Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Ali Jones from Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issue of the day - and more! Minister Chris Bishop has given the green light for the demolishing of the Gordon Wilson Flats after stripping them of their heritage status. What do we make of this? Why do we think most of Gen Z aren't interested in pursuing leadership positions anymore? Do they lack ambition? Is it fair to allow employers to sack highly paid workers without the proper process? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One expert has warned China has lost trust in New Zealand as a trading partner - and it could impact the current FTA. Prime Minister Chris Luxon is leading a trade delegation to China, with a meeting with China's President Xi Jinping set to take place this coming Friday. Mahon China Investment Management CEO David Mahon says Luxon's sending over a modest delegation over a short timeframe - and it's sending the wrong message to China. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 17 June 2025, the Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey gets a grilling following calls for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into forensic mental health. It comes after two shocking cases of people being killed by mental health patients.   US president Donald Trump has left the G7 summit early to deal with the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, after warning 10 million residents of Tehran to evacuate their city. Channel 9 correspondent Charles Croucher tells Heather it seems that Donald Trump has lost control of the global situation. Should people who earn over $180,000 be able to get sacked more easily? Heather thinks not! Plus, the Huddle debates about heritage rules and whether the Gordon Wilson Flats are ugly and should be demolished. 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 has unveiled new changes for Employment Relations Act aimed at improving labour market flexibility - but it's raised some concerns. One of the proposed changes includes introducing an income threshold of $180,000 above which a personal grievance for unjustified dismissal cannot be pursued. Director and Head of Practice at Jennifer Mills & Associates, Jennifer Mills, says this threshold seems 'arbitrary'. "I would have thought that all employees would have the right to access these grievance protections - what's worse is somebody who earns over $180,000 doesn't have a right to have any information about the decision to terminate their employment and they don't even have an opportunity to respond to a proposal." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'll tell you what I'm gonna be watching with some interest in the next few weeks -  that employment bill that ACT has just introduced to Parliament that would make it a lot easier for employers to fire staff who earn more than $180,000 because those high earning staff would not be able to take personal grievance cases for justified dismissal. Now, I say high earning with air quotes, because while yes, these people do earn a lot more than the average wage, I don't think that they earn so much that they can be considered, I don't know, rich pricks and treated so callously as to simply fire them without them having any recourse. Many of these people, I think, will probably be raising families - because you don't earn $180,000 plus if you're in your early 20s, do you? These are people who are in management, maybe even in upper management, and I'd imagine that they've got families to feed and families to look after, so I imagine these people would be amongst the most stressed if they could just lose their jobs all of a sudden. I think ACT is taking something of a political gamble here, because I would have thought that this is a case of ACT screwing over some of its own voters. Because remember, ACT does well in well-heeled places like Epsom, which is where people earning more than $180,000 a year live. Now, I'm not sure what's made ACT feel like they have to do this, because it's not as if there has been this huge public debate about how people on $180,000 plus have been terrible employees who need to have their employment rights stripped. And if anything, this is just going to provide work for lawyers because people on this kind of money will have the means, and if they have families to feed, the motivation as well, to litigate, and I suspect that they will. So I'm very keen to see if ACT actually goes through with this part of its plan, because from where I'm sitting, this just looks like a really weird idea with more downsides than upsides. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research indicates most of Gen Z aren't aiming for leadership roles in their future careers. An annual Deloitte survey says only six percent of Gen Z respondents stated they had leadership aspirations.  Nelson's deputy mayor Rohan O'Neill Stevens is within the Gen Z age range - and he says this survey shows this group has different goals to their predecessors. "When you look at the top scoring results there, it's things like maintaining a good work-life balance and achieving financial independence - which doesn't necessarily exclude leadership as a part of that."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An architect is pushing back on plans to demolish Wellington's Gordon Wilson Flats - on the Terrace. They were built in the late 1950s and have heritage status for being relatively unique social housing. Housing Minister Chris Bishop has intervened to let owners, Victoria University, demolish the building, which it'll replace with student accommodation. Architect Ken Davis says it's part of our cultural heritage. "If we pull it down, we're destroying some existing viable housing units that already exist - they only need to be refurbished."