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New Zealand’s housing market has taken another step backwards.  Property values have now fallen for six months in a row, with the national median value dropping below the previous cycle low.  And while buyers have more choice and bargaining power, there’s still little sign of a sharp rebound - with high mortgage rates, economic uncertainty and plenty of houses on the market keeping a lid on prices.  So, what’s happening in the housing market, and how much longer could this subdued period last?  Today on The Front Page, Cotality NZ chief property economist Kelvin Davidson is with us to break it all down. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane Yee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders are working. The economy is growing. So why aren’t we getting much more out of it?  For more than a decade, New Zealand’s productivity growth has been painfully weak – and that could be one of the biggest economic problems facing the next Government.  But you wouldn’t necessarily know it from the election campaign.  The parties are promising tax cuts, more housing, cheaper groceries, changes to immigration and more spending on public services.  But how many of those policies will actually make New Zealand more productive?  Today on The Front Page, University of Otago economics associate professor Dennis Wesselbaum reckons productivity is the economic elephant in the room this election. He joins us now. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane Yee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government’s opened its books and it’s showing a return to surplus is well on track.  The Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update shows a stronger and slightly faster surplus than predicted... with the books expected to get out of the red by 2028/29.  Treasury also predicts unemployment has already peaked - and will track down.  But, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Predictions of house price growth have been slashed, and there are some choice words about how costly our super is.  Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald business editor at large, Liam Dann is with us to break it all down. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane Yee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a weekend of big political theatre, as both National and Labour officially launched their election campaigns.  Christopher Luxon and his National crew pushed the message of “no new taxes” ... meanwhile, Labour and Chris Hipkins unveiled a new policy to wipe 10% of student loan debt.  But in the lead up to Election 2026, it’s not just the big parties fighting for our attention.  So what actually makes a political campaign work? What makes a slogan, a speech, an image or a campaign ad stick in voters’ minds – and what can make a campaign fall flat?  Today on The Front Page, University of Auckland Marketing professor Bodo Lang is with us to break down the campaign launches, the strategies behind them, and what the parties are getting right – and getting wrong. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane Yee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the election just weeks away, a new poll gives us a glimpse into how voters feel about one of the major topics this campaign season – tax.  No new taxes for working people. No new taxes full stop. Taxes for capital gains. Tax the rich. Tax inheritance. Tax landowners.  The campaign season’s only just officially begun but it feels like we’ve already been hearing debates about the subject of taxes and levies for a while now.  The latest Ipsos Issues Monitor survey dove deeper into the tax debate, showing about two-thirds of Kiwis would support a wealth tax.  Today on The Front Page, Newstalk ZB political reporter, Ethan Griffiths is with us to break down the numbers.  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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane Yee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parliament is officially over and now the gloves are coming off.   New Zealanders go to the polls on November 7, and between now and then we’re going to see the parties make their pitches, ramp up their attacks, and fight for every last vote.  The next 44 days will be filled with policy announcements, political debates, carefully choreographed photo ops, an endless stream of memes, and inevitably -- drama.  So, as the buzz of the Beehive fades into silence and the campaign proper takes centre stage, what issues are likely to dominate and who has the most to gain, and perhaps -- the most to lose?   Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan is with us to break it all down. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane Yee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicky Hager is back with a new book taking aim at one of the country’s most prominent lobby groups, the Taxpayers’ Union.  He alleges the organisation has played a key role in shifting New Zealand politics to the right, claiming they worked with the tobacco industry and focused on race-based campaigns.  The NZTU’s director Jordan Williams flatly denies the allegations and has said the book is full of inaccuracies.  So, what exactly is Hager claiming, what evidence does he have, and what does the book tell us about the political landscape heading into this election?  Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald senior journalist, David Fisher, joins us to take us through the the allegations and the broader picture around them. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane Yee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A damning report into the Reserve Bank’s actions during Covid, a backdown from Labour on landlord tax breaks, and a last look at the Government’s books before the election. That’s all ahead of the much-hyped release of a new book from Nicky Hager tonight. