Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Heart of the City is urging Auckland Council to follow the Wellington's lead on cracking down on people working from home. Public Service bosses are being told to manage staff working out of office as an agreement - not an entitlement. Heart of the City CEO Viv Beck says council workers are only required to come to the office three days a week. She says getting them back in the city is what the CBD needs. "There's no point waiting for the CRL and expecting 54,000 people to pop out every hour. We've actually got to keep the place alive and vibrant - and this is one way that would make a difference." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to deliver her first Budget on October 30th. She's warned this Budget will involve some 'difficult choices' regarding tax, spending and benefits. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says significant tax rises have been ruled out to fix the multi-billion pound financial 'black hole'. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand exported a record $3.1 billion worth of kiwifruit in the year to August, a 20 percent lift on the previous season. The figure was largely made up of gold kiwifruit, jumping 24 percent on the previous year to a value of $2.4 billion. Zespri Head of Global Public Affairs Michael Fox says this is great news for growers and businesses. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 23 September 2024, Philip Polkinghorne has been found not guilty of murdering his wife Pauline Hanna. NZ Herald journalist Michael Morrah tells Heather what Polkinghorne told reporters outside court and what his mistress has had to say. Finance Minister Nicola Willis explains why she's issued a notice to public servants to stop working from home and come back to the office. Plus, the Huddle debates Tory Whanau's car crash Q&A interview and the confusing question of whether or not she sold her car to help pay for the bills. 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.

Fletcher Building is looking to put its problems in the past, as it aims to raise an extra $700 million. The construction giant plans to issue $292 million in new shares for investors, to cut into its $1.8 billion debt. Fletcher Building has announced a group net loss of $227 million last month. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly says this is part of the company's bid to reduce additional losses. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Josie Pagani from Child Fund joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Wellington mayor Tory Whanau's in hot water after she got caught flip-flopping on whether she sold her car to pay the bills. What's going on here? Is this a bad look? The Government has put the hard word on public servants and urged them to stop working from home and go back to the office. Is this a good call? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Public Service Minister has put the hard word on Government departments and urged them to call their staff back to the office. She says there are performance downsides to working-from-home arrangements - and harmful impacts on local businesses. Willis says these changes will begin with public service departments updating their remote working rules. "Then we can compare one agency with another - that's when we can really take a close look at whether this is working the way people would expect. Because if everyone's taking Fridays off, we're going to have some questions." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's further calls for Government intervention in Wellington City Council after a rough TV interview from the mayor. Tory Whanau has faced criticism following a Q&A interview where she backtracked on why she sold her car, contradicted herself, and got confused on questions. Local councillor Diane Calvert has been calling for a Crown facilitator on the council. She now says people have lost trust in the council. "A lot of people have rung me, texted me, or stopped me in the street - we're really sad about what's happening in our city. It needs some leadership and it's not there." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's ordering public servants back to the office, with a crackdown on working from home. Public Service Minister Nicola Willis has outlined new expectations for agency bosses to make flexible working an agreement, not an entitlement. She says there are performance downsides to such arrangements - and impacts on local businesses. Public Service Association national secretary Duane Leo says the Government's blaming public servants for a problem of its own making. "If the Government really cared about the Wellington economy, why did they sack thousands of public servants this year? That's one of the issues that the Wellington economy is struggling with at the moment." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gasps from the public gallery as Philip Polkinghorne was declared not guilty of murdering his wife Pauline Hanna in 2021 - nor of manslaughter. He's been discharged, but will be back in court in November for sentencing on meth possession charges. NZ Herald reporter Michael Morrah was in court. He says it was very tense as the verdict was announced. "Some people in the public gallery were in tears, Polkinghorne himself just stood still, head down - and was pretty much expressionless when that verdict of 'not guilty' was read out." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working from home is not an entitlement, it's an agreement. That's the Prime Minister's message to public servants today, claiming routines begun during Covid - now risk undermining performance. From now on, it'll only be agreed when Working from Home doesn't compromise agency objectives. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says more data is needed regarding the benefits and drawbacks of flexible working arrangements. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's leading supermarket giants are set to face court after allegedly misleading consumers through fake discounts. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission claims Coles and Woolworths bumped prices of products by 15 percent for brief periods before selling them at a discount. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says the supermarkets can expect to face fines and additional penalties over these misleading discounts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's belief New Zealand wouldn't have been involved in a bribe to free Kiwi Philip Mehrtens. The pilot was released last Saturday after 19-and-a-half months of captivity in West Papua. RNZ has reported the West Papua National Liberation Army claims it was paid a bribe, but Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says that's entirely unsubstantiated.. West Papua Action Aotearoa spokesperson Catherine Delahunty says no one thinks New Zealand paid it. "I think if a bribe happened, it happened between local people within the area of West Papua." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So after eight weeks in court, and more than three years of living under suspicion - Philip Polkinghorne is not guilty. This verdict today will come as absolutely no surprise to anyone who's been following this trial closely. The Crown simply did not have a good case, at no point, really, was it actually convincing. But when it came to closing arguments last week, it became really obvious how weak the case against him was. The best piece of evidence they had, according to them, was that Pauline Hanna had told someone one time that he tried to strangle her about a year before she died. That was the best they did - that's not much, is it? So, no surprise it took the jury only 10 hours to decide to find him not guilty. I don't know where this leaves Philip Polkinghorne, because the jury made it clear today with that questions to the judge that most of them don't think Pauline Hanna killed herself. But some didn’t think there was enough evidence against Philip Polkinghorne. And after 8 weeks of his intimate details being aired to the country, he must be humiliated. We know how extensive his drug use was, that he was seeing hookers, how much he regularly spent on those hookers and drugs, and his intimate messages to women. I often wonder how other people who’ve been accused of very high profile murders manage to keep living here in such a small country afterwards. I feel like with him it’s even more pronounced. Because not only was this case extremely high profile and often the most read story on news websites every day - but then there was everything else. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 20 September. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Harrods owner Mohamed al-Fayed has been accused of raping and sexually assaulting a string of women employed by the department store. Five women have accused him of rape and an additional 20 have claimed he sexually assaulted them. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says al-Fayed would identify and target young, female assistants before isolating and assaulting them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Federal Reserve surprised economists with its first interest rate cut in four years. Rates have gone down by 0.5 percent to about 4.8 percent - a significant shift after two years of high rates designed to tame inflation. Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie says the markets responded well to this move after pricing in potential cuts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two key players looking to help Kiwi farmers reduce their emissions have given a new company some additional funding to craft a methane vaccine. AgriZeroNZ and the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre are providing $13.5 million ($8.5M and $5M respectively) to Lucidome Bio to fund their research. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains what this move could mean for farmers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts say today's GDP figures paint a dire picture of our economy - and it's unlikely things will recover right away. New data shows GDP dropped 0.2 percent in the second quarter of 2024. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann explains why the economy is unlikely to recover in the coming months. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Early Edition host Ryan Bridge joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! A group of Wellington taxi drivers have been suspended from the airport ranks after they used the parents' room to heat up food on their late night shifts. Is this unfair? The GDP dropped 0.2 percent in Q2 and things aren't looking too hopeful for the next quarter. When do we see the economy turning around? The Government wants to reduce the number of jury trials to reduce the backlog of cases in the courts, with Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith unveiling some new ideas for the public to consider. Do we need changes? More deadly explosions took place in Lebanon - how scary is this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 19 September 2024, how can we cure our sick economy? Kiwibank Chief Economist Jarrod Kerr spoke to Heather after our economy contracted 0.2 percent in Q2. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith wants to reduce the number of jury trials to deal with the backlog of cases waiting to get to court. Plus, The Huddle debates whether Wellington taxi drivers should be allowed to use the microwave in the airport parents room. 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.

Wellington Airport has suspended five taxi drivers from using its taxi rank after they used the parents’ room to heat their dinners. The airport contacted the taxi companies two months ago to warn against drivers using the parents’ room for privacy and hygiene reasons - but this was not passed on to all taxi staff. One anonymous driver who avoided suspension has labelled this move 'unreasonable' "I did it after asking two of the food officials in airport uniform if we could heat the food in the microwave in the parents' room and they happily said they didn't mind as long as we cleaned up after." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has made some line-up changes ahead of this weekend's Bledisloe Cup opener in Sydney. Beauden Barrett returns to fullback, Will Jordan moves to the right wing, and Ethan de Groot and Caleb Clarke make their return after recovering from injuries. All Blacks prop Tyrel Lomax hopes the team can turn their luck around after the two recent defeats in Cape Town. He expressed his disappointment with how the last couple of games went for the team - especially towards the end. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One expert says today's GDP figures paint a bleak picture of the economy - but there's light at the end of the tunnel. Stats NZ revealed this morning a 0.2 percent contraction for the three months to June, following 0.1 percent growth in the March quarter. Kiwibank economist Jarrod Kerr says it's likely the economy won't start growing again until late 2025. "The Reserve Bank's put a stake in the ground - they started cutting in August - and I think that'll mark the turning point." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philip Polkinghorne must wait at least three more days before a jury rules him innocent or guilty of killing Pauline Hanna. The jury has gone home after telling the judge they couldn't reach a decision today - having deliberated since 11am. They won't sit tomorrow because of a juror's prior commitment and will recommence 11am on Monday. The Herald's Michael Morrah has been in court. He says Polkinghorne reacted emotionally this morning as the 111 call after Hanna died was replayed for the jury. "He was so upset that the judge has to call for the proceedings to be put on hold, essentially." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's new bill banning gang patches in public and giving police more power to disperse gangs and bring in non-consorting court orders has passed. Last-minute changes extended the insignia ban to being visible in cars - and inside homes of repeat ban offenders. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says critics of the bill have labelled it a violation of free speech. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's national unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 percent in August. The number of employed people grew by 47,500, and the number of unemployed people declined by 10,500, according to reports. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this will encourage the Reserve Bank to hold off on cutting interest rates when they next meet. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks want to show New Zealand they can bounce back from adversity in Saturday's Bledisloe Cup opener in Sydney. Coach Scott Robertson has made four changes to his 23 from the side that lost in Cape Town, in the second of two defeats to the Springboks. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave sums up the selection - and weighs up New Zealand's chances of winning. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is proposing lifting the threshold for allowing defendants to elect a jury trial in an effort to reduce the number going through the courts. Currently, defendants can choose between a jury or judge-only trial in cases where their maximum sentence is two or more years in jail. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is proposing options of three, five, or seven years - and is seeking feedback on all three. He says the current process has been too slow for too long - and he's aiming to speed it up. "My main concern is too many people having their lives put on hold for years waiting for an outcome of a court case - or if it's a civil case, waiting for a resolution to their problems." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Norway, one of the world's largest exporters of oil, now has more electric cars on its roads than petrol-powered models. Out of the 2.8 million private cars registered there, 754,303 are now all-electric - according to new reports from the Norwegian Road Federation. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the country aims to be the first to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2025. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New reports confirm at least 68 percent of small and medium Kiwi businesses currently have no plans to use AI. Data from NZIER's Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion says many of these businesses cited a lack of understanding and perceived absence of value as the barriers to AI adoption. Spark Head of Data Matt Bain says the required training to properly use AI has put plenty of companies off. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synlait's two biggest shareholders have brought it back from the brink. Shareholders today approved a $218 million capital injection from Bright Dairy and A2 Milk. NZ Shareholders Association CEO Oliver Mander says some shareholders were reluctant ahead of this vote - but plenty were on board. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and broadcaster Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Are the Commonwealth Games done for good? Glasgow has offered to step in and host a scaled-down version of the games after Victoria pulled out of hosting. Is this a sign of the end? Oji Fibre Solutions is set to close its doors the week before Christmas - cutting 75 jobs. Is this a sign the economy's changing? Amazon is the latest corporate giant to call its staff back to the office for full five-day work weeks again. Is it time we made this a rule for public servants as well? Why doesn't Prime Minister Chris Luxon want to come on Q&A? ACT has also refused to front up on Morning Report and Te Pati Māori won't talk to NZME - is this the right move? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Consumer confidence has picked up in recent months - but there's still concerns about the future from some. The Westpac McDermott Miller Consumer Confidence survey for the September quarter rose 9 points to 90.8 points. Westpac senior economist says households will be in a better mood as interest rates come down for 2025 - but it'll take a while before Kiwis see the increase in their back pockets. "I think they're going to start to feel a bit more optimistic going into 2025 - some of those headwinds have been pretty tough for the last few years and there's a big relief coming through." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 18 September 2024, 9 people have been killed and almost 3000 killed after pagers made for Hezbollah were manipulated and exploded in Lebanon. Terrorism expert Greg Barton says it's almost certain Israel is behind the attack. Where will all our paper be recycled now that the Oji paper mill is set to shut? Nicki Nicol from the NZ Olympic Committee tells Heather she's sure we're not seeing the end of the Commonwealth Games, with Glasgow confirmed to host the games in 2026. Plus the Huddle debates whether we need to stop public servants working from home and make them return to the office five days a week.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.

