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.

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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 Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

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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.

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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 Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

See 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.

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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 Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

See 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.

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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 Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

See 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 Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

See 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.

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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. 

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15 years ago, 29 men went to work and never returned home.

The Pike River mine explosion shocked New Zealand and the world, prompting three inquiries, a new regulator and new laws.

But new research shows New Zealand workers are still more likely to die than those in Australia or Britain.

The Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa report said this country kills twice as many workers as Australia and four times as many as Britain, on a per capita basis.

The number of work-related deaths has not substantially reduced since 2010.

Victoria University of Wellington workplace health and safety lecturer Dr Chris Peace joins The Front Page to talk about our poor safety standings and what needs to change. 

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While the world ponders whether being a billionaire is ethical in these challenging times, another potential dilemma has arisen... trillionaires.

Elon Musk is on track to become the world’s first trillion-dollar man after Tesla shareholders approved a pay package for the founder in the form of additional company shares over the next decade.

CNN reported that the addition of 423.7 million shares over the next 10 years could equate to earning US$275 million ($484m) a day.

It comes at a time when billionaire wealth has surged three times faster last year than the year before, while the number of people living in poverty has barely changed since 1990.

Figures from Oxfam’s January global inequality report showed global billionaire wealth grew by $2t in 2024 alone. In Aotearoa New Zealand, billionaire wealth increased by $5b ($12m per day).

In 2024, the number of billionaires rose to 2,769, up from 2,565 in 2023.

Oxfam’s Nick Henry joins The Front Page to discuss wealth generated by accumulating the benefits of work that other people do.

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It’s been revealed that Kiwis lost a record $3 billion to scams this year.  

That’s a 30% increase from $2.3 billion last year. 

Netsafe and the Global Anti-Scam Alliance ‘State of Scams in New Zealand’ report shows that scammers are getting more sophisticated – and victims are facing persistent barriers to reporting and recovering their losses.  

So, how should we protect ourselves and who should be held accountable? 

Today on The Front Page, Netsafe’s Sean Lyons is with us to break down the latest figures, and discuss how New Zealand can better prepare itself for the evolving world of scams. 

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