Larry Williams Drive

Encouraging investment is a top priority in this month's upcoming Budget, according to new reports. Prime Minister Chris Luxon says it'll come from a small number of measures, including more funding for a R&D tax credit. BusinessNZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard says New Zealand is currently one of the hardest OECD countries to invest in. She says the new agency, Invest New Zealand, is one positive measure. "Much more like a concierge sort of treatment for investors - and they will have the door flung open and the welcome mat put out." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Customs Minister says using cash can help hide exploitation.  A Ministerial Advisory Group has released its second report - criticising our response to modern crime and money laundering.  It shows cash and assets seized by police total just 4.2 percent of the $1.6 billion criminals make each year.  Casey Costello says cash payments also aren't good for workers.  "In terms of protection of workers and assuring that deductions are being done properly and pay is being managed properly and that they are getting all their entitlements - the cash process makes it very difficult concerning those things." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With two weeks left to go until Budget day, Chris Luxon addressed a crowd at a BusinessNZ event in Auckland today. Luxon reiterated that the Government won't be splashing the cash this year - and claimed the Finance Minister was right to promise it won't be a Budget lolly scramble. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls says this wasn't the kind of pre-Budget announcement that would make the nation sit up and take notice - and that was by design. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Liberal leadership race is on, following Peter Dutton's sweeping loss in the Australian election. Angus Taylor and Sussan Ley lead the pack as potential contenders - but neither one has been publicly nominated. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Ley has gained more attention - but it's unclear if sections of the party will get behind a female leader. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ruahei Demant has been named at 10 in the Black Ferns side for their opening match of the Pac4 against the Wallaroos in Newcastle on Saturday. Coach Allan Bunting has opted to give his co-captain first crack at first-five in 2025 leaving Hannah King on the bench. Teenage fullback Braxton Sorensen-Magee will debut. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacks the selections further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's Ayesha Verrall says tobacco's unique harm is why industry links to Government need tighter checks.  She's put forward a Members' Bill designed to ban any linked people working on tobacco policy.  Labour hopes it'll have cross-party support. Verrall says other products, like vaping, don't need such strong restrictions - but tobacco's incredibly deadly. "It kills half the people that use it - we don't have other products like that. So that's why we need this specific focus on tobacco." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A boost in trade for the UK and India after finalising a long-desired free trade deal. It focuses on tariff reductions for British and Indian goods across almost all sectors, with a boost on UK car and alcohol industries. UK correspondent Gavin Grey unpacks the deal further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Briscoe Group sales fell 2.58 percent on the year to $178.3 million in the first quarter, weighed down by weaker homeware sales. Briscoes Homeware store revenue fell 4.66 percent to $103.6m compared with the first quarter last year, while Rebel Sport’s revenue grew 0.47 percent to $74.7m. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  It's day two of the pay equity saga - what do we make of all this? Has the Government mishandled this? Was it a bad call to rush the law through the way it has? Should they admit they're just doing it for the money? Should we take Donald Trump seriously when he floats ideas like making Canada the 51st state? How much attention should we give statements like these? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been 15 years since Auckland became a supercity, and new data has revealed what people believe the city needs in order to improve. A total of 575 Aucklanders participated in the survey, casting 46,000 votes on statements, creating what’s been called a “digital snapshot” of the city’s sentiments. Former Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Graham Quirk, outlined some other point of concern - as Brisbane prepares some upgrades ahead of the 2032 Olympics.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six shipbuilders have been shortlisted for the job of delivering the much-anticipated new Cook Strait ferries. This comes after the Government pulled the plug on iReX because of cost blowouts, which was set to deliver new port-side infrastructure and two rail-enabled hybrid ferries. Ferry Holdings chairman Chris Mackenzie won't disclose the names of these companies. "We're not making anything public...we will not announce who the six are, we will be announcing the successful shipyard further down the track."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 7 May 2025, good news on the unemployment front... things have not gotten worse. Kiwibank's Jarrod Kerr tells Heather there's still a good case for more interest rate cuts. Underhand, sneaky and cowardly - Heather doesn't hold back when it comes to telling you what she thinks of the Government ramming through changes to the pay equity system under urgency. Sportswriter Gregor Paul explains why he thinks we should scrap post-match interviews with sportsplayers for fear of them swearing. Plus, the Huddle debates whether we should take Donald Trump seriously when he talks about making Canada a part of the US - or should we just accept he's joking and move on? 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.

