While Kiwis can celebrate an extra day of summer thanks to 2024 being a leap year, the good weather times may not last much longer. With autumn nipping at our heels, it’s nearly time to swap out the togs and towels out for scarves and sweaters. But just what do the cooler months have in store for us? Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald science reporter Jamie Morton joins to dig into our strange end of summer weather, and whether the rest of the years’ systems are heading the same way. Follow The ...
Feb 26, 2024•15 min
While hundreds of people go missing in New Zealand every year, most of the time it only takes a few days or weeks before they return or Police track them down. However, sadly for some families, their loved ones never return home. And dozens of these missing persons cases from 1957 to 2023 remain open and active across Aotearoa. Senior crime and justice reporter Anna Leask has covered many of these files in her podcasts, A Moment in Crime and Chasing Ghosts, and has gone through the records to de...
Feb 25, 2024•17 min
Two years have passed since Russia invaded Ukraine, but there is still no end in sight for the conflict. As Ukraine desperately seeks funding and support from its global allies, the war continues in an effective stalemate, with both sides struggling to make ground. However, could the suspicious death of incarcerated Russian opposition leader, Alexei, Navalny spur Western forces to take more of a stand against Vladimir Putin? For much of the last two years, Kiwi journalist Tom Mutch has been foll...
Feb 22, 2024•24 min
Former deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced earlier this week he is leaving politics. He is the latest member of the Labour Party who has chosen greener pastures over three years of being back in Opposition. So with Grant Robertson out the door, where does that leave Labour as it looks to rebuild, and are the remaining MPs strong enough to hold the Government to account? Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald political editor Claire Trevett joins to dig into Robertson...
Feb 21, 2024•15 min
Yet another fire has burnt through hundreds of hectares of vegetation on Christchurch’s Port Hills. It would’ve been deja vu for residents – for those who experienced the 2017 fire – as the blaze forced hundreds to evacuate their homes and required round the clock action by firefighters to try and contain it. The fire has largely been contained – but as the planet gets hotter, how common could these types of wildfires become in years to come? And as we reconsider building on floodplains and clif...
Feb 20, 2024•20 min
New stats out last week drove home the message that New Zealand is in a population boom. While a record number of us departed our shores, New Zealand still added an additional 145,000 people - the largest population growth we’ve seen this century. So what’s driving this influx of people, and is it sustainable for a country that seems to be running out of money to grow further? Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann joins to answer the question – is New Zealand grow...
Feb 19, 2024•15 min
Custody battles are always complex and require courts to balance the needs of the child with both parents’ wishes. When different legal jurisdictions are in play, that process becomes far more complicated. The Hague Convention is a powerful international treaty signed by over 100 countries, which assumes the courts in the country where the child usually lives are best placed to make decisions about their welfare. This treaty is supposed to make things easier, but as some recent cases have shown,...
Feb 18, 2024•17 min
A horror half-year result has exposed major issues for Fletcher Building. One of/The largest construction companies in New Zealand reported a 120-million-dollar loss earlier this week, causing their share prices to plummet and forcing multiple key resignations. Fletcher Building is not the only organisation in the industry reeling from losses, as a grim outlook of declining consents and rising building costs suggests a tough time ahead. So, what is driving these woes, and how widespread is the i...
Feb 15, 2024•17 min
The country’s infrastructure woes became very clear for commuters in our biggest city earlier this week. Aucklanders were stunned after dozens of trains were delayed or cancelled right at rush hour, due to speed restrictions enforced by KiwiRail to combat overheated rail lines. It’s yet another example of our aging infrastructure, and the dire need for us to invest in replacing and upgrading failing parts of the national network. So how much would it cost to get the trains running on time – and ...
Feb 14, 2024•16 min
2023 was a year of dashed hopes for sports fans, with New Zealand missing the mark at four separate world cups. Now, with a new All Blacks coach, stadium proposals for downtown Auckland, and the Olympics on the horizon, our athletes will be dusting themselves off and looking towards the future. So will Scott Robertson be able to make his mark on the All Blacks? Can the Up the Wahs phenomenon take the Warriors further than last year? And who is going to bring home the Olympic gold? To preview the...
