Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Public Service Commissioner is suggesting unions are striking to get it out of their system.  At least 100,000 workers in health, education and public service are walking off the job tomorrow, protesting pay and conditions.  Some picketing's moving indoors and some rallies cancelled in Wellington and Canterbury - with extreme bad weather looming.   Commissioner Sir Brian Roche says despite him being willing, unions haven't stepped up to negotiate for the most of the past two weeks.  "It just seems to me, based on my engagement with the unions, that they had to do this for reasons that escape me. I think it was all avoidable, it's extremely regrettable."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Public Service Commissioner's again sounding a negative note over New Zealand's major health and education strike tomorrow. About 100,000 union members across various sectors will stop work across the day - expressing frustration over pay and working conditions. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this is expected to be the biggest strike in New Zealand's history since the 1970s, with many unions expected to take part.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plans for a second Trump-Putin meeting to discuss the Ukraine war have been shelved, days after they were proposed. Last week, Trump said he and the Russian president would hold talks in Budapest to discuss the war in Ukraine. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says reports claim Russia isn't happy with some proposed terms. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High Performance Sport NZ has quietly footed the bill for an independent review and player wellbeing support in the Silver Ferns' camp amid the ongoing Dame Noeline Taurua saga. While Netball NZ grapples with the fallout following Taurua's suspension, HPSNZ has offered funding, strategic advice, and resourcing behind the scenes. Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With gas prices going up all over the country, there's debate over whether households should make the switch to electricity.  Contact Energy recently revealed it's hiking gas prices by an average of 17 percent, as the decline in production has hit faster and harder than expected. Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace says making the switch is a big decision - and could set households back by thousands of dollars. "The costs are anything between five and a half to $10,000 dollars to change over, so that capital investment is a considerable investment, and that payback takes some time." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prince Andrew has not paid rent on his Royal Lodge for more than two decades, according to a new release by The Crown Estate. The release of this tenancy agreement follows calls for transparency on Andrew's residence, on top of another week of scandal. UK correspondent Enda Brady says it's suspected William wants to get ahead of a bigger mess before he becomes King. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour unveiled their first major policy a year out from the 2026 election, and it's prompted mixed reactions from experts. Some have lambasted the proposed New Zealand Future Fund for being light on details, and Labour has yet to confirm which public assets will be managed by this fund. BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie offered his take on the proposed idea. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, broadcaster Mark Sainsbury and Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day, and more!  Should the Public Service Commission be putting out ads about Thursdays' mega strike, in a bid to attack the unions? Should we be concerned here?  Sports Minister Mark Mitchell is weighing in on the Netball New Zealand v Dame Noeline Taurua saga, after Labour's Willie Jackson asked the Government to freeze Netball NZ's funding. What do we make of all this? A coroner is concerned no member of the public stepped in to help a girl that drowned in a public fountain in a busy park. What happened here? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Partially selling one of New Zealand's largest meat companies should give it much-needed capital, according to some. Farmer shareholders of Alliance Group voted to let Ireland's Dawn Meats buy a 65 percent stake in the company, for $270 million. The remaining 35 percent will still belong to the co-op. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Problems with Amazon's cloud services in the US have been felt around the world. Thousands of websites and apps were affected by an outage during the night, including TVNZ Plus, Neon, Sky TV, Snapchat and Wordle. Tech commentator Paul Spain says a lot of things got broken in the process of trying to undo the damage, and some businesses are still trying to recover. "When you break a lot of technology, sometimes it takes quite a bit of effort to actually get that fully back to operation, and possibly Amazon have been a bit cautious about putting thing back up to full speed, but they haven't officially indicated that from what I've seen."