Infrastructure and health are the big priorities in this year's Budget, as banks face a new levy, and cuts take shape. 

There are no specific cost-of-living payments or Budget sugar hits - but Finance Minister Nicola Willis promises spending initiatives will create thousands of jobs. 

And our books are set to return to surplus earlier than expected. 

But, Opposition parties are saying the Government doesn’t live in the same reality as struggling Kiwis. 

So, what does it actually mean for households, for the economy, and for the political landscape? 

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald chief political reporter, Jamie Ensor, is with us to break down the numbers, the politics, and what it all means for you. 

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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
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

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While everyone counts the dollars and tries to make sense of Budget 2026 – there are thousands of public servants staring down losing their jobs.

In her pre-Budget speech, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced plans to slash the sector by about 8,700 roles by mid-2029.

The overhaul will also include reducing the number of government departments and increasing the use of AI.

The Public Service Association says the changes will further decimate public services, at a time when workers are already stretched to breaking point.

So, is this really about efficiency or is it just shrinking the state and hoping services will hold together? 

Today on The Front Page, Public Service Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons is with us to talk about what happens next. 

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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
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Energy security. Financial security. International security. Social cohesion. 

These are the government’s priorities for Budget 2026 that Prime Minister Christopher Luxon laid out earlier this month.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says this Budget will lay out a clear plan. Where the country is now, where we're headed, and the road we'll take to get there.

So, what should we look out for? How does this position the Coalition for the election? Will the spending be worth the thousands of public sector jobs being cut to pay for it?

Today on The Front Page, University of Otago Honorary Research Fellow, Dr Michael Swanson, is with us for a pre-Budget 2026 chat.

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
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's announced a $1.2 billion gas transition loan scheme – a big bet on keeping some of New Zealand’s most gas hungry businesses afloat. 

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the government will guarantee 80% of each loan, with about $48 million set aside to cover potential losses. 
 
It’s being framed as a lifeline: help gas‑heavy manufacturers and processors stay open, protect jobs, and ease pressure on a shrinking and increasingly expensive fuel. 

But behind the headlines, big questions remain.

Who really benefits, who foots the bill, and will any of this cost creep its way into your power bill or tax bill? 

Today on The Front Page, journalist and publisher of The Kākā, Bernard Hickey is with us to unpack whether this scheme is an economic rescue mission, a political pivot, or something more complicated.

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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
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just weeks out from the end of greyhound racing in New Zealand, a secretive charter flight plan is raising eyebrows.

It’s understood a number of dogs are being prepped for a trip across the ditch before the sport’s banned here.

But, why now? What about the welfare of these animals? And is this just a last ditch effort to make some cash before it’s lights out for the industry.

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald senior investigative reporter Michael Morrah is with us to unpack what he’s uncovered, and what it says about the final days of greyhound racing in New Zealand.

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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
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Football fever is about to hit Auckland like we’ve never seen before. 

Auckland FC is hosting the Grand Final at Go Media Stadium against Sydney FC on Saturday. 

It’s the first time New Zealand has hosted an A‑League decider, and the city is on the brink of a huge sporting moment. 

Today on The Front Page, Newstalk ZB’s Weekend Sport host Jason Pine is with us to talk about how Auckland FC has reached meteoric heights, and what this final could mean for football in 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
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It started with a young Māori man trying to help a stranger on the street.

He ended up being pinned to the ground, handcuffed, locked in a cell, and a four-year court battle.  
Jamie Lawry ended up being found not guilty, but the case raises harder questions about racism and systemic bias in the north.

Many Māori parents up north have to have what is called “the talk” - where they have to teach their kids how to act around police in order to be safe.

Today on The Front Page, Green MP Hūhana Lyndon – who is based in Te Tai Tokerau – tells us about what “the talk” means in her whanau and in communities across the region – and why so many Māori families have no choice but to have these conversations.

But first, NZ Herald senior writer David Fisher is with us to take us through what happened to Lawry.

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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
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Mongrel Mob-run meth rehab programme ended up at the centre of a fierce political fight.

After being funded by Jacinda Ardern’s government, the Coalition government turned off the tap for drug rehabilitation programme Kahukura.

But behind the politics, did Kahukura actually help people get off meth? And what does it tell us about who is best placed to deliver addiction treatment?

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald senior writer Derek Cheng has gone through the reports on the programme’s intakes, and he joins us now to talk through what really happened – and the role of gangs in frontline services.

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
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve spent any time on Auckland’s motorways, you’ll know the city’s traffic problem is no joke – and one of the big fixes being talked about is charging people to sit in it.

The AA has surveyed its Auckland members on time-of-use charging, and while the results show plenty of scepticism, a lot of people back the principle.

But only if the scheme is designed fairly and the details are smart enough to actually work. 

Today on The Front Page, AA policy director Martin Glynn is with us to take us through what congestion charging might look like in future and whether it could finally get Auckland moving. 

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
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First will campaign on buying back the BNZ bank and making KiwiSaver enrolment compulsory at birth. 

Winston Peters’ appearance at Trusts Arena in West Auckland at the weekend comes at a time when his party is surging in the polls...  

He’s also closing in on National leader Christopher Luxon in the preferred Prime Minister ranking, months out from the election. 

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald chief political reporter, Jamie Ensor, is with us.

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
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artificial intelligence is being sold to us as the future.  

Faster, smarter, more efficient, maybe even world changing. 

But as a handful of tech companies race to build ever more powerful AI, there are growing questions about secrecy, exploitation, and the extraordinary concentration of power behind the scenes. 

Journalist Karen Hao has spent years reporting on OpenAI and the global AI industry, and in her book Empire of AI, she argues this isn’t just a story about technology, it’s a story about ideology, labour, resources, and control. 

Today on The Front Page, Karen Hao joins us to unpack the rise of OpenAI, Sam Altman, and the real cost of the AI arms race.

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
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.