Feb 13, 2024•20 min
Later this year when Americans return to the polls for their next Presidential election, they are likely to experience a bit of deja vu. Number 46 Joe Biden is likely to face Number 45 Donald Trump in a rematch of 2020, and as we slowly edge closer to election day, both men find themselves facing intense criticism for very different reasons. So will Biden be able to overcome concerns about his age and memory to hold onto the White House, or could Trump make a return despite a series of criminal ...
Feb 12, 2024•17 min
Tension between Auckland Council and the Government has flared up once again. Mayor Wayne Brown is unhappy with the coalition Government’s decision to axe the Auckland fuel tax, arguing that transport projects are going to have to be cancelled – as he has ruled out increasing rates to pay for the funding shortfall. It comes as Auckland Transport faces criticism for eye-watering costs for level pedestrian crossings and lengthy delays with road works on a key commuter route. So does the city need ...
Feb 11, 2024•15 min
Taylor Swift is the most famous person in the world right now. Whether she is shattering records with her globe-trotting world tour and accompanying movie, or using award show wins for one album to announce another, Swiftmania is unavoidable. And that’s not going to change in the next few weeks, with her expected appearance at the Super Bowl alongside her sports star boyfriend, Travis Kelce, before bringing her Eras Tour to Australia. So how has Swift gone from being a country popstar to world d...
Feb 08, 2024•20 min
Aotearoa’s model for stubbing out cigarette use became world-renowned in 2022 when the Government passed legislation banning the sale of tobacco to anyone born after January 2009. However, some fear that progress has gone up in smoke after the coalition Government announced late last year it would repeal the smokefree laws. The plan was labelled ‘completely backwards’ by some public health experts at the time, and in the months since more controversy has followed. Today on The Front Page, Herald...
Feb 07, 2024•16 min
Buckingham Palace stunned the world this week by announcing that King Charles has been diagnosed with a form of cancer. The King had already made headlines after being treated for an enlarged prostate, a procedure that has led to this new and more serious diagnosis. Only 17 months into his reign, what does this health crisis mean for our Head of State, and for the wider monarchy that now has two senior royals off duties for very different health reasons. Today on The Front Page, we’re joined fro...
Feb 07, 2024•20 min
Wellington has found itself at odds with the new Government. Residents of the capital city last year voted to send two Green MPs to Parliament, joining Green Party-endorsed Mayor Tory Whanau in representing the city. While National swept to power in a blue wave in other parts of the country, the election result in Wellington was not exactly an endorsement of the new Government’s policies. So, where does this leave Wellington? How does a city council that desperately needs more money navigate a r...
Feb 06, 2024•20 min
Interpretations of the Treaty of Waitangi – or Te Tiriti o Waitangi – have been some of the most important discussions in Aotearoa's history, but tensions over the documents have reached a fever pitch in recent months after the coalition Government agreed to support a Treaty Principals Bill to the select committee phase. Friction over its meaning is expected to be front and centre today, as politicians, academics and Maori leaders converge on the site where the documents were signed in 1840. Sin...
Feb 05, 2024•15 min
Dancing, DJs and day drinking... A classic summer festival combo. But hand in hand with the music and partying comes a lesser-known festival favourite – waste. Be it beer cans, empty chip pottles or portaloos, events have a habit of creating waste, and in some cases leaving the whenua in a bad state. This was laid bare last month when dozens of tents and piles of garbage was abandoned at the Northern Base festival. Today on The Front Page, Josh Brownlow from Clean Event joins to discuss how fest...
Feb 04, 2024•18 min
For years, the last Government faced constant criticism and attack from National that it wasn’t doing enough to deal with an apparent crime wave spreading across the country. Now, the burden of keeping law and order in check rests with National and their coalition partners. This week, Police Minister Mark Mitchell has had to respond to smash and grab robberies and a supermarket stabbing, but also faced controversy as the government’s promise to get 500 new cops on the beat in two years came unde...
Feb 01, 2024•18 min
Defence Minister Judith Collins will be meeting with her Australian counterpart today as both sides of the Tasman look to move towards ‘interoperability’ and working as one. This meeting comes after more details were revealed about the poor state of our military by the Herald this week. The NZSAS and the wider Defence Force are losing people in droves, and officials are doing their best to throw cash at the situation to prevent our security apparatus from grinding to a halt. So, what exactly is ...
