This week marks one year since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. It also marks a year since the ascension of King Charles III from a lifetime of waiting, into the role he was born to inherit. So how has the last year been for the royals, will the closeness between family members we saw last September return, or have those old wounds reopened beyond repair? Today on The Front Page, Damien is joined by NZ Herald lifestyle editor Jenni Mortimer to hear the latest on the royal family. Follow The Fr...
Sep 03, 2023•20 min
A years-long dispute between two pensioners and an Auckland property developer reignited over the weekend. Owen and Jane Hayward claim they have trespassed from the surrounding businesses of their Ōrākei apartment for their refusal to sell to property developer Kerry Knight – but Knight says he’s the one being harassed by the octogenarians. Warring neighbours may have been perfect reality TV fodder back in the day, but as more developers seek to make the most of new zoning laws, how can these af...
Aug 31, 2023•14 min
Day by day climate change is having a clearer and clearer impact on us and the world we live in. While we’re reaching the end of a frosty winter here in New Zealand, July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded, as heat waves spread across the Northern Hemisphere. Closer to home, wildfires have caused devastation on the Hawaiian island of Maui after being fuelled by cyclonic winds. The Government has recently announced plans to try and make Aotearoa the first country to have 100 percent renewab...
Aug 30, 2023•15 min
As Parliament wraps up its final sitting week of the term, will next Friday it will formally dissolve as the Governor-General of New Zealand triggers the course of events that lead to the next election. But as politicians prepare their final speeches of the 53rd Parliament, they are already deep in campaign mode, with the rhetoric between the major parties heating up in recent days. So with coalition deals already being fleshed out in public, and fiscal promises and swing voter friendly policies...
Aug 29, 2023•16 min
It has been 10 years since the collapse of construction company Mainzeal, and for much of that decade the company’s directors have been embroiled in a legal battle between them and creditors over how it went down. That finally ended last week, with the Supreme Court ordering the directors, including former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, to pay out nearly $40 million. So how did Mainzeal come to this – and what does this mean long-term for company directors, who may now find themselves in difficul...
Aug 28, 2023•18 min
The centrepiece of our fashion industry is back after four long years away. New Zealand Fashion Week returns with a brand new te reo name; Kahuria, which means to cloak or adorn. The event’s new owners will be hoping to present a refreshed major cultural event after close to half a decade in the darkness. So, what looks will be on display? How is the garment industry coming to terms with concerns around fast fashion, consumerism, and the cost-of-living crisis? And can the smorgasbord of creativi...
Aug 27, 2023•16 min
Nobody expects their relationship to spill into a long Family Court dispute, but thousands in Aotearoa resort to this measure every year. The experience can be brutal for those involved, with the proceedings often being compared to warfare between people who once loved each other. The impact is particularly harsh on children, who could face years of watching their parents embroiled in bitter disputes with antagonism just growing stronger over time. NZ Herald senior writer Jane Phare has spent mo...
Aug 24, 2023•17 min
Warning: This episode of The Front Page contains extensive discussion of sexual assault. Danny and Roberto Jaz are now known as two of Aotearoa's most notorious criminals. In 2022, after years of name suppression, the brothers were unmasked as the Mama Hooch rapists. They have 69 charges between them for their crimes against a number of victims who will return to court over the next two days as the brothers are sentenced. But who exactly are these criminal brothers and how did they get caught? T...
Aug 23, 2023•19 min
Mortgage rates and house prices are two of our favourite topics of conversation in New Zealand, and they are making for grim discussions at the moment. Particularly for those Kiwis who are about to refix their mortgage rate for the first time since the economy really took a turn for the worse. So what’s the best option for those looking to or having to change their rate in the middle of these high interest rates, and is our property fixation about to send jolts through the economy? Today on The ...
Aug 22, 2023•16 min
Thirteen minutes of extra time would have felt like a lifetime to Spanish supporters on Sunday night, but the FiFA Women’s World Cup has finally ended with a new champion. This tournament, which had expanded to 32 teams, served up all shocks, giant slayings and silky skills one would expect from the best football players in the world. Packed stadiums in both Aotearoa and Australia also put to bed once and for all the long-held notion that people just aren’t interested in women’s sport. But this ...
