Tis the season to celebrate the end of the year with your workmates on the company dime. But, are the days of huge bashes and unlimited bar tabs long gone? They’ve always been high risk and loaded with legal landmines... with employees toeing the line between loose networking and plain unprofessional. So, should companies ditch the drama for direct deposits? Or is there still a little magic to the traditional Christmas work do? Today on The Front Page, AUT Professor of Management Candice Harris ...
Dec 11, 2025•16 min
Kiwis are flying the coop, most of them heading for better opportunities across the Tasman. Latest Stats NZ figures show just over 124,000 migrant departures in the year to October, up nearly 7% - 71,000 of them New Zealanders. What is pushing our best and brightest out the door? And is the grass really greener on the other side? Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald Business editor at large Liam Dann is with us to dissect what draws Kiwis abroad, and what it all means for the ones sticking around....
Dec 10, 2025•17 min
Australia’s social media ban comes into effect this week, when all under 16s there will be restricted from major platforms. We’re talking TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Kick, Twitch, Threads and X. The EU passed a similar resolution this month, and the UK has introduced age restrictions on certain content. But, can you really outlaw part of the world wide web for a generation that has grown up online? And, more importantly, should we? Today on The Front Page, University of Cante...
Dec 09, 2025•22 min
From sideline squabbles to damning defeats, 2026 will need to be a year of refresh when it comes to Kiwi sports. The All Blacks’ season has been shaky to say the least, and headlines have been dominated with Netball New Zealand’s off-court chaos. But, there have been some major wins on the world stage for some of our best athletes. Liam Lawson has become a household name – and Ryan Fox has seen some career bests this year. So, to wrap it all up, today on The Front Page we have the NZ Herald’s Ch...
Dec 08, 2025•19 min
Auckland’s CBD should be at its brightest right now, but this Christmas season has exposed just how far the city has slipped. The former Smith and Caughey’s building - once the centre of Auckland’s festive traditions with its iconic window displays and enchanted forest - now sits dark. Across the CBD, retail spending is down, site vacancy rates are up, and the district has been plagued by stalled developments and empty lots. But could a new life for Auckland be on the horizon? The long-awaited C...
Dec 05, 2025•24 min
Russia is apparently ready to go to war with Europe, according to its President. Vladimir Putin met with the US negotiators this week for about five hours to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. He has accused European leaders of trying to scupper his peace talks with the US, saying that their tweaks to a plan to end the war were “unacceptable”. The Kremlin has apparently accepted some proposals to end the war, although latest talks haven’t “yielded a breakthrough”. Today on The Front Page, Univer...
Dec 04, 2025•19 min
Regional, territorial, unitary, wards and boards. Local government in New Zealand is made up of 78 different councils that make decisions we encounter daily. The roads, air, rubbish, waters, environment – it's all local government. So, why has central government announced a need for change? And why has the Prime Minister himself implored councils to “stop doing dumb stuff”? Today on The Front Page, Victoria University of Wellington associate professor in politics, Lara Greaves, is with us to tak...
Dec 03, 2025•20 min
There are calls for urgent changes to modernise our laws to better protect victims of sexual violence. A new Helen Clarke Foundation report identifies several gaps in our laws that need closing and changes to our justice system to reduce underreporting. Ministry of Justice data estimates about 209,000 incidents of sexual assault occur every year, affecting around 82,000 victims. Nearly one in four adults report having experienced sexual assault in their lifetime. Today on The Front Page, Senior ...
Dec 02, 2025•23 min
It’s the moment anyone looking for a conveniently packaged, Swedish designed kitchen cabinet is waiting for. Ikea opens in Auckland this week at Sylvia Park – and it’ll be the company’s largest store in the Southern Hemisphere, about the size of three rugby fields. You’d be pressed to find someone who hasn’t encountered news of the iconic brand in Aotearoa. But why is it such a big deal? What’s so different about Ikea? We’ve brought Quantum Jump CEO and marketing expert Ben Goodale along with us...
Dec 01, 2025•26 min
It has been a tumultuous time since the collapse of the Du Val property development group. It was August last year we saw police raid a Remuera property – leaving with a number of assets owned by Charlotte and Kenyon Clarke. Since then it’s been a tsunami of court hearings, social media posts, and “he said she saids”. On Monday, a new podcast called *The Fall of the House of Du Val launches on iHeartRadio – or wherever you get your podcasts. But, today on The Front Page, host of the podcast, Bus...
