie Leonetti, the Family Court is using poor-quality evidence in rulings.

On Friday, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Leonetti about her findings and what implications using faulty evidence has on the children involved in these cases.

Re-establishing Polytechnics and Te Pāti Māori's Thoughts on MP Peeni Henare in Tāmaki Makaurau By-election w/ Labour's Shanon Halbert: 17 July, 2025

Re-establishing Polytechnics and Te Pāti Māori's Thoughts on MP Peeni Henare in Tāmaki Makaurau By-election w/ Labour's Shanon Halbert: 17 July, 2025 Re-establishing Polytechnics and Te Pāti Māori's Thoughts on MP Peeni Henare in Tāmaki Makaurau By-election w/ Labour's Shanon Halbert: 17 July, 2025, 13.65 MB
Thu 17 Jul 2025

The government has announced that Te Pūkenga is set to return to ‘regional governance,’ re-establishing 10 polytechnics that were merged under the previous Labour-led government.

In 2020 under the previous Labour-led government, 16 polytechnics and nine industry training organisations were merged into the mega-institute Te Pūkenga, as a “head office”. Despite this, the polytechnics were allowed to maintain their unique images and continue operating.

Vocational Education Minister, Penny Simmonds, announced the move, to establish a vocational education system that is “locally led, regionally responsible, and future-focused”.

The move has faced backlash. The Tertiary Education Union’s national secretary, Sandra Grey, says the move would be a disaster for regional education and that the sector is being treated as a “political football”.

For our weekly catchup with the Labour Party, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke with MP Shanon Halbert, about this move from the government.

They also discussed Te Pāti Māori members expressing concerns over Labour’s choice of running MP Peeni Henare in the upcoming Tāmaki Makaurau by-election.

Te Pāti Māori media liaison, Kiri Tamihere-Waititi, says a vote for Henare would be “wasted,” as Henare already has a seat in Parliament. She has called for people to vote for Te Pāti Māori’s candidate, Oriini Kaipara, so that there would be two Tāmaki Makaurau-based Māori MPs in Parliament.

But first, they discussed vocational education.

The Wire w/ Joel: 17 July, 2025

The Wire w/ Joel: 17 July, 2025 The Wire w/ Joel: 17 July, 2025, 88.41 MB
Thu 17 Jul 2025

This week on the Thursday Wire:

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to MP Shanon Halbert about the re-establishment on TEN polytechnics that were previously merged under Te Pūkenga, and Te Pāti Māori members accusing the party of being ‘greedy’ for running MP Peeni Henare in the upcoming Tāmaki Makaurau by-election.

For this week’s City Counselling, Producer Sara spoke with Councillor Julie Fairey about her recent biking accident and her hopes for road safety in Auckland, as well as the recently released State of the City report.

For International Desk, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Natasha Lindstaedt from the University of Essex on the backslide of democracy in Georgia, particularly due to Russian influence, and the public response.

Joel spoke to Tom Wilkinson, a PhD Candidate in History at the University of Auckland, about Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, nominating US President, Donald Trump, for a Nobel Peace Prize.

And on Monday, Producer Sam spoke to Peter Adams, a Professor in the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland, about the government’s alcohol levy, in light of recent lobbying by the alcohol industry.

Whakarongo mai!

Road safety in light of Julie Fairey’s recent close call & Auckland’s State of the City report shows we’re “falling behind” w/ Councillor Julie Fairey: 17 July, 2025

Road safety in light of Julie Fairey’s recent close call & Auckland’s State of the City report shows we’re “falling behind” w/ Councillor Julie Fairey: 17 July, 2025 Road safety in light of Julie Fairey’s recent close call & Auckland’s State of the City report shows we’re “falling behind” w/ Councillor Julie Fairey: 17 July, 2025, 34.04 MB
Thu 17 Jul 2025

On the 25th of June, our regular City Counselling guest Julie Fairey was involved in a road collision while she was biking in her local area. Fairey wrote about the close call, which she says could have been a lot worse, in a piece published in the Spinoff, as a reinvigoration of her previous advocacy around the need for road safety measures that improve how safely and efficiently Aucklanders can get around the city.

