The Front Page

National has kicked off 2025 by diving headfirst into plans for economic growth – and it wasn’t long until Act threw in their two cents. Party leader David Seymour made privatisation a key focus of his State of the Nation speech. And while Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he doesn’t want to sell anything off this term – he's suggested it could be campaigned on in next year’s election. It’s a road that New Zealand has gone down before, with the likes of Bolger, Shipley, and Key selling everything from banks to energy companies in the 80s and 90s, and only a few state-owned enterprises remain. So, what could be on the chopping block – and would anyone actually want to buy it? Today on The Front Page, we put those questions to Greg Smith, Head of Retail at Devon Funds Management. 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 Government wants to see tourism numbers increase as part of its economic growth push. As part of that push, the existing visitor visa scheme will be tweaked to include welcoming ‘digital nomads’. That will allow tourists from visa waiver countries up to nine months to travel around New Zealand while still working for their overseas employer. The scheme has already been greeted with expressions of interest from overseas, but the introduction of digital nomad visas in some countries has contributed to a local backlash against tourism. Today on The Front Page, Strategic Director of the Hotel Council Aotearoa, James Doolan, joins us to discuss the state of tourism in this country, and Spanish journalist Marta Bausells discusses the issues faced in Barcelona as a result of the scheme. 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.

Mining has become a key part of the Government’s plans for economic growth. Resources Minister – and self-appointed ‘Matua of Mining’ - Shane Jones has unveiled a plan to double exports to $3 billion by 2035, alongside a list of 37-strong Critical Minerals List and a national minerals strategy. While the plan has been met with criticism from environmentalists and the opposition, there has been some positive feedback from academics, praising the plan for its commitment to ‘pipe-line development’. But do the numbers stack up? And how many of those critical minerals are actually sitting beneath our feet? Today on The Front Page, Massey University Professor of Geography Glenn Banks is with us to dig into the government’s mining plans. 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 the theme of 2024 was ‘cutting back’, then 2025 is all about ‘growth’. The word appears 31 times in Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s State of the Nation speech – and for good reason.  Luxon said it’s the “key to brighter days ahead” after experiencing the “biggest recession since the early 1990s.” Finance Minister Nicola Willis has been handed a revised Economic Growth portfolio as part of that planning, working on things like driving up tourism numbers, and international investment. This week on The Front Page, we’ll be unpacking some of the Government’s plans for the economy, how they’ll work, and if they are right for New Zealand. Later on, we’ll get some insight into how and whether New Zealand can actually stimulate growth from independent economist Cameron Bagrie. First up today though, NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan is with to explain why growth is the topic of conversation. 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.

Silicon Valley’s been rattled by a low-cost Chinese AI – with the startup claiming their DeepSeek technology can emulate the performance of ChatGPT, at a fraction of the cost. Its launch shook share markets and spawned allegations from OpenAI that their Chinese rivals used its work and models to make their own artificial intelligence. This is all happening while the new US administration appoints an ‘AI and crypto czar’ so the online currency can ‘thrive’. So, what is the future of AI and will we all be buying our coffees in crypto sooner rather than later? Today on The Front Page, science and tech journalist Peter Griffin is with us to run through the latest advancements and shake-ups n the tech space. 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.

Students across the country are starting to head back to school, and there are some big changes coming from our youngest pupils. As well as 2025 marking the return of charter schools, primary school students will start to be taught structured literacy and maths this year, as part of a curriculum refresh instituted by Education Minister Erica Stanford. It comes as test results continue to show declines in achievement across all age groups. But are these changes enough to reverse falling standards – and are our teachers on board with them? Today on The Front Page, Newstalk ZB education reporter Shannon Johnstone is with us to what parents need to know about this years changes. 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.

Meta – the parent company of Facebook and Instagram – has implemented some changes across its organisation since Donald Trump’s election win. The social media giant is set to remove independent factcheckers from its service, replacing them with community driven ‘notes’ similar to what X implemented after its rebrand from Twitter. The company has also ended various diversity, equity and inclusion measures, while chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has called for more ‘masculine energy’ in the corporate world. All this came before he was seated in the front row at Trump’s inauguration, alongside other tech bosses, raising questions about how tied up these global companies are becoming with the current US administration. Frances Haugen is a former Facebook employee turned whistleblower over the company’s actions. She joins us today on The Front Page to discuss the changes in the tech world. 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.

From the ongoing downfall of high-flying developers to promises of Swedish meatballs - this year is set to be one to watch when it comes to property news. Major developments are getting underway after the passing of the Fast Track Approval Act, while some projects that have been under construction for years are close to completion. But after a few years of a tough lending landscape and issues in the construction industry, are we closer to getting back on track? Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald Property Insider Anne Gibson joins us to share her property predictions for 2025. 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.

Security software used widely by retail staff is in the spotlight after an incident involving a former Green MP. Golriz Ghahraman quit politics last year after being caught shoplifting from boutique fashion stores, and news emerged earlier this month suggesting she had done it again at a PakNSave supermarket. But the former MP did not steal anything, and the store never reported the case to Police – yet as the incident was logged in the Auror security system, Police were able to access it, and attempted to use it in the court case against Ghahraman. NZ Herald senior writer David Fisher has been looking into the case, and the scope of Auror, and joins us now on The Front Page. 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 economic outlook for 2025 is expected to be a recovery from the previous two years of weakness. With inflation stagnant and the number of Kiwis leaving the country appearing to have peaked, economists are predicting we will see an uptick. Yet it could be a long road to get to the light at the end of the tunnel – with the Government’s books at the end of December painting a grim picture for the years ahead, and the impacts of job cuts likely to still be felt this year. But, the Government has the economy on its hit list – with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon focusing on it in his State of the Nation speech – saying that ‘economic growth is the key to better days ahead’. So how long do we have to wait for some good news, and what are the Government’s plans to get on top of things? Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann is with us to dig into the economic outlook for 2025. 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.