Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

A new report suggests the increase in domestic air fares may be due to a lack of the right planes. In particular, airlines don't seem to have access to suitable 19-50 seat passenger aircraft. Air New Zealand has abandoned some of their regional routes - but the gap in the market hasn't been filled. Air Chathams chief commercial officer Duane Emeny speculates further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.co...

Up to 15 metro-style Briscoe and Rebel Sport stores will be popping up across the country - in a bid to pump up Briscoes Group's profitability. The project will cost more than $100 million dollars - and launch in 2028.  Briscoe Group managing director Rod Duke says the company is looking to expand their reach to new locations. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Speaker believes suggested punishments for three Te Pāti Māori MPs falls short. Parliament's Privileges Committee has recommended suspensions for the three - for their protest haka during voting on the Treaty Principles Bill.  Parliament will vote next Tuesday on whether to suspend the co-leaders for 21 days, and MP Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke for seven. David Carter says the haka was...

A workplace drug testing company is sounding the alarm, with meth showing up disproportionately in results nationwide. New data from the Drug Detection Agency finds meth's turned up in a quarter of all results. It follows the Drug Trends Survey revealing gangs are behind one-in-three sales of methamphetamine across the country. CEO Glenn Dobson says meth usage makes it harder for employees to do t...

Authorities are investigating whether the arson attacks on two properties linked to Keir Starmer are connected to 'hostile state involvement'. Police are also investigating whether a suspected attack at another North London property linked to the Prime Minister 24 hours earlier is also connected.  A car fire on the same street as Starmer's family home is also under investigation. UK correspon...

It's been a memorable year for financial markets so far - but experts have noted that the NZX appears to have calmed down. After President Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day', the NZX took a significant dip, but the markets appear to have shaken off the impact caused by the tariffs. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has talked up how changes to KiwiSaver, due to be announced at the Budget, will boost members’ balances. She's offered up some hints - but it's unlikely the Government will help by opening up its wallet. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny speculates further ahead of Budget day. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, David Farrar from Kiwiblog and Curia and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!   The Green Party has unveiled their alternative Budget - what do we make of it? How laughable are these ideas? Brooke van Velden made history in Parliament today by dropping the c-bomb to call out La...

We're a week away from Budget 2025 being released - and more organisations have found out whether or not they're invited to the lock-up. The Budget lock-up refers to the four-hour window where journalists, analysts and other associated experts can read through the Budget and hear the Finance Minister present it before the information gets released to the public. Infrastructure NZ has been left off...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 14 May 2025, Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden speaks to Heather after using the c-word in Parliament in protest against what she says are misogynist attacks by Labour. Green Party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick defends her Budget alternative - including free GP and dentist visits, a wealth tax and inheritance tax and a private j...

I'd love to know what Labour are saying behind closed doors about the Green Party's alternative Budget released today. I mean, they're playing nice in public - but behind closed doors, they must be tearing their hair out because this is next level crazy. I mean, none of it is a surprise. It is full of exactly the kind of utopian, money grows on trees, when-I-grow-up-I-want-to-be-a-unicorn kind of...

One former Finance Minister has voiced support for introducing a comprehensive vaccination program aimed towards older New Zealanders. A new report has revealed that a publicly funded vaccination program for the flu, shingles and RSV directed at over-65s would create an economic benefit of over $1 billion over four years. Steven Joyce says health systems all over the world are under pressure - and...

There's concerns and fears among some that the Regulatory Standards Bill sidelines te Tiriti o Waitangi.  The ACT Party bill aims to reduce regulation, claiming it'll create standards for 'good legislation'. The Waitangi Tribunal is meeting to discuss the legislation's failure to include the Treaty in those standards.    Ngati Toa CEO Helmut Modlik says ACT pushed it quickly through...

Auckland's War Memorial Museum still doesn't have a re-opening date after closing on Saturday when asbestos dust was found in multiple areas. The dust isn't air-borne - and has been found in the older part of the museum and Grand Foyer, where the emergency exits are located. Staff have been working remotely. Deputy mayor Desley Simpson says the museum's doing the right thing and putting safety fir...

The Greens' Chlöe Swarbrick says tax policy has been used before to create a better society. The Greens today launched their alternative Budget,  which includes a 2.5 percent tax on individual net wealth over $2 million. It would help pay for policies like free GP trips, free ECE and an Income Guarantee.  Swarbrick says after World War Two, higher taxes helped fund public housing and sch...

ACT's Brooke van Velden is not apologising for using the c-word in the House today.  The Workplace Relations Minister said it after a question from Labour that referenced an opinion piece in The Post that used it in relation to a group of female ministers.  She delivered a strong rebuke - and criticised Labour for bringing it up in the House.  She says she stands by saying it. "I wa...

Donald Trump has started his four-day trip to the Middle East by strengthening ties with Saudi Arabia. The US president has met with the country's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. They announced a $600 billion (USD) commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest in America. The two also discussed efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear programme and end the war in Gaza. US correspondent Dan M...

The Workplace Relations Minister's defending saying the C-word in Parliament, while lashing out over an opinion piece opposing her pay equity policy. In the Sunday Star Times, Andrea Vance referred to senior Cabinet ministers as girl-bosses and a hype squad, and said the policy used 'girl math'. Quoting it in Parliament, Brooke van Velden herself used the extreme swear-word - saying she's standing...

An Australian will take the helm of Team New Zealand in their next defence of the America's Cup. Nathan Outteridge - part of the crew that retained the Auld Mug last year - will step up to skipper after Peter Burling walked away from the syndicate. Three-time Cup-winning helmsman and Olympic gold medallist Burling announced last month he was parting ways with the Kiwi syndicate. Sportstalk host D'...

A Northland principal says the Government's inventing a bureaucracy in its crackdown on school truancy.  This year's Budget has $140 million for getting kids back in school - with a new case management system and better data monitoring. Horahora school principal Pat Newman says schools should be in charge of what happens with the funding.  "We don't need Big Brother sitting over us from...

A 21-year-old man has been arrested over a series of arson attacks after a fire at a house owned by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Police arrested the suspect in the early hours of Tuesday. He remains in custody. UK correspondent Enda Brady says reports reveal there were three similar fire-related incidents over a four days last week. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

Carpet maker Bremworth has reversed its wool only policy - and will soon start making synthetic carpets again. The NZX-listed company, which stopped producing synthetic carpets in 2020 in favour of a wool-only policy, will restart production of synthetic carpets at its Auckland facility in the next financial year. The Country's Jamie Mackay unpacked the market reactions to this. LISTEN ABOVE See o...

Tonight on The Huddle, CTU economist Craig Renney and Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!   Why has the CTU been excluded from the Budget lock-up? The green bins debate- do they need to go? Simeon Brown suggested Aucklanders could shave 2 percent off their rates bills if they went away. What do we make of this? T...

The Finance Minister has revealed the Government will will make its first withdrawal from the Super in 2028 - five years earlier than initially planned. In the first year, $32 million will be withdrawn - but from 2031, withdrawals are expected annually. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen explains why this is happening. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inland Revenue has collected more than $207 million in repayments since July last year from student loan borrowers living overseas in the past 9 months. This is a 43 percent increase on the same period from the previous year. Currently, 71 percent of overseas student loan borrowers are in default - and together, they owe about $2.3 billion in loans, penalties and interest. Deloitte tax partner Rob...