The Front Page

In 2022, wildfires have scorched more than 600,000 hectares of Europe. This ranks as the second-highest total for any year, and comes amid a heatwave that has killed more than 2000 people in Spain and Portugal alone. Climate scientists have warned that these wild weather events are only going to become more regular, and Aotearoa will not be spared. So are we ready for the impact of long, dry summers? And is our fire service well enough equipped to battle raging wildfires?   Today, Damien speaks to NZ Herald planning director Vera Alves about what it's like on the ground in Portugal, and Joe Stanley, the vice president of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union, joins later to discuss New Zealand's preparedness.  Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoEditor/Producer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ukraine. Climate change. The Economy. Local and national politics.Rising violence. And, of course, Covid-19. The Front Page has covered a lot of topics since launching in March.   But with the constant churn of the daily news cycle, so many of these stories can come and go without the opportunity to reflect on their impact, and analyse how things unfolded. For this, our 100th episode of The Front Page, Damien is joined by NZ Herald senior writer Simon Wilson, and Newstalk ZB Drive host Heather du Plessis-Allan, to look back on some of the biggest stories from the year so far – and see how things have changed.    Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoEditor/Producer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The political fight for Auckland mayor is balanced on a knife edge and things are starting to get dirty.  Polls separate four candidates by only a few percentage points – and mud-slinging has ensued. So do attack-based political stunts even work? And should we be worried about low participation levels when so much is at stake?   Today, strategic marketer and Ben Goodale joins Damien for a discussion on why the battle for Auckland mayor is getting so dirty.   Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoEditor: Paddy FoxExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the next three months, more than two million New Zealanders are set to receive a $350 payment from the Government.   That money is intended to help alleviate the cost of living crisis, and comes with no strings attached. Most people don’t have to do anything to get it.   It could have been a surefire political win, but now Labour has had to explain why New Zealanders and migrants who have left the country are somehow receiving this payment as well.  So how did this happen, and was a free handout even the right way to tackle the cost of living crisis in the first place?   Today, NZ Herald Wellington Business Editor Jenee Tibshraeny joins Damien to explain how giving away cash backfired on the Government.   Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoEditor / Producer: Shaun D Wilson and Paddy FoxExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine waking up one morning and realising the door to almost every public service was shut to you. No matter how hard you tried, you simply couldn’t get in.  That’s the experience for many New Zealanders who have been left behind as the world has moved online.  So how many are being digitally excluded, and how damaging is this in a society so singularly focused on moving everything online? Today, Sharren Wilson, who has struggled to be helped by WINZ, and Sacha Green, national advisor to the Citizens Advice Bureau, join Damien to discuss what can be done to avoid leaving people behind.  Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoEditor / Producer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a growing trend of anti-social behaviour across Aotearoa that’s affecting people of all walks of life. Recently, we’ve seen shocking headlines of random bouts of violence and racism, including an attack on a police officer and a racially motivated assault at a supermarket. Damien asks organisational psychologist and chair of the Institute of Organisational Psychology John Eatwell about what’s driving this uptick in bad behaviour, and what can we do to nudge society back in the right direction?   Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoEditor / Producer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new threat has got New Zealand’s agricultural community on edge.  Foot and mouth disease, which devastated farming communities in England 21 years ago, has been detected in Indonesia, and has already sparked a biosecurity response to try and prevent it taking hold here.  That’s because if the disease takes hold here, it could cost us one hundred thousand jobs and wipe 16 billion dollars from our GDP.  Today, Vice President of Federated Farmers and Golden Bay dairy farmer Wayne Langford joins Damien to discuss why foot and mouth disease is so concerning, and how we can keep it out.  Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoEditor / Producer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The isolated religious community of Gloriavale has gripped the nation for years.   The church’s ongoing attempts to project an image of wholesome Christianity have been tarnished many times - from revelations about the founder Neville Cooper, who dubbed himself Hopeful Christian, to more recent stories due to stories of workplace exploitation, and physical and sexual abuse of minors. A new documentary, Gloriavale, premiering at the New Zealand International Film Festival is the latest to shine a light on what really goes on in the reclusive community.  Today, Fergus Grady, the co-director of Gloriavale, and Liz Gregory from the Gloriavale Leavers Trust, join Damien to discuss why, despite all the scrutiny, this troubled community still gets to play by its own rules.  Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoEditor / Producer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monkeypox cases are surging around the world.  The World Health Organisation has now declared the spread a global emergency and countries are scrambling with how to contain the virus.  So what are the warning signs, what should we be doing to stop the spread, and what does this mean for gay, bisexual and queer men, who are currently the most at risk.  Today, University of Auckland associate professor Helen Petousis-Harris joins Damien to talk about the latest virus threat to hit the world. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoEditor: Paddy FoxProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future of Green Party co-leader James Shaw is on the line.   Party delegates have voted to reopen nominations for his position, opening the door for a potential challenge that could oust the Climate Change Minister from his leadership role.  Even if such a move fails, this unfolding crisis exposes some of the tensions within the Green Party, just over a year out from the next General Election.   What’s behind this move to try and oust Shaw, and what does it mean for the Greens and their coalition partner, Labour?  Today, NZ Herald senior political correspondent and host of On the Tiles, Thomas Coughlan, joins Damien to unpack an unprecedented Green coup.  Host: Damien VenutoEditor: Paddy FoxProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.