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 government’s planned expansion of police powers to allow them to charge people for sleeping in public and begging has generated a lot of community criticism accusing the government of targeting homeless people who they are not offering alternatives to rough sleeping.
To protest these moves and show support for our street whanau Community groups across Aotearoa are organising a national day of action this Sunday to protest against the move-on orders proposed by the government.
To discuss the move-on orders and the day of action, Host Manny spoke to co-founder of Sunday Blessings Danielle LeGallais.
For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny speaks to MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the letter they sent to the National Party detailing the measures they’d give their votes to to support Kiwis and conserve fuel during the Iran Supply Crisis.
Producer Theo speaks to Leonie Morris, from Te Wāhi Wāhine o Tāmaki Makaurau - the Auckland Women’s centre - on their petition to bring back Te Tiriti-based, inclusive relationships and Sexuality education in schools.
Producer Toby speaks to theology expert Andrew Shepherd about religious rhetoric and Trump's war with Iran.
Then Host Manny speaks to Danielle LeGallais, co-founder of Sunday Blessings, about the day of action in opposition to the government's proposed move on orders.
For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin speaks with us about scientists using humour, sea slug colours, and wound healing imaging.
For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Host Alex spoke with Ryan Hamilton about the rise in fuel prices, what we can expect from the Government in terms of support, and how that fits into the cost of living crisis.
Alex also spoke with the Head of Brand and Communications, Samantha Perry, about the MOTAT STEM fair, why its important, and what it means in the wider context of MOTAT’s goals
And Producer Flo spoke to Richard Jackson, Leading Thinker Chair in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Otago about the war in Iran, chances for peace and the long term effects on regional stability and the international community.
This weekend, MOTAT is hosting its STEM Fair. All weekend, hands-on activities and demonstrations will be running in order to provide both education and play to the Innovators of Tomorrow.
Last week, Tuesday Wire Host Alex and News Director Castor headed to MOTAT to speak with Head of Brand and Communications at the Museum, Samantha Perry, about the STEM fair, and how it fits into MOTAT’s wider ethos.
The war between the US-Israeli coalition and Iran has entered it’s fourth week with an immediate end to the conflict remaining out of sight. The war has caused casualties throughout the Middle East and has significantly affected the global economy with fuel prices soaring worldwide.
Flo spoke with Professor Richard Jackson, Leading Thinker Chair in Peace and Conflict Studies and Co-Director of Te Ao O Rongomaraeroa - The National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Otago about chances for peace, the widespread effects on the region and the meaning of the conflict for the international rules based order.
Research has recently been released which found between 1990 and 2023 Ultra Processed Foods share in New Zealand’s total food and drink imports has increased from 9 to 22 percent.
This has raised concerns, as diets high in ultra processed foods carry an increased risk of multiple serious health conditions and can be environmentally damaging due to their high usage of plastic packaging, and water and energy in production.
With the country in the midst of a cost of living crisis and people becoming increasingly reliant on these cheap, convenient, but unhealthy food options, the extent of this problem could continue to grow.
To discuss the research and its findings, producer Thomas talked to the report’s lead author Dr Kelly Garton.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News Director Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about increasing fuel prices, public transport, and the scrapped clean car discount.
They also spoke to Professor Alistair Woodward from the University of Auckland about air pollution, how to address it, and also touched on the clean car discount.
Producer Thomas spoke to Forest and Bird National Conservation Advocate Bianca Ranson about the proposed Fisheries Act amendment bill and the risk it poses to our oceans.
And he talked to University of Auckland Senior Research Fellow Dr Kelly Garton about New Zealand's increasing junk food imports and the detrimental health effects this could have on the country .
Last week, Minister for oceans and fisheries, Shane Jones, introduced the Fisheries Act amendment bill to parliament. The bill proposes sweeping changes to the current Fisheries Act including scrapping minimum size limits for the majority of fish species, and introducing penalties for whistleblowers leaking on-board camera footage.
The bill also ignores thousands of submissions calling for positive environmental changes to the act, such as a ban on bottom trawling. The act’s defenders say the limited market for juvenile fish will financially punish commercial fishers for catching them, and claim the act can unlock commercial fishing's economic potential.
Critics, however, have accused Shane Jones of giving into commercial lobbyists and selling out New Zealand’s enviroment for short term economic gain.
To discuss the changes made in the act and their potential impact on Aotearoa’s oceans producer Thomas talked to Forest and Bird National Conservation Advocate, Bianca Ranson.
Last week also saw a study released around air pollution in Aotearoa, which found that Auckland faced significant air pollution risks. Traffic is the leading cause, with congestion and big vehicles as the largest causes. Over 700 people die annually from air pollution from traffic in Auckland, more than any other part of the country.
As the fuel crisis gets worse, some are seeing it as an opportunity to improve our country by becoming less reliant on petrol and cutting out unnecessary large vehicles from our big cities.
To discuss air pollution and the potential opportunities within the fuel crisis, News Director Castor spoke to the University of Auckland’s Professor Alistair Woodward.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to MP Shanan Halbert about rising fuel costs, the government’s proposed pay rise for some primary teachers, and the Lawyers for Climate Action case against the government for dropping climate policies.
They also spoke to Dr Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland, on rising fuel costs, New Zealand’s dependency on petrol, and alternative ways of thinking about transport.
For City Counselling this week, News Director Castor spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about fuel insecurity and transport and energy alternatives in Auckland.
Producer Pranuja spoke to Professor Nirmal Nair from the Department of Electrical, Computer and Software Engineering at the University of Auckland on making the switch to Electric Vehicles.
She also spoke with Dr Murat Ungor from the Department of Economics at the University of Otago on how New Zealand can deal with the price at the pump.
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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