The Front Page

It’s Māori Language Week – where Kiwis are encouraged to have a go at te reo.  Whereas the language was once on a pathway to extinction, now it’s flourishing as people flock to learn it.   But a change in government last year saw restrictions placed on how the public service uses te reo – one of many policies that has been seen as an attack on Māori rights.   Today on The Front Page, we’re joined...

It’s estimated we spend a third of our life at work – with the average worker clocking a staggering 90,000 hours in employment over a lifetime. Covid lockdowns saw companies adapt to remote and flexible working practices, while schemes like four day weeks have gained traction globally. Some international companies though are pulling back or restricting employees from working at home, while one CEO...

Originally due to run for six weeks, the trial of Philip Polkinghorne is now in its seventh week.   The former Auckland eye surgeon is accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, who was found dead on 5 April, 2021.  He maintains she took her own life.  More witnesses from the defence took the stand to discuss their thoughts on how Hanna died, and the risk factors that could have pushed her to t...

We may be two years away from our next general election, but the possibility of more tax is already being debated.  Labour is starting to warm the public up to the idea of a wealth or capital gains tax being part of their 2026 manifesto - with leader Chris Hipkins saying its necessary to deal with our ageing population.   The possibility of introducing either tax has been debated by the left, and...

The construction industry in New Zealand is struggling – with building companies going to the wall as the housing market falls away. It also has one of the highest rates of workplace injuries of any industry. But there’s another workplace hazard that we’re not talking about. Construction workers are six times more likely to die from suicide than from an accident at work, and last year that number...

Scott Robertson is the most successful coach in Super Rugby history - leading the Crusaders to seven-back-to-back titles.  He is also a firm favourite with the public – and is perhaps the most popular rugby coach we've ever had.  But his transition from the red and blacks to leading the All Blacks hasn't been smooth sailing. The national side has posted three losses from seven matches – their late...

The struggles facing social media platform X are back in the spotlight.  In amongst an advertising exodus and concerns over owner Elon Musk’s takes on the US election, Brazil's Supreme Court has upheld a ban on the app formerly known as Twitter.  These are just the latest controversies to hit the platform in the two years since Musk took it over – yet the app still has millions of users, and alter...

The Government has announced a record 32.9-billion-dollar investment in New Zealand’s transport network over the next three years, through the National Land Transport Programme.   The big winner is new roads, and the big loser is walking and cycling improvements.   So, what does this mean for congestion and emissions in our biggest cities?   And will a new National Infrastructure Pipeline prevent...

Week six of the trial of Philip Polkinghorne continued with the defence’s case.   The former Auckland eye surgeon is accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, who was found dead on 5 April, 2021.  He maintains she took her own life.  Witnesses for the defence revealed a different side of Polkinghorne then what we’ve previously heard, with former colleagues and neighbours describing him as funn...

Last week, Kīngi Tūheitia the seventh Maori monarch, passed away aged 69, a little over a week after marking 18 years of his reign.   His shock death has seen a week of mourning at Turangawaewae Marae, the official residence for the head of the Kingitanga movement, with politicians sharing memories while thousands gather to pay their respects. The next Māori monarch will officially be revealed thi...

Several weeks ago, the Government dramatically moved to take control of Health New Zealand by appointing Professor Lester Levy as a commissioner. He has the unenviable task of finding 1.4 billion dollars in savings, while also improving services and meeting the Government’s national health targets. In the weeks that have followed, the dire state of our healthcare has become clearer, with patient w...

The year’s biggest land deal has Wellington aflutter with rumours Sir Peter Jackson could be building his long-awaited movie museum. Interests associated with The Lord of the Rings director have spent $105 million buying a large piece of land near the city’s airport in Lyall Bay. So, why the secrecy? And could Jackson’s vision be finally brought to life? Today on The Front Page, we’re joined by Bu...

Winter has come to an end, and it's been a wet last few weeks. A burst of rain in August culminated in flooding in Wellington and saturated days for the rest of us. With us heading now into spring, the hope is that with longer days fast approaching, we might start to see some warmer weather again soon. For an outlook on weather in the months ahead, today on The Front Page we’re joined by NZ Herald...

