/on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/rss 九一星空无限 Tune into Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive, 4pm-7pm weekdays. Keep up with the latest news and developments from New Zealand and the world on 九一星空无限talk ZB Sat, 23 Aug 2025 06:22:33 Z en /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/opinion/perspective-with-heather-du-plessis-allan-peeni-is-harming-labours-chances-at-government/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/opinion/perspective-with-heather-du-plessis-allan-peeni-is-harming-labours-chances-at-government/ Seems to me that Peeni Henare's shenanigans in the by-election right now is exactly the kind of thing that Labour has to knock on the head, quick smart, if they want to be in the game at the election next year. Now, as we were discussing earlier, even though Carmel Sepuloni has told Peeni off for saying that he wants to repeal the gang patch ban, he is not backing down. Right? He said it on Wednesday, they told him off on Thursday, and today he's not backing down. He's repeated it because he says it's his personal view. If not the Labour party’s, and he has whānau experience. Now, why he's actually doing this, in my opinion, is because the Māori Party's doing it. That's the real reason, because if you have a look at what actually happened on Wednesday night in that by-election candidates meeting, it was the Māori Party candidate Orini Kaipara who first answered the question.The question was, will you repeal the ban? She said, yes, and after she said yes, Peeni Henare then said yes too. Now, maybe he does truly believe that it is the right thing to do. But as I told you, it makes no sense as a political calculation. Why would you chase the vote of 10,000 gang members if doing that means that you lose the votes of, I don't know, maybe 100,000 normal Kiwis who think the ban is a good idea. The only answer to that question is because you actually don't care about the 100,000 votes. You're not trying to help the Labour Party win, you're just trying to win your electorate seat. In one of the Māori electorates, and you will say whatever it takes to match the Māori Party. Now, Labour needs to sort this stuff out before the next election. If Peeni or other candidates or Willie Jackson or even the entire Labour Party keeps chasing the Māori Party down the nutty radical road, they will, they will lose middle New Zealand. Just like they did when Jacinda was being told what to do by Willie and Nanaia. If I was giving them advice, it would be to leave the nutty stuff to the Māori Party and go to the center themselves again. Maybe it means MPs like Peeni Henare will lose their seats, but that may be the sacrifice you have to make in order to win the election. Fri, 22 Aug 2025 07:17:44 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/full-show-podcast-22-august-2025/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/full-show-podcast-22-august-2025/ On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 22 August 2025, Fonterra's agreed to one of the biggest ever deals in NZ business history. Chief Executive Miles Hurrell tells Heather why he's selling Anchor, Mainland and co for almost $4 billion.   Police Minister Mark Mitchell explains how a big tech upgrade will allow first responders to find your location if they have concerns for your NZ Rugby chair David Kirk explains where you'll be able to watch the rugby next year after signing a new five year deal. Plus, the Sports Huddle debates whether the player exodus from the ANZ Championship will hurt NZ's netball futures. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. Fri, 22 Aug 2025 07:11:41 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/peter-lewis-asian-correspondent-on-what-china-stands-to-gain-from-trump-putin-meetings/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/peter-lewis-asian-correspondent-on-what-china-stands-to-gain-from-trump-putin-meetings/ US President Trump and Russian President Putin have been deadlocked in negotiations around the war in Ukraine, leaving space for China to benefit from this pause.  Asian Correspondent Peter Lewis says that China stands to gain two things from this situation.  Firstly, China can continue important oil and other products from Russia, as no final deal with the USA has been reached.  Secondly, the delay in trade negotiations has given China more time to create a new world trading order, keeping itself at the centre.  LISTEN ABOVE Fri, 22 Aug 2025 07:11:25 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/david-kirk-nz-rugby-chair-on-the-new-skytv-and-tvnz-rugby-broadcasting-deal/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/david-kirk-nz-rugby-chair-on-the-new-skytv-and-tvnz-rugby-broadcasting-deal/ SkyTV is set to broadcast every All Blacks’ game for the next 5 years, and TVNZ will broadcast all 93 of the National Provincial Championship (NPC) matches.  Chair of NZ Rugby David Kirk told Heather duPlessis-Allan that reaching this deal has been a ‘long, long journey.’  ‘Both parties have worked hard, and I think we've got to a place which works for both of us.' LISTEN ABOVE    Fri, 22 Aug 2025 07:03:55 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/sophie-moloney-skytv-chief-executive-on-new-all-blacks-deal-amid-profit-loss/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/sophie-moloney-skytv-chief-executive-on-new-all-blacks-deal-amid-profit-loss/ Sky TV have renewed their broadcasting rights to the All-Black’s games for another 5 years.  This deal comes amid a slump in profit for SkyTV, with a 16.5% deficit compared to last year.  SkyTV Chief Executive Sophie Moloney told Heather duPlessis-Allan that the company is excited that it has managed to renew the deal.   “I’m thrilled for our customers, they know where they can find all of the rugby they love”  LISTEN ABOVE    Fri, 22 Aug 2025 06:50:28 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/the-huddle-what-does-skys-new-broadcasting-deal-mean-for-viewers/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/the-huddle-what-does-skys-new-broadcasting-deal-mean-for-viewers/ Tonight on the Huddle, sports reporter Nathan Limm and sports journalist Lavina Good join Heather duPlessis-Allan to discuss the latest sports news.  