Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

There are fears Finance Minister Nicola Willis is opening a can of worms by potentially allowing young farmers to dip into their KiwiSavers to buy farms. She explained she was seeking advice from the IRD on the matter, which is yet to be considered by Cabinet. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny weighed in on the debate. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Groundswell is calling on the Government to pull New Zealand out of the Paris Agreement. Do we see ourselves leaving - or will the agreement fall apart on its own? Biotechnology company 23andMe is being taken to court by multiple US states over plans to auction off customers' personal genetic information without their consent. Have we ever done one of these tests? What would happen if this data got sold? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Education Minister Erica Stanford has called in some help from international experts in a bid to get the nation's education stats on the up. Former UK Minister of Schools, Sir Nick Gibb, led similar charges a decade ago - and the UK went from the bottom of OECD ranking to 4th in the world for reading and 11th for maths. He's consulting with Erica Stanford - and he's revealed what New Zealand can learn from its international counterparts. "We looked to East Asia to see how maths was taught - the people at the top of the tables - and we basically copied and learned from those countries and we brought that method into England. That's why we have risen in terms of reading and in terms of maths as well." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think in the end, Groundswell is gonna be proven right - but I don't think they're gonna get what they want right now and I don't think they should get what they want right now. Because what they want is for New Zealand to pull out of the Paris Agreement. Now, we cannot pull out of the Paris Agreement. At least, we can't pull out right now, right? We cannot be one of the first to pull out, because the first lot of countries that pull out of the Paris Agreement are going to be the ones who are blamed for destroying the agreement, and they will pay for it reputationally. And frankly, here in New Zealand, we rely way too much on our good guy reputation for tourism and trading and so on to risk being seen to not care about climate change. But I think that eventually we will pull out - or more likely, the agreement will fall apart by itself because it's not working. I mean, just look at the numbers. We are supposed to hit our first significant target - the 2030 target - in five years' time. We're not going to hit it. I can tell you that now, we are not going to hit it in 5 years' time. Neither are a whole bunch of other countries - Argentina, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Turkey, Canada, just go through the list of countries to find how many of them are actually going to hit it. Now when we don't hit it, which is inevitable, we are supposed to fix it up by planting a huge number of trees, and we're only going to be able to do that by paying probably a developing country to plant those trees for us. And the estimated bill for that, as it stands right now, is $23 billion. Now, do you think we're gonna send $23 billion overseas in 2030? No, of course we're not going to. We know that because the climate minister has basically gone around saying that. And even Chlöe Swarbrick knows that this thing is falling apart, because we had her on the show just a few weeks ago and I asked her if the Paris Agreement was going to hold - and she wouldn't say yes, which tells you she already knows. So if Chlöe can see that the thing is gonna fail and Simon Watts is predicting that it's gonna fail, then perhaps we all need to see that it is going to fail at some point and Groundswell will eventually be proven right. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 11 June 2025, the real story of why Adrian Orr quit his Reserve Bank Governor job is out... so what was all the secrecy about? The Israeli ambassador speaks to Heather after the NZ Government imposed a travel ban on two Israeli Ministers. A luxury real estate agent reckons we could attract hundreds of millions of dollars in investment from overseas if only we let foreign investors buy homes here. Former UK education Minister Sir Nick Gibb on how he turned around shocking reading and maths rates in the UK. Plus, the Huddle debates the use of DNA tests as 23andMe gets sued for trying to sell people's genetic data. 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.

