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, 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.
New research out of the University of Auckland is exploring how middle-aged women understand and manage their drinking.
The study found that many women have a strong awareness of alcohol’s effects on their bodies, particularly when it comes to things like sleep, energy, and overall well-being. But those understandings are shaped by broader social expectations around productivity, health, and self-care.
Producer Pranuja spoke with Dr Kate Kersey, a researcher in the department of social and community health at the University of Auckland, about how women navigate those pressures, and what that tells us about drinking culture in Aotearoa.
For City Counselling this week, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about the increased demand for public transport in Auckland and the boil water notice for parts of Auckland that was lifted yesterday.
And they spoke to Dhilum Nightingale, CEO and Founder of VERI-Mi Charitable Trust, about an app she has built to support anti-migrant exploitation advocacy.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, News Director Castor spoke to MP Shanan Halbert about the government’s stance on the US/Iran conflict, the Tukituki water security project, and Labour’s public transport policy.
Producer Pranuja spoke with Dr Kate Kersey about new research exploring how middle-aged women understand and manage their drinking.
And she spoke with Associate Professor Bridget Conor about a new UNESCO report highlighting gender inequality in creative industries.
A record number of Aucklanders are using public transport amidst rising fuel costs. The average number of users is up 10% from the same time last year.
And yesterday, Watercare lifted its boil water notice for the suburbs of Hillsborough, Mt Roskill, Royal Oak, and Three Kings after 2 days under the notice.
The notice was due to a detection of bacteria on Monday, which a Watercare investigation found was caused by a single water quality monitoring tap.
For City Counselling this week, The Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about these topics.
VERI-Mi is an organisation working to combat migrant exploitation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Their new app has been designed to collect proof of underpayment of wages and other breaches.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to Dhilum Nightingale, the CEO and Founder of VERI-Mi Charitable Trust, who is also a Barrister in Kate Sheppard Chambers, about the app and the process from development to launch.
A new UNESCO report looking at gender equality in creative industries across more than 100 countries has found that while women make up a large part of the workforce, they’re still underrepresented when it comes to power, pay, and visibility.
The report also highlights growing concerns around bias in generative AI and increasing online abuse, which are shaping who gets to participate in digital creative spaces.
Producer Pranuja spoke with Associate Professor of Communications at the University of Auckland, Bridget Conor, about what’s driving these inequalities, and what’s at stake if they continue.
For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Wire host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about their recently released housing platform and Trump's threats to destroy Iranian civilisation.
Producer Toby spoke to astronomer Josh Aoraki about the Artemis II lunar flyby mission.
And Producer Theo spoke to Patrick and Colden from the Reeferendum 2026 campaign on their petition to legalise cannabis and reform drug laws and policing in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Four NASA astronauts aboard an Orion spacecraft are currently on their return trip to planet Earth, having just conducted a successful flyby mission to the moon. The mission brought humans within the vicinity of the moon for the first time in over fifty years, and when the four astronauts passed behind its far side, they set the record for the furthest distance that any human has ever travelled away from Earth.
The test mission is paving the way for a manned landing on the lunar surface, currently scheduled for 2028, and eventually, a permanent lunar base.
Producer Toby spoke to Josh Aoraki, resident astronomer at Auckland’s Stardome Observatory, about the past, present, and future of lunar exploration.
Last week, Living Wage was raised to$29.90. This puts it at roughly $6 more than minimum wage, sparking debate and discussions around the need for a raise in minimum wage, particularly amidst the fuel crisis placing more pressure on Aotearoa’s workers.
Wire Host Alex spoke with Assistant National Secretary of the E Tū Union, Annie Newman, about the living wage, the discrepancy with minimum wage, and the political nature of the Government’s ability to raise the latter.
For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin speaks with us about Artemis II, and forever chemicals in bacteria.
For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Host Alex spoke with Ryan Hamilton about the cabinet reshuffle, the Auckland Housing Amendment Bill, and public transport.
Alex also spoke with Assistant National Secretary of the E tū union, Annie Newman, about the rise in Living Wage, and what it means that minimum wage is lagging behind.
And Producer Liam spoke to Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn, the agricultural campaigner at Greenpeace Aotearoa, about the result of Greenpeace’s lawsuit against Fonterra, which recently admitted to having falsely advertised its butter to consumers, and the impact this will have in New Zealand.
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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