Aug 21, 2023•17 min
The modern gambler sits among us. They’re on the sofa in our living room, they’re at our work lunches and they’re the distracted friend at the evening out. Gamblers are no longer relegated to the dark corners of the pokies. With the power of their mobile phone, they can bet no matter where they are. Relentless advertising from the gaming industry offers deals and promotions, encouraging viewers to place bets on everything from online poker to Football World Cup matches. But some countries are no...
Aug 20, 2023•20 min
Kiwis around the country fastidiously separate their rubbish, putting recyclables in one bin and trash in the other. The belief here is that we’re doing our part to stop our landfills from overflowing with rubbish that will take hundreds of years to degrade. But what if these efforts aren’t as useful as we’ve been led to believe they are? And is there a better way to ensure that Aotearoa isn’t overwhelmed by plastic? BusinessDesk journalist Cecile Meier explains why a landfill expert she spoke t...
Aug 17, 2023•15 min
We put our faith in the idea that a visit to the hospital places us in the safe hands of professionals capable of caring for us under their watch. In recent years though, our health system has been stretched thin, with waiting rooms overcrowded, staff burnt out and funding holes everywhere you look. The repercussions are being seen in the stories of both patients and staff, who have grown concerned about safety and the quality of care being offered in our hospitals. Today on The Front Page, Dami...
Aug 16, 2023•15 min
After a month long trial and three days of deliberation, the jury has returned a verdict in the Lauren Dickason trial. Dickason has been found guilty of murder for the deaths of her three children, six year old Liane and two year old twins Maya and Karla, in 2021. Dickason has always admitted to doing the crime, but pleaded not guilty due to the state of her mental health at the time. The trial has been closely followed by thousands of Kiwis over the last few weeks. The New Zealand Herald’s Anna...
Aug 16, 2023•12 min
Waiwera Thermal Resort was once filled with sound of splashing water and laughing families enjoying a much-needed day out. Those happy sounds have been replaced by an eerie silence, with the entire complex sitting empty for the last six years. Waiwera’s facilities have collapsed into disrepair in the long wait for a buyer who never came. And now, left with little other choice, it will all be demolished. So how did this tourism favourite fall so quickly, and is there a warning here for other busi...
Aug 15, 2023•17 min
As we get closer to the October election, we’re also nearing the end of New Zealand's 53rd Parliament. And while most MPs and hoping to return in October, a number will soon be saying farewell to the halls of power for the last time. Amongst the retiring MPs are the National Party’s Jacqui Dean, who has held the Waitaki electorate since 2008, and the Green Party’s Jan Logie, who has been a list MP since 2011. Both have served in ministerial or under-secretary roles during their times at the Beeh...
Aug 14, 2023•25 min
Six months ago today, a national state of emergency was declared as Cyclone Gabrielle made landfall on Aotearoa. While all eyes were on Auckland, the East Coast ended up being the worst hit, with immense devastation across the region. The Front Page checked in with Hawkes Bay Today editor Chris Hyde a week after the disaster to hear firsthand about the strength of the cyclone’s impact. On today’s episode, Hyde joins us again for an update on how long the road to recovery is. Follow The Front Pag...
Aug 13, 2023•18 min
Being targeted by scam artists is becoming more common by the day. Cyber fraud, often led by international cartels, has been able to grow to such an extent that everybody has a story of a message or odd phone call that was aiming to take advantage of them. It isn’t helping that Police in New Zealand are under-resourced and not focused on this type of crime, with a report from the Independent Police Conduct Authority finding a “vacuum in national leadership on fraud.” So how can we take digital f...
Aug 10, 2023•15 min
It’s hard to go through life in the 21st century without hearing daily about exercise, dieting and healthy eating. But what if everything we know about obesity, weight and ‘fatness’ is wrong? That’s what the NZ Herald is exploring in a new podcast series from journalist Sasha Borissenko. In Chewing the Facts , Borissenko sets out to debunk a lot of the myths in Aotearoa, with some surprising insights from experts and those with lived experiences. Sasha Borissenko shares what she has learnt about...
Aug 09, 2023•17 min
You always know we’re getting closer to an election when the words ‘fiscal hole’ start getting thrown around the place. Our major parties have engaged in a back and forth in recent weeks, with National getting criticised for the costings of their transport policy, before the Government faced accusations of a $20 billion hole in Government revenue. So, what exactly is a fiscal hole, are any of the political parties in the red when it comes to their finances – and would any new taxes help plug som...
