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.
In the past couple of months, the United States military has successfully decapitated two foreign regimes, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Military action in Iran is still underway, but the Trump administration already appears to be eyeing up its next target: Cuba. Trump recently said that regime change in Cuba is now “just a question of time,” and that it may or may not be “a friendly takeover.”
Producer Toby spoke to Dr. Paul Taillon about the prospect of regime change in Iran and Cuba. They discussed the history of American involvement in these countries and the differences between what Trump is currently doing and previous attempts at regime change
Last year, the government scrapped Pay Equity rules in a move that was widely panned due to its speed and lack of notice. A recent select committee looking into pay equity, as well as international women’s day on Sunday, has brought forth the issue once more into the political limelight.
Tuesday Wire Host Alex spoke with the TEU’s Te Pou Ahurei | National Secretary, Amy Ross, about the Pay Equity situation, the reality for those facing pay equity struggles in the time since their channels were scrapped and, crucially, the role that tertiary institutions, as employers and influential voices, can play in supporting New Zealanders, and advocating for a return to pay equity
Last week, the Education and Workforce select committee released its final report on an inquiry into social media's harm on young people. The report included 12 recommendations to the government on action to take which would protect tamariki online.
These recommendations included a social media ban for under 16s, establishing an independent national regulator for online safety and addressing legislative gaps to increase companies' liability for harm. Some MPs have disagreed with the report’s findings however, with the ACT party calling for a patient, rather than fast changing, approach to online restrictions.
To discuss the findings of the report and how the government should address online protection Producer Thomas spoke to Tāhono Trust member Anjum Rahmen.
The road congestion phenomenon known as “March Madness” which hits Auckland every year has begun, with Auckland Transport estimating travel times on Motorways will increase up to 41% this month.
The City Rail link is set to open later this year offering potential congestion relief in the future but Auckland Public Transport fares continue to increase, potentially offsetting this investment as a complete solution.
To discuss the extent of March congestion issues and how they can be solved Producer Thomas talked to Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Planning from the University of Auckland Dr Tim Welch.
Two weeks ago, 1News aired a story discussing the fact that gang members in New Zealand now outnumber police officers. The story was aired the same day as the government released data showing that the number of victims of violent crime has decreased.
After the releases, Police Minister Mark Mitchell complained on Facebook that on the same day as the government announcement, 1News ran a story seemingly with a contrary argument. Later in the week, 1News aired a new story discussing the decrease in victims of violent crime.
After the first story was aired, Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith confirmed he had called the journalist to share his thoughts. He then was called by TVNZ’s board chair, Andrew Barclay, where he says they discussed a range of matters, including the story.
The situation has drawn criticism from some, who say it could indicate biased reporting by 1News. To discuss the situation and the importance of independent journalism to a democracy, News Director Castor spoke to Senior Lecturer in Communication Studies at Auckland University of Technology, Gregory Treadwell.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News Director Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about New Zealand’s response to the US/Israel/Iran conflict and about changes to how ACC payments interact with payments from the Ministry of Social Development.
They also spoke to Senior Lecturer in Communication Studies, Gregory Treadwell, about a recent incident where Media and Communications minister Paul Goldsmith contacted a TVNZ board member about 1News coverage.
And Producer Thomas spoke to Tāhono Trust member Anjum Rahmen about the recently released Select Committee report on online harm to children and its recommended solutions.
He also talked to Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Planning Dr Tim Welch about Auckland’s March traffic madness and how public transport might be the answer.
The New Zealand Government is currently in talks with officials from the United States (US) about a new border security agreement that would allow New Zealanders' biometric information to be handed over to the US government.
The new agreement could give the United States full automated access to New Zealand's national databases.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to the chair of the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties, Thomas Beagle, about this issue.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has stated that the United States and Israel breached international law with their bombing of Iran, especially with the strike that killed 150 people at a primary girls’ school.
While former Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark says New Zealand should not provide military support for “an illegal invasion” of Iran.
And the New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey has published its latest results for the year leading up to October 2025.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to MP Shanan Halbert about both of these topics.
This weekend will see the West Papua Solidarity Forum hosted at the University of Auckland’s Old Choral Hall. The forum looks into the struggles faced by the people of West Papua against ongoing colonialism and repression by the Indonesian government.
As part of the forum, Academy Cinema will be hosting a West Papuan film night this Saturday, highlighting the struggles faced by locals.
To discuss the context behind the struggles in West Papua and the event this weekend, News Director Castor spoke to activist and former Green MP Catherine Delahunty.
You can find more information about the event here. You can find more information about the screening of West Papuan films at Academy Cinema here.
Late last year, the High Court ruled against the Ministry of Social Development on one of their practices in recovering welfare payments. MSD had, for the last twenty years, required that successful ACC claimants pay back any supplementary assistance they had received while waiting for their claim to be resolved, such as through the accommodation supplement.
This approach would often mean claimants would be left with a significantly reduced payout, and even debt.
Last month, the government began passing legislation that would retroactively make these practices legal, slashing any hopes of forgiving the outstanding debts that were - until recently - unlawful.
The Social Security (Accident Compensation and Calculation of Weekly Income) Amendment Bill has been pushed through parliament in urgency, limiting scrutiny. However, despite a narrow timeframe to submit on the select committee, over eight hundred responses were received.
Producer Theo spoke to Dr Susan St John, Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Auckland - and one of the submitters to the bill’s select committee - about the consequences this legislation will have.
