Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

A warning we've been burnt by high hopes for economic recovery.  Stats NZ data out today puts unemployment at 5.4 percent in the December quarter.  The numbers were less severe than forecasts from Treasury, but still reflect a 10 year unemployment high.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says the talk about getting momentum back last year fell short. "For businesses, they need to see stronger business sales coming through their front door before they commit to hiring more workers."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior Labour MP Peeni Henare announced he was leaving politics yesterday, but some speculate there's more to the story than that. New Zealand First's Shane Jones has claimed that that's not the full story and it's 'important the whole story comes out'. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacks these claims. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump is urging Republicans to 'nationalise' elections and repeated his false claims of 2020 election fraud. He said Republicans should take over the voting in at least '15 places', but did not specify which places in the interview.  US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says this has prompted concerns about Trump's Government getting too involved in people's voting rights. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former All Black Dane Coles will sit on the panel charged with finding the coach to replace Scott Robertson. New Zealand Rugby has confirmed the 90-test veteran will join a five-man panel which also includes fellow former All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu and NZR chair David Kirk. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Repairs at Wellington's Moa Point treatment plant could take months, as raw sewage flows into the region's southern coastline. An equipment failure caused the outfall pipe to become backed up with water - with last night's heavy rain flooding the building's lower floors. Wellington Water says electrical equipment's submerged and some areas are inaccessible. Chief executive Pat Dougherty says it's likely something bigger is wrong with the outflow pipe, but investigations are still ongoing. "The real problem is the damage the water has done, it's huge amounts of wastewater poured through the plant. We've got control panels underwater, we've got electrical equipment underwater...and we've got no power." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh allegations have emerged linking former UK-US Ambassador Lord Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein. Newly released files suggest Mandelson shared internal Government information with the convicted sex offender.  UK correspondent Enda Brady says Met Police are investigating these claims and Prime Minister Starmer is calling for Lord Mandelson to leave the House of Lords. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank of Australia started the year off with an increase set to impact mortgage holders. The RBA increased the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.85 percent, citing increased concerns about inflation. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham explained the increase further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Further lifts at the South Island wool auction in Christchurch indicate things are going well for New Zealand's wool sector. Wool has seen some notable increases this year, indicating wool is on the up as opposed to just seeing a short-term spike. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following the launch of Australia's ban on social media for under-16s, there's been debate over whether New Zealand should follow this example. Meta's Global Head of Safety, Antigone Davis, has labelled the full ban a 'fool's errand' and claims parental controls are the way to go. Former Facebook CEO for Australia and New Zealand Stephen Scheeler says parental controls are a safety feature that should be considered - but it won't solve the wider problem. "I don't think it's a total solution, but I think it is another tool in the toolkit."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, lawyer and political commentator Brigitte Morton and CTU economist Craig Rennie joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Labour MP Peeni Henare has confirmed he won't be seeking re-election - and that he wants to take a step back from politics and focus on his family, wellbeing and future, and will depart from Parliament in the coming weeks. What's really going on here? Transport Minister Chris Bishop confirmed there will be no more full drivers' license test from next year. After passing the restricted license test, drivers under the age of 25 will have to wait out a mandatory 12-month period as a restricted driver before they can apply for a full licence. Do we think this is a good idea? Does New Zealand need to become Australia's 7th state? Do we need the extra protection? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 3 February, 2026, we talk to champion driver Greg Murphy about changes to our driver licensing laws. Are parents to blame for children starting school without even being toilet trained? David Farrar tells us why it's time for New Zealand to become a seventh state of Australia. And on the Huddle, Brigitte Morten and Craig Renney discuss Labour's show of unity with the Greens at Waitangi. 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.

