Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Prince Andrew allegedly asked a police officer to 'dig the dirt' on his accuser before the publishing of a now infamous photograph of the two. Andrew's given up the title Duke of York amid turmoil surrounding his alleged involvement with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It's believed he tried to obtain personal information about his deceased accuser Virginia Giuffre. Royal correspondent Vic...

New Zealand's first-ever specialised elite sports school is set to open its doors next year, giving future athletes a space to study while building their sports careers. This charter school will be run by the New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa and be based at Upper Hutt's NZ Campus of Innovation and Sport. Wellington Phoenix general manager David Dome says plenty of research was carried out...

More investment in New Zealand businesses is Labour's announced goal in a policy released today. It's modelling the Future Fund off the existing Super Fund, to be seeded with $200 million in Crown money and existing assets. It'll invest solely in local projects.  Labour leader Chris Hipkins says this project is designed to create jobs and keep more wealth here at home. "We're focused on long-...

There's belief from some economists that inflation's peaked, and it's all downhill from here.  It reached 3 percent in the year to September - up from 2.2 percent the year before. Kiwibank says the third quarter is traditionally tough, and conditions are likely to improve as the year ends.  Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr says he's satisfied domestic prices will now ease.  "We...

Recent data shows inflation reached three percent in the year to September, and it's prompted concerns about the economy. Stats NZ figures out today show the rate rose from 2.7 percent annually to June - hitting the top end of the Reserve Bank's target band. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this is higher than what the Government was hoping for, and it's unclear what thi...

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan has stated Melbourne is perfectly safe, despite some recent incidents coming out of the city's CBD. Two police officers were hospitalised after clashing with protesters during the weekend's March for Australia rally. This attack came days after a woman was stabbed in the chest near Spencer St in broad daylight.  Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says the...

Coach Stacey Jones is lauding the Kiwis' defensive resilience in their 24-18 Pacific Championships league win over Toa Samoa. The Kiwi Ferns won a 22-20 thriller against Fetu Samoa. Sportstalk host Jason Pine unpacked the action further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

South Auckland's Tangaroa College has asked students to cover uniforms in public after videos of student brawls surfaced.  Tension between students at Manukau schools is also spreading into online goading. One video shows about 15 young people fighting, with one lying on the pavement being kicked in the head. Principal Chris Bean says because Tangaroa College's uniform is so distinctive, he d...

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 17 October. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health Minister Simeon Brown was met with booing at the senior doctors' annual conference before accusing doctors of  "crossing an ethical line" and threatening compulsory arbitration.  New Zealand First leader Winston Peters fired off some threats of his own suggesting regulation for Fonterra if the Lactalis sale proceeds.  ACT leader David Seymour hit back at Peter's threats sayin...

In July the Government announced a  ban on surcharges on credit card payments in-store from May 2026 at the latest. ACT is attempting to block this ban by allowing credit card surcharges, as long as other payment options are offered- such as cash or eftpos. They suggest the ban will either increase prices for customers or unfairly punish businesses.  ACT Commerce and Consumer Affair...

The final report from a ministerial advisory group on organised crime recommends the urgent implementation of it's proposed solutions. This includes a dedicated organised crime minister, a new strategy, and a charter to hold agencies accountable.  The report calls organised crime one of the 'most significant threats' to New Zealand.  Chair of the advisory group, Steve Symon, said to Heat...

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has doubled down on his criticism towards Fonterra's plan to sell Mainland and Anchor to the French company Lactalis.  In an open letter to the company Peters threatened new regulations if the sale goes ahead. ACT leader David Seymour hit back saying the decision should be up to the farmers, not the Government, a sentiment echoed by Prime Minister Chris...

There's growing calls to strip Prince Andrew of his royal titles after more incriminating emails surfaced. Andrew reportedly told convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in an email 'we are in this together' after pictures of him with Virginia Giuffre were released.  UK correspondent Enda Brady unpacks what could happen. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon has been scaling up its same-day grocery delivery services across cities all over the US. It's looking to expand to 2,300 US cities by the end of the year, and investors are speculating about what it could mean for the market. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 16 October 2025, senior political correspondent Barry Soper and former Finance Minister Ruth Richardson share their memories of the late Jim Bolger.  Police and Oranga Tamariki have been secretly investigating Gloriavale for serious allegations of mistreatment of children. Gloriavale leaver Virginia Courage tells Heather wh...

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore and Thomas Scrimgeour joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!   Former Prime Minister Jim Bolger passed away - what memories do we have of him?  It's been revealed the new Cook Strait ferries will be built by a Chinese company which US analysts have warned have very strong ties to the Chinese mi...

The Government unveiled new emissions targets this week, and members of New Zealand's farming community have welcomed the move. 2050 methane targets were slashed 14 to 24 percent below 2017 levels - which is 24 to 47 percent lower than the previous.  The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Broadcaster Sean Plunket isn't going down without a fight, as our broadcasting watchdog claims jurisdiction over his online-only company The Platform. The Broadcasting Standards Authority received a complaint from a member of the public - after the broadcaster described Māori tikanga as 'mumbo jumbo'. Sean Plunket says the BSA has 'messed this up' - and it's likely this complaint will never see th...

Listen, I don't know how much most people will care about the drama that's unfolding with the BSA. Obviously here in radio world, we do, because these people are our watchdog. But if you enjoy watching people try something on and then be forced to retreat, you might enjoy this one. So what's kicked this off is that the BSA apparently decided, in secret, that they would give themselves permission t...

Concerns have been raised over the Government's new choice for a ferry-builder. Guangzhou Shipyard International will build and deliver two new Cook Strait ferries by 2029. It's a state-owned company that also builds Chinese warships, but Foreign Minister Peters says the military links and espionage concerns aren't a worry. Canterbury University professor and China expert Anne-Marie Brady says thi...

There's no guarantee businesses will honour unredeemed vouchers from GrabOne, which has gone into liquidation. The online deals website won’t be issuing refunds for unused purchases - and has told customers to directly contact vendors. Some sellers have indicated they’ll recognise GrabOne deals, but others say they may not be able to. Parakai Springs general manager Dion Tilson says they will hono...

A Gloriavale leaver is recalling the confronting impact of child discipline practices used in the sect.  Police have issued two formal warnings to the community after investigating allegations parents would cover the noses and mouths of crying children.  A Herald investigation has revealed officers conducted more than 100 interviews. Virginia Courage says in one instance, a little boy wa...

Jim Bolger's first Finance Minister says the former Prime Minister - who died yesterday aged 90 - sometimes sold himself short.  Bolger served as an MP from 1972 and led the country for seven years.  Ruth Richardson says in recent years, Bolger criticised some neo-liberal policies he oversaw. She says Bolger made tough decisions at a tough time.  "His hand was forced by dreadful eco...

A flurry of tributes from current and former politicians for former Prime Minister, Jim Bolger, who died yesterday. The 90-year-old died peacefully, surrounded by family.  He served as Prime Minister between 1990 and 1997. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper looked back on some memories with the former leader. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...