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ardie Savea's urging Moana Pasifika fans to stick with the team - after confirming he won't play Super Rugby next year. The All Blacks vice-captain is taking up a second Japanese sabbatical in 2026 - returning to the Kobe Steelers team he played for last year. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Minister Deborah Russell raised a few eyebrows after dropping the f-bomb in the House. ACT's David Seymour has been quick to criticise this - and it's sparked further discussion. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls wonders if this is an attempt to grab attention - in line with similar scandals. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese missed out on an upcoming meeting with Donald Trump after the US President left the G7 summit early. Trump completed an earlier meeting with UK Prime Minister Starmer, where the pair were able to discuss the future of the AUKUS alliance. Australian correspondent Murray Olds said Albanese will have other chances to meet with Trump. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Royal Commission of Inquiry into mental health care is looking unlikely - despite pressure over repeat killings by two patients. Hillmorton Hospital resident, Elliot Cameron, murdered his 83-year-old Christchurch gardening client in October, with new revelations he killed his brother 50 years ago. This year, another man was found not guilty on insanity grounds - for killing a second time.  Minister Matt Doocey says questions are being asked on clinical decisions.  Doocey says he expects the external reviews and coronial inquests to be answering these questions, as that's why they take place.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concerns the Israel and Iran conflict is about to escalate, as Donald Trump leaves the G7 summit early. The US President's cut his time in Canada short - not long after telling people to evacuate Iran's capital, Tehran. Channel 9 chief political editor, Charles Croucher, says the whole world is watching. "It seems, from what's coming out of America that the US aren't directly involved in whatever happens next, but it's clear that they've been told - or at least it appears they've been told - that something is about to happen." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A housing advocate says New Zealand's homelessness is the worst she's seen in 20 years.  The Government's celebrating one-year of its Priority One policy - which moves families out of motel rooms into secure housing.  Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka doesn't believe any increase in rough sleeping is due to Government policy.  Lifewise chief executive Haehaetu Barrett says she disagrees.  "We didn't have appropriate pipelining happening for people coming out of the motels who had been stuck there for more than two years - and a lot of the habits we've been seeing on the streets today actually started in the motels." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Large protests are held in Spain, Italy and Portugal calling for a curb on mass tourism - with Barcelona organisers telling demonstrators to bring water pistols to shoot at holidaymakers.  Campaigners say excessive levels of tourism are forcing locals out of affordable housing, raising the cost of living and making the city centres 'unusable'. UK correspondent Gavin Grey unpacked the protests further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and former Labour minister Stuart Nash joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!   Heather's disappointed that the Government hasn't followed on after all their talk on reform. They've only gotten rid of 2000 public servants so far - what do we make of all this? Chris Luxon copped some backlash after he started talking about potentially cutting sick leave entitlements from 10 back to 5 days - then had to clarify that that's actually not on the Government's agenda. Was this mishandled?  Woolworths has launched tearless onions. Would you buy them? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel and Iran have been engaged in air strikes for several days now - and experts have wondered what the conflict could mean for the wider world. It's day three of the latest conflict, as the two countries exchange deadly attacks following Israel's initial assault on Friday.  Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly unpacked the market reactions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amid an ongoing shortage in professional therapists, Kiwis are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for help with their mental health issues. Minister Matt Doocey has claimed up to 20 percent of New Zealand's unmet mental health needs could be solved using chatbot services like ChatGPT. Clinical psychologist Jaqui Maguire says the technology is helpful in some cases - but it's unlikely it can completely fill the gap. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 16 June 2025, Foreign Minister Winston Peters tells Kiwis in Iran and Israel to get away from the "arc of danger" but the ways out are limited. Are your sick leave entitlements on the chopping block? The Government walks back the PM's claim that the entitlement might soon drop from 10 to 5 days. Roles reversed? Heather gets a telling off from Finance Minister Nicola Willis. Plus, the Huddle debates whether National is turning out to be Labour in a blue jacket and the taste of tearless onions. 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.

