The Front Page

Our primary healthcare system stands at a critical juncture - at least, that’s the latest from the New Zealand Initiative. The think tank has released a review this morning, into the country’s primary care system. It argues that the “current system faces mounting pressures that threaten its sustainability and effectiveness”. So with the vital role GPs play in our every day healthcare, what are the challenges facing our family doctors? Today on The Front Page, NZI research fellow, Dr Prabani Wood joins us to dive into another part of our health system in crisis. 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: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A war of words has erupted between the Green Party and NZ First this week. It comes after photos circulated on social from a private Instagram account belonging to Green MP Benjamin Doyle. The account, named ‘biblebeltbussy’, also featured photos of their child, including one with ‘bussy’ in the caption. The term originated as a euphuism for a man’s anus, and can be used colloquially by some in the gay community, but Doyle’s usage of it has sparked accusations of vulgarity and being inappropriate. That was amplified by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, who said on social media that Doyle should answer for the posts and that if “Police want to investigate, they can”. The Green Party has said that Doyle has received death threats as a result and have called for the Prime Minister to intervene. So does this suggest a changing battleground for politics, with family issues and social media activists taking centre stage? Today on The Front Page, we’re joined by Victoria University of Wellington politics professor Lara Greaves to discuss a different type of political scandal. 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: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The so-called ‘stadium wars’ in Auckland have been raging quietly behind the scenes for several years now.  But last week, the battle popped up in public once again, with Auckland Council voting to throw its support behind a plan to upgrade Eden Park, over the proposed new stadium on the city’s waterfront.   Eden Park may have won on the day, but questions remain over how the upgrades will be funded, while the Government still needs to weigh in on which project to support.   NZ Herald sports writer Michael Burgess has been following these discussions for over a decade, and joins us today on The Front Page to dig into what this latest vote means in the long-term.   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: Dan GoodwinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In New Zealand, there are a number of tribunals and review boards you can go to when you feel things haven’t quite gone your way.  Whether you’ve had a bad experience leaving your job, or something’s gone wrong in your healthcare journey, these committees are tasked with working out what has gone wrong and who – if anyone – should be held responsible.   But some of them can be limited in how much they can hold people to account.   The Human Rights Review Tribunal is one of the few in New Zealand that can award damages if they find in your favour.   Reporter Jeremy Wilkinson covers a lot of these tribunals for Open Justice, and he joins The Front Page today for the first in a series of examinations of how these processes work.   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: Dan GoodwinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The financial year is coming to an end, and that means from next Tuesday, a lot of Kiwis will be getting more money in their wallets. April 1st is when the Annual General Adjustment takes place – when benefits and minimum wage increase to account for wage growth or inflation. While benefits are getting a 2.22 percent rise, and Super and the Veterans Pension gets a 3.51 percent increase, minimum wage is only going up by 1.5 percent. As people continue to feel the sting of cost of living, what impact will these changes have – and how well is our economy performing at the moment? To talk us through it all, 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.

New figures have revealed the assets of our ten biggest iwi stands at $8.2 billion. A recent report from consultancy firm TDB Advisory shows the assets only rose by $100m in the last three years, a slightly better return than 2023 – as the economic turmoil over the last five years continues to have an impact on their investments. Covering everything from property, to farming, to managed funds and offshore opportunities, many of these iwi own assets that have an impact on our day-to-day lives, so how do they compare to some of our biggest investment firms? To explain where iwis have their money, today on The Front Page, TDB Advisory director Phil Barry is with us to dive into this report. 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.

Since 1930, across 22 editions of the Fifa Mens World Cup, only two New Zealand teams have featured on the biggest football stage, in 1982 and 2010. Now there will be three. The All Whites have qualified for the 2026 Fifa World Cup – after a three nil win over New Caledonia in front of a home crowd at Eden Park. After a successful job co-hosting the womens tournament in 2023, and a strong run from new team Auckland FC in the A-League, what does the future of football look like in New Zealand? Today on The Front Page, Newstalk ZB’s and keen football fan Jason Pine is with us to talk about football on and off the pitch. 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.

At 11:59pm on March 25th 2020, New Zealand entered its first level four Covid –19 lockdown.  To many, that moment may feel like it happened just yesterday, while others are glad its firmly in the past. Whatever your feelings are about New Zealand’s response to the Covid pandemic, that first lockdown was a life altering event for many of us. Five years on, did it change us for the better, or did it kickstart something else entirely? University of Otago epidemiologist Michael Baker became a household name overnight for his commentary during the pandemic. He joins us today on The Front Page to look back on the start of the pandemic, and forwards towards the next one. 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.

School rugby has been under the microscope for several years now after controversies over poaching between schools and live broadcast of games. Those tensions have flared up again, with secondary schools pushing back against NZ Rugby’s plans for an Under-18 team to take on Australia. It’s not the only sporting code to face push back though. This week, our young rowers take to the waters for the Maadi Cup regatta, and for the first time ‘year 14’ students are barred from taking part. It all amounts to an ongoing debate about how much focus should be put on teenage athletes, while still allowing the likes of record breaking runner Sam Ruthe to soar. First on The Front Page, we speak to NZ Herald journalist Gregor Paul about his latest reporting into school sports. Then later on the show, we’ll talk to AUT Associate Professor and Co-Director of AUT's Sports Performance Research Institute NZ, Simon Walters. 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.

There have been a number of headlines trending throughout 2025 so far. Tariffs, trade wars, geopolitical tensions... and romance scams. Fake online relationships – better known as catfishes – have existed as long as social media has been around. But the increasing prevalence of AI is making it trickier to tell fact from fiction. One woman in France was conned out of 800,000 Euros after believing she was in a relationship with Oscar winner Brad Pitt, while closer to home, US-based Kiwi actor Martin Henderson has seen his face used as a front for these scams. So how common are these elaborate scams, and what protections can be put in place to better protect vulnerable people? Today on The Front Page, National Cyber Security Centre Threat and Incident Response team lead Tom Roberts is with to discuss what can be done to break up with these scammers. 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.