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 construction site? What has gone wrong with this project? And could it have repercussions for other major infrastructure plans around the city?  Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald senior journalist Bernard Orsman takes Damien under the surface of the CRL situation to find out what’s going on.    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 VenutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 is for a potential tsunami.  To explain the science of tsunamis and what we need to know about them, today on The Front Page, Damien speaks to Jose Borrero, a tsunami expert and director of eCoast Marine Consulting and Research. 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 VenutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 what would he have done differently if his party had been shaping this Budget, and what are his economic plans for the election? Today on The Front Page, Christopher Luxon, gives us a view of the alternative choice voters have in the lead-up to the 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: Damien VenutoProducer: Paddy FoxExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 versus election sweeteners? Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald Business editor at large and host of the Money Talks podcast, Liam Dann, gives us a rundown of what effect this Budget is likely to have on the economy, and the country’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. Hosts: Damien VenutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan Sills See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Live from inside the Budget 2023 lockup, this special episode of The Front Page's sister podcast On The Tiles has NZ Herald Deputy Political Editor Thomas Coughlan talking to Infometrics' Brad Olsen about some of the major figures from this year's Budget, with immediate reaction on what it could mean for the Government and inflation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.