Aug 08, 2023•17 min
Over the last two years, we’ve seen an endless stream of stories about youth misbehaving. But this is a surprising spike after nearly 15 years of dropping rates of recorded youth crime and young people coming into contact with the justice system. What’s behind this steady decline, why has it spiked recently, and what’s the right way to tackle it? NZ Herald senior writer Derek Cheng shares what he’s learned about the state of youth crime in Aotearoa. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Po...
Aug 07, 2023•17 min
One of the country’s biggest developments is currently underway in south Auckland. Over 50 hectares of fields are being transformed into a new city the size of Napier – it's called Drury East. The new project is set to house tens of thousands of people when it’s completed. What can we expect from the country’s newest city, and how will it help ease Auckland’s burgeoning population growing pains? NZ Herald property editor Anne Gibson shares the backstory behind Drury East. Follow The Front Page o...
Aug 06, 2023•18 min
Former US President Donald Trump has been indicted once again. After facing charges related to hush money payments and mishandling classified documents, Trump has now been criminally indicted over attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. It's the third time the former US leader has been served this year. So what do these latest charges mean for Trump, and will they impact his desires to be re-elected President of one of the world’s superpowers? Newshub US correspondent Mitch McCann joins ...
Aug 03, 2023•15 min
Transport links are seen as a key election issues. National has announced a $24 billion policy, with much of the attention going toward new four-lane highways linking Whangarei to Tauranga. National Party leader Christopher Luxon has used the policy announcement to lambast the state of our roads. His party has also promised to remove lower speed limit rules imposed under the current government. Who has got the right approach to improving our road infrastructure and keeping our streets safe – and...
Aug 02, 2023•15 min
We all like to think that, as democratic voters, we have an equal say in influencing politicians and policy – but some of our wealthiest New Zealanders potentially have a bigger say than most. A new series by BusinessDesk, Cash for Candidates, has revealed that since 1996, $52m has been donated to our political parties by major donors above the threshold for public declaration. Those major donations come from just 538 individuals, businesses and non-profit organisations Who is donating to our po...
Aug 01, 2023•15 min
If you believe the headlines at the moment, New Zealand is facing a mass exodus to Australia. Not only does the data show a huge migration movement across the ditch, but we’re also seeing stories of rich listers and fashion moguls selling up and making the move. But going past these anecdotes, what does the data show about the types of people moving to Australia – and why – and what does this mean for New Zealand’s prospects? Today on The Front Page, population expert and Massey University disti...
Jul 31, 2023•20 min
You’re being watched online every day. Almost every click you make, every item you purchase and every clip you watch is being recorded by businesses. The collection and selling of this information has become a multi-billion-dollar industry that shows no signs of slowing down. It’s a reminder that getting incredible online services for free online, most often means we’re paying for them in other ways. So what do businesses know about us? And what can we do to stop them from mining our online habi...
Jul 30, 2023•20 min
The last few years of news have been dominated by crime. From fears of attacks on diaries and jewellery stores and ram raids, to shocking acts of violence and murder, crime and death is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid. Stories like this often drive eyeballs to news companies, and these narratives are feeding into our fears. It’s a fear that has been capitalised on by political parties looking to get the edge over each other in a tight election race. So why do we feel unsafe, and is that...
Jul 27, 2023•17 min
The Netball World Cup kicks off this week in South Africa, with the reigning champs the Silver Ferns looking to repeat their success from 2019. But as they head to their biggest competition since the Commonwealth Games, our netball greats will need to perform better than their bronze performance in that tournament if they hope to secure another world title. What are the challenges facing them this time around, and how likely is victory going to be? NZ Herald/Newstalk ZB sports reporter Nathan Li...
Jul 26, 2023•14 min
The two victims of the Auckland construction site shooting have been named. Solomona To’oto’o and Tupuga Sipiliano were killed when Matu Reid showed up to 1 Queen Street armed with a shotgun and took aim. As the police continue their investigation and other victims recover, questions are being asked about how Reid, who also died from a self-inflicted wound, was able to own a gun and able to leave the house despite being on home detention. Today on The Front Page, Open Justice reporter and former...
Jul 25, 2023•18 min
