Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

A leaked letter has revealed NZ Football plans to start a 'restorative process' to repair rifts within the Football Ferns weeks out from the Olympics. The moves were outlined in a letter NZ Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell sent to players after an employment investigation into coach Jitka Klimkova. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave speculates about what might come next. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two Just Stop Oil protestors have been arrested after the vandalisation of Stonehenge. Activists from the group were caught spraying the monument with orange powder paint - and Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have condemned the incident. Extinction Rebellion Auckland member Caril Cowan is defending Just Stop Oil, claiming the paint they used did no permanent damage. "It's making a point that we've got a climate crisis. 80 percent of our population is concerned about the climate... and yet we've got Governments not only here in New Zealand, but around the world, who are just stalling." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, inflation has hit the Reserve Bank's target for the first time in nearly three years. Prices rose by 2 percent in the year to May, down from the previous 2.3 percent. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says these stats will likely come into play ahead of July's general election. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Luxon's managed to find himself in hot water after some off-colour comments about previous business delegations. Ahead of his trip to Japan, the Prime Minister said the calibre was lacking in earlier delegations, labelling prior groups 'C-list'. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains why Luxon's comments seemed particularly awkward. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second carbon auction of the year failed with no bids made. 4,075,700 New Zealand Units were on offer at the June auction - prompting zero interest from potential buyers. ANZ agricultural economist Susan Kilsby explains why the market didn't feel the need to turn up for this. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former market darling Lululemon's been having a rough year, with shares plummeting 40 percent in 2024. The famed athleisure brand is experiencing a drop in popularity after five years of steady growth. Milford Asset Management's Stephanie Batchelor says this is down to inventory missteps and people turning away from discretionary spending. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 19 June 2024, Cricket boss Scott Weelink speaks to Heather after Kane Williamson relinquished his Black Caps captaincy. The PM is in hot water after saying some business delegations on past overseas trips were "C-list". But Barry Soper reckons he might have a point. The Huddle debates whether the Greens are a bunch of hypocrites after asking to use private carparks of some Wellington businesses. Plus, should you wear your boxers as shorts next summer? Vogue reckons you should. 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, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Newshub journalist Paddy Gower joined in on a discussion about the following issue of the day - and more! Prime Minister Luxon's found himself in hot water after calling previous business delegations 'C-list' before heading off to Japan. Is this a bad look for him? Kane Williamson is relinquishing the Black Caps captaincy in order to make more money playing in overseas tournaments. Is this the right move for him? The Greens have been caught asking local Wellington businesses to borrow their parking spaces for a party event after scrapping on-street parking for their cycleway. How hypocritical is this? More people are wearing boxer shorts as shorts - are we into this fashion trend? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in North Korea for his first visit to the country since 2000. The US and South Korea are accusing North Korea of agreeing to supply Russia with weapons, possibly in exchange for food and military aid. Otago University International Relations Professor Robert Patman says Putin's visit is likely for consolidating military support from North Korea. "In return, I think North Korea will want Mr Putin to provide advanced technologies, particularly for their space program - but also would want a substantial flow of Russian oil and food products." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several Greens members have been caught asking to use the private carparks belonging to Wellington retailers for a party event. These retailers were impacted by Green-led cycleway project, which took away on-street parking in the area. Independent Business and Residential Group chairwoman Urmila Bhana says this cycleway has negatively impacted several businesses. "Businesses are down 60, 80, 100 percent, they're either moving, closing, or heading into liquidation. And that's nothing to do with the recession, it's the carpark removal." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Computer chip producer Nvidia is now the world's most valuable company - overtaking Apple and Microsoft. Shares climbed 3.5 percent on Tuesday, making it worth $3.35 trillion (USD). The surge is driven by optimism about its AI technology. Sharesies co-founder, Leighton Roberts, says he can't predict whether it will fall as quickly as it's risen. He says it's hard to judge, but believes a lot of excitement is still to come. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Scott Weenink is calling for dedicated windows for international and domestic cricket. Black Cap Kane Williamson has turned down a central contract to pursue an overseas T20 league opportunity in January - but will still be available for most international fixtures. Williamson follows Trent Boult in doing so, and with Lockie Ferguson to do the same, Weenink says it's vital to achieve a universal approach to the calendar. "That's where I'd like to see us go. I think it's really important for the future of cricket that we get some windows agreed - which prioritise international cricket with domestic cricket playing around international cricket." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A North Shore Hospital is opening - without the staff or money to care for extra surgery patients. The two-storey Tōtara Haumaru has eight surgical theatres, an endoscopy suite and 150 beds. But Health New Zealand delayed its opening in April, saying it hadn't determined an operating budget, nor staff to run it. Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Chief Executive, Sarah Dalton, says problems won't ease anytime soon. "They'll say it's not a freeze, but it's as close as you can get without seeing ice. So recruitment has really slowed down and money is very tight." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister concedes he could have used better words to describe past business delegations. Before setting off to Japan, Chris Luxon told Newstalk ZB the calibre of contingents had been lacking in recent years describing them as watered down to the 'C-list'. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says it was a mistake for Luxon to insult his own voting base ahead of his own business delegation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boeing's chief executive Dave Calhoun was questioned by members of the US Senate over the various safety issues and incidents impacting the company. Calhoun was quick to apologise to the impacted victims and their families, following a turbulent year for the business. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says this won't be the last of the high-profile investigations against Boeing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Blues have dropped a selection bombshell for the Super Rugby final - with Patrick Tuipulotu named to start two weeks into what was expected to be a six-to-seven week recovery for a medial ligament tear in his right knee. Tuipulotu - who limped off in the quarter-final against the Drua - starts in the second row against the Chiefs on Saturday night, with Josh Beehre dropping to the reserves. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacks this news. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tough day for Christchurch sailing fans, who've watched SailGP in Lyttelton for the past two years. It's been confirmed the event is leaving the city. ChristchurchNZ Destination and Attraction General Manager, Loren Aberhart, says the main issue was the Marine Protection Act. "It has restricted the ability to race in Lyttelton, because it's a marine mammal sanctuary." SailGP says it's working to finalise next year's destinations through discussions with New Zealand and international partners. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can hardly begrudge Kane Williamson, can you, for finally deciding he wants to prioritise making money over wearing the black shirt?The guy has more than put in his time with the Black Caps. He's been in the squad since 2010, he's been the captain since 2016, you can’t fault his effort. The same actually is true for Lockie Ferguson, he's been in the squad since 2016 himself.And we’ve got used to this idea through rugby, haven't we? Where the players do their time in the black and then head off and make their money around the world. That is simply what these guys are doing.But- this isn't to say there isn't something bigger going on here, it's just another example of what’s coming for us. We've been talking about this on the show for basically two years, this is the footballisation of cricket. Where basically, you get super tournaments like the IPL and the South African T20 tournament which become more important - and better spectacles - than the international fixtures. Because it’s where the money is, which draws in the superstars.And the first real sign that it’s happening is that you have your star players prioritise those competitions over representing their countries. We're seeing it happen - Trent Boult did it, Kane Williamson is doing it, and Lockie Ferguson is doing it.And let me remind you, the whole team basically did it just a few days ago. Because the IPL players apparently wanted to rest rather than play warm up matches before the T20 World Cup - and we were knocked out after basically 2 matches. I think the only way to fix this is for the cricket bosses to set aside very clear windows to say: this is the part of the year where the money-making tournaments can be played, and this is the part of the year where the international fixtures can be played. That way, they don't overlap and you get the players that you need for both of them. That's probably the only way to keep the Black Caps from becoming essentially a B-squad.As I say, you can’t begrudge these two guys, they've put the time in. But don’t overlook what’s happening here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has announced his intention to become Prime Minister within the next five years. Farage has set his sights on the 2029 election, as he launched a manifesto set to appeal to Tory voters. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this doesn't seem impossible, with Farage polling higher than Sunak in some areas. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's Reserve Bank has left the OCR unchanged at 4.35 percent after a lengthy deliberation process. The Bank has been waging a long-term battle against inflation, as residents grapple with the ongoing cost of living crisis. HSBC CEO Paul Bloxham warns the RBA could resort to another rate hike in the coming months - depending on how things shake out. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leading kiwifruit producer Zespri has launched a global campaign encouraging people to eat better in order to tackle health challenges around the world. The campaign has a focus of improving global health outcomes by encouraging people to swap out one unhealthy food for a serving of fresh fruit or vegetables everyday. The Country's Jamie Mackay is hopeful this scheme will work. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air New Zealand has made moves to boost their travel capacity into Japan and added an additional 30,000 seats to its Tokyo route between November and March. CEO Greg Foran explained that Japan represents an important visitor market for New Zealand's tourism sector. Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen says Japan is a top destination among Kiwi travellers, with 66 percent of people wanting to visit. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has softened some restrictions impacting trans people in community sports. As part of National's coalition agreement with New Zealand First, there was a threat to withhold public funding if sports bodies didn't keep trans athletes out of grassroots competitions. Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will now take a watching brief, after feedback from Sport NZ. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this sort of thing will be difficult to enforce a blanket ban on. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Government has softened their hard-line ban on transgender athletes in community sport to be more inclusive - do we agree with this move? Over 80 Kiwi principals are spending the week at a taxpayer-funded professional development course in Fiji. Is this good value for money - or are we just funding an overpriced holiday for them? Kiwi women are struggling under an ongoing HRT shortage, according to new data. Pharmac expects this to continue on until 2025 - is this acceptable? Nicola Willis hopes to introduce financial incentives for public sector chief executives - will this work? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 18 June 2024, Auckland councillor Alf Filipaina speaks to Heather after five incidents of homes being shot at in Auckland over the past few weeks. The mother of the missing Marokopa children has broken her silence. She wants her babies home and calls what her ex-partner Tom Philipps is doing "child abuse". 80 principals are poolside this week in Fiji - thanks to the taxpayer. It's all in the name of professional development but the Taxpayer's Union says it's just a glorified holiday. The Huddle debates transgender athletes in community sports and how Ali is dealing with the shortage of HRT patches. Plus, the six things to make you mentally stronger - according to some rubbish list from America. 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.

Racing Minister Winston Peters has confirmed he's in no hurry to make a call whether or not to ban greyhound racing. Appearing before a select committee, Peters claimed he wanted to wait at least a year to make a decision - and had no interest in making a 'careless' choice. Peters says he ran the risk of being called to account if he rushed the process of a potential ban. "I've got people surveying the scene on a weekly basis, finding out what is happening and whether there are improvements - and in a time, very soon, in the next few months, we'll have a very clear picture." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi women have been forced to shop around or ration their existing HRT supply amid an ongoing shortage. A new survey has revealed insights from the women affected by the dwindling supply, and Pharmac has warned the situation is likely to continue into 2025. Hawke’s Bay GP Dr Samantha Newman says pharmacies are unable to keep a steady supply going, as much of the medication is unfunded. "The really big issue here in New Zealand is - there's no other option. So it's either patches or nothing that's funded." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The end of buy now, pay later provider Laybuy is being described as sad by experts. The company has been put into receivership and services have been suspended. Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young says the sector has been impacted by decreased spending and reduced consumer confidence. "We are in a really difficult environment in terms of retail... people just don't have the money in their wallets, and they're not prepared, cause they're buying on credit." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