This morning, the Prime Minister was asked about the 2000 public servants that had lost their jobs. 2000 are out but 64,000 remain. Chris Luxon saw nothing wrong with that.   That right there is part of the reason why this Government is polling so poorly, because it's all talk, isn't it, bugger all action. Now I'm sorry. I realize this is a lot to start the week with - we're starting strident. I don't mean to continue like that - but were you as surprised as I was to hear that we've only cut 2000 public servants? And were you even more surprised that the Prime Minister's explanation is no more than a verbal shrug? This, I think, will be profoundly disappointing to a lot of people who expected this Government to get public spending under control. And cutting public servants is part of getting that spending under control. There is no reason why we have as many public servants as we have today. 63,000 - there is no reason why we have more than double the 30,000 public servants that we had in 2001. Our population hasn't doubled since 2001. It's gone up about 37 percent. If you adjust accordingly, then we should have 41,000 public servants, not 63,000 public servants. Now, I would have expected that the Prime Minister would have a better explanation than simply saying - at least it's not as bad as Labour. Well, maybe so, but I hoped for better. I hoped for a Government that was gonna actually turn this around. Certainly more than a Government that just feels like it's actually Labour dressed in blue clothing. And isn't this just the latest example of talk from this Government that is not being matched by action? They promised to cut spending every year, and they spend more than Grant Robertson. They promise to get on top of debt every year, and they add more to the debt. They promise to stop the race-based policies - and we just keep finding them. They keep waving them through unless we bust them at it. I think this, in part, answers the question that we were asking last week, which is why is it that 3 polls in a row were so tight that it wasn't actually clear if this Government would win an election if an election was held today. This is why they're not brave enough. They should be braver. In fact, if they were braver, they might be more popular. It's worth remembering that for all the hard decisions that were taken by the 4th Labour Government, which is definitely the most transformational that we can think of, right? For all those tough decisions taken in the first 3 years, they actually came back with a bigger majority in 1987. So maybe, you get rewarded for doing what you say you'll do, tough as it may be, rather than just talking tough and then doing very little. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister made it clear she was unimpressed with the way the RBNZ handled public communication around Adrian Orr’s departure. Reserve Bank board chair Neil Quigley recently revealed he 'regretted' the time it took to release information around Orr's surprise resignation. Nicola Willis says the central bank could have provided some clarifying statements more promptly than they did. "As soon as they'd worked through what they could say with the former governor, there was obviously significant public interest in that information. And it would have been in everybody's best interests for them to share that at an earlier junction."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctors specialising in menopause have expressed relief following Pharmac's recent u-turn.  Pharmac has announced it'll fund both the Estradot and Mylan brands of hormone replacement patches from December, after public consultation. It follows backlash in response to its decision to switch suppliers  Menodoctor Clinical Director Dr Linda Dear says this is the news they needed to hear.  She says it's good to have these options because one may work better for some women than the other - and added losing Estradot recently was devastating. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's questions over how well vaping regulations will be monitored. New rules come in tomorrow, including stricter advertising restrictions for vape retailers and a ban on disposable vapes Aspire Aotearoa Tobacco Control's Doctor Jude Ball says non-compliance is a problem overseas. But she says the number of enforcement agents has increased, so she's expecting the rules to be enforced. "These measures are designed to protect children and young people from a predatory industry, so without that enforcement, they're really meaningless." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Workers may soon be eligible for different amounts of sick leave based on the hours they work.   This morning, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon revealed the Workplace Relations Minister is looking at altering the current 10 day entitlement. Brooke van Velden says Cabinet has already agreed to develop a pro-rated sick leave system.  "Is it fair that someone who works maybe one day a week, maybe two days a week gets the same sick leave entitlements as someone who works full-time? We would say no, as a Government."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters says the Government's providing the best possible advice to New Zealanders in Iran and Israel.  This afternoon, the Foreign Affairs Minister called the escalation of tension in the Middle East the most 'uncertain' geopolitical circumstances he's ever seen.  At last count, there are 50 Kiwis registered as being in Iran, and 80 in Israel.  