Nov 28, 2025•21 min
The mistlestoe's hung, the bells are a'ringing And all through the malls Mariah Carey is singing It's the same old story, told year after year Of Santa and reindeer and widespread good cheer But look a bit closer, and you might see a crack In the stronghold St Nick has had since way back Where once stood a hero, red coat and beard white A sack on his sleigh promising Christmas delight Now stands a figure, towering six foot two tall With a coat of green fur, heart two sizes too small The Grinch w...
Nov 27, 2025•20 min
The Government’s released its plan to get our Defence infrastructure up to scratch – some of which hasn’t been touched in decades. The Defence Estate Portfolio sets out how $2.5 billion will be spent over the next 15 years. At the same time, the Future Naval Base Programme is pinned at $4b over 35 years. It’s being called a ‘generational investment in defence infrastructure’. But given the horror stories we’ve heard of black mould, infestations, and asbestos plaguing NZDF owned buildings – will ...
Nov 26, 2025•21 min
The Cook Islands’ flag has flown from more than a hundred oil tankers implicated in illicitly trading Russian and Iranian oil. A special Herald investigation has revealed that it’s sparked alarm from foreign governments – with New Zealand diplomats fielding concerns from Helsinki and London. Our Foreign Minister Winston Peters has labelled the issue “alarming and infuriating”. So, what is the link between the Baltic Sea and the Pacific? And how has this been allowed to happen? Today on The Front...
Nov 25, 2025•22 min
Our MPs have stakes in a combined $379 million of property in New Zealand. A Herald investigation has found that’s an average of $3.16 million across each of our 120 Members of Parliament. And despite the rumours, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon doesn’t top the list as the most lavish. Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald data journalist Chris Knox is with us to dive into the numbers, and why it matters. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcas...
Nov 24, 2025•17 min
Former cabinet minister, Michael Wood, will be running for the Labour Party in next year’s general election. He’ll be running for the Mt Roskill seat. The former MP’s career came crashing down in 2023, after he was forced to resign as Minister for Transport after it was revealed he failed to disclose his airport shares. He resigned from his remaining ministerial portfolios after the discovery of additional shares held by his trust. Today on The Front Page, Michael Wood joins us to launch his com...
Nov 21, 2025•14 min
From the streets of New York to around the world, the "Mamdani effect" is taking shape. Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won the city’s mayoralty earlier this month, sparking a new era with an election turnout higher than any race in 50 years. But this isn’t just an American story. The energy around this movement, its bold ideas on justice, economics, and climate, is resonating with Gen Z far beyond the US. Victoria University of Wellington senior lecturer Dr Mona Kewel joins The Front Page t...
Nov 20, 2025•23 min
The United Kingdom is vowing to ‘restore order and control’ - through controversial, sweeping reform on the country’s asylum system. The new interpretations of human rights laws will make the UK less attractive for asylum seekers and make it easier to deport them. The tougher rules on refugee statuses mean people would need to reapply, and it would take 20 years for permanent settlement. Human rights lawyer and activist, Rêz Gardî, is a co-director and co-founder of the University of Auckland’s ...
Nov 19, 2025•25 min
15 years ago, 29 men went to work and never returned home. The Pike River mine explosion shocked New Zealand and the world, prompting three inquiries, a new regulator and new laws. But new research shows New Zealand workers are still more likely to die than those in Australia or Britain. The Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa report said this country kills twice as many workers as Australia and four times as many as Britain, on a per capita basis. The number of work-related deaths has n...
Nov 18, 2025•28 min
While the world ponders whether being a billionaire is ethical in these challenging times, another potential dilemma has arisen... trillionaires. Elon Musk is on track to become the world’s first trillion-dollar man after Tesla shareholders approved a pay package for the founder in the form of additional company shares over the next decade. CNN reported that the addition of 423.7 million shares over the next 10 years could equate to earning US$275 million ($484m) a day. It comes at a time when b...
Nov 17, 2025•23 min
It’s been revealed that Kiwis lost a record $3 billion to scams this year. That’s a 30% increase from $2.3 billion last year. Netsafe and the Global Anti-Scam Alliance ‘State of Scams in New Zealand’ report shows that scammers are getting more sophisticated – and victims are facing persistent barriers to reporting and recovering their losses. So, how should we protect ourselves and who should be held accountable? Today on The Front Page, Netsafe’s Sean Lyons is with us to break down the latest f...
