Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The New Zealand Cricket board is still deciding the future of the country's domestic T20 game, but a couple of Black Caps have other ideas. The options have effectively been whittled down to launching a privatised NZ20 tournament, given the Super Smash is without a broadcast deal for next summer, or setting up a local team in Australia's Big Bash League, provided they get an invitation. Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Energy Minister says Marsden Point made its own commercial decision to close, but even open, it couldn't alleviate fuel issues. Iran's put a stranglehold on global supplies, blocking the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for US and Israel strikes. Resources Minister Shane Jones is blaming Labour for the refinery closing. Megan Woods says even if it was open, that wouldn't get us crude oil. "Shane was given an option a year or so ago, said - if you're really worried about this, you can spend billions of dollars and you can set up a new refinery in Taranaki. Now he hasn't proceeded with that."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump has renewed his criticisms of the UK Government's response to the Middle East conflict. The US President said the UK needs to be 'involved enthusiastically' in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid oil supply concerns. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Trump has urged Starmer to help get the Strait open again.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, the Reserve Bank bumped the OCR up to 4.1 percent, up by 0.25 percentage points. This is the second significant hike it two months, and it's got experts speculating about what this means for the economy on the whole. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham wondered what this could mean for other global markets.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of the next GDT auction, there's concerns about what the ongoing Middle East conflict could do for prices. The conflict has seen oil prices spike, and experts have warned this will likely impact other key sectors of the economy. The Country's Jamie Mackay speculated further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Caps have been put into bat by South Africa in the second of their five T20 matches in Hamilton tonight. A strong start by the Kiwi openers Tom Latham and Devin Conway has them at 36 without loss after five overs a short time ago. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and former Green MP Gareth Hughes joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Chris Hipkins' ex-wife posted a series of allegations about the former Prime Minister on Facebook, and Hipkins denied the allegations in a media conference earlier today. Is this even our business?  New Stats NZ figures show food prices rose 4.5 percent, with steak, mince and chocolate shooting up over 20 percent. How will this impact the Government ahead of the election? And what does this mean for inflation? Do we need to start working from home before the fuel reserves run low?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We need to talk about inflation, because inflation is making me pretty sure now that the National Party needs to rethink its plan for this election. We’ve just had the food inflation data out today. No surprise - food has gone up in price again in the year to February, up 4.5 percent. The biggest increase in a single item was mince. It went up 23.2 percent. That is the highest recorded jump in mince in two decades. Mince is a reasonably big deal in this data, I reckon, because mince - and sausages, obviously - is one of those bits of meat we go to when we’re feeling the pinch, right? If you can’t afford the sirloin steak, you go for the mince instead. So if the so-called cheaper option is becoming that much more expensive, well, that tells you how hard it’s going to be for families to make ends meet. And it’s, of course, not just the mince. Everything - everything - has gone up in price. There are a few items that have come back down but for the most part, the things you really need - not the snacks, the essentials - have gone up. And this is going to get worse. What’s been happening in and around the country for the past 17 days will, without a shadow of a doubt, push food prices up even further. It’ll start with vegetables because they were already in the ground. Then it’ll move on to things that take longer to produce - wheat-based products, things like bread that take time to grow. Meat will go up. Everything will go up. Because of the lack of access to urea, fertiliser prices are rising, so on-farm costs go up. Then there’s the fuel cost of getting produce from the farm to - I don’t know - let’s say the bakery, and from the bakery to the supermarket. And that increased cost is going to land on us. There’s a lag effect here. What’s going on now will hit us every single month for months to come. They’re talking about six months - but if they’re saying six months, you can assume it’ll be longer than that. Now, the Nats’ whole strategy for this election was that they’d be fine because the economy would improve, we’d all feel richer, we’d thank them for making the cost-of-living issue go away, their polling would go up and they’d come through at the election on November 7. That is not going to happen. The cost-of-living crisis will not be over in November. It will keep hitting us through the things we can’t avoid - petrol for many, but food for everyone. So the Nats need a new plan - one that requires them to actually do something, rather than just waiting for voters to feel richer. Because we’re not going to. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 17 March, 2026, food prices are up - and a Kiwi staple, mince, is leading the way. We ask Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen if it's going to get worse. We'll tell you about a new ratings system for schools. An economist on why more of us should be working from home right now. And on The Huddle, we ask Jordan Williams and Gareth Hughes if the private lives of politicians like Chris Hipkins should be aired in public. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Resources Minister is insistent Crown funds should help heat the geothermal sector. A Government strategy has been released on its plan to double the use of geothermal energy by 2040. It's also ring fenced $50 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund for the development of geothermal energy projects.  Resources Minister Shane Jones says it's a worthy investment. "The Crown stepped up to the plate in the 1950s, did an enormous amount of drilling - not always successful, but a number of those drill holes have turned into major electricity suppliers."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New reports indicate young people aren't going to op-shops as often, and experts have raised questions as to why this is. Despite the ongoing cost of living, it seems like younger people wanting discount fashion prefer other options - with less barriers. Otago University professor Lisa McNeil says the extra effort to look for quality pieces is perceived as a lot of extra labour, and young people are put off. "It's hard for them, it's expensive when they compare it to some of the cheap new options that are available in the market." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A top economist advises thinking about working from home to save fuel. Iran's maintaining its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz - retaliating to the continued bombing assault by the US and Israel. It's led Sri Lanka to move to a four-day working week from tomorrow.  Westpac economist Kelly Eckhold says unless things change quickly, something will have to be done within the next three weeks.  "Through the Covid period, we were able to save quite a lot of fuel with the hard lockdowns. We're not going to save anywhere near that amount, but it'll certainly help provide more fuel for the higher-priority users of it."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's fears there'll be no slowdown any time soon to the rapid rise in food prices. Stats NZ figures show they rose 4.5 percent in the year to February. Steak, mince and chocolate all shot up more than 20 percent. Infometrics head, Brad Olsen, says the spike in oil prices because of the war in Iran will do nothing to help.  "We know that not only oil prices are key to transport costs, but also just the production. Now if you're a farmer, you've got to use diesel to move stuff around to run the tractor and everything else. So this is going to hit." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A return towards decentralisation is being painted as Health New Zealand's next chapter. The Government's reverting to giving hospitals more control - letting them decide staffing, budgets, and service delivery from July. It's adamant it's not a return to District Health Boards, with planning still done nationally. Acting chief executive Andrew Brant says Health NZ's finances are looking good and it's delivering more, but this ensures improvement continues. He explained the key change is bringing the operating model much more into the frontline - and communities into decisions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins says he won't discuss family matters publicly - verging on tears at a press conference this afternoon.  On Sunday, his ex-wife Jade Paul posted allegations on social media, none relating to unlawful conduct. The Labour leader denies them and says he hasn't spoken to Paul, who is overseas. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says it's clear Paul felt like she needed to speak out as Hipkins makes more campaign promises ahead of the election. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Reserve Bank has increased interest rates by 0.25 percentage points, up to 4.1 percent. This is the second month the RBA has lifted rates, with the bank hiking up to 3.85 percent in February. Australian correspondet Murray Olds says the vote to increase rates was divided, but there's concerns about inflation brought on by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is copping heat today for cancelling the EV subsidy a couple of years ago. Critics now say it looks like a mistake, because oil prices are rising and, as a result, petrol prices are rising too. They argue that, of course, we’d all be better off in electric vehicles - which we supposedly would have been if the Government hadn’t cancelled the subsidy at the end of 2023. Now let me tell you why it was not a mistake to cancel it, why what’s happening right now actually proves that, and why