Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

New Zealand is wide open and ready to welcome tourists – at least according to our Tourism Minister it is.  Stuart Nash is in Australia at the moment promoting us as a tourist destination.  However, the Australian Federation of Travel Agents says with our strict pre-departure testing regime in place, travellers are still wary of booking tickets.  Dean Long, chief executive of AFTA, joined Heather...

Foot and mouth disease outbreak has been reported in Indonesia. This will keep biosecurity officials busy trying to keep this out.  Host of the Country Jamie Mackay joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you feel like we're just hearing pre-budget announcement followed by pre-budget announcement, you'd be right.  The Government's been splashing the cash for law and order, apprentices, domestic violence.  Pattrick Smellie from Businessdesk joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is expected to announce a new congestion charge for Auckland commuters next week as they try and recoup $1.3 billion in productivity losses.  So now, essentially, you'll be paying $3.50 each way to travel in certain zones during peak hours.  Starting with the CBD and then moving into areas such as Albany and Manukau.   Someone, surprisingly, in favour of it is chief executive of the...

ACT Party leader David Seymour joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to respond to Willie Jackson's comments. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Willie Jackson's lashed out at David Seymour – saying he's the most useless advocate for Māori because ACT wants to get rid of the Ministry for Māori Development. What do you make of that?  Looks like congestion charges are all but confirmed – the question is how fast is the Government going to bring them in and where exactly will they apply?  Prince Harry is launching some global campaign around...

The Minister for Māori Development has hit out at ACT Party leader David Seymour... Calling him a useless Māori.   It comes after ACT proposed to get rid of the Ministry for Māori Development along with other demographic ministries like the Ministry for Women.   Willie Jackson, Minister for Māori Development, joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

War-of-words in parliament today – David Seymour vs everyone else?   Grant Robertson's throwing down the gauntlet to National over its support of ACT's policies – why is he so frustrated?   Is the congestion tax a done deal?  Chief political reporter Jason Walls joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest poll has Labor even further ahead of the coalition – but the number of people shunning the two major parties is also at an all-time high.  A dead body was found in a Newcastle river with 50 kgs of cocaine.  Michael Gunner resigns as NT chief minister.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warriors coach Nathan Brown is on the show today, have you got a few pointed questions ready?  Chris Rattue has made the case that NZ is actually not a very good nation when it comes to sport even though we'd like to think otherwise.  Host of Sportstalk D’Arcy Waldegrave joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Details of the Queen's mobility issues are scarce... but she's pulled out of British Parliament's state opening for the first time since 1963.   Royal commentator Juliet Rieden told Heather du Plessis-Allan the Queen's been seen having difficulty walking.  Rieden says the House of Lords is an old building with accessibility issues.  “She would walk all the way up the middle, she would have to go u...

I can tell you now, the Government’s plan to lump congestion charging on Aucklanders is not going to be popular.  From the hints being dropped, it sounds like the Government might announce this congestion charge next Monday.  The cost might be 3.50 each way, so if you’re traveling both in and out of the city daily, that’s $7 a day, $35 a week.  And they could bring it in from 2025, but might be le...

A local board member says tempers are high over a multitude of new T3 lane cameras on an Auckland road, with some vandalised recently.  68 new cameras have been erected on a 2.3-kilometre stretch of Onewa Road, on the North Shore, to enforce transit lanes.  Kaipatiki Board member John Gillon told Heather du Plessis Allan fines will start being enforced from May 24 ... at $150 a pop.  “I don’t endo...

Significant compensation could be the result of a landmark Employment Court decision.  The court has ruled a group of former Gloriavale members were working as employees from six years old.  Hosea and Levi Courage, and Daniel Pilgrim, sought a declaration on the status on work they did at the commune and its businesses.  Lawyer Brian Henry told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's not clear what full bac...

So, the Government is expected to announce a new congestion charge for Auckland next week.  In an attempt to reduce congestion by up to 12 percent, comparing the result to school holiday level traffic all year round.  The new charge could be implemented within the CBD as soon as 2025 and expanded into other areas by 2028.  Auckland Mayor Phil Goff joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.  LISTEN ABOVE See...

A fresh sanctions package on Russia and Belarus ahead of Victory Day being celebrated in Russia today.  Now the Labour Party leader is caught up in his own partygate scandal ... Keir Starmer has pulled out of an event.  Unseen footage from the Queen's archive is set to be aired in a BBC documentary narrated by the monarch later this month.  Prince Harry is going to make some grand announcement on...

Economist Tony Alexander says we could face a recession later this year if consumers cut their spending as much as they're planning to.  In his latest survey, Tony found that 20% of people were planning on cutting spending in the near future, up from 11% in the first three months of the year.  Tony Alexander joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

If you’re not a fan of the kinds of climate activists that glue their hands to walls, then brace yourself because I have got next level douchebaggery to tell you about.  There is a group in the UK called Tyre Extinguishers who go around deliberately deflating the tyres of SUVs and utes because these vehicles are considered the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide on the road.  They have just set up...

The budget's a week away, do you think this is the Government's chance to claw back some political points?   Jacinda Ardern will be hoping she doesn't come down with Covid as well. She's got a big trip to the US planned.  NZME business commentator Fran O’Sullivan joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has tried to stem the bad crime headlines with a half-billion-dollar announcement on law and order. They've promised action on ramraids but don't have much detail on that yet.  Talk is the Government is going to continue the public transport subsidy – but if they do that should they also continue with the discount on the fuel tax.  What do you make of climate activists who deflate S...

The AA reckons we'll see the price of fuel hit $4 a litre this year are you going to extend the discount on fuel taxes and public transport fares?  Budget next week... will this bring some meaningful relief on cost-of-living issues for all Kiwis?  We spoke to the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce on Friday... Queenstown now has more staff vacancies than ratepayers... When is the Government going to m...

The director of a clothing chain hit by ram raiders says we should reach out to kids on social media to stop them.  Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson says the Government could potentially assist stores to install anti-crime measures.  Yesterday's law and order package included a commitment to help retailers, but lacked detail on exactly how.  Huffer Director Kate Berry told Heather Du Plessis...

People calling themselves "the tyre slashers" have been attacking tyres on SUVs and utes in two Auckland suburbs.   Leaflets left on the vehicles say SUVs are a disaster for the climate – and the owners should be walking, cycling or using public transport.   Extinction Rebellion's James Barber told Heather du Plessis-Allan his group wouldn't do that sort of thing ... but they understand the slashe...

The price at the pump is expecting to rise again.  Despite the Government slashing excise this year, fuel prices propelled past three dollars a litre and because of Russia's war on Ukraine, the cost of petrol is creeping back up.   AA Principal Advisor Terry Collins told Heather du Plessis Allan 95 and 98 are already overtaking three dollars in some places.  “If we put out 30 cents back on, which...

Police Minister Poto Williams has made some big accusations against the opposition, claiming National was in bed with the Australian government when it started to deport NZ-born criminals the, so-called 501s.   Both former Prime Minister Sir John Key and the former Foreign Minister Murray McCully told us this afternoon no deals were ever done over the 501s.  Now we asked Poto's office what exactly...