Larry Williams Drive

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!  The Government's latest OCR update was delivered this afternoon - what did we think of it? Are we getting dangerously close to 'stagflation' territory? Should we stop contributing so much to MPs' KiwiSavers? Movie theatres are seeing a revenue decline - do you still go to the movies? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some complex airline problems might be solved with another type of aircraft now operating in an Auckland warehouse. Air New Zealand has teamed up with Spark, Ericsson and Canadian firm Cypher Robotics to deploy a robot-tethered drone. The airline and the telco said they worked together to create New Zealand’s first private 5G network for business. Mark Beder, Spark New Zealand customer director for enterprise and government, says the size and height of the warehouse has presented challenges. "It's about how they can do this more efficiently and more effectively over time." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 28 May 2025, the Reserve Bank has cut interest rates but things are much more uncertain for the future. Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold told Heather it's significant that the Monetary Policy Committee didn't come to a unanimous decision. Hairdresser Hailey Ashton with her verdict on the new rules for hairdressers and barbers - and why she still won't let people bring their dogs to the salon. 86% of new homeowners have to call a tradie back in to fix something shortly after they move in. Master Plumber boss Greg Wallace tries to defend the tradies. Warehouse chair Dame Joan Withers on the Warehouse's new boss - and how she thinks the economy is going right now. Plus, the Huddle debates why we're not going to the movies anymore and whether we should top up our MPs Kiwisavers. 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/l

I don't really want to have to start on a bum note, but if there is a thing that we do on the show, it's honesty. So let's be honest about it. What the Reserve Bank decision told you today is how much trouble our economy is in. If you're in business, you already know this and you don't need me to tell you this. I was talking to a couple of CEOs yesterday. They were telling me they cannot see the green shoots - we've been waiting. We were told - survive til '25, we're halfway through and we're still stuffed. Well, let me tell you what we got today. We got a 25 basis point cut. We needed 50 percent because that OCR is still too high. It's now sitting at 3.25 percent.  It's probably actively still dampening our economic growth because I think the consensus is that 3 is neutral, and we're not there yet. But they could not give us a bigger cut today. And even they must realize how much damage they're doing, because they themselves have admitted that the economy is even more stuffed than they thought it was as

