The Front Page

New Zealand’s health system is facing yet another crisis.  Figures show that some people are waiting over six hours for emergency treatment at hospitals, while others are facing year long waits to book surgeries.   While the health system is still recovering from Covid-caused delays, Opposition parties and the public want to see change now.  But is a quick fix even possible in our underfunded and...

It’s no secret that the media loves to focus on crime, with robberies and violence grabbing easy headlines across the nation. But there’s a bigger crime epidemic in this country, one that’s taking place closer to home.  Domestic violence remains deeply rooted into New Zealand life – and it’s taking more lives than many of us realise. On average, a child is killed in the home every five weeks. This...

Concerns have been raised about so called ‘involuntary celibates’. Incels, as they are better known, aren’t choosing to abstain of their own volition. Instead, they blame society, and particularly women, for denying them the opportunity for sexual relationships. While this anger has stayed online for the most part, it has been blamed for acts of real world violence.     So what exactly are incels?...

Winston Peters has made it clear he is determined to return New Zealand First to Parliament in 2023.  Two years after departing as their coalition partner, the 77-year-old has upped his criticism of Labour and is showing no signs of supporting Jacinda Ardern again.  He joins a number of parties outside Parliament trying to ride a wave of anti-government sentiment to victory in 2023.  But with so m...

The economy has gone through a rough time over the last few years, but one of the positives is that employees have been able to take control.  Figures have shown that wages are increasing as the labour market tightens, and bosses have no choice but to cough up to get the staff they are after.  It’s never an easy conversation to have, especially not for Kiwis or during inflation and recession worri...

Forty-five days is a long time in politics, but probably not long enough if you are trying to lead a country.  But that’s how long Liz Truss lasted as the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister. After a month of chaos sparked by a mini-budget that crashed the pound, Truss has resigned, sparking a truncated leadership contest in an attempt to right the ship.   So how did her reign go so wrong – and is the...

On October 19th 2017, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters threw support behind the New Zealand Labour Party, making Jacinda Ardern our 40th Prime Minister and ending nine years of National rule.   Labour has gone through plenty of highs and lows over the last five years, but half a decade on, the party seems to be facing its most perilous period in power yet.   A rogue backbench MP, a brewing...

New Zealand has cancelled William Shakespeare.  At least, that’s what you’d believe if you read some of the headlines this week.   The latest round of Creative New Zealand funding decisions sparked global outrage after the Shakespeare Globe Centre of New Zealand missed out on funding.   But after initial backlash against Creative New Zealand, it appears the outrage was blown out of proportion – an...

The economic mood around the world is turning gloomier.   Economists and bankers have conceded that the fight against inflation is going to take longer than expected – and this also applies to New Zealand.   There are also growing concerns that we are headed for a recession.  So what will trigger this? How bad will it be? And will the New Zealand economy hold up amid this growing pressure?   Today...

Former cabinet Minister Kris Faafoi has confirmed that he will be launching a lobbying firm. In doing so, he joins an influential group of spin doctors who promise influence over and access to some of the biggest decision makers in the country. Faafoi’s quick transition from Government to lobbying has led to questions about whether we should be allowing this at all.    So how much sway do lobbyist...

One of the nation’s most anticipated elections is back for another year.  The two-week voting period for Bird of the Year kicks off today, one year after the race made global headlines when the top prize went (confusingly) to a bat.   The annual competition run by Forest and Bird is used to making headlines, but there’s a serious message behind all the competition.  So how are our native birds far...

Tax cuts are always a hot topic before a general election, and 2023 is shaping up to be no different. However, a new report from Oxfam has ranked New Zealand one hundred and thirty-sixth in the world on our distribution of wealth.   So while some want to see tax cuts across the board, including for the very rich, the other end of the spectrum wants to a new tax to break that concentration of wealt...

US President Joe Biden has announced federal pardons for those convicted of cannabis possession, wiping clean a criminal record that may have made it difficult to get a job or accommodation after serving out their sentence.  Like the United States, Aotearoa’s drug convictions are tilted heavily against one ethnic group. In their case African-Americans, in our case Māori are much more likely to be...