An open letter has been written to the Prime Minister urging Luxon to ease the ban on foreign house buyers. This letter comes after multiple NBR Rich Listers told NBR that making it easier for foreign investors to buy homes here would make New Zealand a better place to do business. Luxury property real estate agent Anthony Morsinkhof provided the open letter - and he says he has clients looking to invest in New Zealand. "I've got clients there that want to invest into big land developments for residential houses, I've got a biotech company that wants to come to New Zealand  - I've got a lot of different sorts of people who want to invest here in New Zealand and they want to buy properties."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Israeli diplomat is criticising New Zealand's sanctioning two of his country's ministers.  Our Foreign Minister's barred the two high-ranking politicians from travelling here, following the lead of Australia, the UK, Canada, and Norway.   Winston Peters says they are extremists who've advocated for violating international law.  Ambassador to New Zealand, Alon Roth-Snir, says he wishes international allies would instead help work on a ceasefire.  "We are for talks, we are for dialogues, we are not for putting blame or putting whatever was done yesterday to our ministers." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Biotechnology company 23andMe is being taken to court by over 27 US states over plans to auction off customers' personal genetic information without their consent. The company has collected biological samples and genetic information from over 15 million customers - including many here in New Zealand. Privacy lawyer Rick Shera says 23andMe's built a tempting service - but you never know where this stuff will end up. "We don't know what they're going to do with it, and that's the problem. Terms of service and privacy policies can be changed almost willy-nilly these days." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research paints a stark picture of the consequences of Oranga Tamariki's system not helping young Māori enough. An Independent Children's Monitor report shows tamariki and rangatahi Māori are over-represented - and being let down. They make up two-thirds of those in care and more than three-quarters in youth justice custody. Monitor Chief Executive Arran Jones says young Māori adults involved in the system as children are nine times more likely to have lived in emergency housing. "This report makes the case for that investment approach - putting the right people in place at the earliest time." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Reserve Bank economist is calling out his former employers' lack of transparency. The bank today revealed Adrian Orr quit as Governor in March, when the five-year funding for the RBNZ was much less than anticipated.  Michael Reddell says the bank waited far too long to say why Orr left so abruptly.   "It's just extraordinary - maybe they couldn't tell us the full story on the day, but the new Reserve Bank funding agreement was published on the 16th of April. There's absolutely no excuse at this point for lack of clarity."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Revelation of long-awaited details of Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr's March resignation. In February, Orr emailed his board - saying there were significant differences in the funding needed and how much the Government would provide. The bank confirmed its board agreed to a lesser amount of funding and that caused Orr's resignation. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says it's unclear why the central bank was so secretive about this matter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Protesters are being arrested one-by-one in downtown LA's mile-square curfew zone. Mayor Karen Bass called the curfew after looting and violence at the protests over the President's migrant deportations. Californian leaders are slamming Donald Trump for sending in Marines and troops to California, and demonstrations have broken out in other US cities. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says many believe the US president has over-stepped his authority. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Golfer Ryan Fox is refusing to buy too much into his victories at Myrtle Beach and Toronto as an indicator for potential US Open success. Four of the last five PGA Tour tournaments have been won by Fox or three-time major winner Scottie Scheffler. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Groundswell is using Fieldays' first day to call for New Zealand to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement.  The grassroots advocacy group seeks to halt or rewrite what regulations impacting farmers it calls 'unworkable'.  Co-founder Bryce McKenzie says the agreement's costing New Zealand money and farming land.  He says the wind's changed on this issue.  "And I think Winston is certainly going to look at it and it's going to be more of an election issue, I think, than anything else. We all know Winston's pretty astute at picking where the people are going." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Millions more pensioners will receive the winter fuel payment as the UK Government makes changes to eligibility. The payment was paid only to those on pension credit last year. UK correspondent Enda Brady explains further - and unpacks the reactions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Acting Reserve Bank Governor Christian Hawkesby left experts speculating about the future of interest rates following the recent OCR cut. More banks have slashed their rates after the recent announcement, but questions have been raised over future cuts. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham speculates further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Country's Jamie Mackay is off to Fieldays - and he's feeling hopeful ahead of this year's event. Farmers are in a better state of mind this time round, and it's expected this community-wide enthusiasm will shine through at the event. Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New census data shows more Kiwis are moving house than ever and it's raised questions among experts. 45 percent of New Zealanders have moved address over the last five years - a noticeable increase on previous data. Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen explains why this could be the case. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Ben Thomas and Craig Renney joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Should kids who are homeschooled be excluded from sports competitions? Does this seem unfair? The Auckland property valuations are out - and many aren't happy with their property values taking a dive. What do we make of all this? New research shows more Kiwis feel reluctant about making online purchases, with many quitting before they check out their digital trollies. Why do we think this is? There's growing corruption in police, customs, immigration - can we do something about this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 10 June 2025, Police Minister Mark Mitchell responds to a new report warning corrupt police, customs and immigration officers are on the increase. Bloodbath! Auckland home owners are coming to grips with their very disappointing property valuations - and real estate agent Rawdon Christie says it's already having an impact on the housing market. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith explains his big change to the Government's anti-stalking law. Plus, the Huddle debates why we online shop but then abandon the trolley. 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.

