Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

An Australian patient has this week survived100 days with an artificial heart. The success is a world first and is another step towards decreasing the number of deaths caused by cardiac failure. Australian engineer Daniel Timms invented the ground-breaking artificial heart and talks to Ryan Bridge about how the heart works, how he invented it, how its powered, and what the development means for me...

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau is sounding off on the Prime Minister after failing to reach a deadline made for all councils. Councils were encouraged to deliver a plan that the Government could help with, and Wellington didn't deliver one in time. Whanau then said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is 'not a very nice person.' Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper said the Mayor thought the comm...

Liam Lawson has had a disappointing race in the first free practice of the season, coming 16th out of 20 cars.  There is work to be done for the Kiwi driver ahead of Sunday's race.  Weekend Sport host Jason Pine talks to Ryan Bridge about the F1, the Warriors game tonight,  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump is threatening Europe with a 200 percent tariff on alcohol. The warning comes as an attempt to have the EU remove a tariff held on whiskey. US Correspondent Dan Mitchinson talks to Ryan Bridge about the latest tariff threat, why Trump’s heading to the Supreme Court, and the Americans that think they can beat a grizzly bear in a fight. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listene...

Alcohol affected patients are wreaking havoc on emergency departments, a recent Trans-Tasman study finds. Almost every staff member who took part in the survey has been abused by a drunk patient. 97% experienced verbal aggression, while 92% experienced physical aggression. Christchurch Hospital ED specialist and co-author of the study talks to Ryan Bridge about the staggering reports, if the situa...

The Labour Party is encouraging foreign investments, but with a few conditions. They want no ownership or operation of hospitals, prisons, schools, or critical infrastructure. Meanwhile the Public Service Association is warning New Zealanders will lose their jobs due to Private Public Partnerships. Labour Party finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds talks to Ryan Bridge about foreign investments, ho...

Homelessness is facing a crackdown in New Plymouth as people sleeping rough are breaching bylaws, the district council says.  Rough sleepers have been told to remove their belongings from footpaths.  The district's emergency shelter closed in 2023.  New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom talks to Ryan Bridge about whether the order is heavy handed, the number of rough sleepers in the distri...

US President Trump has accused Ireland of stealing the US pharmaceutical industry and the tax revenue that he believes should have been paid to the US. Irish premier Micheál Martin recently paid a visit to the White House to meet with Trump. UK correspondent Enda Brady explained that Ireland’s historical low-tax policies have helped lure many US companies over - and the nation would collapse witho...

Tesla's share price has taken a dive in recent months. Donald Trump's ascension to the US Presidency initially helped boost the share price, but it's since dropped by 50 percent. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 13 March 2025, investors are stoked with what they've been hearing at the Government's big investment summit. Doctors are raising alarm bells over the Government's changed approach to funding bowel cancer screening. Plus, Nelson mayor Nick Smith makes the case for voting booths to be installed for local government elections. &nb...

Southern farmers are in a flap about wild ducks, calling for the mallard breed to be designated pests so they can be killed throughout the year. Southland’s Federated Farmers president Jason Herrick said an explosion of ducks is causing big problems as they are munching through crops. Herrick said farmers asked the local Fish and Game for permission to cull the problem ducks but were turned down a...

Tonight on The Huddle, AUT chancellor Rob Campbell and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Is it time to change how we vote in local elections? Kiwi mayors are pushing for an end to postal voting? Do we think we need a change?  The Royal Australasian College of Physicians is warning that the changes to the free...

The number of people leaving the country long-term hit another new record in the year to January - but monthly data suggests the brain drain has peaked. Stats NZ provisional data for the January 2025 year (compared with January 2024) showed migrant departures up 18 percent to 122,800, the highest on record for an annual period. Migrant arrivals, at 155,300 were down, 31 percent for the year. NZ He...

Investors are keen to see a long term pipeline of work - before committing to spending their money here.  More than a hundred companies, managing about six trillion in capital, are at the Government's Infrastructure Investment Summit in Auckland. Brett Shepherd from Craigs Investment Partners says the Government's messages of support were well-received by the summit's attendees. "The commitme...

There's increasing suggestions turnout in local body elections would improve with a move to in-person voting. Local Government New Zealand wants postal voting scrapped in local elections - and replaced with polling places and ballot boxes. Nelson mayor Nick Smith is behind the calls and says less and less people have access to mail boxes than ever - resulting in less people having their voices hea...

The latest season of Married At First Sight Australia has been plagued by scandals on and off the screen - and now a regulatory body has launched a wider investigation. SafeWork NSW is investigating Channel 9 and production company Endemol Shine, generating uncertainty over the future of the series. Entertainment reporter Karl Puschmann says this investigation follows an incident where one of the...

Physicians are coming down hard on the Government's evidence being used to prop up their changes to bowel cancer funding.  Last week, the Government announced it will scrap a programme lowering the screening age for Māori and Pacific people, decreasing the age to 58 for everyone instead. Royal Australasian College of Physicians's Dr Matt Wheeler says the claim that bowel cancer risk is simila...

The Minister in charge of the Government's Infrastructure Investment Summit says deals will mostly be done in the coming weeks, months and years ahead. More than a hundred companies, managing about six trillion dollars in capital, are at the Government's two day summit in Auckland. But Chris Bishop says there's already been one tangible commitment from Australian investor Plenary group. "They've p...

Dame Jacinda Ardern is releasing her first children's book, called 'Mum's Busy Work'. The former Prime Minister says it's told through the eyes of a child, based off things her daughter Neve said to her when she was in the top job. It will be released in September, with $3 from every copy sold going to The Kindness Collective. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper offered his thou...

Over in Australia, Westpac's head is urging people to stop complaining over the new tariffs set out by the Trump administration. The US President has recently confirmed Australia won't be exempt from new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports going forward. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says it's likely Australia will face more tariffs in the coming days - and experts are suggesting Austral...

The Blues are prepared to spend around a month of Super Rugby without Beauden Barrett. Barrett will certainly miss the next two games against the Chiefs and Crusaders with a broken hand, with coach Vern Cotter hopeful he might be available after those two fixtures. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave outlines his predictions. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's widespread uncertainty among developers after a Department of Conservation wildlife permit was deemed unlawful.  The High Court in Wellington made the decision over the Transport Agency having permission to inadvertently kill protected wildlife at the Mt Messenger project site.  The decision broadly means nothing can be killed unless it has a disease, there is overpopulation - or...

New reports reveal the UK had been working behind the scenes in helping the US and Ukraine to reach an agreement over a proposed ceasefire deal with Russia.  Ukrainian President Zelensky has confirmed he's ready to accept an immediate 30-day ceasefire with Russia - but he says it's up to the US to get Russia on board.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey says there's been efforts by the UK to ge...

Investors have voiced concerns over declining US market growth - resulting in a significant drop. US President Donald Trump also didn't rule out a recession in a recent interview, which led to further pullbacks this week. Milford Asset Management's Stephanie Batchelor explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The International Monetary Fund is cautioning the Government against bending over backwards, deregulating banks in a bid to spur more competition in the sector. Finance Minister Nicola Willis is getting advice on whether she should make the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) loosen the way it regulates banks. The Commerce Commission has also suggested the rules could be changed to make it easier f...