Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

A former Speaker of the house is being taken to the High Court for musical torture during the 2022 anti-mandate protest. A girl from Northland, who was 11 at the time, says Mallard weaponised songs like Disney's Let it Go - causing mental anguish, humiliation and de-humanisation. Her lawyer, Tudor Clee says blasting someone with music is a military-style torture technique. He says this is the firs...

A draft Inland Revenue briefing supports lifting the GST rate if required - and notes tax credits could help people on lower incomes. The IRD briefing also brought up the lack of a capital gains tax, but did not endorse any specific view on it. Tax expert Geof Nightingale told Heather du Plessis-Allan that lifting GST is a fast and efficient way to raise revenue. But he says while quick, it's much...

Hopes Canterbury's aerospace sector will continue going from strength to strength, with a permanent test flight space confirmed at Tawhaki.  The National Aerospace centre, west of Banks Peninsula, can now hold tests without continual re-permits.  Tāwhaki executive director John Holt told Heather du Plessis-Allan this helps remove red tape and paperwork, adding that it's difficult in the...

There’s a strong chance that this has been Moana Pasifika's best and last season in super rugby.  Do you want them to have another one?  And if so, how much should the taxpayer put in to save it?  Would you pay $7million? Because that’s apparently what they’re short.  The Whānau Ora money is gone and it's understood that Sky is pulling its sponsorship of half a million dollars...

New data shows Nigel Farage and the Reform Party would win more seats than Labour and the Conservatives in the next general election. Political analysts have revealed that Farage and Reform would win 278 seats if a general election were to take place tomorrow - the most of any party.  UK correspondent Enda Brady says the next election is four years away - but Prime Minister Starmer's team sho...

New reports show Nike's stock has plummeted 68 percent from its November 2021 peak. Experts say it's a textbook 'fallen angel' - a former market darling now trading at beaten-down prices. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a surprise move, Federated Farmers meat and wool group recently ousted chair Toby Williams. Williams lost the chairmanship  to Marlborough provincial vice president Richard Dawkins during the council annual meeting. The Country host Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson and CTU economist Craig Renney joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! We recently found out Whānau Ora funding has been used to fund Moana Pasifika. What do we make of this? 15-storey apartment buildings will soon go up in some Auckland suburbs near strategic train stations - and the locals aren't ha...

How disappointing is the revelation that Whānau Ora money has been used to fund the Moana Pasifika rugby team?  How disappointing is that? And this is not a criticism of the team. I mean, the team has been one of the rockstar stories of the Super Rugby season. This is about the funding. This is the kind of revelation, I reckon, that does huge damage to public confidence and Governme...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 26 June 2025, Labour MP Willie Jackson reflects on the sudden death of his friend and Maori Party MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp. Should taxpayer money be used to pay for a rugby team? Heather dives into the Moana Pasifika   story with NZ Herald senior journalist Kate MacNamara. The drug that made Oprah skinny is coming to New Zeala...

Workers taking part in partial strikes could soon have their pay docked under new legislation coming out of Parliament. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden recently confirmed the changes to the Employment Relations Act - and claimed they would be fairer for workers. PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says employers will now be allowed to dock 10 percent of pay for worker...

Concerns have been raised after Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Union cancelled a series of Saturday matches. The provincial union made the call after the abuse of a referee at last Saturday's game between Kapiti College and Mana College, which saw him escorted to his car out of safety fears. NZ Rugby's Mike Hester says there was abuse from spectators that prompted the match getting called off. "A lot of...

The Moana Pasifika Super Rugby franchise faces questions over disclosure and transparency at ownership level. It recently came to light that the team received taxpayer money indirectly through Whanau Ora contracts. NZ Herald journalist Kate McNamara says it's unclear how much public money funded the team - but investigations are ongoing. "It may be that all of their funding came from the Whanau Or...

Labour's Willie Jackson will attend Kemp's tangi in Taihape over the weekend.   Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp died today aged 50, following a battle with kidney disease. He says Labour isn't thinking about the by-election triggered in Tāmaki Makaurau. "We'll turn our mind to it next week - and we don't mind having a chat about it as we get into it. But it's not something we...

Not everyone's a fan of Government's efforts to build taller in central Auckland suburbs. The Government is requiring the council to legislate for apartments at least 15 storeys high around the Mount Eden, Kingsland, and Morningside Stations. It will be 10 storeys near the Mount Albert and Baldwin Avenue terminals.  Albert-Eden Local Board Chair, Kendyl Smith, says this feels rushed, and hasn...

Parliament adjourned early today, after marking the death of Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp. Kemp died aged 50 following kidney disease. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says this came as a shock - with tributes coming in from many key politicians.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The jury in the trial of triple-murder accused Erin Patterson is edging towards beginning deliberations in Australia's Victoria. The 50-year-old also faces a charge of attempted murder over a toxic beef Wellington lunch she served to her estranged husband's family in 2023. She maintains her innocence - claiming it was a terrible accident. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Justice Christoph...

Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Union chief executive Corey Kennett says he is drawing a line in the sand by canning all rugby matches this weekend after a referee was so seriously abused he had to be escorted to his car over safety fears. Last month, the union said in response to escalating abuse towards match officials - highlighted by a person threatening to stab a referee - that they would cancel all...

The count-down's on for New Zealand chemist sales of weight-loss drug Wegovy. A pharmacist has told our newsroom the hunger-suppressing drug will be available on prescription from next Tuesday Novo Nordisk Oceania Senior Medical Director Dr Ana Svensson says the cost of the drug is expected to be around $500, as it's not funded by Pharmac. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

The UK Government is set to purchase 12 new fighter jets which can be equipped with nuclear bombs - with plans to join NATO's airborne nuclear mission. Downing Street has labelled the move "the biggest strengthening of the UK's nuclear posture in a generation." UK correspondent Gavin Grey says these jets can also drop conventional weapons. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

New reports indicate the global housing market has entered a significant downturn. Existing home sales have neared recessionary levels and new home sales are expected to fall. Milford Asset Management's Brendan Larsen explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New reports reveal the Government did get lobbied by the Banking Association over a proposed law change to prevent costly class action lawsuits. Minister Scott Simpson claimed this wasn't the case earlier - and claimed the banks hadn't called for it.  NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Kiwiblog writer and Curia pollster David Farrar and Nick Leggett of Infrastructure NZ joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  There's renewed debate to introduce means-testing for NZ Super. Is this a discussion we need to have? Donald Trump used the f-bomb when criticising Iran and Israel in front of reporters. How do we feel about t...

Broadband company Chorus is celebrating an endorsement from the Infrastructure Commission for its planed extension. Chorus seeks to extend its ultrafast broadband network to another 160,000 homes and businesses at a cost of between $2.5 billion and $3 billion. Chorus CEO Mark Aue says now is the time to boost New Zealand's rural communities.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 25 June 2025, New Zealand is not getting bang for buck when we spend on infrastructure, but is the Infrastructure Commission really telling us anything new? Israel's ambassador Alon Roth speaks to Heather to discuss the shaky ceasefire with Iran. Auckland's skyline is about to radically change after the Government decided it wi...