It is as expected - if our office is anything to go by, Auckland is a miserable town today because the house valuations are out, and they're bad. Just about everyone has jumped on the computer to have a look by now, I'd say, and just about everyone's house has gone backwards. So my house - it's gone down in value by 8 percent. One of the bosses, not too bad, only gone back by 4 percent. I don't think anyone's house has gone up in the office. Someone's house has dropped by $250,000. One colleague, and this colleague is suffering more than anybody else - her house has gone down by 21 percent. That's $1.15 million down to $900,000. That's another $250,000 shaved right off right there. Someone's feeling agitated. I called a real estate agent today to see if it's wider than just our office. They told me, yep - and people are not happy. Another real estate agent reckons he's already fielding calls from buyers who are mid-negotiation, who are now saying they're not gonna lift their offer anymore. They're just gonna leave it right where it is, because look at the valuation that's out today.  Auckland Council says they normally have about 500 people on their website at any one time. When we called, they said they were watching 12,000 people on their website at any one time. As I said yesterday, spare a thought for Auckland. If you have an Aucklander in your life, spare a thought for them because it's a tough day for Auckland today. Because, I mean, we take the mickey out of Auckland, but there is good reason why Auckland feels like this.  Houses in Auckland mean a lot, don't they? I feel like probably more than anywhere else in the country apart from maybe Queenstown and the surrounding area, because houses are expensive in Auckland. Young Aucklanders obsess about it. They scrimp and they save, and they try so bloody hard to get into their first house. It's totally understandable that absolutely no one in this town wants to watch their house then go down in value. But of course, bear in mind, it is slightly irrational. If you are one of these Aucklanders doing this, you are being irrational, you realize that, because you're not suddenly poorer today than you were yesterday, are you? I mean, the value of the thing has not changed overnight. It's simply just been written down. In fact, it was written down a year ago, it's just taken them a year to put it out there. And if you're buying and selling in the same market, it really doesn't matter at all. It's only if you're cashing up to move out of town or to get rid of an investment property or something like that, that this actually matters. Now, I say that knowing that none of that is gonna sink in - we're gonna continue to be irrational because it is all in our heads, isn't it? We feel wealthier when the house is worth more, and that ain't what happened today. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A group of lawyers are suing the Climate Minister - suggesting the Government's emissions reduction plan doesn't go far enough. They want a judicial review over the coalition's cancelling of policies from the plan set in place by the previous Government.  Climate consultant Dr Christina Hood says if the group is successful, the court can order the Government to rethink the current scheme. "There was a judicial review about the emissions trading scheme a couple of years ago - the High Court, in that case told the Government to go back and have another think and the Government did that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 13-year old mountain biker is asking for Government intervention over being denied a medal because she was home-schooled. Amelia Twiss came third at the North Island school champs, but was bumped to fourth because of a rule requiring contestants to attend a school. She is now cycling more than 500km to the Beehive - from Cambridge's NZ cycling HQ - to present her petition. She says the exclusion seems based on the idea being home-schooled gives more time for training. She agrees it doesn't seem fair. "I don't train, I just ride my bike." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New figures from NZ Post’s latest eCommerce Market Sentiments Report show more Kiwis get last-minute jitters before they check out. The data shows 68 percent of shoppers would abandon their cart if the cost of delivery was too high and 57 percent would hit the exit button if free returns weren't available. Murray Crane from Crane Brothers says it's likely people are treating the cart like a 'Pinterest board' and saving things they like before they move to make a purchase. "And then they kind of do a review and realise they don't like it. There's a whole lot of factors contributing to them not going through with that last part of the transaction." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buyers could hold all the cards, based on a plunge in Auckland Council home valuations. Numbers have been released today for 630,000 properties across the region, and will affect how the spread of rates from next month. On average, residential homes dropped nine percent from 2021 CVs. Real estate agent, Rawdon Christie, says buyers could use it to help beat down prices. He explained they're making it clear they think they're making a good offer - given values have dropped. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister says we must always keep an eye on corruption. An independent advisory panel has urged the Government to act against organised crime networks targeting Pacific borders. The report highlights the risk people working in customs and immigration will be targeted by bribery and corruption, to let groups smuggle in goods. Mark Mitchell says New Zealand's not immune to bad behaviour. "The key to it is acting on it quickly and making sure that it's purged out of our police." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A group of lawyers are taking the Government's climate policies to court. Lawyers for Climate Action have filed a judicial review, calling for a probe of the coalition cancelling the previous Government's projects - under the emissions reduction plan. They claim the plan fails to uphold the Climate Change Response Act. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan explains why this is taking place - and what could come of it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Triple-murder-accused Erin Patterson's cross examination continues in Australia.  The 50-year-old is accused of intentionally serving a poisonous mushroom dish to her estranged husband's family in 2023. She maintains her innocence. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Erin Patterson has been accused of multiple inconsistencies - and appeared 'discombobulated during the trial. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former All Blacks midfielder Ngani Laumape believes Moana Pasifika can win Super Rugby while he's there. Laumape has signed a two year deal, returning to Super Rugby for the first time since leaving the Hurricanes in 2021. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Proposed anti-stalking laws are being strengthened - following recommendations from Parliament's Justice Select Committee.  Originally the proposed offence, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison, captured three specified acts within a one year period.  It'll now be triggered after two acts within two years, which Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says better recognises patterns of behaviour and the time that can pass between incidents. He explained they took feedback on board - and agreed to make some changes. "What we've seen is plenty of evidence that, in certain circumstances, these sorts of stalking behaviours can lead to more serious outcomes - and we're all aware of terrible examples of that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A British photographer has been hit by non-lethal rounds during protests in Los Angeles.   He has now undergone emergency surgery and is recovering at Long Beach Memorial Medical Centre. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US share markets have continued to pick up recently, sparking discussion among experts. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly explains the factors behind the change. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Council is being called on to review its rating system over fears increased rates are driving businesses out of the capital. Newly released figures show Wellington’s average commercial rates bill is $47,881. That compares to $20,716 in Auckland, $18,059 in Christchurch, $24,768 in Hamilton, and $25,670 in Tauranga. Director of The Wellington Company, Ian Cassels, says there's a lot of overspending going on - with 'eye-watering' levies impacting businesses. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and broadcaster Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! NZ Rugby boss Mark Robinson has officially stepped down from the role. Are we surprised by this? How will he be remembered? The Auditor-General has pointed out some very lavish spending by some school boards on parties, overseas travel, and building work. What do we make of this? Is it normal to be an adult who's never tried KFC? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 9 June 2025, NZ Rugby's boss is calling it quits, and ZB Rugby Editor Elliot Smith has got the scoresheet on his performance. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says yet more action is coming on to crack down on the supermarket competition. Heather reckons schools need to take a long hard look at themselves, after the Auditor General pointed out excessive spending including overseas holidays, Pilates classes and lavish parties. The mystery author behind the unauthorised Jacinda biography reveals themselves. Plus, the Huddle was on fire, talking inappropriate school spending and is it normal to be an adult and never have tried KFC? 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.

