Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Donald Trump says it's a waste of time talking with Iran, declaring the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran 'over'. The US President has made the comments at the NATO summit in Turkey, as both sides swap strikes. Trump says his White House negotiators can continue, but he thinks the Iranians are 'liars', calling them cuckoo. UK correspondent Enda Brady unpacked the reactions furthe...

Microsoft is cutting 4800 jobs - about two percent of its global workforce - in a sweeping restructure. Most cuts are part of a restructure of its struggling Xbox gaming division. It's the latest in a string of mass layoffs by the tech giant alongside major investment in AI. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explained the implications of this move. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

Kaikōura's main route south could be closed several more days, as flooding, debris and rockfall is cleared. State Highway 1's back open north of the township, but it's still closed to Waipara, and the Inland Kaikōura Road also can't be used. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 9 July, 2026, Transport Minister Chris Bishop explains how he got it so wrong with the Roads of National Significance promise. Waitakere Indian Association president Sunil Kaushal on how many billions of dollars Indians are contributing to our economy. Warriors chief executive Cameron George on the close connection with Australi...

Tonight on The Huddle, Thomas Scrimgeour from the Maxim Institute and artist and local Government politician Oscar Kightley joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! National has recently confirmed some of the Roads of National Significance and similar transport projects will be placed on the back-burner, with this new scheme being rolled out in 'phases'. Did we t...

Let's not pretend that this roading announcement is not a massive letdown for anyone who voted for the National Party believing it would deliver the roads it promised. It is a huge letdown. Of the 15 Roads of National Significance promised following the last election, only six have construction dates: Takitimu North Link Stage 1 in Tauranga, Ōtaki to north of Levin, the Hawke's Bay Expressway, War...

The Warriors have taken over Australia’s Dreamworld, rebranding it as 'Wahsworld' before their NRL fixture against the Gold Coast Titans. Dreamworld and the Warriors have partnered to create 'Wahsworld' every time the team travels to the Gold Coast to play the Titans - with the official attraction launching on August 1. Warriors CEO Cameron George says he's looking forward to this getting started....

Health New Zealand has confirmed Waikato Hospital's Emergency Department was under some strain when a patient died. A man who couldn't be revived after being found unresponsive last week had been waiting for hours.  A review's found he had an acute unexpected incident that wouldn't have been prevented by more monitoring.  Health NZ Clinical Executive National Director Doctor Richard Sull...

Strikes have reignited between the US and Iran, with no sign of letting up. Donald Trump's ruled the ceasefire over, saying the US has hit 90 targets in a second day of bombing. He's blaming Iran hitting ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which has now unleashed strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait. Former US Marine Gil Barndollar says Iran's back to targeting US military bases - as it did when war broke out...

The Transport Minister says it's hard to know what a road will cost until construction begins. Chris Bishop has released a new phased timeline for the 17 transport projects on the Government's to do list - putting five on the back burner.  The whole 17 roads are expected to come in at roughly $56 billion.  Bishop says these projects will be completed in phases, and there's no market capa...

New Zealand could soon have its second formal ally, as the Government considers joining Australia and Fiji's defence pact. Anthony Albanese and Sitiveni Rabuka inked the deal on Monday, promising to come to each other's defence in an attack.  Prime Minister Chris Luxon's confirmed Cabinet's pondering signing up, and he's spoken to both leaders about it.  Newstalk ZB senior political corr...

New numbers from the Waitakere Indian Association show Kiwi-Indians contributed more than $37 billion to the economy annually to March 2025.  The association argues this demonstrates the community is critical to the success of the India-New Zealand FTA. NZ First has railed against the FTA, saying it'll allow more Indian migrants into the country.  President Sunil Kaushal says the numbers...

There's an unidentified mess in the studio, and it's unclear who the culprit is. The Afternoons show took place before Heather's Drive show, and Matt Heath joined in to shed some light on the matter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right-wing UK politician Nigel Farage is set to spend more than half a million dollars after triggering a by-election in the electorate where he's already an MP. It comes after criticism over his financial support, after local media reported he had not declared benefits. The Reform UK leader has also faced questions over a five-million pound gift, which he didn't register. UK correspondent Gavin G...

A private jet company boss has voiced concerns about what could happen if there's not reform at the Civil Aviation Authority - and he's taken these worries to the Government. NZ Jet owner John Ambler has heard concerns from former and current CAA staff about the organisation's culture.  He says it includes an erosion of expertise, and operators fearing they'd be punished for raising concerns....

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 8 July, 2026, Reserve Bank governor Anna Breman tells us why the Official Cash Rate has risen for the first time in three years. Labour leader Chris Hipkins explains the difference between his party and National on solar power policy. Coach Dame Noeline Taurua can barely contain her excitement at being back in charge of the Sil...

People are not moving between jobs as seamlessly as they should in a productive economy, thanks to overly restrictive employment contracts. This is the conclusion reached by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), after a major new study spanning 15 countries including New Zealand. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee o...

The OCR has been increased for the first time in three years, and it's prompted a divided response among experts. The Monetary Policy Committee's unanimously agreed to raise the cash rate to 2.5 percent. Milford Asset Management's Remy Wisenberg unpacked the reactions further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners and NZ Herald senior correspondent Katie Bradford joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Reserve Bank increased the OCR, for the first time in 3 years. Do we think this was the right call? Do we think this is good news for the state of the economy? Both Labour and National have announced new solar...

The Official Cash Rate has gone up by 25 basis points. This is the first rise we've seen in three years. It was unanimous around the committee table that it needed to happen because of inflation. Even though petrol and diesel prices have fallen sharply since the Iran war ceasefire deal was struck, they're not back to pre-war levels yet and they won't be for some time. That, of course, is inflation...

The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games are due to get under way in a couple of weeks, and the pressure's on for the Silver Ferns. The team are in camp currently, and their first match against Scotland will mark 634 days since Dame Noeline Taurua's last match in charge after she was controversially stood down. Taurua says getting back into coaching the side was like 'riding a horse' and she's 'amped'...

Blueberry growers have voiced concerns over the prospect of New Zealand relaxing its food import rules following an E.coli outbreak in the US. The outbreak has been linked to a shipment of frozen berries in Chile. The growers fear that MPI changes to berry imports could also bring new pests or diseases onto New Zealand shores. One grower, Dan Peach, says MPI hasn't considered the risks involved in...

ACT expects the prison population to grow under its policy of cracking down on burglars - but says it's necessary. The Party wants a mandatory three-year prison sentence for offenders convicted of burglary three times, claiming judges are too lenient in sentencing.  Deputy Leader Nicole McKee says it's clear changes need to be made, and repeat offenders will need to face punishment. "We've sa...

The Reserve Bank Governor says Kiwis will ultimately benefit from today's OCR hike - the first in more than three years. The cash rate has been raised to 2.5 percent. Governor Anna Breman says inflation's been eating up household budgets. She says getting inflation back down helps everyone. "It will actually make sure that households get their purchasing power back, they can spend more, they can g...

The Reserve Bank moved to increase the OCR, prompting concern from some over what it could mean for the economy. The central bank raised the cash rate to 2.5 percent - the first hike in more than three years. Some economists thought inflation could surge as high as 4.8 percent this quarter. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says inflation needs to be brought under control - so...