95bFM: The Wire

For our regular interview with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to MP Simon Court, about the government continuing the Ka Ora Ka Ako, Healthy School Lunches Programme, power shortages across the country, his comments on boycotting pro-Israel and Zionist businesses, and NZ First introducing a bill that would ban transgender people from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

She also spoke to Halal Kiwi founder, Mohammed Soliman, about the intention behind their initiative boycotting pro-Israel and Zionist businesses and Co-Founder of Alternative Jewish Voices, Dr Marilyn Garson, on pro-Palestine boycotting movements and ACT MP Simon Court’s comments on the topic.

She spoke to Aida Oryantal, from Voice of Iranians, about Iranian hip hop artist Toomaj Salehi, who has recently been sentenced to death by the Islamic Republic regime, and many others facing brutal oppression and human rights abuses in Iran.

Producer Ezra spoke to Chief Executive of Brain Tumour Support NZ, Sarah Verran, about their newly launched fundraising platform “No Going Back” which marks the start of their awareness month campaign “Make May Better”.

Last week, the government announced the Ka Ora Ka Ako, Health School Lunches Programme, would receive $478 million dollars in funding in the government’s upcoming annual Budget, to keep the programme running for the next two years, but at a lower cost.

We also saw Transpower, Aotearoa's national grid operator, warning of possible insufficient power generation to meet households' demand on Friday.

News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to MP Simon Court about this as well as comments on boycotting pro-Israel businesses, and NZ First introducing a bill that would ban transgender people from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has announced the government is considering removing election day voter enrolment. 

A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission told 95bFM background information on what election day voter enrolment is including that:

Election day enrolment was introduced for the 2020 General Election, so there have been two elections when it’s been in place.

It means people can enrol or update their details, and then vote, on election day.

Before 2020, people needed to enrol by the day before election day.

In 2023, about 110,000 people enrolled or updated their details on election day.

Anyone who enrols or updates their details in the month before election day needs to cast a special vote.

Minister Goldsmith's reason for looking at abolishing election day enrolment included; that few countries have this ability and the electoral commission does not have enough resources to deal with these special votes. 

Opposition MPs, including Green Party Leader Chlöe Swarbrick has spoken out against removing same-day voting and enrolment, stating in a Press Release “any imposed barrier [to accessible elections] is rightfully open to serious criticism of voter suppression.”

Caeden asked political scientist at Victoria University Dr Lara Greaves (Ngāpuhi, Pākehā, Tararā) about the proposal and its resulting opposition.

They started by asking her to explain the issues with same day enrolment and voting.

The 2024 Auckland Writers Festival is kicking off next week, offering 200 events exploring literature, arts and culture and bringing together creatives from both Aotearoa and across the globe. Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Festival Co-Curator Michael Bennett about this year’s programme, discussing incorporation of Te Reo and Te Ao Māori, alongside the importance of intergenerational relationships in this creative space. 

To learn more about programme events, head to www.writersfestival.co.nz

This week is Rape Awareness Week in Aotearoa, a kaupapa that seeks to start conversations and facilitate social change for sexual violence prevention in Aotearoa. This year’s initiatives, led by Whāngarei Rape Crisis and HELP Auckland’s Dear Em Programme, focus on the theme ‘A Community of Consent’. Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Dear Em Acting Programme Lead, Imogen Stone, on the importance of this movement for Aotearoa, and how to get involved.

For our weekly catch-up with Deputy Labour Leader Carmel Sepuloni Caeden asks about Celebrity Treasure Island and the potential end of election day voter enrolment.

They also speak with Councillor Lotu Fuli about the latest Auckland port announcement and if Auckland Council will call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

And they speak with Victoria University’s Dr Lara Greaves about the proposal from the Government to end election day voter enrolment.

Jasmine speaks to Co-curator of the Auckland Writer’s Festival Michael Bennett about the incorporation of Te Ao Māori and language revitalisation for this year’s programme

And this week is Rape Awareness Week, so she speaks to Imogen Stone, Acting Programme lead at HELP Auckland’s Dear Em Programme, about how Kiwis engage with this initiative to support sexual violence prevention in Aotearoa

Earlier this week, the government announced a plan to invest $1.9 Billion dollars into corrections facilities across Aotearoa, which would be used to recruit and train staff, provide rehabilitation for inmates on remand, and the expansion of 810 new beds at Waikeria prison, which had previously been damaged during a prison riot in 2020. 

For their weekly chat, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez March to discuss the party’s take on the corrections investment. We also talked about the central bank’s recent Financial Stability report, as well as the Remuneration authorities decision to increase pay for MPs.

On April 17th 2024, amidst widespread international focus on Israel’s military operation in the Gaza strip, pro-Palestinian students at Columbia University in New York pitched tents on their campus's southern lawn, forming an encampment to protest against the university’s financial ties with companies associated with the state of Israel.

Despite a brutal crackdown on the protesting students, Columbia’s Palestinian Solidarity Encampment inspired the creation of 155 similar protest encampments in universities across the globe, with one such encampment having been planned outside the University of Auckland general library, organised by the University’s Students for Justice in Palestine group.

Despite the plans for an encampment, SJP reformatted the event to become a standard rally after the University threatened to call the police if an encampment be established, only allowing a general protest to be held as a form of compromise.

Oto attended the rally and spoke to members of Students for Justice in Palestine, as well as other students, attendees, and supporting faculty members who were there.

In 2022, the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act amended the Human Rights Act 1993 to make conversion practices unlawful in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

A new study, ‘Conversion practices in Aotearoa New Zealand: Developing a holistic response to spiritual abuse’, highlights support needed for people wanting to escape conversion practices in faith-based settings. 

Led by Director of Kaitiaki Research and Evaluation and Adjunct Professor at Victoria University, Doctor Michael Roguski, the study identified interventions required to ensure those experiencing religious conversion practices have a “pipeline to safety”.

Producer Sofia Roger Williams spoke to Roguski about the study, beginning the interview asking him about his research process.

She also spoke to Lived Experience and human rights advisor, Andre Afamasaga, about how Te Kāhui Tika Tangata, the Human Rights Commission, provides support to survivors of conversion practices and the importance of this [from 12:00]. 

She asked him firstly to introduce himself and describe what his role was at Te Kāhui Tika Tangata.