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenée Tibshraeny joins us to break it all down. Follow The Front Page on the iHeart App, 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/Producer: Katie BradfordProducer: Jane YeeEditor/Producer: Richard Martin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Supermarket owners are fighting back as they find themselves firmly in the sights of almost all political parties. To recap, National and NZ First want to break up the Foodstuffs co-operative, while the Greens want to kickstart a government-owned supermarket. Labour has announced plans to split Foodstuffs’ and Woolworths’ retail and wholesale arms, alongside measures to ban price gouging. Now, a concerted campaign from Foodstuffs supermarket owners is underway. Clare Gallagher from New World Kawerau joins The Front Page to discuss. Follow The Front Page on the iHeart App, 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/Producer: Katie BradfordProducer: Jane YeeEditor/Producer: Richard Martin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s do or die for the Warriors as they head into this weekend’s sudden death match against the Newcastle Knights with a spot in the preliminary final against the Penrith Panthers on the line.   Last weekend the Warriors seemed in control against the Dolphins before three late tries saw the visitors take the win, denying the Wahs a direct path through to the next round.   Now they have to do it the hard way, and while they may have the hometown advantage, you’d be hard pressed to say they have the homeground advantage.   Today on The Front Page, we’re joined by NZ Herald sports reporters Nathan Limm and Christopher Reive to look at what went wrong last weekend and what needs to happen at Eden Park on Sunday to keep our grand final dreams alive.  Follow The Front Page on the iHeart App, 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/Producer: Jane YeeEditor/Producer: Richard Martin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should we put the brakes on AI?  Well, the bosses of some of the world's largest AI companies say we should.  Sam Altman and Elon Musk have both backed head of Anthropic Dario Amodei after he came out and said we need to slow the pace of AI development. He's warned that AI could become capable of "taking over the entire internet" within a year.  So if the people developing this tech are worried about where we're heading, should the rest of us be worried too?  Today on The Front Page, University of Auckland professor and director of Huanui – The AI Initiative, Dr Alexander Richter is with us to discuss whether we're moving too fast, and what would actually happen if we slowed things down. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane Yee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National and Labour have both unveiled new plans to shake up the supermarket sector.   National wants to investigate splitting Foodstuffs into two competing nationwide groups, while Labour is promising to make price gouging illegal – not just for supermarkets, but a range of essential goods and services.   Both parties say they want to bring down the cost of living, but they’re taking very different approaches to the supermarket sector, while the minor parties have their own – not dissimilar ideas -  about how to shake up the market.   Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald senior correspondent Katie Bradford is with us to unpack the new supermarket policies and what they tell us about how the election campaign is taking shape. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane Yee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Infrastructure shapes our daily lives, but some might think that it's too often planned election by election.  Infrastructure New Zealand wants to put an end to stop-start funding and shifting priorities, launching "Let's Build NZ".  The campaign promises to put choices in front of voters and rate the parties against its eight priorities.  Today on The Front Page, Infrastructure NZ chief executive Nick Leggett is with us to explain what concrete changes he wants to see so we can build for generations, not just the next election.  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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane Yee   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What we should do with KiwiSaver continues to be a hot topic this election season.   The latest party to throw their idea into the ring is Labour, which wants to lift the employer contribution rate to 6% by 2032.  They would also introduce compulsory employer contributions, even when employees have paused or reduced their own share and extend employer contributions to workers over 65.  Nicola Willis was quick to call the policy a "watered-down" version of National's.  Both New Zealand First and National are proposing compulsory contributions for all workers but have also both announced policies that would automatically enrol babies and children.  Today on The Front Page, Labour's finance spokesperson, Barbara Edmonds is with us to talk us through the plan, and why it's actually different from other parties. 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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane Yee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's finally here, one of the biggest infrastructure projects New Zealand has ever seen.  After years of construction, disruption, and delays, the City Rail Link is finally a reality, which promises to transform the way people move through the heart of the city.  So, what does this mean for Auckland? How will it change the city? And will it all be worth the wait?  Today, we're on location at Te Waihorotiu station as Auckland marks this major milestone.  We'll be speaking to the Herald's property editor Anne Gibson, who's been reporting on the CRLfor decades, and Transport Minister Chris Bishop, who gets to cut the ribbon.  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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane Yee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.