Scotland's come to the rescue and offered to host a scaled-down version of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The event has been adrift after the Victorian Government pulled out of hosting, citing spiralling costs that blew the budget out to $6.6 billion. NZ Olympic Committee CEO Nicki Nicol says cutting down the Commonwealth Games will be a big change - but this is unprecedented territory. "On the back of that very disappointing decision from our friends across the ditch - we have had to pivot. I have huge gratitude and support for what Scotland have done." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Instagram has made some widespread platform changes to make things safer for teen users. Accounts made by under-18s will be made private by default and notifications won't appear from 10pm to 7am. Instagram is also introducing more adult supervision tools - including letting parents see accounts their teen has recently messaged. Netsafe Chief Online Safety officer Sean Lyons says it's a good step. "It doesn't fix all the problems, but what I think we're starting to see is movement towards giving more protection by default to young people." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concerns about how the closure of a South Auckland paper mill will affect kerbside recycling. Oji Fibre Solutions will shut up just a week before Christmas - with the loss of 75 jobs. It's the latest manufacturing firm challenged by high electricity costs, following Winstone Pulp International closing two mills. Auckland Council waste solutions general manager Parul Sood says paper and cardboard collected from homes hasn't been going to the Penrose mill. "It goes to various markets in Asia, because they sell paper and cardboard as a commodity in the markets - and we get a good price for it." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's suggestions a sabotage of a delivery from Taiwan lead to exploding pagers injuring thousands in Lebanon. At least nine people are dead - including a child - and close to 3000 injured after Hezbollah-owned pagers blew up simultaneously. Hezbollah is blaming Israel. Deakin University terrorism expert Greg Barton says Hezbollah ordered 5000 pagers from Taiwan about five months ago to avoid Israeli surveillance. "Presumably, there was circuitry added with explosives, coded so when a wireless message went out with a certain code, it triggered the devices." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has claimed Parliament is in a 'state of decay', taking issue with what he believes is a sharp decline in standards. Peters and his colleague Shane Jones took issue with Te Pāti Māori MP Takuta Ferris after he alleged some in the House are 'masters' of lying. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacked the controversy further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been denied bail after pleading not guilty to sex trafficking. The 54-year-old was arrested in Manhattan yesterday, with several lawsuits accusing him of physical and sexual abuse. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Combs was also charged with narcotics offences, kidnapping, arson and bribery - and there's enough evidence to have him put away. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand has struck early after Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat in the first test against New Zealand at Galle. Will O'Rourke winning the race to partner captain Tim Southee as the side's two seamers, with New Zealand including four spinners. The Black Caps - who have never won in four attempts at the venue - currently have Sri Lanka 29 for one. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacks the match further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the debate over a second Auckland harbour crossing continues, one architect has proposed an alternative solution. Reset co-director Garth Falconer has proposed a new six-lane ‘Waitematā Bridge’ positioned 500m from the Auckland Harbour Bridge, costing under $2.5 billion. Falconer says he's discussed this idea with Auckland mayor Wayne Brown - and he's open to additional crossings. "We've had a good discussion and he's interested in looking at multiple crossings and looking at opportunities for urban regeneration." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards has avoided jail after admitting to charges of making indecent images of children. Edwards has been handed a six month prison sentence suspended for two years, meaning he won't see jail as long as he doesn't re-offend. UK correspondent Enda Brady says his career and reputation are in tatters - as it's clear no one will ever hire him again. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmer confidence has risen and bounced back to net positive levels for the first time since 2021. Following a small dip in the June quarter, the latest Rabobank survey found it had increased to a net reading of +3% from -25%. The Country's Jamie Mackay unpacks these results further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The soon-to-be-released GDP figures for Q2 will give experts an outline of the state of the economy. Economists predict the economy will have contracted again, as interest rates took their toll on consumer spending. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen outlines his picks for the quarter. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The weight-loss industry is on track to bring in billions by 2030 - and one Kiwi company is taking advantage of the craze. Calocurb was developed with the help of Plant and Food Research and it's selling itself as a natural appetite suppressant. CEO Sarah Kennedy the company is growing every quarter - and has attracted significant interest in the US. "The biggest thing for us in the US is not only word of mouth, it's advertising. One company spent a billion dollars, but we're not going to do that - we don't have to." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners and AUT Chancellor Rob Campbell joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Teachers are concerned about implementing the new maths and literacy curriculum and have urged the Government to delay the changes. Is this a fair thing to ask? According to documents seen by Newstalk ZB, AUT's point-based system of determining who can go on international trips comes with an equity consideration - with Pacific and Maori staff members getting extra points added. Is this worth a review? Wellington mayor Tory Whanau revealed she had to sell her car to make ends meet. Do we have any sympathy? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 17 September 2024, a massive win in the fight against gangs took place today. Detective Superintendent Greg Williams told Heather nearly every single member of the Comancheros gang has been hit with criminal charges. Three quarters of teachers and principals want the Government to delay the introduction of the new maths and English curriculum, saying they don't have enough time to prepare delivering the new content. On the Huddle, AUT chancellor Rob Campbell defends the university's policy to help Māori and Pacifica staff with the travel costs to overseas conferences. Plus, Heather is wondering if her 2.5 year old Iggy is special because he can count to three! 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.

New research claims the costs of adding improved insulation onto Kiwi homes is far lower than initially reported. Earlier in the year, Minister Chris Penk wanted to roll back insulation standards, citing reports of overheating issues and standards adding extra costs to new homes. New Zealand Certified Builders Chief Executive Malcolm Fleming says the cost of improved insulation for Kiwi homes is significantly less $40,000 - $50,000 cited by some. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.