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 21 October 2025, former attorney general Chris Finlayson is not on board with the Government's law change to make it harder for iwi and hapu to gain customary title over coastal areas. Sports Minister Mark Mitchell says he won't freeze Netball NZ's funding but wants a fast resolution of the Dame Noeline Taurua saga - and that he wants to see her back in the job. Six60 frontman Matiu Walters tells Heather why his band has decided to put on a new country and roots festival. Heather and the PSA's Fleur Fitzsimons have a fiery exchange over the Public Service Commission's decision to place ads against striking union members this week. Plus, the Huddle debates strike ads, why nobody rescued a toddler drowning in a public fountain and Heather's Wordle dilemma. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think it's fair to say, don't you think, that Labour's first policy has been a flop? It's been panned by pretty much everybody worth listening to or worth reading. I mean, I see Maiki Sherman over at TVNZ liked it last night. She called it a 'solid first hit' on telly, but I think everyone else seems to have seen through what Chippy's trying to do here. Let me quote you some. Tom Pullar-Strecker at The Post: Labour's Future Fund hits the buzzwords, but the rationale is hard to follow. Pattrick Smellie at BusinessDesk: This suggests either that Labour is economically illiterate or that its target audience is presumed to be. Radio New Zealand: The distinct lack of detail has left Labour somewhat exposed, evoking echoes of other ambitious projects that fizzled like KiwiBuild or the Green Investment Fund. Jenée Tibshraeny at the Herald says this is actually less about making New Zealand wealthy and really more about having a crack at National and possible asset sales at the next election. Henry Cooke at The Post: Labour's Future Fund promises everything and nothing. It's hard to know what to really make of this. And then from Patrick Smellie again, because his piece is just so eviscerating: Labour will have to do a whole lot better than this. Now, basically, what you could take from that is that no one serious is convinced by it - because Labour has taken a great idea, which is Singapore's Temasek, and then taken away all the things that make Temasek successful. Temasek sells assets, this lot is not allowed. Temasek invests overseas, this lot is not allowed. That's just a couple of the problems here. Honestly, the list of problems in this policy announcement is so long, we could do an entire show about it. I suspect Labour knows and I think they know it's a bad idea. They just think we're too stupid to realize how bad an idea it is. They think that we're going to be hoodwinked by all of the feel-good slogans about investing in New Zealand's future and cutting out the foreign investors and stuff like that. But I'm happy to report that judging by the media roundup I just read you, we're not at all as stupid as Labour thinks we are. We can see a dog policy when we're presented with one, and this is one. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labour Party says there needs to be a probe into the Public Service Commission posting ads about Thursday's mega-strike.   About 100,000 workers in health and education are set to walk off the job later this week. Several commission adverts have appeared on social media - outlining how it'll disrupt services. PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says the Commission is running political lines espoused by the Government. "What they are doing is attempting to position themselves favourably with the public when it comes to a collective bargaining matter that is subject to good faith."  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six60 have unveiled a new country and roots music festival in Matakana, which is set to take place this January. The 'Sweet Home Aotearoa' festival line-up will be curated by Six60 and promises to feature big names to bring a taste of Nashville to New Zealand shores.  Six60 lead singer and guitarist Matiu Walters says he's felt a strong connection to country and roots music every time he goes to Nashville - and he thought it would be a cool idea to bring that to New Zealand. "Roots and country have this cross-section that I really love and I think it's just going to be really fun...it's just something new that I think people are going to really love." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sports Minister Mark Mitchell has outlined why he feels it was time for the Government to step in with the ongoing Netball New Zealand v Dame Noeline Taurua saga. The side-lined Silver Ferns coach and the national body remain at an impasse concerning issues with the high performance environment. Mitchell says the situation has simply dragged on for far too long. "Everyone involved loves netball, but the fact of the matter is that this is not good for netball. It's one of our iconic games and so many people participate and enjoy the sport. This is not good for anyone, and so I've asked Sport NZ to give me advice and send a clear message." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions have been raised regarding the Government claim over changes likely to make it harder for Māori to claim customary marine titles. The divisive Marine and Coastal Area Amendment Bill is likely to pass its third reading in the House tonight. The Government claims it'll restore the legislation to its original intent. Former Attorney-General Chris Finlayson says these changes aren't restoring any laws or clarifying anything. "It doesn't clarify the law at all, it changes it. And if they want to do that, well of course Parliament's sovereign, but why don't they come out and say it - instead of indulging this myth? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An unexpected Labour policy announcement was a bit of a shock for leader Chris Hipkins today.  Health spokesperson, Ayesha Verrall revealed the policy in an op-ed for New Zealand Doctor magazine.  It proposes to create an independent body to estimate and allocate GP funding increases, rather than the Government. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Labour 'botched up' the rollout of this announcement. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reports indicate the US is pushing ahead with the AUKUS deal, with Australia getting nuclear powered submarines from the US. President Donald Trump's held talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the White House today on defence and trade. Trump also cleared doubt on the deal between Australia, the US and UK. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says concerns were raised ahead of the meeting, but the deal worked out well for Australia. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Netball New Zealand v Dame Noeline Taurua saga is beginning to gain traction inside the halls of Parliament. Labour MP Willie Jackson is urging Sports Minister Mark Mitchell to freeze the Netball New Zealand funding until it clears up the suspension of Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua. Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explained the situation further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A survey of roadworkers has found many face routine abuse, attacks, and some are even purposely hit by cars, according to new reports. The survey, which was run by Temporary Traffic Management Industry Steering Group, included 667 workers across New Zealand who described their experiences with verbal abuse and physical assault. Pipeline & Civil Ltd owner Hugh Goddard says he's heard his staff have been yelled at, almost hit by vehicles - and nearly faced physical abuse. "I wasn't involved in the development of the survey, but I know over 700 TTM workers in New Zealand who responded in the survey, which is a significant sample. And that's the feedback that's coming through, so it's very much a real issue." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A rare daylight robbery has been executed at the world's most visited art museum.  Items of 'incalculable' value were stolen in a seven minute heist at the Louvre museum in Paris - just after it opened.  The thieves rode a basket lift up the museum's facade, forced a window and fled with France's Crown and Napoleonic jewels. UK correspondent Gavin Grey unpacked the ongoing investigation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A multi-million-dollar class action against ANZ New Zealand over historic disclosure obligations looks likely to go ahead. ASB earlier this month settled its part in the four-year class action for $135.6 million - without conceding liability or wrongdoing. ANZ Chief Executive Antonia Watson has voiced disappointment with the development. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent Stats NZ data shows annual inflation hit three percent in September - the upper limit of the Reserve Bank's target range. This has sparked mixed reactions from the Government, but it's unclear if New Zealand avoided another technical recession. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly unpacked the market responses. 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!  How many more dirty secrets are we going to find out about Prince Andrew? Could the royals have done more to get a handle on this? Labour has unveiled their first big policy promise ahead of the election with their newly-proposed Future Fund. What do we make of this?  Do we really need giant blueberries? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 20 October 2025, inflation is up three percent - driven by large increases to electricity and rates bills. Kiwibank's Jarrod Kerr says this shouldn't stop the Reserve Bank from cutting the OCR further. Labour's Chris Hipkins explains his party's first new policy in two years - the NZ Future Fund. The scandals keep coming. Prince Andrew has promised he won't use his royal titles but should the UK Government go further and completely take them off him? Wellington Phoenix boss David Dome explains why his club is supporting New Zealand's first sports school. Also - Associate Finance Minister Chris Bishop on the cost of speeding ticket and ANZ boss Antonia Watson on having the rug pulled from under her by the Government. Plus, the Huddle debates Labour's Future fund and whether we really need a new giant blueberry. 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.

