More than seven months after leaving Newstalk ZB, Rachel Smalley has resurfaced at the government's KiwiBuild housing programme.

Making good on her announcement last November that her next job would be in the corporate world rather than journalism, the former TV3 and TVNZ reporter is now KiwiBuild's general manager of stakeholder engagement and communications. The 46-year-old had been touted as a possible replacement for John Campbell on Radio New Zealand's Checkpoint programme, a role that went to Lisa Owen last week.

Part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. KiwiBuild has been charged with drive the government's house build plans until a new Housing Commission is established to take long-term ownership of Labour's flagship residential building plan.

RADIO TARANA Radio Tarana's Vandhna Bhan breaks down the facts to find out if the government's plan to build more homes is realistic.

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A fixture on radio and our television screens for two decades, Wellington Polytechnic graduate Smalley developed a reputation as being a voice for the downtrodden around the globe, a champion of women and for being committed to hard news.

In 2016, Smalley travelled to the Middle East and lobbied the Government to extend its financial support for Syrian refugees.

Her award-winning Forgotten Millions campaign with NZME raised close to $4m for World Vision's Syrian refugee programme, while her last show Early Edition, the 5am to 6am weekday programme, which she hosted for four years, won Programme of the Year at the New Zealand Radio Awards.



Smalley also had a brush with controversy in 2014 after calling New Zealand women "heifers" and "a bunch of lardos" on air when she thought her microphone was switched off. She apologised and said she "deeply" regretted the comment.