Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

A few years ago, the Metaverse was the biggest talking point in the world of technology. Meanwhile in 2024, the virtual platform has declined in popularity and the market has moved on. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explains what happened. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's wide-reaching banking inquiry has been met with support from Federated Farmers. Banking spokesperson Richard McIntyre has claimed this inquiry will shine a light on the levels of competition, profitability and transparency in rural lending - information farmers have been waiting for. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data from has confirmed food prices are up - but not as much as predicted. Stats NZ reports show food prices have increased by 0.6 percent in the 12 months to July. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says this is good news for the economy following the recent OCR cut. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has announced a new immigration pathway for essential seasonal workers. It has created a new subcategory of the Specific Purpose Work Visa - to help employers in upcoming seasonal peaks. Roles must pay at least $29.66 per hour, and offer at least 30 hours each week. EMA's Alan McDonald says these changes will be welcomed by the business sector. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Mark Sainsbury and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! North Korea is set to open back up to tourists at the end of the year. Would we go? We've gotten a look at the new school lunches menu - what do we think? Will these be fit for purpose? Eden Park has asked the council to let it host twice as many concerts as it's allowed right now. Is this a no-brainer? A UK judge has sentenced a keyboard warrior to 15 months in jail. The 53 year old woman had called for someone to blow up a mosque in a local community Facebook group. Will a sentence like this deter other keyboard warriors? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks lineup has entered the spotlight, with four changes made for Saturday's rematch against the Pumas at Eden Park. Rieko Ioane's swapped in for Anton Leinert-Brown to start at centre while Caleb Clarke and Will Jordan are the starting wingers. Ethan de Groot's out with a neck injury so Tamaiti Williams starts in the front row while former captain Sam Cane's onto the bench. Former All Black Sir John Kirwan says this will be a good chance for TJ Perenara to redeem himself after last week's loss. "He'll get out there and make amends - or he'll be under some real pressure. That's probably why he's out there." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday August 15, an expert from Massey University shared his theory about where the infamous batch of meth-laced lollies came from. Associate Education Minister David Seymour unveiled his plan for school lunches - and explained how it worked out to be so cost-effective. North Korea is set to open its doors to tourists again. Former Sunday reporter Mark Crysell shared why it might be worth visiting. Former All Black Sir John Kirwan summed up his thoughts on this weekend's team lineup ahead of the All Blacks-Argentina rematch. Plus, The Huddle debates whether Eden Park should be allowed to host more concerts. 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.

North Korea's set to reopen for international tourists by the end of the year. Two tour companies with connections to the isolated country have made separate online announcements - saying tour groups would be allowed to visit the city of Samjiyon. It's been almost five years since the country shut its borders due to the pandemic. Former Sunday reporter Mark Crysell has been to North Korea, and says he recommends visiting. "Every other country in the world is pretty much the same now because of globalisation - North Korea is like going to the moon. And when you go inside, it's like being sealed in a tupperware container." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Associate Education Minister's unveiled his new plan for school lunches. Newstalk ZB can reveal nine sample recipes from the Ministry of Education include butter chicken, a chicken sandwich, a rice and bean burrito, and Thai chicken curry. David Seymour says these choices are the most cost-effective ways to keep Kiwi students fed. "There's every reason to believe that we're going to be able to deliver what's been indicated - at the prices that have been indicated." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The submissions are open, you can now have your say on whether Eden Park should be allowed to have 12 concerts a year, which is double what they have at the moment. And from me, it is absolutely a ‘hell yes’.Give them 12 concerts, it's a great place for a show. I've been to a few shows there now - Pink, Ed Sheeran, Billy Joel... and honestly, because of how good it was as a music venue, I struggle to imagine a time when Eden Park didn’t host music. It seemed so natural. But they only had their first concert, Six60, in 2021. In the interests of transparency, I have to say for a couple of those concerts, I was there because Eden Park invited me. And I'm not naïve, I suspect they invited me so I could see what a great venue it was. And it worked, because I was quite impressed with it. Obviously, Eden Park isn't the only venue Auckland City's got, there's a whole bunch of them - and if you want to have a big open-air stadium concert, there's Mt Smart. But I still reckon Eden Park beats it on a couple of fronts. For one, it's much easier to get to and from there than it is for Mt Smart. For a big show, Mt Smart is a pain in the butt to get in and out of. With Eden Park, you can just walk out and you're in a bar in Ponsonby in 2.5ks.Plus, there's capacity. Mt Smart can do about 40,000 people for a live show, Eden Park can apparently hold more than 50,000. Obviously, that