The Front Page

Warning: This podcast contains disturbing content.  The Crown has alleged extramarital affairs, dealings with sex workers, and a drug habit.  The defence claims a suicide, casual drug use, and an open and loving relationship.  All the cards were laid on the table on the first day of Philip Polkinghorne's trial.  He’s accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna – whose body was found in the couple’s Remuera home in April 2021.  You can listen to episodes of Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial through The Front Page podcast feed, or find it on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.   This series is presented and produced by, Chelsea Daniels, with producer Ethan Sills and sound engineer Paddy Fox.      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Easter Monday 2021, Paulina Hanna was found dead at the Remuera home she shared with her husband of 30 years, Philip Polkinghorne. For 16 months, her death was treated as “unexplained”. That’s until it emerged Polkinghorne had been charged with murder. He pleaded not guilty in August 2022. From the team behind The Front Page, the New Zealand Herald's daily news podcast, comes Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial. Listen to Accused: The Polkinghorne Trial on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts, or in The Front Page podcast feed. 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: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On July 26th 1984, David Lange was sworn in as the 32nd Prime Minister of New Zealand. His ascension into the country’s top job came after Robert Muldoon’s infamous snap election ended his nine years in power. Best remembered for enshrining New Zealand’s nuclear free status, Lange also oversaw controversial economic policies that ultimately divided his caucus, and saw his time on the ninth floor only last five years. With this Ruby Jubilee prompting reflections on Lange’s leadership and the legacy of the fourth Labour government, today on The Front Page we’re joined by one of the few journalists who was there at the time and is still working today, Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent, Barry Soper, and Victoria University of Wellington politics professor Lara Greaves.  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: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aotearoa’s complicated history of land sales is the focus of a new series from the New Zealand Herald. Whenua: Our Land, Our History, is an interactive map showing how Māori land passed into Pākehā ownership and the stories surrounding it. It confronts questions some of us prefer not to ask because they raise uncomfortable issues about Aotearoa’s colonial legacy, and how those impacts are still being felt today. On The Front Page today, we get the story of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei with their Trust’s deputy chair, Ngarimu Blair, and discuss the decision to make this series with Chief Content Officer for the Herald and NZME, Murray Kirkness. To read more about how these land sales impacted all iwi around Aotearoa, and the stories by NZ Herald journalists, head to nzherald.co.nz.   Whenua is a New Zealand Herald data-led project, supported by NZ On Air, in association with Māori land legal expert Adrienne Paul.  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: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nearly three-thousand experiences have been heard in 133 days of public hearings, and more than a million documents received. It’s been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established – to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Over the years, the Inquiry’s heard from countless survivors, government heads and church leaders. Common themes have included significant sexual, verbal and physical violence, over-medicalisation, isolation and unsanitary conditions. Finally, the Inquiry’s final report will be released publicly today after it’s presented in Parliament. Senior Investigative Reporter Michael Morrah has been covering this inquiry since it started, and joins us today on The Front Page. A warning - this episode of The Front Page contains distressing content such as details about sexual and physical abuse. 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: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our Y2K bug fears became a reality when millions of computers were disabled worldwide over the weekend. Microsoft estimates the outage meant about 8.5 million computers were disabled when an update from global cybersecurity company, CrowdStrike, went wrong. Banks, airports, supermarkets, media companies and retailers were left scrambling – and the company’s chief executive says it could be ‘some time’ before systems are completely back to normal. It’s believed to have been the biggest tech outage in history – so what can we learn from this to prevent it from happening again? And does it expose weaknesses in a globally connected computer network? Today on The Front Page, to analyse the next steps from this tech crisis, we’re joined by Aura Information Security, Advisory Consultant, Alastair Miller. 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: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden is stepping down from the US presidential election race.  He says his decision to stand down "is in the best interest of his party and the country"  Biden has endorsed Kamala Harris, the current vice-president, to be the new Democratic candidate – along with a strings of other key Democrats.  It comes four months before Americans go to the polls.  In this bonus episode, geopolitical analyst at The Democracy Project, Geoffrey Miller joins to explain what happens next.  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: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s no secret New Zealand is suffering a major mental health crisis.  Many people, including teens and children, often wait weeks to see someone when they seek help.  It's so dire, a survey of those at the coal face of the crisis describes a system that’s under pressure, under-resourced, and under-delivering for New Zealanders.  So, is there hope on the horizon with the coalition Government’s addition of a specialised mental health portfolio?  Today on The Front Page, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is with us to discuss what moves are being made to make sure help’s there when we need it.  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: Evan PaeaProducer: Ethan Sills   Suicide and depression help services: If it is an emergency and you or someone else is at risk, call 111. For counselling and support: Lifeline: http://www.lifeline.co.nz, call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) Suicide Crisis Helpline: www.lifeline.org.nz/services/suicide-crisis-helpline, or call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) Youth services: Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234 What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm) Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7) Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737 Aoake te Rā (Bereaved by Suicide Service): Call 0800 000 053 For more information and support, talk to your local doctor, hauora, community mental health team, or counselling service. The Mental Health Foundation has more helplines and service contacts - click here for informationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SkyCity Auckland will close its casino for five days following a Department of Internal Affairs investigation – set to cost the company a million dollars a day. It was prompted by a complaint from a customer who gambled there between 2017 and 2021 – with 23 incidents where they were able to gamble continuously without detection. This will mark the first voluntary closure of a casino and the longest suspension of operations in a casino under the Gambling Act. NZ Herald property editor Anne Gibson has been following this ongoing investigation for some time, and she joins us today on The Front Page to explain what this means for the country’s largest casino. 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: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An investigation into the supermarket majors is underway as a merger of hundreds of stores around New Zealand fails to satisfy our competition watchdog. Ahead of its final decision later this year, the Commerce Commission said that a merger of Foodstuffs North Island and Foodstuffs South Island would effect “significant structural change” in the sector – and it continues to have concerns around competition. It’s all while the commission’s investigating after Consumer NZ lodged a complaint claiming supermarkets were engaging in ‘misleading pricing’. So, what will all of this mean for you, and the price of your weekly grocery shop? Today on The Front Page, we’re talking all things supermarkets, first with NZ Herald reporter Kate MacNamara, and then with independent consultant, Ernie Newman. Since this episode was released, a Foodstuffs spokesperson has pointed out there is no precedent for the government forcibly breaking up a private company.  "Telecom voluntarily split into two as a result of the National Government's Ultra-Fast Broadband initiative." 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: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.