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.
As part of the coalition deal between National, ACT and New Zealand First, the Government intends to refocus school curriculum on academic achievement, which includes the removal and replacement of the gender sexuality and relationship-based education guidelines.
In 2020, former New Zealand First MP and minister Tracey Martin initiated Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE), giving our youth a safe space to learn about themselves, as well as develop knowledge and skills towards acting in positive and respectful ways with others. Now, current Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is reversing this policy, primarily because parents oppose the RSE curriculum.
ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa recently released a statement condemning the Luxon governments plan to remove RSE from school curricula, arguing that the government would be ignoring decades of evidence-based research carried out in Aotearoa and overseas.
Lou discusses the removal of RSE with Ella Shepherd, President of ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa further.
Last week the Government confirmed its plan for its first 100 days, combining the 100-day plan National campaigned on, with the priorities of the partner parties ACT and New Zealand First.
Announcing the plan at his first post-Cabinet briefing held last Wednesday, Luxon spoke of 49 ambitious actions they plan to deliver in the next 100 days. During the briefing Luxon spoke that New Zealanders voted for a change of government, policies and approach, And the plan announced reflects this, with many of the actions proposed being repeals of the previous government’s doing.
The Plan revolves around three key areas- the economy, law and order and public services.
In our weekly catch up with Simon Court, Lou enquired about the ACT Party’s response and support of the repeal of the Labour government’s Fair Pay legislation, their promise to begin work towards the crack down on serious youth offending, and ACT's stance on the intent to remove the current Smokefree legislations.
Global Women Aotearoa has said that based upon the gender pay gap of 8.6% according to Statistics New Zealand, women in Aotearoa have been effectively working for free from the 30th of November until the end of the year. This disparity is much higher for Māori women, who face a pay gap of 14.3%, and Pasifika women, who face a pay gap of 15.2%. The statement from Global Women is a part of their eight percent matters campaign, which aims to make New Zealanders more aware of the gender pay gap. Global Women says they want New Zealanders to use this time of year to talk about topics like pay equity and pay transparency with those around them, and the campaign is an attempt to spark that conversation
Rosetta spoke to Agnes Naera, CEO of Global Women, about the eight percent matters campaign, what the current state of the gender pay gap in Aotearoa looks like, and what more needs to be done.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), or COP28, is currently taking place in Dubai. The conference began on the 30th of November and runs until the 12th of December, and UNICEF Aotearoa is sending a delegation of young ambassadors to represent young New Zealanders priorities’ regarding climate change. The delegation will leave to Dubai on Wednesday, are all aged between 18 and 24, and offer a range of perspectives including Māori, Pasifika, rural and urban living experiences, and LGBTQIA+ youth. COP is the biggest climate conference in the world, and this year over 70 thousand people from both business and political sectors will attend. In the past, youth advocates such as Greta Thunberg have criticised COP conferences as too much talk and too little action, and the conference has already started with controversy after the BBC reported that leaked briefing documents revealed plans by the United Arab Emirates to discuss fossil fuel deals with 15 nations. The conference also comes at an interesting time for Aotearoa, as the new government has pledged to reintroduce oil and gas exploration, which has come under criticism by many of the delegations present at COP28
Rosetta spoke with Vira Paky, who is one of the Young Ambassadors in the UNICEF delegation. We spoke about the importance of having young voices represented at COP28, and discussed what role the new government should be playing in involving Aotearoa in global conferences like this.
Rosetta spoke to Vira Paky, one of the UNICEF Young Ambassadors travelling in a delegation to COP28 in Dubai this week.
Rosetta also spoke to Agnes Naera, CEO of Global Women, about their research which finds that from the 30th until the end of the year, women are effectively working for free compared to their male counterparts due to the gender pay gap in Aotearoa.
In our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Lou spoke to ACT MP Simon Court about some of the proposed plans announced last wednesday for the new governments first 100 days, including the repeal of the Fair Pay Legislation, increase in crack down for serious youth offending and the removal of smokefree legislations.
Lou also spoke to Ella Sheperd, President of ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa on the Governments decision to remove Relationship and Sexuality Education in school curricula.
Recently, we have seen members of the new coalition government be increasingly critical toward the media.
In particular, this week we saw NZ First leader, Winston Peters falsely accuse the media of accepting government bribery in the form of the Public Interest Journalism Fund.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Associate Professor of Journalism at Massey University in Wellington, James Hollings, about the purpose of the Public Interest Journalism Fund and state-funded media, and the potential implications of some members of the incoming government’s attitudes towards media.
The new government has announced a plan to remove and replace relationship and sexuality education guidelines, citing the need for a return to an ‘achievement-based’ curriculum, rather than what they have referred to as an ‘ideological’ one.
Beth spoke to Professor of Education at the University of Auckland Katie Fitzpatrick about the new policy, and what this means for rangatahi.
Producer Castor spoke to Professor of Māori Studies at the University of Auckland and chair of Te Rūnanga ā Iwi o Ngāti Kahu of the far North, Margaret Mutu, about how the new government will impact Māori and Te Tiriti.
Former Wire host Spike interviewed the President of University of Auckland Student Justice for Palestine, Layan Khalil, about protests against Israeli-owned shipping vessels and goods entering Aotearoa.
For City Counselling, producer Beth chatted to Counsellor for Waitakere Shane Henderson about proposed congestion charges.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins speak to Associate Professor of Journalism at Massey University in Wellington, James Hollings, about Winston Peters's false allegations of media bribery concerning the Public Interest Journalism Fund.
Castor spoke to the CEO of SAFE for Animals, Debra Ashton, about the government repealing the ban on live exports.
Beth spoke to Professor of Education at the University of Auckland, Katie Fitzpatrick, about the government’s plan to remove relationships and sexuality education from school curriculum.
And Jessica talked to Director at Our Land and Water National Science Challenge, Jenny Webster-Brown, and Research Lead and Director of Land Water People, Ton Snelder about their new research into New Zealand’s water quality.
A new report from Our Land and Water has found it will be extremely challenging to achieve New Zealand's water quality goals.
First, News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Ton Snelder, report lead author, and Director of Land Water People, about their findings and what they mean for New Zealand’s water quality?
She also spoke to Jenny Webster Brown, Director at Our Land and Water National Science Challenge about the water standards outlined in the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020.
At the end of April this year, the former Labour government introduced a ban on the live export of animals. The ban followed a two year transition period, giving farmers and businesses a chance to find alternatives.
The policy documents revealed last Friday indicated that the upcoming government plans to repeal this ban. Castor spoke to CEO of SAFE for Animals, Debra Ashton, about why this ban was put in place and what repealing it could mean.
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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