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.
The People’s Select Committee reported on the 2025 amendments to the Equal Pay Act on Tuesday this week. The document revealed that recent changes to our pay equity laws represent a clear undermining of human rights on multiple accounts. The legislation was passed under urgency last year, making it more difficult to correct pay inequities and freezing the progress of 33 active workers claims that affect thousands of kiwis’ rights to fair remuneration.
Producer Jasmine Gray first spoke to Oliver Christeller, Senior human rights advisor at Te Kāhui Tika Tangata / Human Rights Commission, about the legislative changes and how the issue disproportionately affects women-dominated professions.
She then also spoke to Rachel Mackintosh, National Secretary at E Tū Workers Union, about their mahi in fighting for pay equity in the current legislative climate.
Central government has granted new police powers to issue move-on orders for rough sleepers around the motu, with failure to comply resulting in penalties of a $2000 fine or the possibility of three months incarceration.
2 cases of measles have been reported in Auckland, both of which have been linked to overseas travel.
And, the celebrations continue in Tāmaki this week with the Chinese Lantern festival taking place this weekend at the Manukau Bowl.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about these topics.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to MP Shanan Halbert about Labour Leader Chris Hipkins ‘State of the Nation’ speech and the Government’s ‘move on’ orders for people who are homeless.
And they spoke to Matt Raskovic, International Business Professor at AUT, about Aotearoa New Zealand’s ranking in the global Corruption Perception Index, and the number of high performers who are backsliding.
For City Counselling this week, Producer Jasmine spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about move-on orders, the possibility of a measles outbreak, and the Chinese Lantern Festival.
She spoke to Oliver Christeller, Senior human rights advisor at Te Kāhui Tika Tangata / Human Rights Commission, as well as Rachel Mackintosh, National Secretary at E Tū Worker’s Union, about how the 2025 amendments to the Equal Pay Act undermine human rights to pay equity
She also spoke to Hilton Freund, Global CEO of the Twinning Project, about the debut of the football rehabilitation programme for near-release prisoners in Aotearoa
This year, The Twinning Project debuted its pilot programme in Aoteaora. The global initiative offers incarcerated persons the opportunity to upskill by obtaining football coaching qualifications over the course of six weeks.
The near-end-of-term certification is paired with supported rehabilitative pathways to involvement in community and sport, including employment opportunities upon release.
The first cohort of 16 inmates graduated in Tāmaki Makurau last week, delivered in partnership with local organisations Auckland FC and Kohuora Auckland South Corrections Facility.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Hilton Freund, Global CEO of The Twinning Project, who was in Aotearoa to visit the first round of graduates last week.
She started by asking him to tell us a bit about the project, which began in the UK in 2018.
Two brutal attacks across the motu have returned public attention to the issue of dog maulings that stubbornly refuses to be resolved. Since 2020, we’ve seen a 20% increase in injuries to people from dogs, coming to nearly THIRTY THOUSAND dog-related injuries reported per year (half of which are bites), and these are the numbers collected without mandatory reporting in Aotearoa.
In the wake of these dog attacks, which saw one woman in Northland lose her life and a father and son in Christchurch severely injured, many people are looking for the government to act to address this issue that frequently flies under that radar until tragedies like this strike.
But how to respond, and what changes should be focused on, remain open questions.
To get his opinion on how we should approach the issue, Wire Host Manny spoke with Associate Professor at Auckland Law School Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere on the issue of animal control legislative reform.
We’re constantly hearing of geopolitical tensions raring their heads across the world, with talks of ‘great powers’ flexing their dominance - commercially, economically, militarily - brazenly.
One arena of such confrontation is the Pacific. But when we discuss this region, are we sidelining the peoples and nations who actually live there?
Recently, the Associate Dean Pacific at Auckland’s Law School, Professor Guy Fiti Sinclair, hosted a workshop foregrounding Pacific-centred understandings of how the Pacific is contending with international law and governance amidst these tensions.