What does Sky's new broadcasting deal mean for viewers? And netballers are still leaving for Australia, what needs to change to keep Kiwis at home? LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 22 Aug 2025 06:26:52 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/oliver-peterson-australian-correspondent-discusses-stricter-safety-measures-in-australian-childcare-centres/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/oliver-peterson-australian-correspondent-discusses-stricter-safety-measures-in-australian-childcare-centres/ Australia's introducing stricter measures across its childcare centres in efforts to better protect young children.  CCTV cameras will be trialled at more than 300 centres - with work also commencing to develop a national register of childcare workers. It follows child sexual abuse allegations surfacing against one Victoria worker. Australia correspondent Oli Peterson told Heather du Plessis-Allan that some states have already banned personal mobile phones in centres.  He says you've got to give the state and federal governments credit here for reacting to the situation and trying to beef up regulations as quickly as they could.  LISTEN ABOVE Fri, 22 Aug 2025 06:16:48 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/barry-soper-senior-political-correspondent-on-netanyahu-s-comments-about-new-zealand-supporting-palestine/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/barry-soper-senior-political-correspondent-on-netanyahu-s-comments-about-new-zealand-supporting-palestine/ Benjamin Netanyahu has called a number of western nations – including New Zealand – ‘shameful’ for their support of Palestine.  These comments come as the NZ Government moves closer towards recognising a Palestinian state.  Senior political correspondent Barry Soper says a statement about recognising Palestine will likely happen soon.  “We probably will do; I would imagine at the General Assembly in New York next month.”  LISTEN ABOVE  Fri, 22 Aug 2025 06:07:01 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/todd-stephenson-finance-and-expenditure-committee-member-says-barriers-need-to-be-lowered-for-foreign-banks/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/todd-stephenson-finance-and-expenditure-committee-member-says-barriers-need-to-be-lowered-for-foreign-banks/ Parliament's finance and expenditure committee released the findings of its banking inquiry today, making 19 recommendations - 14 of which have cross-party support.  It concluded there is no silver bullet for more competition in the sector.  Committee member Todd Stephenson saysthe first step is reducing barriers to entry.  He says a large part of that is capital requirements for new players.  LISTEN ABOVE Fri, 22 Aug 2025 05:51:13 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/jonathan-kearsley-us-correspondent-discusses-eric-menendez-s-rejected-parole-request/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/jonathan-kearsley-us-correspondent-discusses-eric-menendez-s-rejected-parole-request/ Erik Menendez has been denied parole 36 years after he confessed to killing his parents.  He and his brother Lyle were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for murdering their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez.  Since then, further details around abuse from their father have surfaced, leading to public debate over their sentencing.   US Correspondent Jonathan Kearsley told Heather duPlessis-Allan that Eric Menendez will have to wait another three years before requesting parole again.   LISTEN ABOVE Fri, 22 Aug 2025 05:45:13 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/miles-hurrell-fonterra-chief-executive-confident-farmers-will-support-38billion-brand-sales/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/miles-hurrell-fonterra-chief-executive-confident-farmers-will-support-38billion-brand-sales/ Fonterra is confident farmers will vote to sell major brands like Anchor and Mainland.   It's reached a deal to sell its consumer and associated businesses to French dairy giant Lactalis for $3.845billion.  The deal still needs the approval of shareholders.  Fonterra Chief Executive Miles Hurrell told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the offer is above expectation, and there will be a $2 capital return per share.   He says, while the public have a strong emotional connection with the brands - the feedback has been positive.  LISTEN ABOVE Fri, 22 Aug 2025 05:28:45 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/mark-mitchell-police-minister-says-new-phone-location-technology-is-in-line-with-the-telecommunications-information-privacy-code/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/mark-mitchell-police-minister-says-new-phone-location-technology-is-in-line-with-the-telecommunications-information-privacy-code/ The police minister has assured Kiwis that the new phone location technology will be used by emergency services appropriately.   The Device Location Information service rolled out today and can be used to find the mobile device of a person who hasn't dialed 111 when there are fears for their safety.   Minister Mark Mitchell told Heather du Plessis-Allan that processes are in place to ensure the tool is used in line with the Telecommunications Information Privacy Code.   Mitchell says information received will only be available to police and the relevant first responders.  LISTEN ABOVE Fri, 22 Aug 2025 04:49:22 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/sam-dickie-fisher-funds-expert-on-the-success-of-tencent/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/sam-dickie-fisher-funds-expert-on-the-success-of-tencent/ While experts are weighing up the results of US-based tech giants, one Chinese company is dominating markets. Tencent is a Chinese multinational technology conglomerate - and one of the highest-grossing multimedia companies in the world based, on revenue. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explains further. LISTEN ABOVE Thu, 21 Aug 2025 07:53:43 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/jamie-mackay-the-country-host-on-fonterra-lifting-the-farmgate-milk-price-forecast-to-1015kgms/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/jamie-mackay-the-country-host-on-fonterra-lifting-the-farmgate-milk-price-forecast-to-1015kgms/ Fonterra has increased its farmgate milk price forecast for the 2024/25 season to $10.15 per kg of milksolids from $10.00/kg, and has narrowed its forecast range for the current season. The forecast range for 2024/25 has narrowed from $9.70-$10.30 per kilo of milk solids (kgMS) to $10.10-$10.20/kgMS, with the final price to be released alongside the co-op’s final result, due in September. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVE Thu, 21 Aug 2025 07:46:38 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/the-huddle-do-we-need-to-appreciate-what-we-have-here/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/the-huddle-do-we-need-to-appreciate-what-we-have-here/ Tonight on The Huddle, Kiwiblog's David Farrar and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! David Seymour says the coalition isn't saving as much money as ACT would have. What do we make of this?  Police Commissioner Richard Chambers gave an interview to the NZ Herald saying we should feel lucky to live in New Zealand. What do we make of this?  A Wellington restaurant is asking people to sign a contract before taking leftovers home.. to ensure they're not liable for any food safety issues. Is this over the top? LISTEN ABOVE Thu, 21 Aug 2025 07:41:55 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/opinion/perspective-with-heather-du-plessis-allan-richard-chambers-just-reminded-us-of-how-good-we-have-it-here/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/opinion/perspective-with-heather-du-plessis-allan-richard-chambers-just-reminded-us-of-how-good-we-have-it-here/ I'm gonna say thank you to the Police Commissioner, Richard Chambers, for maybe reminding us to be grateful for what we have. He gave an interview to the Herald today and he said he thinks there is a fair bit of punching down on New Zealand going on at the moment. And he thinks that's unfair. He says: "With the world going a little crazy, I count us lucky that we are where we are." Now, given how much doom and gloom there is at the moment, it may surprise you to know that the accompanying poll in the Herald article actually agrees with him - as unscientific as it is. Most people rate their experience of living in New Zealand as 8 out of 10. 20 percent of people say they have an 8 out of 10 experience. Then the next one up is 10 out of 10. That's 15 percent. 7 out of 10 comes next, and 13 percent of us say that.  So, 7, 8, 9, and 10 out of 10 account for 58 percent of the votes. Way more than half of us think that we are living in a pretty great place. Now, as I say, it's not scientific, but it is a nice reminder that actually most of us do know how good we've got it. It's really easy to fall into the trap of thinking the grass is greener on the other side, which is why so many of us are leaving and heading off to places like Australia. Actually, if the other side is Australia, once they get there, they are going to realize it's not that much greener.  They're gonna go through the same stuff with the economy that they were going through back here in New Zealand.Life over there is expensive as well. And if the other side is Europe, it's definitely not greener over there. It's actually tens of thousands of refugees arriving on your doorstep. It's huge unrest over migrants in the UK. It's the threat of war just across the border. And it's cost of living problems there too. Now, I'm not Pollyannaish at all about New Zealand. I know life is expensive, I know there are people who have never had to budget who are now having to budget. I can see that the Government books definitely need tidying up, and we're completely overdue structural economic change. But at least most things are headed in the right direction. Education for our kids has been sorted out, red tape is being cut, the economy is turning around, the days are getting longer, and we live in a safe place with a good work-life balance where our kids can grow up fairly healthy. So thank you to the Police Commissioner, of all people, for reminding us of that. Thu, 21 Aug 2025 07:21:19 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/full-show-podcast-21-august-2025/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/full-show-podcast-21-august-2025/ On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 21 August 2025, no more embarrassing plane-breakdowns! Defence Minister Judith Collins tells Heather she's gone shopping for new helicopters and planes with a total bill of $2.7 billion. You're now allowed to tell everyone what you're being paid.. but is that a good thing? Stacey Penn lost her job after she was injured while struggling with a pit bull that had charged into a jewellery shop. She says the dog was already a known troublemaker. Has the lucky streak run out? SkyCity boss Jason Walbridge discusses the company's capital raise and the big profit drop. Plus, the Huddle debates whether restaurants asking you to sign a food safety waiver are OTT. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE Thu, 21 Aug 2025 07:11:44 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/jason-walbridge-skycity-ceo-on-the-companys-42-percent-profit-drop/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/jason-walbridge-skycity-ceo-on-the-companys-42-percent-profit-drop/ SkyCity is pushing forward with a new capital raise, after confirming a significant drop in profit. Underlying profit's plummeted 42 percent, according to new reports. Costs have also been rising, particularly for regulatory compliance, online gaming, and the soon-to-open Auckland convention centre. SkyCity CEO Jason Walbridge says he believes they're acting in the best interests of the company - despite the concerns. LISTEN ABOVE Thu, 21 Aug 2025 07:00:11 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/david-seymour-act-leader-says-the-governments-not-cutting-as-many-costs-as-his-party-would/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/david-seymour-act-leader-says-the-governments-not-cutting-as-many-costs-as-his-party-would/ The ACT leader has promised less spending and fewer public servants. It comes after numerous redundancies in the public sector, following calls for efficient spending as the coalition's budgets were being delivered. David Seymour says the Government is not cutting costs as much as ACT would. "We said that we wanted to reduce the number of public servants back to pre-Labour levels, and we also said that we wanted to reduce spending by about 8 or 9 billion each year." Seymour's reiterating the comments made yesterday when reacting to a further OCR cut. LISTEN ABOVE Thu, 21 Aug 2025 06:37:46 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/judith-collins-defence-minister-on-the-governments-plan-to-purchase-new-planes-and-helicopters-for-the-nzdf/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/judith-collins-defence-minister-on-the-governments-plan-to-purchase-new-planes-and-helicopters-for-the-nzdf/ The Defence Minister says it's important for New Zealand to have the right equipment as the Government unveils its newest defence spend. The Government is set to invest $2.7 billion into two new Airbus A321 planes and five new MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to replace the Air Force’s Boeing 757s and the Navy's older Seasprite helicopters. Judith Collins explained that it was important to get the right equipment at the right price range. "We're a bit faster than some people getting them because we're doing this less-to-buy program with a very large supplier - or someone who buys an awful lot of brand-new planes - and we're on that sort of system so we can get them a bit earlier." LISTEN ABOVE Thu, 21 Aug 2025 06:20:21 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/tim-king-tasman-district-mayor-on-the-impact-of-the-proposed-eves-valley-sawmill-closure/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/tim-king-tasman-district-mayor-on-the-impact-of-the-proposed-eves-valley-sawmill-closure/ There's belief the job losses at the Eves Valley Sawmill will have a significant impact on the area.  Manufacturing company Carter Holt Harvey is proposing to close the mill, which would result in 142 jobs lost. It's wanting to consolidate its structural timber manufacturing to one site - in Bay of Plenty's Kawerau. Tasman mayor Tim King, lives next door to the mill and says there's no chance to change the company's mind.  "The most significant impact - and most immediate - is on those 142 people employed at Eves Valley, but there is a wide range of other businesses that support the Eves Valley sawmill, it's a big component of the forestry sector in this region." LISTEN ABOVE Thu, 21 Aug 2025 06:01:15 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/jordan-boyle-employment-lawyer-on-the-house-passing-new-pay-transparency-laws/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/jordan-boyle-employment-lawyer-on-the-house-passing-new-pay-transparency-laws/ Workers are now able to speak freely about their salaries, and it's got experts speculating about what this means for Kiwis. The House passed a new law last night preventing employers from taking legal action against workers talking about their pay.  The bill, introduced by Labour's Camilla Belich, essentially renders pay secrecy clauses unenforceable.  Employment lawyer Jordan Boyle says New Zealand already has a culture of keeping pay private.  "People may feel a little bit more freedom to ask, but you don't have to share. People may choose to share, employers may face some difficult conversations." LISTEN ABOVE Thu, 21 Aug 2025 05:45:09 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/barry-soper-newstalk-zb-senior-political-correspondent-on-the-government-unveiling-their-latest-multi-billion-dollar-defence-spend/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/barry-soper-newstalk-zb-senior-political-correspondent-on-the-government-unveiling-their-latest-multi-billion-dollar-defence-spend/ The Government's speaking about the importance of deterring threats, as it confirms a multi-billion dollar defence spend. It's investing $2.7 billion dollars for two new Airbus A321 planes to replace ageing planes that have broken down numerous times. The new planes will be delivered in 2028. 九一星空无限talk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper talks about the potential implications of this spend. LISTEN ABOVE Thu, 21 Aug 2025 05:25:02 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/murray-olds-australian-correspondent-on-israeli-pm-netanyahu-launching-criticism-at-albanese/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/murray-olds-australian-correspondent-on-israeli-pm-netanyahu-launching-criticism-at-albanese/ Tensions between Israel and other nations have escalated, with Benjamin Netanyahu accusing Australia's Anthony Albanese of 'betrayal'. Australia is standing by its decision to recognise a Palestinian state, with a formal declaration to be made at the United Nations General Assembly in September. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Netanyahu also accused Albanese of 'abandoning Australian Jews', prompting further concerns. LISTEN ABOVE Thu, 21 Aug 2025 05:00:23 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/darcy-waldegrave-sportstalk-host-on-auckland-fc-women-s-team-starting-in-the-202728-a-league-season/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/darcy-waldegrave-sportstalk-host-on-auckland-fc-women-s-team-starting-in-the-202728-a-league-season/ The entry of Auckland FC into the women’s A-League competition has been delayed for two years. It was confirmed on Thursday by the Australian Professional Leagues (APL), the governing body of the A-Leagues, that the new licence will be granted for the 2027/2028 season. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE Thu, 21 Aug 2025 04:45:40 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/stacey-penn-victim-of-auckland-pitbull-attack-speaks-after-michael-hill-store-incident/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/stacey-penn-victim-of-auckland-pitbull-attack-speaks-after-michael-hill-store-incident/ A pitbull launched itself from a moving vehicle and stormed into an Auckland jewellery store, injuring an employee during the incident. Auckland Council confirmed the owner was given an infringement notice and education on dog control after the attack. Stacey Penn says the punishment for the owner 'wasn't fair' and further consequences are needed. "The fact that she's already been warned previously and still chose to drive around with her dog in her car - she'd been told to muzzle it and didn't muzzle it. So it's not the first time it's happened." LISTEN ABOVE Thu, 21 Aug 2025 04:38:11 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/gavin-grey-uk-correspondent-on-uk-inflation-jumping-to-38-percent/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/gavin-grey-uk-correspondent-on-uk-inflation-jumping-to-38-percent/ UK inflation figure rises in data just released, and it's prompted concerns among experts. The 3.8 percent rise in inflation over the 12 months to July this year is the largest increase in inflation since January 2024. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains what this means for the economy. LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 08:17:45 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/remy-morgan-milford-asset-management-expert-on-the-market-reactions-to-the-ocr-cut/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/remy-morgan-milford-asset-management-expert-on-the-market-reactions-to-the-ocr-cut/ The Reserve Bank cut the OCR by 25 basis points to three percent today, but the markets still saw some surprises. Today's cut was divisive, with 2 of the 6 committee members voting for a 50 basis point cut. Remy Morgan from Milford Asset Management explained further. LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 08:10:28 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/the-huddle-should-nicola-willis-be-worried/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/the-huddle-should-nicola-willis-be-worried/ Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The OCR dropped by 25 basis points to 3 percent today, with the MPC divided about the cuts. This indicates the economy is not in a good spot - where does this leave the Government?  Winston Peters is offering to give public evidence at the Covid inquiry - is this a stunt?  LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 07:57:19 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/opinion/perspective-with-heather-du-plessis-allan-was-kiwibanks-jarrod-kerr-proven-right/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/opinion/perspective-with-heather-du-plessis-allan-was-kiwibanks-jarrod-kerr-proven-right/ The longer that this economic funk that we find ourselves in goes on, the more that Jarrod Kerr of Kiwibank is being proven right, isn't he? And we had a cut today - it was 25 basis points down to 3 percent - and now there's the expectation that we will maybe get down to 2.5 percent before this thing bottoms out. 2.5 percent is where Jarrod Kerr has been saying for months that we need to get to. But even though he's been saying it since at least September last year, if not earlier, the Reserve Bank has only just caught up with him. Up til now, they've been talking about 2.75 percent, 3 percent maybe. Now, what you should take from this is that the Reserve Bank is surprised by what Jarrod Kerr - and you could argue many of us - have been seeing for ages, which is that the economy is properly, properly stuffed. Like, stuffed enough that they should be cutting a lot more than they are. Why this is a surprise to them is beyond me, because you just need to look at what's going on with businesses today to see it. Fletcher: a massive loss. Spark: profit down massively, huge job cuts there. Kitchen Things: in receivership. Now, some of that will be absolutely because of poor decisions, but some of that is because we are in an economic funk - recession - as bad as anything in my entire life. I mean, the last time we saw anything this bad was the 80s, but some indicators say the 70s. So why the Reserve Bank hasn't cut more, including today, is baffling. They debated it, by the way - it did occur to them. Four of them voted for the 25 basis point cut that we got, two of them voted for a double cut of 50 basis points. That mean two of them can see what the rest of us can see, but the four win, unfortunately. The fact that they cut today and indicated they will cut more than they had previously expected to cut is a sign that they made a mistake when they didn't cut last time and opted to hold instead. The Reserve Bank is once again caught on the hop, making the economy worse than it needs to be. If only Jarrod Kerr was running the joint. LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 07:35:59 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/jolie-hodson-spark-ceo-on-the-company-reporting-a-significant-fall-in-profit/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/jolie-hodson-spark-ceo-on-the-company-reporting-a-significant-fall-in-profit/ Spark has reported another big fall in profit, with reported net profit down 17.7 percent to $260 million - or a 33.6 percent fall to $227 million, adjusting for one-offs. The telco also cut approximately 1300 full-time employees by the end of June, with many roles being eliminated or going to outsourcing and offshoring firms. CEO Jolie Hodson says it's a tough economic market and the company has had to adjust to these changes. LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 07:12:53 