the lovies saying this are wrong. What’s important in this argument is being specific about who would have owned those electric vehicles if the Tesla subsidy had continued. It wouldn’t have been workers living all the way out in Pōkeno, driving into the city, it wouldn’t have been people out in Silverstream commuting into Wellington, it wouldn’t have been solo mums trying to make ends meet - they can’t afford new EVs. It would have been well-heeled people living in central-city leafy suburbs, getting eight grand knocked off the price of their nice new cars. Those are not the people who need help when fuel prices shoot up. So if we were going to do something like this - if we were going to repeat some form of Government help - wouldn’t it be far more useful to take the $620 million that helped nice people into their nice cars and instead redirect it toward people who are poorer? The proof that we didn’t need that subsidy up to this point is in what’s happening right now. I told you earlier: BYD sold 80 cars in New Zealand on Saturday alone. They sold 800 cars in Australia on the same day. That is happening in New Zealand without the subsidy. Which tells you this - when rich people decide they want themselves a nice EV, they will go and buy it without Government help. They don’t need it. They just have to want EVs - and they didn’t want them before because it didn’t stack up until fuel prices went up. Now look, I do think there’s a place for Government help in this crisis if it gets worse. But it’s not to help rich people buy new cars. It’s for poorer people - the people who will actually be stung by rising petrol prices if they keep going up. So no, it was not a mistake to cut the subsidy. Eighty BYDs sold in New Zealand on Saturday is your proof. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sir Keir Starmer has refused to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing concerns. US President Donald Trump has reportedly called for reinforcements to keep an eye on the waterway after the Middle East conflict led to a spike in oil prices.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey says Starmer isn't offering to help police the area, but Donald Trump has spoken to other world leaders about the matter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 16 March, 2026, we talk to the Retail NZ chief executive about an increase in card spending - will it last? The boss of Freightways says people are getting a bit 'hysterical' about petrol price rises. We talk to an entertainment reporter in the US about this year's big Oscar winners. And on The Huddle, Josie Pagani and Phil O'Reilly on whether Nicola Willis' 1pm press conference brought back any unfortunate memories.  Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is considering its options if petrol prices keep rising, but the head of Freightways is warning people not to panic. The conflict in the Middle East has entered its third week, but the Finance Minister has ruled out measures like reducing the fuel excise. Freightways CEO Mark Troughear says there's plenty of fuel in the country and more on the way - and there's plenty of supply to keep things going.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The conflict in the Middle East has entered its third week and there's concerns about what it could do to the markets. Iran's still restricting movement through the shipping strategic choke-point as part of its retaliation for the relentless bombing by the US and Israel. Harbour Asset Management expert Shane Solly explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Protesters gathered outside Wellington's High Court today, as a lawyers' group challenges Government climate moves. Do we think this is an over-reaction? As the crisis in the Middle East continues and concerns about fuel prices mount, Nicola Willis held a 1pm press conference to talk about the Government's plans. What did we make of this?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Protesters gathered outside Wellington's High Court today, as a lawyers' group challenges the Government's climate moves.  Lawyers for Climate Action alleges the Government's emissions reduction plan doesn't add up - and wants the Court to order it back to the drawing board.  Executive director Jessica Palairet says this is the first case of its kind in New Zealand.  "These kinds of challenges have actually happened all around the world. So in the UK, the Government was challenged two times on its plan and had to go back two times and do a better job."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says there's no bail-out on the cards for Air Zealand at this stage - as the conflict in the Middle East causes a surge in jet fuel prices. The national carrier has already raised fares, and cancelled about 1100 upcoming flights. Nicola Willis says she thinks there will be some shifts in airline patterns around the world - which will mean jet fuel remains available. "And I think Air New Zealand has every opportunity to compete for customers, we now look like a very safe country compared to a lot of other destinations where people might have wanted to have a tourist experience three weeks ago." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A night of glitz and glam at the 98th Academy Awards in LA . One Battle After Another's taken out Best Picture, pipping horror Sinners for the top prize. It won six awards across the evening.  