Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Castor Chacko, Alex Fox, Emmanuel Orange, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
NIWA has recently released their annual climate summary for 2024, which shows that last year was New Zealand’s tenth warmest year on record.
Of the top ten warmest years on record, eight of these have occurred in the past twelve years.
The report shows that these rising temperatures, which are in line with global trends, are largely due to climate change caused by humans.
As well as this, this comes as Copernicus, ECMWF, and NASA are expected to release their annual climate summary, which is expected to show that 2024 was the Earth’s warmest year on record.
News and Editorial Director, and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Principal Scientist at GNS Science, Dr Nick Cradock-Henry, about this report, and what this report means for 2025.
They started off by asking him about the rapidness in temperatures seen in the report in prior years.
Submissions on the government’s highly contested Regulatory Standards Bill close tonight.
The legislation, which has largely flown under the radar, is now being slammed for being dangerous, with worries it will entrench the ACT Party’s ideology into New Zealand’s constitutional framework.
The bill, which is not yet before parliament, focuses heavily on property regulation - catering towards developers and corporations.
Producer Evie spoke to Climate Justice Taranaki’s Catherine Cheung about the increasing concerns that activist and environmental groups have surrounding the legislation.
News and Editorial Director, and Monday Wire Host, Joel, speaks to Principal Scientist at GNS Science, Dr Nick Cradock-Henry, about NIWA’s annual climate summary, showing that 2024 was the 10th warmest year on record in Aotearoa.
They also speak to the Co-Director and Senior Research Fellow for the Centre of Pacific & Global Health at the University of Auckland, Dr Roannie Ng Shiu, about a report she was involved in in December, showing that vulnerable Pacific nations will be facing a multitude of devastating consequences due to the climate crisis.
Producer Evie speaks to the Director of Global Studies at the University of Auckland, Chris Ogden, about what we can expect from Donald Trump’s inauguration, one week out from him taking office.
She also speaks to Climate Justice Taranaki’s Catherine Cheung about the government’s controversial Regulatory Standards Bill.
And finally, Global Innovator, Matt Hart, joins us in studio to discuss the concept of new year resolutions.
One week from today, President elect Donald Trump’s inauguration will take place, marking his second term as president.
Between election day in November and now, much has occurred. Most recently Trump was granted an unconditional discharge in his highly publicised hush money trial - avoiding penalty, jail time or a fine - but he will still become the first president with a felony conviction.
He’s also become increasingly strong on claims that the USA will buy Greenland as a territory, and aim to make Canada its 52nd state. Although the claims may seem outrageous - Trump is also demanding that Panama cede control of the Panama Canal back to the US.
With such brazen claims and events - Producer Evie spoke to Director of Global Studies at the University of Auckland, Chris Ogden about what Trump’s upcoming term may look like and what impact these events may have.
On this week's Thursday Wire, we reflect on our favourite interviews from 2024 as we wrap up our reporting for the year.
In May,Wire Host Caeden spoke to Yale University student Andre Fa’aoso and University of Auckland student Layan Khalil about the pro-Palestine protests that swept across United States college campuses and then the world. The protests were part of the movement to divest from Israel due to their ongoing war on Gaza.
And in November,Tuesday Wire host Castor and Caeden went down to Te Whanganui-a-Tara to speak to Hīkoi Mō Te Tiriti protestors who were arriving at Parliament to protest against the Treaty Principles Bill.
As part of Caeden and Castor’s coverage, producer Sofia spoke to renowned Māori activist Tāme Iti in November about the hīkoi.
In April,Sofia spoke toAssociate Professor at the University of Auckland Faculty of Law, Carrie Leonetti, about calls to criminalise stalking.
And in July, she spoke to the Research Director at the Disinformation Project, Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa, about the Employment Court’s judgement on Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles’ case against the University of Auckland.
For the Best of the Wire today, Oto and Sasha reflected on their favourite interviews over the past year as the bFM news team heads into the holiday period.
In April this year, Oto did an on the ground interview with Students for Fair Rent Chairman - Matthew Lee and Green Party Co-Leader - Chloe Swarbrick at a protest held by Students for Fair Rent calling for a rent strike and end to the cost of living crisis at the University of Auckland's halls of residence.
