The Front Page

Name suppression is one of the most contentious parts of the New Zealand legal system.  

Many high-profile criminals in recent years have received name suppression for months or years on end – with the five year suppression for the Mama Hooch rapists being one of the recent examples of how long suppression can last. 

That can cause tension with the general public, as it often seems as though it's only high profile offenders who g...

The Labour Party's key focuses for Chris Hipkins' first party congress as leader were keeping the age of superannuation static and continuing an apprenticeship scheme.

But the National Party also made a grab for the spotlight by pulling its support for bipartisan joint housing accords.

Who came out looking stronger? And do the would-be governing parties have their eye on the minor parties who may decide 2023's election?

Today, N...

Trusts have hit the headlines in recent weeks.  
 
First, a major IRD report revealed that extremely wealthy people were earning most of their money through trusts. Then, shortly afterwards, the Government announced an increase in the tax rate on trusts. 

So what exactly is a trust? How do you earn money from it? How many New Zealanders will be impacted by this tax hike? And is there a risk that average Kiwis take the bigges...

The Reserve Bank this week lifted the Official Cash Rate to 5.5 per cent, as expected.  

But the big surprise came when Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr told Kiwis that his work was done and that the Reserve Bank didn’t see the need to lift rates any higher. 

So why has the Reserve Bank suddenly changed its mind on further hikes? Are Kiwis in for a longer run of inflation? And what factors will have the biggest impact on the econ...

There’s a weather forecast battle brewing as two taxpayer-funded agencies go toe to toe for our attention.  

MetService and NIWA have dominated headlines in recent months amid numerous extreme weather events, but animosity is simmering between them. 

There’s growing concern that their remits are starting to overlap as they vie for the attention of New Zealanders desperate to understand what weather is heading our way.

So why are...

It has just been confirmed that Auckland’s City Rail Link opening has been delayed yet again, pushing out the opening date out to 2026.

This comes off the back of numerous earlier delays and cost blow-outs and will only exacerbate the level of frustration in the city. The initial idea for the plan goes back to the 1920s, and delays have spread to the actual project.

So how much longer will Auckland’s inner city remain a construct...

After an earthquake near the Loyalty Islands last Friday, a tsunami warning sparked sleepless nights in coastal areas around Aotearoa as residents waited for the potential waves.  

While the damage was limited, one Ahipara resident told the NZ Herald the resulting swells were “much, much worse” than those that came in after Cyclone Gabrielle earlier this year. 

It again raises the question about how prepared our coastal country i...

The annual Government Budget announcement is always a major PR opportunity for the Government, to lay out its vision for the country. 
 
Labour has now presented that vision – and unsurprisingly, Opposition parties aren’t onboard with what they see.  

National leader Christopher Luxon said that it showed the Government had run out of ideas – and warned that a Capital Gains Tax is on Labour’s agenda for the election.  

So wh...

This week, the Labour Government delivered its sixth Budget. It's their last before October’s election, with key figures in the worlds of childcare, public transport, and public housing.  

This Budget arrives at a time when the economy faces a cost-of-living crisis and pressures stemming from the destruction caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.  

So how has Finance Minister Grant Robertson handled the tightrope of balancing the books ver...

The deadly Loafers Lodge fire in Wellington has shocked the country – not simply for the loss of life involved, but due to the building’s safety standards. 

While the hostel did not have sprinklers, it was not breaking any laws and was not required to retrofit them. 

It’s just one aspect of Aotearoa’s building code that has been put into the spotlight by this fire and has raised concerns around how many other buildings could be a...

The word crisis has become synonymous with our health and education sectors in recent years.
 
Under-resourcing, long work hours and poor pay have culminated in teachers and nurses walking off the job to protest these working conditions.  
 
The 2023 Budget offers an opportunity for the Government to address these concerns, but economic pressure on the country right now means that any steps taken likely won’t go as far ...

The nation woke up to harrowing news this morning as a blaze in Wellington ripped through a hostel. 
 
Fire crews worked through the night to save as many lives as they could, but the full extent of lives and livelihoods lost so far remains unclear.  
 
Katrina Bennett, Wellington head of news for the NZ Herald, joins us to explain what we know so far about this fiery tragedy.

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The emergence of ChatGPT has captured the imagination of the world.  
 
Depending on who you ask, the Artificial Intelligence interface is either set to take over humanity or it’s little more than a quirky digital toy. 
 
As is often the case with these things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
 
So what is the potential of AI technology? Are technology companies taking risks by moving too fast? And are our ...

The Government has promised that this year we’ll see a no-frills budget, meaning that we won’t be seeing any flashy spending.  

This continues a long trend of politicians keeping our debt levels low rather than investing heavily in infrastructure needed for the future.  

So is this the best approach given the myriad challenges the country faces? And as a society do we need to become more willing to take on debt to make sure our c...

After the era of lockdowns, the travel sector is hitting another speed bump. 

The Minister for Tourism has publicly criticised the high cost of some tourism operators, leading to questions about whether Aotearoa's tourists are being taken for a ride.

Not to be deterred, international airlines are trying to lure us back to the skies with more direct routes and new innovations to improve the travel experience. 

But with economic c...

Auckland was hit by torrential rain once again this week, stirring up memories of the record-breaking flooding seen in January. 

Those memories seemed to spark a fight or flight response in Auckland, with the entire city fleeing home at the same time, causing gridlocked traffic for hours across the city. 

Given that scientists are warning these weather events are fast becoming the norm, how can we learn to better cope with weathe...

Two major financial reports have given a glimpse at the state of Aotearoa's economy.
 
The financial stability report and unemployment figures gave us a sense that the economy is still holding up well, but that could change soon.

All forecasts point to things becoming a whole lot tougher as the pressure mounts.

So how much worse will the situation become? Will the Government step in to help? And how bad could the coming yea...

Much of the North Island is once again flooding amid an absolutely heaving severe downpour.

Schools have been evacuated across Auckland and Northland, and emergency services have again been on high alert.

This opens fresh wounds for a region that was only recently in the firing line of severe flooding and cyclone Gabrielle.
 
So why has this been happening so much in the same region? Is there a better way to forecast the li...