The Front Page

It may have taken a month to get there, but the Government has fulfilled its promise to fund new cancer drugs.

Rather than the 13 promised on the campaign trail, it's giving $604 million for 54 new medicines, including 26 cancer treatments.

It's hoped the promised cancer drugs will be rolled out within the next year and a half – with the first becoming available from October.

But the back and forth over National’s pre-election promise has raised questions about why it’s so difficult to fund drugs in this country – and if Pharmac is up to the task.

Today on The Front Page, University of Auckland Professor Dr Paula Lorgelly joins us to discuss if our decades-old process needs a refresh.

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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: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is being warned it must invest in New Zealand's ageing infrastructure.

It comes after a week of infrastructure woes, with the Defence Force plane breaking down, a track fault cancelling all trains in Auckland, and an Interislander ferry running aground.

These are all areas that have been issues before, so what’s stopped us from fixing these problems before they become a catastrophe?

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald Wellington reporter Georgina Campbell explains what went wrong with the Interislander ferry and what it'll take to fix the problem, and Infrastructure NZ’s policy director, Michelle McCormick, digs into the wider issues with our critical infrastructure. 

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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: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of jobs have gone, millions of dollars have been spent on redundancy payouts – and it’s not over yet as the public sector continues to tighten its belt.

Budget 2024 set targets for $1.5 billion worth of cost-savings, with estimates for $1b in further savings over numerous financial years.

But as the axe falls, there are questions over whether the cuts will hit the front-line – something the Government’s promised will stay intact.

Today on The Front Page, Newstalk ZB reporter Azaria Howell joins us for an update on whether changes have stayed in the back room – and how many more jobs are at risk.

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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: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian government is pivoting to a stricter stance on deporting so-called "501s" - people with criminal histories who had mostly grown up in Australia but were born in New Zealand.

The new directive, effective from today, takes a U-turn on previous commitments made by the Australian government in 2022 to prioritise considering a person's links to Australia in visa decisions.

Between January 2015 to January this year, 3,128 people were deported from Australia.

While not all of them were "501s", over a third were no older than 19 when they left NZ. Just over 200 were no older than nine.

Today on The Front Page, founder of Road 2 Redemption and former "501", Mark Talanoa, discusses the implications of this new directive.

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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: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 years ago, five members of the Bain family in Dunedin were found dead in their family home.

The one surviving family member, David, was later convicted of murdering his parents and three siblings.

He served 13 years in prison before the Privy Council quashed his convictions, and he was subsequently found not guilty on all charges at a retrial in 2009.

Despite this, for three decades, this case has joined a gallery of notorious murders that have fascinated New Zealanders across the years.

Today on The Front Page, long-time David Bain advocate Joe Karam reflects on his three decades linked to the case in an exclusive interview for the 30th anniversay.

And later, we discuss our fixation with this and other cases with AUT University Professor of Pop Culture, 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 Daniels
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In May 2017, Rocket Lab launched its first rocket into space.

Over the last seven years, the company has grown to become a powerhouse in the global aerospace industry, and has driven the growth of New Zealand’s space sector.

The company’s astronomical success has seen founder Peter Beck receive a knighthood in the recent King’s Birthday Honours.

Ahead of the company’s 50th launch, Beck joins The Front Page to discuss how far he plans the company to soar – and why the sky isn’t the limit for 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: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been five years since social housing in New Zealand was put under the banner of Kāinga Ora.

Over that time, questions have been asked about the financial stability of the organisation, and the loaded remit Kainga Ora has to also lead and develop urban renewal projects.

The Government made it a priority to investigate the state of the agency, ordering a review led by former PM, Sir Bill English, that painted a stark image of its fiscal situation.

With Housing Minister Chris Bishop processing the recommendations from the report, some are wondering what the future holds for the agency responsible for over 70,000 public homes.

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan joins us to discuss his recent reporting into the future of Kainga Ora and social housing in New Zealand.

Read more on the future of social housing here:

• https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/inside-kainga-ora-what-the-government-wants-to-fix-and-why-its-solution-could-make-things-worse/36IR67UFUBCFRJMTAMXAF5BGP4/ 
• https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/the-43b-social-housing-cliff-no-one-is-talking-about/G3YL4MS3IBBMZH2SODH6EU4YLA/ 

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: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Losing a loved one is one of the worst things a family can go through.

But it can get a lot worse if people start fighting over the will before the body’s even cold.

With so many of us relying on inheritance these days to get on the property ladder, being cut out of a will can be a devastating blow – but contesting it can sometimes be more trouble than it's worth.

So how should you go about getting your fair share, and what can you do to make sure your final wishes are clearly communicated?

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald senior journalist Jane Phare joins to share the Dos and Don’ts she’s picked up from legal experts when it comes to inheritance.

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: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s no better way to unwind at the end of a long day of work than binging on reality TV.

From The Block, to Celebrity Treasure Island, Kiwis have always had a soft spot for the genre. Right now, the country is obsessed with Married at First Sight New Zealand, back for its fourth season after a five year hiatus.

And while we may still be mad about the genre, a lot has changed for reality TV since the local version of the international hit debuted in 2017.

Today on The Front Page, AUT University senior communications lecturer, Rebecca Trelease, joins us to discuss our MAFS obsession, and the changing world of reality TV.

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: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The global economy is still recovering from a difficult few years, and New Zealand is not immune.

The NZX 50 has been struggling recently, the recent mini-reporting season saw largely disappointing results for many companies, and the usual investment opportunities are not delivering.

In these times of difficulty though, there are plenty of opportunities for new industries to invest in, and different countries for New Zealand to look at for trade.

NZME Business editorial director, Fran O’Sullivan, is covering all these ups and downs in her latest Capital Markets and Investment special, and she joins us now on The Front Page to discuss the state of the market.

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: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.