95bFM: The Wednesday Wire with Paul Deady 11/02/09

The bFM WIRE Today: 12 - 2pm weekdays

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1210 – Sasha Abramsky on Obama rescue package

A swift start to the show today, in a few minutes I'll be speaking with Guardian journalist based in the US (above). This morning the US Senate voted a very tight "yes" to President Obama's $838billion fiscal stimulus package – such a large package. The bill represents a huge gamble for Obama – with the bad economic news pouring in daily, many are wondering whether this huge amount of borrowed money will halt the decline. As Fox news blowhard Bill O'Reilly says "if this doesn't work, he's in for a very rough tenure".

1225 – DNA testing – Simon Power

Hot on the heels of that interview, at around 1225 I'll be speaking with Justice minister Simon Power about the government's proposed extension of DNA testing under the Criminal Investigation (Bodily Samples) Amendment Bill. The new legislation would allow police unfettered power to DNA test anyone arrested for an imprisonable offense, removing the safeguard of judicial or independent approval. The Greens say the current system – where DNA testing can only be ordered by a judge – is good enough. The Attorney General – or the government's lawyer – found that the changes may breach the right against unreasonable search and seizure under the Bill Of Rights, and also disagreed with Power and John Key's assertion that DNA was the modern day fingerprint. But with the bill likely to pass through select committee stage, one wonders what this means for the futre of law enforcement in NZ...

1300 – GE Field trials gone wrong – Claire Bleakley GE Free NZ

At one I'll play an interview I did this morning with (above). Government approved scientists at Plant and Food Research this morning admitted to a pretty major blunder. They failed to destroy plants used in GM trials near Christchurch. Those crops have been left to flower – potentially exposing GM pollen to the environment. Claire told me this is indicative of the systematic arrogance at Plant and Food, and likened the contamination risk to a nuclear bomb. She's of the opinion, unsurprisingly, that Plant and Food should lose all its permits to carry out GE trials.

1320 – Counterclockwise – A Large Package, Alistair Thomson

A new old face/voice on counterclockwise today – Alistair Thompson from the mighty team at scoop will be on the line to take a look at our own government's fiscal stimulus package unveiled this morning. Heavy on infrastructure spending and earmarks for new schools, finance minister Bill English is confident this will see us through the tough times ahead. Oh will it?

1340 – Book She Read

And Sally's in for another edition of Book She Read today at one forty. Today she'll be taking a look at the list of international authors set to grace our shore for the Auckland Readers and Writers festival in May, as well as shamelessly plugging a book-related event she's putting together next week. Stay tuned...

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