Last week the ACT Party announced a new health policy that would see the responsibilities of pharmacists expanded to move pressure away from GPs. The idea of the policy is that for less significant health issues, people could see their local pharmacist instead of their GP, reducing wait times and costs for the public.
Also last week, the government announced plans to scrap the broadcasting standards authority. The announcement follows a period of complaints from the government over the BSA, which had ruled on online broadcaster The Platform. The government (and The Platform) say that the BSA shouldn’t be able to make rulings on online broadcasters, but some others disagree.
Without the BSA, many of the restrictions and rules that broadcasters are held to could disappear. In addition, the BSA offers a vehicle for members of the public to hold said organisations to account. Without the BSA, avenues for public feedback on poor conduct are minimal.
For this week’s catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News Director Castor asked about each of these issues, beginning with the party’s new health policy.
Auckland Council has approved their first-ever transport policy statement, which, together with the central Government’s Policy Statement on Land Transport, will shape the future of transport funding in Auckland.
And a petition is being hosted on Our ActionStation that calls on the Government to strengthen protections for the Waitākere Ranges.
For City Counselling, Wire Host Caeden spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson about both of these topics.
The Government has signed a new Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies with Singapore, aimed at keeping crucial goods like fuel, food, medicine and construction materials moving during future crises.
Meanwhile, ACT has released a new immigration policy, framing it as a way to make immigration “work for New Zealand,” with proposals including tougher deportation settings and requirements for migrants.
And leaked emails around New Zealand’s response to US strikes on Iran have raised questions about the coalition’s foreign policy direction.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke with Shanan Halbert on these topics.
In 1915, the Ottoman Empire began a campaign of arrests, deportations, death marches, and massacres that we now call the Armenian Genocide. The campaign itself took place in a wider context of Armenian persecution, but between the years 1915–1916, 1.5 million Armenians, alongside Assyrians and Greeks, were killed.
The term ‘genocide’ was not coined until several decades later, but the academic consensus is that the massacres, rapes, deportations, and destruction of Armenian cultural heritage that took place readily meets the criteria of the term.
At the time, members of Parliament in New Zealand - including the prime minister - decried the atrocities, with at least one representative pointing to what seemed like the murder of the entire Armenian nation. However, New Zealand is not one of the 34 governments and parliaments that officially recognise the Armenian Genocide. This position is in line with the successor state to the Ottoman Empire, Türkiye’s, protracted campaign of denial to this day.
So for this week’s Get Action, producer Theo spoke to Lo Aleen, on their petition for New Zealand to formally recognise the Armenian Genocide.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here.
Last week, the Green Party's bill to protect overdose emergency callers from legal risks received cross-party support, passing its first reading, keeping it on track to potentially become law. Minor infractions, such as minor possession and paraphernalia, would be overlooked when calling for emergency services to obtain help for someone overdosing.
And an Official Information Request by the Herald into Winston Peter’s Foreign Minister’s office revealed disagreements between the NZ First Leader and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon over the Coalition government's stance on the war with Iran, with the prime minister pushing for greater support for the United States bombings.
So for our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the Green Party’s overdose emergency callers bill and the revelations over the US war with Iran.
The past few weeks have seen the New Zealand First Party and the National Party trading jabs, with the crux of the issue beginning with the India Free Trade Agreement.
The issue began with NZ First refusing to support the trade agreement, leading Labour to collaborate with National and back it to fruition. NZ First Deputy Leader Shane Jones expressed his concerns over the bill, making derogatory comments about an implied mass arrival of Indian immigrants.
The comments were rejected by ministers in National, ACT, Labour, the Greens, and Te Pāti Māori. Despite these criticisms, little has been done in response, and the coalition government remains intact.
Following the incident, another disagreement was observed when NZ First Leader Winston Peters leaked emails that indicated a disagreement between him and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon over New Zealand’s response to US Strikes on Iran. The emails allege that Luxon wanted to express support for the strikes, though New Zealand’s official response only acknowledged them.
Finally, the government has also been looking into changing how treaty principles influence policy. The plan has been criticised for its similarities to the Treaty Principles Bill, which was rejected in parliament and by the public, who protested en masse in 2024 against the bill. The current proposed changes are not set to be discussed by parliament until August.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party's Simon Court, News Director Castor asked him about each of these issues, beginning with the party’s take on discourse between NZFirst and National.
The government is reviewing Treaty of Waitangi references across 28 pieces of legislation, with concerns that stronger obligations could be reduced to simply “taking into account” Treaty principles.
At the same time, New Zealand has signed a new Free Trade Agreement with India, while incidents of anti-Indian graffiti and political comments about Indian communities have raised concerns about rising anti-Indian sentiment in Aotearoa.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke with Shanan Halbert about proposed changes to Te Tiriti, the NZ–India Free Trade Agreement, and rising anti-Indian sentiment in New Zealand.
Last week, the Green Party released a statement highlighting the recently released Dental For All report, which they say confirms that New Zealand can afford a free, universal public dental service.
And the recently signed Free Trade Agreement between India and New Zealand is being touted as a pivotal moment, garnering support from both Labour and National parties, however, NZFirst MP and coalition minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones, expressed his opposition to the agreement with derogatory comments against potential indian immigrants that have drawn the ire of other parliamentary parties.
So for our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, I spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the Green Party’s Dental policy and their stance on the Free trade agreement with India.
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