Well, even I didn't expect Prince Andrew to lose the use of his titles that fast. It was about 5pm on Friday afternoon that I said that he would lose them - and about 7am the next morning, the news broke that he had. But then again, I suppose we can see why it happened so fast, right? Because since that happened, it has just been one revelation after the other involving him. First, the police are looking into reports that he tried to get his personal protection officers to dig up dirt on Virginia Giuffre, his accuser. Then came the news that Fergie and the girls were among the first to welcome Epstein out of jail, and she kept trying to borrow money. And now you've got the creepy detail emerging from Giuffre's book about how Andrew behaved. Now, that is why the announcement about Andrew's titles came so quickly, because King Charles needed it to happen before the newspapers started printing excerpts from the book so that the stuff that came out didn't hurt the royals by association. But honestly, I don't know that King Charles has done enough, because Andrew hasn't actually lost anything. Which might be news to you, because the palace has done an epic spin job in trying to make it look like Andrew's given up all of his titles. He actually hasn't. He is still the Duke of York, he just has agreed not to use it in public. And I don't know about you, but we saw how that went with Meghan and Harry, didn't we? They were also promising not to use the HRH titles, and then Megs was busted using it in a private note to someone. So what's happening now is that all the UK newspapers are unsatisfied and they're calling for complete stripping of the titles. You've got the MPs coming under pressure to confront the royal family - just the sheer volume of coverage that this is getting at the moment over in the UK suggests that this could go on for days. That is not what King Charles wants, because in a couple of days he's got a meeting with the Pope, and he will not want that meeting to be overshadowed by his playboy brother and all the revelations coming out. I would say, watch this space. I reckon there's a better than average chance that Andrew hasn't even got his full punishment yet. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drivers are likely to have to cough up for travelling on the Government's Roads of National Significance. NZTA's board has endorsed the investment cases for all the roads.  Transport Minister Chris Bishop says the default will be to toll the new roads in order to establish a clear revenue stream. "Once you've built a road, it's all very well to have it there, but you've got to look after it as well." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prince Andrew allegedly asked a police officer to 'dig the dirt' on his accuser before the publishing of a now infamous photograph of the two. Andrew's given up the title Duke of York amid turmoil surrounding his alleged involvement with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It's believed he tried to obtain personal information about his deceased accuser Virginia Giuffre. Royal correspondent Victoria Arbiter says it's likely there's more details to come. "The reason there's been this renewed interest in Prince Andrew is... the news just keeps on coming ever since that Newsnight interview in 2019. But there's been renewed focus because of this posthumous memoir."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's first-ever specialised elite sports school is set to open its doors next year, giving future athletes a space to study while building their sports careers. This charter school will be run by the New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa and be based at Upper Hutt's NZ Campus of Innovation and Sport. Wellington Phoenix general manager David Dome says plenty of research was carried out into developing this programme.  "We looked at how the Americans did it, how they did it in Europe and Spain and Italy, and it was really combining education and sports - and it was really hard for us to do that at the time, given that there was only the state school alternative that we couldn't really be part of." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More investment in New Zealand businesses is Labour's announced goal in a policy released today. It's modelling the Future Fund off the existing Super Fund, to be seeded with $200 million in Crown money and existing assets. It'll invest solely in local projects.  Labour leader Chris Hipkins says this project is designed to create jobs and keep more wealth here at home. "We're focused on long-term investments, we own all of those existing public assets for a reason." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's belief from some economists that inflation's peaked, and it's all downhill from here.  It reached 3 percent in the year to September - up from 2.2 percent the year before. Kiwibank says the third quarter is traditionally tough, and conditions are likely to improve as the year ends.  Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr says he's satisfied domestic prices will now ease.  "We think inflation, this time next year, will be running at about 1.7, 1.8 percent. So job done for the Reserve Bank." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent data shows inflation reached three percent in the year to September, and it's prompted concerns about the economy. Stats NZ figures out today show the rate rose from 2.7 percent annually to June - hitting the top end of the Reserve Bank's target band. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this is higher than what the Government was hoping for, and it's unclear what this could mean for the Reserve Bank. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan has stated Melbourne is perfectly safe, despite some recent incidents coming out of the city's CBD. Two police officers were hospitalised after clashing with protesters during the weekend's March for Australia rally. This attack came days after a woman was stabbed in the chest near Spencer St in broad daylight.  Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says the police union has voiced concerns - and is calling for updated legislation regarding protests. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coach Stacey Jones is lauding the Kiwis' defensive resilience in their 24-18 Pacific Championships league win over Toa Samoa. The Kiwi Ferns won a 22-20 thriller against Fetu Samoa. Sportstalk host Jason Pine unpacked the action further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

South Auckland's Tangaroa College has asked students to cover uniforms in public after videos of student brawls surfaced.  Tension between students at Manukau schools is also spreading into online goading. One video shows about 15 young people fighting, with one lying on the pavement being kicked in the head. Principal Chris Bean says because Tangaroa College's uniform is so distinctive, he doesn't want students wearing it around and about.  "We just wanted to be sure that they could move through from home to school and vice-versa in a safe way." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 17 October. 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.