Director Paul Thomas Anderson says all nominees could have won. People Magazine senior reporter Sean Mandell says it was a close race for the top prize between One Battle After Another and Sinners. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hopes the war in Iran doesn't reverse gains in our retail sector by making shipping more expensive.  Stats NZ data shows back-to-back increases in electronic card spending for January and February.  Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young says it's not happened in a long time.  She says it would be a shame if the conflict dampens the upward trend. "Let's hope it's a short, sharp thing and we can get back to business as usual." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's yet to make a call on whether New Zealand would ease sanctions on Russian oil, as the Iran war affects shipments. The US has eased some of its sanctions, as its barrage on Iran continues - alongside Israel. Crude oil prices have skyrocketed since Iran stopped ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz. Finance Minister Nicola Wills is urging Kiwis not to panic, as there's plans in place to keep households supported.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, fuel prices have surged, sparking debate over whether fuel needs to be rationed as the Middle East crisis continues. Prime Minister Albanese has reassured consumers that petrol and diesel supplies remain unchanged and there's no need for anyone to engage in panic buying. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says farmers are concerned about the fuel shortages ahead of the busy season. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liam Lawson has claimed seventh in Formula One's Chinese Grand Prix. Starting 14th, he picked up seven places to finish as the best driver in the four-car Red Bull stable. 19-year-old Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has secured his first race win with teammate George Russell second and Lewis Hamilton third for Ferrari. Sportstalk host Jason Pine recapped the action. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Winegrowers are on Cloud Wine over proposed Government changes to alcohol laws. They include allowing licensed premises to meet legal obligations by stocking zero-alcohol drinks. Currently, licence holders must stock 'low alcohol' products containing no more than 2.5 percent alcohol.  Chief executive Phillip Gregan says it's a common sense change. "Frankly, I'm not sure that there are any wines less than 2.5 percent, they tend to be slightly higher than that, or just zero." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 13 March, 2026, we look at whether people are over-reacting by panic-buying petrol. The Crusaders chief executive says media ban ... what media ban? An Auckland University researcher tells us why you shouldn't mow your lawn. And on the Sports Huddle, Lavina Good and Paul Allison discuss whether Liam Lawson will last the Formula One season. 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.

Senior political correspondent Barry Soper joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to wrap the political week.  The big topics this past week were former Chatham Islands Council CEO Paul Eagle's serious fraud office inquiry, reflecting on last Friday's Luxon chaos, and the Covid inquiry.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Okay, here’s a prediction for you, because there have been headlines today about petrol stations running out of fuel because of panic buying: people will panic buy petrol this weekend. Yesterday was discount day at Gull so things went a bit crazy. Gull Ōtāhuhu ran out of 95; Gull Greville Road, Gull Henderson, Gull Torbay, Gull Takanini and Gull Takapuna were also out of at least one type of fuel. Two pumps ran dry at supermarkets in Palmerston North as well. Here’s my second prediction: there will be tellings-off. Cheryl from the Bay of Plenty is going to see some punter filling multiple containers and she’s going to get angry about it.  Actually, that’s not even a prediction — because it’s already happened. Cheryl went to the Gull in Whakamarama and saw a van filling up multiple large containers causing a 20-minute wait for other customers. She spoke to the media and called it unfair. Now, the thing is: panic buying is obviously not a good idea for the collective good. We’ve been here before with the toilet paper during COVID, haven’t we? It’s not a good idea for everyone as a whole — but it is a completely rational thing to do from a selfish perspective if you’re just looking after yourself and your family. So you should expect people to do it. And before you tell anyone off for doing it, remember: we don’t know their personal circumstances. We don’t know what’s made them go down to the petrol station that day to fill up their car and multiple containers. We don’t know whether they’re running essential generators back on the farm, whether they need to be sure they have enough fuel for the next few days. And more importantly, we don’t know how tight their budgets are. You and I might be able to absorb a 30-cent rise in the price of fuel, but if someone only has a few dollars left at the end of the week, and they’re driving in from Pōkeno to the city centre every day, they might not have the ability to absorb that kind of increase. They may in fact need to buy as much as they can while it’s cheap. No one is to blame for what’s happening at the moment. This is normal human behaviour. The media is just doing its job by reporting on the fuel increases people want to read about. The government is being as careful in its messaging as it can be. And even the punter filling up is only doing the rational thing. So what I’d say is: expect this to continue for as long as we’re talking about possible shortages and price rises. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queenstown's tourism growth has remained steady over the last few months with tourism levels now reaching 97% of pre-Covid numbers.  Queenstown Mayor John Glover joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to chat about growth management, the potential for increased flight prices as fuel costs become a concern, and the pipeline from visitor to resident.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

University of Auckland PhD candidate Olivia Rooke-Devoy has offered a 'low-mow' alternative to protect the lawn environment.  She claims that over-mowing is letting off too much CO-2, and destroying the habitats of insects and bees.  Rooke-Devoy told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's an 'environmental disaster'. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The war in Iran has sparked worldwide concerns of fuel shortages after the Strait of Hormuz was shut. The passage carries roughly 20 percent of the world's oil supply.  The final oil tankers that made it through the strait before it's closure have now reached Singapore.  Although, Starboard Maritime Intelligence analyst Mark Douglas says the fuel crisis might come later than expected.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to a new PBS poll public support for Donald Trump is in decline as more than half of US citizens oppose the war in Iran.  Dan Mitchinson spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan about the questions arising surrounding the progression of the war, including the possibility of robot soldiers and security risks at the Oscars.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Select Committee report on the Government's proposed Greyhound Racing ban has come back, with the committee saying they want the bill passed.  But, ACT has some concerns surrounding the impact to the livelihood of a 'lawfully acting industry'. ACT MP Cameron Luxton sat on the Select Committee, and joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to discuss the party's proposed changes.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK Prime Minister was warned of the risk of appointing Lord Mandelson as US ambassador, given his ties with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Documents released by the UK Government include advice warning Sir Keir Starmer the relationship continued after Epstein's conviction. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this will create extra political pressure for Starmer, especially following the recent local elections.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's growing concerns about the economic impact of the conflict in the Middle East. Flurries of missiles are still crossing borders and the BBC reports Israel's launched more strikes on Lebanon. UAE officials are responding to Iranian missile threats and Qatar has intercepted several drones.  Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Karn Dhaliwal was the New Zealand recipient of the Zanda McDonald Award, and it's a big honour in the rural world. Dhaliwal built a diverse horticultural and cropping business and is recognised for his entrepreneurial approach to growing, leadership within the vegetable industry. 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 broadcaster Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has sparked concerns about the future of the global oil supply, and the Government is looking into solutions in case our supply gets low. Do we need to find an alternative solution - or encourage more people to walk or bike? New reports show beneficiary numbers have soared to a 12-year high, despite the Government promising a reduction. Do we think things will turn around?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now look, I don’t think there’s any reason to panic, but if you’ve been reading the news closely - and especially if you’ve been reading more widely than just the New Zealand news - you’re probably starting to feel a little nervous about what might happen to fuel supplies here and the possibility that we may have to start rationing. The Strait of Hormuz is still effectively shut. The Iranians have now attacked 13 tankers. The boss of the Saudi-backed oil company has warned this could be catastrophic for the world’s economy if that strait isn’t opened relatively soon. South Korea has floated the possibility of banning fuel exports. That’s a problem for us - it’s where we get roughly half of our fuel. Parts of rural Western Australia have already run out of diesel because the townies are buying so much of it. They’re panicking. We have around 50 days’ worth of fuel in this country. Half of that, though, is on the water - and ships can be and have been diverted - so you can only really lock in about half of what we’ve got. The Minister is now