TVNZ has become the latest media company to cut back on its news programming. The state-owned broadcaster has proposed to shut down current affairs shows Sunday and Fair Go later this year amid cost savings measures. With Newshub also on the chopping block, local news is facing a true crisis, and many are wondering if there’s a way back from the edge. Today on The Front Page, Auckland University of Technology journalism lecturer Dr Greg Treadwell joins to analyse the state of local media. Follow...
Mar 11, 2024•20 min
When Government talks about cracking down on crime, they often refer to gangs and retail crime that leave a visible mark behind. But, for a growing number of New Zealanders, online scams are becoming the most common crime many of us deal with. It’s estimated that we’re losing around 200 million dollars a year to cyber crime – but given many of those affected may be too embarrassed to report a crime, some think that figure is closer to 2 billion. So is there anything that can be done to stop thes...
Mar 10, 2024•17 min
National has unveiled their plan for transport over the next term and it includes some new fees coming your way. Getting a Motor Vehicle Registration is about to become a lot more expensive, while promises not to raise fuel taxes are being kept – but only just. All of this is to fund a revival of the National Party’s Roads of National Significance, but are voters going to care when it means higher costs to drive on them? Today on The Front Page, New Zealand Herald senior political journalist Der...
Mar 07, 2024•16 min
The Government has set every part of the public service a target to find savings between 6.5 and 7.5 per cent before the Budget is delivered in May. These cuts have been discussed since the campaign trail, but what impact they are set to have is yet to be seen. Now, thanks to the Official Information Act, we have some idea of how 11 Ministries are trying to tackle this – and it has led to a lot of concern within the departments that run the country. Today on The Front Page, Newstalk ZB Wellingto...
Mar 06, 2024•17 min
After two trials, David Charles Benbow has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Michael McGrath in 2017. Benbow will spend at least 17 years behind bars for McGrath’s death in a case that has garnered national attention. And that’s because McGrath’s body has never been found. New Zealand Herald senior crime reporter Sam Sherwood has been following this case for seven years, and even served as a witness for the Crown during the first trial. He joins The Front Page to discuss this ca...
Mar 05, 2024•14 min
As the cost of living crisis drags on, it seems even some of the country’s top educators can’t avoid the woes of inflation. An analysis by the Herald has revealed school fees for many of the country’s top private schools have risen drastically in the last two years. So what’s driving those costs – and do these schools results justify the fees? Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald senior journalist Alex Spence talks us through the rising cost of going to the country’s most exclusive schools, and la...
Mar 04, 2024•15 min
The Reserve Bank last week announced the Official Cash Rate would stay at 5.5 per cent. But while things are looking positive for a cut sooner than expected, the Bank has warned inflation is still sitting above where it needs to be. So, in the wake of our major publicly listed companies reporting their half-year results, how is the economy holding up, and can we expect a sunny or stormy outlook for the coming months? Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann joins us ...
Mar 03, 2024•15 min
The deaths of Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies have gripped both sides of the Tasman for the last week. After a nearly week long search, Police on Tuesday said they have found their bodies in Bungonia in southern New South Wales. While the search may be over, questions remain over the response of New South Wales police, particularly as one of their own is alleged to have committed this crime. ABC News reporter Isaac Nowroozi was at the scene in Bungonia earlier this week. He joins The F...
Feb 29, 2024•18 min
Later today, Fa’anānā Efeso Collins will be laid to rest. The former Auckland Councillor and mayoral candidate turned Green MP, died suddenly last week after participating in a charity event. His funeral is expected to draw a massive crowd in Manukau, a sign of the massive respect he was held in by the wider South Auckland community he so passionately advocated for. Vaimoana Mase, the editor of the Herald’s Pasifika section, Talanoa, first met Collins as a teenager 21 years ago, and has followed...
Feb 28, 2024•19 min
Newshub – the news brand of Warner Bros Discovery-owned TV network Three – is due to close in June. The shocking news was delivered to staff earlier today, with many of them now expected to lose their jobs. So what led to the end of a news brand that has been around in various forms since 1989? And does it speak to broader worries about the local industry? In this bonus episode of The Front Page, Media Insider and editor at large Shayne Currie joins to discuss the tragic end of another major new...
Feb 28, 2024•12 min
The Government has moved forward with plans to table a bill to disestablish the Maori Health Authority, tabling a bill this week that would see the authority shuttered after less than two years of operation. It follows through on a campaign promise by all three coalition partners, and is a part of their 100-day plan. So why is the authority being shut down after less than two years of operation – and, as the health system struggles with staffing shortages and high waiting times, where does this ...
Feb 27, 2024•17 min
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