Health Minister Simeon Brown was met with booing at the senior doctors' annual conference before accusing doctors of  "crossing an ethical line" and threatening compulsory arbitration.  New Zealand First leader Winston Peters fired off some threats of his own suggesting regulation for Fonterra if the Lactalis sale proceeds.  ACT leader David Seymour hit back at Peter's threats saying the decision is for the farmers, not the Government.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says 'politicking' tiffs like Peters and Seymour's will become more common as elections approach next year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In July the Government announced a ban on surcharges on credit card payments in-store from May 2026 at the latest. ACT is attempting to block this ban by allowing credit card surcharges, as long as other payment options are offered- such as cash or eftpos. They suggest the ban will either increase prices for customers or unfairly punish businesses.  ACT Commerce and Consumer Affairs spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar said to Heather du Plessis-Allan that ACT's proposal was creating with 'cost and choice' in mind. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The final report from a ministerial advisory group on organised crime recommends the urgent implementation of it's proposed solutions. This includes a dedicated organised crime minister, a new strategy, and a charter to hold agencies accountable.  The report calls organised crime one of the 'most significant threats' to New Zealand.  Chair of the advisory group, Steve Symon, said to Heather du Plessis-Allen "organised crime is effectively, affecting every New Zealander". LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has doubled down on his criticism towards Fonterra's plan to sell Mainland and Anchor to the French company Lactalis.  In an open letter to the company Peters threatened new regulations if the sale goes ahead. ACT leader David Seymour hit back saying the decision should be up to the farmers, not the Government, a sentiment echoed by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Monday.  Peter's claims the letter was not a threat and he did not intend to interfere with the farming community or Fonterra. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's growing calls to strip Prince Andrew of his royal titles after more incriminating emails surfaced. Andrew reportedly told convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in an email 'we are in this together' after pictures of him with Virginia Giuffre were released.  UK correspondent Enda Brady unpacks what could happen. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon has been scaling up its same-day grocery delivery services across cities all over the US. It's looking to expand to 2,300 US cities by the end of the year, and investors are speculating about what it could mean for the market. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 16 October 2025, senior political correspondent Barry Soper and former Finance Minister Ruth Richardson share their memories of the late Jim Bolger.  Police and Oranga Tamariki have been secretly investigating Gloriavale for serious allegations of mistreatment of children. Gloriavale leaver Virginia Courage tells Heather what she witnessed while living in the community. Broadcaster Sean Plunket speaks to Heather after the Broadcasting Standards Authority defended its decision to go after online content. The Health Minister has accused senior doctors for crossing a moral line with their ongoing strikes. Plus, the Huddle debates whether we should be worried about our new Chinese built Interislander ferries because the shipyard has been linked to the Chinese military. 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.

