Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Government says help with high fuel prices is coming, for some. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says officials are working hard on support options - as prices skyrocket. She's all but ruled out cutting the fuel excise, as the last Government did in 2022.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Luxon confirmed fuel supplies aren't at risk of drying up, but this could be...

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned motorists not to panic-buy fuel, claiming that surging demand puts unnecessary pressure on supplies. Albanese said that the Government was considering longer term measures including extending the life of two oil refineries beyond 2027. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says concerns are mounting, especially for the trucking industry, where f...

More rugby clubs around the country are ditching junior fees in a bid to ease financial pressure on families and revive grassroots participation. What began as a small initiative in 2024 has gathered momentum, with more clubs opting to waive registration costs in 2026. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police officers dished out one speeding fine for every minute of last year as they cracked down on dangerous driving.  More than 500,000 fines were issued over 2025, double the number issued six years ago.  The figures are only fines from officers - not speeding cameras.  AA road safety spokesman Dylan Thomsen says it's unclear exactly what drove this data, but it's likely there was...

Over in the UK, experts are warning people to take precautions as an outbreak of meningitis is spreading.  15 cases have officially been reported, and a university student and a sixth former have died as a result of the outbreak.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey says cases are projected to go up and investigations are taking place. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

Officials are calling out the Government for loosening KiwiSaver withdrawal rules in response to lobbying by Federated Farmers, rather than evidence-based advice. A newly-released Regulatory Impact Statement shows the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) opposed the Government’s proposal to allow KiwiSaver withdrawals for farmland.  NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee...

The conflict in the Middle East is continuing on for another week, and it's got experts concerned about the economic impacts. Iran's blocking shipping in retaliation for the US and Israel bombardment - sending oil prices spiking. Milford Asset Management expert Michael Luke explained how markets have continued to drop. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  An Auckland IVF clinic has reassured patients their processes are robust after some frozen embryos in their care went missing. What do we think happened here?  The Government is looking to crack down...

Economists are questioning Treasury's 'worst case' economic forecast from the Iran war. It predicts a worst case scenario of inflation hitting 3.7 percent this year - if the conflict persists. Independent economist Cameron Bagrie says he doesn't think Treasury has properly taken into account businesses feeling the second-hand impact of rising fuel prices. "If they've got a reason to push up prices...

Okay, once again - not for the first time on this show and probably not the last - thank goodness for Erica Stanford. Normally, she’s righting wrongs in education but today it’s her other portfolio: immigration. She has just introduced legislation to Parliament that would make it possible for New Zealand to say no to asylum seekers if they have committed a serious offence in this country. It might...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 18 March, 2026 , we hear from Fertility Associates' chief medical officer about losing a family's frozen embryos.   We get the latest on how much fuel's left as a result of the Iran war. A crackdown on asylum-seekers who commit serious crimes after arriving in New Zealand. And on The Huddle, Jack Tame and Tim Wilson on whe...

Fertility Associates is reassuring patients their processes are robust, after frozen embryos went missing last year while in its care. It says this only involved one couple, that was treated at its Auckland clinic in 2025. An audit done by an independent international lab expert has found its storage processes are secure - but it's now moving storage to a new, designated area in the clinic. Chief...

Questions remain on processes for asylum seekers convicted of serious crimes in New Zealand.  Proposed Government reforms will let immigration officials take crimes committed by a refugee-applicant into account.  New Zealand is obligated under international conventions to keep them here.   Immigration lawyer Pooja Sundar says one option is giving asylum seekers a series of work visa...

The CEO of New Zealand’s largest fuel import terminal is quelling concern imports to New Zealand could cease if the Middle East conflict continues.  Iran's blocking shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as part of its response to continuing US Israeli attacks.  As of midnight Sunday, New Zealand had 49 days fuel cover.  Channel Infrastructure CEO Rob Buchanan says there are other oi...

A Northland parent claimed teachers at her son's first school routinely rewarded children with chocolate and lollies, sparking debate about whether this is a good idea. Health Ministry guidelines say schools should not serve sweets or chocolate at all, and concerns have been raised about the health impacts.  Auckland University professor Boyd Swinburn says there could probably be better ways...

Donald Trump is dismissing the resignation of a senior US intelligence official - whom he appointed. Israel is continuing waves of strikes across Lebanon and Iran, saying it has now killed Iran's security chief. Meanwhile Joe Kent is stepping down as director of the US National Counter-terrorism Centre.  US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Kent claimed he couldn't support the ongoing war wit...

NZ First leader Winston Peters has clarified Hipkins' ex-wife Jade Paul does not work for his party or have any affiliation or role with it. It was understood Paul worked as a ministerial advisor for Cabinet minister Casey Costello, prompting rumours about the intent of the infamous social media post.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Peters said he's not interested...

The New Zealand Cricket board is still deciding the future of the country's domestic T20 game, but a couple of Black Caps have other ideas. The options have effectively been whittled down to launching a privatised NZ20 tournament, given the Super Smash is without a broadcast deal for next summer, or setting up a local team in Australia's Big Bash League, provided they get an invitation. Sportstalk...

A former Energy Minister says Marsden Point made its own commercial decision to close, but even open, it couldn't alleviate fuel issues. Iran's put a stranglehold on global supplies, blocking the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for US and Israel strikes. Resources Minister Shane Jones is blaming Labour for the refinery closing. Megan Woods says even if it was open, that wouldn't get us crude oil....

Donald Trump has renewed his criticisms of the UK Government's response to the Middle East conflict. The US President said the UK needs to be 'involved enthusiastically' in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid oil supply concerns. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Trump has urged Starmer to help get the Strait open again.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

Over in Australia, the Reserve Bank bumped the OCR up to 4.1 percent, up by 0.25 percentage points. This is the second significant hike it two months, and it's got experts speculating about what this means for the economy on the whole. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham wondered what this could mean for other global markets.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of the next GDT auction, there's concerns about what the ongoing Middle East conflict could do for prices. The conflict has seen oil prices spike, and experts have warned this will likely impact other key sectors of the economy. The Country's Jamie Mackay speculated further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Caps have been put into bat by South Africa in the second of their five T20 matches in Hamilton tonight. A strong start by the Kiwi openers Tom Latham and Devin Conway has them at 36 without loss after five overs a short time ago. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and former Green MP Gareth Hughes joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Chris Hipkins' ex-wife posted a series of allegations about the former Prime Minister on Facebook, and Hipkins denied the allegations in a media conference earlier today. Is this even our business?  New Stats NZ fi...

We need to talk about inflation, because inflation is making me pretty sure now that the National Party needs to rethink its plan for this election. We’ve just had the food inflation data out today. No surprise - food has gone up in price again in the year to February, up 4.5 percent. The biggest increase in a single item was mince. It went up 23.2 percent. That is the highest recorded jump in min...