Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

UK Prime Minister Starmer is fighting for his job as he faces MPs to explain the sacking of the top civil servant in the UK Foreign Office. It follows the revelation that his department didn't tell the Prime Minister that Lord Mandelson failed security vetting. Mandelson took up the role of UK ambassador to the US in February 2025, but seven months later he was sacked over ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump's accused Iran of completely violating its ceasefire agreement - with the Strait of Hormuz closed again. Iran's fired shots at ships in the Strait over the weekend, and has warned it'll stay closed until the US lifts its blockade. Harbour Asset Management expert Shane Solly revealed how these developments could impact markets. 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! Everyone's waiting for the National Party caucus meeting in Wellington tomorrow morning. What do we think will happen here? Is Luxon on the way out? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 20 April, 2026, we ask the MetService's head of weather news how they got the forecast so wrong with the latest flooding disasters. Education Minister Erica Stanford outlines relief for schools affected by the fuel crisis. We hear about a bus trial where the driver lets you off closer to your destination at night. And on The Huddle, Trish Sherson and Josie Pagani discuss the pressure going on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's leadership. 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.

New Zealand First is heading into the election with a plan to break up the supermarket duopoly. If re-elected, the party's promising to split Foodstuffs into two nationwide co-operatives - one for New World and Four Square, and the other for Pak'nSave. Consumer NZ says the current Government's efforts to encourage a third player into the market have largely been unsuccessful. Head of Advocacy and Research, Gemma Rasmussen, has raised questions over this plan - and indicated it might not be the best solution to rising food prices. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister has raised some concerns over NZ First's bid to break up the supermarket duopoly. NZ First has announced that if re-elected, it will split Foodstuffs into two nationwide co-operates: one for New World and Four Square, and the other for Pak'nSave. Nicola Willis says it's good idea, but it needs to be carefully implemented. "That's why I've been taking my time working through proposals, looking very carefully at costs, very carefully at benefits, reviewing that, thinking about implementation - because I agree with Winston that the margins in our supermarket sector are very high." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Obviously, what everybody in politics is talking about today is what's going to happen at the National Party caucus meeting in Wellington tomorrow morning, regarding the Prime Minister's ongoing leadership. Now, I can't call it. I can't tell you what's going to happen. On the one hand, the Prime Minister is under more pressure than he was before the weekend because of last night's One News-Verian poll. Usually, that poll is quite generous to the National Party - it tends to overestimate National to a degree. But last night, not only did it put the National Party at 29.7 percent, it also predicted a change of Government. That means this becomes not just a backbenchers losing their seats problem, but a ministers losing their jobs problem. On the other hand, Luxon has managed to get himself through a tough round of media interviews this morning with grit, steel and confidence. And his chief troublemaker, Chris Bishop, has now ruled himself out of the leadership in that Q&A interview yesterday, which surely means the move against the Prime Minister has lost some momentum. There has been a lot of poo-pooing of the polls, which I frankly just do not buy into. I have not seen any evidence that we have the kinds of polling trouble here in New Zealand that they've had in the UK, the US or Australia - where the polls call it for one side and then the other side basically comes through. Largely, we don't have that problem because we run MMP. They run first-past-the-post systems. And that actually matters because just a little bit of inaccuracy in those countries' polling can mean quite a big surprise if a bunch of marginal seats fall in a way you weren't expecting. We don't have that here - our mistakes in polling marginal seats get smoothed out by the party vote. Also, National is now sitting at around 29.7 percent in four polls in a row and there was another one about six weeks ago that started this all off. That means what you saw last night is not a rogue poll - it's a trend. Choosing not to believe the polls feels like the last refuge of those who are in complete denial about what's going on here. But ultimately, it's not really up to us, is it? It's not up to us as voters and it's not up to us as commentators. It's up to caucus - the National Party caucus. If the Prime Minister can get himself through tomorrow and then weather whatever happens in the seven days after that and then get himself through caucus Tuesday week - so he's got two caucuses to get through - then he will most likely survive until at least well after the Budget. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts are wondering who will foot the bill for protecting or moving communities threatened by climate change. The Insurance Council is among advocates pushing the Government to speed up decisions on managing the issue. They say severe weather won't wait. Chief executive Kris Faafoi says the Government's indicated councils will lead climate adaption. But he says a clearer roadmap's needed - as councils look to raise money over the next decade. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A fresh idea in Auckland aims to make rides on public transport safer and easier. AT is trialling the flexi-stop system on bus route 18 - between the city and New Lynn - after 7pm every day until September. Passengers on the service can ask to be let off the bus anywhere along the route between stops, given it's safe for the driver to do so. AT Public Transport Operations Group Manager, Rachel Cara, says it's a success so far. "We've had over 100 passengers request a flexi-stop and it's only been running for four weeks, so we're really pleased with that level of feedback. We want to hear from our drivers, make sure that it's easy for them to navigate." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Temporary fuel support is being funnelled into keeping rural schools up and running. The Education Minister's speeding up replacing diesel boilers for up to 70 schools. Our smallest schools are getting one-off $2500 grants - and student commute allowances are being hiked 30 percent for 5000 students. Erica Stanford says mileage support's more than doubling for relief teachers at remote schools. "If it doesn't make financial sense for you to go out and drive to a rural school, then you may not choose to do that, and we don't want that, it's already difficult enough for them to get relievers." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MetService is defending the lack of warning in Wellington, before it was battered by torrential rain and flash flooding early today. Karori man Philip Sutton hasn't been found since his home flooded. Wairarapa and Wellington - excluding Porirua - now sit under a rare red warning until late tomorrow. A State of Emergency's been declared, with warnings to evacuate from low-lying areas. MetService's Heather Keats says limited warning's possible for localised thunderstorms - because they develop so quickly. "You could be 40 kilometres up the road and have no rainfall recorded at all, and then you could be underneath it and then receive 80 millimetres in an hour." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Isolated and rural schools are next in line for help with the fuel shock. Education Minister Erica Stanford's announced they'll put $37 million dollars into speeding up diesel boiler replacements at up to 70 schools. They'll also more than double mileage reimbursement for relief teachers temporarily and hike funding for about 5000 students' school commute, by 30 percent. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Luxon also seemed confident at the stand-up, despite growing concerns about his leadership. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's Viva Energy warned it expects its Geelong refinery to produce diesel and jet fuel at around 80 percent ​of capacity in the short term. The refinery caught fire last week and burned for 13 hours before being put out. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says it's not as bad as it could have been - but concerns have been raised as the fuel crisis continues. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Chiefs have beaten the Hurricanes 22-17 in extra time to leap into top spot on the Super Rugby ladder. There's been two boil-overs across the ditch, with the Crusaders beaten 31-26 by the Force in Perth and the Brumbies humbled 33-28 by the Fijian Drua in Canberra. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Care for locals in a King Country town isolated by floodwater over the weekend, with some forced to evacuate. A State of Emergency still applies for Ruapehu's Ohura Ward - and a community hui's being held at its Hall tomorrow evening. Ruapehu district mayor, Weston Kirton, says the region's through the worst of it weather wise, but there's still lingering damage. "When it comes to isolated areas like Ohura and others, sometimes you don't know and can't model exactly where it's going to hit the most - and I would suggest that the systems we have in place is not adequate." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I know there's a suggestion that maybe - just maybe - Moana Pasifika can be saved. But do yourself a favour and don't waste your time hoping for it because I think this is going to be the club's last season. I don't relish saying that because Moana Pasifika was absolutely one of the highlights of last year's Super Rugby season. But it has never stacked up financially, has it? The only reason it was able to pay its way for a while was because it received a temporary injection of Government money from various agencies. There was a bit of financial help from New Zealand Rugby, a bit from World Rugby and of course the fact it was majority owned by a charity that drew tens of millions of dollars in Government income. Once that Government contract was cut, the financial support came to an abrupt end. Now the money has run out. It's lost its big star - Ardie Savea is now in Japan. It's losing games, sitting at the bottom of the table again and the fans have drifted away. You could argue - and it would be a fair argument - that Moana Pasifika was never really given a fair go because it doesn't even have a true home ground. But even if you gave it a home ground and even if you had a star like Ardie Savea every single season, I'd still say it wouldn't make enough money to wash its face - because none of the clubs do. Or very few of them, anyway. So if you're hoping against hope that someone swoops in to save Moana Pasifika, tell me who? It can't be New Zealand Rugby - because if they step in for Moana Pasifika, are they also going to start bailing out the Hurricanes when they make a loss? It can't be the Government either, especially with the prospect of a global recession hanging over us. That basically leaves private business. And if private business people do step in, it will be entirely out of generosity. And how long does generosity last if there are no results in the bank and no results on the field? So I'd say: put your hopes away. This will be Moana Pasifika's last season. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

