Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Over in Australia, the Government's denying their move to lift restrictions on imports of US beef is not related to President Trump's increasing tariff war. The Government recently confirmed that the Department of Agriculture would allow the imports into Australia, saying the US now 'effectively' manages the biosecurity risks.  Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the Opposition has rais...

The removal of Sport New Zealand's community sport trans guidelines are sparking debate around who wins and who loses protection.  The principles around allowing participation based on gender identity were scrapped following a Government directive.  Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacks the situation further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donors have expressed concerns after Givealittle shut down multiple pages designed to raise relief aid money for Gaza. Givealittle has confirmed it's required to assess the risks amid concerns surrounding money laundering. ReliefAid founder Mike Seawright says Givealittle can't determine where the money is going in a peer-to-peer donation situation. "There are other issues of course, there's legal...

The Treasury has confirmed concerns were raised about former Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr’s conduct. Its comment comes as it responds to an allegation there was more to Orr’s departure than the public has been led to believe. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny speculates further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over 100 survivors of alleged sexual abuse by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed have entered the company’s compensation scheme, reports confirmed. The retailer set up the scheme after dozens of women came forward with allegations of abuse by the late owner, with some going as far back as 1977. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

Fletcher Building is looking into possibly selling its construction arm. It's exploring divesting its main construction division - and the Higgins, Brian Perry Civil and Fletcher Construction Major Projects business units. Milford Asset Management's Andrew Curtayne explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Kiwiblog's David Farrar joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Can we confirm Nicola Willis' meeting with Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell was entirely pointless?  Some advocates have blamed the Government's policies for the increase in homelessness. What do we make of this? LISTE...

Tower is ending its multi-policy discounts, with the insurer claiming the level of risk is unacceptable for meeting regulatory requirements. The insurer previously offered people who bought two eligible policies up to 10 percent off their premiums and up to 20 percent off if people had three or more eligible policies. Massey University marketing professor Bodo Lang explains why these changes are t...

So guess what's happening after Nicola Willis' butter meeting with Fonterra last night? Nothing. After hyping the meeting, after Mikey chasing Miles down the street, after the news going live with the banner across the TV that the Fonterra meeting is underway, after all of that - nothing is happening because nothing can happen, because Fonterra's not ripping us off. We're simply paying the sa...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 23 July 2025, Space Minister Judith Collins explains why she urgently needed to change the law to crack down on foreign actors manipulating our space industry. Homelessness rose by 37% between 2018 and 2023 - and councils say anecdotally the situation has got even worse since then. Nicola Willis has had her big meeting with Fon...

A battle's flared between Federated Farmers and Greenpeace. Federated Farmers says the activist group should be stripped of its charitable status for defacing Gore's iconic brown trout statue to highlight how dairy pollution's affected the town's water. A three-day do-not-drink notice was issued Friday, because of elevated nitrate levels. Southland Federated Farmers president, Jason Herrick, says...

Almost a century after Phillis Symons was murdered and buried in an unmarked Karori grave, a headstone mysteriously appeared. Symons, 17 and pregnant, was killed by George Errol Coats in June 1931 and buried - some say alive - in the dirt excavated to build the Mt Victoria tunnel, where her body was later discovered. Historian Gabor Toth says it's a mystery as to how the headstone got there. "The...

A new law on space infrastructure is being described as immediately enhancing national security. The bill's passed under urgency today, and requires a Government permit for anyone wanting to operate ground-based space infrastructure, like a launch pad. Permission can be removed if the security risk can't be managed. Space Minister Judith Collins says there are risks from so much banking and commun...

A social housing commentator says the numbers of people without a home is probably worse than data suggests.  June Homelessness Insights released today show rough sleeping's worsening countrywide, across all measures.  The 2023 Census indicated a 37 percent increase between 2018 and 2023, reaching almost 5,000 without shelter.  But Bernie Smith says the Census wasn't that accurate -...

The Finance Minister says all roads lead back to supermarket competition, as questions loom over spiralling dairy prices. Nicola Willis yesterday spoke with with Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell - in a meeting she's called constructive and candid. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says it's likely the Government will make an announcement on supermarkets in the coming day...

More tributes for heavy metal pioneer Ozzy Osbourne, who's died aged 76. Band-mates of Black Sabbath's lead singer say they've lost a brother. Musos from Pearl Jam, Metallica and Aerosmith are calling Osbourne a hero, and an inspiration for generations. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Osbourne helped bring metal music into the mainstream - at least, in the US. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/...

The findings of a coronial inquest into the death of a charity boxer in 2018, criticised by a mother for “pulling my son’s integrity apart”, recommend a tightening up of rules and regulations for future corporate events. The findings come as the Government proposes to repeal the Boxing and Wrestling Act of 1981. Kain Parsons died on November 6, 2018 – three days after taking part in the “Fight for...

Wellington’s mega concert drought is officially over, after Ed Sheeran confirmed he was returning to New Zealand next January. The capital’s last major concert was the Foo Fighters in 2024 - and since then, global superstars like Lewis Capaldi and Lorde have skipped over Wellington when announcing their tours. Wellington NZ chief executive Mark Oldershaw says Wellington's a big city that manages t...

Over in the UK, the Government is looking into a review of the state pension age to see if it needs to be increased. The review will consider whether the current state pension age - currently 66 - is still appropriate, based on factors such as life expectancy. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this comes as Denmark pushes the pension age back to 70, and it's raised some concerns. LISTEN ABOVE See o...

Concerns have been raised among economists as inflation data suggests things may not be as on track as they seem. Inflation has hit 2.7 percent, with big food increases led by massive hikes in food prices. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham explains what this could do for the Reserve Bank's outlook going foward. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand red meat exports earned an extra $1.2 billion this year, due to good livestock pricing and tighter supplies.  But the country's $10 billion-plus red meat sector has raised the alarm that it was struggling to get the numbers of livestock needed to satisfy international demand. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

Tonight on The Huddle, former High Commissioner to the UK and former Auckland mayor Phil Goff and Thomas Scrimgeour from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Sky TV has bought Three for $1. What do we make of the deal? What does this mean for the future of the industry? New Zealand has joined the international calls for an end to the...

There's concerns over whether the costs for the new Waikato University medical school will blow out and be passed on to taxpayers. Cabinet will contribute $80 million to the $230-million-dollar Waikato University school, which is expected to open in 2028 for 120 trainees.  University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor Neil Quigley says the university is on track for a surplus of $20 million this fina...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 22 July 2025, Sky TV chief executive Sophie Moloney tells Heather why she bought Three for $1. Foreign Minister Winston Peters says enough is enough in Gaza, but what will it really take to end the war? Reserve Bank Governor Neil Quigley gets a grilling after new claims about the events that led to ex-Governor's Adrian Orr's resi...

The big news of the day is another $1 deal in the media, which probably tells you everything you need to know about the state of the industry. But this is, on balance, good news for everyone - I would have thought. It's good for you, for viewers, good for Sky, and good for Three. And I'm gonna work backwards on that - Let's start with TV3. It's good news for Three and for the people who work...