Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Voters in eastern England are headed to the polls today for a byelection triggered by hard-right Reform UK leader Nigel Farage - and he's facing off against a unique rival. The traditional parties have shunned the contest for the Clacton parliamentary seat, meaning joke candidate Count Binface count score a significant percentage of the vote, according to a Survation poll. UK correspondent Enda Brady says many people won't turn up to vote at all, amid heatwave safety concerns. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The looming 'SaaSpocalypse' is doing the rounds and prompting concern among investors, but what does it actually mean? After a significant downturn for software companies, investment has shot back up, but it could be a dead cat bounce - according to some. 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, 13 August, 2026, Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong tells us when she'll reveal her bottom lines in any possible coalition negotiations. On The Huddle, Liam Hehir and Katie Bradford on whether Christopher Luxon was right to rule out Opportunity as a coalition partner. Port of Auckland chief executive Roger Gray on how he hopes to attract more cruise ships. And former Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder on whether bringing back Richie Mo'unga was the right call by the All Blacks. 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.

New Zealand dairy companies are cashing in on a surge in global demand for bioactive proteins found in cow's milk, namely whey, off the back of the surge in weight-loss drugs. Demand for whey powder in the US is soaring and Rabobank has reported high demand for high-protein yoghurt and dairy drinks. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, lawyer Liam Hehir and senior New Zealand Herald correspondent Katie Bradford joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Opportunity Party has surged well above the 5 percent threshold, potentially giving it a decisive role in forming the next Government. Was Luxon wrong to rule them out? What could the next couple of months look like? Is it wrong to be angry with Erica Stanford and Chris Bishop over the leadership challenge? Did Chris Penk have to go? What will this whole saga mean for National's political future? Do we need more transport funding for the South Island? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's cruise industry is in decline, with nationwide visits down 40 percent - and no hope of improvement forecast for the 2026/27 season. Auckland's Shed 10 played host to the annual New Zealand Cruise Convention, where industry experts are hoping to turn those numbers around for a late-decade recovery. Meanwhile, Auckland Council's economic development arm has pitched plans to boost high-value cruise visitors. Port of Auckland CEO Roger Gray says they're investing in new infrastructure and improving the customer experience in order to attract more people. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Opportunity Party confesses its tax and welfare reform plans wouldn't happen in one term as an avenue emerges for it to join a right-bloc Government. The latest 1 News-Verian poll shows neither side could form a Government without Opportunity. National's Christopher Luxon has ruled out the idea. But ACT leader David Seymour says he's open to it, if Opportunity drops its universal basic income and land tax policy. Opportunity's Qiulae Wong says she may be able to work around that. "I think what we would love to do is have a seat at the table to explore them with potential coalition partners with the other parties in Parliament, and also have more of an opportunity to share that with the public." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richie Mo'unga is being parachuted into the All Blacks on their South African Greatest Rivalry Tour. The 32-year Canterbury first-five will replace injured midfielder Billy Proctor, flying to Johannesburg today. Former All Black Todd Blackadder has voiced support for this decision - and says it will please everybody, especially Richie Mo'unga. "It's a great call for Richie, and there's been a lot of people beating the drums about him being over there and having to do his mandatory two games for Canterbury...but Rens has obviously had a good talk to the board and they've come around." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A group of Gloriavale leavers want damages, as the Employment Court declares the Labour Inspectorate wrong for not considering children during investigations. The court says children working at the West Coast religious sect were effectively excluded without reason, from inquiries which led to some 'volunteers' being legally defined as employees. Nine leavers now want compensation and declarations of slavery and servitude. But leaver Pearl Valour says it isn't about the money. "It's about pressure on the Government, this is the consequence of not doing your job properly. Do your job, look after your people, look after the children." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Louise Upston says she never intended for her Disability Support Services Bill to hurt the community. The Disability Issues Minister says the legislation's been clarified after consultation - including around the role of family and the state in a disabled person's care. She says families will continue to receive Government support, with no additional expectations. Upston says the bill won't make changes to existing entitlements, eligibility, support or services that disabled people get. "That's why we've made amendments based on the feedback and the views of the disability community." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know what? I thought the Prime Minister was right to rule out working with Opportunity, until that One News-Verian poll. Now, I think he might have made a mistake. I'm not 100 percent sure, but I'm starting to lean towards this being an error. If you didn't catch the poll, the screaming message from it was that nobody gets to govern unless they have Opportunity. The centre-right bloc has a combined total of 57 seats. That's not enough. You need 61-plus to govern. The centre-left, once you take out the ridiculous thing TVNZ does by counting six Māori Party seats, which is just unreasonable, probably has about 55 seats. Again, that's not enough. Opportunity has nine. Both sides of the political divide need Opportunity's seats to form a Government. Now, look, things are going to change. One poll does not mean that's what happens on November 7 and Opportunity will almost certainly come back from this. This is probably too high for them. But I think the message here is clear: this scenario is now a live possibility in a way it wasn't before, especially after the failed coup, which must almost certainly dent the chances of an outright centre-right victory. That poll will have scared National Party MPs for two reasons. First, the centre-right doesn't win in that poll. Second, Opportunity did not die after Chris Luxon ruled them out. In fact, they went up instead. What he would have hoped is that by ruling them out, they would fade away as a political force. Instead, they shot up to 8 percent. Now, look, Opportunity is a pretty radical left-wing party, okay? They sit more comfortably on the left. But the fact is, the policies they're spruiking, the ideas National will say no to, are also ideas Labour will say no to. Chris Hipkins knows that if he says to Opportunity, "Yep, absolutely fine. Let's roll out a universal basic income. Let's introduce a land tax. Let's lift the age of youth crime to 25," he'll only last one term in Government because that stuff is nutty. It's nuttier than anything the Jacinda Ardern Government did with the Greens. Because of that, because Labour will say no and National will say no, it neutralises Opportunity. Neither side is going to put up with their more radical ideas. Both sides will only agree to the more sensible proposals. Which means Opportunity possibly becomes a viable support partner for the centre-right as well. And that raises the question: has the Prime Minister made a mistake by ruling them out? And does he now need to row that back? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon doesn't believe voters will punish his party in the polls after he survived another confidence vote. Chris Penk has been sacked from Cabinet after Luxon claimed he was behind yesterday's leadership challenge. Penk's since announced he won't seek re-election in November. Senior Ministers Chris Bishop and Erica Stanford deny involvement in the coup attempt, and are pledging support to Luxon. Newstalk ZB reporter Azaria Howell says Luxon claimed the party dealt with the issue in-house, and they'll be moving on. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing pressure to apologise to his Japanese counterpart after a gesture he made about two melons she gifted him. Albanese appeared on the Bush Deep podcast with Nikki Osborne and gestured to his chest when recalling the melons after Osborne asked how the fruit had been smuggled into the country. Former Australian ambassador Shingo Yamagami recalled the incident earlier today and labelled it 'insulting'. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Albanese has insisted this wasn't intended to be a crude joke directed at Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has his wish - being able to call up Richie Mo'unga for the Greatest Rivalry tour of South Africa. With two matches for Canterbury in the NPC under his belt after returning from Japan, Mo'unga has been given the go-ahead to replace the injured Billy Proctor. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concerns the economic powerhouse of the South Island will fail if the Government continues to under-invest in its transport network. New research commissioned by southern regional councils shows the South Island accounts for 22 percent of the economy. Despite having nearly a quarter of the population, it gets just 11 percent of transport funding. Otago Regional Councillor Kate Wilson says the economic drive of the country is at risk. "Our challenge is, now, to ask the Government to provide for the funding in a much fairer way. Because if we fail in the South Island, it won't be great for the North Island either." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Clacton byelection is getting underway, and it's shaping up to be a 'bizarre' event. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage stepped down as MP of Clacton and immediately stood for re-election after a slew of allegations of financial misconduct. None of the other major parties have candidates running, so Farage's opponents include Count Binface, actor-turned-politician Laurence Fox, and three candidates from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi children's clothing brand Jamie Kay has seen some noticeable growth, and it's going global. Jamie Kay opened a flagship store in Christchurch last year and now has four stores in Japan, across Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, and another to come in 18 months. A flagship in Singapore will open in December, and there's also growing demand for the brand across the US. CEO Zion Armstrong outlines the company's next steps. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earnings season is well under way in New Zealand, with investors outlining their expectations and predictions. A2 Milk is due to report their results soon, amid a 'rollercoaster' period for the company. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 12 August, 2026, Christopher Luxon survives another challenge from within on his leadership. We have analysis and commentary from former National Minister Maurice Williamson and New Zealand Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan. On The Huddle, Josie Pagani and Trish Sherson say Luxon should have stepped down. Christchurch City Councillor Celeste Donovan tells us why a caravan park in the red zone has got the green light. And Eden Park chief Nick Sautner on the chances of getting the NRL grand final in 2028. 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.

ASB's settlement over alleged historic breaches of credit disclosure rules has affected its bottom line. The bank reached a $135.6-million-dollar settlement in October last year. In annual results released today, ASB's reporting a six-percent rise in operating income, but a 16 percent rise in operating expenses. CEO Vittoria Short says inflation and new investments in technology also added to the profit drop. 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! Luxon's held on as Prime Minister after this latest leadership challenge - but what does this all mean going forward? Why couldn't Luxon's opponents get this across the line? Does this put them in better or worse shape for the election? Is the whole leadership kerfuffle good for Labour? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five cities are in the mix to host the 2028 NRL grand final - and Auckland is the latest to enter the race. The 2028 decider is up for grabs amid a scheduling clash with Pope Leo XIV's planned Sydney visit, and Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane are all vying for the hosting rights. Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner says he'd love to see New Zealand's national stadium get this 'mouth-watering' opportunity. "We're an intimate, hybrid, multi-purpose stadium, and the Warriors fans across the ditch - when you look at Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium, most of the crowd was actually Warriors fans, so there's no question when you look at participation numbers." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Luxon's held on as Prime Minister and National leader, but there's likely to be fallout from the party's recent turmoil. Luxon's leadership was put to a vote during a near three-hour caucus meeting in Wellington this morning. It followed murmurings about a potential coup - with some MPs signalling they wanted Luxon out of the top job. Former National Minister Maurice Williamson says these events were still 'damaging' for the current Government. "This was just the worst possible thing to be happening to National at this time...he couldn't have left it as business as usual." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The uncertain economic environment could be the reason for climbing unemployment and declining job ads. The latest Seek data shows job ads fell 0.8 percent last month, the third consecutive month of decline. It suggests conditions remain strongest in the South Island, while centres like Auckland, Wellington, and Waikato face greater headwinds. Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold says the labour market has not emerged unscathed from the Iran war. "Perhaps at the start of the year, they were looking forward to a much better year, but business confidence really got buffeted around the last three or four months." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National MP Chris Penk's been dumped from Cabinet and his ministerial portfolios, after instigating today's failed coup. Prime Minister Chris Luxon managed to fight off the challenge for his leadership - at a three-hour caucus meeting in Wellington today. He says Penk's role is now untenable. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says Penk was likely running the numbers - for Erica Stanford or Chris Bishop to contest the leadership. "I think there was a classic stalking horse or sometimes they're called kamikazes - they launched the attacks and destabilised...so that it triggered the confidence vote." Paul Goldsmith will pick up the Defence, Veterans, Space, GCSB, and NZSIS portfolios. Simon Watts will become Minister for Building and Construction. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's suggestions heads will roll over Chris Luxon's latest leadership challenge, but not straight away. The Prime Minister's survived a confidence vote of his caucus - the second in four months. Luxon called an urgent meeting to address recent reports of discontent among National MPs, and he confirmed today that he had full backing from the party. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says it's clear Bishop and Stanford were angling for the top job - but they couldn't strike a deal. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US media is reporting Donald Trump secretly swapped planes as he left a NATO summit in Turkey last month, to evade a possible Iranian threat. It's believed the US President boarded Air Force One in view of media, before being covertly moved to a military aircraft with the help of a catering truck. The White House has not confirmed the secret switch, but reports claim it came after credible warnings. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says this move has prompted concerns after journalists and personnel were on board the original plane. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks are continuing to find the balance between physical dominance and a wide-ranging, up-tempo approach. The tourists' efforts up front were significantly more impressive during the 54-nil win over the Sharks in Durban, compared to their scratchy first-up win over the Stormers. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave recapped the action further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new motorhome park proposed for red zone land in Christchurch's New Brighton has been given the green light. Christchurch City Councillors have approved to lease the land to the Motor Caravan Association for 10 years. It allows up to 100 motorhomes, with stays of up to 10 days in any 30-day period. Councillor Celeste Donovan says now it's time to go through the resource consent process. "The way forward should be pretty straightforward from there - of course, the council can always get in the way, but I think there is support for the proposal across the council." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Luxon stared them down and survived again. Now, it sounds like both contenders, or at least both people who thought they were contenders, Erica Stanford and Chris Bishop, were reasonably confident they had the numbers to roll Luxon yesterday afternoon. But then things swung Luxon's way early in the evening. About 8pm, I got a text suggesting the coup was falling apart and Luxon was shoring up his numbers. The people who had defected from him were defecting back to him. By this morning, the confidence had shifted back to Luxon's camp. It looks like, if I can put this really simply, the coup fell apart because of egos. Neither Chris Bishop nor Erica Stanford was prepared to go second on the ticket. They needed to work together if they wanted the numbers. They needed to coalesce around one candidate but they couldn't because both wanted to be leader. So, in the end, neither of them became leader. Now, I can't say the caucus has made the wrong call by backing Chris Luxon because, as I said, either choice was risky and difficult. But the situation the National Party finds itself in is the worst of all worlds. For a second time, the party has signalled to the country that it does not fully back its leader, and then left him there to do the job anyway. No one is going to believe the false show of unity that saw them standing behind Chris Luxon for 75 seconds while he told us his caucus was unified. It doesn't take three hours in a caucus room to establish unity. It takes five minutes. Three hours is what it looks like when there isn't enough unity. The people behind this coup, and this time it appears to be Erica Stanford rather than Chris Bishop, should reflect on what they've done. They have effectively blown the arms and legs off their Prime Minister, then pushed him out there to try to win the election for them again because they couldn't get past their own egos long enough to execute a coup properly. There's only one thing worse than a coup against a Prime Minister, and that's a failed coup. You do all the damage and end up with nothing shiny and new to show for it. This is going to hurt National. Mark my words, this is going to hurt National. The party will probably bleed votes to its coalition partners in the next three months. I'm still not convinced it will cost National the election but it certainly makes that outcome more likely. They only have themselves to blame for what comes next. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 11 August, 2026, will Christopher Luxon stay or go? We've expert analysis and commentary from New Zealand Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan, senior political correspondent Barry Soper and The Huddle with Jordan Williams and Jack Tame. A tax expert explains why New Zealanders owe the IRD more than $9 billion in tax. And Auckland University professor Peter Shepherd on developing a weight-loss drug where you don't suppress your appetite and can still have a tipple. 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.

