Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

He’s descended from a Treaty signatory, an All Black and the ‘Voice of New Zealand’, but John Bryers Ruddock can't get his kids New Zealand citizenship - so he's taking legal action. John himself was born overseas and was dismayed to discover there was no easy way to secure Kiwi citizenship for his US-born children, in part because he was born offshore. He says it would have been easier to get approved if he was coming in as a migrant - and it feels 'unconstitutional'. "Because I'm not on a visa or applying for a visa myself, they all get charged individually. So normally, say, if I had 20 kids and I was here on a visa or applying for my residence visa, it would cost me $3200 for being all my dependent children. But because I'm a citizen and not on a visa, they charge them individually." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of migrants to cross the English Channel in small boats since the Labour party came to power 13 months ago is expected to have reached 50,000.  The Government says it’s an 'unacceptable number of people' but pointed to the 'one in, one out' returns deal with France as a deterrent. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says opposition MPs have been quick to accuse the Government of 'surrendering the borders'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank is moving to cut 20 percent of its staff in a bid to unwind the hiring spree by former Governor Adrian Orr. The restructure will see the net reduction on 142 roles, including 35 vacant positions. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson 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!  Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Grant Robertson have all declined to be interviewed publicly by the Covid inquiry. Should they have fronted? Did Chlöe Swarbrick deserve to get booted out of Parliament today? Should she have apologised? What did we make of Debbie Ngarewa-Packer dropping the C-word in Parliament?  The Education Minister is cutting Māori words from five-year-olds' school phonics books. Is this a bad look? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US inflation held steady in July, with consumer prices rising 2.7 percent - depite the ongoing concerns around import tariffs. Figures are better than economists feared, but underlying pressures make the Federal Reserve's next move unclear. Milford Asset Management's Michael Luke explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unionised secondary teachers who say kids' needs aren't being met in school will strike next week, nationwide. They'll step away from the job next Wednesday after rejecting a three percent pay increase over three years. The PPTA says experienced teachers will be crucial to successfully rolling out proposed Government NCEA reforms. President Chris Abercrombie says the teachers introduced a counter-offer, but it's up to the Government to do their part. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I can't blame you if your assessment of Parliament today is that it's become a circus, because what happened today is kind of hard to defend or even explain. Chlöe was kicked out, Brownlee suspended her for a week and all of the Government parties voted for that punishment - and that includes New Zealand First, before Winston Peters then got up to tell Jerry Brownlee that the punishment wasn't fair, even though he just voted for the punishment. And then Debbie got up and said the C-word again. Now, Chlöe did actually break the rules. I mean, this is another one of those seemingly arbitrary or hard to explain rules in Parliament - that MPs can't accuse each other of being cowards. Nick Smith did it in 2003, he accused MPs across the house of not having the spine to debate a vote. He withdrew and apologized. Steve Chadwick did it in 2007, she accused the opposition of being absolutely gutless and spineless. She withdrew and apologized. John Key did it in 2015, quite famously when he yelled at Labour to get some guts over the war, but he got away with it and actually probably shouldn't have. So Chlöe did break the rules. But then, Debbie got up and said the C-word, and she didn't break the rules. So explain that. How is accusing other MPs of being spineless worse than dropping the C-bomb in the House of Representatives? I mean, sure, one is aimed at someone and the other one is just a swear word that's been dropped. But when you get into explaining that level of nuance on offensiveness, I think you've lost the audience. Plus, why is Gerry Brownlee all of a sudden the tough cop?  I mean, this is the guy who was wringing his hands over the Māori Party getting kicked out of Parliament for 3 weeks for the haka in David Seymour's face and for refusing to turn up to the Privileges Committee and for them leaking the recommended punishment from the Privileges Committee. But when Chlöe says basically the same thing that John Key once said without punishment, Jerry comes down on her like a ton of bricks. Frankly, none of this makes sense anymore. I mean, it does on a level of detail and minutia, sure, but explaining it to a normal person, no sense whatsoever. But guess who's loving this? Chlöe's loving this, because Chlöe's learned from Te Pāti Māori and the haka that there's one surefire way to get attention, and that's to break the rules of Parliament and not be sorry. What a circus. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 13 August 2025, Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins and other former Labour Ministers have declined to give evidence at a public Covid inquiry. National's Chris Bishop says it's "disgraceful". Drama in Parliament, with Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick kicked out of the House for the second day in a row. Former Speaker Sir David Carter says Gerry Brownlee is right to crack down on MPs misbehaving. Bad news if you have kids at secondary school. Teachers are going on strike next Wednesday and PPTA president Chris Abercrombie tells Heather just how big a payrise they're after. Kiwi woman Sarah Shaw is still in a US detention centre with her 6-year old. Her lawyer speaks to Heather. Plus, the Huddle debates whether Chloe Swarbrick deserved her suspensions - and whether the ex-ministers should front up to the Covid inquiry. 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.

