Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Concern over a quarter of new primary teachers not passing NCEA Level 1 maths. The Institute of Economic Research has analysed NCEA achievement of those starting between 2017 and 2022. It found more than half didn't pass Level 1 science. Deputy chief executive and principal economist, Sarah Hogan, says this confirms what other studies have claimed - that primary teachers are not equipped to teach maths. "I guess what's new about here is that it's even worse for science." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concerns over possible abuse and neglect at Tauranga Hospital. Associate Health Minister Casey Castello is asking for a report on the hospital - after a video's showed an elderly patient lying on the ground. It shows a patient in the mental health services for older people unit crying for help - as people walk past him. Ken Coull, the husband of one of the impacted patients, says he's complained multiple times about women in his wife's ward only being showered every five days. "We're not a third world country, the only thing I expect from this hospital is for my wife and these women to be kept clean, fed, and given their medication." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, inflation has dropped to 2.3 percent, the lowest in 3 years. It heaps pressure on the Bank of England to cut high interest rates - and gives the Government a welcome boost. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says this drop is significant - but it's not as low as predicted. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on the Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Te Pati Māori managed to raise a few eyebrows over their comments about Children's Minister Karen Chhour, with the party accusing her of having disdain for her own people. Was this out of line? What can we do about Te Pati Māori's comments? The Government has announced the Budget will include $24 million going into Mike King's I Am Hope foundation over the next four years. What do we think of this? Kiri Allan has plead guilty on the day her court case was supposed to start. Is this bad form for a former Justice Minister to tie up all these resources? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts say Gentrack is well placed to capture the opportunities created by changes to the utilities and airport sectors. A surging Gentrack gave the New Zealand sharemarket and the company reporting season a positive tone with strong revenue growth and an earnings upgrade. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton explains Gentrack's financial growth. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank left the OCR unchanged today - but people may have to hold out for rate cuts. RBNZ Governor Adrian Orr revealed the bank considered hiking rates past 5.5 percent, and there's still scope for a potential hike this year. The committee also pushed out its projected timeframe for its first OCR cut from mid-2025 to around September 2025. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says today's update marked a change of tone from the bank. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Pati Māori managed to raise a few eyebrows over their comments about the Children's Minister. Karen Chhour's bill to remove section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act passed its first reading yesterday. Responding to the Bill, Te Pati Māori has said since Chhour was raised by Pakeha, she has a disconnection and a disdain for her own people. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Te Pati Māori's behaviour towards Minister Chhour was 'out of hand'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fireworks as the defence wraps up in Donald Trump's hush money case. The former president is facing charges of falsifying business documents after allegedly paying off porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump's decided not to take the stand, and jurors will now prepare for deliberations. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says unless any significant news breaks, the jury will deliberate the verdict for a week. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Rugby Players' Association boss Rob Nichol has lambasted the provincial unions' proposal for governance reform, which will be voted on at next week's special general meeting. The body have threatened to divorce New Zealand Rugby if that option is selected. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 22 May 2024, the Reserve Bank has delivered a "hawkish shock" today. Kiwibank Chief Economist tells Heather the RBNZ even considered hiking the Official Cash Rate, with cuts now further into the distance. Children's Minister Karen Chhour is hitting back at Te Pati Maori which questioned her whakapapa. After another shocking incident of mid-flight turbulence, we're being told turbulence could in fact become much more common. Plus former International Criminal Court prosecutor Sir Geoffrey Nice tells Heather the United States are out of line attacking the ICC for seeking arrest warrants for Israel's PM Israel Netanyahu. 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.

One expert has warned flights with severe turbulence could become more common, due to climate change. Overnight, one person was killed and several were injured after a Singapore Airlines flight hit turbulence and descended 1,800 meters in three minutes. Former airline pilot and safety consultant Doug Moss says clear air turbulence is difficult to detect - and it often catches pilots by surprise. "For the passengers, it'll feel like hitting a speed bump on the road." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One former International Criminal Court prosecutor says the US was 'out of line' by attacking the court for seeking arrest warrants for Israel's PM. The ICC's is looking to get an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Sir Geoffrey Nice says the US is 'very unwise' to oppose the actions of the Court. "The US has been hostile to international criminal justice, for fear of it ultimately being used it as its own troops commit crimes anywhere in the world." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says scrapping the First Home Grant scheme is another example of tough decisions it has to make this Budget. It has also announced $140 million in new funding for 1500 new social housing places. Housing Minister Chris Bishop says everyone sympathises with first home buyers, but they have to focus on a more vulnerable group of people. "We are doing the right thing, but I'm not pretending to you it's going to be a popular decision. But this is a Budget in which we're having to make tough decisions - because we were left with a massive mess by Labour." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Children's Minister says the word racism is chucked around too much in Parliament. A Bill by Karen Chhour that removes some Treaty obligations from the Oranga Tamariki Act passed its first reading yesterday. It's prompted fiery and emotional speeches in the House, and Labour's Children's Spokesperson called Chhour a 'sell out'. On social media, Te Pati Māori's said Chhour's Pakeha upbringing has given her disdain for her own people. Chhour says it's a lazy argument. "Where it actually disrespects people who are the victims of racism - we need to get back to debating the policies and not the person." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The founder of I Am Hope says every cent of a funding boost will go into mental health counsellors. The Government has announced the Budget will include $24 million going into Mike King's Gumboot Friday initiative over four years. It gives under-25s free counselling. King says kids often take on the stress of adults around them. "It's huge for the mental health of the kids in New Zealand - they can get timely and quick service." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now, on this decision by the Government to cut the First Home Buyers Grant in order to put the money into social housing instead- I've got to be honest, on principle, it's not the kind of thing I love. Because I'd personally much rather the Government give a helping hand to Kiwis trying to do the right thing rather than constantly bailing out the delinquents.But in this one respect, I think they’re prioritising the right thing.Because we have got a massive social housing crisis. And we cannot ignore this. We have 25,000 on the waiting list to get into a house, that's why we have people crammed into emergency housing in the middle of our biggest cities, it's why we had huge numbers of Rotorua's motels converted into emergency housing. We've got to fix that, as a priority. Because if we don't, it's only going to create a ripple effect of bigger and bigger social problems that come from people living in motels with other delinquents rather than houses.And also, the First Home Grant is actually a low value scheme. All it gives a person is $5,000. In the scheme of how big a deposit has to be, that's pretty small. I'm sure it helps, every little bit helps, but it’s not significant. Back in 2010, when it was first brought in, it was significant. According to Government figures, the lower quartile house price was $255,000. That same house is worth $580,000. What that means is, the grant has gone from nearly 10 percent of a standard deposit to just over 4 percent. That's pretty small.If we want this scheme to actually be significant, we’d have to at least double what we’re handing out, which means finding a lot of money we don't have. As it stands, first home buyers actually have the bets shot at buying a house right now - they have the least competition they’ve had in ages. And so right now, they probably need this money less than they have before.On the other hand, social housing is the worst it's been in ages, if not ever. So it's got to be the priority. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An economist says there's a risk the Reserve Bank won't cut the OCR until next year. It's kept the Official Cash Rate at 5.5 percent today, unchanged over a year with seven consecutive holds. Kiwibank's, Jarrod Kerr says there is worry it won't be cut until February. However, his bank's outlook remains the same. "Our forecast has inflation dropping below 3 percent by the end of the year, and I think that could still push them to cutting in November. But the risk is clearly that it's sometime next year." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New Zealand Rugby Players' Association have outlined a plan to replace the governing body if the vote at next week's special general meeting goes against them. Last year's independent review formed the basis of a proposal to overhaul the governance structure. Canterbury Rugby chair Pete Winchester says this eleventh-hour update is likely to galvanize people. "We've been dealing with this for months and months, and it's the first time - just to turn up to a Zoom meeting and get told this threat of what might happen, it caught people by surprise." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been predicted over £10 billion could be given to the victims impacted by Britain's infected blood scandal. More than 30,000 people received infected blood and products in the 1970s and 80s, from the state-funded National Health Service. 3,000 people died, and thousands more contracted hepatitis or HIV. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Prime Minister Sunak has pledged financial compensation for those impacted. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has applied for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top Hamas leaders. Prosecutor Karim Khan says these warrants have been put forward for alleged crimes committed during the Hamas-led October 7 attack and the subsequent war on Gaza. Geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller says it's extremely likely that these warrants will be issued. "The bar isn't that high for simply granting the arrest warrants. So I think they're probably likely to do that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell says his phone's been 'running hot' following last week’s announcement. Fonterra plans to divest its consumer businesses, including Anchor and Mainland - overseas operations Fonterra Oceania and Fonterra Sri Lanka. The Country's Jamie Mackay reveals which investors have been expressing interest. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All eyes are on the Reserve Bank, ahead of tomorrow's OCR update. The RBNZ is predicted to hold the cash rate steady at 5.5 percent - potentially marking a full year since the last rate change. Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen predicts the new forecast hasn't moved since February. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's David MacLeod has admitted to making a high-profile slip-up. Macleod has lost his select committee roles for failing to declare 19 candidate donations, worth $168,000. He says he mistakenly believed those 2022 donations were already logged. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this could set MacLeod's political career back. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, Northern Territory police could soon enact more snap curfews under new legislation. The 'Police Administration Bill' gives the Police Commissioner the ability to implement three-day curfews in the region. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this comes off the back of a 'successful' three week curfew for minors in Alice Springs. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors have welcomed back some injured players ahead of their clash against the Dolphins at Mt Smart this weekend. Marata Niukore, Rocco Berry, Freddy Lussick and Te Maire Martin and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad are some of the names confirmed to play on Sunday's match. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 21 May 2024, the Defence Force has begun its rescue mission of Kiwis stuck in New Caledonia. Foreign Minister Winston Peters tells Heather why French authorities have been so reluctant to let them in. Can you smoke a spliff on the weekend and drive the next day? Transport Minister Simeon Brown what's on and what's not under his new roadside drug testing regime. The Huddle debates whether the crowd at the Ockham book awards had every right to be rude to PM Chris Luxon. Plus what's in a voice? Scarlett Johannsen takes aim at Open AI for copying her voice. 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, Nick Mills from ZB's Wellington Mornings and government relations consultant Kaine Thompson joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Government has confirmed they plan to roll out roadside drug testing later this year, allowing police to randomly screen drivers to crack down on drug-driving. Is this a good idea? National's David MacLeod has been admonished and stood down for failing to declare 19 candidate donations worth $168,000. Was this fair on Luxon's part? Prime Minister Chris Luxon was reportedly met with a cold reception at the recent Ockham book awards. Were the limited applause and jokes a step too far? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SkyCity will pay more than $4 million for breaching obligations to prevent money laundering and terrorism. A Department of Internal Affairs review found multiple breaches over five years, including failures in risk assessment, compliance and account monitoring to counter money laundering and terrorism financing. Forsyth Barr Head of Research Andy Bowley says the company never undertook money laundering themselves, but they helped facilitate it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says it'll roll out randomised roadside drug testing later this year. Legislation's being introduced to allow Police to randomly screen drivers for drugs, similarly to testing for drink-driving. Doing two roadside tests would make false positives less likely. Transport Minister Simeon Brown says it's one of the biggest killers on our road. "In the last 10 years, it's been, I think a third of deaths on our roads have been because of people who've taken drugs and driven. So that is something that we need to do everything we can to reduce." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to Newsroom, Prime Minister Luxon's unexpected appearance at the Ockham national book awards was met with disapproval from the crowds. The piece claims Luxon was mocked and dismissed by attendees, with MC Jack Tame and two authors getting some digs in. The Trust disputes this version of events, saying that author Steve Braunias "rather overegged it". New Zealand Book Awards Trust chair Nicola Legat says the literature community is waiting to hear if the 2024 Budget will have any good news. "Everyone's keen to hear whether the arts might get a little bit more funding - but sceptical that it will." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's MP for New Plymouth has been apologising after failing to declare 19 candidate donations. David MacLeod claimed $168,000 of donations from 2022 weren't filed last year because he believed they already had been, an error the Party picked up last week. He's been stripped of his roles on the Environment and Finance Select Committees - and been admonished by Prime Minister Luxon. MacLeod says he's 'disappointed' and 'embarrassed' in himself. "The Prime Minister expects his MPs to act in the highest standard. I've let him down, I've let the party down - as I've said, I'm absolutely gutted." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters says multiple Defence Force flights will collect Kiwis from New Caledonia in the coming days. The first C-130 Hercules has touched down at Noumea's Magenta Aerodrome, the island's domestic airport. It will bring about 50 people back to Auckland tonight. Foreign Minister Winston Peters says French authorities are confident people can now traverse the roads to get to the airport. "That was the reason for the delay. I mean, the moment we heard about this issue, we started preparing for a circumstance like this - and awaiting developments." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's changes coming for social housing in New Zealand, off the back of a damning review of Kāinga Ora. Prime Minister Chris Luxon has expressed interest in diversifying social housing - and whether these options come from Kāinga Ora or community providers is yet to be determined. Former Monte Cecelia Housing Trust chief executive Bernie Smith says it's likely the Government will put more funding into community housing providers. "Hopefully, there'll be some funding in the form of $50 percent loans up front for community housing providers to start developing and building new homes again." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Judging by the list of the most popular reads on any particular website, it seems quite a few of us have now read the account of how rude the audience at the Ockham Book Awards were to the Prime Minister.According to Steve Braunias, when Luxon was welcomed onto the stage, the "applause basically sounded like one hand clapping" - and after his speech was done, the applause was even less than before. And he was apparently gently mocked in comments by the MC, our very own Jack Tame, and two authors thereafter. I'm predicting that there are going to be split opinions on this, and that the opinions will probably largely be split along voting lines. But I'm going to come to the defence of that audience, because I think it is perfectly acceptable for an audience not to applaud a politician.You don’t have to. You don't have to give a round of applause to a politician if you do not agree with what they stand for. Jacinda Ardern had to live with that kind of treatment, and I'm sure many of us thought it was completely deserved. She got yelled at by farmers at Fieldays, she and a bunch of Labour politicians were bugged by protestors at pre-arranged events after the lockdowns. And that’s not even to mention the stuff that apparently used to get said to her just on the street.It is bad manners, you’ll have no argument from me on that one. But as long as it’s not going too far, like that kid who spat at David Seymour, and it's just words or deliberate silence - I can accept some bad manners in politics. Because the decisions that are made by these people in power are actually material - they affect our lives. Sometimes really badly, think of what Jacinda's Government was doing to farmers. You could hardly expect farmers to give her a round of applause. It's the same with the Ockham's audience. The kind of people who go to book awards evenings are generally going to be the kind of people who go to dinner parties in Grey Lynn, and while drinking a bottle of $200 pinot noir, they moan about child poverty - and they can't even see the irony in that. They're hardly going to love Luxon, and they don’t have to love Luxon. And they don’t have to pretend to, just like you don't have to pretend to like your least favourite politician either. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The public inquiry into the infected blood scandal, known as the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history, is due to publish its findings soon. Over 30,000 people were infected with HIV and hepatitis C from 1970 to 1991 by contaminated blood products and transfusions, with 3,000 having died since. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says thousands of people have been waiting for justice for years. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese ambassador Wang Xiaolong has issued a warning to New Zealand over the prospect of joining AUKUS. In a speech delivered to the China Business Summit in Auckland, Xiaolong said China's relationship with New Zealand had reached a critical juncture - and joining AUKUS could impact that. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says this stance is in line with earlier comments made by ambassador Xiaolong. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been questions raised about the purpose of tikanga - and the role it should play in the rule of law. Senior King’s Counsel Gary Judd has filed a complaint to the Government’s Regulations Review Committee over incoming compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students. Judd claims he filed this complaint because up until now, the curriculum for lawyers has been made up of what he described as "proper law subjects", such as criminal law and the law of torts. Victoria University law lecturer Māmari Stephens says tikanga Māori can be found in a majority of areas, including employment law. "There are a number of employment law contracts, or agreements, that teach tikanga Māori as values or principles that the employer is expected to uphold - that's actually a result of negotiation." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Housing agency Kāinga Ora has been found to be in a questionable state, according to new report. A high-level review of the agency has found the Department is under-performing and isn't financially viable without significant reform. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this review follows accounts of unpaid rent, abandoned state houses and abusive tenants. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 20 May 2024, an inquiry into Kainga Ora has found the social housing system is not socially or financially sustainable. Housing Minister Chris Bishop tells Heather there will be immediate changes. Heather asks the Warehouse Group chair Joan Withers whether she sacked the CEO or if he quit by himself. The Huddle debates whether celebrities make for good mayoral candidates after former Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale announced his bid for the Tauranga mayoralty. Plus, the radical decision Heather made over the weekend. 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, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! A new review has revealed Kāinga Ora has been left in a poor state, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop placing the blame on the previous Government. How can this be addressed? The investigation into Darleen Tana has so far cost $43,000 - in taxpayer money. The Greens don't know how long it will take to complete the investigation - are we concerned? How much will it cost by the end? Former Olympian Mahé Drysdale is the latest to throw his hat in the ring for the Tauranga mayoralty. Can celebrities really be trusted in political roles? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minster says credit agencies are still looking favourably on New Zealand, despite high debt levels. Treasury told the Government it was running a structural deficit the day it was sworn in; the Labour Government was never told. It comes as Nicola Willis gears up to deliver her first Budget next Thursday. Willis says it's important to show New Zealand won't be in perpetual deficit. "We do need to show a path back to balanced books, we do need to show that in the medium term, we're going to get debt down. Because otherwise - the alternative part is the basket case." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A world-first online survey is being presented as a chance to analyse how society treats those with limited time. Over 40,000 people die in New Zealand each year, with close to 90 percent often taking months or years. Hospice's Dying Reviews let respondents reflect and share their experience of a terminal illness. Hospice NZ CEO Wayne Naylor says they hope to shine a light on the experience of dying in New Zealand. "What we want to know is - are businesses making it easy? Are organisations making it difficult? Are there millions of forms to fill in just because you're dying?" LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hopes a new boss will bring fresh energy to the struggling Warehouse Group. Independent non-executive director John Journee has been appointed interim chief executive following Nick Grayston's abrupt resignation last week. The board is now looking for a new chief executive to replace Grayston, who was in the role since 2016. Board chair Joan Withers says elevating a member of the leadership team to the role wasn't considered, due to its financial position. "So it's about us supporting the leadership team to get on and do the job they need to do, day in and day out, to get the Warehouse back on track." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Kiwi stuck in riot-stricken New Caledonia says they're dealing with a wait-and-see situation. The Defence Force is standing by for French authorities to green light flights to collect Kiwis. 231 are registered in the country. Alex Smeele says he's seen burnt out cars, a digger ripping up the road and flaming tyres on the verge. "I'm curious to understand the overall timeline on that - knowing how many planes will be coming." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Housing Minister has responded to the 'mismanagement' impacting Kāinga Ora - and enacted some changes. A high-level review of the agency has revealed it's under-performing and isn't financially viable without significant savings. The Government has today appointed a new Chair, former Spark CEO Simon Moutter, and a refreshed board will be in place by July. Minister Chris Bishop says the Government's been bequeathed a difficult situation from their Labour-led predecessors. "Kāinga Ora is a financial basket case, they have received billions upon billions of dollars in debt over the last few years." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think we’re about to find out whether this Government has got the cahones to make the tough calls that need to be made on one thing in particular: Asset sales.If you've been reading political commentary lately, including in the weekend papers, there's been a lot of talk of the need for asset sales. Why? Because as we said earlier, we have a structural deficit. Which is a very bad thing because it means we are, thanks to Grant Robertson, now spending more than we earn - on the regular. Treasury's advice for how to fix it? Asset sales.But asset sales are politically tricky because of the hangover of the 80s. So Chris Luxon's already ruled them out. But he shouldn't have, because we actually need to do this. Not just because we need the money, but because selling them down makes them better. Treasury basically admitted this in a report 2 years ago. The ones we own 100 percent have “underperformed their cost of capital” with “ Revenue, earnings and dividends “ all trending “down over the past five years." The ones we own about 51 percent of have, by contrast, outperformed their cost of capital. The last lot we sold - Mercury. Meridian Energy and Genesis- are now all worth more than they were when we sold them down. Two of them have doubled in value, which means we still own as much as we did, and they’ve paid us billions - so it’s a no-brainer on every single level. So the Government should be looking to sell down New Zealand Post, KiwiRail, Kiwibank, TVNZ, the list goes on. But it’s politically tricky, and Luxon said no. So- does this Government have the cahones to actually do what it takes to get us out of this economic mess? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, NSW authorities have arrested at least 500 people for domestic and family violence offences. A four-day operation was carried out from Wednesday to Saturday - where 554 people were arrested and 1,070 charges were laid. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson wonders why it's taken so long to carry out these arrests, given several had outstanding warrants. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors have snapped a four-game losing streak in league's NRL by posting a win over the three-time premier Panthers. Tuaupiki's try in the 71st minute tied the game before his conversion from out wide proved the decider in the 22-20 win. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explains the victory further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mental Health Foundation is appealing to the Education Minister to leave relationship and sexual education standards alone. Minister Erica Stanford says the Government plans to look into reviewing and replacing the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) guidelines, which were last updated in 2020. It's prompted an open letter signed by 175 schools, organisations and community groups - sent to Erica Stanford. Foundation CEO Shaun Robinson says young people are experiencing high levels of mental distress. "One of the things that they are saying very clearly that they want guidance about is - relationships, sexuality and identity." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 17 May 2024, flights in and out of New Caledonia have been delayed until at least Tuesday as riots continue. Air NZ's Captain Hugh Pearce tells Heather how tricky the security situation is for crew and passengers. Green MP Julie-Anne Genter has been doing the mea culpa media round, so will all be forgiven and forgotten? Three A-league players have been arrested in Australia for alleged betting corruption, including an All Whites player and a former Phoenix captain. Former Phoenix player Paul Ifill reacts and the Sports Huddle weighs in too. Plus is this the worst sound ever? A crunchy burger? Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.