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.
Oto reached out to Paula Lorgelly, a professor of Health Economics and Population Health at the University of Auckland for an expert opinion on the end of Free Covid Test distribution.
From Monday this week onwards, Rapid Antigen Tests would not be provided from pharmacies freely and would instead need to be purchased directly from retailers.
A pack of 5 covid tests would cost $16.99 at Chemist Warehouse, for example.
For their regular catch-up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March about the scaling down of upgrades to Dunedin hospital, The end of free covid tests and the recent sign off on speed limit changes.
He spoke to Paula Lorgelly from the University of Auckland for an expert opinion on the end of free COVID test provision.
He spoke to Julie Harrison, also from the University of Auckland to discuss a research project she was involved in examining costs for Kaumatua in elderly life care.
And he spoke to Clair Mills from Te Kupenga Hauora Maori to discuss the government’s directive to adjust health services to focus on need instead of ethnicity.
95bFM News and Editorial director, Joel, spoke to Professional Teaching Fellow in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland, Brian Marsh, about rising statistics of violence in schools, and how this relates to the Covid-19 lockdowns.
And they also spoke to Professor of Health Economics at the University of Auckland, Paula Lorgelly, about Associate Health Minister, Casey Costello’s, tax cuts for Heated Tobacco Products.
For Dear Science this week, our expert Professor Allan Blackman chatted with us about potentially debunked neuroscience findings, the Franklin expedition, and cancer medication thalidomide.
Our weekly catchup with the National party was off this week, as our regular MP Katie Nimon was away.
Wire host Castor spoke to the Mayor of Dunedin, Jules Radich, about the state of health in Dunedin and how the hospital cuts have been received.
They also spoke to PhD candidate and researcher at The University of Otago, Michael Swanson, about the hospital cuts and placing them in the wider politics of the current government.
And on the Green Desk this week, reporter Jack Marshall spoke to Principal Scientist from Manaaki Whenua, Linda Lilburne, about changing crops due to climate change.
Last week, the government announced that planned developments to Dunedin’s hospital may exceed the planned budget of $1.88 billion, and reach as much as $3 billion. As such, ministers Chris Bishop and Shane Reti announced that the plans may require reductions or an extended timeframe.
The announcement was met with mass opposition both on social media and in public, with some 35,000 protestors turning out on the streets of Dunedin on Saturday to march against the change.
Wire host Castor spoke to the Mayor of Dunedin, Jules Radich, about the state of public health in Dunedin, the necessity of upgrades, and how the public response may impact the government’s future decision-making.
Last week, the government announced that planned developments to Dunedin’s hospital may exceed the planned budget of $1.88 billion, and reach as much as $3 billion. As such, ministers Chris Bishop and Shane Reti announced that the plans may require reductions or an extended timeframe.
The announcement was met with mass opposition both on social media and in public, with some 35,000 protestors turning out on the streets of Dunedin on Saturday to march against the change.
The current government has been controversial for a range of its other policy decisions as well, particularly for how these policies shape up to campaign promises and expectations.
While under delivery on campaign promises is not uncommon in politics, it can hurt a party when it comes to re-election, especially when it comes to regions like Dunedin which may see less directed policies than major centres like Auckland.
Wire host Castor spoke to PhD candidate and researcher at the University of Otago, Michael Swanson, about the politics of this government and how the Dunedin hospital development plays into things moving into the next election.
Recently, the government has announced a push to get public services working back into working in the office, as opposed to current, alternative methods, such as through working-at-home models, and hybrid working models.
This comes as multiple academics from the Victoria University of Wellington are set to release an article in the New Zealand Journal of Employment Relations, discussing the positive findings of a hybrid working model.
Further findings in the past have proven claims that a hybrid working model improves productivity, such as a 2023 study from Human Resources New Zealand, which has shown 40% of HR professionals noted positive productivity gains from a hybrid working model.
