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 National-led coalition government has recently confirmed they will be shutting down he waka eke noa, which was an agriculture emission plan set out by the previous government instead of placing agriculture under the emission trading scheme.
The current government has instead decided to create a pastoral sector group for agriculture with more details yet to come.
I spoke with Niamh O’Flynn from Greenpeace Aotearoa about how this will further worsen the climate crisis and what actions need to be taken to urgently turn things around.
The Budget 2024 announcement was responded to with an outburst of protests across the motu, held in opposition to numerous aspects of the coalition government’s policies but largely focusing on the dissolution of organisations and funding dedicated to improving outcomes for Māori.
Preceding the budget announcement, Te Pāti Māori announced calls to establish a separate Māori parliament to protect the interests of Māori, based on the Kotahitanga movement originating in the 1800s.
Oto spoke to Eru Kapa-Kingi, professional teaching fellow in the Faculty of Law at the University of Auckland and Vice-President of Te Pāti Māori, to talk about Kotahitanga, the Māori Parliament and what that might look like.
Last Saturday, thousands gathered in Central Auckland for the 'March for Nature Rally' led by Greenpeace, to demonstrate their opposition towards the government’s Fast Track Approvals bill and other policies involving environmental conservation.
Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez-March was present at the rally, alongside many of his colleagues, and for their weekly chat, he and Oto discussed the implications of the rally and opposition to the government’s environmental policies.
They also talked about the recently announced changes to the Emissions trading scheme, as well as the government’s decision to invest $4 billion dollars into a fund to repair potholes.
For their weekly catch-up, Wire Host Oto spoke to Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the recent March for Nature protests, changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme and the government spending $4 Billion on fixing potholes.
He also spoke to Eru Kapa-Kingi from the University of Auckland to discuss Te Pati Māori’s calls to establish a separate Māori parliament.
Wire producer Rawan spoke with Valerie Morse from Peace Action Wellington about the New Zealand defence force being part of US-led RIMPAC alongside several other countries including Israel.
She also spoke with Neeve O’flynn from Greenpeace Aotearoa about the government’s recent decision to take agriculture out of the Emision trading scheme.
MOTAT, or the Museum of Transport and Technology, recently opened a new exhibit, Te Puawānanga, aimed at engaging young people in science and innovation.
Wire host Castor took a look around the exhibit and spoke on-site to senior exhibition developer at MOTAT, Esther Tobin, about the exhibit and what it has to offer.
Following the Budget 2024 announcement two weeks ago, UNICEF Aotearoa has called for greater youth and family engagement in future budgets, highlighting the importance of youth voice and perspective in policy decision making.
Producer Elle spoke to the UNICEF Aotearoa Policy and Advocacy Manager Frances Cox-Wright about policy suggestions to reduce child poverty and involve youth voice in climate action.
This weekend’s march for nature saw 20,000 people gathering in Central Auckland to protest against the Fast Track Approvals Bill. Submissions closed just under two months ago, and the select committee is currently reviewing and proposing changes to the bill.
The bill has been quite controversial since its proposal, with debate from both sides of parliament and the public on whether the potential benefits outweigh the costs.
The ram raid bill, initially proposed under the previous Labour government, has equally been met with controversy, particularly for how it fails to address the core issues of youth offending, instead proposing prosecuting those as young as 12 years old.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire Host Castor spoke to MP Tom Rutherford about the Fast Track Approvals Bill as it moves through the select committee process, and how the current government plans to handle the ram raid bill.
For Dear Science this week, Professor Allan Blackman chatted to us about a genome in tiny ferns, a retracted Alzheimers paper, and investigating success and failure.
Wire host Castor spoke to the National Party’s Tom Rutherford about the March for Nature, Fast Track Approvals Bill, and the Ram Raid bill.
He also spoke to Senior Exhibition Developer at Motat Esther Tobin about their new gallery, Te Puawānanga.
Producer Sofia spoke to the National Chair of Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa, John Minto, about the New Zealand government’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza with regards to reinstating funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees.
