The Front Page

There are calls for urgent changes to modernise our laws to better protect victims of sexual violence. A new Helen Clarke Foundation report identifies several gaps in our laws that need closing and changes to our justice system to reduce underreporting. Ministry of Justice data estimates about 209,000 incidents of sexual assault occur every year, affecting around 82,000 victims. Nearly one in four adults report having experienced sexual assault in their lifetime. Today on The Front Page, Senior Researcher Sarah Bell is with us to take us through the 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the moment anyone looking for a conveniently packaged, Swedish designed kitchen cabinet is waiting for. Ikea opens in Auckland this week at Sylvia Park – and it’ll be the company’s largest store in the Southern Hemisphere, about the size of three rugby fields. You’d be pressed to find someone who hasn’t encountered news of the iconic brand in Aotearoa. But why is it such a big deal? What’s so different about Ikea? We’ve brought Quantum Jump CEO and marketing expert Ben Goodale along with us to get an early look at the labyrinth that is Ikea. Later we will speak to Patricia Routledge, Country Communication Manager at IKEA AU & NZ about the specifics of how the team chose to market Ikea to Kiwis. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been a tumultuous time since the collapse of the Du Val property development group. It was August last year we saw police raid a Remuera property – leaving with a number of assets owned by Charlotte and Kenyon Clarke. Since then it’s been a tsunami of court hearings, social media posts, and “he said she saids”. On Monday, a new podcast called *The Fall of the House of Du Val launches on iHeartRadio – or wherever you get your podcasts. But, today on The Front Page, host of the podcast, Business Desk’s Maria Slade is here to take us through the rise and fall of Du Val. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mistlestoe's hung, the bells are a'ringing  And all through the malls Mariah Carey is singing  It's the same old story, told year after year  Of Santa and reindeer and widespread good cheer  But look a bit closer, and you might see a crack  In the stronghold St Nick has had since way back  Where once stood a hero, red coat and beard white  A sack on his sleigh promising Christmas delight  Now stands a figure, towering six foot two tall  With a coat of green fur, heart two sizes too small  The Grinch who stole Christmas is making a play  For the title of hero come this Yuletide day  For poor old Saint Nick, this might not end well  And to give us the lowdown is Dr Lorna Piatti-Farnell. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government’s released its plan to get our Defence infrastructure up to scratch – some of which hasn’t been touched in decades. The Defence Estate Portfolio sets out how $2.5 billion will be spent over the next 15 years. At the same time, the Future Naval Base Programme is pinned at $4b over 35 years. It’s being called a ‘generational investment in defence infrastructure’. But given the horror stories we’ve heard of black mould, infestations, and asbestos plaguing NZDF owned buildings – will this all be enough? Today on The Front Page, Associate Minister of Defence and Minister for Building and Construction, Chris Penk, is with us to dive into an area that’s been chronically underinvested for far too long. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cook Islands’ flag has flown from more than a hundred oil tankers implicated in illicitly trading Russian and Iranian oil. A special Herald investigation has revealed that it’s sparked alarm from foreign governments – with New Zealand diplomats fielding concerns from Helsinki and London. Our Foreign Minister Winston Peters has labelled the issue “alarming and infuriating”. So, what is the link between the Baltic Sea and the Pacific? And how has this been allowed to happen? Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald business investigations reporter Matt Nippert is with us to explain what it all means – and why we should care. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our MPs have stakes in a combined $379 million of property in New Zealand. A Herald investigation has found that’s an average of $3.16 million across each of our 120 Members of Parliament. And despite the rumours, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon doesn’t top the list as the most lavish. Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald data journalist Chris Knox is with us to dive into the numbers, and why it matters. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former cabinet minister, Michael Wood, will be running for the Labour Party in next year’s general election. He’ll be running for the Mt Roskill seat. The former MP’s career came crashing down in 2023, after he was forced to resign as Minister for Transport after it was revealed he failed to disclose his airport shares. He resigned from his remaining ministerial portfolios after the discovery of additional shares held by his trust. Today on The Front Page, Michael Wood joins us to launch his comeback, what he’s learned, and how he’ll work to gain back the public’s confidence. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the streets of New York to around the world, the "Mamdani effect" is taking shape. Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won the city’s mayoralty earlier this month, sparking a new era with an election turnout higher than any race in 50 years. But this isn’t just an American story. The energy around this movement, its bold ideas on justice, economics, and climate, is resonating with Gen Z far beyond the US. Victoria University of Wellington senior lecturer Dr Mona Kewel joins The Front Page to explain how Mamdani is flying in the face of reactionary Republican politicians we’ve seen rise to power in the US in recent years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United Kingdom is vowing to ‘restore order and control’ - through controversial, sweeping reform on the country’s asylum system. The new interpretations of human rights laws will make the UK less attractive for asylum seekers and make it easier to deport them. The tougher rules on refugee statuses mean people would need to reapply, and it would take 20 years for permanent settlement. Human rights lawyer and activist, Rêz Gardî, is a co-director and co-founder of the University of Auckland’s Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies - Tāwharau Whakaumu. She joins The Front Page to discuss the landscape behind The UK's policy overhaul and whether New Zealand should be reconsidering its own approach to refugee status. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.