Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Government says help with high fuel prices is coming, for some. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says officials are working hard on support options - as prices skyrocket. She's all but ruled out cutting the fuel excise, as the last Government did in 2022.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Luxon confirmed fuel supplies aren't at risk of drying up, but this could become a problem further down the track. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned motorists not to panic-buy fuel, claiming that surging demand puts unnecessary pressure on supplies. Albanese said that the Government was considering longer term measures including extending the life of two oil refineries beyond 2027. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says concerns are mounting, especially for the trucking industry, where fuel is essential - and rural communities are at risk of missing out on needed fuel supply altogether.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More rugby clubs around the country are ditching junior fees in a bid to ease financial pressure on families and revive grassroots participation. What began as a small initiative in 2024 has gathered momentum, with more clubs opting to waive registration costs in 2026. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police officers dished out one speeding fine for every minute of last year as they cracked down on dangerous driving.  More than 500,000 fines were issued over 2025, double the number issued six years ago.  The figures are only fines from officers - not speeding cameras.  AA road safety spokesman Dylan Thomsen says it's unclear exactly what drove this data, but it's likely there was extra pressure on the police. "Road policing officers were sometimes covering other duties and having to do those kinds of things, spread themselves around. But in the last couple of years, that has changed, there's been a big focus, once again, on being back out on the roads."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, experts are warning people to take precautions as an outbreak of meningitis is spreading.  15 cases have officially been reported, and a university student and a sixth former have died as a result of the outbreak.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey says cases are projected to go up and investigations are taking place. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Officials are calling out the Government for loosening KiwiSaver withdrawal rules in response to lobbying by Federated Farmers, rather than evidence-based advice. A newly-released Regulatory Impact Statement shows the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) opposed the Government’s proposal to allow KiwiSaver withdrawals for farmland.  NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The conflict in the Middle East is continuing on for another week, and it's got experts concerned about the economic impacts. Iran's blocking shipping in retaliation for the US and Israel bombardment - sending oil prices spiking. Milford Asset Management expert Michael Luke explained how markets have continued to drop. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute 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!  An Auckland IVF clinic has reassured patients their processes are robust after some frozen embryos in their care went missing. What do we think happened here?  The Government is looking to crack down on asylum seekers with criminal records. What do we make of this?  There's renewed debate about whether schools should reward students with lollies after concerns were raised. Do we need to have this discussion? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economists are questioning Treasury's 'worst case' economic forecast from the Iran war. It predicts a worst case scenario of inflation hitting 3.7 percent this year - if the conflict persists. Independent economist Cameron Bagrie says he doesn't think Treasury has properly taken into account businesses feeling the second-hand impact of rising fuel prices. "If they've got a reason to push up prices under the guise of what's going on in Hormuz around the globe, firms are going to use that excuse and try to jam in some price rises. We've seen it before." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Okay, once again - not for the first time on this show and probably not the last - thank goodness for Erica Stanford. Normally, she’s righting wrongs in education but today it’s her other portfolio: immigration. She has just introduced legislation to Parliament that would make it possible for New Zealand to say no to asylum seekers if they have committed a serious offence in this country. It might blow your mind to learn that this isn’t currently the case. Right now, if someone comes to New Zealand and says, “I need to be a refugee” and then goes on to commit a serious offence before their refugee status has been decided - so no decision has been taken at the time - the officials making that decision are not allowed to take into account the fact that the person has committed a crime in New Zealand. That is bonkers, isn’t it? And it’s not theoretical. It has happened and it is happening. There are 14 asylum seekers in New Zealand awaiting a decision who have been convicted of serious offences: murder, serious