Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

It's been a couple days after the Australian Budget, and some groups have lucked out after the big day. Between tax cuts, the energy rebate and the financial boost for renewable energy manufacturing businesses, some feel that the Government has 'splashed the cash'.  Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the Opposition will still have other aspects of the Budget to pick apart. LISTEN ABOVE See...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 16 May 2024, Green MP Darleen Tana has now been absent from Parliament as many days as she attended this year while her party investigates worker exploitation accusations. But former employees say they're still waiting for their money. Fonterra is set to make a huge change to its business, looking to sell off large parts of its...

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Several Hollywood stars have called for the witch-hunt against Kevin Spacey to stop - so he can return to the screen again. Should he be given a chance? Would we support this? Following on from Sam Cane's public reti...

Auckland councillors have given mayor Wayne Brown's Long Term Plan the green light. It includes a $50 per week cap for public transport fares and creating an Auckland Future Fund with the Council's remaining airport shares. Brown says there was a lot of discussion on the airport shares. "The public we consulted were all very keen to put the airport shares into a growth fund. But some of my council...

One Nelson woman is the latest to express disappointment with Air New Zealand's conduct. On April 29, Kerstin Zdzieblik was bumped off her afternoon flight to Auckland - meaning she missed her international connection and was left $800 out of pocket as a result of this mistake. Her daughter, Anne Thomas, says the airline gave away her seat to relocate a crew member without checking she had an inte...

Blacklisted actor Kevin Spacey is fighting to revive his career after being cleared of sexual assault. Spacey's been acquitted on nine charges - and won a civil lawsuit, where he was accused of an unwanted sexual advance. Now big industry names, including Sharon Stone and Liam Neeson, are speaking up for the 64-year-old's Hollywood return. US reporter Anthony Davis says victims' stories seem to be...

There's uncertainty around Fonterra's plan to sell well-known brand Anchor. The diary giant has signalled its intent to divest some or all of its global consumer business, including Fonterra Oceania and Fonterra Sri Lanka. Dairy NZ deputy chair Jacqueline Rowarth says Anchor is synonymous with New Zealand. "Anchor was sold at one point, and then they brought it back. So let's not do that again, it...

A lawyer involved in a case affecting an investigation into a Green MP understands it's not close to wrapping up. MP Darleen Tana's been stood down for the past two months during investigation of allegations of migrant exploitation at the business of her husband, Christian Hoff-Nielson. Lawyer Alex Kersjes represents some of Hoff-Nielson's former workers. He says both his clients were interviewed...

Labour's Chris Hipkins has taken a crack at the Government's scheme for school lunches. Hipkins visited a primary school in Christchurch - and warned that kids would receive less nutrition under David Seymour's cost-cutting plan. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says little has been mentioned about the wastage coming from school lunches under Labour. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/li...

Wolverhampton have lodged a motion to scrap the use of VAR in football's Premier League. ESPN reports a vote will be held at next month's meeting of the 20 clubs. The team will need the backing of 13 others to pass the resolution, which would see the video assistant referee removed from the English top flight with immediate effect. Sportstalk's D'Arcy Waldegrave explains the implications of this d...

There's growing debate mortgage advisors need more regulation - alongside a Commerce Commission bid to make it easier to take out a home loan. Discussions at a banking conference centred on concerns brokers don't encourage mortgage rate competition. Simplicity CEO, Sam Stubbs, says they provide a valuable service, but commissions are a worry. "What CommComm are concerned about is - are they actual...

Well, it’s D-day for Te Huia. Today's the day that NZTA has met and has decided whether or not to keep funding the train past the end of June. Unless NZTA gives them more money, it’s all over by the first of July. And come on, it’s gotta be all over right? Because the case for this thing has never actually stacked up. We subsidise every single passenger on that train to the tune of at least $92 pe...

An investigative piece by the New Yorker is questioning the verdict in the Lucy Letby case. Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies in her care as a nurse and sentenced to life in prison. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the article questioned her conviction and the lack of evidence revealing her guilt. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poor trading conditions, intense price competition and lower building product sales have prompted Fletcher Building to downgrade its profit forecast. The forecast has been downgraded $640 million to $540 million - move that caused stock to sink 15 percent. Milford Asset Management's Mark Riggall explains what's causing Fletcher Building's economic woes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Ahead of the May Budget, experts have noticed the Reserve Bank's balance sheet has grown over the years. The value of assets held by the RBNZ has has quadrupled since 2019, peaking at $104 billion in February 2023. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains what's causing all this. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New South Wales is pulling out all the stops to entice Kiwi cops across the ditch. Training requirements have been cut down and New Zealand officers can keep their ranks - on top of receiving higher pay. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this offer will be attractive to many New Zealand-based police officers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's legal team are still working tirelessly to dismantle Michael Cohen's legal credibility. Cohen, Trump's former attorney and a key witness in the ongoing hush money trial, has been called to the stand for a second day. He remained calm - and expressed hope the former President would be found guilty of fraud. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Michael Cohen has also recently taken to...

Expect a different look on attack for the Warriors for Sunday's NRL magic round clash against the Panthers in Brisbane. A makeshift spine will see Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad at five-eighth, alongside halfback Te Maire Martin, who replaces the injured Shaun Johnson. Taine Tuaupiki will slot in at fullback. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains what this means for the team. LISTEN ABOVE See omnyst...

Foodstuffs is raising the alarm about an increase in retail crime throughout their stores. New data shows over 5000 incidents were reported in the first quarter of this year at 320 New World, Pak n' Save and Four Square stores. Foodstuffs North Island general counsel Julian Benefield says a number of these incidents were caused by repeat offenders. "As we've seen with the data that we're reporting...

The Restaurant Association has voiced disappointment with Auckland Transport's move to charge for parking. AT will delay their 24/7 parking fees in the CBD until October - though charges on Sundays and public holidays will still kick in from July.  CEO Marisa Bidois says Auckland Transport still needs to hear what the business community has to say first. "We're talking 15,000 businesses that are p...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 15 May 2024, New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley has launched a huge offensive to poach Kiwi cops to Australia. And she tells Heather she's not sorry at all! Hollywood's favourite new weight loss drug might be even more amazing than previously thought - now it's thought to dramatically lower the risk of having a heart...

Tonight on The Huddle, Matt Heath from Radio Hauraki and David Farrar, Kiwiblog contributor and Curia pollster joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! King Charles' portrait has divided the world, with some labelling it bold - or horrifying. What do we think? NSW officials have launched a recruitment drive to poach Kiwi police. Can New Zealand compete with Austr...

It's looking increasingly likely that the Wellington Phoenix will sell out Sky Stadium for their hotly-anticipated match. The team are set to host the Melbourne Victory for Saturday's A-League semi-final second leg - and tickets are going fast. Wellington Phoenix General Manager David Dome reckons tickets could sell out as soon as tonight. "We're doing about a thousand every couple of hours at the...

WorkSafe's calling for businesses to boost safety standards as more workers lose fingers on unsafe machinery. The courts have issued more than half a million dollars worth of fines to three manufacturing businesses, since mid-March. They involve three people who lost multiple fingers in 2022. WorkSafe Principal Inspector Mark Donaghue says these companies should have had more safety precautions in...

An Auckland art expert is calling King Charles' first post coronation portrait 'striking and interesting'. The painting, unveiled at Buckingham Palace, depicts the King in Welsh military regalia, with a butterfly on his shoulder, against a vibrant red background. The Head of Art at Webb's, Tasha Jenkins, says it was a surprise at first sight. "They really wanted it to be something bold and strikin...