A construction expert says customers could soon face price hikes of 25%. Stats NZ data shows petrol prices rose almost 19% last month, while diesel prices were up almost 43%. AUT Professor John Tookey says the industry heavily relies on oil for producing and transporting materials. He says the destruction of oil wells and processing facilities in the Middle East could take years or decades to rebuild. Tookey says, if it continues, there will be major problems which could become the new normal. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In my opinion, National MPs need to bite the bullet and ask Chris Luxon to step aside. I don't enjoy saying this because personally I like Chris Luxon and have a fair amount of respect for him. But I think the chances are now very high that this is going to happen before the election. He is going to lose the leadership and perhaps the only real choice National MPs now have is how messy they allow this to become. I'll explain why I think he loses the leadership — and I think it's simple maths. National's polling is really poor. It's sub-30 in multiple polls. You can't write those off as rogue results. The numbers are consistently bad and at that level the party is on track to lose around 11 MPs in November. Those 11 MPs do not want to lose their jobs and within that group are the people now agitating for a change of leadership. For that agitation to stop, National's polling would need to lift enough to save at least some of those MPs' seats.So how does the polling improve? The economy would have to improve. And is that going to happen between now and November? No, it's not. In fact, the economy is more likely to come under further pressure, particularly because of the situation in Iran and rising fuel costs. The most likely scenario is that the economy gets worse, National's polling deteriorates further, and those 11 MPs — and potentially more — lose their jobs at the election. Meanwhile, the destabilising campaign we saw in the Herald today continues. Someone is deliberately and repeatedly planting stories in the media. That won't stop. It will continue to drive the polls down and make Luxon look increasingly like a lame-duck Prime Minister. So if we assume the economy doesn't improve, the polling doesn't improve and the destabilising continues, then the most likely outcome is this: about three months out from the election, in the depths of winter, the National Party loses its nerve and rolls Chris Luxon in a desperate attempt to save the furniture. I see no realistic alternative to that outcome. That's scenario one: hope and pray. And yes, that is technically a strategy — maybe something miraculous happens, the way COVID saved Jacinda Ardern in 2020. But that's hope-and-prayer stuff. Scenario two is that they pull the pin. They replace Chris Luxon with someone else and call an early election, allowing that person to seek a mandate while still enjoying a honeymoon period — and before winter and the Iran-related pressures make voters even more miserable than they already are. If I were in the National caucus, I'd be opting for the second scenario. Because the polling is now so consistently bad that a leadership change is likely to happen anyway before the election. They can't avoid it — they can only choose when it happens and how messy they let it get. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Changes to the Local Government Act could be on the way after controversy at the Far North District Council. Councillor Diane Smolders claims a committee made-up of six councillors and 10 unelected Iwi and hapu representatives is co-governance on steroids. Local Government Minister Simon Watts says he's looking at changes to give to cabinet. He told Heather du Plessis-Allan that he'll have a proposal soon. Watts says he expects it to take about a month. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis has made her way to the US. She joins a long list of finance ministers calling for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen, and met with Trump's officials for an update on the situation in Iran. She told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the Whitehouse was, 'careful to caveat that there were still a number of unknowns because they're not the only actor in the conflict.' when asked about the situation in Iran. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'Alpine Divorce' is a new phenomenon that is common enough to exist. Couples going on hikes or tramps reach exhaustion at different stages, leading to one person being left behind. An exhaustion which now seems to have extended to relationships. Adrift NZ Owner and Tongariro Crossing Guide told Heather du Plessis-Allan that being under physical stress is likely to heighten tensions in strained relationships. 'When you do that, the best of the worst comes out of you.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new farming advocacy group is pushing for the government only to import meat that matches New Zealand's farming standards. 'Fair for Farmers' says that overseas pig meat undermines animal welfare standards, and kiwi farmer's ability to compete. Animal Policy International Co-Executive Director Rainer Kravets told Heather du Plessis-Allan that, 'around 60% of pork in our market comes from overseas and most of it is produced using standards that would be illegal here.' The group has faced criticism from other farming collectives about the motives behind their cause. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uptake is stalling for GP's wanting to diagnose ADHD. Two months after the Government allowed GP's to assess and prescribe medication, only 180 GP's have used the new power so far. Other doctors blame workforce shortages and inadequate funding for the stall in uptakes. Royal NZ College of GP's President Luke Bradford told Heather du Plessis-Allan that, 'Patients can't afford to see it. Or the doctors can't afford to give up the time to do it.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi company Allbirds has announced a new direction and it's drawn questions from experts. After years of losses, the former sustainable shoe company is transitioning to AI after selling all its assets this month. It's revised its moniker to NewBirds AI - seeing share values surging up to 700 percent. NZ Herald senior business writer Chris Keall says the tech and business-based press has raised concerns about what this could do for the company. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concerns the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could lead to food shortages in the UK. Reports claim that people are concerned that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz will lead to a shortage of carbon dioxide - which is essential in food production. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Prime Minister Kier Starmer has warned people to start preparing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 16 April, 2026, our $86 billion Super Fund is found guilty of failing to properly address human rights. We talk to the lawyer for the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa. We have a tough conversation with US philosopher Peter Boghossian, who's here on a free speech tour. Former cricketer Ben Harris tells us how he came up with the idea of a bowls version of T20. And on The Huddle, Oscar Kightley and Jordan Williams debate the use of unelected representatives on council committees. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US earnings season is in full swing, with many leading companies posting their results. The Middle East conflict is looming over this year's data and experts have raised concerns. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former All Blacks captain and loose forward Taine Randell is now a New Zealand First candidate in the coming election. He will get a winnable list position in case he doesn't win the Tukituki electorate. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained what he could bring to politics. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and artist and local Government politician Oscar Kightley joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! As the fuel crisis continues, more people are opting to take the bus instead of drive or fly. Do we see this becoming a permanent shift, or will things go back to normal when the oil crisis ends? What do we make of the Government's handling of the fuel crisis? Are we going to end up like Australia? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having tough conversations is a difficult art, but one expert's devised a solution. American philosopher Peter Boghossian has been quietly touring New Zealand schools and universities teaching young people how to have healthy debate. He says it's important to consider all perspectives and figure out what people believe before we leap to conflict. "The most important thing is that you have to listen, you have to repeat back to the person, you have to understand what they believe and why they believe it, and only then can you have any kind of meaningful criticism." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We can be a bunch of moaners in this country, can't we? Now, from my point of view, that announcement yesterday - which we talked about on the show - that pharmacists may soon be able to hand out a range of publicly funded medicines without patients having to go to a GP first, is a no-brainer. It's wonderful because we're talking about low-level medications: Pamol, maybe some eye drops, for fairly common and uncomplicated illnesses like conjunctivitis or head lice. And this isn't anything new for pharmacists. They're already looking at conjunctivitis and going, “Oh yeah, mate, that's conjunctivitis - you need the eye drops.” They're already dispensing the medications. The only difference is that, if this proposal goes through, they'll be able to hand out those medicines at the same subsidised price you'd pay if you'd gone to the GP first. You won't have to buy it over the counter at full price. And the good news - why this really is a no-brainer - is that it takes pressure off GPs, or the EDs, that poorer people often have to go to first if they want medication for cheap or for free. And secondly, it saves time for patients. They don't have to go through all the faff of booking and attending a doctor's appointment first. So who would moan about this? Let me tell you who: GenPro. GenPro's moaned about it - the GP advocacy group. They're warning that this runs the risk of misdiagnosis because maybe a pharmacist might look at conjunctivitis and say, “Oh look, it's a