The earthquake commission has confirmed that it will go ahead with plans to cut almost half of its staff, despite an influx of new claims from the Kaikoura quake. The staff will be reduced next year from around 850 to 450, however with the recent Kaikoura quake the EQC is expecting around fifty thousand new claims, while they are also still meeting claims made from the 2011 Canterbury earthquake. Bfm reporter Dylan Kelly speaks to Labour’s Canterbury spokesperson Megan Wood, and Jess Smith speaks to insurance lawyer John Goddard about the inevitable effects of the cuts.
Sam Smith resumes his weekly chat with Marama Fox, co-leader of the Maori Party, this week looking at the news the Māori and Mana parties are exploring working together at next year’s election in order to win back the Māori seats off Labour.
Talks to upgrade New Zealand’s free trade agreement with China will begin next year, with both countries aiming to to reach the $30 billion mark in trade by 2030, and Prime Minister John Key saying an upgrade is needed to achieve this. Bfm reporter Alice Canton spoke to University of Auckland lecturer Robert Scollay to find out more.
Over the weekend former Cuban leader Fidel Castro died aged 90. Castro brought communism to the island nation, overthrowing dictator Fulgencio Batista during the revolution of 1959. His death has been met with mixed reaction with parties in the streets of Miami amongst the local Cuban community who fled his rule, while others celebrate what he achieved as leader in the form of bringing free education and healthcare to the country. Reporter Sam Smith speaks to Cuba’s Ambassador to New Zealand Mario Alzugaray Rodriguez about Castro’s death and his legacy.
The Zonta Club of Auckland and Auckland Libraries are holding a panel discussion addressing the issue of violence against women and children. The discussion is being held tonight at Auckland central library at 5:30pm. 95bFM producer Hannah Ross spoke to one of the panelists, Janet Fanslow, who is an Associate Professor from the School of Population Health at Auckland University, about what the panel is focusing on.
Last Friday the government launched the Disability Confident campaign which aims to support employers to hire and retain disabled employees. 95bFM producer Hannah Ross spoke to Disability Issues Minister, Nicky Wagner, about what the campaign consists of.
The Government announced this week that it will update the Equal Pay Act and amend the Employment Relations Act to implement recommendations of the Joint Working Group on Pay Equity. This will make it easier for women to file pay equity claims with their employers, rather than having to go through the courts. It will also assist employers in addressing those claims. I spoke with Minister for Workplace Relations Michael Woodhouse about this update.
Dr Nicki Jackson is speaking at the Centre for Addiction Research one-day symposium on November 28th. Nicki is discussing her current research on the relationship between neighbourhoods and adolescent drinking. I spoke with Dr Nicki Jackson about what her current research entails.
Forest and Bird are disappointed in the sentence handed to a fisherman who killed dozens of albatrosses. Daniel Smyth was given 300 hours of community work on Wednesday, after pleading guilty to causing the deaths of nearly 40 albatrosses. The group says the Ministry of Primary Industries needs to do more to address these kinds of incidents. Forest and Bird's Seabird advocate Karen Baird spoke to 95bFM reporter Mackenzie Smith, who began by asking her what was wrong with the albatross killer's sentence.