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.
Amid rising global tensions, the United States is set to introduce automatic draft registration later this year, meaning eligible young men will be added to the system using government data, rather than having to sign up themselves.
Producer Pranuja spoke with Associate Professor Jennifer Frost from the University of Auckland about what this shift signals, and how it connects to broader political movements and concerns in the United States.
For City Counselling this week, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about Council voting to investigate Council ties to companies involved in illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land and Auckland Council's new AI assistant tool.
And they spoke to Sue Coutts, Director of External Affairs at Zero Waste Aotearoa, about a proposal to export New Zealand waste to Fiji for incineration.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Pranuja spoke to Shanan Halbert about the latest developments in the Iran conflict, rising fuel pressures linked to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and the government’s response to recent cyclone events here in Aotearoa.
She spoke with Professor Treasa Dunworth from the University of Auckland about recent comments from US President Donald Trump and what these developments could mean from a legal perspective.
And she spoke with Associate Professor Jennifer Frost from the University of Auckland about the US military draft and how it connects to broader concerns around power and militarisation.
The use of AI across industries and governments is increasing at a rapid rate. However, recent gaffs involving improper AI usage in government agencies have continued to raise concerns about these tools’ shortcomings, and how well regulated they are.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the government has provided advice on how agencies should go about using AI, but has stopped short of regulating this technology itself.
This week, experts will be gathering at the University of Auckland for the Law, Technology, and Government Conference, which will discuss government use and regulation of AI, amongst other issues.
This morning, producer Theo was joined by Professor Alexandra Andhov, an organiser and speaker at the conference, to discuss Aotearoa New Zealand’s approach to AI and government.
Over the weekend, Hungary held its 2026 general election, which saw the largest voter turnout in Hungary’s history as a democratic state. The electrified populace delivered a landslide victory for the relatively new ‘Respect and Freedom party,’ securing them a two-thirds majority in parliament.
Incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has lost power after 16 years. For some younger voters, he is the only Prime Minister they can remember. Orbán has been a controversial figure throughout his long political career. To some, he is a power-hungry authoritarian who has stood in the way of European unity. To his supporters— which include US president Donald Trump—he is precisely the kind of strongman that a country like Hungary needs.
Producer Toby spoke to Chris Ogden, professor of global studies at Auckland University, about what Orbán’s defeat means for the future of global authoritarianism.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, co-host Theo spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the recently signed City Deal between Auckland Council and the central government.
He also spoke to Associate Professor Alexandra Andhov on the implications of government adoption of AI
And co-host Toby spoke to Auckland University’s Chris Ogden about the election results in Hungary and the future of right-wing authoritarianism.
On Sunday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán suffered an election defeat, heralding the end of his 16-year regime that has seen his government come under fire for a variety of claims regarding the illiberal and anti-democratic nature of his leadership. WIth the Tizsa party, led by Péter Magyar winning 138 seats to Orbán’s Fidesz’s 55, the election signals a rejection of Orbán’s platform, which has seen both an authoritarian domestic approach, and Hungary often working in opposition to the EU, in favour of Russia.
Host Alex spoke with a Teaching Fellow for the International Office at the University of Otago, Dr Balazs Kiglics, about the election, and what Magyar’s victory might mean for Hungary both domestically and internationally.
For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin speaks with us about Male Contraceptives, osteoarthritis, and Kākāpō breeding
For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Host Alex spoke with Ryan Hamilton about the Auckland City deal between the Council and the Government, and Cyclone Vaianu.
For Green World today, Producer Liam spoke to Troy Baisden, Co-president of the New Zealand Association of Scientists and Adjunct Professor at Victoria University of Wellington, about the Ministry for the Environment’s recent Our Freshwater 2026 report on the state of Aotearoa’s freshwater systems, and causes for concern as well as opportunities for change.
Host Alex also spoke with Teaching Fellow in the International Office at the University of Otago, Dr Balazs Kigilics, about Viktor Orban’s defeat inm the Hungarian elections, and what it means for the country after 16 years.
Last week, two new propositions for job cuts in the Ministry of Justice and Te Puni Kōkiri were announced, which would get rid of a combined FIFTY THREE jobs.
A large portion of the proposed jobs that would be slashed were roles that help advise Māori and Crown relations, raising worries that the government won’t be reaching its treaty obligations.
The entire inquiry team that deals with Waitangi tribunal inquiries at the Ministry of Justice would be let go, and the cuts at Te Puni Kōkiri would mean 21 percent of the workforce will have been lost under this government.
To discuss these job cuts and their impact on Māori, producer Thomas spoke to Te Kaihautū Māori for the PSA, Jack McDonald.
Auckland Council and the government have recently announced plans to cooperate with a new Auckland City Deal. The deal concerns collaborations between council and central government over the next few decades, across issues such as Eden Park’s ownership and operation or investigations into a potential bed levy.
Part of the plan and part of Auckland Council’s recent disputes with government has been housing planning. In February of this year, the minimum housing cap for Auckland was lowered from 2 million to 1.6 million, and was lowered again in March to 1.4 million.
The drop came alongside complaints from many residents of central suburbs such as Ponsonby, Mt Eden, and Epsom, who say intensification would hurt the character of their neighbourhoods. On the other side of the debate are those who say that intensification is necessary to ensure housing remains affordable, especially close to the CBD.
To discuss the debate and what the City Deal has for Auckland, News Director Castor spoke to Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, Dr. Elham Bahmanteymouri.
Last week, E tū union released a survey it took of its members in the journalism sector. The results found a concerning lack of stability and sustainability in the industry, with many journalists struggling.
Issues outlined in the report included more than half rating their employers' implementation of AI as bad or unethical, increasing pressure to cover multiple roles as fewer journalists are hired and pay quickly falling behind comparable professions.
To discuss the survey and potential crisis of journalism New Zealand faces, producer Thomas spoke to E tū director Mat Danaher.
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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