School principals have taken togs and snorkels along for a five-day leadership trip in Fiji. It's one of many to hit the market since principals got a $6,000 salary boost for professional development and wellbeing. It's prompted debate on whether they're valuable for leadership - or an opportunity to have a taxpayer-funded overseas holiday. The Taxpayers Union's Jordan Williams says it's not a good look. "It's two easy mornings of actual professional development, and the rest is sitting next to your private pool." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On principle, I like Nicola Willis' idea of performance pay for the chief executives in the public sector. It's actually not a new idea, we were doing it until Jacinda's lot got in and Chris Hipkins, the then-relevant minister, cancelled it. And it was pretty generous, up 15 percent on top of base pay. Since some of those guys in the public sector get paid close to $700,00 a year, that's another $100,000 if they strike their targets.We'll just have to see if it works or not, but a cursory look at performance would say it might have an impact. Because the public sector was running a lot better before Jacinda when they had performance pay, than it was under Jacinda without it.But generally, it’s a smart idea to try to get the public sector to run a bit more like the private sector. And this is pretty standard for a private sector CEO. The reason I say that is because the private sector is simply better at what it does than the public sector. Take a business that makes widgets, for example - its job is to make the best widgets at the best price in order to make the most money. That widget business knows that's its job and everything else is just noise. The public sector though - it gets distracted by everything. Take the Reserve Bank, its primary job is to keep inflation between 1 and 3 percent. But then what did it do? It started identifying as a tree and hiring diversity advisers and getting itself distracted by any number of fashionable issues, and inflation went up over 7 percent. The Ministry of Education - its primary job is to teach our kids and get as many of them to achieve as high a grade as possible. And what did they end up doing? They got distracted by running experiments like barn-style open classrooms and letting children decide how they learn. And what happened? Our kids grades, comparative to others in the world, slipped. So, how about we focus those public sector bosses back onto what they’re actually employed to do? Because I'll tell you what - nothing focuses the mind like some extra money. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police are investigating several residential Auckland homes following five shootings in recent weeks. Two were last night in South Auckland, and the others happened within the last couple of weeks. South Auckland Councillor and former police officer Alf Filipaina says this shouldn't be the new normal. "It's just disgusting what's happening... whether it's gang related or not, people just realise that one of their relatives could well be shot." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's no reprieve for Australian borrowers just yet, as the Reserve Bank decided to leave rates on hold. Australia's Official Cash Rate was held steady at 4.35 percent, in line with expectations from economists. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says people are screaming for relief - but the Bank is determined to bring inflation down. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been confirmed Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will return to the centres for the Warriors' NRL visit to the Titans on the Gold Coast.He's been out with a hamstring injury for over a month. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacks this update. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's increased support for efforts to trim court waiting times. The Chief District Court Judge has introduced protocols to speed proceedings, including time targets based on a crime's seriousness. Lawyer Steve Cullen says about 81 percent of cases meet targets, against a goal of 90 percent. He says setting up some cases can be a challenge. "You're dealing with people in the criminal sphere who often have reasons to opt for delay, whether it be the fact that they've got other cases on foot, or they've got their own personal issues that mean they don't want the matter progressed." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 17 June 2024, it has been an embarrassing start to the Prime Minister's trip to Japan - after the Defence Force plane carrying the delegation broke down. Political Correspondent Jason Walls speaks to Heather from the centre of the drama - and later in the show Heather asks Finance Minister Nicola Willis whether it's time to buy a new plane. Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson has revealed she's been diagnosed with breastcancer. Ah-Leen Rayner from the Breast Cancer Foundation says she hopes more women will get themselves checked as a result of the news. Plus the Huddle debates the Government's new plans to allow granny flats to be built without a building consent. 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.

