Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Green Party has been quick to criticise their political rivals over recent objectionable comments in the House. NZ First's Shane Jones yelled 'send the Mexicans home' during a debate - and has since refused to apologise - while Winston Peters has also copped some backlash for claiming foreign-born MPs were trying to impose foreign ideas upon Parliament. Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March says Pri...

The Children's Minister says saving Barnados' helpline for under-12s was a mutual decision reached with the Prime Minister.  The 0800 What's Up support line and multiple other services were at risk of closure after the Government directed Oranga Tamariki to find savings last year.  Now, Minister Karen Chhour has pressed pause on Oranga Tamariki reviewing such contracts.  She says sh...

The Prime Minister says he hasn't spoken to two Cabinet ministers over recent remarks that were labelled racist and xenophobic.  In the House, Shane Jones yelled 'send the Mexicans home' and Winston Peters told Green MPs they'd come with ideas 'foreign to our country' and suggested they show New Zealand some gratitude. Green Party MP Ricardo Menendez-March, who is Mexican, says the Prime Mini...

There's discourse erupting in Sydney after a delay in publicising the discovery of a caravan full of explosives. A Dural resident made the discovery 10 days ago, along with a note listing Jewish targets.  Opposition leader Peter Dutton believes Australia's Government should've released details immediately. But NSW Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson says investigations have now been compromised,...

Dame Lisa Carrington's decision to commit to a fifth Olympic campaign has been met with elation at Canoe Racing New Zealand. It's been confirmed the eight-time gold medallist intends to be on the water at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacks this announcement further.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts are warning things are set to get 'very scary' for New Zealand's coffee and café industry. Global supply chain disruptions and worsening climate conditions have been driving up production costs - and one leading presence in the coffee world warns that these costs will be passed on to businesses. New reports show the average green coffee price had lifted from $3.76 a kilogram in 2020 to $10...

The UK Government is looking to 'fight for growth' and expand the resources dedicating to funding major airports. British finance minister Rachel Reeves is expected to throw her support behind the expansion of Heathrow Airport in a bid to boost the economy.  UK correspondent Gail Downey explained what else people could expect ahead of the incoming update.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com...

Over in the US, tech stocks have picked up again after a 3 percent selloff after Chinese startup DeepSeek caused a storm in the AI industry. The stocks took a dive earlier in the week after DeepSeek stunned the tech world by revealing it could compete with US counterparts at a fraction of the cost. Milford Asset Management's Andrew Curtayne explains what this means for the wider world of AI. LISTE...

Bank switching surged in December, as those with mortgages appear to have shopped around for cheaper debt at a record rate. Just over $2 billion of mortgage debt changed hands between banks and non-banks during the month - a record amount since at least 2017 when Reserve Bank records began. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/list...

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson 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 Government is set to bump up some of the speed limits that were reduced under their Labour predecessors. Is this a good call?  What do we make of the newest White House Press Secretary? A true...

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists have moved their Doomsday Clock to  89 seconds to midnight. The clock symbolically illustrates how close humanity is to the end of the world. Canterbury University professor Jack Heinemann says escalating global tensions have increased the threat of nuclear war - and lack of action on climate change has raised concerns too. "What they've drawn particular...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 29 January 2025, will higher speed limits make our roads unsafer? Ryan Bridge asks Transport Minister Chris Bishop if more road deaths as a result would be acceptable. Failing health infrastructure is at a crunch point, Auckland Hospital's main building, including the maternity ward, is without running water tonight. Taupo mayo...

Fonterra is investing $150 million into electrification over the next 18 months. The collective says the projects across the North Island are a significant step towards its climate goals and operational resilience.  It includes electric boilers at the Whareroa, Edgecumbe, and Waitoa sites - and more fleet decarbonisation.  Fonterra's Director of Global Engineering, Chris Kane, says the r...

Patients in Auckland City Hospital's main building are without hot water. An issue with pipes emerged yesterday afternoon - and will take up to three days to fix.  Te Whatu Ora says it has contingency plans ensuring clinical care continues.   Patient Voice Aotearoa Chair Malcolm Mulholland says the maternity ward's in that building.  "They're going to have to be transported away fro...

A third major exhibition at Wellington's $180 million convention centre has failed to break even. The City Council is refusing to quantify the deficit for the Doctor Who event, which ran from last June to October. It also won't release specific visitor numbers, citing commercial sensitivity. Councillor Diane Calvert says ratepayers have a right to know the exhibition's actual cost against the budg...

Rotorua's mayor says cracking down on illegal trolley use is not an attack on homeless people. Police launched Operation Trolley last week, after complaints homeless people with shopping carts were intimidating the public. Officers arrested 13 people, gave out 19 trespass notices and returned 45 trolleys to stores. Te Pati Māori has called it an attack on impoverished people, but mayor Tania Tapse...

More roads could get faster - beyond the Government's planned changes to speed limits on 38 sections of road. The Government is reversing speed limit reductions on those stretches by July, with work set to start tonight. The Prime Minister believes it'll help people get to jobs faster, pushing economic growth. Transport Minister Chris Bishop says 49 roads deemed 'more complicated' will be consulte...

A Te Pāti Māori MP is under fire after questioning the Children's Minister's Māori identity. Mariameno Kapa-Kingi made the remark to Karen Chhour in a Select Committee meeting this morning during heated discussion of boot camps, youth offending, and removing Treaty provisions from the Oranga Tamariki Act. Kapa-Kingi claimed Chhour had 'knowledge gaps' and didn't understand the essence of being Māo...

Google Maps is renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America - as ordered by Donald Trump within hours of becoming President last week. It'll appear once the name's officially updated in the US Geographic Names system. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says the name will appear differently, depending on where a person is. "In the US, we're going to see it as what President Trump wants to call i...

NRL bosses will put their Australian broadcast rights up for grabs this year in a move that could spark interest from foreign streaming services. The sport's current deal with Fox Sports and Channel Nine across the ditch ends after the 2026 season. Reports from the Daily Telegraph claim the likes of Netflix and Prime Video could be interested. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LI...

It's been a fiery start to 2025, with at least nine Auckland rubbish trucks bursting into flames in the first two weeks of the year. Auckland Council says it's likely due to ever-increasing numbers of batteries and battery-powered devices being dumped in bins. The Auckland recycling facility that sorts the region’s kerbside recycling, has two small fires a week - usually sparked by lithium-ion bat...

A pair of protestors from Just Stop Oil disrupted a performance of The Tempest, starring Sigourney Weaver on London's West End. The duo got up on stage as Weaver was performing - and unfurled a banner and delivered a speech before they were bundled off by authorities.  Weaver was also escorted off stage by  a member of the theatre's staff. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the activists w...

New data shows more people are concerned about work, housing, and health, according to research by NZCTU. The council's annual Mood of the Workforce survey polled over 1900 people - and many of these respondents have voiced concern with the direction the Government has taken the country. NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff says there's been a significant shift in the last 12 months - as people believ...

There's speculation the Government may be looking to sell off Landcorp as the asset continues to underperform. Long-standing agricultural consultant Will Wilson has noted it's worth $1.6 billion - which is significantly less than it was a year ago. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's hopeful that digital nomads will help grow New Zealand's economy off the back of their recent visa change. Finance Minister Nicola Willis hasn't confirmed how many the nation can realistically expect to arrive - but she's got faith in this strategy. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen unpacks the current hotspots for digital nomads - and reveals what New Zealand can do to g...