Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

There's growing concerns that the current shortages in New Zealand's aviation sector could do long-term harm to the industry. New reports show more pilots and engineers are needed every year, but the costs of tertiary study are locking prospective students out of training courses. Aviation Industry Association of New Zealand CEO Simon Wallace says the Government needs to increase the amount studen...

Tonight on The Huddle, Nick Mills from ZB's Wellington Mornings and broadcaster Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has officially received her Damehood, with Prince William presenting the award in a ceremony this morning. How do we feel about this? Does Jacinda deserve this? Mayor Tory Whanau and Local Gov...

Social Development Minister Louise Upston isn't worried by the increase in Kiwis relying on the benefit. The Ministry of Social Development released numbers for the last quarter - showing nearly 205,000 people were receiving Jobseeker support, a 12.8 percent increase in a year.  Upston says more unemployment is common during an economic downturn - but she's pleased to note more people have ca...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 17 October 2024, it's D-Day for Darleen Tana with the Greens set to vote whether or not to oust her from Parliament tonight. Labour leader Chris Hipkins explains why he thinks NZ should be bringing Jacinda Ardern back into the fold and use her starpower overseas. One Direction star Liam Payne's shock death in Argentina has rocke...

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says New Zealand should use Dame Jacinda Ardern's star power.  Prince William bestowed Ardern her Damehood at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle. Hipkins says Ardern could help New Zealand's image on the world stage in things like trade and tourism.  He says she's a uniting force.  "Actually, I know a lot of National Party people who didn't vote La...

Southland District Council is clamping down on bad dog owners. Its infringements issued to those flouting the rules in the past year have risen by nearly 50 percent  - to 150. Many are attributed to unregistered dogs and biting is a growing issue. Mayor Rob Scott says staff take dogs from owners as a last resort, but he hopes infringements have taught people a lesson. "And for those that don'...

Argentinian authorities say people shouldn't speculate about the death of former One Direction star Liam Payne.  The 31-year-old has died after a fall at a hotel in Buenos Aires He's famous for appearing in the Brit boy band on X-Factor aged 16, then developing a solo career. Buenos Aires Herald Editor Valen Iricibar says an autopsy will reveal more.  "On the ground, they've very much be...

A political analyst suggests the Greens are already confident of the outcome from tonight's meeting on Darleen Tana.  More than 200 delegates will discuss whether to ask the Speaker to remove Tana from Parliament.  The now-independent MP has lodged an appeal against a High Court decision supporting the party's disciplinary process against her.  Victoria University's Bryce Edwards sa...

Jacinda Ardern has formally received her damehood, more than a year after being granted the title. The former Prime Minister was presented the award by Prince William, at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper doesn't agree with this - and takes issue with her representing the nation overseas.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Over in Australia, unemployment rates have dropped to 4.1 percent - making a pre-Christmas cut to interest rates less likely. The economy added 64,100 more jobs last month, 51,600 of which were full-time roles. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this is good news for some people - but the reduced odds of a rate cut will put strain on homeowners. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for...

It's a big weekend for Auckland-based sports fans, as the much-hyped Auckland FC gets ready for kick-off. The team will play their first-ever game against the Brisbane Roar this Saturday at a soon to be sold-out Mt Smart Stadium. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacks the challenges facing the team ahead of their debut. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tearfund is raising concerns about how many New Zealanders are shopping on ultra-fast fashion websites - and the hidden costs that come with lower prices. New reports show one in four adults have recently shopped on Temu and around 14 percent have shopped on Shein. The 2024 Ethical Fashion Report gives Shein a score of 20 out of 100 - and Temu a 0.  Tearfund's Claire Gray says many Kiwis are...

Unemployed people living with obesity in the UK could receive weight-loss jabs to help get them back into work. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced a £280 million investment from pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly to develop new treatments to combat the rising obesity epidemic.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey says illnesses relating to obesity cost the NHS billions every year - with negativ...

As the world's ageing population is expected to grow over the coming decades, investors have turned their attention to vision care. As people get older, the need for corrective lenses and treatment goes up - meaning investors are looking to take advantage of increased demand. Milford Asset Management analyst Deborah Lambie reveals the companies that stand to benefit from this. LISTEN ABOVE See omn...

The Accident Compensation Corporation concedes there’s room for it to tighten its processes, as it proposes increasing the levies it charges to help pay for rising claims costs. ACC said, in its just-released annual report, that “lower-than-expected rehabilitation performance” contributed towards it reporting a wider-than-expected $7.2 billion deficit in the year to June. In the previous year, it...

It's been suggested that the New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS) could be the ones to find Tom Phillips and his three children in Marokopa - but one expert has voiced disapproval about the optics. The four were recently filmed walking through the bush by pig hunters - the first sighting of them together since December 2021. Barrister and military lawyer Grant Fletcher says within the Commonwea...

Chris Hipkins is adamant he's staying on as Labour's leader - and he'd put money on leading the party to victory in 2026. A new poll says 75 percent of voters want Hipkins to stay on and lead Labour - despite the recent 1News-Verian poll showing Hipkins is down three points to 15 percent in the preferred Prime Minister stakes. In an earlier interview, Hipkins told ZB's Nick Mills that he's absolut...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 16 October 2024, we've won the war on inflation, baby! Economist Brad Olsen tells Heather whether we're out of the woods - and what this means for your mortgage rates. Wellington City Councillors have held an emergency meeting amid threats of Government intervention. Councillor Diane Calvert lifts the lid on the discussions - a...

Tonight on The Huddle, Kiwiblog contributor and Curia pollster David Farrar 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! According to a new poll, over half of Kiwi voters think Prime Minister Chris Luxon is out of touch. Why do we think this is? Is this a problem? Wellington Council held an emergency meeting to fi...

Australia's Government is set to ban debit card surcharges as part of an economic crackdown designed to bring financial relief amid an ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Over on this side of the Tasman, the coalition Government has hinted New Zealand may follow suit and cap surcharge fees for debit and credit cards.  Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says he's committed to makin...

The case of missing Marokopa man Tom Phillips and his three children is garnering worldwide attention.  Pig hunters spotted them almost two weeks ago, after not being seen together since December 2021. Their footage showing the four in camo gear with walking packs has sparked interest around the globe.  Daily Mail reporter, Charlotte Karp, has flown to Marokopa from Australia. She says t...

Yet another Black Caps test has been delayed due to adverse weather conditions. The team's opening test against India in Bengaluru was set to start at 5pm (NZT) - but the match has been temporarily paused because of rain. Former Black Cap Peter McGlashan says this delay could buy New Zealand more time to turn their match strategy around. "No-one will have necessarily finalised who's going to...

A Wellington City Councillor believes Government intervention is necessary. Councillors have met urgently this afternoon to discuss changes to the city's Long Term Plan. The budget needs revision after the Council backed out of selling its airport shares, leaving a funding hole worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Mayor Tory Whanau will talk with Local Government Minister Simeon Brown tomorrow....

There's pressure growing for the Reserve Bank to move more aggressively on the Official Cash Rate. New Zealand's inflation rate is officially back on target, at 2.2 percent. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says that although the Reserve Bank has recently cut the OCR - it's still higher than it should be. He says the Bank probably needs to slash the rate faster than it originally intende...

A campaign event for Donald Trump went in an unexpected direction in Pennsylvania. Trump cut the town hall event short yesterday, when he stopped taking questions and swayed on stage to music for 39 minutes.  He also reminded his supporters to vote in January - despite the US election being set to take place next month. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says his rival Kamala Harris has responde...