Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Reserve Bank has warned the economic downturn is expected to get worse before it gets better, with unemployment being expected to worsen. The bank's biannual Financial Stability Report says unemployment will peak at 5.4 percent by 2025. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says there are better economic times on the horizon - but there'll be 6-9 months of pain first.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inland Revenue has admitted to providing Facebook owner Meta with the names, addresses and other contact details of 268,000 taxpayers in 'raw' unencrypted form. This news comes after an investigation into the IRD's use of social media companies to target taxpayers. Queenstown employment relations consultant and initial complainant David Buckingham was surprised by this development. "I did actually think they had some pretty good processes around at least hashing it - that wasn't really the focus of my initial complaint."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners and broadcaster Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! It's Melbourne Cup day - what did we think of the big race? And more importantly, is a $10 office sweepstake too much? Prime Minister Chris Luxon is under fire after apparently failing to look over his brief regarding bootcamp providers and their right to restrain young detainees. What do we make of this?  One more sleep to go until US election day - what are our final predictions? Will we even find out tomorrow night?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 5 November 2024, on the eve of the US election, Democrats are "nauseously optimistic" and Donald Trump is telling voters he's going to win in a landslide. A very unlikely winner takes out the big prize at the Melbourne Cup - but how much is too much when it comes to price of the office sweepstake? The Prime Minister is under pressure for not being across his brief on the issue of his bootcamps for young criminals. Plus, the Huddle puts in their final bets ahead of US election day. 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.

Students looking for summer work are struggling to land roles, as there's enormous competition for entry-level roles. Retail NZ says businesses are seeing a 'much higher calibre' of potential applicants looking for jobs. Swivel Careers founder Kate Ross says even people with full qualifications are finding it tough to land the right roles. "There's just not enough work out there right now. The economy has been slow all year - the opportunities, even for retail and hospitality, that's all slowed down and that's generally where students out of school get their weekends in there." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's suggestions that public servants should be allowed to use Uber and other rideshare services over taxis to save money. ACT has written to new Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche - calling for more ways to improve value-for-money. ACT MP Todd Stephenson says there are inconsistent rules across the public sector - and everyone should be allowed to expense a rideshare service if needed.  "We're not making people do it, but saying - yes, you're allowed to use a rideshare service like Uber." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's criticising the Prime Minister regarding his knowledge of legislation on bootcamps.  The Government is crafting law to allow the use of force for restraining youth offenders at the military-style academies. The Prime Minister has said he wasn't aware there were suggestions force could be used.  Labour MP Willow-Jean Prime says that's not okay. "It is deeply concerning that the Prime Minister is not across the details of one of the key National Party election policies, which is boot camps." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are making their final pushes for the presidency on the eve of election day. Harris is spending the day in the largest battleground state, Pennsylvania, and Trump's turned his attention to North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan.  NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan is in Pennsylvania. He says everyone seems confident - but it's not over until it's over. "At the moment, it looks like all the races and all of the swing states will be close - and tomorrow night will be fairly inconclusive."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's Peeni Henare is calling for an inquiry into a police raid in Ōpōtiki on properties with ties to the Mongrel Mob, with arrests and asset seizures. There've been accusations women were strip-searched and a three year old child was left alone.  Police Minister Mark Mitchell denies children were left alone - and questions the claim of strip searches.  ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper wonders why Henare is calling for this move. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's still no relief for Australian homeowners as the RBA leaves rates unchanged at 4.35 percent. This decision falls in line with expectations from economists - as the nation grapples with the impacts of high inflation. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says it's looking more likely the Reserve Bank will not start cutting rates until 2025. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Breakers are celebrating their latest victory after Monday night's basketball blowout. They have consolidated top spot on the Australian NBL basketball ladder after dispatching hosts Melbourne United 113-79. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacked this victory further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2024 Melbourne Cup is upon us- and it's a big day for gambling fans. The TAB says this is one of the biggest days for the platform, with Kiwis projected to spend up to $30 million on betting. Racing commentator Mick Guerin says there's three Kiwi-trained horses in the mix - but they're long-shots to win. "We lose a lot of our best talent, much like we do with rugby players going to France or England. We lose people because of the market share and the economics of it, so we don't always have our best horses racing in the Melbourne Cup." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Spain, efforts have begun to search an underground carpark in Valencia - where authorities fear may more be dead after last week's flash flooding. The deadliest flash flood in modern Spanish history has killed over 217 people so far, with dozens more still unaccounted for. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says angry crowds have confronted King Felipe VI and thrown mud in protest of the 'woeful' response to the disaster.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

48 hours ahead of the US presidential election, financial markets are gearing up for a Trump victory. Polls indicate the election result will be close, and some experts are warning people not to adjust just yet. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly unpacks the potential financial implications ahead of election day. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new survey from Kiwibank reveals a majority of Kiwis think owning a home is crucial to getting ahead in New Zealand - but many feel locked out of the market. Over two-thirds of non-owners feel pessimistic about home ownership, with millennials in particular believing they won't get on the property ladder. Kiwibank CEO Steve Jurkovich says people aged 30 to 44 have seen house prices surge the most over their lifetimes - and they feel the most overwhelmed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Josie Pagani from Child Fund and Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! 48 hours to go until the US election - who do we think is going to win? Kamala's pulling ahead in the polls, but is this victory guaranteed?  Brian and Hannah Tamaki were in court today over their Covid-19 rule breaches during the 2021 lockdown. Should the pair be punished - or should the charges be waived by this point?  Prime Minister Cjris Luxon is under fire after calling voters 'customers' in a sit-down interview. Is this an embarrassing mistake - or should he own the corporate-speak? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 4 November 2024, US pollster Henry Olsen tells Heather whether the shock poll from Iowa could spell bad news for Republicans in other swing states - and his gut feel on the election result. Finance Minister Nicola Willis weighs in on whether Chris Luxon should have called voters 'customers'. Principals and parents in Hawke's Bay are up and arms that the Ministry of Education is axing the school bus for kids from Clive. Plus, The Huddle weighs in on the US election. Why do Josie and Trish think Kamala has got this? 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 Finance Minister says Chris Luxon's description of voters in a recent sit-down interview was a 'slip of the tongue' as part of his corporate background. In a new episode of 30 with Guyon Espiner, the Prime Minister referred to voters as 'customers' - and defended claims that he was out of touch with New Zealanders  Nicola Willis says Luxon is focused on delivering results above all, and he knows New Zealanders are New Zealanders. "I reckon New Zealand has bigger challenges than whether or not the Prime Minister describes people as customers."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister has defended deporting 11 Vietnamese nationals, believed to be part of an organised crime group, after a major drug bust. The operation targeted 30 rented Auckland properties. About 3000 plants were destroyed, along with 48 kilograms of dried cannabis - valued at $18 million. But Mark Mitchell says deporting looked to be less of a hassle than going through the courts. "They were here illegally, they were going to be a big cost to the taxpayer - the police and Immigration worked together, they had discretion around this and they thought the best thing to do was put them on a plane straight back to Vietnam." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is trialling an intensive maths tutoring programme to pick up students falling behind. It'll run over the first two terms of next year, for about 2,000 Year 7 and 8 pupils. The trial will use small-group tutoring and supervised online tuition for 30 minutes, up to four times a week. Education Minister Erica Stanford says it's the first of its kind.  "This is going to be a hybrid model, where we have some young people learn in groups of four just with a tutor - and then we'll have a hybrid model where we've got that happening, plus some online learning using a maths programme."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's high expectations for a lawyer's tactics in defending Brian and Hannah Tamaki.  The pair are facing court over organising protests in Auckland during Covid-19 lockdowns. Brian Tamaki faces four counts of breaching the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act, with possible penalties of up to six months in prison and thousands in fines.  Lawyer Steve Cullen says it'll be interesting to see what arguments are mustered by experienced defender, Ron Mansfield. He says Mansfield could argue the case under freedom of assembly or freedom of religion provisions in the Bill of Rights Act.