The Front Page

Later this year when Americans return to the polls for their next Presidential election, they are likely to experience a bit of deja vu.  Number 46 Joe Biden is likely to face Number 45 Donald Trump in a rematch of 2020, and as we slowly edge closer to election day, both men find themselves facing intense criticism for very different reasons.  So will Biden be able to overcome concerns about his age and memory to hold onto the White House, or could Trump make a return despite a series of criminal cases?  Today on The Front Page, Newshub US correspondent Mitch McCann joins from New York to weigh in on the upcoming election in the land of the free.  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.

Tension between Auckland Council and the Government has flared up once again. Mayor Wayne Brown is unhappy with the coalition Government’s decision to axe the Auckland fuel tax, arguing that transport projects are going to have to be cancelled – as he has ruled out increasing rates to pay for the funding shortfall. It comes as Auckland Transport faces criticism for eye-watering costs for level pedestrian crossings and lengthy delays with road works on a key commuter route. So does the city need more Government support to pay for its projects, or a rethink of how it pays for what it’s already doing? Today on The Front Page, we’re joined by New Zealand Herald Super City reporter Bernard Orsman to quite literally dig into the saga of pedestrian crossings. 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: Georgina CampbellSound Engineer: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor Swift is the most famous person in the world right now.  Whether she is shattering records with her globe-trotting world tour and accompanying movie, or using award show wins for one album to announce another, Swiftmania is unavoidable.  And that’s not going to change in the next few weeks, with her expected appearance at the Super Bowl alongside her sports star boyfriend, Travis Kelce, before bringing her Eras Tour to Australia.   So how has Swift gone from being a country popstar to world domination, and is she immune from another backlash like the one that nearly brought her down previously?  Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald deputy lifestyle editor Emma Gleason joins to discuss why this is Taylor’s world and we’re just living in 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: Katie HarrisSound Engineer: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aotearoa’s model for stubbing out cigarette use became world-renowned in 2022 when the Government passed legislation banning the sale of tobacco to anyone born after January 2009. However, some fear that progress has gone up in smoke after the coalition Government announced late last year it would repeal the smokefree laws. The plan was labelled ‘completely backwards’ by some public health experts at the time, and in the months since more controversy has followed. Today on The Front Page, Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coghlan joins us to unpack the new Government’s plan for a smokefree future and why it's been so contentious. 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: Katie HarrisSound Engineer: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buckingham Palace stunned the world this week by announcing that King Charles has been diagnosed with a form of cancer.   The King had already made headlines after being treated for an enlarged prostate, a procedure that has led to this new and more serious diagnosis.   Only 17 months into his reign, what does this health crisis mean for our Head of State, and for the wider monarchy that now has two senior royals off duties for very different health reasons. Today on The Front Page, we’re joined from London by UK correspondent Gavin Grey for the latest on this new royal shock. 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.

Wellington has found itself at odds with the new Government.   Residents of the capital city last year voted to send two Green MPs to Parliament, joining Green Party-endorsed Mayor Tory Whanau in representing the city.  While National swept to power in a blue wave in other parts of the country, the election result in Wellington was not exactly an endorsement of the new Government’s policies.   So, where does this leave Wellington? How does a city council that desperately needs more money navigate a right-leaning Government? And is Tory Whanau the right person for the job?   Today on The Front Page, NZME’s Wellington head of news Katrina Bennett and playwright Dave Armstrong join Georgina Campbell to discuss the challenges facing our capital city. 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: Georgina CampbellSound Engineer: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interpretations of the Treaty of Waitangi – or Te Tiriti o Waitangi – have been some of the most important discussions in Aotearoa's history, but tensions over the documents have reached a fever pitch in recent months after the coalition Government agreed to support a Treaty Principals Bill to the select committee phase.Friction over its meaning is expected to be front and centre today, as politicians, academics and Maori leaders converge on the site where the documents were signed in 1840. Since publishing the 1987 book, The Treaty of Waitangi, Dame Claudia Orange has widely been recognised as one of the country’s leading treaty experts.  She joins The Front Page today from Waitangi to discuss how perceptions of the Treaty have changed in recent years, and what that means for a modern Aotearoa. 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: Katie HarrisSound Engineer: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dancing, DJs and day drinking... A classic summer festival combo. But hand in hand with the music and partying comes a lesser-known festival favourite – waste. Be it beer cans, empty chip pottles or portaloos, events have a habit of creating waste, and in some cases leaving the whenua in a bad state. This was laid bare last month when dozens of tents and piles of garbage was abandoned at the Northern Base festival. Today on The Front Page, Josh Brownlow from Clean Event joins to discuss how festivals can become more sustainable, and how Kiwi festival waste management measures up to our European counterparts. 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: Katie HarrisSound Engineer: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years, the last Government faced constant criticism and attack from National that it wasn’t doing enough to deal with an apparent crime wave spreading across the country. Now, the burden of keeping law and order in check rests with National and their coalition partners. This week, Police Minister Mark Mitchell has had to respond to smash and grab robberies and a supermarket stabbing, but also faced controversy as the government’s promise to get 500 new cops on the beat in two years came under the microscope. So what does the Government have planned for delivering on their respective campaign promises to get on top of crime? Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald senior writer Derek Cheng joins to give his insights into what can actually be done at a political level. 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.

Defence Minister Judith Collins will be meeting with her Australian counterpart today as both sides of the Tasman look to move towards ‘interoperability’ and working as one.  This meeting comes after more details were revealed about the poor state of our military by the Herald this week.   The NZSAS and the wider Defence Force are losing people in droves, and officials are doing their best to throw cash at the situation to prevent our security apparatus from grinding to a halt.   So, what exactly is going wrong on our military frontlines, and is Judith Collins the Minister to fix the problem?  NZ Herald investigative reporter David Fisher has been looking into this crisis for months, and joins us The Front Page today to discuss just how dire the situation is. 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: Katie HarrisSound Engineer: Paddy FoxProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.