Education Minister Erica Stanford has received some backlash by excluding most Māori words from five-year-olds' school phonics books. A Ministry of Education report shows Stanford decided to exclude all Māori kupu - except characters' names - last year, out of concern it would confuse children. Canterbury University's professor Gail Gillon helped develop the phonics readers. She says confusion doesn't appear to be an issue.  "The evidence that we have would suggest that our five-year-old children are coping very well with the inclusion of just a few kupu Māori in these early readers." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Embassy staff have made contact with Sarah Shaw - the Kiwi woman being detained along with her son at a US immigration facility. The pair were detained on the Canadian border three weeks ago. Shaw's lawyer Minda Thorward says she's using every legal process she can to get the pair out - but it's ultimately up to DHS. "We're hoping that they're just going to release her and her son later this week - although they may still remain in proceedings. But we're still just waiting to find out what's going to happen." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Current and former Labour leaders and ministers deciding not to appear at the Royal Commission's Covid inquiry is being described as 'disgraceful'.  Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Grant Robertson and Ayesha Verrall, who were all involved in Covid decisions - have declined invitations to appear.  They say it would have been performative - not informative - and there's a risk livestream recordings could be manipulated and misused.  National MP Chris Bishop says they should front up because New Zealanders deserve answers over the scale of Covid spending, which is still having impacts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was drama and controversy in the House today, after Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick doubled down and refused to apologise for saying MPs with spines would act on Gaza. Swarbrick has since been booted from Parliament for not apologising. Former Speaker Sir David Carter says he should have asked Prime Minister John Key to withdraw - when he told the Opposition to 'get some guts' in 2015. "In hindsight, when you get a chance to review the tape and hear it again - yes, I would have asked him to withdraw and apologise. I would have settled the House down if I'd done that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was drama in Parliament today after Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick doubled down and refused to apologise for comments made yesterday. She was kicked out of the House for again not apologising for saying Government MPs with a spine should support sanctioning Israel more over Gaza. She was 'named', which means her pay will be docked. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says everyone's talking about Chlöe Swarbrick's conduct, which is what she wanted. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's uncertainty over how Donald Trump's dialling up of law enforcement in Washington DC will play out.  The President has placed the DC Metropolitan Police Department under federal control, and has deployed roughly 800 National Guards. US correspondent Jonathan Kearsley says local authorities have claimed Trump's measures to crack down on crime in DC aren't necessary - and that violent crime is at a 30-year low. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors have re-signed Te Maire Martin for the 2026 season, ending speculation on his future at the NRL club. Martin had been shaping for a move away from the Warriors earlier in the year, but has proven invaluable in recent times as a 'Fix-it man' in the side ravaged by injuries. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's growing calls among Auckland business leaders to get the city's economy going again. According to the latest Stats NZ data, Auckland’s 6.1 percent unemployment rate for the June 2025 quarter was the highest of any region and above the national rate of 5.2 percent. Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck says the Government needs to find a solution to get the city moving again. "We're talking to people on the street, businesses who have struggled through 10 years...they need people, they need customers, they need people here and events are a proven way of doing that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Vice President JD Vance and his family have taken a trip to the Cotswolds - and his extensive security detail have raised some eyebrows among the locals. The 20-vehicle convoy has prompted some backlash from the residents. UK correspondent Enda Brady explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, former Green MP Gareth Hughes and Thomas Scrimgeour from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Minister Shane Jones is looking into rationing gas - do we think this is a realistic idea? Do we need to recognise the state of Palestine now - or is the Government right to wait? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meat processor Alliance Group says Dawn Meats is lining up to pay $250 million for a 65 percent stake in the meat co-op. Alliance, a farmer-owned co-operative and New Zealand’s biggest sheep meat exporter, said the deal would give it an enterprise value of $502 million. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spark New Zealand is selling 75 percent of its data centre business for about half a billion dollars. Australian-owned Pacific Equity Partners is taking the controlling share of the $705-million-dollar business. Spark will move its data centre assets and operations into a new stand-alone company. Devon Funds Head of Retail Greg Smith explains what this could mean for the business. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 12 August 2025, is the Government about to ration our gas usage? Resources Minister Shane Jones speaks to Heather. Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour explains why the Government is taking its time before it recognises Palestine as a state. There are calls to urgently help a Kiwi mum and her son who have been held in US immigration detention for almost three weeks. Heather speaks to her friend to find out how desperate the woman's situation is. Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Commodore David Blakey explains the huge rule changes coming for the next America's Cup. Plus, the Huddle debates whether National should roll Chris Luxon. 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.