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/full-show-podcast-20-august-2025/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/full-show-podcast-20-august-2025/ On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 20 August 2025, acting Reserve Bank Governor Christian Hawkesby speaks to Heather about the decision to cut the OCR down to 3 percent - and why the bank didn't go for a bigger cut. How many more days will students be off school because of striking teachers? The union's Chris Abercrombie tells Heather they're hoping to get a better pay deal from the Government. Things are going from bad to worse for Fletcher Building. CEO Andrew Reding tells Heather they're a victim of the economy which hasn't been this bad since the 80s. Should your life insurance company have access to genetic tests you do, and hike your premium as a result? Plus, the Huddle debates the state of the economy and whether Nicola Willis is in the danger zone. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 07:11:44 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/andrew-reding-fletcher-building-ceo-on-the-company-posting-a-multi-million-dollar-net-loss/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/andrew-reding-fletcher-building-ceo-on-the-company-posting-a-multi-million-dollar-net-loss/ Fletcher Building has confirmed a new focus on building materials. The construction giant's announced a net loss of $419 million for the past year, compared to a loss of $227 million last year. It's already been looking for buyers for its construction division and some other subsidiaries. Fletcher CEO Andrew Reding says this is the toughest things have been since the GFC. "It's highly unusual when you get both your residential infrastructure and your commercial market segments all crashing down at the same time." LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 07:01:44 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/nathan-watt-nz-wool-services-trading-manager-on-wool-from-nz-farms-getting-used-for-us-open-tennis-balls/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/nathan-watt-nz-wool-services-trading-manager-on-wool-from-nz-farms-getting-used-for-us-open-tennis-balls/ New Zealand wool can be found in clothing and people's homes - but it's set to be bouncing around the courts of the next US Open. Tennis balls made with wool sourced from farms throughout the country will be served up by the world’s top-ranked players when the tournament gets under way this weekend.  NZ Wool Services trading manager Nathan Watt says New Zealand-produced wool is widely regarded as the best in the world for tennis balls. "We've got the best-coloured wool in the world for strong wool, so it's perfect for tennis ball felt." LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 06:47:32 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/winston-peters-foreign-minister-reveals-why-he-didnt-recall-trevor-mallard-sooner/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/winston-peters-foreign-minister-reveals-why-he-didnt-recall-trevor-mallard-sooner/ The Foreign Minister's defending recalling Trevor Mallard as Ambassador to Ireland now, and not 18 months ago.  The previous Government appointed the former Parliament Speaker to the role in 2023. Winston Peters yesterday replaced him, saying Mallard will return home two months early.  He says Mallard should have resigned. Peters further explained he didn't bring him home earlier to avoid being accused of being vindictive.  LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 06:22:10 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/chris-abercrombie-ppta-president-on-secondary-school-teachers-going-on-strike/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/chris-abercrombie-ppta-president-on-secondary-school-teachers-going-on-strike/ Secondary teachers aren't backing down from their fight for better pay. Thousands of teachers walked off the job today and picketed across the country.  They say a proposed one percent pay rise is actually a cut in real terms - and concerns on staffing, professional development and support aren't addressed.  PPTA President Chris Abercrombie says he hopes that'll be the end of action, and the Government will come to the table. He says Minister Erica Stanford's signalled interest in improvement.  "Erica's come out and said she wants a world-class education system, and we want the same. So there's definitely common ground there, but it's just about how we get to that space." LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 06:03:29 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/christian-hawkesby-acting-reserve-bank-governor-says-theres-reasons-to-be-positive-following-latest-ocr-cut/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/christian-hawkesby-acting-reserve-bank-governor-says-theres-reasons-to-be-positive-following-latest-ocr-cut/ There's cautious optimism from the Reserve Bank Governor after cutting the OCR by 25 basis points this afternoon. Christian Hawkesby says the economy's been a bit stagnant, but there's reason to be positive. "We've lowered interest rates a long way now, we've sent out a pretty strong signal that we're willing to lower them further, as required, we've got other drivers of the economy - like high commodity prices." LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 05:44:09 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/barry-soper-newstalk-zb-senior-political-correspondent-on-the-reserve-bank-cutting-the-ocr-to-3-percent/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/barry-soper-newstalk-zb-senior-political-correspondent-on-the-reserve-bank-cutting-the-ocr-to-3-percent/ The Reserve Bank is signalling further OCR cuts, but making no promises. It's slashed the cash rate 25 basis points today, to 3 percent. 