So how should we think of the Pacific as a region? Who are the organisations representing the ‘blue continent’, and is Aotearoa New Zealand a facilitator of Pacific interests, or just our own? Producer Theo spoke with Professor Guy Sinclair to understand more.
Homeless, rough sleepers and beggars have often been used as a shorthand by some for decline in the city centre. For some, it’s evidence of the state's increasing failure to provide support people at vulnerable points in their lives; for others, the continued presence of rough sleepers being permitted is a sign of a lack of social rules. This week the government seems to have firmly fallen in with the latter.
They are set to implement legislation that would empower police to implement ‘move on’ orders, which, if issued, would require you to vacate public areas or face up to $2,000 in fines or 3 months in prison.
The move has garnered huge criticism with many viewing the move alongside the governments cuts to emergency housing and support services leaving people with no where to go other than prison.
Another move that has flown a little under the radar has been the amalgamation of the Ministry for the Environment, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the local government functions of the Department of Internal Affairs into a single ministry. This amalgamation has alarmed critics who are concerned that the government's track record on climate and environmental policy spells ill for this new agency.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wire Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the amalgamation of key ministries into a mega ministry but began by talking about the expansion of police powers with move-on orders.
WWF-New Zealand, Greenpeace Aotearoa and Forest & Bird released a joint policy roadmap last week calling for an “environmental reset” in New Zealand warning about the urgency of significant change needed in our climate and environmental policy direction.
Wire Host Sara spoke to WWF CEO Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb about the roadmap and the extent of change they are seeking.
For Dear Science, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin chats with us about the ‘Spinosaurus’, a repellent for bed bugs, and research on the inner ear and hearing loss
For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Ryan Hamlilton about ‘move-on’ orders to take place in New Zealand’s cities, Auckland’s housing intensification changes, and the plans for a Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions & Transport
For Green World, Sara spoke to CEO of WWF New Zealand, Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, about the environmental NGO roadmap looking at an ‘environmental reset’ in New Zealand policy.
Producer Vihan spoke to the University of Auckland’s Dr Emmy Rākete on the new move-on orders for rough sleepers and how it can affect Aotearoa’s social landscape.
Producer Toby spoke to Auckland University’s Chris Ogden about the geopolitical significance of the Chagos Islands, and why Donald Trump is so unhappy about Britain ceding them to Mauritius.
The Government has introduced new move-on orders for rough sleepers across the country. The new orders give police the authority to ask rough sleepers to relocate from an area for 24 hours, and leaves support for them up to the police. If rough sleepers fail to comply with these orders, they are liable to pay $2000 in fines.
Producer Vihan spoke to Professional Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland's School of Social Sciences, Dr Emmy Rākete, on what the rationale is behind these new orders and their impact on the social landscape of Aotearoa.
Last week, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka submitted the Conservation Amendment Bill to parliament. Among various changes, the bill has drawn criticism for its proposals to change the role of the Department of Conservation and make it easier for government ministers to exchange or sell off up to 60% of conservation land.
For Green World this week, producer Liam spoke with Richard Capie, Chief Advisor for Forest and Bird about what the Conservation Amendment Bill really means, the impact it might have and the importance of preserving our conservation land for future generations.
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.
Hector's dolphins are Aotearoa’s only endemic dolphin species, and play an important role in New Zealand’s marine ecosystems. As a result of human interference, primarily from fishing bycatch and pollution, the species has seen a drastic reduction in numbers and is currently endangered. Low numbers and lack of genetic diversity have added further strains, with the species being a key target of conservation efforts.
Green World producer Liam spoke with Max Harvey, a marine scientist from the University of Otago and the lead researcher on a recent paper demonstrating the use of acoustic monitoring to study Hector’s dolphin habitat usage in Southland’s Porpoise Bay. We discussed the research he carried out as part of his Masters, what it tells us about Hector’s dolphins and how we can better co-exist with this unique species.
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.
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