Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Australia's joined the UK, Canada and others in recognising Palestinian statehood. Anthony Albanese says unified recognition is important - and three of the Five Eyes nations have now declared their stance. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says Albanese has confirmed this recognition comes with conditions - including that Hamas will not govern Gaza again and that Palestine will recognise Israel's right to peace and security. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Formula One driver Liam Lawson continues to rev in the right direction. He's finished a career-best fifth at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Red Bull's Max Verstappen claimed victory. Lawson's 10 points move him from 15th to 13th in the standings. Sportstalk host Jason Pine recapped the win further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There'll be no need to carry a physical drivers' licence with the Government's plan for digital alternatives. Digital Services Minister Judith Collins wants to introduce an app that could store the data, and New South Wales has already rolled out a similar service. Tech commentator Paul Spain says the system will need to be robust to protect data. "What we've seen from Governments all around the world is the more data they collect, the more data that they end up losing and leaking." The digital licences could be introduced before the end of the year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 19 September. 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.

How is it that we are having a conversation today about whether Nicola Willis needs to quit her portfolio because of yesterday's shock GDP number? This is crazy.  What happened yesterday is not Nicola Willis's fault. It is the Reserve Bank's fault. It is not a matter of opinion. It is a fact. The Reserve Bank ratcheted up the official cash rate to slow down the economy and engineer a recession, to quote Adrian Orr. It's what he wanted to do. It is what he has actually done successfully. We now have had an enormous recession, and we are struggling to come out of that. That is not Nicola Willis's fault. Now, sure, I can lay some blame at Nicola Willis's feet. I can blame Nicola Willis for not doing enough to fix the state of the government's books.Probably not doing enough to get rundown places like Auckland Central going again, but that GDP number, that is fair and square, largely the Reserve Bank's problem, so she should not quit over what happened yesterday. However, I am prepared to admit that the fact that this discussion is even happening does speak to the enormous political pressure that she is under at the moment, because it is enormous. She is under a lot of political pressure. She is very much playing at a political disadvantage because a lot has gone wrong for her this year. Buttergate was all Nicola Willis pulling in Miles Hurrell for a chat, Gavin the cameras run after him. She created that. She has only just managed to save herself from being accused of being all talk and no action over the supermarkets, redeemed with a Hail Mary at the last minute.  And for all the criticism that she lobbed Grant Robertson for spending too much, she spends more than him every single budget, and here we are two years into this administration, still waiting for their big plan as to how we turn this economy around. That is as finance minister and economic growth minister, her job, but she doesn't need to quit over what happened yesterday. Look, the bar for any minister to quit is very high, but for a finance minister, even more so. Just have a look at how badly Rachel Reeves in the UK is stuffing things up and crying in public. She is still in her job. Nicola Willis is nowhere near that, mainly because the GDP figure out yesterday is not her fault. And the fact that this is actually a discussion is somewhat mind-blowing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's economy continues to slow down after months of decline, and retail sales and industrial production are at their lowest levels of the year.  Falling property prices are also to blame, with house prices in Beijing down 19% from last year.  Asia business correspondent Peter Lewis says that despite this downturn and the trade war with the US, China's exports have kept at a steady level.  He said that Xi Jinping's focus on expanding markets independent of the US is helping keep the economy moving. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canada is the last obstacle between the Black Ferns and the Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham. The teams will clash tomorrow morning for the third time in the past 16 months.  Former Black Fern Steph Te Ohaere-Fox told Heather duPlessis-Allan that she believes the Black Ferns' record will help the team prevail.  'We've got the mental edge, because we've made it through the finals and won the finals heaps of times.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on the Huddle: Sports commentator Andrew Gordon and One News sports reporter Kate Wells join Heather duPlessis-Allan to discuss the latest sports news.  The Black Ferns have made it to the semi finals of the Rugby World Cup, can they go all the way? Big congratulations are in order for Geordie Beamish who takes steeplechase gold, and what's happening with the Silver Ferns' rotating captains? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concern over predatory parking companies after a man got a ticket for being in a park for eight seconds. Christchurch man Bailey Smith won his case in the Disputes Tribunal, for the 95 dollar parking ticket. Smith says he pulled into the Kauri Street car park and then reversed out again within eight seconds, when he realised it was private. NZ Parking Association Chairman Mike Kelly told Heather du Plessis-Allan operators should be transparent with their rules. He says as soon as you enter a private car park you enter a contract, but it has to be fair and reasonable. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rising number of people on electronically-monitored bail is being used to explain a surge in absconders. Figures released to Newstalk ZB through the Official Information Act show cases of a breach rose from 64 in 2015, to 832 last year. Corrections Chief Probation Officer Toni Stewart told Heather du Plessis-Allan over the last 10 years the courts have granted more electronically monitored bail.  She says they report signs of breaches to police, and is assuring the public they have a zero tolerance for non-compliance.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ruth Richardson does not want to see Nicola Willis resign. But the Former Finance Minister is calling on the current Minister to take a chainsaw to certain areas of spending. Recent GDP numbers have shown a worse-than expected economic picture - with a 0.9 percent dip in the June quarter. Ex Finance Minister Sir Roger Douglas is calling for the Minister's resignation. But Richardson says Superannuation's unsustainable and a bloated public service. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former finance minister Roger Douglas has called for current finance minister Nicola Willis to resign.  He says that the decrease in the country’s GDP is not in line with the global economic downturn and that Willis should be held accountable.  Senior political correspondent Barry Soper told Heather duPlessis-Allan that a resignation is unlikely.  'You'd have to go back then to the 1930s to find a finance minister who has stood aside from the portfolio.’  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A law expert thinks an injunction suppressing key details in the Tom Phillips case will be difficult to keep in place. Media and authorities have been suppressed from discussing certain details related to the case since the Marokopa fugitive and his children were found last Monday. Media lawyers have been advocating for the right to report and the Wellington High Court will hear the matter again next month. Senior Law Lecturer Nikki Chamberlain told Heather du Plessis-Allan that it's very difficult to stop individuals discussing the details on social media. She says unless you can make each individual subject to the injunction, you'd have to make the entire social media platform a party in the court order. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US President's been treated to a day of processions, gifts and fly-pasts in his second state visit to the UK. Donald Trump's attending a state banquet at Windsor Castle, hosted by King Charles, with about 150 other guests. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Trump is set to meet with Starmer to discuss trade next. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Federal Reserve has cut interest rates for the first time since December.  It's a 0.25 point drop, much lower than US President Donald Trump wanted.  Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federated Farmers has been quick to label Environment Canterbury’s decision to declare a nitrate emergency as a 'political stunt'. ECan recently carried a motion to declare the emergency at yesterday's meeting. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The GDP drop has sparked concern among experts, and it's prompted many to update their economic outlook. GDP's fallen 0.9 percent in the June quarter - much further than the Reserve Bank and all economists had been expecting. Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold says Q3 indicators are already looking better, but the bank's upgraded their October OCR call. "We upgraded our October call from a 25 point cut to a 50 point cut...the GDP number was quite a bit weaker than everybody's predictions." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Thomas Scrimgeour from the Maxim Institute and former Auckland mayor Phil Goff joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The GDP results are in, and they're worse than predicted. Are we surprised by this development? Does the Reserve Bank need to try harder to fix this? Should Nicola Willis resign? Self-driving Teslas have officially launched in New Zealand. What do we make of this? Should we be worried? Jimmy Kimmel's show has been pulled following some comments he made about Charlie Kirk's assassination. Is this an overreach? Did Kimmel deserve to get sacked? New data reveals one in three young men feel gender equality has gone too far. What makes our young men feel like this? Can something be done about it?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 18 September 2025, the economy contracted much more sharply than anticipated in the second quarter. Finance Minister Nicola Willis speaks to Heather about just how bad the GDP result is. Self-driving Teslas are officially driving around New Zealand, but nobody knows exactly what the rules are. Motorsport legend Greg Murphy weighs in. A report reveals more than half of us think gender equality has been achieved, but 1 in 3 young men think equality has gone too far. Plus, the Huddle debates whether Jimmy Kimmel deserved to be sacked for his Charlie Kirk comments. 