sexual offences, serious drug offences and arson. Under this change, those crimes will now be considered - and I hope to God in every one of those cases it’s a big, fat no. We do not need murderers in this country. Apparently, though, we are a soft touch globally. What’s happening here is actually not unusual. Around the world, it’s standard practice to take into account crimes committed in country before granting refugee status. The EU has rules that allow refugee status to be stripped for criminal offending. Australia goes even further — it has passed laws allowing refugee status to be revoked altogether, even after someone has already been declared a refugee. So prepare yourselves for the usual hand-wringing from the usual suspects. But this is yet another example of Erica Stanford doing something that’s just plain common sense. Yes, absolutely, we have a duty to protect people from persecution if they would come to harm by returning to their home country. But our first duty is to protect our own people. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 18 March, 2026, we hear from Fertility Associates' chief medical officer about losing a family's frozen embryos. We get the latest on how much fuel's left as a result of the Iran war. A crackdown on asylum-seekers who commit serious crimes after arriving in New Zealand. And on The Huddle, Jack Tame and Tim Wilson on whether teachers should reward students with sweet treats. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fertility Associates is reassuring patients their processes are robust, after frozen embryos went missing last year while in its care. It says this only involved one couple, that was treated at its Auckland clinic in 2025. An audit done by an independent international lab expert has found its storage processes are secure - but it's now moving storage to a new, designated area in the clinic. Chief Medical Officer Andrew Murray says they perform around seven thousand egg retrievals or embryo transfers every year. "There are a lot of moving parts in this, and so we want to reassure our patients that this is an isolated incident." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions remain on processes for asylum seekers convicted of serious crimes in New Zealand.  Proposed Government reforms will let immigration officials take crimes committed by a refugee-applicant into account.  New Zealand is obligated under international conventions to keep them here.   Immigration lawyer Pooja Sundar says one option is giving asylum seekers a series of work visas - but that could limit their access to rehabilitation.  "The criminal justice system we have in New Zealand will take care of that, that doesn't mean that we have to send them home to potentially be facing death." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CEO of New Zealand’s largest fuel import terminal is quelling concern imports to New Zealand could cease if the Middle East conflict continues.  Iran's blocking shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as part of its response to continuing US Israeli attacks.  As of midnight Sunday, New Zealand had 49 days fuel cover.  Channel Infrastructure CEO Rob Buchanan says there are other oil producers.  He explained the US, West Africa and South America all have reserves - and can ramp up production in response.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Northland parent claimed teachers at her son's first school routinely rewarded children with chocolate and lollies, sparking debate about whether this is a good idea. Health Ministry guidelines say schools should not serve sweets or chocolate at all, and concerns have been raised about the health impacts.  Auckland University professor Boyd Swinburn says there could probably be better ways to reward kids for good behaviour. "Plenty of schools have done it, plenty of schools do say they're providing the best environment for kids, they're being institutional role models - and they'll find ways to do it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump is dismissing the resignation of a senior US intelligence official - whom he appointed. Israel is continuing waves of strikes across Lebanon and Iran, saying it has now killed Iran's security chief. Meanwhile Joe Kent is stepping down as director of the US National Counter-terrorism Centre.  US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Kent claimed he couldn't support the ongoing war with Iran. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ First leader Winston Peters has clarified Hipkins' ex-wife Jade Paul does not work for his party or have any affiliation or role with it. It was understood Paul worked as a ministerial advisor for Cabinet minister Casey Costello, prompting rumours about the intent of the infamous social media post.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Peters said he's not interested in weighing in on the personal relationship of the Labour leader. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New Zealand Cricket board is still deciding the future of the country's domestic T20 game, but a couple of Black Caps have other ideas. The options have effectively been whittled down to launching a privatised NZ20 tournament, given the Super Smash is without a broadcast deal for next summer, or setting up a local team in Australia's Big Bash League, provided they get an invitation. Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Energy Minister says Marsden Point made its own commercial decision to close, but even open, it couldn't alleviate fuel issues. Iran's put a stranglehold on global supplies, blocking the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for US and Israel strikes. Resources Minister Shane Jones is blaming Labour for the refinery closing. Megan Woods says even if it was open, that wouldn't get us crude oil. "Shane was given an option a year or so ago, said - if you're really worried about this, you can spend billions of dollars and you can set up a new refinery in Taranaki. Now he hasn't proceeded with that."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump has renewed his criticisms of the UK Government's response to the Middle East conflict. The US President said the UK needs to be 'involved enthusiastically' in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid oil supply concerns. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Trump has urged Starmer to help get the Strait open again.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, the Reserve Bank bumped the OCR up to 4.1 percent, up by 0.25 percentage points. This is the second significant hike it two months, and it's got experts speculating about what this means for the economy on the whole. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham wondered what this could mean for other global markets.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of the next GDT auction, there's concerns about what the ongoing Middle East conflict could do for prices. The conflict has seen oil prices spike, and experts have warned this will likely impact other key sectors of the economy. The Country's Jamie Mackay speculated further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Caps have been put into bat by South Africa in the second of their five T20 matches in Hamilton tonight. A strong start by the Kiwi openers Tom Latham and Devin Conway has them at 36 without loss after five overs a short time ago. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and former Green MP Gareth Hughes joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Chris Hipkins' ex-wife posted a series of allegations about the former Prime Minister on Facebook, and Hipkins denied the allegations in a media conference earlier today. Is this even our business?  New Stats NZ figures show food prices rose 4.5 percent, with steak, mince and chocolate shooting up over 20 percent. How will this impact the Government ahead of the election? And what does this mean for inflation? Do we need to start working from home before the fuel reserves run low?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We need to talk about inflation, because inflation is making me pretty sure now that the National Party needs to rethink its plan for this election. We’ve just had the food inflation data out today. No surprise - food has gone up in price again in the year to February, up 4.5 percent. The biggest increase in a single item was mince. It went up 23.2 percent. That is the highest recorded jump in mince in two decades. Mince is a reasonably big deal in this data, I reckon, because mince - and sausages, obviously - is one of those bits of meat we go to when we’re feeling the pinch, right? If you can’t afford the sirloin steak, you go for the mince instead. So if the so-called cheaper option is becoming that much more expensive, well, that tells you how hard it’s going to be for families to make ends meet. And it’s, of course, not just the mince. Everything - everything - has gone up in price. There are a few items that have come back down but for the most part, the things you really need - not the snacks, the essentials - have gone up. And this is going to get worse. What’s been happening in and around the country for the past 17 days will, without a shadow of a doubt, push food prices up even further. It’ll start with vegetables because they were already in the ground. Then it’ll move on to things that take longer to produce - wheat-based products, things like bread that take time to grow. Meat will go up. Everything will go up. Because of the lack of access to urea, fertiliser prices are rising, so on-farm costs go up. Then there’s the fuel cost of getting produce from the farm to - I don’t know - let’s say the bakery, and from the bakery to the supermarket. And that increased cost is going to land on us. There’s a lag effect here. What’s going on now will hit us every single month for months to come. They’re talking about six months - but if they’re saying six months, you can assume it’ll be longer than that. Now, the Nats’ whole strategy for this election was that they’d be fine because the economy would improve, we’d all feel richer, we’d thank them for making the cost-of-living issue go away, their polling would go up and they’d come through at the election on November 7. That is not going to happen. The cost-of-living crisis will not be over in November. It will keep hitting us through the things we can’t avoid - petrol for many, but food for everyone. So the Nats need a new plan - one that requires them to actually do something, rather than just waiting for voters to feel richer. Because we’re not going to. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 17 March, 2026, food prices are up - and a Kiwi staple, mince, is leading the way. We ask Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen if it's going to get worse. We'll tell you about a new ratings system for schools. An economist on why more of us should be working from home right now. And on The Huddle, we ask Jordan Williams and Gareth Hughes if the private lives of politicians like Chris Hipkins should be aired in public. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Resources Minister is insistent Crown funds should help heat the geothermal sector. A Government strategy has been released on its plan to double the use of geothermal energy by 2040. It's also ring fenced $50 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund for the development of geothermal energy projects.  Resources Minister Shane Jones says it's a worthy investment. "The Crown stepped up to the plate in the 1950s, did an enormous amount of drilling - not always successful, but a number of those drill holes have turned into major electricity suppliers."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New reports indicate young people aren't going to op-shops as often, and experts have raised questions as to why this is. Despite the ongoing cost of living, it seems like younger people wanting discount fashion prefer other options - with less barriers. Otago University professor Lisa McNeil says the extra effort to look for quality pieces is perceived as a lot of extra labour, and young people are put off. "It's hard for them, it's expensive when they compare it to some of the cheap new options that are available in the market." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A top economist advises thinking about working from home to save fuel. Iran's maintaining its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz - retaliating to the continued bombing assault by the US and Israel. It's led Sri Lanka to move to a four-day working week from tomorrow.  Westpac economist Kelly Eckhold says unless things change quickly, something will have to be done within the next three weeks.  "Through the Covid period, we were able to save quite a lot of fuel with the hard lockdowns. We're not going to save anywhere near that amount, but it'll certainly help provide more fuel for the higher-priority users of it."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's fears there'll be no slowdown any time soon to the rapid rise in food prices. Stats NZ figures show they rose 4.5 percent in the year to February. Steak, mince and chocolate all shot up more than 20 percent. Infometrics head, Brad Olsen, says the spike in oil prices because of the war in Iran will do nothing to help.  "We know that not only oil prices are key to transport costs, but also just the production. Now if you're a farmer, you've got to use diesel to move stuff around to run the tractor and everything else. So this is going to hit." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A return towards decentralisation is being painted as Health New Zealand's next chapter. The Government's reverting to giving hospitals more control - letting them decide staffing, budgets, and service delivery from July. It's adamant it's not a return to District Health Boards, with planning still done nationally. Acting chief executive Andrew Brant says Health NZ's finances are looking good and it's delivering more, but this ensures improvement continues. He explained the key change is bringing the operating model much more into the frontline - and communities into decisions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins says he won't discuss family matters publicly - verging on tears at a press conference this afternoon.  On Sunday, his ex-wife Jade Paul posted allegations on social media, none relating to unlawful conduct. The Labour leader denies them and says he hasn't spoken to Paul, who is overseas. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says it's clear Paul felt like she needed to speak out as Hipkins makes more campaign promises ahead of the election. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Reserve Bank has increased interest rates by 0.25 percentage points, up to 4.1 percent. This is the second month the RBA has lifted rates, with the bank hiking up to 3.85 percent in February. Australian correspondet Murray Olds says the vote to increase rates was divided, but there's concerns about inflation brought on by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is copping heat today for cancelling the EV subsidy a couple of years ago. Critics now say it looks like a mistake, because oil prices are rising and, as a result, petrol prices are rising too. They argue that, of course, we’d all be better off in electric vehicles - which we supposedly would have been if the Government hadn’t cancelled the subsidy at the end of 2023. Now let me tell you why it was not a mistake to cancel it, why what’s happening right now actually proves that, and why the lovies saying this are wrong. What’s important in this argument is being specific about who would have owned those electric vehicles if the Tesla subsidy had continued. It wouldn’t have been workers living all the way out in Pōkeno, driving into the city, it wouldn’t have been people out in Silverstream commuting into Wellington, it wouldn’t have been solo mums trying to make ends meet - they can’t afford new EVs. It would have been well-heeled people living in central-city leafy suburbs, getting eight grand