The Front Page

Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins has told the party it must change if it wants to re-gain the trust it's lost.

The party held its annual conference in Christchurch at the weekend, the first time its members have met since the 2023 election defeat.

The party has inched closer to campaigning on a wealth tax or a capital gains tax, at the next election - after members passed a proposal to move the idea forward.

And it’s made three major promises – a full Dunedin Hospital rebuild, rail-enabled ferries, and not getting involved in AUKUS.

As the coalition government deals with contentious policies and flat poll results, can Hipkins pull off a win in 2026?

He joins us today on The Front Page to discuss the path ahead for Labour.  

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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.

Pharmac is now funding a new medicine and has removed renewal criteria for ADHD treatments.

 Advocates are welcoming the move – saying it’s a game-changer that will save the health system tens of millions of dollars.

But, there are warnings it could lead to over-diagnosing and over-prescribing.

Today on The Front Page, co-founder of DivergenThinking and registered psychologist, Anton Ashcroft joins us to discuss.

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
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Black Friday and many Kiwi shoppers have already begun the hunt for some great deals.

While some retailers promise big discounts – sometimes, all is not what it seems.

Claims of retailers hiking prices before discounting them to make them look like a better deal are becoming more common – making us wonder, are the specials really that special?

So, during a time when Kiwis are counting their pennies – how can we make sure we are getting the most bang for our buck.

Today on The Front Page, price comparison platform PriceMe CEO Gavin Male joins us to give us some tips and insight into these massive sales events.

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
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The official cash rate has been cut by 50 basis points, bringing it down to 4.25 percent.

This marks the third consecutive cut to the OCR since August and brings it to the lowest level since November 2022.

With inflation also dropping last month to 2.2 percent, stats show an improving economy – but low spending is sparking concerns that we aren’t out of the woods yet.

Today on The Front Page, we’re joined by Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub to run through the numbers.

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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.

Today marks a year since the coalition government of National, Act and New Zealand First took office.

The coalition hit the ground running, by reversing the previous Labour Government’s agenda in a ‘policy bonfire’, slimming down the public service, and reverting many Crown organisations to their English names.

This, and the scrapping of the Māori Health Authority, kickstarted tensions between this Government and Māoridom – with backlash on the Treaty Principles Bill only adding fuel to the flames earlier this month.

But, with wins around tax cuts, benefits for families, more regional investment, and new laws to tackle crime --there’s plenty for the Government to celebrate – with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon saying this week he is ‘aspirational’ for New Zealanders’ and ‘energized’ for the next two years.

To discuss how the coalition government has fared with all this in mind, today on The Front Page, we’re joined by political commentator and researcher Bryce Edwards.

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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.

Climate change conference COP29 has wrapped up with a significant but controversial final agreement.

Negotiations came down to the wire over a US$1.3 trillion to help finance poorer countries to deal with the impacts of climate change and cut emissions.

But, only about $300 billion of that target will come from direct payments or loans from richer countries – which has sparked backlash from nations in the direct line of fire from rising sea levels and increasing temperatures.

So what does this deal actually mean, and is getting a deal better than no deal at all?

Today on The Front Page, University of Canterbury Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Bronwyn Hayward is with us to discuss the details.

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
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research shows a third of New Zealand adults are obese – and policies focused on individual responsibility are failing.

A Helen Clark Foundation report suggests tackling obesity will require cracking down on junk food advertising, the proliferation of takeaways, and bringing in new levies on unhealthy products.

So, is the era of placing the blame on the individual going to be a thing of the past? And can the government to anything to curb obesity in this country?

Today on The Front Page, Helen Clark Foundation executive director Murray Bruges is with us to discuss.

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
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regional development has been a major focus of the coalition government.

The Fast Track Bill, the return of oil and gas exploration and the Regional Infrastructure Fund is all promised to get work back to the regions and help them thrive. 

And the man running the show is the so-called Matua of Mining and Prince of the Provinces, Shane Jones.

He’s the Minister for oceans and fisheries, regional development, and resources – and there’s not an endangered frog or a surfing hippie that’s going to get in his way.

Today on The Front Page, Jones joins us to discuss his reckons on what’s best for the regions, and whether you can fight climate change at the same time as backing provincial 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 Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government’s promised the “free ride” for gangs, is officially over.

From today, gang patches will no longer be allowed to be worn in public, courts will be able to issue non-consorting orders, and Police will be able to stop members from communicating with each other.

Greater weight will also be given to gang membership at sentencing – and repeat offenders continually convicted of displaying their patches in public will be subject to a new court order, prohibiting them from possessing any gang insignia in public, or private, for five years.

But any of this be any kind of deterrent to the more than 9000 gang members in New Zealand?

Today on The Front Page, lifetime Black Power member and community advocate Denis O'Reilly is with us to discuss his perspective on these new laws.

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
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The war in Ukraine has hit the one-thousand-day mark.

On February 24, 2022 – Russia invaded Ukraine – since then, hundreds of thousands of people have died, many more have been injured, and millions are displaced.

It's been called the largest and deadliest in Europe since World War II.

This week, US President Joe Biden gave the green light for Ukraine to strike Russia with US-made, long-range missiles.

It comes just nine weeks before Donald Trump takes office, who on the election trail pledged to put an end to the war.

So, after a thousand days how will these missiles change the war, and what will a Trump peace deal look like?

Today on The Front Page, Waikato University international law professor, Alexander Gillespie, is with us to discuss if there’s an end in sight for the conflict.

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
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.