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 ongoing war between the U.S.-Israeli coalition and Iran is a battle between three nations of three different faiths—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Religious rhetoric and imagery have been deployed on all sides in order to arouse public support, with the Republican administration in the U.S. making some less-than-subtle appeals to its evangelical Christian voter-base.
However, opinion polls show that the war continues to be unpopular in the United States, and while many evangelicals continue to support Trump, the administration’s attempt to frame the conflict as a holy war has been a cause of confusion and annoyance for other sections of the American public.
To help us understand the complex relationship between war, faith, and American politics, producer Toby spoke to Dr. Andrew Shepherd, senior lecturer in theology at the University of Otago.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
20% of the world’s oil supply has been shut off over the past week due to Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Petrol prices have reached $3 NZD a litre, with some stations running out of fuel due to demand.
New Zealand imports all of our petrol, diesel, and jet fuel, making us especially vulnerable to global oil crises. We are particularly dependent on oil for transport, with electricity accounting for just 0.5% of domestic transport energy.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to Dr Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland and an expert in transportation and infrastructure, about how New Zealand can move away from car dependency and our reliance on foreign oil imports.
Earlier this week, Councillor Julie Fairey moved a resolution to investigate Auckland Council’s involvement with companies that are complicit in Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.
And this week, Auckland Council launched an AI virtual assistant to report issues such as graffiti, roaming dogs, and noise complaints.
For City Counselling, Wire Host Caeden spoke with Councillor Julie Fairey about both of these topics.
Last Friday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown announced the signing of a new ‘City Deal’.
The deal will see closer partnership between the central government and Auckland Council, coordinating planning in areas such as infrastructure and transportation.
The deal will see a long-term partnership between the government and council, with regular meetings and cooperation on strategies for innovation and transportation, with reviews of sporting venues such as Eden Park and the Auckland Tennis Centre.
However, the deal has been critiqued by some as being a collection of promises without any new funding.
So for our weekly catch-up with the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March, he and producer Theo discussed the signing of the Auckland City Deal, and how the Green Party would work with Auckland Council on issues such as transportation and infrastructure.
Last week, the Government and Auckland Council agreed on the ‘Auckland City Deal’, which seeks to enhance co-ordination between the two bodies to enable better investment in the city to get the most out of what Mayor Wayne Brown has called the ‘Engine’ of the economy. This will see better communication between the mayor and prime minister, co-operation on certain legislation, and funding.
The weekend also saw Cyclone Vaianu hit the country, with parts of the country facing damage and flooding. The government now has the job of responding to the damage, and deciding what needs to change, looking forward to future cyclones.
This week, Host Alex spoke with National Party MP Ryan Hamilton about each of these topics.
Last week, the Ministry for the Environment together with Stats New Zealand released Our Freshwater 2026, a major report on the state of Aotearoa’s freshwater systems based on decades of data. The report highlights both long-term improvement and deterioration of waterways nationwide, with particular focus on groundwater sources and the impacts of agricultural land use and the climate crisis on water quality.
I spoke to Troy Baisden, co-president of the New Zealand Association of Scientists and Adjunct Professor at Victoria University of Wellington, about what the findings of this report mean and also about the strengths and limitations of freshwater reporting.
Over the past week, the conflict in Iran has seen consistent U-turns as the United States continues to change its strategy in the war. On Wednesday morning, US President Donald Trump threatened Iran, saying "a civilisation will die tonight", just hours before agreeing to a two-week ceasefire with Tehran.
This ceasefire is now in doubt, however, as Israel has escalated its bombing campaign in Lebanon, killing hundreds since it was signed, and Trump announced this morning that the US will block the Strait of Hormuz after failed peace talks with Iran in Pakistan.
Amidst all of this, New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the day of Trump's threats and wouldn't condemn the comments. Some New Zealanders are concerned by the country's limp response to these illegal threats and actions against Iran.
Also this month, the Act Party has continued to call for the abolition of the Broadcasting Standards Authority, after it was announced that a complaint about online site The Platform and its host, Sean Plunkett, would be looked at by the authority.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party's Simon Court, producer Thomas asked him about the ceasefire in Iran, the US blocking the Strait of Hormuz and the Broadcasting Standards Authority.
Over the past few weeks, the government has been hesitant to call out the US and Israel for their role in the recent conflict in Iran. While Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has called for all parties to comply with international law, he refrained from explicitly addressing either aggressor. Only in the past week has Luxon offered any criticism, calling Trump’s Iran policy “unhelpful” and Finance Minister Nicola Willis “alarmed” at Trump’s comments around destruction of civilisation in Iran. Labour has criticised the government for its lack of a hard stance.
Also this past week has seen funding for the Tukituki water security project secured, which could see flooding for significant amounts of conservation land in the Hawke’s Bay. The project could also see acceleration under the Fast Track Approvals bill, which Labour has also criticised since its inception.
Lastly, Auckland Council has repeatedly called for additional support for public transport amidst the fuel crisis. Despite these calls, the government has yet to deliver.
To discuss each of these topics and what the Labour party could bring to the table, News Director Castor spoke to Labour MP Shanan Halbert.
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.
This morning, with negotiations continuing to stall and his own deadline for ending the war approaching, US President Donald Trump threatened civilisational destruction on Iran if they did not concede to the US demands. Whether a sincere threat or an act of brinkmanship may remain unclear, as just before Trump’s deadline, Trump claimed a two week ceasefire had been agreed to.
Last week, the Green Party released their housing policy - a home for everyone. It takes a welfare-based approach, pitching rent controls, reversing tax breaks on the bright line test, and a public housing building program.
For our weekly catch-up with the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March, Wire host Manny asked about the gravity of Trump's threats on Iran, but began with the Greens' housing platform.
Cabbage, mull, buds, dak, smoke, skunk, hash, chronic, grass, pot, cannabis. It’s the fourth most used recreational drug in New Zealand, coming in behind caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco. Back in 2020, alongside the general election, voters were asked in a non-binding referendum whether they supported a proposed cannabis legalisation and control bill. The result was a vote opposing the legalisation of cannabis by a thin margin.
Currently, medicinal cannabis is available via prescription, but cannabis otherwise remains illegal to use, distribute, or produce.
For this week’s Get Action, 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.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here.
95bFM 
