New Zealand has seen a lot of upheaval in recent years, from Covid-19 to economic and social turmoil.

The silver lining to the struggles is we now have a chance to recover in a way that sets Aotearoa up for the future. But that requires some brave thinking. 

The NZ Herald is exploring our potential pathways in a series called The New New Zealand – Rebuilding Better. 

To help kick things off, Damien is joined by Steve Armitage from events and tourism consultancy Daylight and Georgina Stylianou from Government relations PR firm BRG, to tackle the challenges and opportunities in Aotearoa’s future.  

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: Damien Venuto
Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand LinkedIn has blown up with accusations of smear campaigns, bullying and corporate villains. This string of accusations has its genesis in the fraught relationship between the Government’s Callaghan Innovation and Kiwi startup Manaaki.

This has led to a director quitting her role and posting a not-so-subtle rebuke of what she saw while working at Callaghan Innovation.

There have also been revelations about the involvement of a private investigator, who was commissioned to look into the dealings of Manaaki.  

Today, BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie joins Damien to dig into the troubled relationship between these two organisations. 

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: Damien Venuto
Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China’s President Xi Jinping was recently voted in for an unprecedented third term.  

He has also strengthened his grip on the Communist Party, putting his allies into many key roles.  

The news has sparked concerns about what Xi’s plans for China – and neighbouring Taiwan – will be.  

But how much do we actually know about what’s happening within the world’s most populated country? Is an invasion of Taiwan likely? And what does all this mean for a small country like New Zealand, which has grown hugely dependent on trade with China? 

Today, Damien is joined by international relations expert Professor Stephen Noakes, from the University of Auckland, for a discussion about the tense relationship between The Red Dragon and the West.      

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: Damien Venuto
Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills    

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After months of back and forth, Elon Musk is officially the new owner of social media giant Twitter. 

The world’s richest man has sought to reassure advertisers that Twitter would not "become a free-for-all hellscape” under his watch, but Musk has already started sharing fake news on the site, while his admirers have used his arrival in the building as a reason to launch hateful troll campaigns.

Today, Damien is joined by Professor Colin Gavaghan, director of the University of Otago’s Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies, to discuss what the law really says about free speech.

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: Damien Venuto
Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The last few months have been a tumultuous period for the All Blacks.  

A string of poor results had fans baying for the blood of coach Ian Foster, who somehow managed to survive. 

On the surface, New Zealand Rugby appeared to back Foster, but the uncovering of a number of covert meetings suggests that Crusaders coach Scott ‘Razor’ Roberston came far closer to landing the job than previously known. 

Today, rugby writer Gregor Paul joins Damien to discuss his series that shows the inner-workings of New Zealand Rugby.

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: Damien Venuto
Producer: Shaun D Wilson
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s health system is facing yet another crisis. 

Figures show that some people are waiting over six hours for emergency treatment at hospitals, while others are facing year long waits to book surgeries.  

While the health system is still recovering from Covid-caused delays, Opposition parties and the public want to see change now. 

But is a quick fix even possible in our underfunded and overburdened healthcare system?  

Today, Dr Deborah Powell, national secretary of the New Zealand Resident Doctors Association, joins Damien to get a health professional’s perspective on what’s going on with our wait times.  

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: Damien Venuto
Producer: Shaun D Wilson 
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s no secret that the media loves to focus on crime, with robberies and violence grabbing easy headlines across the nation. But there’s a bigger crime epidemic in this country, one that’s taking place closer to home. 

Domestic violence remains deeply rooted into New Zealand life – and it’s taking more lives than many of us realise. On average, a child is killed in the home every five weeks. This is on top of the many New Zealanders who survive abuse on a near-daily basis. 

So how bad is domestic violence in Aotearoa? Are we doing enough to stop it? And why don’t we like to talk about it as much as other crimes?

Today, Janet Fanslow, an associate professor at the University of Auckland, joins Damien for a discussion about the crime crisis that no one is talking about. 

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: Damien Venuto
Producers: Paddy Fox and Shaun D Wilson 
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concerns have been raised about so called ‘involuntary celibates’. Incels, as they are better known, aren’t choosing to abstain of their own volition.

Instead, they blame society, and particularly women, for denying them the opportunity for sexual relationships. While this anger has stayed online for the most part, it has been blamed for acts of real world violence.  
 
So what exactly are incels? What risks do they pose to the rest of us? And what is New Zealand doing to ensure we don’t end up as the latest country hit by an incel-inspired attack?  
 
Today, Damien is joined by NZ Herald journalist and In the Loop co-host Katie Harris for a discussion about an online sub-culture that’s sparked concern.

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: Damien Venuto
Producers: Paddy Fox and Shaun D Wilson 
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters has made it clear he is determined to return New Zealand First to Parliament in 2023. 

Two years after departing as their coalition partner, the 77-year-old has upped his criticism of Labour and is showing no signs of supporting Jacinda Ardern again. 

He joins a number of parties outside Parliament trying to ride a wave of anti-government sentiment to victory in 2023. 

But with so many parties fighting for the same vote, how many will actually succeed? And is there room for more moderate parties to break through as well?  

Today, I’m joined by lobbyist Mark Unsworth for a discussion about who will sing the tune the disgruntled voters will follow.    

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: Damien Venuto
Editor/Producer: Shaun D Wilson 
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The economy has gone through a rough time over the last few years, but one of the positives is that employees have been able to take control. 

Figures have shown that wages are increasing as the labour market tightens, and bosses have no choice but to cough up to get the staff they are after. 

It’s never an easy conversation to have, especially not for Kiwis or during inflation and recession worries, so what can the ordinary worker on an average wage do to get the most out of their job? 

Today, personal finance expert Hannah McQueen joins Damien for a discussion on making your job work for you – and how to avoid financial pitfalls in uncertain economic times.

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: Damien Venuto
Editor/Producer: Shaun D Wilson 
Executive Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.