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Chris Luxon raised a few eyebrows after he called voters 'customers' in a sit-down interview. Luxon later clarified to RNZ that he didn't need to scrap the corporate speak - and defended the claim that he was out of touch. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says voters should be encouraged to expect things from politicians - and the terminology doesn't matter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's questions whether polls from Iowa will affect Republicans on election day. Donald Trump previously won the state in 2016 and 2020 - but is three percentage points behind Democratic candidate Kamala Harris  Political analyst Henry Olsen says those figures seem out of step with Iowa's usual trend. "I can see Trump doing a little worse, but it's hard to see Trump losing a state that he carried by 8 points in 2020." Olsen is predicting Trump will re-enter the White House. More than 78 million Americans have already cast votes ahead of polling day on Wednesday, New Zealand time. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most Australian politicians and their staffers have opted to fly Qantas, despite rules stating the cheaper fare must be chosen. Virgin Australia has raised concerns - and pointed out the preference for the pricier airline is costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars every year.  Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says Virgin's services leave a lot to be desired - and they don't offer several key routes.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland FC are jubilant after becoming the second team in history to win their first three franchise A-League games. A critical error from Wellington Phoenix keeper Josh Oluwayemi saw Jake Brimmer grab his first of two in the Kiwi derby in the Capital. Sportstalk host Jason Pine recaps the season further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest thing that isn't a big deal but will have a big deal made of it - because it's the Prime Minister - is that Chris Luxon has called us voters 'customers'. He did it in a sit down interview where he was asked about being seen as out of touch, and he was saying he was because he talks to people all the time. He said -“It’s been a belief system of mine, talk to the customer, to the public, to the people and the voters." At which point the interviewer basically told him to ditch the corporate speak. I don’t have a problem with this, do you? This is not a big deal. When I was at university studying postgrad politics, we often referred to voters as stakeholders. As in stakeholders in the Government of the day. That's a corporate term, that's not unusual. It's also not unusual to see voters in a transactional relationship with a political party. If anything, it's actually not a bad thing for politicians to see us as customers - customers who will only come back for more from a political party if we get what we want. Policies that we like, promises that are delivered and not broken, and so on. What's the problem for a voter in that? You vote for a party, you get what you want. That is arguably the opposite of what the last Labour Government was doing pretty much the entire time on, for example, crime. We kept saying, as customers - we don’t like what we’re getting, can you go harder on the gangs? And they kept responding with - you’re imagining it, you're wrong, we're going hard on the gangs. They might have had a better showing at the last election if they remembered the mantra- the customer’s always right. And many ‘customers’ didn’t come back for more. Also, Luxon needs to stop apologising for the corporate speak. Bringing a corporate approach is part of some of the best stuff that he’s done - and doing. His quarterly targets for the Government, managing the various parts of the coalition, trying to get efficiencies out of the public service...he's a manager, he just needs to lean into it. Yes, sometimes you want less transaction and more principle in politics, but ultimately - Luxon's onto something. He's a guy selling us a product and his product is the National Party. We are the customers and we want what we want out of the National Party. Being seen as customers is not a bad thing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A school bus service that has operated in Hawke's Bay for the last two decades has been cut by the Education Ministry - impacting plenty of students, parents and educators. The Ministry has cut the Clive school bus service after a review, claiming there were public buses the students could use instead. Havelock North Intermediate principal Nigel Messervy says the public bus route would be a longer one for students  and they wouldn't get back to Clive until 5pm. "In some cases, those children are then walking to their homes - which might be up to a couple of kilometres away. That's a massive day." Havelock North High School principal Joel Wilton agrees the longer commute time doesn't seem appropriate.  "I think a lot of parents are finding it pretty difficult in the current situation, even with public transport or school transport available to them - and this is kind of another hurdle." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 1 November 2024, there's worry that police will stop attending some mental health callouts from Monday - but Health NZ doesn't have a plan to deal with the additional work. A Canterbury University professor says students literacy skills are shocking and he wants unis to become more elite again.   Rugby editor Elliot Smith speaks to Heather from London ahead of the All Blacks test against England.. and what do we do about that haka? And what did Heather learn about her sleep last night? 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.

