Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Tonight on The Huddle, Radio Hauraki host Matt Heath and Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Chris Luxon faced some backlash over his comments encouraging more women to have more babies to reverse the country's declining birth-rate. Were these comments out of line, or does Luxon make a good point? Why are less people having chi...

Infrastructure investment company Infratil will pay $1.8 billion to take full control of One NZ. This purchase will double Infratil’s stake in One NZ and easily make it Infratil's largest asset in their portfolio. Fisher Funds senior portfolio manager Sam Dickie says this is a clear vote of confidence from Infratil, who stand to benefit from working with One NZ. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/l...

Federated Farmers have set out a road map for New Zealand's next Government. The policy platform for the incoming election has 12 key changes designed to restore farmer confidence amid growing uncertainty. The Country's Jamie Mackay says Federated Farmers want the Government to reduce 'unworkable' regulations, red tape and unnecessary costs.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

New Zealand's GDP figures will be out next week- but what will that mean for the economy? Economists are currently predicting a marginal increase in New Zealand's GDP, and economic activity is on the rise. NZ Herald business editor Liam Dann says a minimal increase or decrease won't affect most people's experience of the economy, and it's too marginal to worry about. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio....

Michael Wood maintains he's never deliberately deceived anyone after revelations he was less than truthful about his Auckland Airport shares. Newsroom claims it specifically asked him two years ago if he had assets, such as shares, other than those he'd publicly disclosed- and Wood replied that he had none. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Michael Wood was 'playing with words' in...

Air New Zealand and Qantas have come out swinging against Auckland Airport's planned redevelopment- calling for an urgent rethink. The pair released a joint statement saying it will lift airport charges and travel costs to an unaffordable level for a number of customers. Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran says it's important for the final product to be affordable, and having a plan doesn't guarantee a...

National's Chris Luxon raised a few eyebrows over his comments about the nation's declining birth rate. At an infrastructure conference, Luxon made a 'tongue-in-cheek' comment calling for more people to have babies to plug the worker shortage. Massey University sociologist Paul Spoonley says Chris Luxon is right about the plummeting birth rate- but a middle-aged male encouraging people to have bab...

Education Minister Jan Tinetti today faced up in front of the privileges committee over potentially misleading Parliament. Tinetti is in trouble for telling Parliament she did not have a say in releasing truancy statistics, when in fact she did. Massey University political commentator Grant Duncan says her explanation wasn't entirely convincing, especially when factoring in the correspondence that...

Discussion continues over Michael Wood's Auckland Airport shares- which he's now finally sold. He was stood down over not disclosing Auckland Airport shares for years, and it's emerged he was advised 12 times to divest. Parliament officials are investigating whether he's met all obligations in declaring interests. Newsroom editor Jonathan Milne says he asked Wood in 2021 whether he had any other i...

Auckland Council has adjourned and will reconvene at 10am tomorrow, after failing to vote on the mayor's updated budget. In an 11th hour proposal, Wayne Brown today suggested selling about half the city's Auckland Airport shares, alongside raising rates more and making more cuts to council controlled organisations and local boards. Newstalk ZB's Jacob Jones says it's not clear whether Brown has th...

Australia seeks to ban Nazi symbols and iconography nationwide under new legislation. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus expressed concern about an increase in far-right activity, and aims to install a federal law that puts an end to trading memorabilia bearing Nazi imagery. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says there are already laws in place against Nazi memorabilia in NSW and Victoria, and t...

Kiwis will be able to enjoy a drink at the races again, after a bill protecting this tradition passed a third reading in Parliament. National's MP for Rangitīkei explained that race meetings lacked resources to provide hospitality services, and allowing patrons to bring their own wine and beer would draw in the crowds. Ian McKelvie says alcohol law reform bills put a stop to this Kiwi tradition, w...

Luxon’s struck a nerve, hasn’t he? He’s been telling Kiwis to have more babies. He was at an infrastructure conference, talking about our shortage of workers to build the infrastructure we need. And he said: “We need people. Here is the deal – New Zealand stopped replacing itself in 2016. I encourage all of you to go out there and have more babies if you wish, that would be helpful.”  Now that’s u...

Prince Harry entered his first highly-publicised day in court- and came out worse for wear. The royal claimed the media and the Government frequently colluded on various issues to improve each other's situations. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says media outlets have been picking apart his court appearance- and highlighted several inconsistencies. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Tonight on The Huddle, ZB host Tim Beveridge and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Michael Wood remains on stand-down as Transport Minister, after it was revealed he was asked to sell his Auckland Airport shares 12 times. Can he keep his job- and should he? The PGA Tour and LIV Golf surprised the sports world by announcing an unexpecte...

National's Chris Luxon unveiled the Party's infrastructure policy that would come into effect if elected. National launched a national infrastructure agency to engage domestic and offshore investors and set out a 30-year infrastructure plan across all sectors. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says it's important to see the focus both parties placed on infrastructure, as it pays back inve...

Technology company Nvidia's shares have been on a strong run this year and recently surged another 24 percent. This takes the year to date increase in share price to almost 160 percent.  Milford Asset Management analyst Deborah Lambie explained that unlike Apple, Microsoft and Alphabet, Nvidia doesn’t sell consumer products or services, but specialized chips for training AI "Nvidia benefits from t...

Inland Revenue have changed their guidance on avoiding 'over-taxing', amid criticism about promoting tax avoidance. The tax department published a fact sheet explaining the Government’s plan to increase the trustee tax rate from 33 to 39 percent to align with the top income tax rates.  NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says the IRD publishing these changes is an admission that...

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie kicked off his 2024 presidential campaign by slamming an ally-turned-rival. Chris Christie called former president Donald Trump a 'lonely, self-consumed mirror hog', going against his previous support. US correspondent Mitch McCann says Chris Christie is the latest Republican contender for president and his eagerness to attack Trump is a stark contrast to...

Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua has named the 12 players and 3 reserves set to compete at the upcoming Netball World Cup. The selection process was a tough one for Taurua, who described it as 'a high standard with some extremely tight results'.  Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains the tough decisions Noeline Taurua had to make. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

Michael Wood is being subjected to more scrutiny following new information about his Auckland Airport shares. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has revealed Wood was asked to sell his Auckland Airport shares 12 times- rather than the 6 times previously reported. Wood says he's remorseful, but plans to carry on as a Cabinet minister. ZB's senior political correspondent Barry Soper says he's asked around...

New Foodstuffs data reveals there's been a 38 percent increase in retail crime throughout the North Island. Reports collected from New World and PAK'nSAVE stores have found aggressive behaviour and shoplifting have skyrocketed between February and April 2023.  First Union President Robert Reid says the union's first concern is with the staff, who are taking the brunt of retail crime. "It is always...

Two of Auckland's biggest schools are at the centre of a first XV player eligibility debate. A teenage student made a well-being transfer from Mount Albert Grammar to King's College- but faces a two-year stand-down from first XV rugby, according to the 1A code of practice. The teen's father, Aaron Taylor, believes Mount Albert Grammar are being stubborn by not budging on the codes in place. "That'...

Environment Canterbury says ratepayers are bearing the brunt of having to put on extra public transport, to get cruise passengers from Lyttelton to Christchurch. Chairman Peter Scott says it could cost the council $500,000 to accommodate passengers next season. He says that could balloon to $1 million and they can't impose that on ratepayers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

The primary teaching union has revealed it didn't get everything it wanted from its latest collective agreement. NZEI members have approved the agreement, with pay rises, more classroom release time, and extra allowances for bilingual and cultural immersion teachers. It ends months of disruptive industrial action. Union president Mark Potter says while the agreement is good news, it probably still...