Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Well it's fair to say World Rugby's copping it today, even more so than yesterday. This is following the death of Shane Christie, the former Highlander who had the headaches and the memory loss and all those other symptoms that were consistent with CTE from too many head knocks. A former Wales #8 with early onset dementia, Alex Popham, has gone straight to World Rugby and the All Blacks' Twitter accounts and told them they've got blood on their hands.  And our very own Scotty Stevenson has written a piece saying it's time to stop spending money on PR - this is obviously for rugby - and start spending money on helping the former players with these symptoms. Absolutely. I mean, there is no doubt that World Rugby could be doing more, right? The stand down period for a professional rugby player for a suspected concussion is - what do you think? 12 days. That's ridiculous.  In boxing, it's 30 days. And if they actually lose consciousness and they know they've lost consciousness, it could be anywhere from 6 months up that they're forced to stand down. I think we've all seen pretty gnarly cases of head knocks recently or players talking about migraines over the summer period, only for them to be back on the field when they, if you were being careful, should not be back on the field. And who knows what World Rugby will be forced to do once these lawsuits are successful. But here's the thing - our ability to keep blaming the rugby bosses is going to run out, if it hasn't already. No player in 2025 can blame World Rugby if they end up with these symptoms in years to come. No one playing rugby in 2025 doesn't know that if you take repeated knocks to the head, you are opening yourself up to future problems. We know that. In fact, we already knew it when Shane Christie was playing professionally, even if we didn't know it as widely as we do today. It is terrible that this may be the thing that has happened to him and it is terrible that it is undoubtedly happening to rugby players playing today, but personal responsibility is now very much in play here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pāmu, formerly Landcorp, is seeing a significant financial turnaround, having reported a net profit after tax of $120 million for the year ended June 2025, which will see it return a $15 million dividend. It's a significant turn compared to last year's results, where the company posted a loss of $26 million. Chief executive Mark Leslie says he's 'thrilled' to be reporting these results. "It's great to post the result - but equally, I'm thrilled for all our people as well because there's a lot of people right through the organisation who work hard every day." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's frustrations over yet another delay to a possible extension of the Port of Tauranga wharves.  The Stella Passage development fast-track application has been halted, days before an expert panel was due to begin discussions.  A High Court judge has directed it must not be considered, pending further orders from the court. Tauranga Business Association CEO Matt Cowley says this is down to the application missing a few words.  Cowley explained the judge therefore ruled it didn't fit the scope, adding it's amazing a sand dune has impacted millions coming into the economy.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's new reforms are being welcomed by the alcohol industry body. The Government's proposing making businesses have further zero and low alcohol products on sale, to meet growing demand. It's also allowing businesses to respond to objections on licensing, and permitting wineries and breweries to have both an on and off license. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explains why many are welcoming these changes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government hopes businesses will be in favour of an alcohol regulation shake-up. It's allowing breweries and wineries to have both an on and off license - and is also letting businesses respond to objections around them having a license. Objections need to come from the local community. Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says it's important for people to have concerns to have a real voice - but there's been plenty of outside perspectives. "The majority of New Zealanders that drink, drink responsibly. And I want to make sure they have the opportunity to do that. We want to re-grow our sector, it means also having tourism and having people being able to go out there and enjoy a night out." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new $35-million-dollar supercomputer is levelling up the country's weather predictions. Earth Sciences New Zealand says the new Cascade system is three times more powerful than its predecessor - helping provide earlier and more frequent forecasting. It's hoped the computer's advanced modelling capabilities could mitigate the impact of severe weather events. Spokesperson Jess Robertson says the machine is an 'absolute beast'. "It'll do more calculations in a day than you could do in 30 million years, and that mean's we're going to be able to run higher resolution forecasts quicker and get them out to people sooner." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former supermarket leader agrees New Zealand's lacking competition. The Government's aiming to put supermarkets that would improve competition up for being fast-tracked in new reforms. It comes as the Minister of Finance confirms there's been talks with Costco to potentially expand across the country in the coming years. Former Costco NZ managing director Patrick Noone says their West Auckland store's provided some savings. "In that same precinct, we had Pak’nSave, we had Woolworths across the street and we were able to operate and be extremely competitive with the local market." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria police say the search for a man who shot and killed two officers will take longer than expected.  The two men were gunned down on Tuesday while attempting to serve a search warrant at a rural property in Porepunkah - 300 kilometres outside of Melbourne.  A major police operation is underway to find accused gunman Dezi Freeman - who could still be armed.   Australian correspondent Murray Olds says hundreds of officers are tracking the suspect down - and helicopters are on the scene. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A change of luck for Super Rugby playoff sides. The 'Lucky Loser' format for the top-six has been tweaked after just one season, with the highest-ranked first round loser sliding to bottom seed for the remainder of the finals. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The boss of Air Zealand says he's proud they've made even two cents of a dollar this year - as profits drop 13.7 percent.  The airline's being hit hard by a sluggish domestic economy, with costs like landing charges, wages, and engineering material rising much faster than inflation. Outgoing CEO Greg Foran says he appreciates it's been a difficult few years.  "Whether it was starting when Covid began and doing capital raises and then hurriedly having to restart the business, and then a parade of engine challenges and now we've got a few other headwinds - but you learn." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nigel Farage recently unveiled his controversial plans to deport asylum seekers, but the Taliban have already voiced their support. The Taliban claimed it was 'ready and willing' to work with Farage to accept Afghans who have been deported from the UK. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 27 August 2025, Finance Minister Nicola Willis is slashing red tape in the hope it will attract another supermarket player to expand into New Zealand. Insurance costs have risen 900% in the past 25 years. Heather asks Kris Faafoi from the Insurance Council whether it's company greed or necessity. AT tries to defend its $63 million roadcone bill. The Huddle debates whether the Prime Minister was being cringe with his Facebook video inviting Taylor and Travis to get married in New Zealand. Plus, HE DID NOT! Heather reveals the outrageous thing her husband asked her. 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.

If I'm honest with you, the passing of John Barnett on Sunday has actually hit our house quite hard over the last three days - because at the start, nobody knew anything about what had happened. And as the information has come out, we've realized that when my husband bumped into him on the street on Sunday afternoon, it was literally just before he died They stopped for a chat, husband went in one direction, Barnett went in the other direction, and it wouldn't have been another 200m or so beyond that, that John collapsed. Now, I don't think the full force of it actually hit me until I was watching the television news about this last night, because, you know, you're watching somebody alive on TV in the footage, but not alive in real life anymore. And what struck me last night was that I never realized how big a force John Barnett was for us in New Zealand.  I knew what he'd done, we all knew what he'd done - Shorty Street, Whale Rider, all of that. But it wasn't until I heard the list rattled off that I realized the scale of the impact - Footrot Flats, Sione's Wedding, Whale Rider, Shortland Street, Once Were Warriors, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, Outrageous Fortune, apparently commissioning Dave Dobbyn and Herbs to make 'Slice of Heaven', and apparently helping to rescue people in Dawn Raid. I mean, how much of what we consider to be intrinsic parts of our culture, or at least reflections of our culture back to us, were created or facilitated by John Barnett? It was really easy to forget that when you knew John, because he's really easygoing and really gracious, never reminded you of what a big deal he actually was. He was just Barney, who you bumped into almost every week on the kindy run or at the weekend sitting outside Dizengoff or strolling down Ponsonby Road. The last time I saw him and sat down and properly had a chat to him was over dinner at Prego not long ago. And the thing that struck me about him was how much into life he still was at the age of 79. He still had an eye for a good yarn, he was telling us about the story he never got around to making, which is of the only woman ever to be jailed in London for being a hitman. She was a Kiwi - and his eyes lit up and he cracked a big smile telling the story. He was still enthusiastic about telling our stories back to us. I will miss seeing John on my walks, not nearly as much as his family and his wife and his dearest friends will miss him - but how lucky were we that he spent his life giving us this part of New Zealand back to us? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been revealed the Reserve Bank chairman sent a warning letter to Treasury in the wake of Adrian Orr's resignation. Neil Quigley warned that it would  'immediately destroy the goodwill' between the two entities if it publicly released details of the fateful meeting. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, lawyer and political commentator Liam Hehir and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The Government announced some new changes designed to get overseas retailers fast-tracked in a bid to boost competition in the grocery sector. Do we think these changes will make a difference? Do we need to axe the Ministry for Women? With the gender pay gap dropping, what else could it really do?  Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement today - what do we make of Chris Luxon encouraging them to have the wedding here?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The state of the US Federal Reserve has always prompted responses from financial markets, but recent actions from the Trump administration have raised eyebrows. Trump recently came out and said he was going to fire Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook earlier in the week. Milford Asset Management's Andrew Curtayne unpacked the market reactions  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent energy crisis has rippled out to the big companies, with Meridian the latest to take a significant financial hit. Meridian Energy recently confirmed a $452-million-dollar loss, after being hit by periods of low wind, two major droughts, and a shortage of gas. CEO Mike Roan says the company's been through a tough year, but they managed to shield customers from the high prices. "We took a hit, no question about that - but we kept the lights on, so electricity flowed to people." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States Government has been pushing for more full-fat dairy products, and one Kiwi expert confirmed there's health benefits. Robert F. Kennedy jnr has said for months that he wants the Government to endorse whole milk, reversing its earlier claims that Americans should consume low-fat milk and cheese to reduce the health risks. Nutritionist and AUT professor Caryn Zinn says there's a 'substantial' body of evidence that shows full-fat milk is healthier.  "Full-fat dairy products actually outperform low-fat dairy products when it comes to a number of chronic diseases - including lowering risk of childhood obesity, cardiovascular disease and type two diabetes." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Transport has spent more than $63 million dollars on traffic management and road cones in the past year.  Mayor Wayne Brown is criticising the figure - saying it equates to about 3 percent rates rises across the city.  But AT says it isn't too much considering its over $1.2-billion infrastructure programme.  Road Corridor Access and Coordination Group Manager Tracey Berkahn says new Government guidance may lower costs.  "Now there's a lot more thought put into a principles-based approach to it. And so, necessarily, you'll have fewer devices out there." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government expects new supermarkets to pop up in months, rather than years - with planned reforms. It's introducing legislation to pass before the end of the year to allow supermarkets that boost competition to be up for fast-track approval. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says supermarkets can also apply for streamlined building consents. "Really, it's just a matter of how quickly they can build."  Costco's confirmed its looking at opening new stores in New Zealand, after success in West Auckland. Meanwhile, the Government's looking at the costs and benefits of breaking up the supermarket duopoly. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A build-up of industry income changes could have driven the pay gap between men and women to a historic low.  The pay gap for the June quarter is sitting at 5.2 percent, down from the 8.2 percent seen a year ago. It's the smallest margin seen since Stats NZ began collecting the data in 1998.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says sectors like transport, IT and finance have been pushing through higher incomes for female workers.  "We've also seen continued larger pay increases for a number of quite large female-dominated industries alike - of education and health." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government hopes more progress on competing with the supermarket duopoly will bring down prices. It's announced what it calls an express lane, allowing for new supermarkets to open in New Zealand. If a supermarket will boost either regional or national competition, it will be considered to be fast-tracked. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says these changes are set to be pushed through quite quickly. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a big day for Swifties - as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement. The multi-Grammy winner and NFL star took to social media this morning, sharing photos of the proposal. US correspondent Jonathan Kearsley says this story interrupted the US Open coverage - and even made its way into President Trump's cabinet meeting. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data from Consumer NZ reveals insurance costs have soared over the last two decades, and there's concerns less households could access it going forward. The report notes the cost of insurance has gone up 916 percent since 2000 - ahead of the increase in the price of cigarettes and tobacco, which went up 608 percent. Insurance Council Chief Executive Kris Faafoi says there's been many high-profile disasters over that timeframe, which have helped drive up premiums. "Inflation affects us too - when it costs more for building costs, then rebuilding a house ends up being more expensive." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Māori All Black Shane Christie has died in Nelson, aged 39. Friends of Christie have told NZME it was believed his death was self-inflicted and came after a period during which concern over his wellbeing had increased. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave paid tribute. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has voiced strong disapproval with Labour's migration strategy, and he's set to unveil his own solution. Farage will outline his party's plans to tackle small boats crossings, and he's already pledged to detain and deport people coming into the UK illegally. UK correspondent Enda Brady speculates ahead of the announcement. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank's move to review banking capital rules has been welcomed by Federated Farmers. Banking spokesperson Mark Hooper says the stricter rules make it difficult for farmers to borrow money - and these changes will make things fairer. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to new reports, overseas interest in NZ-based companies is at a record high. A new survey by Simpson Grierson says 49 percent of international respondents considering moving more money into New Zealand, compared with 40 percent last year. Salt Funds managing director Matt Goodson explains what's driving this change. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, CTU economist Craig Renney and Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! More than a hundred students at Lincoln University are being re-tested after suspicions they used AI to cheat. Is this the right move from the university?  Are we in favour of 4-year parliamentary terms? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 26 August 2025, we're one step closer to a referendum on four year terms. But do we have the right safeguards in place to protect us from rogue Governments and bad decisions? Australia's Channel Nine Chief Political Editor Charles Croucher has the latest on news that Iran has been accused of orchestrating antisemitic attacks in Australia. Fonterra's consumer arm, Pic's Peanut Butter, now Eventfinda - foreign investors are lapping up Kiwi businesses. What's making us so attractive to overseas buyers? Lincoln University's Chad Hewitt explains why they're making a whole class defend their assignments because many of them are suspected of cheating with the use of AI. Plus, the Huddle debates four year terms and whether Universities need to change their approach on AI in exams. 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.

I think it is significant that David Seymour has walked away from supporting his own bill to bring in four-year terms for the Government. He was the one who introduced this bill - but he's now pulled ACT's support. Every other party in parliament appears to still back it, but he's pulled support because the safeguards that he wanted are gone. His idea was that we increase the terms from three to four years. So you vote the Government and you get three years - and now he wants to make it four years, which basically means giving the Government more power. But he was only okay with that if we balanced it out by taking away some power. And his idea was to allow the opposition parties to control every single select committee, giving them the power. But that part of the plan, the select committee part, has been removed. So David Seymour doesn't support his own idea anymore, which frankly, I think is a good idea, because he has ended up exactly where I have been this entire time. No to four-year terms unless there are new limits, because as it is, Governments in this country do not have much in the way of limits. If they want to pass a law, they can - they can do it under urgency if they want to. They can announce and pass it in literally the same day. That is what happened with the pay equity law. Did you like that? You want some more of that? Because that would happen with four years. This is why Jeffrey Palmer said that we have the fastest law in the West. Other countries have ways to limit or control or check the power of the executive. They have upper houses, they have senates, whatever. We've got nothing. Given that everyone else in parliament seems to support this, it seems to me there's a fair chance this is going to go to referendum for us to decide, perhaps at the next election. And people who want four years will tell you that you must say yes because Governments don't have enough time to do what they want, which is utter bollocks, because they do have enough time. I've realized in the last couple of years, it's not because of lack of time they don't get things done, it's because of a lack of will. This Government had enough time to make changes to the supermarkets and make changes to the banks and make changes to the energy sector. They've talked about it enough - but they haven't done it because they don't want to do it, because it takes balls. I don't want four years because two blocks of three years of Jacinda Ardern's lunatic Labour administration was enough. Can you imagine how broke the country would be after two blocks of four years? Unless there are new safeguards brought in - and there are no safeguards proposed. So it's a hard no. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZME is reporting an almost 12 percent rise in half-year earnings. The media company - which owns Newstalk ZB and the Herald - is reporting growth across audio, podcasts, subscriptions, and the OneRoof property website. CEO Michael Boggs says this is a strong result, given the tough economic environment, but there's hope for more growth.  "People are seeing green shoots, but sadly, I've been saying that for the last year in every one of our results announcements...this time, we've not done any forecast based on green shoots."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than a hundred students at Lincoln University are being re-tested after suspicions they used AI to cheat.  An entire post-graduate finance class is suspected of wrongdoing, with a threat of disciplinary action if they can't individually explain their workings in an in-person presentation involving coding and answering questions. The university's Provost, Professor Chad Hewitt, explained there are some cases where they allow the use of AI - but in this case, students were expected to use their own brain.  "The course has just identified a high number of suspected cases - as a consequence, the easiest thing to do is to bring the students in and ask them questions." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Events discovery platform Eventfinda could soon reach global markets, with help from Ticketek Entertainment Group. The live entertainment business has acquired Eventfinda, subject to conditions. Eventfinda will continue to operate under the same brand, and says clients can be assured that it’s business as usual. Co-founder James McGlinn says the team's 'overjoyed' with the new deal. "It couldn't come fast enough, we're really excited about it."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New intelligence reports have linked Iranian officials to multiple attacks against Australia’s Jewish community. Iran's ambassador to Australia and three other Iranian officials have been expelled and given a week to leave the country.  Australia's also suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran and designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist entity. Australian correspondent Charles Croucher says this is an 'unusual situation' and investigations are still ongoing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A referendum on increasing the parliamentary term to four years is looking highly likely.  This is despite a Select Committee Report confirming ACT - who proposed the bill - will only support it if stronger checks and balances are built into the system. This includes more powers to the opposition in committees. But Justice Select Committee Chair Andrew Bayly says they're suggesting possible dates.  "It's had almost unanimous agreement across the Committee that we should put it to referendum - the question is when." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand film and television producer John Barnett died on Sunday night, according to new reports. Barnett's known for working on some of the country's highest grossing films - including Footrot Flats, Whale Rider and Sione's Wedding. He ran South Pacific Pictures, the country's largest production company, from 1992 to 2015, and was made companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to film and television in 2019. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper recalled his experience working with John Barnett. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iran's ambassador to Australia has been expelled after intelligence revealed the Iranian government was behind two anti-Semitic attacks in Australia. The ambassador, as well as three other Iranian officials, have been given a week to leave the country. Australia's also suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran, and designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist entity. Australian correspondent Murray Olds explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Christchurch documentary maker is throwing her support behind a bill aiming to ban under-16s from social media after completing a 'distressing' social media experiment. Nadia Maxwell set up pages on TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat posing as a 13-year-old - and was quickly bombarded with content related to eating disorders and mental health issues.  She says she attempted the experiment before and after new safeguards for teens were introduced, but didn't notice much of a difference. "The only positive difference that I saw was that in part one there was a lot of oversexualised content - and so that's dropped down. But in terms of the sort of content you'd want your average 13-year-old sitting down in front of every day, there's so much heavy and distressing stuff."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TVNZ has opened a new 'game-changer' battleground with Sky TV - it will launch a pay-TV offering, starting with next year’s FIFA World Cup. TVNZ recently confirmed  it had successfully won the rights to the world’s biggest sports tournament, starting next June in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It confirmed it will screen All Whites matches and other selected games free - but for access to the full schedule of matches, people will need to pay for an event pass on TVNZ+. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People convicted of crimes in England and Wales could find themselves barred from going to pubs, concerts and sports matches under proposed new rules. The Government is looking into making changes to new sentencing rules, which will give the courts more power to enforce bans.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey explained that these changes could be a deterrent to criminals.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has indicated rate cuts could be on the cards soon. Powell indicated the tariffs were making an inflationary impact, but he explained the impact could still be temporary. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Campervan company Tourism Holdings has reported a bottom line net loss, which they're claiming reflects the economic situation in the US. Despite the weak results, the company's hopeful about incoming future growth, which is supported by  forward rental bookings showing double-digit percentage revenue growth in all markets except the US Tourism Holdings CEO Grant Webster explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani and Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  New data shows older police officers are concerned about the skills demonstrated by the younger graduates - is this a case of older cops projecting on young people or are their concerns valid? Housing Minister Chris Bishop recently said it was a good thing that house prices were dropping - what do we make of this?   Prime Minister Chris Luxon recently claimed he would have liked the Reserve Bank to cut the OCR more. Was this out of line?  