The Frontline with Dr Gary Payinda

Last year, doctors and poets Art Nahill and Glenn Colquhoun drove thousands of kilometers in a converted 'Vanbulance' on their Hikoi4Health, and had thousands of conversations with patients, locals, and experts about what is wrong with NZ healthcare, and how we could improve it -- if we really wanted to. They share those lessons here, on The Frontline with Dr Gary Payinda, in advance of th...

PSA union organiser Theresa Nelson talks about how cuts to government healthcare budgets affect our rural communities. And whether our poorest, most remote, and underserved rural communities are spending far too much, or simply getting far too little. #psa #health #tetaitokerau #rural #rawene #healthnz

Dr Janet Hoek is a University of Otago Professor who studies tobacco harm, estimated to cost NZ a cool $2.5 billion dollars a year, while generating hundreds of millions of dollars in profits from New Zealanders, and $1.7 in taxes for the government. We talk about the scale of illicit tobacco in NZ, the risk posed, who to believe, the history of the tobacco industry, illicit tobacco prosecutions,...

One of the great minds of our nation, demographer and Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow at Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures spoke with Dr Gary about immigration, productivity, xenophobia, and population growth in a New Zealand that is getting much older, more diverse, and more Auckland-centric. A far-reaching and heavy discussion with much food for thought. People, place and pro...

Midwives are the most understaffed healthcare professionals in NZ. They're in scarce supply in part because reimbursement and working conditions are based on a decades old contract that some would describe as archaic and unfair. Listen in as ex-midwife Alison Eddy, CEO of the NZ College of Midwives, tells us all about the history of NZ midwifery, the recent High Court case they've won (whi...

When kids or adults face poverty, hunger, and a breakdown in social relationships, is it any surprise that they turn to gangs, drugs, or violence? Isopo Samu of Tokotoko Solutions has spent a lifetime working with at-risk youth as a police officer, a teacher, and for the past 15 years as the founder or director of multiple youth and work-training organisations. We talk about how we can best use ou...

A chat with Mike Casey, cherry orchardist, tech bro, and green energy advocate. He's the CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, a charity that envisions a time when NZ is free from its dependence on fossil fuels and foreign energy. We talk about electric cars, rooftop solar, learning from Australia's experience, and moving towards cheap, clean, and plentiful energy. Just a dream, or could it be a reali...

Who would dare argue against a 'knowledge rich curriculum' or 'back to the basics' education? But what happens when 'knowledge rich' turns into regurgitating memorised lists, or when 'the basics' don't include enough teachers aides, school nurses, or that most basic thing of all: food? A reframing of the real problems and their solutions with education expert, t...

Alcohol harm costs the NZ taxpayer roughly $7 for every $1 collected in alcohol taxes. So why are we weakening, rather than strengthening, our alcohol regulations? Andrew Galloway of Alcohol Healthwatch talks about the proposed alcohol policy changes that will weaken our already remarkably feeble alcohol regulations. Have your say. Subscribe and follow. And click hapaitia.co.nz/resources/ for help...

Glenn Barclay of Tax Justice Aotearoa answers our tax questions, from the $1 billion LNG import terminal 'levy/tax', to the IRD's treatment of high-net worth individuals, to how some multinational companies are diverting 94% of their NZ revenue offshore and avoiding paying billions in taxes. Plus the Salvation Army's report on surging child poverty and a 50% increase in food insecu...

History teacher and Post-Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) president Chris Abercrombie discusses cut-rate lunches, school curriculum changes, and double standards when it comes to school privatisation. With a perhaps surprising chat about the cellphone ban in schools. Have a listen, get educated, and share with a friend. #teacher #education #nz 

A conversation with Rob Campbell, economist, healthcare expert, and co-founder of Kaitiaki Hauora, a new organisation that wants us to focus on 3 things: an adequately funded public healthcare system, a move away from healthcare privatisation, and a return to respect for Te Tiriti obligations in healthcare. We know the public backs our public healthcare system. In an election year, how can we get...