As well, this week we’ve seen the release of the State of the City report, which compares Auckland on metrics including opportunity and prosperity, culture and experience, place and connectivity, innovation and knowledge, and resilience and sustainability.
The report found that we are ‘falling behind’ other cities, with the biggest emphasis placed on our poor economic productivity in comparison with similar locations.

Producer Sara spoke with Julie Fairey about both of these topics, firstly by asking her what motivated her to write about her recent collision.

Alcohol Levy & Alcohol Industry Lobbying w/ University of Auckland Professor of Population Health Peter Adams: 17 July, 2025

Alcohol Levy & Alcohol Industry Lobbying w/ University of Auckland Professor of Population Health Peter Adams: 17 July, 2025 Alcohol Levy & Alcohol Industry Lobbying w/ University of Auckland Professor of Population Health Peter Adams: 17 July, 2025, 30.6 MB
Thu 17 Jul 2025

A number of experts have raised concerns recently regarding the “way too friendly” relationship between alcohol industry lobbyists and policy makers responsible for alcohol restrictions and laws in New Zealand.

While we have had an alcohol harm-reduction levy in place for over forty years, some experts including University of Auckland School of Population Health Professor Peter Adams, believe that this levy isn’t as positive as it seems.

As alcohol lobbyists have been granted input and influence in the development of alcohol policies, Adams says that the levy is actually a smokescreen that allows the industry to profit from alcohol consumption without tangibly addressing its harms to the population.

On Monday, Producer Sam spoke with Professor Peter Adams about this topic. 

Netanyahu nominating Trump for Nobel Peace Prize w/ the University of Auckland's Tom Wilkinson: 17 July, 2025

Netanyahu nominating Trump for Nobel Peace Prize w/ the University of Auckland's Tom Wilkinson: 17 July, 2025 Netanyahu nominating Trump for Nobel Peace Prize w/ the University of Auckland's Tom Wilkinson: 17 July, 2025, 8.32 MB
Thu 17 Jul 2025

Towards the start of this month, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, nominated US President, Donald Trump, for a Nobel Peace Prize.

News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to Tom Wilkinson, a PhD Candidate in History at the University of Auckland, about Netanyahu’s nomination, the Nobel Peace Prize in general, and his belief that there is an ulterior motive to the Israeli Prime Minister’s nomination.

What is the next step in a sustainable society? w/ the University of Auckland's Phil Shane: 17 July, 2025

What is the next step in a sustainable society? w/ the University of Auckland's Phil Shane: 17 July, 2025 What is the next step in a sustainable society? w/ the University of Auckland's Phil Shane: 17 July, 2025 , 12.16 MB
Thu 17 Jul 2025

As the climate and sustainability crises continue to worsen and corporations and governments refuse to act the question must be asked, do we need to rethink our entire society? From one built on resource extraction for profit, to one built around sustainable local living.

Producer Sam spoke to Professor of geology at the University of Auckland, Phil Shane, about the sustainability of our society.

International Desk: The Erosion of Democracy in Georgia w/ University of Essex’s Natasha Lindstaedt: 17 July, 2025

International Desk: The Erosion of Democracy in Georgia w/ University of Essex’s Natasha Lindstaedt: 17 July, 2025 International Desk: The Erosion of Democracy in Georgia w/ University of Essex’s Natasha Lindstaedt: 17 July, 2025, 17.5 MB
Thu 17 Jul 2025

Once a beacon of democratic progress, Georgia is at risk of sliding into authoritarianism, particularly due to Russian influence. 

Six opposition leaders face criminal charges, and the major opposition parties have been banned, while “Georgia Dream”, the political party in power, faces allegations of corruption and voter fraud.

However, the party faces increasing opposition within Georgia, including mass protests over their pro-Russia laws. 

82% of Georgians feel their country is in crisis, with 78% directly citing the Georgian Dream political party as the cause. 

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Essex, about Georgia’s anti-democratic crackdowns and public response.

