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.
Last week we saw the release of a draft decision to decline sea bed mining in the Taranaki bite, a move celebrated by a number of local and environmental groups.
One of the voices opposing the project was Forest and Bird. They are now appealing a fast-track gold mine consent in Waihi North.
Following reforms to the fast-track approvals scheme pushed through last year which cut them and other community groups out of the process, the Waihi mine is the final project which Forest and Bird is invited to input on.
Wednesday Wire host Manny spoke to the Waikato and Taranaki regional conservation manager for Forest and Bird, Elvisa Van Der Leden, about the draft decision to decline seabed mining in Taranaki, Forest and Bird's appeal of the Waihi North Goldmine application, and the reforms to the fast-track approvals scheme.
Earlier this year, an Oxfam report revealed that once again, billionaire wealth increased in 2025 — three times faster than the previous five-year average.
In January, Oxfam also proclaimed ‘Pollutocrat Day’ on the 10th of January, on which the richest 1% have already exhausted their annual carbon budget.
Professor of Business & Society at the University of Technology in Sydney Carl Rhodes has delved into the ‘myth of the heroic billionaire’ and the problems generated for political processes and global inequality.
Wire Host Sara spoke to Rhodes about the influence of billionaires, in particular with regard to climate action, starting by asking what the myth of the heroic billionaire is, and how it is perpetuated.
Over the past year, the Trump administration has taken a series of actions targeting political opponents. Under Trump’s second term, the polarisation of American politics has seemingly reached unprecedented levels, with members of the administration accusing a variety of peaceful individuals and groups of ‘domestic terrorism.’
Dr. Maria Armoudian is a professor of politics and international relations at the University of Auckland, who has written books on international human rights and the role that the media plays in shaping the future.
She is also a dual citizen, having been born and raised in the United States, and this year she hopes to visit her home country. But she’s worried that some of her viewpoints may land her in hot water when she arrives.
For Dear Science this week our expert, Professor Allan Blackman chats with us about snow, ice, and “freezing-point depression”
For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Ryan Hamlilton about Waitangi Day & National Party views on some of the recent environmental legislation
For Green World, Sara spoke to Professor Carl Rhodes from the University of Technology in Sydney, about the influence of billionaires on global climate progress
Producer Toby spoke to Associate Professor Maria Armoudian, from the University of Auckland, about the Trump administration’s targeting of political opponents in the United States
On Thursday last week, politicians including Prime Minister Chris Luxon and ACT party leader David Seymour addressed the audience during the Waitangi Day events at the Treaty Grounds.
The theme this year was Mō tātou, mā tātou, which is for all of us and by all of us.
As well, the past week has seen various news updates in environmental legislation including the draft decision to reject consent for seabed mining in the South Taranaki Bight, Greenpeace voicing concerns about a ‘kiwi killing clause’ in the proposed Natural Environment Bill, and a new Green Party bill calling to recognise the legal personhood of Tohorā — whales.
This week, Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Ryan Hamilton about all of these topics, starting with Waitangi.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News Director Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about the party’s stance on Te Tiriti in light of this past Waitangi Weekend, and the employment relations amendment bill in light of a recent protest.
They also spoke to Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Auckland, Avril Bell, about public sentiment on Te Tiriti and interpreting the government’s stance on it.
And producer Alex spoke to Senior Lecturer in Education and Social Practice at the University of Auckland, Dr Jude MacArthur, about the Government’s recent moves to fund new ‘special schools’ for disabled children, and what that says for exclusivity versus inclusivity in our education.
This past week saw multiple polls on public support for Te Tiriti o Waitangi in lawmaking. In RNZ’s Reid Research poll, while 38.1% thought Te Tiriti had too much influence, 34.1% thought it was just right and 16.6% called for more.
The complex array of approaches to Te Tiriti were on full display this weekend, with politicians and MPs talking about what it means to them. Some of the narratives shared, especially by the act party, framed Te Tiriti’s role in politics as taking rights away from Pākehā and favouring Māori.
To discuss all of these, News Director Castor spoke to senior lecturer of sociology at the University of Auckland, Avril Bell.
You can find the article by Avril Bell here and more information on Matike Mai here.
In late January, Education Minister Erica Stanford and Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced the latest development in their approach to supporting disabled children in Aotearoa; $44 Million of funding to build 2 new ‘special schools’.
These schools signal a focus on providing options for parents to support their children who need it with the choice for specialised support, but are not without criticism. Experts have expressed concern that this move is turning towards strengthening the exclusion of disabled children from Aotearoa’s youth and education, and have instead argued in favour of a more inclusive approach, supporting these children in local schools instead.
Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke with Senior Lecturer in Education and Social Practice at the University of Auckland, Dr Jude MacArthur, about this announcement, what it means in the context of this government, and what we should be seeing instead for the best outcomes for all of our young people in Aotearoa.
Last week, NZ Post announced the closure of 142 retail stores in the urban-retail network across the motu.
Concerns have been raised about the disproportionate impacts the closures may have on senior communities who may not have the digital literacy to support the transition in regards to important administration, like paying bills, and staying in touch with loved ones.
Producer Jasmine spoke to Age Care Concern Tāmaki CEO, Kevin Lamb, about this issue.
Opposition parties have criticised the coalition government for its talks with the United States regarding New Zealand supplying the nation with rare and critical minerals.
This comes as US President Donald Trump has stated he aims to reduce America’s reliance on China for materials essential to tech innovation and military interests.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to Catherine Cheung, researcher for Climate Justice Taranaki, about the environmental impact of New Zealand scaling up its mining sector.
They then spoke to Marco de Jong, Pacific historian and lecturer at AUT law school and co-director of Te Kuaka, about what this means for New Zealand’s foreign policy stances and relationship to the United States.
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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