You know what that Labour and Green Party unity news conference at Waitangi today looked like to me? It looked like desperation. Parties don’t generally get other parties to stand next to them and hold their hands in an election year just to convince people to vote for them. Now, having said that, it’s obviously not the first time we’ve seen something similar from Labour and the Greens. You’ll remember that before the 2017 election, Grant Robertson and James Shaw did a similar-ish thing. They released their Budget Responsibility Rules to try to convince us they could be trusted with the Government’s finances. That was an act of desperation, because they’d been battered by Steven Joyce’s 'fiscal hole' allegations for so long they had to do something. And just like in 2017, this is an act of desperation, because Chippy knows his biggest problem this time around -trying to get into Government - is convincing voters that his coalition mates are not just a bunch of nut jobs, but can actually be trusted to run the country together. Which is why he left the Māori Party out of that unity press conference - because that party is chaos on stilts. The trouble for Chippy, though, is that the Greens aren’t exactly the picture of internal discipline, are they? What with Golriz the thief, Bussy the awkward parent, Darleen the questionable employer, the spate of staff resignations -and that’s not even mentioning the electorally toxic plans to tax us all into poverty. Chippy is off the mark if he thinks this is going to solve things for him, because the truth is his only realistic path to Government this year is with Winston Peters. Winston has said he’s not going to go with Chippy, but that is still Chippy’s only way back into Government. And that’s where Chippy should be putting his energy - schmoozing Winston until Winston changes his mind, because Winston changing his mind is not unheard of. But doing a news conference with the Greens seems not only like a waste of time, but actually an unfortunate reminder to us all that a Chippy-led Government comes with Green-coloured baggage. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior Labour MP Peeni Henare's announced he's leaving politics, after what he calls a 'tough' 2025.  Henare says he's not seeking re-election for Labour this year, and will leave Parliament in the coming weeks.   It comes after he lost the Tamaki Makaurau seat to Te Pati Māori for a second time in last year's by-election, a seat he'd held for six-years from 2014 to 2020.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An upcoming visit by Israel's President is causing tension in Australia.   Isaac Herzog will visit New South Wales for a five day tour at the end of the week to honour victims of the Bondi terror attack.  Australian correspondent Murray Olds says protests by pro-Palestinian have been banned in the state for the duration of his visit.  He says it follows other recent issues in the state.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Donald Trump's presidency creating extra challenges for the rest of the world, questions have been raised over what a small country like New Zealand can do for extra protection. Political commentator and former parliamentary staffer for the National Party David Farrar wrote an opinion piece claiming New Zealand should take up the 125-year-old invitation to become part of Australia. Farrar says the world has turned into a 'might-is-right' environment since Trump took office and that New Zealand needs to get bigger. "We're lucky, because we've got a country which we're very, very close to, we're culturally similar to, we're economically integrated to, and we'd be a lot safer if we're a bigger country." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour and the Greens joined forces at Waitangi today to make their priorities clear ahead of the upcoming general election. Labour leader Chris Hipkins describes the party as fractured, and says the parties need to work through their internal issues. Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says there's a lot of things the parties can work together on and they'll stand side by side to prove that to voters. "New Zealanders are going to be paying attention. That is a really exciting proposition for us as a country, and I don't think politicians or any political party is entitled to absolutely anything and I make that point, particularly, about the legacy parties."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's fears parents aren't teaching their children basic skills like talking, eating, or using the toilet. The Auckland Primary Principals’ Association reports 87 percent of schools say children now need more support than ever before. 92 percent say new entrants don’t know the letters in their own name. Psychologist Sara Chatwin says it raises questions about what's going on at home. "And then I think it speaks to how important good quality early childhood education is - in that it's really helping those kids transition from that state to school." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says it's modernising the drivers licensing system, with the key change being the end to full license practical tests.   After passing the restricted license test, drivers under the age of 25 will have to wait out a mandatory 12-month period as a restricted driver before they can apply for a full licence.  Those aged over 25 will have to wait six months.  Kiwi motorsport driver and road safety advocate Greg Murphy says he supports some of this, but claims that the Government hasn't gone far enough. "It's not actually meaning we're going to have safer drivers on the road, it just means it's going to cost you a little bit less." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Rugby has approached Sir Steve Hansen and Ian Foster to gauge interest in applying for the vacant role of All Blacks head coach, the Herald understands. However, it is unclear if either would be interested in returning to the role they vacated in 2019 and 2023 respectively. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacked the odds of the pair considering this move. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwis are less keen to hear offensive language in broadcasting, according to new reports. A BSA survey has found more than half of the words assessed are now seen as less acceptable in broadcasting than they were four years ago.  The N-word and the C-word were considered unacceptable by the highest percentage of people.  AUT Communication Studies lecturer Lewis Tennant says it seems that a lot of people object to the racism and sexism attached to those words.  "The long-term trend for naughty words is still much more relaxed overall than over the past few decades." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former British ambassador to the US has resigned from the UK Labour Party, over his links with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The BBC reports that Lord Mandelson, who was sacked as the ambassador last year, is now stepping down from the party entirely. The latest release of Epstein files suggested Epstein transferred Mandelson more than $125,000 in 2003 and 2004. UK correspondent Mike Pearse explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch is set to re-ignite the debate over asset sales, according to new reports. The council's commercial arm has floated selling certain assets, including Citycare, to pay for other projects. Councillor Sam MacDonald explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump revealed he's picked Kevin Warsh, a former Federal Reserve Governor, to lead the central bank. Since taking office, Donald Trump has been critical of Jerome Powell and encouraged him to lower interest rates.  Harbour Asset Management expert Shane Solly explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Fire and Emergency NZ has launched an investigation into the firefighter who got caught making a crude gesture at the PM on video. Do we think this is really necessary?  Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is in the news again after the latest release from the Epstein files. New photos reveal the former royal crouched on all fours and touching an unidentified woman. What do we think of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 2 February, 2026, the Education Minister on new reporting guidelines for schools - what it means for you as a parent. Should the firefighter who made an obscene gesture behind the back of the prime minister keep her job? We talk to teenage running sensation Sam Ruthe's grandfather about what makes him so good. And on the Huddle, Trish Sherson and Josie Pagani - who says Christopher Luxon is in danger of being outperformed by his lectern. 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.

So, Fire and Emergency New Zealand has launched an investigation into the firefighter in the video with the Prime Minister. You’ll know what I’m talking about, you’ve probably seen it already. It’s been doing the rounds since Friday. It’s the video of the PM touring the devastation on the East Coast last week. As he’s walking back to a Defence Force helicopter, he stops to talk to a volunteer firefighter who’s wearing the old high‑vis with 'Fire' written on the back. He does his political schmoozing - having the chat, getting up in the face, clapping the arm - then he heads off toward the chopper. The firefighter turns around, looks at the phone filming her and makes a crude gesture, which the Hauraki boys would describe as “feeding the birds". I saw that on Friday, I smirked, I thought, “Oh, that’s a bit funny,” and then I shut it down and got on with my life. Fire and Emergency NZ, however, does not think it’s funny at all. They’ve completely overreacted to it and, after questions from the Herald, have decided to launch an investigation into this firefighter. If they're open to taking some feedback, I would urge them to drop the investigation here. If there’s been a bad call, the really bad call isn’t the firefighter doing something silly in front of her mates who are filming - it’s the person who put the video online, which was the truly unwise thing to do in this modern age. And it doesn’t seem to be the same person, by the way, given the TikTok account is run by a man and the firefighter is a woman. But even if they were the same person, it’s just really not a big deal, is it? Politicians should expect - and do expect - this kind of reaction when they go around doing their political schmoozing. And if people have a laugh about the PM doing his schmoozing, who cares? It’s not threatening or intimidatory, it’s just mocking. We have a shortage of volunteer firefighters in this country. We shouldn’t be lifting the expectations of volunteers to the same level as what we expect from professionals to the point that volunteers are dissuaded from giving us their time, which we frankly should be grateful for. And there but for the grace of God, etc, right? Because we all do stupid things - we just hope the people around us don’t put it on TikTok. I don’t want to live in a world where we get investigated over something as silly as this. Hopefully they drops this investigation because surely - surely to God - Fire and Emergency NZ has more important things to do. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AA Insurance's decision to stop offering new home insurance policies in Westport due to flood risks has prompted discussion about the future of climate-based buyouts. There's been debate over whether the Government will fund buyouts for homeowners living in areas at risk for weather damage, with many experts ruling the move as unlikely.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis says there's a Natural Hazards scheme in place for homeowners impacted by flooding or landslides - and it's important to ensure people have the right insurance measures in place. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The head of a mineral extraction company says New Zealand's rich in some of these sought-after critical minerals.  New Zealand and the United States are reportedly discussing a 'non-binding' framework relating to critical minerals as the US looks to reduce reliance on China.  Geo40 CEO John Worth says there's silica, lithium and antimony to name a few.  "I think we're relatively small by international standards, but there's enough interesting stuff here."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An employment law expert says a firefighter who used an obscene gesture about the Prime Minister brought Fire and Emergency into disrepute.  A clip posted on social media shows Chris Luxon speaking with a person before heading towards a Defence Force helicopter. The volunteer firefighter then turns to the camera and makes an obscene gesture. Fire and Emergency is now investigating.  Employment law expert Max Whitehead says volunteers don't have the same rights as a career firefighter, and explained she wouldn't be able to sue the organisation if she were fired.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Minister says new nationwide school reporting will give teachers and parents clearer data on how students are performing. Nationally consistent assessments in reading, writing and maths will roll out this year, with students ranked against one of five progress indicators twice a year. Erica Stanford says parent reports already exist - but they’re inconsistent across schools. "You get some schools who provide very detail-rich reporting and others who don't do that same level of detail. So we're just trying to get consistency across the board."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There'll be a wait until we learn the outcome of today's court case between expelled Te Pāti Māori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and her former party. The High Court at Wellington today heard arguments relating to the MP's expulsion from the party last year, which followed allegations she misused party funds. Newstalk ZB political reporter Ethan Griffiths says Kapa-Kingi's lawyers suggest the party was trying to hold her responsible for comments by her activist son, Eru Kapa-Kingi, who called out Te Pāti Māori's leadership. "Kapa-Kingi's lawyers say that she's not remotely responsible for her son's comments." The court's decision has been reserved.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A change in student progress reports, with schools now required to give parents more clearer information about how their child is progressing. Nationally consistent assessment and reporting will be implemented in primary and intermediate schools for the first time this year. The new system replaces a 20-year-old framework and provides parents of Years 0-to-10 students with progress markers and twice-yearly learning updates. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explained what these changes mean for Kiwi students. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia,  the former Coalition parties are trying to get their numbers back up amid ongoing leadership struggles. Support for Pauline Hanson's One Nation party is growing, while support for the Liberal Party and Nationals has continued to drop. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is looking to make some changes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Teenage running sensation Sam Ruthe is confident his record-breaking mile in Boston only marks the beginning of his capability. The 16-year-old's broken Sir John Walker's overall national mark by two tenths of a second with a three minute 48.88 dash indoors. Ruthe races again in North Carolina this weekend. Sportstalk host Jason Pine speculated about Ruthe's athletic future. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Running phenom Sam Ruthe set another middle distance record - and there's belief it could go deeper than good genetics. The 16-year-old broke Sir John Walker's overall national mile mark set at Oslo in 1982 at an indoor meet in Boston. Ruthe's grandfather, Trevor Wright, is also a skilled runner, but he says genetics only contribute to a small part of the teen's success. "I put it down to dedication, talent and a good coach and a good manager...definitely dedicated." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 30 January, 2026, police say they're drawing a line on protests across the Auckland Harbour Bridge. A Westport life-time resident and real estate agent tells us about the struggle to get house insurance. Why a company that sells dung beetles to clean up water on farms is in trouble. And on the Sports Huddle, Paul Allison and Darcy Waldegrave discuss if it's a done deal that Jamie Joseph will be the next All Blacks coach. 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.

