The Front Page

The Front Page

Go beyond the headlines with The Front Page, the New Zealand Herald’s daily news podcast. Each weekday Chelsea Daniels unpacks the stories shaping Aotearoa, from what’s happening in our own backyard to global events shaping our future. Every episode we speak to leaders, experts, reporters, and those living the story, so you get the full picture. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.

Episodes

July 16, 2026 18 mins

H5N1 bird flu has landed in New Zealand. 

The positive result from a brown skua found at Wellington’s Petone Beach is the country’s first case of the strain.  

For months, officials, farmers, and DOC workers have been bracing for this moment, trying to protect our wildlife from a virus that’s already devastated birds around the world. 

We’ve been one of the last places on Earth untou...

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Ex broadcaster Paul Henry is running for Act in the upcoming election. 

He stood for National in 1999 but is best known for hosting TVNZ's Breakfast in the mid-2000s. 

Henry’s long media career has been marked by a string of public controversies, many of which have led to him being criticised for his offensive and inflammatory remarks. 

So, with Act stagnant in polls - will this colourf...

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Don’t you think it’s time for New Zealand to have more supermarket options?

The Government's announced a new guide for international chains wanting to set up shop here. It’s all in the hope of luring overseas investors to break up our duopoly grocery sector.

Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has said the guidelines are like rolling out a red carpet for those looking here to invest – but, the question ...

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The United States has unleashed its biggest round of strikes on Iran in weeks.

The US has said it struck about 140 Iranian military sites – which prompted Tehran to attack allies in the region, including Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, the UAE, and Qatar.

Meanwhile, Washington insists that the Strait of Hormuz is open, despite Iran saying it has closed the waterway amid renewed strikes.

Today on The Front Page, Waikato University inter...

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This week, New Zealand will host Narendra Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit this country in four decades. 

It should be a major diplomatic and economic moment, coming as the India free trade agreement edges closer to ratification and the Government celebrates early signs of export growth. 

But behind the diplomatic spectacle, political tensions are still bubbling away. 

Foreign Minister Winston Pete...

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Labour has unveiled its pitch to make power bills cheaper. 

If elected, the party’s promising subsidies of up to $3000 to low-and-middle-income households so they can install solar panels.  

The party is also promising two Government-backed low-interest loan schemes for home energy upgrades, alongside rule changes that would let renters install plug-in solar too. 

If...

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All eyes are on the Reserve Bank this week, as it prepares to make its latest call on the Official Cash Rate. 

Just weeks ago, a hike looked likely. 

But as Wednesday’s announcement approaches, that once-simple story has become a lot more complicated. 

Fuel prices have fallen, inflation fears have softened, and economists are now sharply divided on whether the Bank should move at all. 

So wh...

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National has unveiled an ambitious new trade pitch, promising to pursue New Zealand’s “next billion customers”.

The party says it’s all part of a plan to grow exports, create jobs and boost incomes, with a long-term goal of doubling export value by 2034.

Supporters say that is the kind of ambition a small trading nation needs. Sceptics say the policy may be trying to do too much at once.

Today on The Front P...

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Kim Dotcom has spent more than a decade at the centre of one of New Zealand’s most high-profile legal and political sagas. 

From the dramatic FBI-backed raid on his Coatesville mansion in 2012, to the long-running fight over extradition to the United States... The former Megaupload mogul is never far from the headlines. 

Now, with fresh developments putting Dotcom back in the spotlight, the big q...

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El Niño is back and scientists say it could become one of the strongest we’ve ever had to deal with.

That means the weather patterns shaping our spring and summer may be about to shift in a big way.

But El Niño can also be one of those phrases we hear a lot without always fully understanding what it actually means or how seriously we should take it when scientists start sounding the alarm.

So, what is happening in the Pacific...

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New Zealand’s hospitality scene feels like it’s at a crossroads. 

On one hand, cafés, bars and restaurants are battling a brutal mix of rising costs, mounting debts and changing consumer habits.  

Venues are closing, owners are exhausted, and many are wondering how much longer they can hang on. 

On the other, Aotearoa has just taken a historic step onto th...

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Fuel prices are one of those costs that almost everyone notices immediately.

When they rise, households feel it, businesses feel it, and suddenly a number on the forecourt becomes a national talking point.

The average price of petrol has dipped under $3 for the first time in more than three months as a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran holds.

If the price stays below $3 for four consecutive weeks, the Government’s fue...

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Benefits, boosting apprenticeships, and the coalition headache already looming over Election 2026.

Both Labour and Act kickstarted their campaigns at the weekend.

David Seymour wants a much tougher welfare system. Chris Hipkins wants to bolster a Covid-era trade scheme.

Meanwhile, National’s questioning its coalition partners’ intentions, with Christopher Luxon not “100% sure” about whether they can take Win...

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The New Zealand Police has been rocked by an investigation into the country’s top cop. 

An inquiry’s underway into complaints against Police Commissioner Richard Chambers. 

He is strongly denying the claims.

But, it comes at a time when trust and confidence in police is on shaky ground already.

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald senior investigative reporter Michael Morrah is with us to take us through ho...

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Could now be the time to see a new party in Government? Better yet, is it time to see a new Kingmaker?

The Opportunity Party is nearing the 5% threshold to get into Parliament for the first time in its 10-year history.

At the centre of that pitch is a bold Tax Reset policy: a universal Citizens Income, a Land Value Tax, and a major rethink of retirement savings.

But the real question now is whether voters are genuinely ready to sen...

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Misleading information, unanswered questions, and more than $30 million down the drain and nothing to show for it.

You may have heard about immigration officials being in hot water lately over scrapping an IT upgrade and apparently obscuring information relating to the project’s cost blowouts.

Even the Prime Minister has admitted his confidence in the public service has taken a knock over the debacle.

So, what exactly happene...

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Tourism is booming again, but who should pay for the pressure that comes with it? 

A powerful alliance of mayors and tourism leaders is pushing for a nationwide accommodation levy, or bed tax. 

They argue tourists should help fund the roads, rubbish collection, public facilities and major events that keep our biggest destinations running.  

Supporters say it’s a comm...

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One major theme has emerged for this year’s election... money.

Two parties at the weekend launched ideas to get the country’s finances in order and future-proof our economy for generations to come.

 National held its annual party conference in high spirits, despite a polling support slide since the last election. They announced policy that would make KiwiSaver compulsory, raise minimum contributions, and require em...

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The Super Rugby Pacific final is here, and the excitement is already at fever pitch.

Tickets for the decider on Saturday sold out in just 15 minutes, as the Hurricanes and Chiefs prepare to meet in Wellington in what shapes as one of the biggest rugby nights of the year.

So what makes this matchup so compelling? Which team has the edge, which players could define the contest, and what does the huge demand for tickets say about the ...

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June 18, 2026 21 mins

Shane Jones’ controversial fisheries reform has been abandoned – for now.

The Oceans and Fisheries Minister told a select committee today that his “much-loved bill” would not be progressed in this term of government.

The Fisheries Amendment Bill had caused division within the coalition... changes to minimum legal-size limits for commercial fishing operators had to be walked back.

Other changes included plans...

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