5 DEC 2019 · Each week The Front Page takes you behind the scenes of the biggest story from the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB. Today it's the possible move for Ports of Auckland, and how it could impact the whole country. Hosted by Frances Cook. New Zealand is a country that relies on its trade relationships in order to keep a good standard of living, and a lot of those imports and exports come through the ports. That’s why a debate over Auckland’s port has grown so heated, as some say it should be moved to Northland. The situation came to a head with a leak of documents to the Herald’s own Simon Wilson this week. The report showed the cost of leaving the port where it is to be about $8 billion. But moving it will cost about $10 billion. Add to that the complex social impacts, with transport infrastructure needing to change to support either decision, and jobs on the line in Auckland, Northland, and the wider country. For the latest Front Page podcast I talked to Simon Wilson about what the leak means, how this debate became so tense and fractured, and if there are any hints on what the Government will decide. If you have questions about Herald investigations, or want to stay up to date on social media, you can find host Frances Cook on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook

28 NOV 2019 · Each week The Front Page takes you behind the scenes of the biggest story from the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB. Today it's the proposed changes to fix the homes we live in. Hosted by Frances Cook. Rental property law is a bone of contention currently, with proposed changes to how the system works. It could have a huge impact on people's lives, as there’s about 600,000 rental homes in New Zealand, and 1.5 million of us live in them. The Government has announced a raft of possible changes, which if passed would be the biggest changes to tenancy laws since 1986. Landlords are nervous, and particularly pushing back on the idea of scrapping "no-cause terminations" - the ability to tell tenants they need to leave without giving a reason. But it's not just rentals, there is also problems with our housing stock more generally. The latest Stats NZ data shows mould is a problem in more than a third of NZ homes. It is more prevalent in rental homes than owner-occupied. For the latest Front Page podcast I talked to Herald journalists Anne Gibson and Ben Leahy. We discussed what the debated changes would mean for New Zealanders, if the tenancy tribunal needs more teeth, and how to make sure housing isn't hurting our health. For the interviews, listen to the podcast. If you have questions about Herald investigations, or want to stay up to date on social media, you can find host Frances Cook on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook

7 NOV 2019 · Each week The Front Page takes you behind the scenes of the biggest story from the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB. Today it's what we can all do to help those in mental distress. Hosted by Frances Cook. It’s no secret that New Zealand has a mental health problem, but many of us can feel paralysed if a friend tells us they’re having trouble. Especially if we're not entirely sure what they're going through; while many of us have heard of depression, there's much less talk about what it's like when you're dealing with OCD, or psychosis. So journalist Juliette Sivertsen decided to find out what it's like for people going through different types of challenges, and the support that actually helped them in their dark moments. She talked to people who have gone through mental distress, and their support people, for the new podcast Just Listen. Juliette came on the Front Page podcast to talk about why the series was important, anything that surprised her while working on it, and the duty of care journalists have when working on such subjects. If you have questions about Herald investigations, or want to stay up to date on social media, you can find host Frances Cook on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook

31 OCT 2019 · Each week The Front Page takes you behind the scenes of the biggest story from the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB. Today it's why the SkyCity fire raged so far out of control, and what to expect next. Hosted by Frances Cook. More than 100,000 New Zealand student loan borrowers are living overseas, and some now say they feel trapped there, unable to even come home for funerals. Hundreds have made the decision to declare bankruptcy, while others have taken the risk of coming home, and been arrested at the airport. Others have stayed in New Zealand, but put off having children or buying a home, saying they simply can't afford it. The Herald's Simon Collins looked into the problem for the Generation Debt series, and took us behind the scenes for the latest Front Page podcast. Read more of his series here: Generation Debt: Ex-Kiwi student loan borrowers scared to come home https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12268861 Generation Debt: Student loan for life was 'well worth it' https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12267976 Generation Debt: How student loans have defined a generation https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12265965 If you have questions about Herald investigations, or want to stay up to date on social media, you can find host Frances Cook on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook

24 OCT 2019 · Each week The Front Page takes you behind the scenes of the biggest story from the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB. Today it's why the SkyCity fire raged so far out of control, and what to expect next. Hosted by Frances Cook. A shocking blaze at the $700m SkyCity convention centre has brought Auckland to a standstill, with 150 firefighters battling the fire at its peak. As the fire raged, smoke filled the central business district, with many reporting sore throats, burning eyes, and coughing. The fire is now under control, but firefighters say they expect to be at the site for days, dampening down hotspots. How on earth could this fire rage out of control in modern times, and how bad will this be for our economy? To answer common questions the newsroom was sent during the fire, Anna Leask and Anne Gibson came on The Front Page podcast. We discussed what made the fire so challening to put out, whether there were problems with the building construction, and how far into the millions the damage could go. If you have questions about Herald investigations, or want to stay up to date on social media, you can find host Frances Cook on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook

17 OCT 2019 · Each week The Front Page takes you behind the scenes of the biggest story from the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB. Today it's the escalating problems in housing, and how it impacts us all. Hosted by Frances Cook. A new investigation is sounding a warning that thousands more New Zealanders are in danger of homelessness, with demand for state housing far outstripping the rate at which it's being built. Some commentators are warning that people living in caravan parks and motels becomes our new normal. It particularly spells trouble for working parents, and those about to hit retirement. But it impacts everyone, with the wider housing issue leaving New Zealand with the highest house prices relative to income in the OECD. The past 30 years has seen falling home-ownership rates, a lack of new rentals, and rising rents. It's this wider trend which has priced working families out of private rentals, and into state housing, or homelessness. For the latest Front Page I spoke with investigative journalist Kirsty Johnston about what she uncovered, and the small number of solutions available. If you have questions about Herald investigations, or want to stay up to date on social media, you can find host Frances Cook on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook

10 OCT 2019 · Each week The Front Page takes you behind the scenes of the biggest story from the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB. Today it's miniscule numbers of people voting in local elections, and what needs to change. Hosted by Frances Cook. Local body elections are closing this weekend, but are already marred by plummeting voter turnout in many areas. At the last available count, 22.6 per cent of Auckland's voters have had a say. Meanwhile in Wellington, as of Wednesday, only 25.4 per cent have cast a vote. Some, even the Prime Minister herself, are suggesting this means it's time to change. Jacinda Ardern has stated she wants online voting to be an option in the 2022 local elections. But do we blame lazy voters, uninspiring council candidates, or the system itself? Herald super city reporter Bernard Orsman and Herald Wellington issues reporter Georgina Campbell joined me on the latest Front Page podcast. We talked about what they've seen going wrong, whether online voting will fix it, and who's really to blame. If you have questions about Herald investigations, or want to stay up to date on social media, you can find host Frances Cook on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook

3 OCT 2019 · Each week The Front Page takes you behind the scenes of the biggest story from the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB. Today it's the changing nature of trade, and how it impacts New Zealand. Hosted by Frances Cook. The world trade environment has profoundly changed over the past few years, as world superpowers the United States and United Kingdom both retreat into protectionism. It's not just about money, but relationships, as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern showed when she started a trade agreement to fight climate change. Ardern announced the launch of negotiations for the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS) at the United Nations in New York last week. The agreement includes goals like removing tariffs on environmental products, but so far only five countries have signed up. Meanwhile the World Trade Organisation has cut its forecast for trade growth by more than half, and issued a warning that living standards and jobs could take a hit. Back in New Zealand, the September ANZ Business Outlook Survey shows business confidence falling once again. So as the US and UK take a step back from the world stage, does it mean lean times for the rest of us, or will something or someone else fill the vacuum? Herald business editor at large Liam Dann came on the Front Page podcast to discuss these issues, and where it leaves New Zealand. If you have questions about Herald investigations, or want to stay up to date on social media, you can find host Frances Cook on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook

26 SEP 2019 · The protests in Hong Kong have now been going for more than 100 days, and it seems neither side is willing to give up. It started with plans to allow extraditions to mainland China, but has now grown into a wider movement questioning the entire relationship between Hong Kong and the mainland. Herald reporter Keith Ng has been on the ground in Hong Kong, and joined me on the Front Page to talk about the levels of anger in Hong Kong, what's at stake, and why NZ needs to be careful not to become a pawn. If you have questions about Herald investigations, or want to stay up to date on social media, you can find host Frances Cook on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook

19 SEP 2019 · Each week The Front Page takes you behind the scenes of the biggest story from the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB. Today it's the Covering Climate Now campaign, and the groundswell of urgency. Hosted by Frances Cook. Climate change is an issue that's being treated with increasing urgency, as voters take up the cause, and politicians take notice. Data from the Pew Research Centre shows that internationally, 67 per cent of us see climate change as a major threat to our country. That number is from the median of respondents in 23 countries in 2018. It's a jump up from 56 per cent in 2013. But the issue has been bubbling away for decades. The first report on climate change by a New Zealand government was commissioned in 1988, a year when David Lange was Labour Prime Minister, the first Die Hard movie was in cinemas and All Black Ryan Crotty was born. So why are people suddenly wanting change now? And, is all of this awareness and urgency just too little, too late? For the latest Front Page podcast I talked to Herald science reporter Jamie Morton. We discussed the best and worst case scenarios, why it's taken so long to act, and what the average person can do to make an impact. If you have questions about Herald investigations, or want to stay up to date on social media, you can find host Frances Cook on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook