Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Do you know what I'm not going to miss? Public payphones.  Spark has finally reached the end of the road. They've made the decision to rip 90% of these public payphones out of the ground.  They tried to save them. They tried to talk Auckland Council into a deal where they could modernise the payphones in Auckland and operate them on behalf of the public. In exchange, Spark would have bee...

Tonight on The Huddle, Newstalk ZB sports reader Andrew Alderson and New Zealand Herald sports journalist joined in on a discussion about all of the latest New Zealand sporting issues. Today a judge rejected a bid from NZ Rugby to stop the launch of a new Chiefs NRL team in Papua New Guinea. Is this the end or should NZ rugby fight more? The Kiwis lost to the kangaroos in the Rugby League World Cu...

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 16 October. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some small kiwi businesses have been surprised by Facebook's newest fees. Meta has launched a new subscription service that charges businesses a monthly fee to post links to their websites.  It will cost $260 a month in New Zealand, and businesses will still be limited to posting just 20 links in the comments.  Tech commentator Bill Bennett told Heather du Plessis-Allan that Meta hasn't...

30,000 people in Wellington have failed to pay their first water bill under the new Tiaki Wai water services company, almost one in five customers.   Wellington's Mayor Andrew Little told Heather du Plessis-Allan there are a variety of reasons why people haven't paid their new water bills. Some were surprised to get the bill separately from their rates while others are finding it unaffordable...

Right, so the question is whether the Taxpayers' Union has gone too far with its AI advert about Chris Hipkins. If you haven't seen the ad yet, let me explain it. It's a short video that starts with a ginger-haired man in a suit and red tie sprinting down a suburban street. He kicks in a door and runs into a house where a family is having dinner. He grabs all their wallets from the table and runs...

There has been some confusion over whether the National party is open to working with the Opportunity Party after leader Christopher Luxon reportedly told supporters he would work with 'whoever he has to' to secure a second term. The party has since clarified that Luxon was referring to working with New Zealand First and Act MPs, and that his position on Opportunity hasn't changed. Newstalk Z...

Former Newstalk ZB afternoons host Danny Watson is being remembered for his lasting legacy on broadcasting after passing away following a short illness at the age of 73. His whānau say he was a familiar face and voice to many, but he was also a cherished husband, devoted father, and adored koro. Danny's lifelong friend Sir Ian Taylor, who, like Danny, made his name in TV when they co-presented chi...

Ukrainian soldiers have had their use of Starlink terminals restricted by Elon Musk's firm SpaceX. Officials in Kyiv say new limitations on the military-grade version have disrupted drone missions, and Musk has since claimed the US is behind this move. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in London, and he feels 'betrayed' by this, and he's said as much in interviews.  LIST...

The US isn't the only nation with significant Government debt, with economic concerns in the UK set to impact the wider world. Over in the UK, long-term borrowing rates are hitting fresh 30-year highs, and it's making a mark on the share market. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explained the impact further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beef + Lamb NZ chair Kate Acland is set to make a case for New Zealand exporters at a hearing of the US International Trade Commission in the coming days. This weekend's hearing will determine whether lamb imports are causing harm to US producers, with Beef + Lamb NZ arguing that imports help meet demand from US consumers. The Country's Jamie Mackay says the Commission has until November 13 to det...

Tonight on The Huddle, lawyer and National Party activist and artist and local Government politician Oscar Kightley joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! After the Greens were spotted doing a photo op with the Mongrel Mob, they've doubled down and claimed they'd consider dumping the patch ban, and that they're open to mob-delivered drug-rehab work. Is this a b...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 15 October, 2026, we talk to a Starship Hospital doctor about children's cancer treatment being delayed because of understaffing. Winston Peters is showing an interest in combat sports. Why Paul Goldsmith should keep going to music awards, despite always facing flak. And on The Huddle, Oscar Kightley and Liam Hehir on whether th...

Three months after Burger Burger went into liquidation, the Kiwi brand has been given a new chance at life. Four big Kiwi brands, Neat Meat, Mammoth Brands, Eastrock and Sawmill Brewery, have joined forces to revive the burger chain.  Mammoth Brands co-founder Chris Henderson says the newly reopened Torbay store is seeing huge crowds.  "Just seeing the love from the community, the connec...

Now, there's a headline today that deserves a bit of discussion. It's this: "Silver Scrolls: Why does Paul Goldsmith keep turning up to these things?" And the reason for that headline is that Paul Goldsmith went to the Silver Scroll Awards and, yet again, the musicians gave him a hard time. Madeleine Sami, who was the MC, got up and started it off with, "You're brave." Then Rob Ruha got up to coll...

National's Energy Spokesperson says a six-month timeframe to get plug-in solar in shops is totally doable.  The party is promising it'll get it done, if re-elected.  New regulations are needed to allow sales in New Zealand.  Simeon Brown says getting them here is as simple as ordering them from Europe.  "Put it in a container, get it in the ship, bring it out here and get it on...

New Zealand First is promising more regulation in combat sports - but an MMA coach advises caution. The party wants to set up a Combat Sports Commission, to oversee licensing, and require medical professionals at events.  It also wants penalties to crack down on gangs hosting unsanctioned events.  City Kickboxing trainer Mike Angove says for some, these sports are rehabilitative.  "...

A lifelong gang member says Green Party decisions around gangs this week have a bad look. Greens and  Te Pāti Māori MPs this week visited the Mongrel Mob HQ, posing for photos. The Greens say they'd consider dumping the patch ban, and are open to mob-delivered drug-rehab work. Denis O'Reilly says the patch bans reduced aggressive behaviour.  He says gangs mightn't be the best to lead ant...

Starship Hospital has confirmed nurse shortages forced some cancer treatment delays - but says things are business as usual.  It's delayed about 20 chemotherapy cycles a few days, out of up to 600. Health New Zealand Auckland Group Operations Director Dr Mike Shepherd says as usual, they've sought support across the organisation.  "At times of very high demand, very high staff sickness a...

Candidates from Te Pāti Māori and the Greens were recently spotted meeting with the Mongrel Mob on social media, and it's prompted some backlash. Chris Hipkins and Labour have since ruled out any MP from those parties holding the Justice or Police portfolios. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper has labelled this as 'absurd' and that Luxon should have drawn more attention to this...

An investigation by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission revealed that over $250 million in Covid-19 support was paid to 9,000 ineligible Victorian businesses.  The probe found that multiple senior public servants withheld information from the minister overseeing the scheme back in 2021-2022. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says these business didn't have the GST compli...

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has stuck with the tried and true for the return test against the Wallabies in Sydney. Only three changes have been made to the run-on side. After needing three selection meetings to pick the line-up that blitzed Australia at Eden Park, coach Dave Rennie says it was a much easier team to name second time around. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacked the selections...

The All Blacks are gearing up for their second Bledisloe Cup test in Sydney this weekend, and coach Dave Rennie's confirmed some changes. Rennie and his fellow selectors have named eight changes to the matchday 23, but just three of those are in the main first XV. Former All Black Sir John Kirwan says the Kiwi side will be looking to have another good performance, considering they're recovering fr...

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has summoned the Russian ambassador after two merchant ships were struck by drones off the region's Black Sea coast. One ship sank, six crew members were rescued - but 10 more are missing, according to recent reports. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says this attack comes a week after two other ships were attacked by drones in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. LI...

Tonight's leaders' debate between Luxon and Hipkins isn't the only big political face-off happening tonight.  The ‘ASB Great Finance Debate’ will take place in Queenstown this evening, and the finance spokespeople from all the major parties will outline their campaign announcements.    NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny was there - and she unpacked the mood of the...