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, I think it's fair to say that the GDP print has come in at something of a shock. The Reserve Bank was picking a contraction of 0.3 percent. The consensus was a contraction of 0.4 percent. The worst-case prediction from one of the banks was a contraction of 0.5 percent. It's come in at a contraction of 0.9 percent, which is basically twice as bad as most of us thought. Now, the immediate problem that we have is what this is going to do to confidence, because people are already scared. That is why it's taking this country so long to come out of recession, because every single piece of bad news like Trump's tariffs earlier this year freaks us out all over again, so we keep our wallets shut for longer. There are people out there who absolutely can afford to spend more money, but they're choosing not to because they do not know that they can trust that we're through the worst of it. This is part of the reason, if not one of the bigger reasons, why the Reserve Bank's cuts to the OCR are not stimulating the economy like the bank thought that they should be. And this number that we see today, I fear, is going to do this all over again. And it's gonna freak us out all over again. And I think the reason we're going to be freaked out all over again by this is that we think that the people who are in charge, mainly the Reserve Bank, but also the Government who keep telling us that the economy is definitely recovering, really have no idea how bad this is. Now, I think it is a little unfair to blame anyone but the Reserve Bank right now because they really deserve it. The verdict is in on this now, isn't it? They have well and truly stuffed this up, they have no idea what is going on in this economy. In July, which was only one month after Q2 ended, we'd just gone through this massive contraction - and the next month, they decided they didn't need to cut the cash rate anymore. They held the cash rate. That now should blow your mind. Just a month ago, they released their monetary policy statement forecasting the contraction at only 0.3 percent They got it wrong by a factor of 3 percent. Now, what them getting it so badly wrong now means is that the pressure is on them to fix this and fix this fast and do a double cut in October, really more to restore confidence than anything, because confidence is what we are very much lacking at the moment. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand-based security company Auror is set to start trialling live facial recognition technology. This latest development will alert retailers when someone who's been flagged for serious offending walks into their business. Global Head of Risk at Auror, Nick McDonnell, says there's plenty of safeguards built into this technology to ensure people's privacy is protected. "There's lots of different ways they can respond - they can greet the person as they walk in or they might not approach at all because the person's been known to be violent or aggressive or carrying a weapon. It just gives them that really critical moment's notice." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis says uncertainty over Donald Trump's tariffs drove down GDP in the June quarter. But the Finance Minister admits has admitted she was surprised to see the economy's contracted 0.9 percent. She says there was consensus that GDP would drop, but most forecasts had it at 0.3 percent. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crusaders fans are questioning their loyalty after prices for the next season at the new stadium revealed a 40 percent increase. The memberships cover three games at the old Apollo Projects Stadium and 4 at the new Te Kaha Stadium - and fans have balked at the new ticket prices. Sports commentator Nick Bewley says he'd suspected a big price jump was coming, given the stadium costs. "To be perfectly honest, I've felt that this was always going to be a big jump because the stadium costs at least half a billion dollars." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tesla today announced its Full Self-Driving (FSD) service has now been activated in New Zealand and Australia. Both countries are the first right-hand drive markets to access this technology, which had previously been kept inactive until now. Kiwi motorsport driver Greg Murphy has raised concerns about this, given Tesla's record. "Tesla haven't got a clean record when it comes to the autonomous vehicles around the world, with a few lawsuits that have taken place in various places." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's on the defensive, after the latest sharp drop in GDP. The economy's contracted 0.9 percent in the June quarter - far more than anyone was expecting. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper weighed in on the latest data - and speculated about when things could improve. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is due to meet with Donald Trump soon, off the back of his visit to the Pacific. This follows Albanese’s failure to secure a defence treaty with Papua New Guinea delayed amid concerns about sovereignty. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says the pressure's on for the Prime Minister.