A growing number of businesses are reporting losses and economists have voiced concerns. IRD data shows that in the 2023 tax year, 107,360 companies out of 475,010 reported a current loss. Another 40,670 were carrying a loss over from a previous tax year. Infometrics Chief Forecaster Gareth Kiernan says these figures are consistent with the current deterioration of the economy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm happy to report to you that it looks like some of us want to play the old 'should Luxon be rolled' game. In the wake of the not-so-great polls that came out yesterday, there is a column by Andrea Vance - who I am name-checking because she's good and credible, and not just some junior reporter with an opinion. In her column, she predicts that Luxon is in trouble, that his caucus is getting impatient, that speculation about his leadership has reached fever pitch - and that if it doesn't improve, she is not sure that he's going to be the one leading the National Party at election time this time next year. Now, if this is really what National MPs are considering, they should ditch that idea immediately because Luxon's not their problem. I mean, he is a problem. There's no debate that with personal popularity sitting at about 20 percent, he is a drag on the National Party - but he is not their actual problem. Their actual problem is that the economy is stuffed and that they haven't yet figured out what to do to fix it, even though they've had 18 months.  And it really doesn't matter who the leader is, whether it's Nicola or Chris Bishop, or Erica, or Mark Mitchell or Golden Balls, it doesn't matter. They still will not have a plan for the economy. Now, if they're worried about their polling right now, they should try playing the game of musical leadership chairs and see what happens to their polling then, because they're still not going to have a plan for the economy - but then they'll also have voters feeling like it's a shambles up the top in the Beehive and not sure what's going on there. Yes, they have a problem and yes, you can see it in the polls. So fix it. Come up with a solution. Come up with a credible plan for fixing the economy now and into the future. That is where the Nats should be directing their energy, not into undermining Chris Luxon. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health New Zealand is apologising after significant failings led to two murders in Canterbury. An urgent Ministry review was ordered after an on-leave Hillmorton Hospital in-patient killed Laisa Tunidau as she walked home from work in 2022.  During the review - a patient gardening for 83-year-old Frances 'Faye' Phelps, killed her in her home. Health NZ National Director for Mental Health and Addictions Phil Grady says they accept the failings identified in the report. "There is an international challenge in recruiting mental health staff, they are the key engine for operating mental health services. We're focusing really hard on the country, but also on Canterbury." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron has voiced support for the recent protocol shakeup set to impact the next America's Cup. The 38th instalment in Naples in 2027 will see the number of sailors on board drop from eight to five, a requirement for one of those to a female, batteries replacing manual power and the introduction of a cost cap. The protocol also outlines a new partnership between all teams, establishing equal authority among those involved. Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Commodore David Blakey says the requirement to have a female sailor on board will open doors for new talent. "What this does is that it creates a pathway for our talented young female sailors to go all the way and be able to compete on the America's Cup boats themselves." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Resources Minister Shane Jones is investigating whether to ration gas to keep some businesses going. Fertiliser co-operative Ballance last week revealed it's considering a four-month temporary closure after it failed to renew its long-term gas deal. It was outbid by Contact Energy, which is supplying homes. Jones says he'll be focusing on what's doable, to help solve the shortage. "We're not making any blunt decisions, for example, we've got hospitals and schools dependent on gas." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Deputy Prime Minister has shaken off accusations from the opposition over the Government's decision to take its time in recognising a Palestinian state. The Government plans to make an official decision in the coming weeks. David Seymour says the Government will take the time needed to decide its stance.  "The Government is taking its time - some say this conflict goes back 4000 years. I don't think it's a major problem for the Government of New Zealand on the other side of the world to take a few weeks to come to a sober and sensible decision."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick will be kicked out of Parliament tomorrow, unless she says sorry for remarks made today. The Auckland Central MP was sent out of the House, after refusing to apologise for suggesting MPs who don't support sanctioning Israel more - don't have a spine. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper questions what Swarbrick aims to accomplish - and wonders what taking a stance on Palestine will do for the wider conflict. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's Reserve Bank has cut its official cash rate 25 basis points, to 3.6 percent.  It's the lowest it's been since April 2023.  Australian correspondent Murray Olds says conditions were right for a cut - and he explained inflation appeared to be under control and unemployment is rising.  New Zealand's own Reserve Bank will make its next OCR decision, on Wednesday next week.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America’s Cup teams will be required to compete with a female sailor on board, batteries will replace manual power, and a cost cap has been introduced, in a major shake-up for the next edition. They are just some of the changes made for the 38th instalment in Naples in 2027 with the long-awaited protocol confirmed and released today. The number of sailors on board an AC75 will drop from eight to five, with neither grinders nor cyclors expected to feature.  Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A friend of a New Zealander detained by the US immigration service says it's a 'desperate' situation.   Kiwi Sarah Shaw and her six-year-old son are at a Texas detention facility, after being arrested at the US border with Canada three weeks ago.   Friend Victoria Besancon says the child's legal papers are all in order, but there was some difficulty with Shaw's.  She says the two can't stay there.  "The detention centres in America are pretty comparable to prisons, so she's not doing the best." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Motorists over 70 could be banned from the roads if they fail compulsory eye tests as part of a wider shake-up of driving laws in the UK. These changes also include reducing the drink-driving limit in England and Wales and introducing penalty points for passengers not wearing seatbelts. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The next US Consumer Price Inflation report will be out this week, and economists are speculating about what this could mean going forward. Markets are keeping an eye on things, as inflation continues to be an issue in the US. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly explains 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!  Australia has confirmed it will recognise Palestine as a state at the next UN General Assembly. Should we follow their lead? Will this mean anything?  The Government is underperforming in the latest batch of polls - how bad does this all look? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new $130 million luxury hotel development in Queenstown is designed to draw in more high-spending visitors. The new hotel will sit on an elevated 1.2 hectare site in front of the award-winning Kamana Lakehouse hotel in Fernhill. Once completed, it will encompass 37 ultra high-end residences across 10 architecturally designed villas, with a central facilities building. Destination Queenstown CEO Mat Woods says this will be a draw card for the entire nation - not just Queenstown. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 11 August 2025, Australia says it will recognise Palestine as a state, and New Zealand says it will make a decision on the same on one month. International relations expert Professor Robert Patman tells Heather why this is an important step - and whether it will mean any more aid gets to the starving people of Gaza.   Labour leader Chris Hipkins on why his party keeps climbing the polls - and whether he would let the Greens' Chloe Swarbrick be his Finance Minister. Will Christchurch's new stadium be ready for the Super Rugby Round in April?   Destination Queenstown's Mat Woods on the new super luxury hotel that's being built in Queenstown. Plus, the Huddle debates the pros and cons of recognising a Palestinian state and whether the Government needs more "legacy" projects. 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.

Let's talk about this political poll. National is behind Labour. National's on 32, Labour's on 34. Now, this is not the first time that National has fallen behind Labour since the last election. The first time it happened was November last year. Then it happened again in January, twice. Then it happened again in March, twice. Then it happened in May, then it happened twice in June, and then it happened twice just in the last month. Now, it is becoming more and more frequent that this is happening. And if you see it in its graph form, it's actually quite arresting, what's going on here. This is not an aberration, this is a trend of National consistently losing ground and Labour consistently making up ground. This has been happening since the election, but it really started to gather steam at the start of this year. Now, I do not think that Labour will win the next election because I think their bedfellows and the Greens and the Māori Party are just way too nutty. I don't think enough people will want to vote for Labour, but National should be worried because these polls show that enough voters don't want to vote for National either, because right now, they are profoundly disappointing, aren't they? I mean, answer me this question - what has this Government done to help the economy? Apart from the investment tax boost incentive in the budget in May, what have they actually done? I feel like the answer is nothing. Yes, this economy was shot when they took it over, it's not their fault, but their election promise was to get it back on track. But in order to get it back on track, you actually have to do something, and they've done nothing. They're spending more than Grant, they're running deficits from here until basically the end of their possible term, and they're making announcements of things they might want to do sometime in the future, but they're not doing it just yet. If there is a vibe in this country right now, especially in places like Auckland and Wellington, it's a vibe that I reckon kicked in about 5 or 6 weeks ago properly, just after the halfway mark of this Government's electoral term, when people realized - you know what? We're halfway through and they've done nothing, and this economy still sucks. And that, I think, is what you're seeing in this poll, just a lot of disappointment. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says the latest One-News Verian poll shows the fight is on.  Chris Luxon's popularity has dropped to a two-year low, while National sit steady on 34 percent and Labour shoots up four to 33 percent.  Today's earlier Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll predicted a hung Parliament. Nicola Willis says it comes down to who people trust to steer the economy.  "The reality is, the economy is still recovering. And that means that we're not seeing instant overnight success - we never claimed that we would - but we are doing the right thing." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two South Auckland councillors are accusing the city's mayor of hypocrisy.  Wayne Brown hit out at councillors for not attending meetings.  Lotu Fuli and Alf Filipaina pointed to official data showing they'd outperformed Brown in attendance.  