means more money for Auckland city, which is what I'm interested in.The hotel occupancy for Pink was apparently 97 percent. That means people are bringing in their money from other places in the country and the region. There'll be even more money flowing in for Coldplay, cause they're only playing three shows in Auckland.So far, Eden Park is doing good things for Auckland's economy - and just to underscore the place, think of the biggest events Auckland's had over the past wee while. We had Harry Styles, we had Pink, we had the FIFA Women's World Cup, and we're going to have Coldplay soon. Three of those were - or will be - held at Eden Park. After Coldplay, what's on Auckland's calendar for cool things to do? Outside of stuff like the tennis and SailGP, there's nothing.So I'd argue we actually need Eden Park to have more concerts, cause it attracts the big stuff. And who would turn up the money that comes with it? Plus, if we say yes to these extra concerts, maybe in a few years we’ll struggle to remember a time when we limited them to only six a year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's risk the needs of disabled people won't be met as their ministry is carved up. Support services are moving to the Ministry of Social Development, after a review found a lack of control over funding and services at Whaikaha. Disability Support Network CEO Peter Reynolds says the sector has been struggling for over a decade - and doesn't have faith in MSD. "As recently as June 30, three contracts expired across a couple of hundred providers. No replacement contracts were issued for two months - that's two months that those providers didn't receive any funding." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, Opposition leader Peter Dutton has claimed Australia should not accept Palestinian refugees fleeing conflict in Gaza, citing 'security risks'. Dutton's comments have been rejected by senior Albanese government figures, as officials try to keep Palestinian refugees in the country for longer. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Dutton has been accused of trying to stir up division. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Infrastructure is high on the agenda for the Prime Minister's meetings in Australia. Chris Luxon and Ministers Shane Jones, Simeon Brown and Chris Bishop have met with top-brass at Kiwi engineering firm Beca, and had infrastructure talks with the New South Wales Premier. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacks Luxon's new model for infrastructure. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former captain Sam Cane has returned to the All Blacks in the way he played much of the early part of his test career - via the bench. Cane will back up the loose forwards in Saturday's rematch against Argentina from jersey 20 in his first test since last year's World Cup final. There are four changes to the side that lost in Wellington - with Tamaiti Williams, Rieko Ioane, Caleb Clarke and Will Jordan all starting. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland police have recovered more meth-laced lollies overnight, and are investigating a report someone tried to sell one. The fake Rinda pineapple sweets were donated to Auckland City Mission - which unwittingly distributed them in food parcels. Police have retrieved another 13 since yesterday, bringing the total to 29. Massey University's Professor Chris Wilkins suspects Mexican cartels may have been behind this incident. "The Mexican cartels are particularly innovative and have expertise in smuggling, because they have been, for many decades, transporting drugs across the borders of the US." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK's inflation rate has risen for the first time since December, ticking up to 2.2 percent in the year to July. According to experts, this rise is largely due to prices of gas and electricity falling by less than they did in 2023. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says this increase was expected - but it's not good for the economy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukrainian forces have now gained control of 74 settlements in Russia's Kursk region. The governor of Russia’s border area of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has declared a region-wide state of emergency - and is appealing to President Putin to declare a federal emergency. New Voice of Ukraine editor Euan MacDonald says it's unlikely Russia expected this latest border attack. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several Kiwi businesses have expressed relief as the Reserve Bank announces cuts to the OCR. The cash rate has been dropped 25 basis points to 5.25 percent - the first significant cut to the OCR since 2020. Milford Asset Management's Katlyn Parker unpacks the wider market response. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's shock and excitement across the nation, as the Reserve Bank makes cuts to the OCR for the first time since 2020. The Bank's slashed the cash rate by 25 basis points to 5.25 percent. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny unpacks what brought this change on - and what caused Governor Adrian Orr to announce this. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank says several factors are driving down inflation. It's cut the Official Cash Rate to 5.25 percent, saying it's now confident inflation is returning to the one-to-three percent target range. The Government is claiming credit for the turn-around - saying tax cuts and government spending cuts have been reducing inflationary pressure. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the Government will have been waiting for this announcement. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore and Jack Tame rom ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Reserve Bank has cut the OCR down by 25 basis points for the first time since 2020. Are we surprised by this news? What will this do for the mood of the nation? There's tensions at Health NZ, as Health Commissioner Lester Levy had to step in and shoot down a proposal to cut 2000 doctors and nurses to save money. What's going on here? Will CEO Margie Apa have to step down? More outrage at Wellington Council, after it's been revealed they spent $84,000 on a bike rack that nobody uses. Is this the best use of taxpayer money? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 14 August 2024 -a huge u-turn from the Reserve Bank with a cut to the Official Cash Rate today. Former Reserve Bank economist Michael Reddell and ASB boss Vittoria Short speak to Heather about the move. Drug Foundation boss Sarah Helm tells Heather what we know about the meth lollies that were handed out in Auckland mission food packages. The Huddle debates what's going on at Health NZ after commissioner Lester Levy publicly rebuked a suggestion by staff to make doctors and nurses redundant. Plus, why did Barry Soper drop out of his police officer course? 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 boss of Health NZ needs to go.Her job is no longer tenable after the stunt that was pulled yesterday, where her management team gave a presentation to other staff proposing that the way they would save money was to cut nearly 500 doctors and nearly 1500 nurses.It doesn't look like Margie Apa can plead ignorance or innocence on this one, because according to a source who spoke to the media outlet Newsroom, the presentation wasn’t a stunt - those cuts were actually planned. And at least one region of the organisation had already started making plans to consult and implement the changes. It's hard to imaging that happening without the CEO signing off on it. It is impossible to have confidence in her as the boss of Health NZ if she genuinely believes that the way to save money is to cut doctors and nurses in a health system that already doesn’t have enough doctors and nurses.She was already on thin ice before yesterday, because from the way she was running the place, it had been blowing its budget by $130 million every month for five months.That's not competence, that's unbelievable. I think she’s gone. The new Health Commissioner Lester Levy is not expressing full confidence in her, and he's failed to do that a number of times now. He has also gone public with the fact that he’s called her about these planned cuts and made it very clear that this is 'unacceptable' and is not to be ever repeated. And he told the minister’s office that 'there will be consequences'. So my guess is - she's gone. It's only a matter of time. And frankly, given how this place has been run and the nuts idea for how they were going to save money, this is the best outcome.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ASB is welcoming the news that the Reserve Bank has cut the Official Cash Rate by 25 basis points. This comes after the bank's run of record annual profits ended with a 10 percent fall in its cash profit as borrowing demand slowed down. Chief Executive Vittoria Shortt says today's OCR cut comes at a perfect time. "I think it's a really good thing for New Zealand households and New Zealand businesses. We've already been reducing our fixed home loan rates, we started doing that last year...this is a continuation for us." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Children's Minister says it's unsurprising a young offender has dropped out of the Government boot camp pilot just two weeks in. Participants can opt out under current legislation, although the Government plans to amend the law. Minister Karen Chhour says she won't go into detail on why they left, to protect their privacy, but staff expected this possibility. She says the programme includes wrap-around support. "We're making sure that we could get them in front of a judge to change their sentencing plan - so this young person hasn't got off lightly. They're still completing their sentence, it'll just be at another facility." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington Council is copping backlash for spending over $84,000 on a bike rack that goes largely unused. Reports claim the bike rack only sees an average of just 2.7 bikes per week - even during busy days. One Wellington cyclist, Richard Martin, has lambasted this move as the council warns of rate hikes and water shortages. "We're facing 17 percent rate rises and we're also being told that we may have to conserve water next summer because the pipes still leak - and the council goes and spends $84,000. I'd much rather use that money to fix the leaks." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's unclear how far meth-laced lollies could have been taken across Auckland. The Rinda brand pineapple lollies were donated to Auckland City Mission, and given out in food parcels. Drug Foundation Executive Director Sarah Helm says each lolly has about 300 doses of meth. She says even a single suck is dangerous. "There's still a range of effects, so you're likely to still feel an effect - possibly still needing to seek medical attention." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the start of a significant turnaround for the economy - as the Reserve Bank slashes the OCR for the first time since 2020. It's dropped the cash rate 25-basis points to 5.25 percent. Former Reserve Bank economist, Michael Reddell says Governor Orr's post-announcement claims about the economy don't stack up. "It's not as if some big event has happened externally, it's just that they badly misread what was going on in the economy - and it's pretty inexcusable." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United Auto Workers union has taken swift legal action against Donald Trump and Elon Musk following some comments they made during the infamous X livestream. The organisation is filing federal labour charges after Musk and Trump allegedly threatened and intimidated workers who chose to strike. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says this won't help Trump's bid for the presidency. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health New Zealand's boss says his plan is to strengthen the clinical frontline - and it won't be cut or reduced. Commissioner Lester Levy has emailed staff to address a presentation yesterday, that suggested significant frontline cuts. He told them that directly conflicts with his thinking, and should be dismissed. Auckland University Emeritus Professor Des Gorman says it implies a disconnect between the Commissioner and senior officials. "And I think we're seeing that across all the health portfolios, that the various health ministers are struggling against officials' headwinds. And I think they're all finding it much harder to introduce changes than they thought they would." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The proverb 'patience is a virtue' might well be written on the walls of the All Blacks hotel rooms in Auckland this week as they seek a much improved performance against Argentina. Coach Scott Robertson will be focused on improving the team's performance following their loss in Wellington. Ahead of tomorrow's squad reveal, Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave outlined his predictions. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, several Labour MPs have deleted their X accounts amid concerns about the platform. A group of newly-elected MPs have raised the alarm about the role X (formerly Twitter) played in spreading misinformation and harm during the far-right-led riots across the nation. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this could start a discussion about the role social media platforms can play during times of unrest. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank is set to issue their latest OCR update tomorrow - and experts are divided about the outcome. Some economists are predicting rate cuts will come now, while others believe the Reserve Bank will hold steady and announce cuts later in the year. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says the Reserve Bank needs to lay the groundwork for future rate cuts. "The economy is in a darker place - but the Reserve Bank backed itself into a corner, all bets are off at the moment." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, broadcaster Paddy Gower and Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The country's largest gas user, Methanex, will shut its plant until the end of October and has agreed to sell the gas to power companies Contact and Genesis. Given the options we had, is this the best out of a bad bunch? The Government is giving the green light to gene editing - and will overhaul laws that ban genetic engineering in NZ. How do you feel about that? Do we have to move with the times or is there danger for our exporters in being associated with GE? The NZ Herald will not run a planned ad from the Hobson's Pledge lobby group - after massive backlash about last week's full page front page ad. Freedom of Speech campaigners are upset - does this show that the publisher of the Herald is pulling punches? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 13 August 2024, Contact Energy CEO Mike Fuge tells Heather about the deal his company struck with Methanex to secure the country's gas supply. We're back in court at the Polkinghorne trial where the pathologist who examined Pauline Hanna's injuries gave evidence. The Government's given the green light to gene editing. The Huddle debates whether the Herald should have run an ad by lobby group Hobson's Pledge on its front page - and whether it was a mistake to pull the next ad because of the complaints that followed. Plus, why are there no rock bands who make it to No. 1 in the charts anymore? 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 Plymouth's mayor says it's time for a cross-party energy strategy. Neil Holdom has a background in the energy industry, and is asking the Labour Party to support oil and gas exploration - onshore and off - through to 2050. Labour banned it while in Government. Holdom says Labour has an opportunity to come and work on a joint policy that offers the best of both worlds. "If we can get National and Labour to work on a joint policy that's sensible, based on science and economics - we can keep our economy going, we can reduce emissions." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NIWA has unveiled its new state of the art super-computer - worth $20 million. It's the fourth the agency's bought since 1999, with up to three times more power than its predecessor. Rob Murdoch, NIWA's deputy chief executive, says the technology will help model potential weather disasters. "Which is important when you have to think about things like Cyclone Gabrielle, for example - where it's very isolated and the hills can have a massive impact on the amount of rainfall." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Researchers are hoping take advantage of new gene technology regulations as soon as possible. The Government's planning to introduce legislation this year to let researchers develop and commercialise gene tech products - outside laboratories. AgResearch Science Team Lead Richard Scott says taking it out of the lab will speed progress and reduce red tape. He says projects are already under way on genetically modified grasses. "We've already put forward an application to trial that in New Zealand - and we've got another couple lined up and ready to go." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk's virtual interview with Donald Trump today was overshadowed by a technical glitch. The X (formerly Twitter) owner teased the interview as unscripted and highly entertaining, with no subject limits. But online traffic overloaded the platform with many struggling to access the live 'space'. US correspondent Nick Harper says Musk blamed it on a cyber attack, after earlier system scaling tests handled eight million listeners. "They even suggested through the course of the conversation at one point that potentially the Democrats were behind it - to stop Republican Donald Trump from making it onto the airwaves." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pathologist who did Pauline Hanna's autopsy has taken the stand in Phillip Polkinghorne's murder trial. The Auckland eye doctor is accused of killing his wife, Hanna, in 2021 - although his defence claims she killed herself. The court's heard today from Doctor Kilak Kesha. ZB's Chelsea Daniels says Kesha detailed seeing a belt impression on Hanna's neck at the scene. "An officer there alerted him to a belt found - he said it looked identical, but pretty much immediately after, defence lawyer Ron Mansfield got Kesha to concede the belt could have been used in her death." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's praise for a deal to free up gas to help keep the country's lights on. The nation's biggest gas user, Methanex, will shut down Kiwi operations until October - and is selling its gas to Contact Energy and Genesis Energy. It'll let them generate more power to combat a supply shortage that's sent power prices skyrocketing. Contact Energy CEO Mike Fuge says it will cost Methanex some export earnings. He says that's outweighed by the benefit to the country. "In terms of the security of supply - that's what our focus is at the moment and we're very confident that we'll be able to see the country through." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says it's overturning a nearly-30 year ban on genetic technology to bring us up to speed with the rest of the world. Science Minister Judith Collins says legislation ending the ban will be introduced to Parliament by the end of the year. A dedicated regulator will also be established to oversee gene technology applications. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says New Zealand stands to benefit from these new scientific developments. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investigations are continuing into yesterday's fatal helicopter crash in Far North Queensland. The DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Cairns was evacuated after a stolen helicopter crashed into the hotel roof early yesterday morning, sparking a massive explosion. The pilot - the only occupant of the helicopter - died. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the wreckage has been removed - and the flight recording devices have been sent away to be examined. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson's recovered from his hamstring injury and will return for their NRL encounter against the Sea Eagles in Manly on Friday. Fresh off his retirement announcement, Johnson's joining the squad in Sydney, alongside fellow returnees Luke Metcalf, Adam Pompey and Marcelo Montoya. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Wellington high school has been forced to close after a shock finding revealed 13 classrooms are earthquake prone. Wellington Girls' College claims the Ministry of Education never informed them the Brook block only met 15 percent of earthquake standards. It's now having to roster students to work from home, while an alternative campus is organised. Principal Julia Davidson says the school can legally continue using the building, but it isn't comfortable taking the risk. "Sure, the seismic risk might be low but if that was to happen - the consequences of that would be severe." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of residents are being evacuated from their homes as a large wildfire continues to rage north of Athens, with flames leaping as high as 25m. The historic site of Marathon is among the areas where residents are being moved to safety by the emergency services. UK correspondent Gavin Grey unpacks the extent of the damage. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank is set to make a call on the Official Cash Rate this week, and experts are feeling hopeful. While economists are divided on the outcome, markets have priced in possible rate cuts going forward. Shane Solly from Harbour Asset Management explains what we can expect. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nearly three-quarters of builders think the industry is in for another tough financial year, according to new data. 650 Kiwi builders were consulted in a new EBoss survey, with 67 percent of respondents reporting less projects and 70 percent claiming industry conditions will only get worse in the coming months. Matt Duder from EBoss says builders operate on tough margins, so steady work is important to them. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 12 August 2024, the Government is getting tougher on beneficiaries. Social Development Minister Louise Upston tells Heather why jobseekers need to reapply for the benefit every six months from now. Chelsea Daniels has the latest developments from the Polkinghorne trial where Pauline Hanna's niece gave evidence today. Former Defence Minister Andrew Little explains why he thinks the Government does need to explore AUKUS membership and why he thinks China is a threat to NZ. The Huddle reflects on the best moments from the Olympics - and whether the Olympics organisers do need to do something about clarifying gender rules. Plus 20 things that make you a Boomer. Will Heather the millennial turn out to be a boomer at heart? 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 - Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani and Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Olympics are over and done with - what did we think? What were our favourite moments? The Police Association and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee have been butting heads over new firearms laws - what do we make of this? Do we know what 3/4 is as a decimal? New data shows only 39 percent of Year 8 students can answer that correctly. How concerning is this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.