pus-y eye, here are some eye drops,” without realising it's actually caused by an ear infection. But please remember: these are pharmacists who are already making these calls. The only difference here is what you pay for the medication. So any misdiagnosis they're worried about may already be happening. So why are they really moaning about this? I'll tell you why. GenPro knows this will take pressure off GPs - and that undermines what they actually want. They want GPs to stay under pressure so they can complain about GPs being under pressure, so they can argue for more money for overworked doctors. Frankly, they should just be honest about that. They may well have a decent argument to make - I suspect they do - but they won't convince many people with a straw-man argument. Right now, they just sound like a pack of moaners dumping on a really good idea. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former cricketer has launched a new fast-paced lawn bowls format designed to give the sport a new lease on life. 'Five in 25' is a shortened version of the game that hopes to attract new players to give the sport a go. Ben Harris is the man behind the game and he says there's an event set to take place tomorrow designed to appeal to prospective players. "It's an experimental tournament tomorrow, there'll be some learnings from that at the Papanui bowling club." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Airlines are now treating the fuel crisis as a long term issue. The conflict in Iran, which has closed the Strait of Hormuz, has forced airfare rises and route cuts. Board of Airline Representatives NZ Executive Director, Cath O'Brien, says airlines have to look well ahead. "At the moment, we're planning for the season that runs October to March. As we plan ahead, we have to plan networks on a totally changed basis of cost. And I think that's the real challenge." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Guardians of the Super Fund are considering their response to a High Court ruling parts of its sustainable investment policy were unreasonable and unlawful. The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa sought a judicial review over the fund's failure to divest investment in Israeli companies complicit in illegally occupying Palestine. Their lawyer, Frances Joychild KC says the court has asked the Superfund to re-write its policies to align with their statutory duties. She says the problem was that their policies didn't have any human rights standards - which could be used as benchmarks. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National says Labour's sending mixed messages on tax. Yesterday, lobby group Tax Justice Aotearoa called for a comprehensive capital gains tax and wealth taxes. Labour's revenue spokesperson Deborah Russell says the group has 'really good suggestions', and refuses to say whether Labour's current capital gains tax policy goes far enough. Meanwhile, leader Chris Hipkins says the party won't be taking any new tax policy to the election. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Hipkins already broke his word on the proposed capital gains tax - and this creates additional confusion. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A fire raging at Australia's Geelong oil refinery since last night has been extinguished. The blaze broke out at the motor gasoline unit, and is expected to affect petrol production. The site produces 10 percent of the country's fuel - one of only two refineries in Australia. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says investigations will be taking place into the incident - and the damage is 'extensive'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Football Ferns will attend a seventh women's World Cup next year in Brazil after beating Papua New Guinea 1-nil in the Oceania qualifying final. The result capped a dominant campaign - New Zealand scored 25 goals without conceding. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With fuel prices rising amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, more people have turned to buses in order to get around. National bus company InterCity says it has increased fares in the face of escalating diesel prices, but the increase in demand has helped offset the costs. Entrada Travel Group chief operating officer Sam Peate says they're hoping this trend will continue even after oil prices come down. "We know that we've got a comfortable and convenient way to travel, we've got wi-fi on board on all of our services - and for people who are looking for a bit of extra luxury, we've got a gold class seat option." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Harry and Meghan have taken a four-day tour to Australia, where they've been combining visits to charitable causes alongside money-making events. This is the pair's first time in Australia since 2018, where they visited as part of an 'intense' royal tour. UK correspondent Gavin Grey unpacked the reactions further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inland Revenue has claimed New Zealand needs higher taxes, building off earlier arguments made by Treasury. It sees scope to increase the goods and services tax (GST) rate - offering a cash transfer to low-income earners - and tax more capital gains. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shares in A2 Milk dropped this week after the company downgraded their earnings forecast - after the business was hoping to increase their net profit for the June year. A2 Milk has cited supply chain issues, partly relating to the conflict in the Middle East. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.