knocked off the price of their nice new cars. Those are not the people who need help when fuel prices shoot up. So if we were going to do something like this - if we were going to repeat some form of Government help - wouldn’t it be far more useful to take the $620 million that helped nice people into their nice cars and instead redirect it toward people who are poorer? The proof that we didn’t need that subsidy up to this point is in what’s happening right now. I told you earlier: BYD sold 80 cars in New Zealand on Saturday alone. They sold 800 cars in Australia on the same day. That is happening in New Zealand without the subsidy. Which tells you this - when rich people decide they want themselves a nice EV, they will go and buy it without Government help. They don’t need it. They just have to want EVs - and they didn’t want them before because it didn’t stack up until fuel prices went up. Now look, I do think there’s a place for Government help in this crisis if it gets worse. But it’s not to help rich people buy new cars. It’s for poorer people - the people who will actually be stung by rising petrol prices if they keep going up. So no, it was not a mistake to cut the subsidy. Eighty BYDs sold in New Zealand on Saturday is your proof. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sir Keir Starmer has refused to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing concerns. US President Donald Trump has reportedly called for reinforcements to keep an eye on the waterway after the Middle East conflict led to a spike in oil prices.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey says Starmer isn't offering to help police the area, but Donald Trump has spoken to other world leaders about the matter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 16 March, 2026, we talk to the Retail NZ chief executive about an increase in card spending - will it last? The boss of Freightways says people are getting a bit 'hysterical' about petrol price rises. We talk to an entertainment reporter in the US about this year's big Oscar winners. And on The Huddle, Josie Pagani and Phil O'Reilly on whether Nicola Willis' 1pm press conference brought back any unfortunate memories.  Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is considering its options if petrol prices keep rising, but the head of Freightways is warning people not to panic. The conflict in the Middle East has entered its third week, but the Finance Minister has ruled out measures like reducing the fuel excise. Freightways CEO Mark Troughear says there's plenty of fuel in the country and more on the way - and there's plenty of supply to keep things going.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The conflict in the Middle East has entered its third week and there's concerns about what it could do to the markets. Iran's still restricting movement through the shipping strategic choke-point as part of its retaliation for the relentless bombing by the US and Israel. Harbour Asset Management expert Shane Solly explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Protesters gathered outside Wellington's High Court today, as a lawyers' group challenges Government climate moves. Do we think this is an over-reaction? As the crisis in the Middle East continues and concerns about fuel prices mount, Nicola Willis held a 1pm press conference to talk about the Government's plans. What did we make of this?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Protesters gathered outside Wellington's High Court today, as a lawyers' group challenges the Government's climate moves.  Lawyers for Climate Action alleges the Government's emissions reduction plan doesn't add up - and wants the Court to order it back to the drawing board.  Executive director Jessica Palairet says this is the first case of its kind in New Zealand.  "These kinds of challenges have actually happened all around the world. So in the UK, the Government was challenged two times on its plan and had to go back two times and do a better job."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says there's no bail-out on the cards for Air Zealand at this stage - as the conflict in the Middle East causes a surge in jet fuel prices. The national carrier has already raised fares, and cancelled about 1100 upcoming flights. Nicola Willis says she thinks there will be some shifts in airline patterns around the world - which will mean jet fuel remains available. "And I think Air New Zealand has every opportunity to compete for customers, we now look like a very safe country compared to a lot of other destinations where people might have wanted to have a tourist experience three weeks ago." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A night of glitz and glam at the 98th Academy Awards in LA . One Battle After Another's taken out Best Picture, pipping horror Sinners for the top prize. It won six awards across the evening.  Director Paul Thomas Anderson says all nominees could have won. People Magazine senior reporter Sean Mandell says it was a close race for the top prize between One Battle After Another and Sinners. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hopes the war in Iran doesn't reverse gains in our retail sector by making shipping more expensive.  Stats NZ data shows back-to-back increases in electronic card spending for January and February.  Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young says it's not happened in a long time.  She says it would be a shame if the conflict dampens the upward trend. "Let's hope it's a short, sharp thing and we can get back to business as usual." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's yet to make a call on whether New Zealand would ease sanctions on Russian oil, as the Iran war affects shipments. The US has eased some of its sanctions, as its barrage on Iran continues - alongside Israel. Crude oil prices have skyrocketed since Iran stopped ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz. Finance Minister Nicola Wills is urging Kiwis not to panic, as there's plans in place to keep households supported.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, fuel prices have surged, sparking debate over whether fuel needs to be rationed as the Middle East crisis continues. Prime Minister Albanese has reassured consumers that petrol and diesel supplies remain unchanged and there's no need for anyone to engage in panic buying. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says farmers are concerned about the fuel shortages ahead of the busy season. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liam Lawson has claimed seventh in Formula One's Chinese Grand Prix. Starting 14th, he picked up seven places to finish as the best driver in the four-car Red Bull stable. 19-year-old Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has secured his first race win with teammate George Russell second and Lewis Hamilton third for Ferrari. Sportstalk host Jason Pine recapped the action. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Winegrowers are on Cloud Wine over proposed Government changes to alcohol laws. They include allowing licensed premises to meet legal obligations by stocking zero-alcohol drinks. Currently, licence holders must stock 'low alcohol' products containing no more than 2.5 percent alcohol.  Chief executive Phillip Gregan says it's a common sense change. "Frankly, I'm not sure that there are any wines less than 2.5 percent, they tend to be slightly higher than that, or just zero." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 13 March, 2026, we look at whether people are over-reacting by panic-buying petrol. The Crusaders chief executive says media ban ... what media ban? An Auckland University researcher tells us why you shouldn't mow your lawn. And on the Sports Huddle, Lavina Good and Paul Allison discuss whether Liam Lawson will last the Formula One season. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior political correspondent Barry Soper joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to wrap the political week.  The big topics this past week were former Chatham Islands Council CEO Paul Eagle's serious fraud office inquiry, reflecting on last Friday's Luxon chaos, and the Covid inquiry.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Okay, here’s a prediction for you, because there have been headlines today about petrol stations running out of fuel because of panic buying: people will panic buy petrol this weekend. Yesterday was discount day at Gull so things went a bit crazy. Gull Ōtāhuhu ran out of 95; Gull Greville Road, Gull Henderson, Gull Torbay, Gull Takanini and Gull Takapuna were also out of at least one type of fuel. Two pumps ran dry at supermarkets in Palmerston North as well. Here’s my second prediction: there will be tellings-off. Cheryl from the Bay of Plenty is going to see some punter filling multiple containers and she’s going to get angry about it.  Actually, that’s not even a prediction — because it’s already happened. Cheryl went to the Gull in Whakamarama and saw a van filling up multiple large containers causing a 20-minute wait for other customers. She spoke to the media and called it unfair. Now, the thing is: panic buying is obviously not a good idea for the collective good. We’ve been here before with the toilet paper during COVID, haven’t we? It’s not a good idea for everyone as a whole — but it is a completely rational thing to do from a selfish perspective if you’re just looking after yourself and your family. So you should expect people to do it. And before you tell anyone off for doing it, remember: we don’t know their personal circumstances. We don’t know what’s made them go down to the petrol station that day to fill up their car and multiple containers. We don’t know whether they’re running essential generators back on the farm, whether they need to be sure they have enough fuel for the next few days. And more importantly, we don’t know how tight their budgets are. You and I might be able to absorb a 30-cent rise in the price of fuel, but if someone only has a few dollars left at the end of the week, and they’re driving in from Pōkeno to the city centre every day, they might not have the ability to absorb that kind of increase. They may in fact need to buy as much as they can while it’s cheap. No one is to blame for what’s happening at the moment. This is normal human behaviour. The media is just doing its job by reporting on the fuel increases people want to read about. The government is being as careful in its messaging as it can be. And even the punter filling up is only doing the rational thing. So what I’d say is: expect this to continue for as long as we’re talking about possible shortages and price rises. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.