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, 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.
Colonisation continues to deeply affect the Pacific, with the production of health inequities tied closely to the unequal power dynamics still inflicted on Pacific nations by external high-income countries.
A recent article by a group of women academics and health professionals based in Fiji, Tonga, Sāmoa, and Aotearoa New Zealand has called for a reimagining in how global health is approached in the Pacific.
This proposed shift would see greater sovereignty exercised by Pacific nations in research and health, and a pluralistic worldview reflecting Indigenous Pacific knowledge systems.
To understand the state of global health in the Pacific, the reimagining her group has proposed, and the role that Aotearoa New Zealand can play, Producer Theo spoke to Public Health Medicine Specialist Dr Sainimere Boladuadua.
This week, political, cultural, and community leaders have been gathering in Waitangi to commemorate the signing of Te Tiriti.
However, recent attacks on Te Tiriti, Te Reo Māori, and Te Ao Māori by the New Zealand coalition government are front of mind for many.
Ka Lāhui Hawai’i, a Kanaka Maoli initiative calling for self-determination and self-governance in Hawai’i, have sent a seventeen-member delegation to show solidarity with Māori.
To understand the demonstration of indigenous solidarity this delegation represents, as well as the ongoing colonial attacks on indigenous peoples across the Pacific, Producer Theo spoke to the spokesperson for Ka Lāhui Hawai’i, Healani Sonoda-Pale.
For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the Civil Defence Payment for disaster victims, the state of the economy, and Waitangi Day.
They then spoke to Professor of General Practice and Primary Care Bruce Arrol, on the changes being made to ADHD diagnosis and access to medical treatments.
Producer Theo spoke with the spokesperson for Ka Lāhui Hawai’i, Healani Sonoda-Pale, on the seventeen-member delegation to Waitangi from Hawai’i, and solidarity between Māori and Kanaka Maoli.
They then spoke to Public Health Medicine Specialist Dr Sainimere Boladuadua on the Pacific shift in global health she and her colleagues have proposed.
For over a decade, the rules regulating diagnoses and treatment options available for those with ADHD have been demanding with high costs and requiring access to specialists with long waitlists.
New changes will now see GPs able to diagnose and prescribe medication to those 18 and up.
To understand what these changes will mean, I spoke to Professor of General Practice and Primary Care at the University of Auckland Dr Bruce Arroll.
For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin chats with us about how light could be used as a painkiller, research on early signs of dementia, and the ‘mental trap’ that leads to indecision.
For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Ryan Hamlilton about New Zealand’s foreign affairs stance amidst a changing global world order.
For Green World, Sara spoke to Director of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa Gareth Hughes, about ‘Reclaim the Economy Week’.
Producer Vihan spoke to Justice for Palestine’s Co-Convenor Samira Zaitoon about New Zealand declining it's invitation to the Board of Peace and what it all means.
Producer Toby spoke to University of Auckland Global Studies Director Chris Ogden about Donald Trump’s vision of a ‘new form of diplomacy based on threats and coercion’.
New Zealand has declined its's invitation to join US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace after saying it will give due consideration to the invitation. The Co-Convenor of human rights group Justice for Palestine, Samira Zaitoon, has welcomed the move, but has expressed concern over the government's wording around declining the invitation.
She also talks about what the Board of Peace means for traditional global bodies like the UN, and what New Zealand can do in terms of policy-making on the issue.
We are now more than a year into Donald Trump’s second term as president. Over the past twelve months, we’ve seen the United States flex its military muscles both within the Western Hemisphere and beyond, launching a military operation in Venezuela and capturing president Nicolas Maduro, making further threats to take over Greenland, and provoking Iran by sending a fleet of warships to the Persian Gulf.
Last year, President Trump even signed an executive order, renaming the ‘Department of Defence’ to the ‘Department of War’ on the basis that the former name was too “woke.”
This morning, Producer Toby spoke with University of Auckland professor Chris Ogden about the assertion of hard power in American diplomacy, and how this can be understood through the theory of ‘political realism.
Last week, communities around the world took part in the first annual ‘Reclaim the Economy’ week, calling on grassroots action to develop alternatives to existing economic systems that prioritise growth over people and the planet.
Wire Host Sara spoke to environmental activist and Director of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa Gareth Hughes about the meaning of ‘reclaiming the economy’ and the context behind this movement.
The prison population reaching an all time high has come as a result of this government’s “tough on crime” policies, which they say are making New Zealand safer.
In contrast, Te Pāti Māori last week announced a policy of prison abolition leading up to this year’s election. They say prisons do not work in Aotearoa, especially for Māori, who are consistently overrepresented.
To discuss how our prison population got so high, and how Te Pāti Māori’s plan could work in practice, Wire host Castor spoke to academic and activist Dr. Emmy Rākete.
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.
95bFM 