Jan 31, 2024•17 min
Over the last three decades, six people have disappeared from the Piha area on Auckland’s west coast, all never to be seen again. While none of the bodies have been found, coroners have ruled most of the cases likely to be accidents or self-inflicted, and Police have treated them all separately. Yet for some, three men and three women vanishing from the same area feels like too much of a coincidence. Now, mystery documentary on ThreeNow, Black Coast Vanishings, has examined all six cases, and th...
Jan 30, 2024•18 min
The cost-of-living crisis has come for the world’s biggest streaming services. Neon earlier this month became the first service in New Zealand to include ads on the platform, after Netflix and Disney Plus kick started the trend internationally last year. It comes as what was a major growth industry a few years ago slows, with the services starting to slash budgets, and in some cases wiping underperforming shows to save on taxes. So with prices rising and content slowing, what does the future hol...
Jan 29, 2024•17 min
It’s a year on from the Interislander’s terrifying Kaitaki incident. The ferry lost power in Cook Strait with 864 people on board and issued a mayday call as it drifted towards Wellington’s rocky south coast. Luckily, disaster was narrowly avoided, and there was some comfort that KiwiRail had new mega ferries ordered and on the way to replace the ageing Interislander fleet. But fast-forward to today and KiwiRail’s mega ferry project has been canned after Finance Minister Nicola Willis refused to...
Jan 28, 2024•18 min
Last year, Auckland was shaken by a weather event on the city’s anniversary weekend that seemingly no one saw coming. Four people lost their lives in the shock weather event, while countless other homes were flooded or destroyed, with those affected still picking up the pieces a year later. Auckland Council and then-freshly elected mayor Wayne Brown came under fire for their handling of the crisis. Now, NZ Herald deputy head of news Tom Dillane has revisited the events of January 27th 2023 to fi...
Jan 25, 2024•20 min
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced this week that New Zealand is sending a six-person team to Yemen to provide maritime security in the Red Sea. It comes after weeks of attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial ships navigating the route, and subsequent retaliatory air strikes by the US and UK. All of this is unfolding against the backdrop of the ongoing Gaza conflict, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting international calls for a two-state solution to end the war. So wh...
Jan 24, 2024•18 min
High inflation, job insecurity, and interest rates through the roof have been plaguing New Zealanders over the last few years. While it looks like we are turning a post-Covid corner, new threats are on the horizon as global conflicts continue, and questions remain over what the new Government's plans for fixing the economy actually are. From house prices and rental costs to migration woes, this year is shaping up to be a big year for the economy. Today on The Front Page, we're joined by Kiwibank...
Jan 23, 2024•17 min
The National-led coalition has only been in office for two months, but already its work around Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Reo Maori has prompted backlash across Aotearoa. Last Friday a Ministry of Justice paper was leaked warning the Government’s proposed legislation to define the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi could be “highly contentious”. Part of the document suggested this was due to the “fundamental constitutional nature of the subject matter” and “lack of consultation with the public ...
Jan 22, 2024•20 min
This week, our politicians are heading back to work... not that there has actually been much of a break. International crises like the Gaza conflict have needed the Government’s attention over the summer, and while we’ve been soaking up the sun, ministers have been back at their desks for a while now, sifting through reports and cancelled projects as the coalition looks to advance its 100 day plan. So, as everyone heads back to the Beehive, what are the top issues on the Government’s agenda, how...
Jan 21, 2024•18 min
Just when you thought Wellington’s water woes couldn’t get any worse, they have. The city is facing severe water shortages with warnings residents may have to boil their drinking water and some suburbs could run completely dry. People have queued for hours to get their hands on emergency water tanks. It comes as the city is losing 44 per cent of its treated drinking water to leaks, making for a communications nightmare when it comes to telling locals to conserve water. So, how did it get to this...
Jan 18, 2024•18 min
The skylines of our cities are starting to change. Slowly but surely, new high-rise housing developments are cropping up all over Auckland. From built-to-rent schemes, to luxury hotels, to developer-iwi partnerships, there’s a wide variety of projects underway, all with different markets in mind. Something they all have in common, though, is that they signal a move away from suburban sprawl, to a new type of city living. So what are the main projects opening this year, how affordable will they b...
Jan 17, 2024•17 min