A month later, Oto spoke to organisers and attendees at another protest held by Students for Justice in Palestine - Auckland, around the time that Palestinian solidarity encampments were being held at universities across the globe.
In July, Oto spoke with Professor Emmy Rākete from the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Auckland to discuss the findings of the Abuse in Care Inquiry and how abuse in state and faith-based institutions lead to a prison pipeline that disproportionately affected Māori.
And, in his funniest and most light-hearted Interview, Oto spoke to comedian and professor in the department of chemical sciences at the University of Auckland - Dr Joel Rindelaub, to discuss the impacts of microplastics on the human brain and body.
In October, Sasha had a chat with Doctor Alex Beattie - a lecturer in Media and Communication at Victoria University of Wellington, to discuss why New Zealanders are becoming more distrustful of the media and why the younger generation is becoming more apathetic.
And, in September, Sasha talked to Associate Professor Laszlo Sajtos at the University of Auckland Business School about the trial usage of facial recognition technology by Foodstuffs in their North Island outlets.
On this week's Monday Wire, we reflect on our favourite interviews from 2024, as we wrap up our reporting for the year.
In August, for her weekly catch up with the ACT Party's Simon Court, Producer Evie spoke to him about the proposed repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act on the same day Aotearoa’s largest iwi, Ngāpuhi, was on a hikoi in opposition to the proposal. You can listen back to this interview here.
A week prior to this, Evie also spoke to Emmy Rakete, a lecturer at the University of Auckland who is Ngāpuhi herself, about the hikoi and her thoughts on the proposed repeal. You can listen back to this interview here.
In October, News and Editorial Director, and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Professor in the Faculty of Law at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT), Paul Myburgh, about the legislative implications of the Inquiry into the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui, as well as Lecturer in the Department of Marine Science at the University of Otago, Dr Bridie Allan, about what environmental implications we were seeing due to the oil spillage. You can listen back to these interviewshere.
And in November, Producer Yesenia spoke to E Tū Union's Savage Director of Organisations at E Tū about the core messages workers have for the ministry of Health and where the Work and Safety Act of 2015 could be improved to reflect workers vitality. You can listen to this interview here.
This week on the Tuesday Wire is a special 'Best of the Wire' segment...
For Dear Science this week, our expert Doctor Cushla McGoverin chatted with us about worms eating face masks, spray on tattoos, and neanderthal-human interbreeding. Afterward, we ran back some clips from some of the best Dear Science segments this year.
We also ran back some of the best Tuesday Wire interviews today, including…
Wire host Castor spoke with Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Information and Technology at Monash University in Melbourne, Jathan Sadowski, about the use and development of Artificial Intelligence.
They also spoke with President of the New Zealand Police Association Chris Cahill about the organisation’s open letter to the government regarding their involvement with firearms legislation reform.
And they spoke with Professor at the University of Auckland, James Russell to talk about the costs and methods of pest eradication in Aotearoa.
Producer Athena spoke with Professor at the University of Auckland, Ngaire Kerse, about the loneliness epidemic among older people.
The expert mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, part of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council, has written to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to express its concern about the Treaty Principles Bill.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to University of Auckland Law School Associate Professor Andrew Erueti about the letter and its significance.
Last week, NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft put forward a bill that would seek to define the terms “man” and “woman” in law. The bill has been supported by coalition parties through its first reading. Its primary supporters in parliament, ACT and NZ First, say the bill is about prioritising biology over ideology, or about maintaining common sense.
Its opponents, however, say the bill is unnecessary, and that the ideology pushed by its supporters does not align with evidence. Te Kāhui Tika Tangata, the human rights commission, says that the bill is “not necessary”, and “risks harm to communities who continue to experience discrimination on the basis of their gender identity”.
Disability Rights Commissioner and Rainbow rights spokesperson at the Human Rights Commission, Prudence Walker, sez the bill will not only “trample on the mana of trans and intersex people”, but it also “attempts to completely erase non-binary people”.
