Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

After many years on Sky, the ANZ Premiership is set to return to TVNZ for the 2026 season. A one-season broadcast deal has officially been confirmed, with the competition to remain in the current two-round format. Sports, Events and Partnerships Head at TVNZ, Melodie Robinson, says this is good news - as there's still a massive fanbase for netball. "We're really excited that all of the ANZ champio...

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer caught up with President Donald Trump during the US leader's trip to Scotland, with experts claiming Trump dominated the exchange. Trump reportedly expressed concerns about the region's wind farms, weighed in on London's 'terrible' mayor, and offered Keir Starmer political advice ahead of the next election. UK correspondent Enda Brady unpacked the exchange further. L...

Tonight on The Huddle, CTU economist Craig Renney and Jordan Williams of the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Sir Michael Hill passed away today - what did we make of his legacy and professional advice? What can the rest of the nation learn from him? The Government will run an investigation to clarify whether farm children are safe to col...

Jeremy Williamson, head of private wealth and markets at Craigs Investment Partners, recently claimed there was momentum building for Kiwis to move away from investing in property - but one expert has suggested differently. Matt Ball from the Property Investors Federation acknowledged people were getting more savvy about outside investments and that the property market was changing, but claimed th...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 29 July 2025, 36,000 nurses are set to go on strike tomorrow. Health NZ's Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard tells Heather the impact on elective surgeries is huge as thousands will have their operations delayed. NZ business legend Sir Michael Hill has passed away. Chair of Michael Hill, Rob Fyfe, tells Heather about the huge legacy he le...

Federated Farmers is welcoming new Government proposals to make farm health and safety rules more practical - and grounded in real-world standards. The Government will spend two months consulting with farmers to determine whether farm kids are safe to do certain chores, including feeding animals, watering plants and collecting eggs. Federated Farmers' health and safety spokesperson David Birkett s...

A top lawyer working with the plaintiffs in a large-scale banking class action is calling for a formal investigation into the 'serious civil service process failures' by MBIE. Rachael Reed, KC, has outlined her objections in a letter to Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche and Attorney-General Judith Collins, voicing concerns with the Reserve Bank's risk assessment. She says the $12.9 billi...

Sad news today - Sir Michael Hill, jeweller, has passed away. Again, he's another larger-than-life figure in New Zealand business - the likes of which we don't seem to be making anymore. Now, I don't know if you realize - I mean, we've all grown up with Michael Hill just being a name we knew - but I don't know if you realize how amazing his story was. He did not start his jewellery business until...

Oranga Tamariki is being ordered to pay more than $100,000 after trying to remove a Māori child from her Pākehā foster parents. The agency didn't think they could meet her cultural needs. Family Court Judge Peter Callinicos slammed Oranga Tamariki for putting ideology ahead of a child’s best interests. Children's Minister Karen Chhour says the case highlights why she fought to repeal section 7AA o...

The Public Service Association says lifting public sector board member paychecks is total hypocrisy.  A quietly-released Cabinet paper reveals annual governance board chair fees have jumped from up to $90,000, to more than $160,000. PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says this decision comes from the same leaders who cancelled pay equity claims and offered meagre minimum-wage increases....

Tens of thousands of nurses will walk off the job tomorrow. Last-ditch talks between Health NZ and the country's biggest nurses' union have failed to stop a nationwide strike. Health NZ estimates more than 4,000 planned procedures and specialist appointments will have to be postponed. National Chief Medical Officer, Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard, says essential services will continue - but warns peopl...

Kiwi business icon Sir Michael Hill is being remembered as one-of-a-kind. He died today aged 86, after a cancer battle. He opened his first jewellery store in Whangārei and grew the brand globally to Australia and Canada. He's well-known for his championship Queenstown golf course 'the Hills' and for founding an international violin competition. Company chair Rob Fyfe says Hill was always a studen...

A suite of new voting rules has passed its first reading in the House - 68 to 54. Changes include moves to ban same-day enrolment.  Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says the bill overhauls outdated and unsustainable electoral laws. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says there'll be plenty of advertising ahead of the next election - and people shouldn't be enrolling to vote...

Australian exporters may face tariffs of up to 20 percent as US President Donald Trump keeps flagging higher baselines. Trump revealed the range for the new minimum tariff earlier this week, and the pressure's on the Albanese-led Government to strike a better deal. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says it's unclear how the Government will proceed here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener...

The Warriors are expecting a sellout crowd in their return to Wellington for the first time in three years. Sky Stadium will stage next year's annual ANZAC Day NRL match - against a yet to be confirmed opponent. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave speculates about what this means for the team. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's calls for law changes among experts after a 2-month-old baby died after she was allegedly given medication at an adult dosage by a pharmacy. This incident has prompted the Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand to 'urgently' undertake a joint review into the incident. Lanny Wong, director of Mangawhai Pharmacy and a member of the national executive of the Pharmaceutical Society says som...

Analysis of the EU-US trade deal suggests it’s a huge win for the US and a major climbdown for the EU. The details of the deal have still been kept under wraps, but Donald Trump is set to meet with Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer to further discuss trade. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump recently announced that the United States and the European Union reached a framework for a trade deal. Trump reportedly had talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland. Harbour Asset Management spokesperson Shane Solly explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent data shows there were 27,850 fewer jobs in New Zealand in June compared to the year before, and young Kiwis are being hit hard by a tightening labour market. Over 12,000 of those lost jobs came from the construction sector, manufacturing lost 5850 jobs, professional, scientific and technical services lost 5150 jobs and admin and support services lost 4860 jobs. Infometrics principal economi...

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and former Labour minister Stuart Nash joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Government is banning retailers from charging credit card surcharges - but banks are still allowed to charge the retailers. What do we make of this? Is this unfair for retailers?  Prime Minister Chris Luxon got booed...

The Finance Minister has hinted changes are on the way for the supermarket sector, with a further update due out by the end of August. Speculation indicates the Government will make an announcement to address the situation. Nicola Willis says Prime Minister Luxon has confirmed the Government will be making an announcement this quarter. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 28 July 2025, a combative interview with Commerce Minister Scott Simpson who is announcing a ban on credit card surcharges - but will retailers pass on the cost anyway? Israel is finally letting some aid back into Gaza. Heather asks Claire Manera from Doctors Without Borders whether the aid is actually getting to people in need. B...

The news of the day, politically, is that surcharges are gone, as the Government's just banned them. You know what I'm talking about here, right? They're the little extra amount that you get pinged when you turn up at the dairy and you use your credit card, or you use your paywave - it's gone from May next year. The big sell behind this is basically that it's to help you with the cost of living cr...

The Government's recent ban on on payment card surcharges has been met with criticism from the retail and hospitality sectors. The Government's announced it will scrap extra in-store card fees by next May. The Commerce Commission has already reduced bank interchange visa and master card fees for businesses. Dairy and Business Owners Group chair Ankit Bansal says these proposed changes are 'unfair'...

Humanitarian groups say there's zero evidence to support the claim that Hamas is stealing humanitarian aid meant for Gaza.    Trucks and airdrops are reaching the Strip after Israel's paused fighting to open some aid corridors.  International pressure's been mounting as starvation deepens.  Doctors Without Borders coordinator Claire Manera says Israeli authorities are the only...