Do we go on holidays with our friends?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'll tell you what I found interesting over the last few days it's the enormous surprise at the start, and now the debate about Chris Bishop saying it's a good thing that house prices are falling. He was asked about this on Friday and he said, yes, it's a good thing and that we've got to decouple the idea that the New Zealand economy is driven by house prices - labelling it 'artificial wealth'. The immediate response to that was shock that anyone could say it, but especially a National Party minister.  And now, 3 days later, there are still newspaper pieces expressing surprise that he's got away with it - in contrast to for example, Metiria Turei, who got smacked down for it, and Jacinda Ardern, who wouldn't go there. And what's more, the surprise is that the Prime Minister has now apparently contradicted him and said, no, he does want some modest and consistent house price rises. Look, Chris Bishop has got away with it because he's right. It is actually a good thing that house prices have come back. It sucks. It sucks right now quite badly, doesn't it? Cause none of us feel wealthy as our house prices drop. And it is definitely prolonging the recession because we're not spending like we normally would when our house price values increase, which makes us feel wealthy. But it is the short-term medicine that this economy needs for improvement, because we cannot keep plowing our money into property - we should be putting it into productive investments, for example, buying shares in Pic's or whatever. Now, I know people who are actually changing their behaviour because of what is going on with house prices. I know a woman who earlier thought about buying an investment property, but didn't - and will put her money into shares instead because it's much of a muchness now. To answer the question of why Chris Bishop can get away with it, when Metiria Turei got punished for it and when Jacinda Ardern wouldn't even go there for fear of public backlash - is because it is already happening. He's not threatening to do it to us like those two birds might have. It is already happening to us. He's actually said it before, by the way, so he is consistent. And maybe, just maybe, enough of us have already realized that this is the pain we have to go through - as much as we hate it right now - for the sake of future generations. And also, by the way, I like the fact that he said something that he truly believes in, rather than saying something that he might have thought we all want to hear. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 25 August 2025, did the PM overstep when he said he thinks the Reserve Bank should have cut the OCR more than they did? Finance Minister Nicola Willis says no but banking expert Dr Claire Matthews says yes! The Police Association's Chris Cahill says senior police officers are being too harsh on their new young colleagues - after a survey found the oldies don't think the young ones are not up to scratch. A concert promoter and a hospitality boss weigh in on what we should do to attract more big events to NZ. Pic Picot tells Heather why he decided to sell a 51% stake of his brainchild Pic's Peanut Butter to an Australian company. Plus, the Huddle debates whether house prices need to fall, and whether Chris Bishop is just a brave politician saying it out loud. 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.

Further work on tackling the supermarket duopoly is in the wings. The Finance Minister claimed an update is imminent on plans to improve competition in the supermarket sector. She says this has been an issue for decades - and she'll have more to say in coming weeks. Nicola Willis says the announcement won't be a 'silver bullet' but it will reveal what the Government's been working on. "I'm not going to be announcing an international supermarket chain with 50 stores that's going to be opening up next month." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The police union says senior police officers' apparent lack of confidence in incoming cops will provide an opportunity for development.  Senior officers have criticised the quality of new officers in a police college survey. More than half believe new staff were 'barely' or 'not at all' well equipped with procedures around making an arrest. Police Association President Chris Cahill says it demonstrates where effort is needed. "We've always said over the years that the group after us aren't as good as we were and there's an element of that in there, but it certainly gives a steer where they need to put more resources in LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A private Australian firm has bought a majority stake in the famous Kiwi peanut butter firm Pic’s. The hugely successful Nelson-based company is now 51.3 percent owned by Melbourne-based Scalzo Foods, with founder Pic Picot keeping the rest. Picot says he's happy with this move, as the company needs the extra money. "We have big plans and we were getting sort of stuck with a bit too much debt - and I'm ready to do other things." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A pharmacist says her industry's under an unsustainable amount of pressure, off the back of two high-profile cases. New reports revealed a pharmacist failed to consult a man's GP three times on his blood thinner medication before he suffered a fatal brain bleed. Meanwhile, a Dunedin woman suffered an overdose of fentanyl after being given six times her prescribed dosage. Mangawhai Pharmacy director Lanny Wong says we need to rethink how pharmacists are funded. "For the last two decades, we've been doing the same type of work for less. So in order to keep our business viable, we need to dispense more prescription." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.