Despite the strong opposition, the government is pushing for the bill to be considered in select committee.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News Director Castor asked about the bill and why the government is bringing it about.
DISCLAIMER: this interview covers multiple anti-trans talking points, and briefly discusses sexual violence.
A survey of Automobile Association members' views on time-of-use charging has been presented to the Auckland Council’s Transport and Infrastructure Delivery Committee.
The survey found that members were open to congestion charging if it worked, even if they thought it was unfair.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins gave a ‘State of Auckland’ speech last week, focusing on the need for cross-party collaboration on infrastructure projects.
Wire Host Caeden spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson about both of these topics.
Crypto investment schemes are spreading across the Pacific, often through trusted family, church, and community networks. While they are promoted as offering financial freedom and fast returns, regulators have warned that some schemes carry serious risks and limited protections for investors.
Producer Pranuja spoke with Associate Dean Pacific Sione Taufa about how trust can be exploited in Pacific communities, why endorsement matters, and what people should know before investing.
The Government is heading into Budget week with plans to cut the core public service, and RNZ reports public servants' fears that their jobs are once again on the line. At the same time, questions have been raised over MFAT being spared from cuts, and the Government has unveiled major changes to secondary education through its proposed NCEA replacement.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke with Shanan Halbert about public service cuts, Budget priorities, and what the education overhaul could mean for students and teachers.
This week has seen discussions on New Zealand Firsts announcement that if they win the election they plan to buy BNZ and nationalise it into kiwibank, a plan some estimate to cost $30,000,000,000 and has been completely ruled out by their coalition partner in the National Party. Despite this, it’s sparked conversations around how we should be engaging with our banking sector, the vast majority of it dominated by Australian owned banks.
And critics fear that National party changes to the accommodation supplement is going to hit poor working families at a time they’re already doing it rough, nullifying other support that they are offering the rest of the country more broadly, repeating a pattern of policies that hurt poorer communities worse than the rich.
So for our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March on what impact he thinks will come from restrictions to the accommodation supplement, particularly for the poor, they then discussed New Zealand Firsts policy to buy BNZ bank, and whether minor parties tend to over promise if they are constrained by the major parties who they will inevitably have to work with if they make into parliament.
Last week, National MP Catherine Wedd’s members bill for an Under-16s social media ban was paused. Instead, Education Minister Erica Stanford has pledged to, before this years election, bring a wider and more robust proposal for a ban in a larger bill.
Last week also saw Prime Minister Christopher Luxon make comments about the National Party’s stance on immigration, amidst criticised changes to compliance officer powers, and previous spats and comments over immigration policy between government coalition partners.
And with the budget expected next week, promises have begun to be made by the government for where funding can be expected, particularly within education.
Host Alex spoke with National MP Ryan Hamilton about these topics, starting with the Social Media ban.
Since 1986, the Ministry for the Environment has been the central policy advising entity in New Zealand for environmental issues. The government has recently proposed the Environment Amendment Bill, which seeks to disestablish the Ministry for the Environment, which would be amalgamated into a larger Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport.
For Green World this week, Wire producer Liam spoke with Professor Nicolas Lewis, of the University of Auckland’s School of Environment, about these proposed changes, how they fit in with the government's current priorities around the environment, and the impact this may have on New Zealand in the short-term and long-term.
Recent weeks have seen the government adopting a series of policies targeted at immigration. Some of these policies are set to be introduced immediately, while others are proposals for the upcoming election. What all of these policies have in common is that they aim to respond to an idea that there is a subset of immigrants who are making society in New Zealand worse.
This is a narrative that we’ve seen dominate conversations about immigration overseas, particularly in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. It often leads to gross displays of racism, with mass riots and crackdowns on people who have done nothing wrong. With these recent policies and media attention towards the anti-immigrant rhetoric in Aotearoa this month, concerns have been raised over whether those overseas developments could be seen here.
For this week’s catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News Director Castor planned to ask about both immigration and the move-on orders for rough sleepers, though we ran out of time to discuss both. They began by asking Simon about the government’s recent stance on immigration.
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