Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The founder of Gumboot Friday has voiced his disapproval with authorities banning alcohol from a Dunedin event. Police are looking to stop a suicide prevention charity for applying for a temporary liquor license ahead of a fashion show designed to raise awareness. Mike King says this move is 'classic overreach'. "This is a bunch of young, polytech students who have a fashion show where they want t...

US Vice President Kamala Harris has called Donald Trump a wannabe dictator in her final major pre-election address.  She's delivered her pitch to more than 50 thousand people at the Ellipse in Washington DC, the site of Trump's rally before the Capitol riots. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson said Harris needed to convince voters the economy was in good hands - and she delivered in her speech....

England prop Joe Marler has labelled the haka 'ridiculous' and claimed it needs to be scrapped altogether in a post on social media. Marler's not involved in this weekend’s test, sparing him the glare of an on-field response come Sunday at Twickenham. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacked the controversy further. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Turns out the people who want to shut other people up just do not learn from history, do they? I consider myself to be reasonably well informed, because I have to be for my job. I read the newspapers every day, I listen to the radio, I have a pretty good idea of what’s going on  - and yet even I had completely forgotten Candace Owens was coming to New Zealand. Until this week - mainly th...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 29 October 2024, trusted builders will soon be able to sign off on their own work without a council inspector. Building Minister Chris Penk tells Heather what happens if something goes wrong (a la leaky homes). Jack Tame speaks to Heather after spending the evening at a Donald Trump rally in Georgia - and why he thinks Kamala Har...

There's shock in the UK as thieves made off with over $650,000 worth of cheese from a London shop. Neal’s Yard Dairy said a con artist posing as a distributor for a major French retailer managed to steal a fortune's worth of cheddar before the company realised it was a scam and reported the crime. UK correspondent Enda Brady says authorities are looking to solve the crime and find out where the ch...

The Country's Jamie Mackay has returned to New Zealand after a trip to the US - and he's seen the mood of voters first-hand ahead of the US election. After one of the most turbulent election years in America's history, voters will choose their next president one week from today. Jamie Mackay says it's a close race - but he's got a theory about who will win. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener...

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Josie Pagani from Child Fund joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  We've got a week to go until Election Day in the US - what do we think at this point? Between Trump and Harris, who's going to win? Labour's Ginny Andersen raised a few eyebrows after re-sharing a meme poking fun at King Char...

The latest employment numbers for September 2024 show the job market is still in a tough spot. Annual filled jobs were down 0.9 percent compared to this time last year. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says this is a tricky point for the economy - and things aren't expected to get better until mid-2025. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister has received early advice on how to better capitalise Kiwibank so it might compete better with the large Australian-owned banks. The advice is in response to the Commerce Commission market study on personal banking. Minister Nicola Willis says she hopes to bring more competition to the banking sector to improve things for Kiwi users. "If you look over to Australia, they had a...

Freedom campers are pushing back at a Rotorua holiday park manager's claims they're breaking the rules.  All Seasons Manager, Tracie Thornborough, is asking Rotorua Council to clamp down on freedom campers.  She says they're staying too long - and don't support local businesses.  But Motor Caravan Association CEO, Bruce Lochore, says Government research disputed such claims four yea...

The heat's being turned up in the US, with just over a week until Election Day.  Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are making their final pitches to voters on the campaign trail.  Both have been visiting battleground states, where voters could have a deciding voice. Newstalk ZB's Jack Tame at Trump's rally in Georgia. He says there's been a subtle lift in mom...

The Construction Minister says he is confident consenting reforms won't lead to a repeat of New Zealand's 'leaky homes' crisis.  The Government is planning to give tradespeople working on basic housing projects the power to consent their own work.  Businesses with a track record of mass house-building projects will be able to access a streamlined consent process.  Minister Chris Pen...

Police are going back through Arthur Easton's case file - looking for the person who killed him nearly 40 years ago. Easton was stabbed in his Papakura home in 1985. Alan Hall's wrongful murder conviction was only overturned after he'd spent 19 years in jail. Police are now offering a $100,000 reward - until January 24 - for information leading to a conviction. Detective Inspector Warrick Adkin sa...

The Government is partly removing councils from the building consent process.  It's announced an opt-in 'self certification scheme' will let qualified tradespeople forgo inspections.  It'll open to those with a proven track-record, such as companies building scores of near-identical homes.  ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper expects people will react positively to these n...

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been on the receiving end of backlash over the travel perks he received from Qantas. The opposition has criticised Albanese for soliciting 'freebies' from the airline when he was Transport Minister. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this goes against the Prime Minister's 'working-man' image, especially following his purchase of a multi-million...

Kiwi F1 driver Liam Lawson has apologised for flipping the bird at Sergio Perez during the Mexican Grand Prix. Lawson and Perez got into a wheel-to-wheel battle on the 19th lap - that quickly turned heated. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacks the controversy here today. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is asking for feedback on Kiwi postal services.  It's proposing changes to NZ Post - including fewer weekly deliveries and reduced postal outlets  People are sending 813 million fewer mail items than they were 20 years ago. MBIE Communications Infrastructure and Trade General Manager James Hartley says this is the right time to hear fro...

Big names are launching a lobby group in the capital with local body elections less than a year away.  Dames Kerry Prendergast, Patsy Reddy, and Fran Wilde, along with Sir Bob Jones are some of the movers and shakers endorsing what's called Vision for Wellington.  The group, which claims to be bipartisan, wants the council to rein in its spending and put an end to in-fighting.  Dame...

Andrew Gourdie and Nick Bewley joined Heather du Plessis-Allan for this week's Sports Huddle, capping off the week's sporting news. On the agenda tonight: Cricket Australia has overturned David Warner's ban - does he deserve to come back? Has Washington Sundar torpedoed the Black Caps' hopes of taking home the win in India? And what's the deal with Sport NZ spending nearly $600 per email to volunt...

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 25 October. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Health is under fire for failing to declare a conflict of interest.   It recently came to light that one of the officials advising Minister Casey Costello on tobacco reforms was the sister-in-law of Labour’s health spokesperson, Ayesha Verrall.  Verrall is a vocal opponent of Costello’s policies.  Senior Political Reporter Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan th...

This time last year Arepa found themselves in hot water after the government officials decided that made unsubstantial health claims of cognitive and physical boosting abilities, they are forced to amend these claims and now back launching a new brain drink – Uplift. Co-Founder of Arepa, Angus Brown told Heather Du Plessis – Allan that this time round he's proud to call the "brain drink” because o...

The Government will be making an announcement on improving safety on Auckland's public transport network. A woman was fatally stabbed on a bus on Wednesday - and 37 year old Aucklander Kael Leona appeared in court today charged with murder. The ministers of Police and Auckland held talks with AT and Police this afternoon, and Simeon Brown will make an announcement tomorrow. Police Minister Mark Mi...

Prime Minister Chris Luxon has apologised to Samoa's Government, over the sinking of HMNZS Manawanui this month. Chris Luxon and Political Editor Jason Walls is at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa. Luxon says his meeting with the king went well and that he was “very knowledgeable” about several issues. Walls says that the king expressed his love for New Zealand by the amo...