Now, listen — I think it’s a little early in the year to be making too many predictions about election year. But having said that, I do think there is a very strong chance that Winston Peters might be the story of the year. If he carries on the way he is in the polls, he could well be in the double digits — well into the double digits — by the time November’s election rolls around. He’s already sitting somewhere between 10 and 12 percent in the past couple of polls, and generally minor parties go up in polling the closer we get to election day because of the extra attention they get during the campaign. Commentators are already talking about the possibility of the next government being just National and New Zealand First — no ACT in there — with the two of them together potentially being enough. That could happen if Winston keeps climbing the way he is, and obviously if National can get its act together and lift its vote share. If you don’t believe it’s possible that Winston will climb further, just look at what he did this week. He pulled out that classic Winston trick of whipping up the anti‑immigrant rhetoric again. I honestly didn’t think there was much of that sentiment around at the moment — until he started talking, and suddenly the texts about immigrants started rolling in. Winston can sniff out an election platform like no one else. He knows there’s probably an increased number of people who are gagging for a conspiracy — like “the government is trying to hide the FTA documents they’re trying to roll on us". And what we were also reminded of this week is that he’s completely unencumbered by the facts. A lot of what he said was just complete nonsense. Here’s a question for you: if it does end up being just New Zealand First and National, and Winston is 81 years old, is this the election where he finally pushes for a turn at being Prime Minister? Like I said, he could become the story of this election year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The stench emitting from a faulty wastewater treatment plant in Christchurch has gotten worse in recent weeks.  The smell, nicknamed, 'The Big Stink,' has been affecting Bromley for nearly 4 years, resulting in locals having to check wind direction before socialising outside or hanging washing.  Community Advocate Stephen McPaike told Heather du Plessis-Allan that, 'It's just as bad as what happened when the fire happened, if not a little bit worse.' The council says it's going to be another week before they can get it back under control. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tough times in the dung beetle business have prompted a call for a dump of funding from the  Government. Dung Beetle Innovations was launched in 2014 in Auckland's Whenuapai.  Co-Founder Shaun Forgie says the dung beetles can be used to clear manure from farms, preventing it from sliding into rivers.  He told Heather du Plessis-Allan that his sector receiving funding will benefit others.  Forgie says his business can make livestock cultivation more efficient.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An international relations expert says it would've been hypocritical for New Zealand to sit on Donald Trump's peace board.   The  Prime Minister and Foreign Minister announced this morning that New Zealand won't be accepting Trump's invitation to join the board.  The denial comes days after the Government signalled it was considering the offer.  Otago University Professor Robert Patman told Heather du Plessis-Allan that Trump lacks the credibility to run a board of peace.  He says he's threatened the territories of two democratic allies this term -- and if  person wants to chair a peace board they have to walk the talk.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian Tamaki says he is still planning to protest by walking across Auckland's harbour Bridge tomorrow despite a police promise to stop it. He's urging crowds to meet him at Victoria Park in the central city tomorrow for a protest in opposition to the COVID-19 restrictions. Police Superintendent Naila Hassan told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the police are unsure if the march will actually go ahead, but that doesn't mean they are unprepared. "We'd prefer to keep the operational details close to our chest, but we will be ready to respond to that group if they decide to march onto the harbour bridge." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to Westport residents the AA insurance announcement yesterday is not the start of their troubles at all. They've been having trouble with insurance for ages even before AA decided to stop issuing new cover. Westport resident Glenys Elley told Heather du Plessis-Allan that, "Even if a company has a policy, it doesn't guarantee that they will continue that policy on." She says that some people were fine with the application process for insurance until they entered their postcode, at which point the application was denied. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing today. The two leaders met to repair relations between the nations, as it's been over 8 years since a UK Prime Minister visited China. UK correspondent Enda Brady says concerns were raised before the visit, but the meeting appeared to go smoothly. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta and Microsoft are among the big tech companies that just released their quarterly results after the stock market closed, and there's more results to come. Meta shares were up 9 percent, but Microsoft stock was down about 5 percent. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds unpacked the data further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The storm that lashed Canterbury, Otago and Southland with severe winds in October has resulted in the second-most claims for an event in rural insurer FMG’s 120-year history. New Zealand’s largest rural insurer has already paid out $20 million, but expects that figure to rise to about $50 million. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Thomas Scrimgeour from the Maxim Institute and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Winston Peters has raised concerns with the Government's new trade agreement with India, and he's claimed the agreement will see more migrants taking jobs off Kiwis. What do we make of this?  AA Insurance has paused new policies in the West Coast town of Westport. Do we think more parts of the country will follow suit? What will people do? The death of the doer-upper - do we feel bad about this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 29 January, 2026, a major insurer's put a halt on new home policies in Westport because of the flood risk - is it temporary or permanent? Why your morning school run is the most dangerous time of the day on the roads. We talk to investor and influencer Simon Squibb about making Kiwis' dreams come true - and learn about the Pink Broccoli. Plus, on the Huddle, Thomas Scrimgeour and Ali Jones discuss the death of the doer upper. 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.

Simon Squibb has always been committed to encouraging people to fulfil their dreams, and as a multi-millionaire entrepreneur, he's in a position to make real change.  He's invested in startups, used his professional insight to write a book - What’s Your Dream? Find Your Passion. Love Your Work. Build a Richer Life - and he's committed to inspiring people to take risks. Squibb's in New Zealand and he's already been spotted helping a chef in Remuera to fund her ambitions. "I can't help it, I love hearing people's dreams, and so there's no holiday from helping people that need it. And so I have actually now helped four people in New Zealand with their dreams, which is pretty exciting."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The thing we’d been warned about with climate change has now happened - AA Insurance has stopped offering new insurance policies for Westport because of the risk of flooding. At the very end of last year, AA Insurance wrote to the Buller District mayor advising that the company would be putting a - what they call temporary - stop to new insurance policies for properties in the 7825 postcode, which includes Westport, Carters Beach, and Cape Foulwind. If you listen to the experts, this is just the start. It’s already happening in flood‑risk towns in Australia, it’s now happened here, and it will keep happening until these towns find ways to keep themselves safe through measures like flood defences. You don’t need me to tell you what this is going to do to property prices. They’re only going in one direction - down. Not least because you need insurance to take out a mortgage. And you know what happens next, people start putting pressure on the Government to bail them out from dropping property values. They want the Government to buy their houses. They want the Government to provide insurance. Because that’s what we always do when things go wrong, we turn to the Government to bail us out. But the Government absolutely should not bail out anyone. Not just because the country cannot afford it - if every homeowner who loses insurance cover because of climate change in the coming decades, or who needs to be bought out for the same reason asks for help, it will cost the country billions of dollars we simply do not have. But also because, as harsh as it sounds, if an insurance company will no longer cover your house, maybe your house should not be where it is. Maybe the insurance companies are doing us a favour by forcing us to make decisions we’ve been avoiding. We’ve been dragging our heels on this stuff for decades. But you can’t argue with the market. We are still building in the wrong places - but you can’t argue with the market. If insurers won’t cover it, taxpayers absolutely should not. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters claims our proposed trade agreement with India would let visa holders bring family members with them.  The Trade Minister denies the FTA could allow 20,000 to 25,000 more immigrant arrivals. Peters says Todd McClay admitted the loophole himself to a select committee.   "He had to concede that there were those people who had the right to bring their spouses and their children right away." In the hearing, McClay said the FTA extends standard visa settings.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.