In response, Brown claimed they were 'being Pacific victims'.   Filipaina says Brown is the one playing the race card.  "I think he just wants people to bow down to him - and I'm not that person." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The race for Election 2026 is on a knife-edge, with this morning's new poll revealing it could go either way. The new Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll projects a hung Parliament, at 61 seats each for the the left and right blocs. Labour leader Chris Hipkins says the party aims to focus on the issues that matter to Kiwis ahead of the next election  "I think New Zealanders want a Government of stability and I think Labour can deliver a Government of stability." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch is set to host one of Super Rugby's biggest events, locking in the first big sporting match for the city's new stadium. The new Te Kaha stadium will host Super Rugby's 'Super Round' across Anzac weekend next season - one week after the venue has its grand opening. Venues Ōtautahi chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare says they've been waiting 15 years for this stadium and they're excited to crack on. "We're confident, we're going to have plenty of time to have a really good hand-over to test the venue."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One international relations expert says New Zealand needs to make up its mind on Palestinian statehood fairly quickly.  Australia today promised to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly in September. Our Government says it's still weighing options - and will decide over the next month.  Otago University's Robert Patman says it'll be pondering whether recognition will strengthen or weaken Hamas. But he says New Zealand should not dilly-dally.  "I thin there's a danger of mismatch between the gravity of the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, and the New Zealand Government's 'wait-and-see' response." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National could have a waiting game, as a new political poll predicts a hung Parliament. The latest Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll gives the left and right blocs 61 seats each. It also has Labour overtaking National. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Luxon has refused to weigh in on this matter - and aims to focus on the economy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. It will join other countries like Germany, France and the UK. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he wants a two state solution that recognises Israel and Palestine's right to exist.  Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says it's likely Australians will be mixed about this statement. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health NZ has acknowledged the pile of work needed on heart health. Research by advocacy group Kia Manawanui Trust shows half of all heart attack patients aren't seen within internationally accepted timeframes. It also finds New Zealand has a third of the cardiologists it needs.  Health NZ chief clinical officer, Dr Richard Sullivan, says it's much broader than cardiologists - and the whole sector needs help. "We need more echo technicians, we 're working hard to do that. We need more cardiac physiologists, we need more nurse practitioners and advanced nurse specialists - we need the workforce." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A key player could be back for the Warriors' next NRL game against the Dragons at Mt Smart on Friday. Hooker Wayde Egan's been dealing with a shoulder issue, with Freddy Lussick and Sam Healey filling in at dummy-half during their loss to the Bulldogs in Sydney. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explains what this means for the team's chances of getting back into the top four. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 8 August 2025, the Israeli security cabinet has approved plans to take full control of Gaza. Israeli journalist Haggai Matar tells Heather this specifically means the IDF wants to take control of Gaza City but it's unclear where civilians are supposed to go. Oranga Tamariki is celebrating the end of the bootcamps pilot as a success. OT's Iain Chapman tells Heather for some kids the process has been totally life changing. Labour's Willow-Jean Prime is under fire for declining information or briefings on the Government's big changes to education - was she just being lazy? Otago University Professor Angela Ballantyne tells Heather how GPs are embracing AI - and what the pitfalls are that patients should be aware of. Plus, the Sports Huddle gets fired up on the issue of Richie Mo'unga and whether it's time to ditch NZ Rugby's eligibility rules. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK Government has called the group Palestine Action ‘terrorists’ after members associated with the group were found on an RAF base.  Palestine Action have organised a large protest in central London this weekend, but the Metropolitan Police are warning that anyone showing support for the group will be arrested.   UK Correspondent Gavin Grey says that the predicted number of attendees at this protest will stretch police resources to their limit.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Treasury report has pointed out that government spending is still near its peak during the pandemic.  This comes after finance minister Nicola Willis said her government won’t repeat the previous government’s mistakes.  Former finance minister Ruth Richardson told Heather duPlessis-Allan that ‘[Nicola Willis] needs to face up to what the Treasury is telling her.’  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump has called India a country with a ‘dead economy.’  Despite India being one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the world, Trump lumped India in with Russia when criticising their economies.  Asia business correspondent Peter Lewis says that Donald Trump’s comments could affect the two countries’ trade.   He told Heather duPlessis-Allan that ‘It’s rather upended the relationship’   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.