九一星空无限talk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this is a sign that the screws are off the economy. LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 05:32:54 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/dan-mitchinson-us-correspondent-on-the-white-house-claiming-plans-are-under-way-for-putin-and-zelenskyy-to-meet/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/dan-mitchinson-us-correspondent-on-the-white-house-claiming-plans-are-under-way-for-putin-and-zelenskyy-to-meet/ The White House is claiming plans are well underway for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin's and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. US President Donald Trump met with Zelenskyy and several foreign leaders earlier in the week. He's also now ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine under any peace deal. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says it's clear Trump doesn't want to be a part of any discussions between the leaders. LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 05:26:02 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/darcy-waldegrave-sportstalk-host-on-the-black-sox-seeking-advice-after-venezuela-s-softball-world-cup-champion-pitcher-fails-doping-test/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/darcy-waldegrave-sportstalk-host-on-the-black-sox-seeking-advice-after-venezuela-s-softball-world-cup-champion-pitcher-fails-doping-test/ The champions of last month's Softball World Cup are under a doping cloud, after Venezuela pitcher Maiker Pimentel returned a positive drug test. Pimentel has been provisionally suspended for taking the anabolic steroid stanozolol, which promotes and enhances lean muscle growth. He was named tournament MVP after pitching Venezuela to victory over the Black Sox in the final. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 05:06:19 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/jody-bews-hair-nz-familial-breast-and-ovarian-cancer-trustee-calls-for-an-end-to-insurance-discrimination-in-healthcare/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/jody-bews-hair-nz-familial-breast-and-ovarian-cancer-trustee-calls-for-an-end-to-insurance-discrimination-in-healthcare/ Two New Zealanders who took drastic steps to prevent deadly hereditary cancers recently informed Parliament that insurance discrimination is stopping others from doing the same - costing lives as a result. As part of AGenDA’s campaign to end 'genetic discrimination', Jody Bews-Hair and Julian Grennell urged the Government to protect Kiwis from being penalised by insurers for their genetic test results. Jody Bews-Hair says genetic testing saves lives, and people should be encouraged to take the tests without fear. "Anything that encourages people to get testing is really important, because it literally saves lives - and it ultimately saves money down the track. It's a lot cheaper to fund a prophylactic surgery or screening than it is to fund 10 years of cancer treatment." LISTEN ABOVE Wed, 20 Aug 2025 04:49:22 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/enda-brady-uk-correspondent-on-the-london-pub-adding-an-extra-service-charge-to-all-drinks/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/enda-brady-uk-correspondent-on-the-london-pub-adding-an-extra-service-charge-to-all-drinks/ A Waterloo-based pub has raised eyebrows among Londoners after it introduced an extra service charge for all purchases.  Drinkers at the pub will be expected to pay an extra 4 percent on their purchases going forward. UK correspondent Enda Brady outlined the terms further. LISTEN ABOVE Tue, 19 Aug 2025 08:01:35 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/paul-bloxham-hsbc-chief-economist-on-whether-the-ocr-will-be-cut-tomorrow/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/paul-bloxham-hsbc-chief-economist-on-whether-the-ocr-will-be-cut-tomorrow/ The Reserve Bank is widely expected to cut the OCR tomorrow, according to new reports. The OCR is currently sitting at 3.25 percent and the major banks have already been dropping their mortgage interest rates in anticipation. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham outlined his predictions. LISTEN ABOVE Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:51:36 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/jamie-mackay-the-country-host-on-the-governments-plan-to-bring-back-live-animal-exports/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/jamie-mackay-the-country-host-on-the-governments-plan-to-bring-back-live-animal-exports/ Legislation being drafted to bring back the controversial trade of live animal exports by sea is getting stuck in the cogs of Cabinet. The Labour government banned the trade two years ago, but National and ACT campaigned on bringing it back.  The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVE Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:46:33 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/the-huddle-what-did-we-make-of-the-big-meeting-between-trump-and-zelenskyy/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/the-huddle-what-did-we-make-of-the-big-meeting-between-trump-and-zelenskyy/ Tonight on The Huddle, broadcaster Mark Sainsbury and former Labour MP Stuart Nash joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Winston Peters confirmed Trevor Mallard is coming home from his post as Ambassador to Ireland. He says the appointment was a case of 'jobs for the boys'. Should former politicians ever become ambassadors? What did we make of the scenes from the big White House meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy? Do we think we're getting closer to a deal being formed?  