Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Secretary-General of the OECD, Mathias Cormann, has made his first official visit to New Zealand. Trade Minister Todd McClay welcomed him to Wellington today - and trade agreements appear to be on the agenda. Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen explains the significance of this visit. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As tourists descend on Barcelona for the America's Cup, the welcome from locals isn't as warm as the weather. The city has been grappling with the after-effects of over-tourism - and residents have been spotted wearing anti-America's Cup merchandise in protest. BloggerAtLarge.com's Megan Singleton says people are fed up with tourism pushing up the prices of services and accommodation.  "You've got...

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Are the Wellington posties wrong to refuse to deliver Better Wellington's anti-council pamphlet over claims of misinformation? Is there a political bias here? The Government will overturn the oil and gas ban - and have urged Labour to support this m...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 27 August 2024, Labour leader Chris Hipkins gets into a fiery argument with Heather over Labour's opposition to oil and gas exploration. Police Commissioner Andrew Coster celebrates a major win over the Head Hunters. The postie union are refusing to deliver a pamphlet in Wellington because they believe it contains misinformation....

New Zealand Media and Entertainment (NZME) says its first-half revenue was slightly up on the year before, despite a tough trading environment. The media group behind the New Zealand Herald, BusinessDesk, Newstalk ZB and OneRoof reported a first-half net profit of $1.9 million, down 4.3 percent on the year before. However, there was a 3 percent lift in operating revenue and other income to $171 mi...

A win for Auckland police, who have seized almost $15 million worth of of Head Hunter assets and properties - including the prized Mount Wellington gang pad. Items taken from President Wayne Doyle, under the Criminal Proceeds Act, include properties in New Lynn and Freeman's Bay. Other assets include two bank accounts, a vehicle and $275,000 cash found at a gang address in 2017. Commissioner Andre...

Messages between Phillip Polkinghorne and his wife Pauline Hanna have come to light today in court. The Auckland eye surgeon is accused of killing Hanna in their home in 2021, although he claims it was suicide. The court's heard messages between the two - described by an officer working the case as 'loving'. NewstalkZB's Chelsea Daniels says jurors were also told about Hanna's activity on her phon...

Messages between Phillip Polkinghorne and his wife Pauline Hanna have come to light today in court. The Auckland eye surgeon is accused of killing Hanna in their home in 2021, although he claims it was suicide. The court's heard messages between the two - described by an officer working the case as 'loving'. NewstalkZB's Chelsea Daniels says jurors were also told about Hanna's activity on her phon...

Labour would re-instate a ban on oil and gas exploration if it got back into power. The Government is reversing the ban, despite belief from opponents there's no reserves left to be found. It also plans to make it easier import Liquefied Natural Gas, aiming to boost energy supplies. Labour leader Chris Hipkins says New Zealand has an abundance of renewable electricity options that should be pushed...

Thousands of Australian workers have gone on strike to protest the Government's takeover of the construction arm of the CFMEU. Workers downed their tools and walked away from 11am this morning - halting the construction of several major building projects across the nation. Australian correspondent Sam Emery says these protests will be monitored amid concerns about illegal activity.  LISTEN ABOVE S...

As the current energy crisis worsens, Labour is holding steady on its promise to bring back the oil and gas ban again. The Government has recently agreed to remove hurdles for gas imports, speed up overturning the ban on oil and gas exploration - and will review the electricity market's performance. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says a bi-partisan solution is needed to draw investo...

A controversial anti-council leaflet has ruffled feathers in the capital. A group called Better Wellington produced the flyer criticising council plans, like changing noise control to let mosques play their call to prayer. But posties are calling it harmful misinformation and have refused to deliver it. John Maynard from the Postal Workers Union says the leaflets are written in a misleading way. "...

That was quite a smart move from Chris Luxon yesterday, calling on opposition parties to support the Government in fixing this energy crisis we’re in at the moment. Not only because this is now so serious, with businesses closing down and cutting jobs because they can’t afford the power bill, that it really requires everyone in Parliament to be grown ups about it - but also because I think this is...

Italian media are reporting prosecutors have begun an official investigation of New Zealander James Cutfield, captain of the British flagged superyacht that sank of Sicily last week. Reuters is not able to independently verify the decision and says being placed under investigation doesn't imply guilt or mean formal charges will follow. On the weekend Italian prosecutors announced a manslaughter in...

US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has hinted interest rate cuts could be coming from September. In a recent address, Powell indicated upside risks to inflation have diminished, and the downside risks to employment have increased. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly says these comments struck the right tone with markets, causing sharemarkets to go up as a result. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio...

More and more businesses have begun utilising AI for recruiting staff - and jobseekers have concerns. Spark, Kmart and Woolworths all use Sapia.ai software to conduct automated chat and video interviews with an AI-based 'smart interviewer'. Chief executive and platform founder Barb Hyman says the AI eliminates the bias human recruiters bring to job interviews. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/liste...

Tonight on The Huddle, broadcaster Mark Sainsbury and Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Do we have a problem with Labour's Carmel Sepuloni collecting her MP's salary while filming Celebrity Treasure Island?  The Government has made some changes to the Fast Track Approvals Bill - with Cabinet agreeing to amend the Bill to giv...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 26 August 2024, Energy Minister Simeon Brown tells Heather how the Government's big new energy package will address our energy crisis. In a landmark case, the Court of Appeal has found four Uber drivers were employees - and not contractors - meaning they're entitled to paid holiday and sick leave. Lydia Ko has won her first major...

The Finance Minister has accused mayors and councillors of ignoring their bases when it comes to spending.  Speaking at Thursday's Local Government New Zealand conference on Wednesday, Chris Luxon told councils to tighten their belts and stop wasteful spending. Nicola Willis says city and regional councils have lost touch with their ratepayers. "For mayors and councillors, in some cases, to be so...

The Energy Minister says the Government will make sure the energy sector is more competitive - and better for customers. Cabinet has agreed to import more Liquefied Natural Gas and fast-track reforms to make it easier to build renewable energy farms in light of sky-high power prices pressuring big industry users. Minister Simeon Brown says more competition and regular reporting will stop companies...

Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko dominated in St Andrews - and walked away with another victory. Ko's remarkable August has seen her claim an Olympic gold medal, a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame and her first major since 2016, after capturing the Women's Open in Scotland. NZ Open Tournament Director Michael Glading says Lydia Ko's enthusiasm for golf has picked up again. "She's been married a year or two now -...

There's hopes a ruling against Uber could help empower other contractors. The Court of Appeal has ruled four Uber drivers are employees, not contractors. Uber says it will appeal and claims the move will increase uncertainty for workers who enjoy the flexibility of contract work. First Union General Secretary Dennis Maga says it could have wider implications. He says while likely limited to other...

The Government has unveiled a raft of new measures set to ease the nation's energy security crisis. Cabinet has agreed to cut regulation stopping New Zealand bringing in foreign Liquefied Natural Gas in order to ease power bills. It will also speed up overturning a ban on oil and gas exploration - and will review the electricity market's performance. Enerlytica Head of Research John Kidd says the...

The Government has announced a range of moves designed to shore up supply and keep prices stable. They include bringing in legislation this year to allow oil and gas exploration - and speed up consenting for renewable energy. It will also ease regulation around lines companies owning generation. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the Government was quick to blame their Labour prede...

A prominent Sydney underworld figure has been shot and killed in a targeted murder, according to authorities. Tarek Ayoub was shot multiple times in the car park of a unit complex in Parramatta - and was pronounced dead on the scene. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says police are worried about retribution from other Sydney gangs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...