The Front Page

Australia’s Parliament has been called back two weeks early to push through new gun and hate speech legislation in the wake of the Bondi Attack.

The recommendations are reminiscent of those made by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the March 15 terror attack in Christchurch.

Since 2021, successive governments have begun, paused, then stopped all policy and legislative work on hate speech.

So, where do our hate speech laws sit today? Are they good enough? Or should we follow Australia’s lead and finally tackle this issue once and for all?

Today on The Front Page,  Race Relations Commissioner Dr Melissa Derby is with us to talk about how to tackle this growing issue.

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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.

It’s all rain and no shine this week across the country.

Warm, tropical air sitting north of New Zealand has brought with it thunderstorms and rain warnings for Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula.

Crews have already been working on clearing slips along State Highway 2, between Ōpōtiki and Gisborne.

So, what is the outlook for this week? And when will Mother Nature give us all a break?

Today on The Front Page, Niwa principal scientist, Chris Brandolino is with us to take us through what to expect, and when we might be able to put the sheets on the line.

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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.

European leaders are baffled, as Trump digs his heels in over Greenland.

The US President has threatened to impose tariffs on eight allies who remain opposed to his potential takeover of the Danish territory.

A10% levy will kick in on February 1, possibly rising to 25% on June 1 – affecting Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK.

Trump has said the import taxes will remain in place until "such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland" by the US.

But, what does the United States want with Greenland? And how soon will it be until New Zealand is swept up in this chaos?

Today on The Front Page, Waikato University international law professor, Al Gillespie is with us to take us through what could happen next.

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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.

Last year ended with a promise of the largest economic reform in a generation.

It's when the Government unveiled its radical overhaul of resource management laws, which aims to cut the number of consents currently required by 40 to 50%.

Led by RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop, the move will see the decades-old RMA replaced with two laws – one focused on planning, and the other on environment protection.

They’re due to be passed by the end of this year, and operational by 2029.

But what does it all mean? And why has it taken so long to detangle this convoluted law if so many people agreed it needed to be done?

Today on The Front Page, Herald political editor, Thomas Coughlan, is with us to break it down.

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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.

All Blacks head coach Scott 'Razor' Robertson is out of the role just two years into his four-year contract.

After reports of widespread frustration from players and staff and a damning internal review, questions remain – what went so wrong for Razor, what does this mean for our world cup campaign and who will have the job of cleaning up the mess?

The All Blacks drama spells the beginning of a huge year for sport.

2026 sees hopes of a record medal haul for New Zealand at the Winter Olympics, and a chance to cheer on the All Whites on the world stage.

And of course, we’re all curious to see how Netball NZ will rebuild public trust?

All this and more today on The Front Page, with Herald sports reporter Alex Powell.

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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.

From takeovers and sales to mergers and disputes, 2026 is lining up to be quite the year for the media world.

We might just start seeing some of the biggest changes in New Zealand media ownership in decades – well, that’s according to the Herald’s Media Insider Shayne Currie.

Last year, Currie predicted that at least one major media platform would close, a very high-profile TV broadcaster would leave their position, and that an “interesting new shareholder” would emerge at NZME – all became true.

But, what has he foreseen as he peers into his crystal ball ahead of this year?

Currie joins us now on The Front Page to talk everything ratings, advertising, broadcasting, and who will come out on top come election time.

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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.

New Zealand politics kicks off this year under the shadow of a looming general election.

From a continued cost of living crisis and economic recovery to Treaty debates and tensions between coalition partners, this year will see a mixed bag from the Beehive.

It comes off the back of a major push for economic growth in 2025, with RMA reform and fast-track approvals dominated headlines.

But, will all that pay off?

Today on The Front Page, we dive into where each party stands, what they’ve announced thus far, and what the election campaign could bring us with Newstalk ZB political reporter Ethan Griffiths.

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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.

A major online security breach has raised questions about how safe our private information is online.

Manage My Health’s health portal systems were compromised over the New Year, putting the data of over 120,000 users at risk.

We check in with internet security expert, Blackveil’s Adam Burns, who immediately identified flaws in the website – which isn’t unusual for Kiwi domains.

But first on The Front Page, NZ Herald senior reporter David Fisher has been following the breach, and will break down what happened, and who is behind it.

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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.

Mark Mitchell has heralded the government’s promise to be tough on crime.

He’s been incredibly clear from the get-go that his primary goal is to make New Zealand an uncomfortable place for gangs to operate.

He holds five portfolios: Police, Corrections, Emergency Management and Recovery, Ethnic Communities, and Sports and Recreation.

So, how does an MP with so many hats feel about how his government has tackled the big issues?

Today on The Front Page, Mitchell joins us to talk cops, corrections, and communities.

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.

Act Party leader David Seymour will become New Zealand’s deputy prime minister tomorrow, taking over from Winston Peters.

He will be the 19th person to be the country’s second in command.

First elected to Parliament in 2014 – the last decade and a bit has seen Seymour’s meteoric rise from being his party’s sole MP to now sitting alongside 10 colleagues after Act’s best ever result in the 2023 election.

That result has allowed him to push through big changes around issues like regulation and government spending – but championing legislation such as the Treaty Principles Bill has also made him a lightning rod for controversy and backlash.

Today on The Front Page, Seymour joins us to talk his new role, backlash, regulations – and his thoughts on the opposition.

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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
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.