After nearly five weeks of witnesses, The Crown has closed its case in the trial of Philip Polkinghorne.  The former Auckland eye surgeon is accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, who was found dead on 5 April, 2021.  He maintains she took her own life.  The Crown closed its case with more on Polkinghorne’s arrest, Police searches, and a last minute witness on cell phones.  The rest of the...

Norman Kirk was elected Prime Minister in 1972, bringing the Labour Party back to power after 12 years of National Party rule. His two years in office were seen as radical at the time in how he sought to reshape New Zealand’s place in the world, and his legacy has endured as one of the country’s most popular Prime Ministers. However, on August 31st 1974, Kirk died after a lengthy but private illne...

Back in May on The Front Page, in the wake of warnings about overuse of the power grid, we discussed what challenges faced the energy sector for the winter ahead. Over the last few weeks, those challenges have become more and more apparent, with diminishing supply sparking rising power prices across the country. It has prompted the Government to this week announce it is fast tracking a new liquifi...

The US election race is heating up.  A month ago, after the Republican National Convention and a failed assassination attempt, it seemed like Donald Trump would be unstoppable. Instead, US President Joe Biden pulled out of the race, anointing his Vice President Kamala Harris as hir successor, and a triumphant Democratic National Convention showed a party prepared to hold onto the White House. So w...

Week five in the trial of Philip Polkinghorne has kicked off with more on what was found on the couple’s tech, a hint that Pauline Hanna found a P pipe months before her death, and what exactly is a ‘girlfriend experience’? And two messages, drafted, on the morning of Pauline Hanna’s death, have also been revealed by the defence.  You can listen to episodes of Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial throu...

Artificial intelligence. Once something you’d only find in sci-fi novels, it’s now an everyday necessity for some. A new Accentrue report for Microsoft forecasts Kiwi workers are set to save an average of 275 hours a year through generative AI adoption. Today on The Front Page, Otago University’s Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Public Policy director, James Maclaurin is with us to discuss th...

There was an outbreak of the virus – formerly known as Monkeypox – back in 2022, but a new variant that originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo has proved fatal, with dozens of deaths from thousands of cases. The new variant has also been found beyond the borders of Africa, sparking warnings by the World Health Organisation, and calls for international support to stem this outbreak. Today o...

The end of the shortened fourth week in the trial of Philip Polkinghorne traverses a range of topics He’s accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, in April 2021 – but maintains, she took her own life.   More on the couple’s finances, the dark sides of meth use, a sex tape, Google searches about infidelity, and a series of intimate letters between a husband and a wife were all revealed and dis...

The Government's stepped in on Auckland apartment developer the Du Val Group, placing it in statutory management. This follows Du Val Capital Partners and related companies being placed into interim receivership by the High Court earlier this month, with a police raid on the home of company founders Kenyon and Charlotte Clarke. About 120 investors have put money into the entities. So what do these...

The first stage of the 37th America’s Cup is about to begin.  The world’s longest continuous sporting competition, Team New Zealand will be looking to defend their title in October – their challenger is due to be decided over the coming weeks, as the Louis Vuitton Cup gets underway in Barcelona. But in amongst all the intrigue about which team will come out on top, there’s a lot of background as t...

The trial of Philip Polkinghorne has, in theory, hit the halfway mark – with Justice Graham Lang telling the jury it’s “broadly on schedule”.  Polkinghorne’s accused of strangling his wife, Pauline Hanna, at the couple’s Remuera home in April 2021 – before allegedly staging the scene to look like she’d taken her own life.   His defence maintains she committed suicide.   Day 16 focused on Auckland...

Ukrainian troops have strengthened positions and expanded territory in Russia's Kursk region, nearly two weeks into their incursion. Ukraine says it has seized more than 80 settlements since August 6 in the biggest invasion of Russia since World War II. Coming two and a half years into Russian’s invasion of Ukraine, why has Ukraine decided to return the favour, and what does this incursion mean on...