Black Ferns captain Sarah Hirini raised a few eyebrows after she dropped the f-bomb on live TV - and it's prompted some debate. After the team claimed the world championship title in Los Angeles, Hirini gave a post-match interview, which sparked some controversy.  NZ Herald rugby writer Gregor Paul wrote an opinion piece critiquing the practice of post-match interviews - and he stands by it. "I'm not a big fan of sports stars - or anyone really - swearing in public as part of an entertainment package, I think it's unnecessary." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let me make a prediction for you on this pay equity drama that's been playing out for the last 24 hours - the Government is going to pay for this in a big way. I reckon that this could become one of the defining moments of this Government when we look back on it in years to come. Kind of like the 'Mother of All Budgets' came to define Ruth Richardson and Bolger's Government and the way the cup of tea came to define David Lange's Government - I think this is a moment for this Government. Not because it's the wrong thing for this Government to do, but because of the underhanded and sneaky and cowardly way that they have done it. Now, I personally think that the pay equity system did need an overhaul. I mean, I think it is ridiculous to have librarians, as I said yesterday, compare themselves to engineers to justify similar pay. You can see those jobs are not even the same, right? But I do not think that it should have been rushed through with the shock and awe that it has been. ACT, in particular, has

Transpower says upgrading the Cook Strait electricity cable would come at a very small cost to consumers.  It's consulting on a $1.4 billion proposal - to upgrade existing cables and allow for building a fourth. CEO James Kilty says the plan is to get another 40 years of stable electricity.  He says because costs will be paid for over that 40 years, prices won't surge.  "It'll be a few dollars a year - but by the time it's spread across every connection in the country, it's spread over 40 years. It'll be a reasonably small amount." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After many hours of debate, MPs have reached the final stage of the controversial pay equity legislation. The Government introduced the Bill under urgency yesterday - which lifts the bar for claims of sex-based discrimination and forces existing claims to restart. NZ College of Midwives Chief Executive Alison Eddy says it's unclear how much of the sector will be impacted. "We have to wait for the court to decide that...we've still got some way to go."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Overall employment's held steady - but the hours people work have notably contracted. In figures out today, the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.1 percent in the three months ending March.  But total hours worked are down three percent over the year.  Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr says numbers of part time workers are rising, with those working full-time falling.  "Businesses are clearly cutting hours to reduce costs and fight their way through what's quite an awkward period, and that's weighing on households." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's fears of escalation between India and Pakistan among experts. Pakistan claims Indian missile attacks have killed eight people - and India's claiming three died when Pakistan shot down five of its planes. Auckland University Global Studies Professor Chris Ogden says both countries have nuclear weapons.  He says that could actually be beneficial.  "It might actually enhance the possibility for a limited war - this happened back in 1999, when both sides were testing weapons in 1998."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The final stage of a bill to increase the threshold of pay equity claims is expected to pass in Parliament. It'll extinguish 33 active claims, requiring them to re-start under the new model - with the changes expected to impact hundreds of thousands of workers. This bill has been met with outrage from unions and the Opposition - describing it as a 'dark day for women'.  Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls weighed in on the bill's progress. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney says his country and the US are in the process of re-defining their relationship. He's been at the White House talking trade and Canadian sovereignty with Donald Trump. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Carney made it clear that Canada was not for sale - but Trump is still hopeful this will change. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.