The Front Page

This week, The Front Page is showcasing several high-profile New Zealanders who stood out in their field in 2022.   The business community has been rocked by tough times over the last few years, leading many to batten down the hatches and wait for the storm to pass.   But Andrew Barnes, a pioneer of the four-day working week, remains committed to revolutionising the way we work – and the amount of...

This week, The Front Page is showcasing several high-profile New Zealanders who stood out in their field in 2022.   Aotearoa’s voting age could be lowered for the first time in nearly 50 years.  In November, the Supreme Court declared the current voting age of 18 was inconsistent with the Bill of Rights, opening the door for a law change.   It is now up to our politicians to decide what happens ne...

This week, The Front Page is showcasing several high-profile New Zealanders who stood out in their field in 2022. Aotearoa saw multiple sporting highlights in 2022, from success at the Commonwealth Games to the Black Ferns' World Cup victory. But back in February, history was made when our country won its first-ever gold medals at the Winter Olympics.   Zoi Sadowski-Synnott claimed gold first in t...

In politics, the end of 2022 was dominated by a swing to the right, with Labour stumbling down the polls, and the local elections saw many councils and mayoralties flip across the aisle.  But in our capital city, their new mayor bucked that trend, taking on Wellington’s mayoralty despite having no experience in public office, and initially being the seeing as the bronze medalist in a two-horse rac...

This week, The Front Page is showcasing several high-profile New Zealanders who stood out in their field in 2022.   For years, journalists and newsreaders have been at the centre of our entertainment industry, attracting a celebrity status that at times rivals our biggest actors and musicians. One of the country's most popular reporters, Newshub’s Patrick Gower, has over the last year used his pop...

The Front Page is revisiting some of the major stories we covered in 2022.  August marked 25 years since Diana, Princess of Wales died in a car crash in Paris.   The shadow of her shock death still hangs over the British monarchy, which today finds itself embroiled in its most contentious period since the bitterness of the nineties as her children now find themselves fighting the same battles she...

The Front Page is revisiting some of the major stories covered in 2022.   At the start of this century, New Zealand was considered one of the most literate countries in the world. However, multiple reports in recent years have shown that is no longer the case.  Our literacy rates are falling, and it’s a problem that doesn’t stop at the classroom – its effects are being felt across all of society....

The Front Page is revisiting some of the major stories covered in 2022.    In June, Te Pāti Māori launched a petition to officially rename New Zealand to Aotearoa. It comes after years of growing acceptance of the Māori name for our islands, seeking to reverse a name assigned to the country by Dutch explorers 500 years ago. The petition comes during a growing embracement of Māori culture in public...

The Front Page is revisiting some of the major stories of 2022.  After a tumultuous period of upheaval, leadership coups and scandals, the National Party has enjoyed a period of far greater stability over the last 12 months. This has been reflected in the poll numbers, which have seen the party steadily rise under the leadership of Christopher Luxon. But Luxon is far from the finished political pr...

Over the next few weeks, we will be revisiting some of the major stories covered in 2022. Labour has celebrated five years in government, but recent polling suggests securing a third term will be a battle.     Consistent polling puts National and Act ahead of Labour and the Greens, and the Prime Minister’s preferred Prime Minister rating has declined steadily.     This does not bode well for Labou...

Over the next few weeks, we're revisiting some of the major stories covered in 2022.  Aotearoa has had a bit of a reckoning with its drinking culture.  Multiple documentaries and personal stories have spotlighted the harm drinking can have, while non-alcoholic drinks and initiatives are gaining traction.   Among those taking a stand is Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick. The Auckland Central representative...

Over the next few weeks, The Front Page is revisiting some of the major stories we covered in 2022. No story has been bigger this year than Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.   The conflict started at the end of February, and there are no signs of either side giving up any time soon.  While the world condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions, it’s hardly the first time the Russian strongman...