The Warehouse Group has appointed a new CEO after a lengthy search to fill the role. Mark Stirton, who joined the company in April last year, will head the group from August 1. Chair Dame Joan Withers says Stirton has basically completed a one-year job interview - and has continued to impress the board. "Rather than just anoint someone internally, we went through that thorough process so that we could be absolutely confident we got the best possible person for the job." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lawyer's surprised police aren't taking investigations further, following the death of a Palmerston North teen playing a 'Run it Straight' game. 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite suffered a serious brain injury on Sunday participating in the sport - and died in hospital on Monday.  The tackling competition is big on social media. Lawyer Matt Goodwin says most people participating would know there's a serious risk of injury, even death. "So in assuming that risk, I think the question is whether it's something that's acceptable." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hopes poor financial results don't spell the final act for cinemas.  Revenue dropped for all the Hoyts, Reading and Event Cinemas chains in 2024.  Auckland's Capitol Cinema co-owner Roger Wyllie says the combination of Covid and the Hollywood writer's strike brought tough times. He says there are good movies out there - but interest is low.   "We've probably done 40 percent on pre-Covid with people coming through the door." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A hairdresser says the industry has lots of 'silly little rules'. Cabinet has agreed to all the Ministry for Regulation's recommendations - allowing drinks and dogs if businesses want them. Rules about the spacing of chairs and how bright lights are will also be scrapped from July. Hairdresser Hailey Ashton says she's always offered tea and coffee, but she might decline to invite the pooches. "I've got clients I know are quite afraid of dogs - we've actually had someone bring their dog in, sit on their lap and then vomit all over our floor." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee revealed it failed to reach a consensus today - before they voted to cut the OCR 25 basis points to 3.25 percent. But Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold says that's surprising. He explained that the fact someone is prepared to put their hand up and say they wouldn't support the move shows it was more a line-ball call than they were expecting. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister's brushing off criticism from Wellington's mayor. Speaking to Newstalk ZB today, the PM hit out at the city's cycleway rollout and water management - saying other cities are moving forward. Tory Whanau says Luxon should focus on coalition issues and the problematic Government's school lunch roll out, not punching down on the capital. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls unpacked Tory Whanau's response. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A message sent to the Trump administration - by King Charles from Canada's throne. The monarch has given the traditional throne speech to mark the opening session of Canada's parliament. As the US President speaks of his desire to annex Canada, the King's presence is seen as a show of sovereign support. US correspondent Jonathan Kearsley says King Charles and Canada were looking to send Trump a message, but not a direct call-out. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warriors coach Andrew Webster has joined the chorus wanting a mid-season break in the NRL to play representative rugby league - and stop disruption to club sides. State of Origin - which gets underway tonight in Brisbane - saw 36 of the top players in the competition unavailable for selection over the weekend amid a truncated five-game schedule. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost everyone who moves into a new house needs to call back a tradie to deal with a defect, according to new reports. Data in the new BRANZ Build Insights dashboard shows that after they had moved in, 86 percent of new homeowners needed to call back their builder or other tradesperson to fix something after they've moved in. Greg Wallace, CEO of Master Plumbers, says tradies need to focus on getting things right the first time. "There is no benefit for a tradesman to go back and have, no charge to the consumer, to rectify a problem." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A horror car ramming at a Liverpool Football Club victory parade is not being treated as terrorism.  47 people were injured when a car ploughed into the crowd celebrating the Premier League title win - seriously injuring two, including a child.   A 53 year old British man from Liverpool has been been arrested.  UK correspondent Elizabeth Callaghan says tens of thousands were out on the streets celebrating - and the attack has been described as 'appalling'.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All eyes will be on the Reserve Bank tomorrow afternoon, when stand-in Reserve Bank Governor Christian Hawkesby delivers the bank's latest monetary policy statement. A 25 basis point cut to the OCR to 3.25 percent is taken as a given - but experts are wondering what the future path of interest rates will look like. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2025 Budget has come and gone, but the Finance Minister has confirmed raising the superannuation age was still on National’s radar after they campaigned on it in the last election. She's explained it was not on their mandates or the coalition agreement - but changes need to be phased in. Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen weighed in on the ongoing debate. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Thomas Scrimgeour from the Maxim Institute and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Have police and the Government made a mistake saying every crime will be investigated after yesterday's controversial memo leak? Should they have tried to clarify? A teenager has died after a combative run it straight-style game with friends went wrong. Should we try and crack down on this - or is it too late?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 27 May 2025, Police Minister Mark Mitchell fronts up on the show to calm some nerves. Retailers are worried about a police memo that indicated police won't investigate shoplifting below a certain value. Tragedy in Palmerston North where a teenager has died after a run it straight type event. But is a ban the answer to preventing more harm? Labour leader Chris Hipkins responds to Winston Peters ruling out any NZ First-Labour coalition as long as Hipkins is the leader. Does that mean his days as party leader are numbered? Plus, the Huddle debates *that* shove from the French president's wife that was caught on camera. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think Winston Peters ruling out ever going into coalition with Chippy after the next election is actually more significant than many people will realize. Because Winnie was actually Chippy's only credible path back to being prime minister again. Without Winnie, Chippy is completely stuffed, because the alternatives are not real options. The alternatives are: One - being in a coalition with a couple of loony parties, which centre voters are absolutely not going to go for. So you can forget about that. The other is that Labour is returned as a majority Government again, which is, after what happened last time, not going to happen for a very long time again. So basically, there is no way back for Chippy. He will not be Prime Minister after 2026, if ever. Now a lot of people would say to me at this juncture - well of course not, National were always going to win the next election anyway, so this is just a completely spurious argument. But I would say to you is - Labour's chances are actually a little bit b

The use of AI has become more widespread, with 77 percent of New Zealanders using it over the past year. Despite this, the new One NZ AI Trust Report found that nearly half don’t trust large companies to use AI ethically. Furthermore, 62 percent say they would stop using a company if they had concerns about its AI use, with top concerns being the misuse of personal data, job losses, and unfair decision-making. One NZ CEO, Jason Paris, says there's 'massive' opportunities that come with AI - across all facets of business and life. "But it needs to be done transparently, and sometimes corporates aren't as transparent as they need to be - and therefore, there's a question on trust." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.