And producer Elle spoke to the UNICEF Aotearoa Policy and Advocacy Manager Frances Cox-Wright about policy suggestions to reduce child poverty and involve youth voice in climate action, Following the release of Budget 2024 two weeks ago.
Last week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced that New Zealand would reinstate its annual payment of $1 million to the United Nations Reliefs and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
This comes after the government stopped funding to the agency in January over accusations by Israel that the agency’s staff were involved in Hamas' attacks, of which reports later found Israel failed to provide evidence for.
The UNRWA is the United Nation's largest agency operating in Gaza and is the main humanitarian provider for Palestinians under Israeli bombardment.
Producer Sofia Roger Williams spoke to National Chair of Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa, John Minto, about the New Zealand government’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza with regards to this reinstated funding.
She started their interview asking him about the role of the UNRWA.
Despite years of requests from tertiary education providers, workers, and students, the government’s budget announcements did not grant any new funding to support the country’s universities. The government also delivered on its promise to move the first year fees free policy to the last year of people’s degrees.
Producer Castor spoke to one of the National Presidents from the Tertiary Education Union, Julie Douglas, about what the lack of support might mean for tertiary education, how the fees free change will affect students, and how the sector will adapt moving forward.
The debate around raising the retirement age has continued this week, with growing discussion around Superannuation. At the same time, NZ First’s proposed “Man and Woman” bill has reignited debate around gender identity, legal definitions, and abortion access.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke with Shanan Halbert about these topics.
Two Green Party members' bills were drawn recently; the first would ban mining on conservation land. It comes at a time when parties in the government coalition seem to have their hearts set on turbo-charging the mining industry, with a key bill being put forward that would enable a range of new commercial activities on conservation land and potentially allow the sale of over 60% of the land.
The other green party bill aims to protect children leaving care in Oranga Tamariki from finding themselves without a place to live.
Finally, a landmark climate lawsuit against six major companies was stopped in its tracks by the government. The government says that it made the decision to prevent the suit to ensure businesses had legal clarity and certainty. However, it has now been revealed that the government and business lobbyests had been in contact, and knowledge of this contact may have been unduly withheld, prompting critics to raise the alarm that the government may be circumventing core democratic processes to satisfy business interests.
So for our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about their parties members bill, especially mining on conservation land, and what it means for the government to intervene in such as way with this case.
Fuck-knuckles, cock, and piss, balls. These are words that you may be hearing much more, or much less, on 95bFM after the government announced earlier this month that it will be scrapping the Broadcasting Standards Authority (or, BSA).
The Authority has responsibility over the broadcast of radio and television, but has long called for regulatory changes to be made given the shift toward digital media. The issue reached prominence last year, when the BSA decided to hear a complaint about the digital media company, The Platform.
The move was met with severe criticisms from the government, with the ACT Party and NZ First in particular calling for the abolishing of the authority.
In its place, the government has proposed the Media Council - a voluntary body - will be involved in self-regulation of the media. However, this proposal has been widely criticised as lacking regulatory teeth.
Instead of scrapping the BSA, the Better Public Media Trust has proposed that the government strengthens it with the recommendations from the government’s ‘Safer Online Services' research project, which would see greater regulation of online and digital spaces.
So, for this week’s Get Action, producer Theo spoke with the Better Public Media Trust’s Myles Thomas, to discuss their petition to reinstate and strengthen the BSA.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here.
Last week, the government announced that it would intensify AI usage in the public sector, in a move to further reduce spending in the sector. The government have defended this move, but concerns have been raised about the safety, regulation, and vulnerability of AI services.
Last week also saw the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill pass its first reading. The member’s bill would seek to, in New Zealand law, define genders, in a move that has been criticised by many as transphobic.
Last week also saw the change of government agencies’ names to give primacy to their English names, rather than te reo Māori first.
This week, Wire Host Alex spoke with National MP Ryan Hamilton about these topics.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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