Labour has taken the lead over Reform in a new poll - days before Nigel Farage will face judgement from voters in the Clacton by-election. The latest survey puts Prime Minister Burnham's party on 28 percent, three points ahead of Reform on 25 percent. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Burnham's in place to call a snap election as early as next year, provided he can avoid major political blunders. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, the Reserve Bank has moved to keep the official cash rate in place at 4.35 percent. The result was widely expected by economists and money markets, despite inflation remaining above the RBA's 2-3 percent target range in the June quarter. HSBC Chief Economist Paul Bloxham says there's evidence that the Australian economy is slowing down, which is helping put downward pressure on inflation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amid discussions surrounding Luxon's political future, there's still one sector backing him. National MPs are arriving to the Capital ahead of tomorrow's big meeting to discuss the Prime Minister's political future. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union 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! Chris Luxon's political future is hanging in the balance ahead of tomorrow's big meeting. Will he survive, or will he be rolled? Will Erica Stanford or Chris Bishop replace him? What do we make of Chris Hipkins' plan to help small businesses join the AI revolution? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More Kiwis than ever are in debt to the IRD, and one expert has a theory about why it's gotten so bad. As of March this year, more than half-a-million people had debt to Inland Revenue, and overall tax debt sat at $9.4 billion, of which Inland Revenue said 62 percent, or $5.9 billion, was collectable. Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand lead, John Cuthbertson, says there's been a significant build-up of debt, largely as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. "As debt ages, it becomes harder to collect - and we know that about 43 percent of it is over 2 years old. So once you get into that territory, it gets harder and harder to collect." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new study by the University of Auckland has discovered a link between vaping and an increased risk for death in infants. The research found vaping shows similar risks as smoking, particularly when combined with sharing a bed with an infant. Auckland University researcher Ed Mitchell says nicotine can make the baby more vulnerable during pregnancy and beyond - putting the infant at risk of not waking up when stressed. "I certainly accept that there might be socio-economic factors, other stress factors that are causing it - but it just seems to be too big a difference to just pass away as an association." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Researchers at the University of Auckland are developing an obesity treatment designed to help people lose weight without suppressing appetite. Unlike other treatments such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, this would would target the body's fat-storage process and burn it in a different way. Auckland University Molecular Medicine and Pathology professor Peter Shepherd says this treatment will burn off fat faster and reduce it before it has time to 'settle in'. "Basically, what we've done is found the hormone that controls that process and we've found a way to block that with a little chemical - a little drug that you can take orally." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says small businesses are our economy's engine room, as the party launches a new election policy in Rotorua. It's campaigning on a $2 million annual fund to help smaller businesses adopt AI tools. It would also go into topping up an advisory group to help with AI use, and boosting mentoring and support. Leader Chris Hipkins says small businesses want to adapt to this new technology, and they want additional support to make this happen. "So that they can weigh up how AI could help them, what the risks of using AI could be - it's just levelling the playing field." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's silence from some National MPs as the Prime Minister faces a potential leadership showdown. Chris Luxon's called an urgent Caucus meeting in Wellington tomorrow morning, after rumours emerged he doesn't have his party's full support. He's touched down in Wellington, batting off questions and saying he'll talk to media tomorrow. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says MPs like Simeon Brown - who've previously stood behind Luxon - aren't returning texts. "Usually, when there's a bit of speculation it's very easy, it takes two seconds to say - yes, I back the Prime Minister, and they do that all the time." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister is refusing to say if he has caucus support before an urgent meeting tomorrow morning. Chris Luxon has summoned National MPs to the capital, after renewed speculation about his leadership. He says division and disunity need to be resolved quickly. Luxon had no answer for journalists when he touched down in Wellington this afternoon, but senior MPs Nicola Willis and Mark Mitchell have both expressed confidence in the PM. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says potential leadership challengers would go into the meeting believing they have the numbers. "People are too afraid to say - no, I wouldn't support them, because what happens when they become leader?" LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is Australia's Census night, the first the nation's had since 2021. The questionnaire is compulsory for everyone in Australia this evening, including international visitors, refugees and migrants. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says it's expected over 28 million people will fill in their Census details today - both in-person and online. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.