taking advice on how to manage demand, meaning how to get us to use less. One of the ideas he’s considering is the return of carless days. There are normally very level‑headed people now warning us that we should at least start mentally preparing for the possibility that we may have to ration the fuel we use. Now, rationing sounds bad. It sounds like something from World War II. But it might not be that bad. It may not be carless days all over again - although that does feel like a significant escalation of the situation. And of course this whole thing might blow over tomorrow. In fact, Donald Trump is likely to call the attacks off the minute they start having really significant negative impacts on oil supply and world economies because he is so fixated on global markets and making money. The moment he cannot talk markets back into a good place is the moment I think he starts to call it off. But the thing is, it’s already having an impact, isn’t it? It will already be wiping money off our GDP. And the longer it goes on, the more it takes out of GDP. Now, I’m thinking this is not going to end in the worst-case scenario the Minister is preparing for. I don’t know whether that’s my wishful or my rational brain talking but as they say - hope for the best, prepare for the worst. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 12 March, 2026, Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones tells us about emergency fuel measures as the Iran war goes on. Heath Mills on his hopes for a private franchise T20 league as he quits as the Cricket Players' Association boss. A new star-studded Lord of the Rings movie - we ask a film reviewer if it's starting to lose its appeal. And on The Huddle, Mark Sainsbury and Thomas Scrimgeour tell us whether they're in Team Emily or Team Chelsea. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Social Development Minister is certain it's only a matter of time before beneficiary numbers fall from a 12-year high. New figures show 427,000 people were on a main benefit in December - including more than half on Jobseeker.  That's despite the Government declaring it would curb welfare dependency shortly after taking office.  Louise Upston says businesses sentiment is improving. "When businesses are confident, they take on more staff. The staff they've got, they give more hours, they lift wages. So we are really confident things have started to turn the corner."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A legal battle is looming over primary teacher pay deals. The NZEI's taking action over the Government letting non-union teachers accept individual pay offers. The Public Service Commissioner yesterday confirmed boards can directly approach about 10,000 teachers, after the union’s rejected three recent pay deals. Lead negotiator Liam Rutherford says they're frustrated and angry about the timing. "This is a break from decades of tradition, where we settled the collective agreement and then teachers that aren't members of the union get that passed on through an IEA." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Winslet is set to return to New Zealand shores for a new role in Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which is set to start production this year. Andy Serkis is set to reprise his role as Gollum and direct the movie, and Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood are set to return too.  Entertainment journalist and film reviewer Dominic Corry says there's clear demand for new Lord of the Rings content among film fans. "It still feels rather under-exploited, if that's a word we can use. And also, I still think there's a huge amount of goodwill on the audience's side for this franchise."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One expert has suggested Jetstar won't follow Air New Zealand in cutting upcoming domestic flights. The airline plans to cancel about 1100 flights over the next six to eight weeks because of fuel price hikes - impacting about 44,000 passengers. It's already raised fares to help cover costs. Board of Airline Representatives NZ executive director Cath O'Brien, says Jetstar's unlikely to do the same because Air New Zealand's domestic network has a wider spread. "They have a wholly different problem than Jetstar, which is operating trunk services and jets only." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All options are on the table for conserving fuel if the US-Israel war on Iran continues. Iran's retaliating with hits on neighbouring countries, and blocking shipping transit through the Strait of Hormuz - sending global fuel prices spiking. Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones says the Government's working on a plan in case our supplies come under threat. Jones says we have 50 days fuel here and on the way, but continued supply rests on the length of the conflict. "Kiwis expect their Government to be proactive, Kiwis expect us to deal with the fact that other countries are hoarding their fuel." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi isn't saying if she has confidence in Te Pāti Māori's leadership, after her reinstatement. A High Court this week ruled her expulsion last year was unlawful. She says she'll maintain separate offices from the Party  for now, and consider the ruling with whanau and iwi. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.