The Cambridge Dictionary added 6000 new words - do we know what 'skibidi', 'tradwife' and 'delulu' mean? LISTEN ABOVE Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:34:16 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/opinion/perspective-with-heather-du-plessis-allan-its-good-that-trevor-mallards-coming-home/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/opinion/perspective-with-heather-du-plessis-allan-its-good-that-trevor-mallards-coming-home/ So here's a little bit of happy news for anyone still feeling injustice over the petty way that Trevor Mallard turned the sprinklers on the Parliamentary protesters and made everything worse - he is coming home from his plum job in Ireland as the ambassador. As Winston Peters says, quoting The Seekers - the carnival's over. And it's a good job too, because it was always deeply unfair that Mallard could behave like a child and basically torment fellow Kiwis, and then be rewarded by his mates with a job that was funded by Kiwis. Now Winston's trying to spin this like he's bringing Trevor Mallard home early. He's actually not really at all. Trevor's due home in January. It's understood that he's gonna be back in November. Whoop dee doo- two months early in a three-year term is hardly a punishment or a massive recall, isn't it? I mean, if Winston wanted to bring him home early, he could have brought him home at any point in the last two years that he's been the Foreign Minister. But I will agree with Winston on something here, which is that I think we have got to stop appointing politicians to diplomatic jobs. He says full stop - I say as a reward. I still think that there will be some politicians who are exceptional and who deserve these jobs because they would do an excellent job representing us. And I've always thought it was a pity that Helen Clark never got a posting overseas. But often, they're just lousy at it, aren't they? I mean, Phil Goff stuffed up. He had to come back. Jonathan Hunt embarrassed us by wanting to claim the pension in the UK when he was already on a very good wicket from us. Kevin Rudd - the Australian version of all of this - got sent to Washington by the Aussies and then embarrassed them by posting weird stuff about Trump before Trump became President again, then having to go back through his social medias and delete it all. Being a politician doesn't necessarily make these people good diplomats, and Trevor Mallard is absolutely an example of that. He has never been accused of being diplomatic. In my opinion, the only reason that he ever got this gig in Ireland is because his daughter lives in Ireland, and because he was some sort of an avuncular figure to Grant and Jacinda and Chippy, who were in Government when he was appointed. That is not a good reason to send someone to an Ambassador's job. It's not a good reason to get a job that you and I are paying for. So as Winston says, carnival's over - good thing too. LISTEN ABOVE Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:18:39 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/full-show-podcast-19-august-2025/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/full-show-podcast-19-august-2025/ On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 19 August 2025, Donald Trump's big meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky and seven European leaders was a bit of a love fest - but are we actually any closer to peace in Ukraine? Energy Minister Simon Watts gets a grilling from Heather over the Government's plan for our energy security. AI deepfake scams are getting so good - even the people being imitated can't tell the difference. Businessman Gareth Morgan tells Heather the scam that features him is so good even he couldn't tell it was fake. Plus, Trevor Mallard is coming home from Ireland and the Huddle weighs in on the debate about whether former politicians should be appointed to ambassadorships. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:11:40 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/stew-hamilton-mercury-energy-ceo-on-the-companys-recent-drop-in-profitability/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/stew-hamilton-mercury-energy-ceo-on-the-companys-recent-drop-in-profitability/ Mercury Energy's earnings have fallen on the back of weaker renewable electricity generation, and its bottom-line profit has taken a hit. The company's profit has plunged from $290 million to just $1 million, due to tough power generation conditions. Despite this, Mercury Energy CEO Stew Hamilton is hopeful ahead of another financial year. "We're investing heavily in new power plants - we're investing about $1 billion in new power plants at the moment. That's from the top of the north to the bottom of the south." LISTEN ABOVE Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:01:18 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/gareth-morgan-former-economist-and-investment-manager-responds-to-investment-scam-deepfake/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/gareth-morgan-former-economist-and-investment-manager-responds-to-investment-scam-deepfake/ Former economist and investment manager Gareth Morgan was caught off-guard by an AI deepfake using his voice and likeness, and he's warned people to be careful. The investment scam made the rounds on Facebook and Instagram and encouraged Kiwis to invest in a vaguely-defined US-based scheme. Gareth Morgan says his daughter showed him the scam - and it almost had him fooled.  "The only giveaway is the backdrop, I don't recognise the house behind me. But everything else - the face, the lip movements, the voice, obviously - I can't tell." LISTEN ABOVE Tue, 19 Aug 2025 06:34:10 Z /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/gordon-adams-american-university-foreign-policy-expert-on-whether-trump-can-deliver-peace-in-ukraine/ /on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/gordon-adams-american-university-foreign-policy-expert-on-whether-trump-can-deliver-peace-in-ukraine/ A foreign policy expert says it's not clear if Donald Trump can deliver peace in Ukraine. The US President's hosted talks on ending the conflict with UK and European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump says he's working on holding two-and three-way talks with Russia and Ukraine.  But American University's Gordon Adams says Trump doesn't have an actual strategy.  "Hang on to your seatbelt if you want to know what's coming next, because the changeability of this particular President is rampant. Which means tomorrow, it could be a different approach altogether." LISTEN ABOVE Tue, 19 Aug 2025 06:10:21 Z