The Front Page

The political fight for Auckland mayor is balanced on a knife edge and things are starting to get dirty. 
 
Polls separate four candidates by only a few percentage points – and mud-slinging has ensued.

So do attack-based political stunts even work? And should we be worried about low participation levels when so much is at stake?  

Today, strategic marketer and Ben Goodale joins Damien for a discussion on why the battle for Auckland mayor is getting so dirty.  

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio 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 Venuto
Editor: Paddy Fox
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the next three months, more than two million New Zealanders are set to receive a $350 payment from the Government.  
 
That money is intended to help alleviate the cost of living crisis, and comes with no strings attached. Most people don’t have to do anything to get it.  

It could have been a surefire political win, but now Labour has had to explain why New Zealanders and migrants who have left the country are somehow receiving this payment as well. 

So how did this happen, and was a free handout even the right way to tackle the cost of living crisis in the first place?  

Today, NZ Herald Wellington Business Editor Jenee Tibshraeny joins Damien to explain how giving away cash backfired on the Government.  

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio 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 Venuto
Editor / Producer: Shaun D Wilson and Paddy Fox
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine waking up one morning and realising the door to almost every public service was shut to you. No matter how hard you tried, you simply couldn’t get in. 
 
That’s the experience for many New Zealanders who have been left behind as the world has moved online. 

So how many are being digitally excluded, and how damaging is this in a society so singularly focused on moving everything online?
 
Today, Sharren Wilson, who has struggled to be helped by WINZ, and Sacha Green, national advisor to the Citizens Advice Bureau, join Damien to discuss what can be done to avoid leaving people behind. 

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio 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 Venuto
Editor / Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a growing trend of anti-social behaviour across Aotearoa that’s affecting people of all walks of life.

Recently, we’ve seen shocking headlines of random bouts of violence and racism, including an attack on a police officer and a racially motivated assault at a supermarket.
 
Damien asks organisational psychologist and chair of the Institute of Organisational Psychology John Eatwell about what’s driving this uptick in bad behaviour, and what can we do to nudge society back in the right direction?  

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio 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 Venuto
Editor / Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new threat has got New Zealand’s agricultural community on edge. 

Foot and mouth disease, which devastated farming communities in England 21 years ago, has been detected in Indonesia, and has already sparked a biosecurity response to try and prevent it taking hold here. 

That’s because if the disease takes hold here, it could cost us one hundred thousand jobs and wipe 16 billion dollars from our GDP. 

Today, Vice President of Federated Farmers and Golden Bay dairy farmer Wayne Langford joins Damien to discuss why foot and mouth disease is so concerning, and how we can keep it out. 

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio 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 Venuto
Editor / Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The isolated religious community of Gloriavale has gripped the nation for years.  

The church’s ongoing attempts to project an image of wholesome Christianity have been tarnished many times - from revelations about the founder Neville Cooper, who dubbed himself Hopeful Christian, to more recent stories due to stories of workplace exploitation, and physical and sexual abuse of minors.

A new documentary, Gloriavale, premiering at the New Zealand International Film Festival is the latest to shine a light on what really goes on in the reclusive community. 

Today, Fergus Grady, the co-director of Gloriavale, and Liz Gregory from the Gloriavale Leavers Trust, join Damien to discuss why, despite all the scrutiny, this troubled community still gets to play by its own rules. 

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio 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 Venuto
Editor / Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monkeypox cases are surging around the world. 
 
The World Health Organisation has now declared the spread a global emergency and countries are scrambling with how to contain the virus. 

So what are the warning signs, what should we be doing to stop the spread, and what does this mean for gay, bisexual and queer men, who are currently the most at risk. 

Today, University of Auckland associate professor Helen Petousis-Harris joins Damien to talk about the latest virus threat to hit the world.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio 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 Venuto
Editor: Paddy Fox
Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future of Green Party co-leader James Shaw is on the line.  

Party delegates have voted to reopen nominations for his position, opening the door for a potential challenge that could oust the Climate Change Minister from his leadership role. 

Even if such a move fails, this unfolding crisis exposes some of the tensions within the Green Party, just over a year out from the next General Election.  

What’s behind this move to try and oust Shaw, and what does it mean for the Greens and their coalition partner, Labour? 

Today, NZ Herald senior political correspondent and host of On the Tiles, Thomas Coughlan, joins Damien to unpack an unprecedented Green coup. 

Host: Damien Venuto
Editor: Paddy Fox
Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's net migration has been negative since March 2021.   
 
In the year to April, 8500 more people left than arrived, heaping pressure on businesses already battling with a major labour shortage.  
 
Hospitals, schools, restaurants, hotels, banks and tech companies have all been calling on the Government to relax the immigration settings.  

But will the Government listen? And how bad do things have to become for changes to occur?     

Today, Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls joins Damien for a discussion about loosening the restrictions around fortress New Zealand. 

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio 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 Venuto
Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Editor: Paddy Fox

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When euthanasia legislation was passed, critics worried that it could result in a slippery slope of people choosing die. 
 
But report suggests that this hasn’t been the case at all – and that New Zealand’s laws might, in fact, be too restrictive. 
 
So is New Zealand’s euthanasia law working as it was intended? Or do we need to broaden it further to give more people access to the procedure?

To help answer these complex questions, Damien is joined by NZ Herald social issues reporter Isaac Davison.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio 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 Venuto
Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Editor: Paddy Fox

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.