Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Tonight on The Huddle, former Green Party MP Gareth Hughes and Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar wants airports around the country to stop giving Jetstar an 'advantage' with discounts that allows them to run cheaper flights. What do we make of this? The Northland business chamber has...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 27 November 2025, Attorney-General Judith Collins tells Heather why she's called a public inquiry on the Tom Phillips case. Air NZ's new boss has asked airports to stop supporting Jetstar's competition edge by giving them discounts. Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully speaks to Heather - and Heather reveals why she's booked her first fl...

Can I give you a positive spin on the recession that we're just coming out of? I mean, maybe it's not so much a positive spin, but maybe it's an explanation for why this recession was harder than it needed to be - but why it actually did need to be this hard. If you've been following the commentary around the Reserve Bank's last two OCR decisions, you'll know there's been a fair bit of chat about...

The Reserve Bank has blamed the ongoing recession on an uncertain property market, prompting experts to weigh in. New Zealand has traditionally relied on housing as an engine of growth, but years of flat property prices have reportedly contributed to the ongoing economic downturn. Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

The Inland Revenue Department has launched some new steps in bringing down tax debt - with one scheme linked to a key credit agency. Following a successful pilot, the IRD will report more recalcitrant tax debtors to credit reporting agency Centrix. Centrix Group Managing Director Keith McLaughlin says this scheme is designed to bring down company debt at this stage, not personal debt. LISTEN ABOVE...

Strong signals from the Government suggesting the rights and privacy of the children will be paramount in the Tom Phillips inquiry.  Police shot the fugitive dead in September after he was on the run with his kids in the Waikato bush for four years.  NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan explained what this case could uncover. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

Business as usual for Jetstar, despite Air New Zealand taking a swipe at its airport discounts.  Air New Zealand head Nikhil Ravishankar claimed airports are unfairly subsidising the Qantas-owned airline - on our most profitable air routes.  BusinessDesk reports Ravishankar says that includes open-ended discounted landing rights and cost cutting deals.  Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully s...

The Reserve Bank is addressing concerns cash is becoming inaccessible by bringing money to rural communities.   It has opened a 12-month trial of a cash depot in Hawke's Bays' Waipukurau - offering a closer site to make withdrawals. Local banks have recently closed, meaning the nearest ATM for locals is 50 kilometres away. Reserve Bank Money and Cash Director, Ian Woolford, says, currently, o...

Businesses are taking class-action over a power outage to of all Northland last year - although the exact loss is still unknown. In June, an inexperienced worker removed nuts from three legs of a pylon, which toppled, cutting electricity to almost the entire region. An opt-out class action against Transpower and its lines maintenance contractor is progressing through the courts.  Stout Street...

Agency actions regarding the children of fugitive Tom Phillips are going under the microscope, with a report due back mid-next year.  Phillips was on the run nearly four years, ending only when he died in September in a police shootout. Attorney-General Judith Collins says questions will be asked about what Government agencies did to protect the children, what they knew - and did or didn't do...

The Australian state of Victoria will be formally apologising to indigenous people for colonisation next month. The symbolic action will be delivered by State Premier Jacinta Allan - acknowledging ongoing harm and injustices and land being taken without consent. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this comes after a first-nations Justice Commission report recommended 100 actions - and more c...

Ahmedabad will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games centenary edition. The decision has been ratified by the organisation's general assembly in Glasgow. India sees the event as a launching pad to bid for the 2036 Olympics. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Millennials are the first generation to get more left-wing as they age, according to new reports.  A study by the Australian National University has found the age group's support  for Australia's right-wing coalition fell between 2016 and 2025 -  from 38 percent to 21 percent. Study Author Sarah Cameron says education and gender are playing a role.  "It used to be that women we...

Four more people have been arrested as as result of last month's high-profile robbery at the Louvre Museum. Two men, aged 38 and 39, and two women, aged 31 and 40, all from the Paris region, were recently arrested. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says police now have 96 hours to question these new suspects.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leaky-home experts fear a proposed overhaul of the Building Act could leave unlucky home owners - apartment owners in particular - in financial ruin. Under the new regime, liabilities are only assigned to the party responsible, and for many new buildings, a warranty will be required. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny unpacks the concerns further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 26 November 2025, Reserve Bank Governor Christian Hawkesby tells Heather why the bank decided to cut the OCR again - and whether that's the end of cuts. Ports of Auckland boss Roger Gray has criticised Kiwi's culture of "no", saying people call us "No Zealand" overseas. Does he have a point? Another summer, another festival can...

The Reserve Bank ended the year on a hopeful note and brought down the OCR for the end of 2025. The central bank cut the Official Cash Rate another 25 basis points today - bringing it to 2.25 percent. Milford Asset Management's Sam Trethewey explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So the Ports of Auckland boss Roger Gray is onto something, isn't he? Because we are a country that loves to say no. He said in a speech to a crowd at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland that he went to Miami to speak to four major cruise liners to find out why the cruise ships aren't coming here as much as they used to. And he apparently says that they call us 'No Zealand' because we...

Tonight on The Huddle, Q&A and ZB Saturday Mornings host Jack Tame and Kiwiblog writer and Curia pollster David Farrar joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Port of Auckland CEO Roger Gray has slammed new Zealand's culture of saying no - and that it's off-putting to prospective investors. Does he have a point here? Mayors and regional councillors hav...

The Government says offshore carbon credits could be bought in the future - but not yet. Climate Minister Simon Watts says all options are being considered, but they've ruled out shopping overseas this term. But for New Zealand to meet Paris Agreement targets signed up to in 2016, it may be necessary - and work is under way so it's an option down the line. Watts says he is focusing on domestic act...

The Port of Auckland's CEO says a 'no' culture has permeated New Zealand.  Roger Gray says a cruise ship representative he spoke to in the US labelled our country 'No Zealand'. Gray says they claimed excessive regulation made things too difficult for them. He says he doesn't think it's the case in Australia. "I think Australians are a bit more optimistic and go - yeah, let's have a crack. We'...

New advancements in technology are reportedly behind a significant decrease in car crashes. Collisions have dropped 7 percent each year over the last two years, according to the latest AMI motor report. AA Principal Policy Advisor Terry Collins says adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking are among the recent developments that have made all the difference. "We know that accidents...

At least one Wellington mayor says it's time district councils combined into one. The Government's proposing replacing regional councillors with boards of district mayors.  They'll have two years from establishment, to put up a regional plan for future local Governments. Porirua mayor Anita Baker says the Wellington region should grab this opportunity.  She explained Hutt City and Poriru...

The Reserve Bank's outgoing Governor says New Zealand's economy may be doing better than we realise. The central bank has cut the OCR 25 basis points today - to 2.25 percent. Christian Hawkesby says the economy already appears to be recovering from this year's downturn. He says what's unclear - is its pace. "The recovery could be faster and stronger than we expect, because we have cut interest rat...

The Government recently unveiled their plans to make changes to local Government, and it's prompted additional speculation. It's proposing replacing the country's 11 regional councils with boards made up of local mayors. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan speculated about some further changes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.