Peters says leaving could be challenging, given that airports are closed.  "It's the evolving and possibly worsening situation that will make people's minds up - all we can do is give them the best advice possible, on an hourly basis sometimes."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Chris Luxon claimed today that changes were coming to existing sick leave terms. In 2021, Labour and the Greens doubled statutory sick leave from 5 to 10 days as part of their response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Christopher Luxon said Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden is working on new changes - but it prompted concerns from some. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony Albanese is set to meet US President Donald Trump face-to-face for the first time at the G7 summit in Canada. It's expected Albanese will use these discussions to make the case for an exemption to trade tariffs and talk up the AUKUS agreement. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says Trump will use these discussions to encourage Australia to boost up their defence spending. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland City has suffered a brutal defeat to Germany's Bayern Munich. The German side were absolutely ruthless on Monday morning in Cincinnati, with a 10-0 thumping of the amateur National League team. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's greyhound racing industry is set to close from July next year - but Greyhound Racing NZ doesn't want to pay for the incoming shutdown. Recently released documents show the Government is planning to take $15 million from the organisation's savings to pay the admin costs of shuttering the sector for good. Greyhound Racing NZ CEO Edward Rennell says the Government brought this on themselves. "It's also money that could go to support the participants who are losing their livelihoods in the regions who've had no consideration provided in terms of financial support." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let me tell you about my colleague Kylie's reaction to that Air India plane crash last night.  She was in bed. She was playing on her phone as you do, and the news came in at about 9 o'clock.  Immediately, she looked, she suspected it, looked up what kind of plane it was, exactly as she thought: a Boeing.  Then she immediately looked up what plane her 12-year-old daughter is on to Samoa this Sunday —exactly as she expected, a Boeing— and she freaked out.  Now fortunately for her, she's got a partner with common sense, and actually, she herself is reasonably rational, so she's not going to be pulling her daughter off that flight. But she is still feeling incredibly uncomfortable about it.  And look, I don't blame her for that. I would bet that she's not alone in reacting like this.  And just assuming this is a Boeing problem. Truth is, we don't actually know that this is a Boeing problem.  Yes, it was a Boeing plane, but there is a very, very good chance that this is actually a pilot problem because it looks like the pilot may not have extended the wing flaps.  But the trouble for Boeing is it does not have the same benefit of the doubt that a planemaker would normally have with a crash like this because of all of the problems that Boeing has already had in the last 10 years.  Never mind the fact that the problems have been with the 737 narrow-body planes, and this is a 787, which is completely different. Never mind that.   Boeing shares fell immediately, and they have stayed down.  Now, I would say that speed is of the essence here for the people who are doing the investigation with getting those answers out.  These investigators, I understand, have about 30 days under international expectations to issue the preliminary findings, but they should, all things going well, have answers out of that flight data, the flight data recorders within days, if not hours of the crash.  And then I think the sooner that the public are told what has happened, the better for Boeing's sake. And Boeing will be hoping like hell that the answers clear the plane and unfortunately blame the pilot.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 13 June 2025, Israel has launched an attack on Iran, but international relations expert Al Gillespie doesn't think we should be freaking out about it quite yet. Former US transport accident investigator Mary Schiavo speaks to Heather about what might have led to that devastating Air India plane crash. We find out why the National Library wants to destroy half a million books. Plus, the Sports Huddle gets spicy when Heather asks Nicky Styris how many abs she has! 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 National Library wants to destroy half a million unwanted books from its collection.  The library says most of the titles have not been issues for the last 20 to 30 years, and attempts to donate books in the past only resulted in modest pick up. Mark Crookston is the Director of Content Services at the National Library.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police have been attacked with fireworks, bottles and bricks as disorder erupted in Northern Ireland for the third night. The worst of the violence took place in Ballymena, but unrest also spread out to other towns in the surrounding areas. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the conflict kicked off after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a couple of dire years, a growing number of companies are listing on the relevant stock exchanges. An IPO is a key source of funding for companies, and investors appreciate this change in direction. Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's all go at Fieldays 2025, and the Country's Jamie Mackay is taking it all in. Farmers are in a better mood as primary export figures soar - and business is booming. Jamie Mackay recaps the mood of day two of Fieldays. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Maxim Institute researcher Thomas Scrimgeour and Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The UN has raised the alarm over declining fertility rates, with cost of living and job insecurity being cited as the primary factors behind these changes. How can we fix this? What changes could be made?  Kainga Ora is set to roll out the wool carpets in new state homes. How do we feel about this? Should Reserve Bank chair Neil Quigley resign because he didn't tell us the truth earlier about why Adrian Orr quit? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The GDP for Q1 is set to drop next week - and experts are feeling confident about the state of the economy. Predictions from economists claim figures will pick up this time round. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann speculates further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Corrections union is sounding the alarm on prison capacity.  The Ministry of Justice projects the prison population will increase 36 percent by 2035 to more than 14,000 people. The Corrections Association of New Zealand says facilities are already at 95 percent capacity.  National President Floyd du Plessis says he predicts it will be completely full within 18 months.  He says some projects will slightly help - but more serious action needs to be taken now.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to new data from the United Nations, fertility rates are on the decline and families are getting smaller. The cost of living, job insecurity and housing costs are among the main factors preventing families from having as many kids as they would have wanted, new reports claim. Massey University sociologist Paul Spoonley says women are also getting more educated and have more of a role in the workforce - and that's another factor. "Women are having children much later in life - and so as we see that first child, the age of the woman for the first child is creeping up." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 12 June 2025, the future of Aukus has been thrown into doubt. Dr Michael Fullilove from the respected Lowy Institute in Australia tells Heather there's a lot at stake with almost $400 billion dollars worth of submarines on order. Kainga Ora boss Matt Crockett gets a grilling from Heather over the cost of the new wool carpets the state housing provider has committed to. Households throw away $1500 worth of food every year, and the staggering amount of money we could save if we didn't send so much to landfill. The UN says our fertility rates have reached crisis level, and Heather has a theory on why women don't have more kids. Plus, Heather lays out the case for why Reserve Bank chair Neil Quigley should quit. 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 don't enjoy saying what I'm about to say because personally I quite like Neil Quigley, but I think that he needs to quit as the chair of the Reserve Bank - simply because I do not think that we can ever trust a single word that comes out of that man's mouth again as the chair. He has been busted telling not just one, but quite a lot of fibs about Adrian Orr's resignation. So for a start, on the day that Adrian Orr quit, you'll recall Neil Quigley was the one who held the press conference. At the time he said Adrian's resignation was a personal decision. That is clearly not true. Adrian, we now find out, packed a sad, and quit over funding.  Neil Quigley also said that there was nothing that the Government had said in the days before that that caused Adrian to quit. Not true. Adrian and Nicola, and actually Neil himself, had a meeting about the funding 9 days before the resignation. Neil Quigley was also asked whether there were any policy conduct or performance issues which are at the centre of this resignation. He said there are no issues of that type that are behind this resignation. Once again, not true. He was asked what happened because: "Reserve Bank governors don't just up and resign" and he said: "There is a time when you think having achieved what you wanted to achieve, that's enough". Once again, not true. That's not why Adrian quit. Adrian quit because he packed a tantrum because he didn't get enough money. Now, I do not know why Neil Quigley decided that he needed to tell porkies in order to defend Adrian Orr. I mean, I get the feeling that he has spent a great deal of his time, unfortunately for him, trying to manage the tantrums of our former toddler governor, and perhaps he just got into a little bit of a pattern of butt covering for the guy. He has suggested that he was constrained in what he could say by Orr's exit agreement. But in that case, you simply say, look, I can't say much because it's an employment agreement. And I think we all will understand that because we're all employees or employers, and we're all constrained by the same law, so we get it. But he didn't choose to do that, did he? He chose to stand there and fib to us, and that means that next time he's up answering some tough questions, I don't know if we're going to trust him, are we? Already, unfortunately for Neil, he's got quite a big black mark against him. He was part of the money printing team with Adrian Orr that stuffed up the economy, and some already think that that is enough reason to call for him to quit. Never mind the fact that he has now been busted telling straight out porkies in public. So if I was Neil Quigley, he's got two options. He can hang in there and see how it goes, or he can quit while he's still ahead - and I would do the latter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump Administration has hit out at reporters pushing back against their official line on Iran.  