A world-first scheme will see farmers in New Zealand pay for methane emissions from their livestock by 2025.   The Government has admitted that getting the scheme in place within three years will "require a significant amount of work".  So what is the plan? Will it significantly curtail climate change? And will farmers be able to manage the financial pressure added to their load? Today, Andrew Hog...

Auckland has spoken, and the country’s largest city has a new mayor in Wayne Brown. The former mayor of the Far North says his win gives him a mandate for change, with key policies focused on shaking up council-controlled organisations and cutting costs.  But how exactly will he deliver on those promises? And with less than a third of Aucklanders bothering to vote, how secure is that mandate? Toda...

After years of systemic repression of women, the people of Iran are calling for change, a call their government can no longer ignore.  So what’s sparked this movement now, after decades under this oppressive regime? Will it be enough to bring change? And could New Zealand be doing more to support the cause?  Today, Damien is joined by Iranian-born Green MP Golriz Ghahraman and Dr Forough Amin, the...

The ninth edition of the Women’s Rugby World Cup is kicking off. The excitement is tangible for the growing legion of fans who enjoy following their sporting idols. However, the promotion around this world-class sporting event pales in comparison to when the Men’s Rugby World Cup was previously held in New Zealand. So are we doing enough to back the Black Ferns? Who are the main teams to watch thi...

Roaming and feral dogs are causing chaos in Northland. Dozens of livestock have fallen, and August saw a man tragically lose his life to pack of dogs. This terrifying problem has been caused by a combination of feral and roaming dogs. So why is this happening? How much harm is being caused? And what is animal control doing to stop this from continuing?    Today, Damien speaks to Northern Advocate...

A new reality show has been rocked by revelations regarding the previous behaviour of one of the contestants. The NZ Herald revealed that Wayde Moore took advantage of a teenager’s drunkenness to get her into bed.     He was still cast on the show and included in promotional material.  So how does a show like Fboy Island get commissioned in the first place? Are screening processes secure enough to...

Aotearoa is incredibly diverse, with more than 200 different ethnicities within our community. But you wouldn’t think that if you looked at our media. We’re still nowhere close to having people in front of the cameras and behind the scenes that fully represent the diversity of 21st-century New Zealand.  So how much progress have we made? What still needs to change? And are we moving fast enough? T...

New Zealand’s young people are facing a crisis of mental health.     A recent harrowing story showed how powerless a family was amid the downward spiral of their daughter’s battle with mental health.    These trends have been growing over the last decade, but they have been amplified by the impact of the coronavirus.     So why are things becoming so bad? Is enough being done to protect young peop...

In this bonus episode, Auckland mayoral hopefuls Efeso Collins and Wayne Brown face off for a debate in moderated by Herald journalists Simon Wilson, Fran O'Sullivan, and Liam Dann. The two candidates were asked for their views on a range of issues, including housing, rates, crime, infrastructure, and what to do with Auckland city centre. With a high percentage of Aucklanders reportedly still unde...

The Vodafone brand is set to disappear from Aotearoa's marketing landscape.    In its place, we will see the emergence of one.nz, with the colour green replacing the red of Vodafone.    The company’s CEO has done a major telco rebrand before when he was at Spark, but it’s always risky to change something familiar. There have been some chaotic and unsuccessful rebrands.    So what are some of the p...

In this bonus episode, Christchurch mayoral hopefuls David Meates and Phil Mauger made their cases in front of an audience for why they should get the top job in the South Island's biggest city. The debate is introduced by Leeann Watson - CEO of the Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce and hosted by journalist Ryan Boswell. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts...

Currency markets have been absolutely rocked over the last week.     The British pound has collapsed, and the New Zealand dollar has also been on a sharp slide. So what’s going on with international currency markets? Is this the beginning of the threatened recession? And can this downward trajectory be reversed?  Today, Damien is joined by Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen to sort through...