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore and Thomas Scrimgeour joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!   Former Prime Minister Jim Bolger passed away - what memories do we have of him?  It's been revealed the new Cook Strait ferries will be built by a Chinese company which US analysts have warned have very strong ties to the Chinese military. Should that worry us?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government unveiled new emissions targets this week, and members of New Zealand's farming community have welcomed the move. 2050 methane targets were slashed 14 to 24 percent below 2017 levels - which is 24 to 47 percent lower than the previous.  The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Broadcaster Sean Plunket isn't going down without a fight, as our broadcasting watchdog claims jurisdiction over his online-only company The Platform. The Broadcasting Standards Authority received a complaint from a member of the public - after the broadcaster described Māori tikanga as 'mumbo jumbo'. Sean Plunket says the BSA has 'messed this up' - and it's likely this complaint will never see the light of day. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen, I don't know how much most people will care about the drama that's unfolding with the BSA. Obviously here in radio world, we do, because these people are our watchdog. But if you enjoy watching people try something on and then be forced to retreat, you might enjoy this one. So what's kicked this off is that the BSA apparently decided, in secret, that they would give themselves permission to tidy up not just New Zealand's TV and radio, but now also the entire internet. And the first outfit that they've come after is The Platform. Now my personal dealings with the BSA have led me to believe that the people drawn to sitting on bodies like the BSA are not always the country's deepest thinkers, and this case only reinforces that - because if you thought about this for any more than 10 minutes, you would realize the BSA should just leave the internet alone. The BSA can't police the entire internet, it's too big. What, are they seriously proposing to send Joe Rogan a fine for $3000 NZD if someone in New Zealand complains about something he said? They can't even realistically police the part of the internet that New Zealand uses, it's too big. There's too many podcasts, too many videos, audio files, live streams, you name it, which means they're gonna have to pick and choose what they police and crack down on on the internet, which will inevitably lead to them being accused of bias and favouritism. Which is exactly what has happened here, because the first lot they've come after is The Platform, which if you know the story, was set up on the internet precisely to avoid the BSA and its rules. So - what a surprise that it's the first one the BSA comes after. What a surprise that they're copping a huge amount of flak and resistance from all over the show, including Winston and David Seymour. It seems to me there is a way out of this for the BSA - they'll have to back down. Because this is just an interim decision, and I think they might have to abandon it - and their plans for internet domination may have to also be abandoned. And then they will have to eat some humble pie, which surely would have been obvious to them if they had only thought about it, like the rest of us, for about, I don't know, 10 minutes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concerns have been raised over the Government's new choice for a ferry-builder. Guangzhou Shipyard International will build and deliver two new Cook Strait ferries by 2029. It's a state-owned company that also builds Chinese warships, but Foreign Minister Peters says the military links and espionage concerns aren't a worry. Canterbury University professor and China expert Anne-Marie Brady says this a confusing signal delivered by Peters. "He's very concerned about the strategic infrastructure and also the harmful aspects of our relationship with China. So it's odd that they have chosen a military shipyard, which is what the Guangzhou Shipyard International is." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's no guarantee businesses will honour unredeemed vouchers from GrabOne, which has gone into liquidation. The online deals website won’t be issuing refunds for unused purchases - and has told customers to directly contact vendors. Some sellers have indicated they’ll recognise GrabOne deals, but others say they may not be able to. Parakai Springs general manager Dion Tilson says they will honour vouchers, but customers could lose-out at other companies. "I've spoken to a lot of businesses, restaurants and so forth, hotels - they may not be in a position to be able to offer it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Gloriavale leaver is recalling the confronting impact of child discipline practices used in the sect.  Police have issued two formal warnings to the community after investigating allegations parents would cover the noses and mouths of crying children.  A Herald investigation has revealed officers conducted more than 100 interviews. Virginia Courage says in one instance, a little boy was brought to her unconscious. "He wasn't breathing, and his father just threw him at me. I don't even know if he said anything, I just went into get-this-kid-breathing mode." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.