Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Coach Scott Robertson has unveiled his first All Blacks 23 of the year. Apart from positional changes for Reiko Ioane, Tupou Vaa'i and Ardie Savea, there are four uncapped players in the squad to take on France in Dunedin this Saturday. Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Building and Construction Minister is backing scaling back some insulation standards. The Government's called the changes 'common sense' - with building costs rising more than 40 percent since 2019. It's expected building code insulation requirements will be relaxed by the year's end. Chris Penk says they add huge costs. "Depending on where you are in the country or depending on what the condi...

Three former staffers at the hospital where British nurse Lucy Letby murdered seven babies and attempted to kill seven others have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.  The trio worked on the senior leadership team at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

2025 is halfway over - so how are the global markets holding up, and what can investors expect for the second half of the year? Several key markets have delivered decent returns so far, but Trump's 'Liberation Day' delivered a turbulent period. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reports reveal ACC is planning to be more scrupulous when paying claims, as the Government pressures it to run a tighter ship. The state insurer has committed to “highly ambitious” targets around getting injured people rehabilitated and back to work quicker. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners and former Auckland mayor Phil Goff joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Modern parents are sceptical of sleepovers as awareness of sexual harm rises. How do we square this circle? There is now a push for Auckland Council to ban private choppers in residential areas altogether following the ongoing...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 2 July 2025, Donald Trump says Israel has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza. International relations expert Stephen Hoadley has his doubts and says this is a very different situation to the war with Iran. The Government's chief victims adviser Ruth Money explains why she wants an end to jury trials in sexual assault cases. R...

This debate about Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams' helicopter has just got really, really silly in the last day. There is now a push for Auckland Council to ban private choppers in residential areas altogether when they next review the unitary plan for Auckland city, and at least 2 councillors now back that. And one of the councillors backing it is the councillor whose ward covers the Mowbray p...

Australian mining firm Santana Minerals has forecasted making $3.8 billion (NZD) in pre-tax profit off a proposed gold mine it hopes to open in Otago by 2027. The company believes it could get 1.25 million ounces of gold from the mine near Cromwell - and the profit is predicted to be significant if gold prices keep holding up. Santana Minerals CEO Damian Spring says this mine will come with divide...

There's been a noticeable increase in parents refusing to send their children to sleepovers in recent years. Many parents are worried about the potential harm that could come to their children under the watch of other families, with some refusing to let kids stay with close family members.  Therapist and parenting educator Jo Robertson says parents don't have to ban them outright, but it's im...

A defence lawyer says the outcome of the trial of Restore Passenger Rail protesters is 'strange'.  The Post reports six people have been allowed to withdraw their guilty pleas, and the judge tossed their charges.  It was over a series of Wellington protests that disrupted traffic.  Steve Cullen says it might be a case of the judge responding to a moral undercurrent.  "A certain...

Tauranga's mayor says the region wants certainty - as a deal with the Government inches closer. Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop's confirmed talks are progressing on 10-year Government partnerships for housing, developments, and assets. Auckland, Otago-Central Lakes district, and Western Bay of Plenty are the first areas. Tauranga's Mahe Drysdale says they want new tools to help with infrastru...

It's unclear if a 60-day Gaza ceasefire is as achievable as Donald Trump's suggesting.  The US President is claiming Israel's agreed to the necessary conditions for a deal - and Qatar and Egypt will deliver it to Hamas. But internationals relations expert Stephen Hoadley says there's no word yet from Israeli or Hamas spokespeople. He says the fundamental clash remains - no matter what Trump s...

Labour leader Chris Hipkins raised a few eyebrows after he offered his theory about why ram-raids don't get as much media coverage anymore. In an earlier interview on ZB's Wellington Mornings, Chris Hipkins claimed NZME's 'Tory owners' decided not to put ram-raids on the front page anymore - in order to put the National Party in a better light. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says data...

After hours of stalemate, Republicans in the US Senate narrowly passed President Donald Trump's latest bill on tax and spending. The 'big, beautiful' bill passed with Vice-President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote after over 24 hours of debate. US correspondent Charles Feldman says Elon Musk extensively criticised the bill, and he's recently threatened to support campaigns against Congress...

More top 10 seeds are out of the first round in an Open era tennis major than ever before at this year's Wimbledon - eight have exited in total. Four of the top men and four of the favoured women have departed, including French Open champion Coco Gauff. Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Chief Victims Advisor says scrapping juries from sexual violence trials could result in more fact-based verdicts.  Ruth Money believes it would be better for survivors - in part because judges must give reasoning for their verdict. The idea's received some pushback, with one legal expert arguing jury trials are a foundation of the justice system.  Money says jurors enter a court with...

People throughout Europe have been grappling with the first heatwaves of the Northern Hemisphere summer as increasing temperatures push thermometers into the red. Scientists have long warned that climate change comes with disastrous consequences for the environment, with  Europe’s ever-hotter summer heatwaves being a direct result. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Spain and Portugal had 'reco...

Meat plants across the nation are struggling to match low volumes of livestock coming through with staffing levels. New Zealand's national sheep flock and dairy herd have continued to decline in recent years, impacting the flow of livestock into meat works. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 1 July 2025, the Government's rolling out harsher punishments for theft, and new spot fines for shoplifters. Health professor Boyd Swinburn makes the case for why we should be funding weightloss drug Wegovy for those struggling with obesity. Some Youth MPs are complaining their speeches were censored - one of them joins Heather t...

Tonight on The Huddle, former Labour minister Stuart Nash and Thomas Scrimgeour from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The Government has introduced some new measures to crack down on shoplifting - do we see these working?  Do we see the Government helping to fund Wegovy? The obesity crisis impacts a significant amount of Kiw...

A nurse who needed a double hip replacement faced a lengthy wait or an $80,000 bill for the operation, and she eventually went overseas to find a solution. She had robotic surgery in India - which set her back $20,000. Claire Olsen says it was 'world-class' and pointed out that New Zealand's own healthcare system was 'third-world' by comparison.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

More details about infrastructure in Wellington and Picton in Government plans for new Cook Strait ferries. CentrePort, Port Marlborough, and KiwiRail have agreed a plan to re-use and strengthen the Wellington wharf servicing Interislander's Aratere - and to re-use terminals both sides of the Strait. Minister for Rail Winston Peters says the Government won't consider privatisation - and he's just...

There's growing claims of Youth Parliament censorship.  Some young people say they've been told their speeches can't be critical of the Government. But organisers say although changes are sometimes suggested - Youth MPs make the final call on speech content. Nate Wilbourne is part of the Youth Parliament and says it feels like a mandate.  He says he was sent an edited version of his spee...

An invasive spider with a nasty bite is spreading its population across New Zealand - prompting warnings from experts. The noble false widow spider has been spotted in Christchurch, Nelson, Northland and Waikato. Massey University evolutionary ecology professor, Steven Trewick, says their bite is unlikely to kill you - but it's harmful if left untreated. "Like most spiders, they're not going to bi...