I spoke to the Senior Lecturer at the School of Management at the Victoria University of Wellington, and co-author of the article, Stephen Blumenfeld, about the government’s calls to get public services workers back to the office, and the findings from the article.
The crown mineral amendment bill was introduced to parliament last Tuesday. Public submissions on the bill close tomorrow (Tuesday 1st October). This gives the public only four business days to make their submission on the bill, significantly shorter than the average submission time.
The bill is aiming to reverse the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, something the coalition government campaigned on.
The government has also cut down the normal six month select committee process, wanting the bill to be passed before the end of the year.
Greenpeace says the short public submission time on the bill shows the government has a complete disregard for people in New Zealand who care about climate change.
Producer Evie spoke to Greenpeace Executive Director Russell Norman about his concerns surrounding the four day submission time on the bill, and what impacts the ban reversal will actually have on the environment.
Last week job cuts were confirmed at Whakaata Māori as part of ongoing budget cuts to the organisation.
The national indigenous broadcaster is set to lose $10.3 million provided in the previous government’s budget.
The cuts have resulted in the probable axing of the broadcaster's TV bulletin, with a plan to move to online content by March of next year.
In parliament Former Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson pleaded with the government to invest in Whakaata Māori, calling the move yet another attack on Te Reo.
The cuts come off the back of a tumultuous time for Aotearoa’s media space, following the closure of Newshub and major cuts at TVNZ.
Producer Evie spoke to the University of Auckland’s Gavin Ellis about the cuts at Whakaata Māori, the effect they’ll have on te ao Māori media, public access to news and the direction our media sector is moving in.
For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party's Simon Court, Producer Evie spoke to Simon Court about the government's crackdown on truancy, as well as public submissions on the oil and gas exploration bill.
Evie also spoke to Greenpeace Executive Director, Russell Norman, about concerns surrounding the four day submission time on the same bill.
News and Editorial Director and Wire Host, Joel, spoke to the spokesperson for Peace Action Wellington, Valerie Morse, about Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, addressing the UN General Assembly, and whether his calls are enough to address Israel’s war on Gaza and attacks on Lebanon.
Evie spoke to The University of Auckland’s Gavin Ellis about job cuts at Whakaata Māori, and what this means for our media landscape.
Joel spoke to Senior Lecturer at the School of Management at the Victoria University of Wellington, Stephen Blumenfeld, about a study showing the positives of a hybrid working model, as Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, urges public services workers to go back to the office.
And Producer Sofia from the Thursday Wire last week spoke to Agriculture Campaigner at Greenpeace Aotearoa, Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn, about Fonterra’s recent yearly profit announcement and Fonterra’s use of palm kernel.
Recently, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters, addressed the UN General Assembly, regarding the New Zealand government’s stance on world affairs.
Peters’ discussed a variety of different topics, such as calling for a veto reform, and announcing New Zealand’s plans to petition for a seat on the UN Security Council for the 2039-2040 term.
News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to the spokesperson for Peace Action Wellington, Valerie Morse, about Winston Peters at the UNGA, specifically regarding whether or not Peace Action Aotearoa believes the Foreign Minister adequately addressed Israel’s war on Gaza and attacks on Lebanon, following the country previously agreeing on a UNGA resolution, calling for Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories within 12 months.
From Dec 27 to Jan 18, all train lines across Tāmaki will be shutting down for summer maintenance, a closure which is expected to be the last of its kind ahead of the opening of the City Rail Link.
The current measles outbreak in Tāmaki is being continually monitored, with exposure sites being updated daily on info.health.nz. The public are encouraged to track whether they’ve been in possible contact with the virus, and get up to date on any vaccinations to limit possibilities of transmission.
Auckland Council are supporting arts initiatives across the summer months, with Music in the Park kicking off in early January, and Movies in the Park following in February.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about these topics, and also asked for comment following the attack by two gunmen at Bondi Beach earlier this week.
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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
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