Deputy Prime Minister Nicola Willis says the Michael Forbes situation is awful - but police have to have discretion.  The Prime Minister's acting deputy press secretary quit last week, over allegations he took compromising recordings of sex workers and photos of women he didn't know. Nicola Willis says these issues need to be managed well and she says the Department of Internal Affairs looking into the matter is positive.  She says police do have discretion, which is important.  "So it's never appropriate for ministers to dive in and say - we think you should prosecute this person or that person." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anyone who thinks that Mark Robinson resigning from New Zealand Rugby today is a shock clearly doesn't follow rugby's dramas with their brain fully turned on. This was not a shock at all. Anyone could see this coming. This was coming the minute that David Kirk took over as the chair. Now, I don't want to be seen to be saying that David Kirk forced him out. It is, in fact, quite possible that Mark Robinson just read the room and left of his own accord first - but it was always going to happen, wasn't it? Because David Kirk is the new broom, and the new broom generally gets rid of things that aren't working. And unfortunately for Mark Robinson, that wasn't working. Now, I've got no hard feelings towards the guy. He seemed like a really easy bloke, but he has not had the most glorious 10 years, has he? When he brought in the Silver Lake deal, which has yet to bear any fruit despite all of the drama it caused - and boy, did it cause drama. He totally stuffed up the Fozzy situation when he tried to fire Fozzy and then didn't fire Fozzy, and then eventually did manage to get rid of Fozzy - but by then, we all felt really bad for Fozzy. And he persisted with the Super Rugby competition that isn't working. All he's really managed to do with it is tinker, and it still isn't really working. The finances are terrible. The game has maybe managed to arrest the decline, but nothing much else - and the rugby community is bruised after that Silver Lake altercation. If there is a lesson here, I reckon it may be that New Zealand rugby might want to replace Mark Robinson with someone who isn't a rugby man, or a rugby woman, whatever. Someone who isn't sentimental about the game, who can look at all of this business with fresh eyes and say: why is that happening? That shouldn't necessarily be happening - and have the courage to change it, because they don't actually care about rugby that much. Someone who can drive the change that rugby needs, because if there's one thing we all agree on, it's that rugby needs change. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The author of an alternative Jacinda Ardern biography says his book's different - because he's spoken to people across politics.  The Former Prime Minister's memoir, A Different Kind of Power, hit shelves last week.  David Cohen says he's writing his own book, backed by alternative news website, the Centrist. He expects it'll be out later this year. He says he's proud of the fact it brings in a multitude of voices - which he claims other Ardern biographies haven't done. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Robinson's underlined dealing with Covid-19 as the biggest challenge of his tenure as New Zealand Rugby chief executive. Robinson will stand down at the end of the year, to move to Australia with family. He was only three weeks into the job in 2020 when the pandemic hit - shutting down the game. Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Elliott Smith says this is the right move. "There's clearly a movement for change in New Zealand Rugby, Mark Robinson's got some family in Australia - so I think, ultimately, it's probably a good time for everyone to clear the decks." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland home values have fallen, down nine percent on CVs released in 2021. New capital values are being released tomorrow for 630,000 properties, with inner-city suburbs taking a bigger hit. Central Auckland areas - including Mount Eden and Maungakiekie - fell about 13 percent. Auckland Council Group CFO, Ross Tucker, says a few reasons have driven the slump. "We've seen apartments fall 12 percent, converted flats fall 12 percent as well - also, we're seeing some of the areas where there's a lot of development potential have bigger than average falls." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Green Party is speaking out over Israel stopping a civilian yacht carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israeli forces intercepted a yacht carrying prominent activists - including Greta Thunberg. Its Foreign Ministry says they're safe, and the cargo will be taken to Gaza.  But Green Party co-Leader Marama Davidson says that's not good enough. "We want to see Israel stop shooting at innocent people lining up for a kai and we're calling on the Government to sanction Israel for its violent occupation of Palestine." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour’s Willie Jackson says Te Pāti Māori needs to compromise and focus on the main issues facing New Zealanders, like health and housing, following three MPs’ sanctioning in Parliament this week. He’s also responded to comments from Kiri Tamihere-Waititi, the partner of Te Pati Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi and the daughter of the party’s president, John Tamihere. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says it's clear Labour's not impressed with Te Pāti Māori's more 'theatrical' antics as of late. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Government is set to make some tax changes - and it's got people worried about the future. Labor is looking to double the levy for to 30 percent for people with at least $3 million in their superannuation, with experts claiming at least 80,000 Australians will be impacted. Australian correspondent Sam Emery says there's plenty of vocal opposition to these changes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan Fox has brandished the three wood - as Chris Wood and the All Whites have cheered him on to a Canadian Open victory. The New Zealand golfer's won the title in front of a group of All Whites players, who are in Toronto between games in an international friendly tournament. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federated Farmers has launched a petition calling for KiwiSaver rules to be changed to help young farmers get their foot on the ladder. The petition’s launch has been timed to coincide with Fieldays, where thousands of farmers, industry leaders and politicians will gather at Mystery Creek. Federated Farmers' banking spokesperson Richard McIntyre says farming is very capital intensive and young farmers need a boost in the name of fairness. "Kiwi farmers are really struggling to put that money aside and a lot of them are actually deciding not to put money into KiwiSaver and basically scrimp and save because they know they need all the money they can get to actually get their foot in the door." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've been thinking overnight about the news yesterday that a second Christchurch school has decided to put the walls back up in their classrooms and abandon those modern learning barn style spaces that we were doing in favour of going back to the traditional single class.  The school is Shirley Boys High.  And then last year, Rangiora High School did the same thing.  Something that Rangiora High School's principal said struck me.  He said, the results have been a huge shift in engagement, in attendance, in achievement.  It is not what I was expecting. I was expecting a small shift, but it has gone through the roof. It's made a massive difference in everything in the school.  And that reminded me a lot of what the principals and the teachers said after we banned the phones in schools.  Remember that we banned the phones, and suddenly they were saying, well, the difference is huge.  But all we've done in both cases is the obvious thing, isn't it?  I mean, obviously, if you take the phones away from kids, they're gonna be less distracted.  They're gonna learn better, they're gonna talk to each other more, they're gonna play outside more.  And obviously, if you put 30 kids in a room by themselves, there will be less noise than if you have 120 kids in a big space together.  Why is it so hard for us to do the obvious thing?  Why was the Ministry of Education so hellbent on doing the wrong thing?  Because if you listen to educators or everybody else who's involved in this, they will tell you it was virtually impossible to get a school upgrade unless you agreed to take all the walls down and buy in, and yet, obviously it was a really big mistake.  It feels a little bit like the Ministry of Education went through a weird experimental phase that has cost our kids, with everything from classroom styles to weird ways to teach English when they didn't have to do it.  And when common sense would tell you that it wasn't gonna work, why is it so hard when it comes to schooling for us to do the obvious thing? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping spoke over the phone last night.  They agreed to launch a new round of trade talks in their first known conversation since the US president returned to the White House in January. Asia Business Correspondent Peter Lewis joins the show to discuss.  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 6 June. 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.

Prominent New Zealand leaders are coming together to express their concern about the country’s foreign policy direction. In an open leader, Kiwi figures including Helen Clark, Sir David Carter and Dr Don Brash are warning the Government against taking an adversarial stance against China as part of an alignment with the US. It comes ahead of the Prime Minister’s upcoming trip to China. Former Prime Minister Helen Clark talks to Heather du Plessis-Allan about the letter. LISTEN ABOVE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sports Journalist Andrew Gourdie and Oceania Football Confederation Spokesperson Matt Brown join Heather du Plessis-Allan for the Sports Huddle. Rob Walter has been announced as the new Black Caps coach - how big a loss is Gary Stead for the team? Super Rugby finals quarter-finals are on this weekend. What can we expect? And Red Bull have confirmed they will offer Yuki Tsunoda a luxury Liam Lawson was never afforded - “time and support”. The Sports Huddle discusses all this and more. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.