The Wire w/ Oto: 16 July, 2025

The Wire w/ Oto: 16 July, 2025 The Wire w/ Oto: 16 July, 2025, 83.81 MB
Wed 16 Jul 2025

This week on the Wednesday Wire:

For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March about the Green Party's call to Cabinet to drop the Regulatory Standards Bill after it concluded hearings at select committee, The government's decision to return 10 polytechnics to "regional governance" and The Green Party's decision not to stand a candidate in this year’s Tāmaki Makaurau by-election.

Producer Max spoke to Dr. Iresh Jayawardena from the University of Auckland, to talk about what action New Zealand should take to prepare for future floods.

Joel spoke with Ed Boswell-Correa from the New Zealand Nurses Organisation to discuss the cuts to services and patients at Tōtara hospice.

And Max spoke to Nic Rawlence from the University of Otago, to talk about Colossal Biosciences’ project to de-extinct the South Island Giant Moa.

Whakarongo mai!

Action Is Vital To Prepare For More Floods w/ Dr. Iresh Jayawardena: July 16, 2025

Action Is Vital To Prepare For More Floods w/ Dr. Iresh Jayawardena: July 16, 2025 Iresh Jayawardena: July 16, 2025, 21 MB
Wed 16 Jul 2025

Extreme weather events such as the recent Tasman floods, are becoming more common in New Zealand. With that, the risk of severe flooding is only increasing.

The question is: how prepared is Aotearoa for the next severe flood and what action is needed to prepare for it? 

Producer Max spoke to Dr. Iresh Jayawardena, a lecturer in Urban Planning at the University of Auckland, to talk about New Zealand’s lack of awareness when it comes to floods and why short term planning has left many areas vulnerable to severe weather.

Chlöe Swarbrick banned from Parliament over Palestine speech and removing te reo Māori in children’s books w/ the ACT Party’s Simon Court: 18 August, 2025

Chlöe Swarbrick banned from Parliament over Palestine speech and removing te reo Māori in children’s books w/ the ACT Party’s Simon Court: 18 August, 2025 Chlöe Swarbrick banned from Parliament over Palestine speech and removing te reo Māori in children’s books w/ the ACT Party’s Simon Court: 18 August, 2025, 29.2 MB
Mon 18 Aug 2025

A couple of weeks ago in our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, we discussed multiple countries moving to formally recognise Palestinian Statehood, and what New Zealand’s plans were in this regard.

Last week, Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, said the country would carefully weigh its position over the next month in recognising the state of Palestine.

During a debate in Parliament, the government’s delay in recognising a Palestinian state, as opposed to other countries such as France, the UK, Canada, and Australia, led Green Party co-leader, Chlöe Swarbrick, to refer to the country as “outlier,” and called for the government MPs “with a spine” to “stand on the right side of history”. This led to her being ordered to leave Parliament by Speaker Gerry Brownlee, after refusing to apologise for her statement.

As well as this, last week, Education Minister, Erica Stanford, announced cancelling the early-reading book At the Marae from its Ready to Read Phonics Plus series. 

The government’s reasoning for this is through “mixed” evidence suggesting that learning both English and te reo Māori for young learners could confuse them.

The move has been widely criticised by linguists, academics, and educators, for being “an act of racism” and “white supremacy”.

For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, Producer Castor spoke to Simon about both these topics, starting with recognising a Palestinian state.

Find out more about the Māori words which are a part of the official Oxford English Dictionary here

Helen Clark’s comments on the Gaza ‘genocide’, the recent Taxpayers Union-Curia poll, and Electorate Changes w/ Labour’s Shanan Halbert: 14 August, 2025

Helen Clark’s comments on the Gaza ‘genocide’, the recent Taxpayers Union-Curia poll, and Electorate Changes w/ Labour’s Shanan Halbert: 14 August, 2025 Helen Clark’s comments on the Gaza ‘genocide’, the recent Taxpayers Union-Curia poll, and Electorate Changes w/ Labour’s Shanan Halbert: 14 August, 2025, 7.38 MB
Thu 14 Aug 2025

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark recently visited the border of Gaza with Egypt. She told media there was “no reason” why Aotearoa New Zealand shouldn’t take the step to recognise a Palestinian state.