Death toll rises while rescue efforts continue in Spain as it mops up following its worst flooding disaster in decades. At least 158 people are now confirmed dead and dozens more missing after huge rains swept the eastern province of Valencia and beyond. More than 400 alleged victims or witnesses have come forward to lawyers over allegations of sexual misconduct against former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed. One lawyer representing the Justice for Harrods Survivors group described it as the worst case of corporate abuse of women the world has ever seen and it took place at the world’s most famous department store in London. A purple tunic found in an ancient tomb in Greece is now thought to have belonged to Alexander the Great, experts say. The revered ceremonial garment – called 'mesoleuconsarapis' – was uncovered 47 years ago in one of three tombs at Vergina in northern Greece.  However, it was not found in the tomb of Alexander the Great himself, but rather his half-brother, Philip III of Macedon. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China is said to be considering approving an additional $1.4 trillion in borrowing to boost the economy. Plus, Asia Business correspondent Peter Lewis shares how the US election is being discussed in China. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Industry groups are rejoicing at the news of a trade deal with several Middle Eastern countries. The deal concludes an almost two-decade effort by successive New Zealand governments and eliminates almost all tariffs on kiwi exports toBahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Chair of Beef + Lamb NZ Kate Acland tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the Gulf nations are a high value market for red meat and is forecast to be one of the fastest growing regions for cheap meat consumption. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB Sportsreader Andrew Alderson and Sport News Director Clay Wilson join Heather du Plessis-Allan for the Sports Huddle to discuss Joe Marler’s apology over his Haka comments, benching Damian McKenzie, the first A-League kiwi derby, and Liam Lawson’s nice guy persona. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Extra security has been added for Saturday’s derby between Wellington Phoenix and newcomers Auckland FC amid claims of threats of organised violence from visiting fans on social media. Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the claims of threats are absolute nonsense. “I’ve asked Wellington to send me their proof and they haven’t sent me anything.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks will face England at Twickenham on Sunday morning NZT. The kiwi side sees Beauden Barrett start at first five, Jordie Barrett return from injury and Ethan de Groot dropped for failing to meet ‘internal standards’. Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Elliott Smith tells Heather du Plessis-Allan Beauden Barrett at 10 is the “right move” as a solid position to steer the All Blacks from. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Suicide Prevention fundraiser in Dunedin has been granted a liquor license at a special hearing, despite concerns from Police and others that it would be inappropriate at such an event. ‘More Than Just A Fashion Show’ will be held at Wall Street mall tomorrow night, with proceeds going towards the Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust. Event organiser Tegan Vickery tells Heather du Plessis-Allan she’s disappointed that the light she was trying to shine on mental health awareness was overshadowed by liquor license issues. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mental health nurses are worried the public, patients and health workers will be put at risk when Police stop attending some mental health callouts. From Monday, Police won’t attend ‘low risk callouts’ where there is no immediate risk to life and safety. Instead, Health NZ is expected to pick up the work. Leaked documents show only interim standard operating procedures have been developed by Health NZ. Mental Health Section Chair of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Helen Garrick tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the plan is in its infancy but the industry does not have a sufficient workforce to manage the increase in workload. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A free-trade agreement has been struck with the six Gulf nations, after an almost two-decade effort by successive kiwi governments. Senior political correspondent Barry Soper tells Heather du Plessis-Allan New Zealand should look forward to this deal with great enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Te Paati Māori is in trouble again as MP Takuta Ferris makes inappropriate remarks before the Justice Select Committee. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are both campaigning in Nevada tonight. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the Republicans have a stronghold on the state but that Harris is coming up. Meanwhile, Trump supporters are ramping up their ‘Stop the Steal’ campaign as they spread the belief that Trump can only lose the election through fraud. And, Donald Trump is suing CBS for $10 billion over the editing of a Kamala Harris interview, saying the network practiced deceptive conduct. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A university lecturer has fired shots at the education system, claiming the number of tertiary students who are “functionally illiterate” is at crisis level. Associate Professor of Sociology at Canterbury University Mike Grimshaw believes New Zealand is under-educating and over-qualifying. He tells Heather du Plessis-Allanit’s a wider societal issue of how we value education, fund it and what we want from the system. New Zealand pumps out around 45,000 tertiary graduates a year. Grimshaw says there is no increase in the societal, cultural and economic outcomes that degrees are said to provide. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Haka drama is back today, isn't it? Because Joe Marler has now backtracked completely on what he said and has apologised for it and specifically has apologised to New Zealand fans for, in his words, “my poorly articulated tweet earlier in the week, I meant no malice New Zealand”. What have you done? Are we honestly that sensitive about the haka that we can't handle it when a rugby prop - not known as the brains of the bunch -criticises the haka in a silly little social media post on X. Can we really not handle this? What did we do to him? What did we do? Did we bombard him on Twitter? Because I feel like that's what happened here and that's why he deleted his Twitter account for a while, isn't it? I think that we may have to get a little bit of a change going about how we perceive the All Blacks’ haka. Yes, it is special to us and it quite clearly is very special to the All Blacks as well, but it's not special to everybody, is it? I mean, the rest of the world just has to put up with it, don't they? And so maybe, instead of being so aggro at them when they tell us that they don't really like it, especially the British and especially Steven Jones, we should understand that. They don't have to like it. They don'thave to put up with this, but they do. We should actually be grateful that the rugby world indulges us the way that they do. They let us do the Haka for a start and then they let us have all these rules about how other teams have to respond to the haka, how close they can get stuff like that.They try to be respectful. They face the challenge, they apologise profusely when a plane accidentally flies over the top at the wrong time, they don't have to do any of this stuff, and they definitely do not have to like the thing and we shouldn't be so sensitive about it. So,let's be honest about this, right. We do the Haka a lot nowadays because there are a lot of international tests nowadays and it is frankly very nice that the rest of the world lets us do it. So maybe a little less sensitivity, a little bit more gratitude. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, chancellor Rachel Reeves has unveiled her first Budget in the role. The budget will raise taxes by £40 billion, the capital gains and inheritance taxes have been increased, minimum wage will increase by 6.7 percent - and a new 10-year plan for the NHS has been unveiled. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this has been dubbed the 'shock and awe' budget - with plenty of short-term pain for long-term gain. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's green shoots emerging for New Zealand's struggling red meat sector, according to new reports. The Meat Industry Association claims exports to China in August were down 50 percent to $107 million compared with the same time last year. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plenty of celebrities have expressed their support for supplement giant AG1 - but an investigation has dug up some questionable details about the company's founder. Founder Chris Ashenden has resigned amid a Newsroom investigation that raised questions over his criminal history and unpaid fines and reparations by his now-defunct firms.  Newsroom Pro managing editor Jonathan Milne says Ashenden's refusal to be interviewed set off journalistic 'alarm bells'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's less than a week until voters in the US will cast their ballots and determine a new president - and experts are wondering about the economic impacts. No matter who wins, both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have policies that could have implications regarding the future of international business. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann explains what the candidates could do for New Zealand's economic future. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gumboot Friday founder Mike King has come under fire following his recent comments about alcohol. In an interview with Newstalk ZB yesterday, King said alcohol can stop negative thoughts - and could be a solution to mental health.  ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says these comments missed the mark, but Labour is wrong to call for Gumboot Friday's funding to be pulled. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has continued to deny he called former head Alan Joyce up to seek free flight upgrades. Albanese has been engaging in a days-long back-and-fourth denial after allegations surfaced in a new book - and the opposition has been running with this ahead of the election. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this is still a bad look for the Prime Minister. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 31 October 2024, Interislander boss Duncan Roy speaks to Heather after an investigation found the people in charge of the Aratere ferry had no idea how to stop the autopilot when the ferry grounded in June.   Labour is calling for funding to Gumboot Friday to be paused after Mike King suggested on the show yesterday that alcohol is the solution for people with mental health problems. Consumer NZ wants a Government inquiry into Air New Zealand's prices. Plus, the Huddle weighs in on brawling fans at the Travis Scott concert. 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.

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Labour has called for funding to be pulled from Mike King's Gumboot Friday charity following King's comments that alcohol can be a solution for people struggling with depression. Is this a step too far? Consumer NZ is calling on the Commerce Commission to investigate New Zealand's aviation industry. Do we agree with this? Last night's Travis Scott concert broke out in huge brawls while fans waited for him to appear on stage. Is this the promoter's fault for not lining up more entertainment - or are the fans in the wrong? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown has launched a bid to establish a direct flight from Auckland Airport to Brazil's Sao Paulo. He believes this could boost trade between New Zealand and Brazil by up to $1.5 billion a year. NZIER Principal Economist Chris Nixon says this is a good idea - and could open up new opportunities for New Zealand. "Given the mayhem which is happening in the United States at the moment and their incoherent economic policies - we've got to be innovative."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A professor of psychological medicine says mental health advocates shouldn't spout misinformation about alcohol.  I Am Hope and Gumboot Friday campaigner Mike King yesterday told Newstalk ZB alcohol could be a solution for people with mental health issues.  Labour has called on the Government to review its $24 million funding for his charity, which delivers youth counselling.  Otago University's Joseph Boden says although alcohol can temporarily help people think about fewer problems, it's far from a fix.  "The difficulty is - it is actually a nervous system depressant. So when misused, it can increase suicide risk." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.