The Front Page

A new Jurassic World movie is right around the corner, taking us back to the world where dinosaurs have been brought back from the dead. But what has been a science fiction concept for decades might be closer to reality. Colossal Biosciences claims it’s “successfully de-extincted" the dire wolf, a species that ceased to exist around 10,000 years ago. The biotech company, which is backed by big name investors and celebrities alike, has a goal to bring back the likes of the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger, the northern white rhino, and the dodo. But, if it's successful, is it right? Should we let nature take its course? And what would bringing back a species that disappeared thousands of years ago do to our world as we know it today? Today on The Front Page, University of Otago Department of Zoology Associate Professor Nic Rawlence joins us to discuss the ethical dilemma we now face. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify 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: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The coalition Government has unveiled its second Budget. Over 20 billion dollars in savings has been found over the next four years, more than half from controversial changes to our pay equity scheme. There are changes to KiwiSaver contributions, means testing for support for parents, and a major new tax incentive for businesses. Finance Minister Nicola Willis said that it is a “responsible budget”, while Labour has called it an ‘austerity budget’ that leaves women out and is stealing from our kids. To break down what this all means for you, today on The Front Page, we’re joined by NZ Herald business editor at large, Liam Dann. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify 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: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Officially dubbed the “Growth Budget” - unofficially, the “no BS Budget” - Finance Minister Nicola Willis has unveiled where New Zealand's dollars are being spent.  From the outset, she promised no frills or excess – saying for months there’s very little left in the kitty.  Big changes include cuts to Government KiwiSaver contributions, means testing on the financial support parents can access, health investments, and a new tax incentive for businesses. Listen as we run through the numbers you need to know. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify 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: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Society is always under pressure to keep up – given the world around us is in a constant state of change. Our education sector is no different. Education officials are attempting to crack down on the use of artificial intelligence in NCEA exams, after a rise in substantiated breaches last year. It’s an extra challenge for schools on top of other issues that have emerged since Covid – like a decline in students’ mental health. Today on The Front Page, Newstalk ZB education reporter Jaime Cunningham joins us to discuss the multitude of problems facing the education sector. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify 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: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Only a few weeks after he had reportedly been in contention for the country’s top police job, deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming was suspended and put on leave. The Independent Police Conduct Authority and New Zealand Police were investigating, but the nature of the allegations could not be reported.   Months went by without any developments. That was – until last week, when McSkimming resigned after allegations surfaced of “objectionable material” being found on his work computer.  NZ Herald senior crime reporter Jared Savage broke the story back in December and joins us today on The Front Page to explain what is going on. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify 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: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adolf Hitler. Joseph Stalin. Benito Mussolini. Pol Pot. Saddam Hussein. Apart from being some of the most famous dictators in human history, they all have one thing in common. They all had dramatic, violent, and disgraced downfalls. But, in almost every case, foreign powers played a major role in shaping the post-dictatorship future. How Tyrants Fall: And How Nations Survive by political scientist Marcel Dirsus delves into the vulnerabilities of authoritarian regimes and explores strategies for their dismantling. Dirsus was recently in New Zealand for the Auckland Writers Festival, and joined The Front Page while here to discuss tyrants and whether we’ve learnt anything from the world’s darkest rulers. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify 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: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s Parliament is a ‘house of chaos’. At least that’s how our own deputy Prime Minister has described the debating chamber. The C-Bomb was dropped in Parliament last week by Brooke van Velden, quoting a Stuff column by Andrea Vance that was criticising the Government’s changes to pay equity. It has muddied an already dirty debate over women’s pay that is set to overshadow the Budget this year. And at the same time, Te Pati Maori’s co-leaders have been threatened with suspension from Parliament for three weeks, over last year’s headline-making haka. Today on The Front Page, to help us make sense of the chaos, we’re joined by Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify 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: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ‘war on wokeness’ may feel like a new phenomenon, but in fact, it’s been around for centuries. People have been ‘cancelled’, in one way or another, since the beginning of time – it's human nature to form tribes, create an ‘us’ and ‘them’, and serve as judge, jury, and sometimes literally, executioner. But in recent years, the ‘culture wars’ have erupted between the left and right, progressive and conservative, the woke and anti-woke over everything from gender and sexuality to race and equal rights. Discriminations – Making Peace in the Culture Wars is the latest work by British philosopher A. C. Grayling, where he delves into some of the biggest issues of our time. He joins us today on The Front Page to discuss wokeness, who decides who gets to be ‘cancelled’, and  understanding mankind’s inherent need to be right. A.C. Grayling will be appearing at the Auckland Writers Festival from May 13–18. For more information and tickets, visit www.writersfestival.co.nz.  Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify 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: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve looked at headlines around the world lately, you’d be forgiven for thinking that immigration is the root of all our problems. Perhaps the most vocal anti-immigration critic at the moment is the United States, with mass deportations happening against undocumented migrants. Now the UK Government is vowing to fix a ‘broken’ immigration system with new policies, which are estimated to lead to a 100,000 drop in immigration per year by 2029. The move comes after the rise of Reform UK, with a staunch anti-immigration policy that has become more mainstream in recent years. So why are a lot of countries turning against immigration, and are those concerns valid or passing the blame? Today on The Front Page, Massey University distinguished professor Paul Spoonley is with us to explore the realities and fiction of immigration policy. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify 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: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s on high alert – after an Auckland ferry worker tested positive for measles. They were infectious while on board a number of Fullers360 sailings on May 5, at a Kelston supermarket, and Downtown car park. Two days later, they were at Unichem New Lynn and Pak 'n Save Mt Albert. The marine crew member had recently travelled to Asia, but they weren’t infectious on their flight home. So, how concerning is this latest outbreak? And have we not learned anything from our days of Covid? Today on The Front Page, University of Auckland senior lecturer and research virologist Natalie Netzler joins us to take us through the do’s and don’ts when it comes to measles. After the interview was recorded, Health Minister Simeon Brown released updated Health New Zealand vaccination data. Just over 80% of all kids are now fully immunised by the age of 2 – the highest rate since 2022. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify 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: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan Sills  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.