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crusaders fans have voiced concerns  after prices for the next season at the new stadium revealed a 40 percent increase. The memberships cover three games at the old Apollo Projects Stadium and 4 at the new Te Kaha stadium. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave discussed the situation further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nearly half of Kiwis think equality has already been achieved.  And 1 in 3 young men think equality has gone too far. These results come from the National Council of Women of New Zealand's 2025 Gender Attitude Survey. Council President Dr Suzanne Manning says the views are outdated and entrenched. "What men see is being comfortable with the status quo, and all these rules that are put in could take their privileges away from them."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump has arrived in the UK for his much-anticipated state visit.  He's being welcomed by King Charles at Windsor Castle, and will also meet with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on the Huddle, political commentator and lawyer Liam Hehir and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! There's another case of a judge ordering police to give back a gang member's patch. Is there a loophole that needs fixing here? Rawiri Waititi made headlines after he only answered questions in te reo Māori in Parliament. What do we make of this? Should we make it easier for overseas born kids with Māori heritage to gain citizenship? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is looking to move forward with plans to change who is liable for defective building work, and it's raised questions about what this could mean going forward. For decades, all parties involved in a build have been jointly liable for problems, with local councils mostly picking up the tab. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch-headquartered Brooksfield Homes is looking to bring a new style of townhouse to Auckland.  Reports claim the company's planned eight new Pt Chevalier homes on two sites, with a projected end valuation of $11.6 million. Brooksfield Homes managing director Vincent Holloway says a lot of people want to live in similar heritage properties found in Grey Lynn or Ponsonby - but prices keep many out of reach. "People are wanting that in a home, so we aim to do that in a smaller scale in a cheaper area, basically."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 17 September 2025, Oscar nominated Kiwi actress Keisha Castle-Hughes tells Heather why she wants Maori who are born overseas to have easier access to citizenship.   Singer Tiki Taane explains why he's taken his songs off global streaming platform Spotify. Royal historian and consultant to Netflix' "The Crown" Robert Lacey speaks to Heather about the pomp and circumstance being prepared for Donald Trump's big state visit at Windsor Castle. Plus, the Huddle debates whether the gang patch ban needs tightening after a second case of an empathetic judge handing a Mongrel Mob member his patch back. 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.

So, Shanan Halbert from the Māori Party doesn't like the fact that Rawiri Waititi answered all his media questions about Takuta Ferris in te reo Māori. Now, if you haven't caught up on this, this is what happened yesterday when the Māori Party came face to face with the press gallery. It was the first time since Tākuta Ferris has doubled down and then tripled down for his anti-immigrant comments and then ignored his leader's orders to delete the video. And then the leaders started, by the looks of things, ignoring media requests for interviews. So yesterday, when the media finally had a chance to ask Rawiri about it for the first time, he refused to speak English and he would only answer in Māori, because he said it's te reo Māori week. And Shanan Halbert from the Labour Party didn't like it because he thinks that Rawiri is creating an "exclusive bunch" of Māori. Which is presumably Māori who can speak Māori, and that, by the looks of things, excludes him. Well, tough bickies. If Shanan doesn't want to feel left out, he should go and learn Māori like everyone else who's spending their Wednesday nights in Māori language classes. Look, just for the record, so before you think I'm now on Rawiri's side, I'm not. I don't like that Rawiri is doing this, because he's obviously weaponizing the language and hiding behind it to avoid answering tough questions, and then is pretending that he's doing it for some noble reason of celebrating Māori language week. That's not what he's doing. But set aside his childishness, he is entitled to speak Māori exclusively if he wants to. It is a national language and the man is fluent in it. If this was a multilingual European nation instead of predominantly monolingual New Zealand, this would not be a problem. I mean, to be fair, Rawiri probably wouldn't be able to do what he's doing because the press gallery would also be multilingual and would be able to understand what he's saying. But Shanan's complaint is a uniquely New Zealand complaint, isn't it? Which is - don't speak the language because I can't understand it. Again, tough bickies. It's really weird for me to hear this from a Labour Party MP, by the way. And I would encourage Shanan to take up some Māori language classes with his free time, which there is a lot of, because he's not doing a lot in opposition. And maybe if there is a silver lining in Rawiri being this juvenile, it is a gentle reminder to the rest of us that if we also don't want to feel like Shanan - left out - there are classes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of New Zealand's biggest musicians are boycotting Spotify and ditching the platform amid accusations of exploitation. Tiki Taane and The Bats are among the big names getting behind Boycott Spotify NZ and other Kiwi bands like Carb on Carb, Synthetic Children and Recitals have signed the statement calling for better treatment.  