Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Government's announced it will force manufacturers to make local streaming apps front and centre on all TVs entering the country. Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says apps like TVNZ+ and ThreeNow must be pre-installed and easy to find - comparing it to remotes with built-in Netflix. Goldsmith says it requires legislation through Parliament, and roughly-18-months for manufacturers to adjust. TVNZ...

British Labour politician Andy Burnham won a byelection on Friday, securing a parliamentary seat. He is now expected to challenge Keir Starmer for leadership of the Labour Party, and by extenstion, his role as Prime Minister. British Political Strategist and Commentator John McTernan told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the proceedings will 'unofficially' begin over the weekend, and that Burnham sho...

Latest polls show that the Opportunity Party has a 14% chance of securing a seat in parliament.  The rising amount of support means that if the Opportunity Party secures six seats, it could oust the current coalition when combined with the other left wing parties (according to current polls).  Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan that, "If You add 6 seats into that, which is a possi...

Forest and Bird says the government is effectively putting 60% of the country's conservation land up for sale.  The bill, currently making it's way through parliament, would allow the conservation minister more powers to 'exchange or dispose of' public land.  Richard Capie from Forest and Bird told Heather du Plessis-Allan, "It's disgraceful that 60% of this can be looked at for potentia...

Over in the UK, Labour's Andy Burnham is standing in a crunch byelection - with concerns raised over what this could mean for Starmer's future. Burnham is standing for the parliamentary seat of Makerfield in northwest England, and it's predicted he will try and oust the Prime Minister if he wins. UK correspondent Enda Brady explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

Kevin Warsh made his debut at the wheel of the US central bank today, and it's prompted a divided response. The Federal Reserve unanimously voted to keep interest rates unchanged today. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explained further.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmer confidence has fallen slightly, as the impacts of the Iran war continue to be felt. Rabobank's latest survey shows 29 percent of farmers expect things to improve in the coming year, down from 39 percent last quarter. Growers are feeling more negative. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transport Minister Chris Bishop previously cast doubt on fuel taxes going up next year - but what could the peace deal do for that?  The Iran war's effect on oil prices prompted the Government to say taxes weren't going up, but they've since indicated the increase isn't off the table. Chris Bishop says things are moving around, and if this deal holds, changes could be in order. LISTEN ABOVE S...

Tonight on The Huddle, Brigitte Morton from Franks Ogilvie and artist and local Government politician Oscar Kightley joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Labour is campaigning on scrapping the $5 co-payment for prescriptions and this will be funded by the capital gains tax. But do the numbers really stack up?  The White House says both sides have s...

So, we’ve had yet another Labour health policy announced - and, once again, it has problems with its numbers. This one is a revival of the free prescriptions idea. You’ll remember Labour introduced this in 2023 when it was in Government. It scrapped the $5 fee you pay when you pick up a prescription.  The coalition Government then reinstated that $5 charge as soon as it won the election. Now...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 18 June, 2026, the Employers and Manufacturers' Association warns there's still pain ahead, despite manufacturing contributing to a 0.8% rise in our gross domestic product. New Zealand First MP Shane Jones defends his hiring of a 24-hour limousine as part of a travel bill that was nearly double what it should have been. Rock sta...

Labour isn't ruling out funding other policies with its capital gains tax, but assures there's a cap.  It's today pledged to again scrap prescription co-payments - to the tune of $74.5 million - which this Government reinstated. CGT revenue will also fund free pregnancy scans and three GP visits a year. Leader Chris Hipkins says people living outside the big cities are entitled to affordable...

The Fisheries Minister says his contentious bill will be paused, for the time being. It faced backlash for planning to cut commercial fish size minimums - and stopping people viewing boat footage via Official Information Act requests. Shane Jones says there's it's caused disharmony across parties in Parliament. He says the contested bill needs more time. "The Greens can engage in political interco...

Former Shihad frontman Jon Toogood's officially got a new memoir - due out on 25th August 2026. He's promising readers a 'no holds barred' look at his career, from his childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages. He says his life was always defined by music, and the memoir will cover that journey all the way up to the present. "I've lived a pretty charmed life, I got to h...

New Zealand's continuing to feel the knock-on effects of continuing economic downturn - but is there light at the end of the tunnel?  The latest data shows GDP rose 0.8 percent in the March quarter, before the fuel crisis started to hit. However, EMA Head of Advocacy Alan McDonald is urging caution at this stage. "Everyone's kind of hedging their bets a little, but those underlying good facto...

New Zealand's economic recovery had been gaining momentum before the Iran war and fuel crisis hit. Today's figures show GDP rose 0.8 percent in the March quarter. That was driven by manufacturing, business services and wholesale trade, particularly production of equipment and food. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says there's still indicators the economy could rebound - assu...

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australian small businesses will will receive 'generous' exemptions from capital gains tax after changes were announced in the last budget. The Prime Minister’s announcement on follows weeks of sustained criticism from industry groups, with some concerned about what it means for future growth. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says economic uncertainty and c...

Black Caps batter Daryl Mitchell believes the second test against England at the Oval is delicately poised after Day One. New Zealand's 291 for seven after being asked to bat. Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's controversial Golden Mile project's been canned, following a three-hour council debate. In their final vote, 14 wanted to discontinue the revitalisation project - with three opposed.  Councillor Karl Tiefenbacher stood aside from voting because of a conflict of interest. Mayor Andrew Little says they ran the numbers, and the council can't afford another $60 million. "Some bits do...

Concerns have been raised by UK officials after a Russian warship fired warning shots near a UK-registered yacht in the English Channel.  The incident, which happened between the Isle of Wight and Normandy, involved a Russian frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says experts have claimed that the UK is facing many challenges, but Russia is one of more 'pressing' threa...

More than 5000 New Zealand bank accounts have been used by scammers to transfer stolen funds over the past nine months. These 'mule' accounts have been flagged by a new information sharing platform banks are using to detect scams: the Fraud Intelligence Exchange. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

Elon Musk's SpaceX company has overtaken Amazon as the fifth most valuable in the world. It comes after a surge in its share price, driven by it joining New York's Nasdaq stock exchange, and the announcement it's buying an AI startup firm for $100 billion dollars. Milford Asset Management expert Remy Wisenberg explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson and NZ Herald reporter Katie Bradford joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The Greens are calling for an independent costings unit and they've voiced this idea to Labour and National. Do we really need this or is this a waste of time and money? What do we think? Is Simon Watts getting it wron...

Fletcher Building has asked ratings agency Moody's to withdraw its credit rating of the company, as it reports continued pressures on its business and looks to cut debt. The company has Moody's lowest investment grade rating of Baa3 rating, below which is considered a speculative grade and outside the limits for most institutional investment. Generate investment specialist Greg Smith says the comp...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 17 June, 2026, we ask Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche if the misleading of Immigration Minister Erica Stanford by officials meets the threshold for criminal charges. Olympic rowing gold medallist Lucy Spoors tells us why a study into elite athletes competing after they've had children is so important. We challenge G...