Over the next few weeks, The Front Page is revisiting some of the major stories we covered in 2022.   Over the last year, the divide between rural and urban New Zealand has only seemed to widen. There was no better example of that than an episode of Country Calendar. In the episode, businessman Geoff Ross sparked heated debate when detailed some of his more unconventional approaches to farming, in...

Over the next few weeks, The Front Page is revisiting some of the major stories we covered in 2022.     Today, we look at the road toll, which has again served as a reminder that driving in Aotearoa isn’t always safe. The latest data for 2022 shows that our road toll has exceeded 350 deaths for the first time since 2018.   And as New Zealanders prepare for their getaways, these numbers could becom...

This is the last new episode of The Front Page for 2022 – and what a year it has been.  Since the podcast launched in March, we have seen a range of political scandals, crime wave concerns, economic ups and downs, and the death of our head of state.   So before we turn on the automatic replies and head off on our summer breaks, we are taking a look back at the biggest stories of the year, and what...

As the year comes to an end, there’s no sign yet of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reaching a conclusion any time soon.   The Ukrainian people remain committed to their fight, and have seen wins in recent weeks. But a change in approach from Russia means many Ukrainians are in for a cold, dark Christmas.  Today, Damien speaks to New Zealand journalist Tom Mutch, who has spent most of the year in Ukr...

Covid-19 has continued to be a dark shadow hanging heavy over everything that has happened in 2022 - and it seems that this disease is not yet done with us.  Cases are tracking up and dozens of New Zealanders are continuing to die weekly.  So how worrying is the rise in cases amid waning immunity and more relaxed behaviour over the summer holidays? And what long-term strategy does the Government h...

The political year is coming to an end, and what a year it has been.   Rogue MPs, shock resignations, and legislative controversies have dominated headlines for both sides of the House this year.   And as things wind down, attention is firmly focused on the general election, and if Labour and the Greens can make it to a third term or if National and Act will be in control by this time next year. T...

Sophisticated online scams are costing New Zealanders millions of dollars every year, and the problem is only becoming worse.   Scammers operate in teams outside of Aotearoa, creating elaborate schemes that could catch even the most tech-savvy among us.   So how do these scams work? Do victims have any chance of getting their money back once it leaves their accounts? And what are some of the key w...

Today marks three years since the Whakaari/White Island disaster, which saw 22 people lose their lives after being caught up in an eruption on the island.   Now, the story of what happened on the island is being told by the survivors and first responders in a new documentary, The Volcano – Rescue from Whakaari, out on Netflix next week.  The movie is directed by Oscar nominee Rory Kennedy and co-w...

A new Netflix series is set to shake the Royal Family once again.   Harry and Meghan will follow the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and document their new lives in Los Angeles, and the fallout from their departure as working British royals.   The series has everyone talking, but will we get new information about the couple and their familial conflict, or is this a cash grab from Netflix, tapping into...

The Government’s long mooted merger of TVNZ and RNZ into a new state broadcaster is coming closer to fruition.   The new entity is only three months away, with the two powers set to be merged into the catchily titled Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media by March 1st.  But questions still remain about how necessary the merger is, who will be chairing the board, and how much money is being spent – none...

Three Waters has again made headlines for all the wrong reasons. This time the Government has had to back down on an entrenchment clause that would have made it more difficult for future governments to alter the legislation. The move has been dubbed 'absolute chaos' by National Party leader Christopher Luxon, and further muddies the water around an already controversial proposal. So what would the...

The NZ Herald has kicked off the next stage in its project, The New New Zealand – Rebuilding Better. This time, as chosen by readers, the focus is on the social division our country is experiencing. Some of that disunity stems from the level of disinformation that was bubbling under the surface of polite society but boiled over in the wake of the Covid pandemic. So why are people still protesting...

Aotearoa has its first convicted saboteur.  62-year-old Graham Philip was sentenced to just over three years in jail for an attack on the National Grid in November last year. Since laws were introduced during the Second World War, it is the first time anyone has been charged with sabotage in this country. So what is sabotage in law, what did Philip actually do, and are there any concerns about oth...