Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Every Monday until the election The Front Bench will take on the biggest talking points of the election campaign. Heather du Plessis-Allan, Newstalk ZB Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper, former Business NZ CEO Phil O’Reilly and Auckland Councillor Richard Hills have the insight word and analysis.   The Act Party has thrown a potential cat amongst the pigeons by threatening it may only ent...

A former British soldier awaiting trial on terror charges who appears to have escaped from a London prison by strapping himself to the underside of a food delivery truck remained at large Thursday as police stepped up security checks across the United Kingdom amid concerns he may try to flee the country. Opposition parties linked the escape to years of financial austerity, while Britain's Conserva...

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are certainly putting in the time to cultivate their relationship. Less than three months after honoring Modi with a state visit to the White House, Biden is to arrive in New Delhi on Friday — a day before the start of the Group of 20 summit there — to squeeze in another round of one-on-one talks with the leader of the world’s most populous nati...

A new approach to paying for private healthcare has started in New Zealand. Fettle gives people the ability to contribute to an investment fund which eventually goes into paying for private healthcare. Fettle founder and CEO Dr Colin Hutchinson joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Injury concerns in the Warriors camp ahead of their first finals game since 2018. Star playmaker Shaun Johnson will sit out the first-round clash against Penrith due to a calf injury. And ticket demand for them is through the roof. Fans will be able to purchase presale access to finals tickets for $49, a perk usually reserved for those with full season memberships. But where those games will be he...

Huge problems in the All Blacks camp ahead of tomorrow’s Rugby World Cup opener. The three-time champion All Blacks will kick off the spectacle with hosts France tomorrow morning. But Jordie Barrett, Shannon Frizell and Brodie Retallick will all miss the opener due to injury. NZ Herald rugby writer Liam Napier joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

Consumer NZ is warning that many household appliances actually should last longer than both the warranty and what's expected. For example, TVs should be providing 8 years of work, and ovens should last for about 15 years. It wants to see a mandatory 'repairability' rating system introduced, showing how many years an appliance should last - similar to an energy rating. Consumer NZ Head of Testing D...

National's released more of its education policy today. If it wins the election, it will require primary schools to teach every single child how to reach using structured literacy. It's basically a return to phonics, instead of the whole language approach used for the last 50 years. Education spokesperson Erica Stanford joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Security has been upped ahead of the opening Rugby World Cup match in Paris. More than 7000 Police officers will be on-site as the All Blacks play France tomorrow morning. It's after chaos broke out after last year's Champions League football final at the Stade de France in Paris. France Correspondent Catherine Field told Heather Du Plessis-Allan this is what France has to do. “The Rugby World Cup...

Parliament has officially wound up today. New Zealand Herald Extraordinary Phillip O'Shea headed procedures earlier today, despite Parliament officially closing last week. A new Taxpayers Union-Curia poll has spelled turmoil for the Labour Party. It's put the party at 27 percent - no change from last month - but well behind National at 35 percent. But Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says his election...

If you are a parent or a grandparent worried about whether our schooling will teach your child to read properly – you need to listen to this. Good education announcement from National today. I have been waiting for anyone to announce this for a couple of years now. So I'm pleased someone’s finally done it. If the Nats win the election, they will require all primary schools to teach little ones to...

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday formally notified the judge overseeing the Georgia election subversion case that he “may” try to move his state case into federal court. Trump’s lawyers have previously said they would try to move the case, which could help him get the charges dropped by invoking immunity protections for federal officials. “President Trump hereby notifies the Court that he...

Heartbreaking news for Warriors fans overnight. Star playmaker Shaun Johnson has been officially ruled out of tomorrow's first-round NRL finals match with the Penrith Panthers in Penrith with a calf injury. Warriors assistant coach Justin Morgan joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corrections staff are going on strike. 98 percent of association members rejected the latest collective agreement offer - with 97 percent voting in favour of industrial action. Members are seeking an offer higher than inflation's 6 percent - and greater staffing numbers. Corrections Association President Floyd du Plessis told Heather du Plessis-Allan dates for strike action will be decided next we...

A manhunt has been launched after a former soldier awaiting trial on terror charges escaped from a London prison. Daniel Abed Khalife had been accused of planting fake bombs at a military base and allegedly breaching the Official Secrets Act. UK correspondent Enda Brady says he reportedly escaped by clinging on to the underside of a food delivery van. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

Tonight on The Huddle, former Labour chief of staff and Maxim Institute director Tim Wilson joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Labour leader Chris Hipkins has apologised today - after his party released social media ads with misleading information about National's plan to scrap the first-year fees-free policy for tertiary education. This is on top of Willie...

Residential building work has dropped for the third consecutive quarter in a row, according to new data. The Wellington region led the annual decline, with a 13 percent PA fall in residential construction put in place. Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen says this downturn reflects high interest rates and declining house prices trickling down to the construction sector. LISTEN ABOVE See omn...

More trouble for the carbon credit scheme that Labour wants to use to fund climate initiatives. The Government has tried - and failed - a third time to auction off credits, giving businesses the right to emit carbon dioxide. This means Treasury is now short over $900 million ahead of Tuesday's Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update. The Country's Jamie Mackay says the credits will be available to...

One expert warns that Kiwis will soon feel more pain at the pump. Crude oil prices have climbed to new heights, after Saudi Arabia and Russia committed to maintaining their production cuts through to the end of 2023. Brent oil reached $90 per barrel for the first time since November.  NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says this is the first time since 2021 that crude oil prices have sur...

Claims truth is the first casualty of the election season. Labour leader Chris Hipkins has had to apologise for the actions of several party members, with inaccurate information being shared about National and ACT's plans for the country. Willie Jackson found himself in hot water over his claims about minimum wage, junior staffers have been exposed lying about the opposition's plans for student lo...

National's transport spokesman has labelled Auckland Light Rail's commercial building purchase 'shocking'. Auckland Light Rail has signed a $33 million contract to buy the Kiwi Bacon Building, located on New North Road. That's despite National vowing to scrap the $14.6-billion-dollar project if elected next month. Simeon Brown says the Government has had six years to deliver and hasn't presented a...

There are concerns over employers making young people work during school hours. James Cook High School principal Grant McMillan says most employers are helpful and work with the school. But he says some fast food places and construction sites make kids ditch school for work. "Sadly, there are a small group of employers who tend to exploit young people by ensuring that the employer's needs are met...

A slow down for the clean-up of silt in the cyclone ravaged Hawke's Bay. About $44 million has been committed to managing silt and debris. But the Regional Council says the money's run out a month earlier than expected. Silt Recovery Taskforce Lead Darren de Klerk says they've explained the issue to the Government. "To get us going for the next six months through to the end of summer 2024, we've f...

The Police Minister says bolstering the police force will help New Zealand tackle a complex crime situation. Labour has promised 300 more cops over four years if re-elected. It's on top of about 1800 more staff coming on board since Labour won the 2017 election. Police Minister Ginny Andersen says it will make a material difference. "Those extra police officers mean that when people call the phone...

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed he'll visit China by the end of the year. This trip will be the first visit to the region from an Australian Prime Minister since 2016. It's been speculated for several months that Albanese will make this journey, after a successful interaction with Xi Jinping at a G20 meeting last year. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says this mee...