Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Eden Park has triumphed in its battle to be Auckland's Council's preferred stadium - over building a new facility near the city's waterfront. The council has voted to endorse, in principle, the first stage of upgrading the park, with 17 in favour and two against with one abstention. Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner says his team is delighted by the vote.  "We've had 125 years of history...

Access to timely primary and hospital healthcare has significantly deteriorated.  Health New Zealand's released a Clinical Quality and Safety Review - using data from the past decade. It reveals numbers of people waiting more than four months to see a specialist tripled between 2020 and 2023.  Chief clinical officer Richard Sullivan says Covid played a role and numbers are stabilising. B...

Judith Collins says she believes public service productivity has increased under her Government.   It's on track towards the goal of cutting $400 million off contractor and consultant spending - with a forecast it'll cut more than double that figure. The Public Service Minister says it's not a case of just shifting work onto public servants, because the service as whole shrank four percent in...

Legislation to allow roadside drug testing has recently passed its third and final reading in Parliament - but concerns have been raised. Some fear that people using ADHD medication could be caught out by the new roadside drug tests carried out by police. AA Road Safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen says testing devices in Australia don't generally pick up on ADHD medication or medicinal cannabis - s...

An electricity substation fire in London that closed Heathrow Airport last week is no longer being treated as a criminal matter. Metropolitan Police have announced there's no evidence to suggest it's suspicious - after briefly bringing in counter-terrorism officers. UK correspondent Gavin Grey unpacks the findings of the investigation. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

KMD Brands, parent of Kathmandu, Rip Curl and Oboz, has posted a $20 million half-year loss despite growing sales year-on-year, a result the company puts down to struggling consumer confidence and wholesale channels. However, the company believes the momentum is building, with Kathmandu’s sales continuing to improve despite the downturn. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton explains further. L...

Revenue Minister Simon Watts this month unveiled plans to change the Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) regime to give some foreigners with illiquid investments offshore an additional, possibly more advantageous, way of paying tax. He said the Government would also consider exempting more Kiwis from the FIF rules, which incentivise domestic investment, but can be an administrative nightmare. NZ Herald...

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! World Athletics will introduce DNA tests for female track and field athletes to prove their sex. What do we make of that? Should the Olympics follow suit? Tauranga Council's coffee bill is sparking criticism - is it o...

Torpedo7’s new owners have revealed a major shake-up to the outdoor sports gear retailer. Tahua Partners plan to close its stores in Rotorua and Auckland's Westgate, then convert 10 of the 16 remaining locations to a new offering called The Outlet. In a statement, it says Torpedo7 will continue to prioritise its online presence and its six flagship stores. Owner Roger Harper says there's a clear g...

New research reveals New Zealand businesses are losing billions of dollars a year as a result of unwell workers pushing through instead of taking time out to recover. In a new report by Umbrella Wellbeing, 'presenteeism' - when employees turn up to work while physically or mentally unwell - has been found to erode productivity and result in costly mistakes from staff. Umbrella Wellbeing Principal...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 26 March 2025, reports claim Kiwi F1 driver Liam Lawson is about to be dropped by Red Bull - is that the end of his F1 career already?   Why a high school principal is telling parents they need to watch the new Netflix show "Adolescence". Outrage at Tauranga City Council for spending half a million dollars on new coffee ma...

World Athletics has approved the introduction of cheek swabbing to determine if an athlete is biologically female. The global body's president Sebastian Coe says the decision is further evidence his organisation will protect the women's category in competition. The intention is to have the testing in place for September's world championships in Tokyo. Former Olympian and Otago University Emeritus...

Tauranga City Council has copped some backlash after accepting a five-year contract for coffee machines and coffee at a total cost of $470,000. This comes as the council proposed putting parking fees on boaties - sparking outrage from ratepayers. Tauranga Councillor Steve Morris understands why people are outraged by this. "Charity starts at home - and perhaps we could be charging 50 cents or even...

The Justice Minister says the Government is still fleshing out some sentencing details as new rules pass through Parliament.   Legislation passed today caps judges' sentence discounts at 40 percent.  It also encourages cumulative sentencing for offences done on bail, in custody, or on parole.  Minister Paul Goldsmith says it sends a bad signal if sentences aren't added together.&nbs...

Liam Lawson has reportedly been dropped by his Red Bull team - just two races into the Formula One season. Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf claim Lawson will be swapped with Yuki Tsunoda for the next race in Japan. Motorsport expert Greg Murphy says meetings have taken place regarding the future of Red Bull's drivers - but no official release has been sent out yet. "Until there's an official Red Bull...

Outrageous and 'a load of rubbish' are the Prime Minister's words to describe a Green MP's comments about police. Wellington Central MP Tamatha Paul spoke at an event last week, saying all beat police do is walk around - and throw away homeless people's items. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this makes the Greens look like a laughing stock. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.c...

US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says the Defence Secretary should be fired over texting war plans in a group chat. Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to a Signal group chat where Pete Hegseth posted plans for attacks in Yemen - two hours beforehand. Jeffries says that threatened national security, and likely violated the law. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson s...

Speculation about Liam Lawson's Red Bull future is picking up speed with the Formula One team reportedly dropping the New Zealander ahead of next week's Japanese Grand Prix. Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf is claiming Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda is in line to replace Lawson. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netflix's new four-part crime drama Adolescence has generated acclaim and positive reviews - and it's sparked discussions about online radicalisation and toxic masculinity. The series deals with the fallout after a 13-year-old boy stabs a teenage girl to death - while addressing the factors that can warp young people's perspectives about the world around them. St Kevins College principal Jo Walshe...

Over in the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to fix every pothole in Britain. In an earlier radio interview, Starmer announced plans to provide a 'record amount' of money to local authorities to fill 7 million potholes a year. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Starmer promised to use AI and technology to speed this process up.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

One former Special Trade Envoy has issued a warning to Kiwi primary exporters amid the escalating trade war. Mike Petersen has joined the chorus of international trade experts who say New Zealand will be caught in the crossfire between the US and China - and he's warning exporters to 'be ready to be nimble'. The Country host Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Export prices are sitting in a strong position - with cherries seeing a surge in overseas demand. New data shows cherry exports over the 2024/25 season reached 5.07m kg, up 33 percent from the prior season. Infometrics Principal Economist unpacked this data further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data shows a significant number of Kiwis are working past the retirement age. A new report from Stats NZ shows there are almost 200,000 New Zealanders aged 65 or older that are still in the workforce. This research also reveals at least 1200 Kiwis in their 90's are still working. Financial adviser Martin Hawes says many of these people will need the extra money - and plenty are just used to wo...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 25 March 2025, Health New Zealand's Deputy Chief Executive Cath Cronin speaks to Ryan to explain why an 11 year old girl was mistakenly admitted to a mental health facility. Eden Park vs Quay Park stadium - council officials have had their say, and why taxpayers may have to pay for it. Plus - why your Lego or wine collection migh...

Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Nick Leggett from Infrastructure New Zealand joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!   How do we feel about taxpayer funding of a new Auckland stadium? Can we afford this? New electorate boundaries have been drawn up by the electoral commission. What could this mean for prospective voters?  Ali Jone...