The latest Taxpayers Union-Curia poll has predicted a hung parliament next election. Labour has overtaken National, with both National leader Christopher Luxon and Labour Leader Chris Hipkins up in the preferred Prime Minister poll.

And the independent “Representation Commission” has announced the changes to electorates in time for the next generation election. While the changes focus on adjusting boundaries, the electorate of “Rongotai” was also renamed to “Wellington Bays.”

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about all of these issues.

City Rail Link and building infrastructure in Auckland w/ Councilor Julie Fairey

City Rail Link and building infrastructure in Auckland w/ Councilor Julie Fairey City Rail Link and building infrastructure in Auckland w/ Councilor Julie Fairey, 26.39 MB
Thu 14 Aug 2025

Last week, several politicians including the Prime Minister and the Mayor of Auckland attended Auckland's City Rail Link test run. As the project nears completion, the CRL team is busy running tests to ensure this new upgraded rail system is ready for use on the day it launches on an unspecified date in 2026.

Several political leaders were invited to a test last week where they went through the three new stations that are a part of New Zealand’s first underground rail system. 

This comes at a time where Central Government is becoming increasingly stand-off ish with Local Governments across the country with rhetoric aimed at focusing councils on “Roads, Rubbish and Rates” 

This has come to a head with a recent move to introduce a rates cap which threatens to put a hard ceiling on what Local Councils can spend on in their communities. 

The CRL has been under construction for nearly a decade and costs more than $5.5 billion dollars with the project going over budget and over schedule on multiple occasions, drawing criticism from those who believe we are spending too much money on ineffective infrastructure projects. 

Producer Sanat talked to Councilor Julie Fairey today about the value that CRL will give to the city and why we have such a hard time nationally building ambitious infrastructure projects.

 

Weekly Catchup w/ The Green Party's Ricardo Menendez-March: 13 August, 2025

Weekly Catchup w/ The Green Party's Ricardo Menendez-March: 13 August, 2025 Weekly Catchup w/ The Green Party's Ricardo Menendez-March: 13 August, 2025, 25.53 MB
Wed 13 Aug 2025

Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced that the government would be announcing its position on the recognition of a Palestinian state over the next month.

This announcement was made in the lead up to the UN general assembly in September, where world leaders such as the prime ministers of France and Australia promised to recognise a Palestinian state.

Also this week, Green party Wellington MPs Julie Anne Genter and Tamatha Paul recently launched a petition calling for Māori place names to be restored to Wellington electorates after the Rongotai electorate was recently renamed to the English name Wellington Bays.

And the latest Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll was recently released, which showed that Labour had overtaken National as the largest party, gaining 2 points to 33.6 percent, while National’ dropped 2.1 points to 31.8 percent.

For our weekly catchup with the Green party, Oto spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March to get the party’s take on all of these issues

Treasury Long Term Insights Briefing & changes to the Road User Charges (RUC) system w/ National Party MP Carl Bates: 12 August, 2025

Treasury Long Term Insights Briefing & changes to the Road User Charges (RUC) system w/ National Party MP Carl Bates: 12 August, 2025 Treasury Long Term Insights Briefing & changes to the Road User Charges (RUC) system w/ National Party MP Carl Bates: 12 August, 2025, 23.26 MB
Tue 12 Aug 2025

Last week, Treasury delivered the Long Term Insights Briefing entitled ‘Te Ara Mokopuna’ which examines the use of fiscal policy in New Zealand to respond to challenges and economic shocks.

The report used stakeholder feedback and consultation to underscore how the government can seek to promote “fiscal sustainability and improving wellbeing for future generations of New Zealanders”.

Of particular interest, the report highlights the effect of spending decisions made during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As well, Transportation Minister Chris Bishop has announced the government’s plans to change up the road user charges system in what he says is the ‘biggest change to how we fund our roading network in 50 years’.

The changes are aimed at making charges fairer across road usage, reflecting the evolution in the types of cars now available. 

Legislative work will be carried out in 2026, with changes expected to come into effect in 2027.

Dear Science w/ Professor Allan Blackman: 12 August, 2025

Dear Science w/ Professor Allan Blackman: 12 August, 2025 Dear Science w/ Professor Allan Blackman: 12 August, 2025, 40.68 MB
Tue 12 Aug 2025

For Dear Science this week, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman talks to us about a novel way to administer vaccines, subtle light in our brains, and Schrödinger’s birthday.