Nov 16, 2025•23 min
For weeks now headlines have been peppered with Te Pāti Māori’s infighting. The crescendo came when the party’s National Council opted to expel MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris from Parliament. Both have called the move ‘unconstitutional’ - they’ll sit as independents in the Beehive for now. But, what’s lead to this very public spat and what’s next for the party ahead Election 2026? Today on The Front Page, University of Auckland professor Jason Mika is with us to discuss. Follow The F...
Nov 13, 2025•16 min
It’s been revealed that Police ignored sex allegations against a former top cop, and instead prosecuted a woman for ‘revenge emails’. The woman had emailed police, politicians, and newsrooms accusing former deputy police commissioner Jevon McSkimming of being a sexual predator. The police watchdog has released a scathing 135-page report into how the allegations were treated, and how the “ambitions of a senior police officer were put above the interests of a vulnerable woman”. Police Commissioner...
Nov 12, 2025•23 min
There have been no official talks yet about compensation for the complainant against Jevon McSkimming. The former Deputy Police Commissioner is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to having child sexual exploitation and bestiality material on his work devices. A scathing watchdog report has found some of the nation's highest-ranking officers ignored a young woman's anonymous complaints against McSkimming. Instead, she was prosecuted for digital harassment. The handling of the case has been...
Nov 12, 2025•15 min
Remember when we were meant to be smoke free by 2025? New Zealand’s goal to have fewer than 5% of people smoking by the end of the year looks unlikely to be met. The target was introduced in 2010 – and while smoking has dropped significantly since then (from 16.4% in 2011 to 6.9% in 2023-24) there are still hundreds of thousands of people smoking daily. In December 2022, New Zealand enacted world-leading tobacco control legislation – essentially creating a whole generation who’ll never be able t...
Nov 11, 2025•17 min
Mark Mitchell has heralded the government’s promise to be tough on crime. He’s been incredibly clear from the get-go that his primary goal is to make New Zealand an uncomfortable place for gangs to operate. He holds five portfolios: Police, Corrections, Emergency Management and Recovery, Ethnic Communities, and Sports and Recreation. So, how does an MP with so many hats feel about how his government has tackled the big issues? Today on The Front Page, Mitchell joins us to talk cops, corrections,...
Nov 10, 2025•20 min
The 30th UN climate conference will begin this week. Nations will gather in Belem, Brazil for COP30 – and while the Trump administration isn’t intending to send anyone, the US could still become the thorn in any deals side. So, as the world’s brightest climate minds converge on the city that sits on the outskirts of the Amazon rainforest – experts are asking whether anything substantial will come from these negotiations. Today on The Front Page, University of Otago associate professor Daniel Kin...
Nov 09, 2025•21 min
Bees are tiny but mighty players in New Zealand’s environment and economy. They pollinate our gardens, native plants, and crucial crops, supporting biodiversity and food production across the country. But, an invasive threat is looming – the queen yellow-legged hornet. Since June, Biosecurity New Zealand has confirmed several detections of these pests across Auckland. Today on The Front Page, Mahurangi Honey’s Peter Johnston is with us to chat local honey making, and why bees are so important. F...
Nov 06, 2025•18 min
Just over seventy years after Sir Edmund Hillary first ascended Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak is grappling with new ethical dilemmas. From crowded summit attempts and ecological strain, to debates about climber preparedness and the treatment of Sherpas, Everest’s story today is as complex as ever. The Himalayan Trust, founded by Sir Ed, continues to support local communities at the heart of these challenges. His grandson, Alexander Hillary, now runs the organisation, and joins us on Th...
Nov 05, 2025•19 min
A chance for New Zealand to lead change the world in ‘ethical investing’. As of last year, more than half a billion dollars of New Zealanders’ KiwiSaver and other retail investments were lent to countries on ‘high alert’ for human rights violations. The new paper from Motu Research urges fund managers and industry bodies to lift standards. But what does ‘ethical investing’ mean? And how can you tell how your funds are being used? Today on The Front Page, lead researcher Anne-Marie Brook is with ...
Nov 04, 2025•16 min
It’s that time of year again, where we debate whether New Zealanders should be allowed to let off fireworks. Fire and Emergency New Zealand is among those opposed, saying they know first-hand how dangerous fireworks can be. Last year was the worst year for fireworks-related fires since 2017, with 166 unwanted fires. Firework sales are restricted to a four-day period from November 2 to 5 each year – but there are growing calls for that to be scrapped. First on The Front Page, Fire and Emergency N...
Nov 03, 2025•17 min
