Inside the $2.75 million gang rehab experiment episode artwork

EPISODE · May 20, 2026 · 17 MIN

Inside the $2.75 million gang rehab experiment

from The Front Page · host NZ Herald

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 DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Inside the $2.75 million gang rehab experiment

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This episode was published on May 20, 2026.

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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...

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