US President Donald Trump continues to insist the strikes from the US obliterated Iran’s nuclear sites – a stance Iran’s Supreme Leader claims is exaggerated.   Fox News’ Pentagon Correspondent Jennifer Griffin questioned Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth during a press conference, asking if the White House was certain all the highly enriched uranium was inside the Fordow Mountain – the location hit by the US.   US Correspondent Kirk Clyatt joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to break down the latest developments.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's skyrocketing water charges on the way for Wellingtonians in coming years.  An average Wellington household's water bill tops $2500 a year.   Indicative council figures suggest by 2033, that'll climb to $7,000 in a new billing system with water separate from other rates.  Councillor Tim Brown says it covers stormwater, sewerage, and drinking water. "It has approximately doubled in about the last five years - so it was closer to where Auckland's were five years ago. And it's quite hard to actually fully understand why our network is in such bad condition." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump administration is unlikely to scrap its defence pact with the UK and Australia. The Pentagon says it's looking over the deal, to ensure it meets the President's 'America First' agenda.   Australia expects to acquire nuclear-submarines, under the pact. Australia's Lowy Institute executive director, Michael Fullilove says it's all speculative at this stage. "It's not that unusual for new Governments to review deals that have been made by their predecessors - I note that all of the most senior people around President Trump are in favour of AUKUS." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kainga Ora's staying tight-lipped on how much it'll cost to carpet state homes in Kiwi wool. The Government's mandating using woollen fibres in new homes where appropriate from next month - to support the industry. The same will apply to new state buildings like schools and public service offices.  Kainga Ora chief executive Matt Crockett says he can't reveal the exact price because of of commercial sensitivities, but it's not expensive. "Basically, it's cost-neutral - but wool's a great product and we were really pleased with the pricing that came back." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says the Reserve Bank should have given the reasons behind Governor Adrian Orr's abrupt departure - sooner. It released documents yesterday showing Orr resigned over Government funding being well below the Budget allocation he sought. Nicola Willis criticised the central bank's delay in outlining the reasons. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pentagon is launching a fresh review of the AUKUS security pact with Australia and the UK. A US defence official says the review aims to ensure the pact meets Donald Trump's 'America First' agenda. Australia is relying on the agreement to acquire nuclear-powered submarines. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says there's growing calls among Australians for the nation to back out of AUKUS - but Australia needs the alliance. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The final of a controversial 'run it straight' event offering $200,000 to the winner has been shifted from Auckland to the Middle East amid calls for it to be banned. Australian-based Runit Championship League held two trial events at Trusts Arena last month - but the West Auckland venue pulled out of hosting the final, citing safety concerns. Now, the organisation has announced the final will be held in Dubai this month, with the date yet to be confirmed. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to a new report by NZIER, Kiwi households are wasting thousands worth of food every year. New Zealanders waste $1500 worth of food annually, and new data shows the country is among one of the highest producers of general waste in the OECD - and that it has some of the lowest material productivity in the world. WasteMINZ CEO Nic Quilty says Kiwis don't treat waste as a resource - and it's a problem. "When you buy something, think about how long you're going to use it for, is it good quality and is it going to end up in a landfill? We don't want these things ending up in landfill, we want them to continually remain in our economy for as long as possible." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ten people have been killed in a high school shooting in the Austrian city of Graz in the country's deadliest shooting attack since World War Two. Dozens more have been injured. A 21-year-old former student - thought to be the gunman - is also dead. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the area has been 'devastated' by this attack - and a three-day period of mourning has begun.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NZ sharemarket lifted today as Fletcher Building announced it had received inquiries from parties interested in buying its businesses. The S&P/NZX 50 Index closed up 0.33% or 41.51 points, rising to 12,605.93, with 39,702,689 shares changing hands to the value of $139.77 million. Milford Asset Management's Sam Trethewey explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.