The BBC has reported that the Greek coastguard caused the deaths of dozens of migrants in the Mediterranean. This happened over a three-year period, witnesses say, including nine who were deliberately thrown into the water. BBC analysis found that more than 40 people alleged to have died. UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Heather du Plessis-Allan “The Greek government has long been accused of ‘forced returns’- which is illegal under international law.” Grey said “The European Union has had some 263,000 sea arrivals in the last year alone – with Greece receiving 41,000.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National promised in the last election to allow foreigners to buy $2m-plus properties - reversing a ban introduced by the previous Labour government – with exceptions for Australians and Singaporeans. However, this was vetoed by National’s coalition partner - New Zealand First. Sotheby's NZ Managing Director Mark Harris told Heather du Plessis-Allan “New Zealand’s always been of interest – but there’s definitely been a lot of interest of late.” Harris said “We’re half-expecting that there might be an announcement that there might be some easing of the foreign buyer rule.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Service sector activity has plummeted to its lowest level outside the Covid lockdowns. The BNZ-Business New Zealand Performance of Services Index (PSI) fell 3.6 points in May to 43.0. Business NZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope told Heather du Plessis-Allan “It’s consistent with other data – like profit margins being below pre-Covid rates.” Hope said “Corporate insolvencies are around the same level as during the GFC – it's a pretty tough time.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle: Sherson Willis PR’s Trish Sherson and Child Fund’s Josie Pagani. There’s some unanswered questions about the cost of commercial flights to Japan for Prime Minister Chris Luxon and his delegation. Their Defence Force plane broke down yesterday in Papua New Guinea -- the latest in a string of issues. Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters was asked if it's fair the taxpayer has to pick up the tab. Peters said “In an emergency, you take emergency action.” Josie Pagani told Heather du Plessis-Allan “The Prime Minister is the PR frontperson – but the work is the people with the Prime Minister.” Pagani said “This is an absolute disaster, really.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air New Zealand's Chair says the airline's done its best to help with the Defence Force plane's failure. The Prime Minister's business delegation flight broke down yesterday in Papua New Guinea, en route to Japan. Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Heather du Plessis-Allan “We’ve got a defence capability review under way – that includes being able to quickly get to the Pacific and around the world to help out after disasters.” Willis said “That’s likely to include a plane capability.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government’s proposing changes to the Resource Management Act and the Building Act – to help make it easier to build granny flats. This follows a commitment in the National-NZ First coalition agreement, which requires the government to " Make it easier to build granny flats or other small structures up to 60 square metres, requiring only an engineer's report". Housing Minister Chris Bishop told Heather du Plessis-Allan “I think it’s going to appeal to a lot of different people – it's about housing supply.” Bishop said “These are structures designed to get more people into warm, dry houses.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netsafe has launched an AI chat bot that will scam scammers. It lets people forward suspicious emails to Netsafe - which uses Chat GPT to start a never-ending conversation with the scammer. ReScam's first version was launched a few years ago, allowing simple exchanges. Netsafe CEO Brent Carey told Heather du Plessis-Allan “We've wasted six days of scammers time." Carey said "I've got one on the hook - we're up to 62 back and forwards." LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson says she's feeling grateful that her breast cancer will be treated - and she has the care and support to focus on it. Davidson will work up until Matariki, before a partial mastectomy next month and further treatment. Breast Cancer Foundation Chief Executive Ah-Leen Rayner told Heather du Plessis-Allan “We take it for granted in metropolitan areas that screening is readily accessible.” Rayner said that for people living rurally - if you miss mobile-unit screenings, some may have to travel up to three hours. She said "It's not equitable in terms of access." LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister's business delegation was stranded when their Air Force plane broke down in Papua New Guinea. Chris Luxon took a commercial flight to arrive in Japan - while the business leaders and media flew to Australia, to take a connecting Air New Zealand flight to Tokyo. Political Editor Jason Walls is with the delegation. Walls told Heather du Plessis-Allan “We’re getting a sense that there’s some irritation.” Walls said “There are some grumbled words about how this has shifted the focus and been a distraction.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister's business delegation is beginning its trip to Japan again, after a detour through Brisbane. The group was stranded when their Air Force plane broke down in Papua New Guinea. Chris Luxon took a commercial flight to arrive in Japan on time, and the trade group and media flew on to Australia, to take an Air New Zealand flight to Tokyo. Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan “Nothing gives you more pride than when the Prime Minister steps off an RNZAF plane – you’re not just waving the flag, it shows you’re a capable country.” Soper said “We used to lease planes from Qantas.” He said “They are for transporting troops – not just the Prime Minister's entourage. That includes journalists – and publicity is very important to them.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have agreed to properly manage their nations' differences during a visit. This follows an era in which minister-to-minister contacts were banned and trade barriers cost Australian exporters up to 20 billion Australian dollars ($21.5 billion NZD) a year. Australia Correspondent Oliver Peterson told Heather du Plessis-Allan “On the one hand: keep buying our iron ore and wine, but also we don’t really want you to talk to our Pacific neighbours and - get out of the South China Sea.” Peterson said “It doesn’t really fit in with the narrative of our two nations at this stage.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Melbourne Storm beat the Warriors 38-24 at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday, the sixteenth time they’ve won this match-up. After scoring three tries at the beginning, the Warriors spent the rest of the game with their wingers Marcelo Montoya and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak in the sin bin. SportsTalk Host Jason Pine told Heather du Plessis-Allan “I’m sure the players would have said not to worry about the history... but 15 games seems like a very long time.” Piney said “The Storm are a good team, don’t get me wrong, they’re top of the NRL.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four months ago, Wellington Water said plumbers weren’t qualified to repair the capital’s water crisis. However, it's now been revealed that they're more qualified than Wellington Water's own workforce. Master Plumbers Chief Executive Greg Wallace told Heather du Plessis-Allan “The Workplace Development Council have agreed the NZQA standards that plumbers do, are more than what Wellington Water requires.” Wallace said “In February, [Wellington Water] told us they had a workforce crisis, and they couldn’t fix the 3,572 leaks at the time.” He said they make things as difficult as possible. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, we're just gonna have to pony up and buy a couple of new planes, aren't we? Come on, this is the second time this year that this plane has broken down on Chris Luxon, and if he keeps on insisting on using these old girls, it's definitely not going to be the last time. I reckon Al Gillespie made the best argument today for why we should have a plane that works - rather than flying the Prime Minister around the place commercially. His argument is: When our Prime Minister turns up in another country, it's generally because we want something from that country, right? Either we want to trade with them, increase trade or we want them to do what we want them to do politically. So, we're there to impress them and we have to impress them, which is the whole point of a trip like this, right? You go on a trip like this: everybody has to dress up in their best suits, look like they mean business. The Prime Minister collects a group of smart and powerful people to impress the hosts. Bring the media along to look like he's popular and a big deal. And, you arrive on your own plane. That's part of the thing, right? It's part of the whole charade. Because what you want is countries like Japan to look at us arrive and go: “Ballers.” Ballers with influence in the South Pacific. You don't want them to look at us and go. “Oh, it's that povo country next to Australia, again.” No one wants to listen to that country, but you look like a baller in the South Pacific. Suddenly people want to spend time with you. You gotta look like you’re meaning business. In which case you turn up in your limo, you don't turn up in your taxi. Particularly, at a time when this part of the world is contested, and a show of strength will go a long way. Now, even if that doesn't convince you, even if you do not care for diplomacy or trade. Economically, we would be better off buying a couple of new planes. I saw a quote for a Boeing similar to the ones that we fly. I mean, it will be used, but it's sitting somewhere with 30 years flying still left in it and it's sitting somewhere around $35-40 million. Sound like a lot to you? So you're gonna be spending $70-80 million to buy a couple of those planes. The planes that we are flying at the moment that keep breaking down cost us $70 million in maintenance - just in the last two years. That's two new planes right there. Every year that we keep on flying these old birds, we're wasting the money. So every single year that we continue to fly them from here on in, that's a new plane flushed down the toilet. Because we insist on being povos. So we just need to stop doing this. Stop being cheap. Stop trying to sweat the last bit of life out of these planes - which is now becoming more expensive than just buying new ones. Stop pretending that we can fly the Prime Minister commercially. Just buy two new planes. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 14 June 2024, the Government has committed to completely overhauling our gun laws. Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee tells Heather what she wants to change. Health NZ's Chief People Officer explains why a hiring freeze across his organisation is needed to save money urgently - and why it won't affect your healthcare. The Huddle debates who should win in this weekend's Super Rugby Playoffs. Plus the greatest hit of political memories... It's the 40th anniversary of Rob Muldoon's calling a snap - schnapps - election. Barry Soper remembers the night... 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.