Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Media company NZME's remaining cautious about the economy despite a positive financial year. The owner of The Herald and Newstalk ZB reported a $13.1 million net after tax profit - turning around the previous year’s $16 million dollar loss. Its operating costs were four percent lower annually - reflecting the closure of community publications in December 2024. CEO Michael Boggs says it's a grind t...

More early childhood education centres are expected to fold under rising costs. The Household Economic Survey shows the average weekly ECE fee has jumped from $25 in 2007, to $90 in 2023. Early Childhood Council CEO Simon Laube says pay parity rules have driven 443 centres to shut in the past three years. He says it drives up teacher salaries. "But the funding from the Government doesn't follow su...

The cost of living is hitting Kiwis hard, with new data showing Aucklanders are more likely to be worse off. More than a third of New Zealanders have a savings balance of less than $500, according to new data from Westpac. Westpac's Financial Wellbeing programme manager, Warren Ngan Woo, says Auckland is a big city where things cost more, which eats into people's ability to save money. "This is ju...

Mercury's achieved a strong return to profit.  BusinessDesk says the energy company's half year earnings before interest to December 31- reached $537 million. It recorded a net $20 million dollar profit - up from a $67 million loss last year.  Chief executive Stew Hamilton says they're doing well and don't need to raise capital.  "We've been disciplined in how we manage our money, h...

Findings claim the Government extinguishing pay-equity claims destroyed an earlier system that was fit for purpose.  The People's Select Committee - a group of 10 former women MPs - has released its final report on the changes rushed through by the coalition under urgency last year. It held three months of hearings and almost 1400 submissions. Group chair and former National MP, Dame Marilyn...

Labour's calling for caution, while agreeing with National that Auckland needs a new harbour crossing.  The Infrastructure Commission last week suggested a toll as high as $9 to fund the new crossing - and also tolling the existing bridge.  But Chris Hipkins ruled out tolling Auckland Harbour Bridge at his State of the Nation speech yesterday.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspon...

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has written to his British counterpart Keir Starmer to confirm Australia would support the removal of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession. Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne - despite being stripped of his titles amid pressure over his ties to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Albanese is the...

New Zealand Rugby will open applications for a rescoped high performance director role, to replace Chris Lendrum who is leaving after 20 years. Lendrum, who is NZR's general manager of professional and performance, will leave at the end of May. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave speculated further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concerns among experts following the latest medical platform hack that's left an impact on Kiwis. MediMap is widely used across New Zealand, particularly in aged care, disability, hospice, and community health. Some users' information had been changed, including altering ages, changing patient's names to Charlie Kirk - and claiming living users were deceased. CISO Lens Country Manager Nadi...

US President Donald Trump recently took to Truth Social to offer to send a hospital boat over to Greenland - an offer Greenland's  prime minister has criticised. Trump claimed in the post that 'many people' on the island are sick and 'not being taken care of'. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says Trump has long coveted Greenland, and it's unusual that Trump would want to send extra medical help t...

Donald Trump remains steadfast in his pursuit of sweeping global tariffs - slamming a US Supreme Court decision outlawing them as anti-American.  The President's now taking advantage of a never-used trade law to enact 15 percent temporary levies, under the guise of a balance of payments deficit. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly unpacked the market reactions. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio....

Comvita’s half-year result shows the company is seeing a noticeable financial turnaround. Its result for the six months ended December 31 had revenue up 18.3 percent to $118 million, EBIT up 10.7m to $10m, and debt reduced by $32.9m to $48.7m. Comvita CEO Karl Gradon says he's proud to see the company return to profitability and he's confident the company's been through the worst of it. LISTEN ABO...

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The Remuneration Authority says more responsibility attracts more pay, as more local councillors see bigger pay rises. What do we make of this?  The Government has proposed giving police more powers to move rough sleepers...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 23 February, 2026, the Genesis chief executive tells us why the energy company needs nearly $200 million from the Government. A Wellington councillor on whether the Government's "move-on" orders for homeless people will work. Chris Greenacre becomes interim coach of the Wellington Phoenix for a fourth time - should he just get the...

Listening to Chris Hipkins' State of the Nation speech today, I found it really hard to take him seriously. The speech was mostly just a list of things wrong with the country right now, most of which anyone who can remember back five, six, seven years, knows were caused by him, Grant, Jacinda and Adrian Orr. Take this line, for example: “I see young New Zealanders - smart, hardworking, full of pot...

Still no clarity about whether Wellington's second Mt Victoria Tunnel will begin construction this year.  National promised to begin work on the tunnel this term, but Transport Minister Chris Bishop last week suggested that wasn't firm.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis says geotechnical work is underway - but Cabinet hasn't decided when construction will start.  "We're looking at all...

The Remuneration Authority says more responsibility attracts more pay.  The Taxpayers' Union says Western Bay of Plenty District councillors are getting an average 57 percent pay increase. Authority Chair Geoff Summers says the pool of funding for council has been decided - but not individual raises.  He says the council will operate with two fewer councillors this term.  "And most...

Chris Greenacre will take charge of the Wellington Phoenix for at least their next A-League fixture against Sydney FC. The club legend moves back into the interim coaching role for a remarkable fourth time, stepping up from his role at the club's academy. He is in ongoing discussions with the club about the head coaching position for the rest of the A-League season - and beyond. Wellington Phoenix...

The Government has introduced new measures to tackle the issues with rough sleepers, but it's prompted concerns from some critics. Under these changes, police would be able to order beggars and rough sleepers to leave for up to 24 hours, with refusal being punished with fines and jail time. Wellington City Councillor Karl Tiefenbacher says it's another cog in the wheel for police to help improve c...

Genesis Energy says fresh Crown investment into the power generator will go towards building infrastructure.  The Government's confirmed it will put up to $200 million dollars - letting it retain its 51 percent shareholding, as Genesis launches a capital raise. Chief executive Malcolm Johns says the money will speed up its ability to build. "We're gonna build some solar farms, some grid-scale...

Labour's promising to be realistic as it shapes up election year ideas. Leader Chris Hipkins has delivered his State of the Nation address in Auckland at a Business Chamber event. The speech lacked new policy - but addressed concern around people leaving the country and the state of our tax system.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper voiced disapproval with the speech, and...

A row's deepening about so-called 'ISIS brides' returning to Australia - with the Opposition pushing for a hardline approach. More than 30 Australian women and children have secured passports and are trying to return from a Syrian camp. Opposition parties argue helping Australians with Islamic State links return home should be a criminal offence. Correspondent Oliver Peterson says the Government's...

Chris Greenacre will have every opportunity to secure the Wellington Phoenix head coaching gig full-time. The former 'Nix player will sidestep from his role at the club's academy into the seat vacated by Giancarlo Italiano - the fourth time he's become the club's interim coach. Sportstalk host Jason Pine speculated about whether Greenacre will take over the role full-time. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystu...

Chris Hipkins says he doesn't want to make promises he'll have to change - announcing no new policy in Labour's State of the Nation address today.  He says policies can wait until after the Budget, and he explained that he's made Labour's political priorities clear to the voters. Hipkins explained they party's not going to be making big sweeping promises ahead of the election this time round....

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 20 February, 2026, a royal expert tells us why Andrew's arrest is the biggest scandal in the history of the British monarchy. Why more than half of our police officers are thinking of quitting the job. We hear from a linguistics expert on why English doesn't need to be an official language. And on the sports huddle, Nathan Limm an...