Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Coach Rob Penney is hopeful the Crusaders will harness the energy of a stunning Super Round for Friday's blockbuster showdown against the Hurricanes in Wellington. Penney says christening the new One NZ Stadium at Te Kaha has been great for the team's spirit. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scrapping NCEA is seen as a chance to highlight the importance of the trades. A New Zealand Initiative report argues replacing the main secondary school qualification could be a chance to help ease skills shortages in construction and healthcare. Its calling for subjects to be designed with industry boards and students in mind. NZI Senior Research Fellow Dr Michael Johnston says there's hundreds o...

King Charles and Queen Camilla spent the day with the Trumps at the White House, beginning their four-day US state visit. The royal visit follows the weekend shooting outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner - with a gunman charging a security checkpoint outside the Washington Hilton. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the royals will be walking a 'diplomatic tightrope', given the tensions bet...

While most of the world will hold interest rates and wait out the energy shock, Australia and New Zealand are set to lift their rates up. Both nations are looking to bring down inflation, and the ongoing fuel crisis is set to pose additional economic risks.  HSBC Chief Economist Paul Bloxham explained why this is the case. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand and India have signed a landmark FTA - which is set to slash tariffs on Kiwi exports to India. The agreement will now be examined by Parliament’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee before legislation is introduced to bring it into force.  The Country's Jamie Mackay explains how Kiwi farmers will benefit from this arrangement. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for...

I’ll tell you what I found most surprising about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump at the weekend: the number of people who do not believe it really happened or that it was a genuine attempt at all. There are a remarkable number of people who believe the incident was staged and who are openly discussing that belief, including claims that Trump was not actually shot through the ear a couple...

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! There was another assassination attempt on Donald Trump over the weekend, but some have written this off as a 'false flag'. What do we make of this? Do we believe the conspiracies?  The Maiki Sherman saga - what do we make of...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 28 April, 2026, the BusinessDesk's Dileepa Fonseka outlines the detail from the Free Trade Agreement with India. We talk to the National Road Carriers about whether loosening restrictions on trucks will cause more potholes on our roads. New Zealand Cricket's new chief executive Geoff Allott tells us how excited he is about NZ20....

The Government says there will be downsides to loosening restrictions on heavy vehicles. Trucking lobby group Transporting New Zealand is calling for weight restrictions to loosen immediately, not just in Phase Two of the fuel response. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the Government's looking into options they can implement quickly - and they're weighing up the benefits and drawbacks. "I would...

A controversial statue in Auckland honouring women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Army during World War II won't go ahead.  The Devonport-Takapuna Board has voted 4 to 2 to deny the Korean Garden Trust the permission to build it at Barry's Point Reserve in Takapuna.  More than 600 people had given feedback on the statue, including the Japanese Embassy - who opposed it. ...

One expert has noticed there doesn't appear to be any significant surprises in New Zealand's new trade agreement with India. The agreement was signed in New Delhi overnight, and will reduce or eliminate tariffs on 95 percent of exports to the world's largest country. BusinessDesk senior journalist Dileepa Fonseka says there's no numerical limits on the international student numbers, but we can mak...

The popularity of American sports could keep growing here - as streaming giants compete for viewers. Disney Plus is pushing its ESPN sports offering across Australasia with a new lower-cost subscription plan. Media commentator Duncan Greive says younger audiences are increasingly turning to American sports on global platforms over watching traditional sports like rugby and cricket. "The had a moat...

A truck-drivers advocate says relaxing freight restrictions will have very little impact on infrastructure.  The Government's planning to increase truck load limits and allow freight to move during off-peak times, if we go to Phase Two of the fuel plan.  Multiple sector organisations and companies say the changes should just be implemented now.  National Road Carriers Spokesperson J...

The suspect of the shooting outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner, has been charged with the attempted assassination of the US President. 31-year-old California teacher Cole Allen was allegedly armed with multiple guns and knives, and written documents suggested he'd planned to target Trump officials. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper addressed the fallout from this i...

Over in Australia, the opposition has called on the federal Government to double minimum fuel reserves and boost storage capacity amid the ongoing fuel crisis. This plan would increase Australia's fuel stocks to a 60-day supply, with at least 1 billion litres of additional storage capacity. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the Government has raised concerns over the costs of this plan.&nb...

Chris Greenacre insists the length of contract was no issue in him agreeing to take charge of the Phoenix men in football's A-League next season. The former striker for the Wellington club - and four-time interim manager - has taken the fulltime role on a one-year deal, with an option for the following season. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/lis...

Former Black Cap Geoff Allott has been appointed New Zealand Cricket's new CEO. The ex-fast bowler-turned-administrator served as NZC's general manager of cricket from 2008 to 2010, and board director between 2013 and 2021. Allott says the role is 'a huge honour' and he's looking forward to getting stuck in. "I know it's a big challenge, but to be given the reins of New Zealand Cricket - the sport...

I’ve tried very hard to understand the Government’s decision to essentially cancel SailGP in Auckland next year  and I just can’t. I cannot understand what has gone on here because, as I understand it, this has come down to a few hundred thousand dollars. Let me run you through the timeline. We’ve been fighting for SailGP to stay in New Zealand - particularly in Auckland - for the past few ye...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 24 April, 2026, National Cabinet minister Simeon Brown gives us details about the complaint he's lodged against TVNZ. Sail GP NZ co-chief executive Blair Tuke is gutted the event won't be coming to Auckland but hopes it'll make a comeback. ChristchurchNZ on why the Garden City is the place to be right now, with more people moving...

Good on Chris Luxon for ditching his regular spot on Breakfast. That’s from Tina. I disagree with Tina. I don’t think Chris Luxon should have given up on Breakfast the way he has, pulling out of his weekly slot. I mean, obviously it’s his prerogative to do it. And the truth is, in New Zealand—and in our media—we actually have more access to our Prime Ministers than in many other countries. Loads o...

US Correspondent Dan Mitchinson joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to chat about the latest in the fuel crisis and Iran war.  They also discussed the rise of going 'no-contact' as 60% of Gen Z say they will cut contact with friends or family if they face disrespect or negative effects to their mental health.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior National MP Simeon Brown has accused TVNZ news staff of breaching parliamentary rules this week by following National's Stuart Smith into a corridor area and "aggressively banged on" Smith's door for several minutes.  Simeon Brown told Heather du Plessis-Allan, "ultimately what we're seeing here is behaviour which I think most New Zealanders would say is unacceptable." This evening Pri...

Between tonight's opening of the One NZ Stadium, a booming job market, and lower cost of living Christchurch is becoming a hot spot for kiwis relocating.  ChristchurchNZ Chief Executive Ali Adams told Heather du Plessis-Allan, "things like this don't happen by accident. This is a curated and deliberate team effort ... across the city to really turn things around and to build a city that...

Commuters in London face more disruption as a second 24-hour Tube strike starts later this week. No further talks have taken place to settle the dispute and drivers in the RMT union are set to continue industrial action. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this is likely to frustrate commuters.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victorian Hydrogen is proposing a $3 billion urea plant to be located 30km northeast of Invercargill. The company says it could deliver 1.5 million tonnes a year of urea fertiliser (using 3 million tonnes of lignite), making New Zealand's agricultural sector fully self sufficient. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.