Taane has cited greed, corruption and investment in European defence technology company Helsing as some of the key reasons why he's walking away. "I love music, I love creating music, but I also have to take a stand against corruption, against greed, against war, against murder - the easiest thing for me to do to help support that is to take my music off the platform and cancel my subscription."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There could be more cases of judges handing back seized gang patches to gang members convicted of wearing them in public.  Law professor Al Gillespie says the law allows discretion for judge, and they'll use it.  This week, a judge ordered police give back a patch seized from a Lower Hutt gang member.  Police Minister Mark Mitchell calls the decision disappointing and confirmed police are appealing. But Gillespie says the judge was within his rights to make the decision.  "We could see more, I think that's quite possible. And if you do disagree with it, that's fine - but change the law." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actress Keisha Castle-Hughes is getting behind a push to change citizenship access for Māori born overseas.  The Waitangi Tribunal's considering a claim by Australian born John Ruddock, which calls the fact his children can't get citizenship, unconstitutional. Ruddock, who's descended from a Treaty of Waitangi signatory, has citizenship by descent.  Castle-Hughes she has given evidence, after she struggled to get citizenship for her own daughter. "Aotearoa is the only place that she can go to kura kaupapa, that she can go to kohanga reo, that she can participate in life as a tangata whenua in that capacity." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A security analyst's surprised the Chinese Embassy is taking such issue to one of its citizens being searched. It says a Chinese citizen was subject to an interrogation and harassment at a New Zealand airport - with their personal devices taken away. Foreign Minister Winston Peters says the embassy's statement is no risk to the NZ-China relationship. Security analyst John Battersby says there's some surface level tension on display. He says it does follow a threat environment report highlighting China, which it disputed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New GDP figures are set to be unveiled tomorrow, and there's concerns from experts that the economy is struggling. The upcoming GDP data is projected to show an economy under pressure, as earlier forecasts of an incoming rebound look less and less likely. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the Finance Minister is trying to soften the blow and put things in perspective. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charlie Kirk's murder accused allegedly told his roommate about the fatal shooting. 22-year-old Tyler Robinson is facing seven charges including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. US prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. US correspondent Charles Feldman says Robinson exchanged a series of texts and left a note for his roommate reportedly confessing to the murder. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The return of Cam Roigard from a foot fracture headlines 13 players released by the All Blacks to NPC duty this weekend. Roigard hasn't played since the second test against France in Wellington in July. He'll come off the bench for Counties-Manukau as they face Auckland on Saturday in Pukekohe, with the visitors from the other side of the Bombays facing an injury crisis and delaying their official team naming. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump has landed in the UK for his second state visit. The US president and the first lady, Melania Trump, were greeted UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and royal representatives at Stansted Airport, before being transported to Windsor Castle to meet King and Queen. British historian and biographer Robert Lacey says Trump is expected to take part in a significant series of events over the next couple of days. "Donald Trump's mother was Scottish, he's got this sentimental fondness for the monarchy and Britain's using that, frankly, as part of our modern soft power." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump is set to make his second state visit to the UK, and he's due to arrive in a matter of hours. Trump is expected to visit Windsor Castle and Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country home. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the pressures on for Starmer to secure a better trade deal. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Kiwiblog's David Farrar and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Māori Party president John Tamihere has backed up Tākuta Ferris, saying the substance of his controversial race comments is right.. and it's "wrong for other folk to politic in Maori seats". What do we make of this? A new poll shows more Kiwi voters are blaming the current state of the economy on the current coalition Government. Should they be worried about this? Do we care where our peaches come from?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Herrick from Southland Federated Farmers has raised concerns over Environment Southland’s 'heavy-handed' approach to compliance. Herrick says these standards are creating unprecedented stress and financial pressure for farmers. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concern South Waikato's Tokoroa is facing another factory closure, with more than 100 jobs on the chopping block. Carter Holt Harvey is looking at closing its plywood manufacturing plant, the company has told staff. South Waikato mayor Gary Petley says he doesn't know all the details, but it's another blow for the region. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The influence of the New Zealand-made label appears to be decreasing as more consumers prioritise price.  Wattie's is ending some of its contracts with Hawke's Bay peach growers and says more people are choosing imported alternatives.  It says the demand for New Zealand-grown peaches has seen a steady decline in recent years. Consumer NZ Acting Head of Research and Advocacy Jessica Walker says less and less consumers are prioritising locally-sourced products. "At the same time, we're seeing concerns about price, cost of food and groceries ratchet up...more people are cutting back on fruit and veg altogether, so I'm not surprised." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First of all, can I start by offering an apology to TVNZ? I gave them a bit of grief last night for starting the news bulletin with the peaches, but it turns out I was wrong and they were right. This has sparked a flurry of debate over whether we prefer our Wattie's peaches from Hawke's Bay or whether we don't really care if it comes from China or not.  It's also prompted a statement from Wattie's asking us to support local growers. In other words, can we please buy New Zealand made? Now, that is a very nice sentiment, but let's be honest, that's all it is. It is a sentiment and it's not going to work. I mean, this is me, this is not me being cavalier about how hard this must be for the Hawke's Bay peach growers who are losing their Wattie's contracts. For them, this must be absolutely devastating and I feel terrible for them. But this is me being realistic about the prospect of any 'Buy New Zealand Made' campaign working. Wattie's New Zealand peaches, according to Pak’nSave's online store, are $3.90 a can. Pam's cheap peaches are 99 cents a can. That's a no-brainer, you're gonna buy the 99 cent can. Who is buying the $3.90 can? Grey Lynn? That makes no sense whatsoever. I mean - look, maybe if I thought about it a little bit, which I don't, but if I did, maybe I would pay 10, 20 cents, 40 cents at a push, more for a New Zealand made product. But I would not pay four times as much, it's far too expensive. And I wouldn't even do it in the first place because buying New Zealand made never works, does it? It never has. If it did, we would still be wearing Bata Bullets and buying Juliet Hogan and eating Sanitarium peanut butter. We wouldn't be reading about the closure of manufacturing businesses every other month, which today, by the way, is the Carter Holt Harvey mill in Tokoroa. I do the shopping in our house 90 percent of the time and I don't even know the provenance of the food I'm buying. I do not know where the canned food comes from, I absolutely do not know where the dried goods come from. And often, I'm not even really looking where the fresh fruit comes from. Yep, I know where the meat comes from, but that's basically a given, isn't it? It's simple economics, it always will be. And even if Wattie's has this tiny little hope that there might be a last-minute public rally for the New Zealand grown peaches, I think they already know the outcome, which is why they've already cut the contracts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 16 September 2025, Labour leader Chris Hipkins on a new poll that shows just how many Kiwis are blaming the current Government for the state of the economy - and how many still blame Labour. Peachgate: Consumer's Jessica Walker says the cost of living has got so high that people can't afford to make buying NZ grown a priority. Adoption researcher Dr Barbara Sumner welcomes news that overseas adoptions have been stopped with immediate effect. Former Maori Party leader Te Ururoa Flavell weighs in on Takuta Ferris' anti-immigrant comments. Plus, the Huddle debates whether National should be worried about copping the lion's share of blame for the economy. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Māori Party leader says he can't make sense of MP Tākuta Ferris' controversial race comments. Ferris posted a photo of Labour volunteers stating their ethnicities and wrote they were campaigning to take a Māori seat from Māori in the Tamaki Makaurau by-election. The party apologised, but Ferris stood by his comments in a second social media video.  Te Ururoa Flavell says the party has a history of inclusivity and explained many of their candidates in the general sense weren't Māori - being Pasifika, Chinese and Korean. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.