The Front Page

It's been 33 years since we last hosted the Commonwealth Games – but that could soon change. The New Zealand Olympic Committee has signaled interest in hosting the 2034 Commonwealth Games, starting a lengthy bidding process to host the international tournament. So, would this be an exciting showcase of local sporting talent – or is there a reason it’s taken three decades for us to put our hand up to host again?  Today, Newstalk ZB sports news director, Clay Wilson, joins Damien on The Front Page to break down what a 21st-century Commonwealth Games in Aotearoa could look like.  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: Damien VenutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s inflation data has surprised economists around the country. The figure came in well below expectations, suggesting that the rising cost of living had peaked. This comes amid continued rates rises from the Reserve Bank, which has been among the most aggressive in the world. So have rates rises gone too far? Are we unnecessarily engineering a deep recession? And where could the inflation data head next? Today, NZ Herald business editor at large, Liam Dann, is on The Front Page to break down with Damien the implications of the numbers that shocked many. 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: Damien VenutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid-19 case numbers are ticking up and up as we head into the colder months of the year. And while vaccinations and prior infection do give us some level of protection, immunity is waning, and we now face the threat of new variants. On top of this, the old threats of influenza and RSV will also waft through schools, offices and restaurants around the country in the coming months. So, are we prepared for what’s heading our way? How dangerous are the new variants of Covid-19? And is enough being done to ensure New Zealanders get their boosters?   Today, Dr Jemma Geoghegan, an infectious disease specialist from Otago University, joins Damien to give a sense of the viruses set to threaten our health this winter. 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: Damien VenutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richlister Chris Meehan is taking aim at the Government in a series of advertisements.  The full-page newspaper ads describe Aotearoa as the land of the long red tape, bemoaning the difficulty of getting anything built.   He isn’t alone in making these complaints, with many other construction insiders also expressing the view that regulation has made building projects move at a glacial pace.  So are they right? Are our rules too strict? And if these restrictions were relaxed would that hamper the quality of what’s being built?  Winton Land CEO Chris Meehan, joins The Front Page to explain why he thinks it’s time to bin the bureaucracy, and John Tookey (AUT School of Future Environments) discusses the impact of regulation has had. 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: Damien VenutoProducer: Shaun D Wilson and Paddy FoxExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ongoing tremors underneath Lake Taupō have seen the alert level for the supervolcano rise for the first time in history. Geologists are closely monitoring the site, while a series of other shallow quakes have jolted Kiwis across the country. So what’s the science behind all these tectonic movements at the moment? And is there anything for us to worry about yet?   Today, Dr Finn Illsley-Kemp, a seismologist from Victoria University of Wellington, is on The Front Page to help Damien make sense of the disturbances beneath the surface.    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: Damien VenutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three Waters is dead - long live ‘Affordable Water Reform’. The Government has announced a revised version of their policy to improve the quality of the country’s waste, storm and drinking water systems. As part of the changes announced by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Local Government Minister Kieran McAnulty, there will be 10 regionally owned and led public water entities, instead of the four originally proposed, to take over management of those systems. Today, NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan joins fellow On the Tiles host Georgina Campbell to discuss the changes, and whether the name will stick. 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 CampbellProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A damning report has been released into Auckland Council’s response to the January flooding, and has highlighted a ‘system failure’ of leadership in the first 12 hours of the response.  The report comes out as Mayor Wayne Brown marks six months in office, adding more criticism to an already divisive and controversial time wearing the mayoral chains.   So how has Brown’s time in office gone, and can he come back from such a damning report?  NZ Herald deputy head of news Tom Dillane and senior writer Simon Wilson join guest host Chelsea Daniels to analyse the report, and discuss six months of the Wayne Brown era.   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 DanielsProducer: Paddy FoxExecutive Producer: Ethan Sills See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank has hiked the Official Cash Rate to 5.25%, surprising many economists, politicians and journalists with the increase.   The eleventh consecutive OCR hike comes after the Reserve Bank admitted to deliberately engineering a recession to get on top of inflation.    But how far is the Reserve Bank willing to go? And where does this leave politicians?  Today, NZ Herald business editor at large and host of the Money Talks podcast, Liam Dann, joins Georgina Campbell (On the Tiles - Local Edition) to analyse the country’s latest monetary policy moves.  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 CampbellProducer: Shaun D Wilson and Paddy FoxExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A visit to the US by Taiwan’s President has seen China retaliate with three days of military drills that included simulating strikes and ‘sealing off’ the island. The latest moves have increased global nerves over the situation in the South China Sea, with concerns that decades of increasing tensions could finally spill over into open conflict.  University of Auckland associate professor of politics and international relations Stephen Hoadley has been following the situation for five decades.  Professor Hoadley joins guest host Chelsea Daniels on The Front Page today to discuss the origins of this tension, and what conflict could mean for New Zealand.  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 DanielsProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The relationship between our politicians and the lobbyists and donors looking to sway their minds has been thrust into the spotlight recently. Labour MP Stuart Nash was sacked as a Minister over revelations he had sent confidential Cabinet information to donors, while an investigation by RNZ’s Guyon Espiner has revealed how deep the politician – lobbyist relationship goes. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has responded with some early changes, but what more needs to be done – and are our politicians motivated enough to change the rules? Today, Guyon Espiner joins Georgina Campbell (On the Tiles - Local Edition) on The Front Page to share what he learned from his investigation. 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 CampbellProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.