Thanks Allan for joining us, thank you MOTAT, and thank you science!

Changes to NCEA w/ the ACT Party's Simon Court: 11 August, 2025

Changes to NCEA w/ the ACT Party's Simon Court: 11 August, 2025 Changes to NCEA w/ the ACT Party's Simon Court: 11 August, 2025, 15.46 MB
Mon 11 Aug 2025

Last week, the government announced a proposal to replace NCEA with an alternative educational curriculum.

NCEA, which has been in place since 2002, has received mixed responses. In announcing the move, Education Minister, Erica Stanford, says that due to the flexibility of NCEA, this has “come at a cost” for young people to develop critical thinking skills and knowledge for future pathways.

The proposed changes include replacing NCEA level 1 with a foundational test, solely focusing on numeracy and literacy, replacing NCEA’s level 2 and 3 with two new qualifications, requiring students take five subjects, and having to pass at least four to obtain a certificate.

This move is not without its criticisms and concerns, however. For example, Many teachers have told RNZ that the changes, which are set to be phased in from next year, are too swift, with teachers saying they will need additional support during the transition process.

For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to him about potentially moving away from NCEA.

State of Auckland’s Local Democracy and Regional Deals w/ Councilor Shane Henderson

State of Auckland’s Local Democracy and Regional Deals w/ Councilor Shane Henderson State of Auckland’s Local Democracy and Regional Deals w/ Councilor Shane Henderson, 16.52 MB
Thu 7 Aug 2025

The deadline for enrolling to vote in Local elections and nominations for candidates closed last week, with last minute pushes across the country to make sure as many seats as possible were being contested. 

There were concerns from the Electoral Commission and Local Councils across the country that some seats might go uncontested or only have one person running.

Producer Sanat wanted to understand what the state of local democracy is in Auckland and whether the council is doing enough to make sure it is healthy and thriving. 

Also in today’s discussion is a conversation about Regional Deals. Recently Auckland Council signed a memorandum of understanding with the government in order to begin “negotiating” a regional deal. 

Producer Sanat wanted to understand what a regional deal is and what it can do for Auckland, especially as recent unemployment and homelessness figures suggest that our city has been hit hardest by the recent economic downturn. 

He started off by asking Councillor Shane Henderson about the state of Auckland's Local Democracy.

International Desk: Flawed “Objectivity” in Canadian Newsroom’s Reporting on Gaza w/ Mount Royal University’s Gabriela Perdomo Páez: 7 August, 2025

International Desk: Flawed “Objectivity” in Canadian Newsroom’s Reporting on Gaza w/ Mount Royal University’s Gabriela Perdomo Páez: 7 August, 2025 International Desk: Flawed “Objectivity” in Canadian Newsroom’s Reporting on Gaza w/ Mount Royal University’s Gabriela Perdomo Páez: 7 August, 2025, 14.92 MB
Thu 7 Aug 2025

“When Genocide Wasn’t News” is a recently released Canadian book that documents major Canadian news organisations' reporting on Gaza.

The book claims the media has “whitewashed Israeli violence, dehumanised Palestinians and smeared a growing protest movement.”

Gabriela Perdomo Páez, Assistant Professor of journalism at Mount Royal University, says journalists who support peace efforts can easily be accused of being “biased” in favour of those promoting peace. 

For International Desk, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Perdomo Páez about Canadian news coverage of Gaza.

NCEA Changes, FBI Office, and the Rising Unemployment Rate w/ Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni: 7 August, 2025

NCEA Changes, FBI Office, and the Rising Unemployment Rate w/ Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni: 7 August, 2025 NCEA Changes, FBI Office, and the Rising Unemployment Rate w/ Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni: 7 August, 2025, 10.56 MB
Thu 7 Aug 2025

The government is abolishing NCEA and is set to replace it with two new qualifications for Year 12 and 13.

The United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is opening a standalone office in Wellington.

And the unemployment rate rose to 5.2% in the June quarter of this year.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these issues.