Dr Bagshaw (can we make him Health Minister please?) points out the 'secret' scam that is public-private partnerships...also known as dirty 'ol 'privatisation'. Surgeon Phil Bagshaw has dedicated his life’s work to helping people in need. He’s founded a charity hospital. Now he’s doing right by the people of Aotearoa educationally as well, pointing out the elegant scam used int...

An eye-opening talk with Reuben Otto, firefighter and member of the NZ Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) about the challenges of firefighting. Not just the heat and cancer risk, but the lack of a #FENZ employment contract for 571 days and counting, a broken funding model, public attacks by politicians, understaffing, and debilitated fire trucks. Despite it all he maintains a positive outlook...

Dr Tim Welch, urban planning researcher, talks to The Frontline about how faster speed limits can actually lead to slower driving times. And he introduces us to the concept of "network delay", which may be stripping our economy by up to 2% of its productivity.

HIV/AIDS, Covid, Syphilis, Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. What, if anything, have we learned about the social determinants of health that will help us battle the next epidemic more successfully? Dave 'Bear' Hookway-Kopa talks to The Frontline about a lifetime looking after the people of Aotearoa New Zealand #HIV #AIDS #syphilis #PublicHealth www.communitiesagainstalcoholharm.co.nz https:...

Malcolm Mulholland is the chair of Patient Voice Aotearoa, a patient advocacy group that The Frontline is happy to help support. They fought for better medicines access for New Zealanders, and now are fighting for public healthcare in NZ. Malcolm has traveled the length and breadth of Aotearoa holding community meetings and talking with patients and healthcare workers. He has stories to share abou...

Today the Frontline talks with Dan Short, paramedic, rescue swimmer and lifelong surf lifesaver...back by popular demand. We discuss some daring rescues, some good and bad outcomes, and what it means for society when 'regular New Zealanders' step up to help others. Is this a model for how we build a New Zealand that looks after its own people?

Around 20% of New Zealanders have tattoos. Around 350 people a year in New Zealand die from melanoma. Is there an association between melanoma and tattoo inks? Given the huge cultural importance of tattoos/moko in Aotearoa, and the widespread uptake of tattoos by so many,  especially in younger age groups, are regulators doing everything they can to make sure what goes in our skin is as safe as it...

Jessie Moss, senior professional advisor at NZEI, talks us through attempts to rush the Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill into law. Destabilising the curriculum, aiding public school privatisation, demoting the voice of professional organisations, and weakening community and Māori input is just the start of the far-reaching bill.

Ann David is the Past President of the End-of-Life Choice Society, and she's with us to talk about a newly proposed bill that seeks to reduce some of the hurdles, hoops and obstacles placed in the way of terminally ill patients at the end of their lives -- people who seek medical assistance to help them die gently.

Accurate and effective, or a policy that will fill the jails while simultaneously not making the streets any safer? What does the international evidence show? We chat with Nikolai Siimes of the University of Auckland, a researcher who has published on roadside illicit drug testing.

The Frontline spoke with Dan Short about what it takes to be a critical care paramedic. The training, the challenges, the teamwork, and the most memorable cases, both good and bad. Everything you wanted to know about being on one of the most highly exposed frontline jobs. 

A conversation with Max Harris, lawyer, campaigner, and author, talking about Dental for All, a group that's got a national roadshow under way talking about the crazy idea that dental care should be a public service available to every New Zealander. Even the ones who are not 'wealthy and sorted'. If you want to imagine where the current government's push to healthcare privatisation...

Craig Renney (Chief Economist of the CTU and host of The Locked-In Podcast) is our guest this week on The Frontline, telling us about the $500 million dollars in the Health budget that didn't get spent, despite overwhelming need.  This half-billion of taxpayers' dollars evaporated at the same time the government was telling nurses they must accept real pay cuts, because there was just &#39...