Larry Williams Drive

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 4 February, 2026, unemployment's at a 10-year high but Brad Olsen from Infometrics says it's not all bad news. Why Wellington's sewage problem in the water could go on for months. Former Warriors coach Tony Kemp tells us how big a deal a State of Origin match at Eden Park would be. And on the Huddle, Tim Wilson and Jack Tame on the merits of Petone's Jackson Street being cooler than Wellington's Cuba Street. 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.

On the face of it, the unemployment figure out today is not good. It’s gone up, it's now sitting at 5.4 percent, a high we haven’t seen in almost 11 years. The last time we were anywhere near 5.4 percent was September 2015. But actually, there is a recovery story here if you look under the hood. We’ve added 15,000 jobs to the economy. More people want to work, too. As Infometrics points out, fewer people are sitting on the sidelines. We have fewer young people bumming around, and more of them are in work, training, or education. Most of the people who found work in the last quarter are in part‑time jobs, which suggests employers are taking a cautious chance. They’re not totally convinced the recovery is locked in - not enough to offer full‑time roles - but they’re confident enough to dip their toes back in. Now, I don’t want to be Pollyannaish here, pretending things are fine when they’re not. I don’t want to oversell good news. But I do think it’s worth focusing on the positive signs in these numbers to give

Trade Me’s seeing a rush on gold and silver listings. Searches for both metals have surged on the site - and are now the second and third fastest-rising terms over the past week. Gold and silver hit record highs late last month, before dipping and then rallying again. Trade Me spokesperson Millie Silvester says the spike could be driven by buyers looking to melt the metals down. "Or maybe they're hoping that actually, this is the start of a boom and they're going to sit on it and hold onto it and maybe accumulate it over time as a bit of an investment."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An opinion piece in the Herald reckons Wellington's Cuba St has a rival for the title of the region's coolest strip. Lifestyle writer Joanna Wane says Petone's Jackson St has Cuba St beaten out for restaurants, cafes, pubs and boutiques. Hill's Hats owner Simon Smuts-Kennedy says there's plenty available for visitors - and there's something for everyone. "There's virtually everything available, and it's pumping. It's great...there's plenty for you." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blenheim residents say AA Insurance has stopped offering new home insurance policies in their town, following similar decisions in Westport and parts of greater Christchurch.  The insurer would not confirm that Blenheim and the neighbouring settlements of Renwick and Seddon were subject to its temporary halt. Insurance Council CEO Kris Faafoi says the insurer is still supporting their current customers, and it's important for people to shop around. "They all make their own business decisions about how much exposure they want to have on their books." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A warning we've been burnt by high hopes for economic recovery.  Stats NZ data out today puts unemployment at 5.4 percent in the December quarter.  The numbers were less severe than forecasts from Treasury, but still reflect a 10 year unemployment high.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says the talk about getting momentum back last year fell short. "For businesses, they need to see stronger business sales coming through their front door before they commit to hiring more workers."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior Labour MP Peeni Henare announced he was leaving politics yesterday, but some speculate there's more to the story than that. New Zealand First's Shane Jones has claimed that that's not the full story and it's 'important the whole story comes out'. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacks these claims. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump is urging Republicans to 'nationalise' elections and repeated his false claims of 2020 election fraud. He said Republicans should take over the voting in at least '15 places', but did not specify which places in the interview.  US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says this has prompted concerns about Trump's Government getting too involved in people's voting rights. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former All Black Dane Coles will sit on the panel charged with finding the coach to replace Scott Robertson. New Zealand Rugby has confirmed the 90-test veteran will join a five-man panel which also includes fellow former All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu and NZR chair David Kirk. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Repairs at Wellington's Moa Point treatment plant could take months, as raw sewage flows into the region's southern coastline. An equipment failure caused the outfall pipe to become backed up with water - with last night's heavy rain flooding the building's lower floors. Wellington Water says electrical equipment's submerged and some areas are inaccessible. Chief executive Pat Dougherty says it's likely something bigger is wrong with the outflow pipe, but investigations are still ongoing. "The real problem is the damage the water has done, it's huge amounts of wastewater poured through the plant. We've got control panels underwater, we've got electrical equipment underwater...and we've got no power." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh allegations have emerged linking former UK-US Ambassador Lord Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein. Newly released files suggest Mandelson shared internal Government information with the convicted sex offender.  UK correspondent Enda Brady says Met Police are investigating these claims and Prime Minister Starmer is calling for Lord Mandelson to leave the House of Lords. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank of Australia started the year off with an increase set to impact mortgage holders. The RBA increased the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.85 percent, citing increased concerns about inflation. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham explained the increase further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Further lifts at the South Island wool auction in Christchurch indicate things are going well for New Zealand's wool sector. Wool has seen some notable increases this year, indicating wool is on the up as opposed to just seeing a short-term spike. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following the launch of Australia's ban on social media for under-16s, there's been debate over whether New Zealand should follow this example. Meta's Global Head of Safety, Antigone Davis, has labelled the full ban a 'fool's errand' and claims parental controls are the way to go. Former Facebook CEO for Australia and New Zealand Stephen Scheeler says parental controls are a safety feature that should be considered - but it won't solve the wider problem. "I don't think it's a total solution, but I think it is another tool in the toolkit."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, lawyer and political commentator Brigitte Morton and CTU economist Craig Rennie joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Labour MP Peeni Henare has confirmed he won't be seeking re-election - and that he wants to take a step back from politics and focus on his family, wellbeing and future, and will depart from Parliament in the coming weeks. What's really going on here? Transport Minister Chris Bishop confirmed there will be no more full drivers' license test from next year. After passing the restricted license test, drivers under the age of 25 will have to wait out a mandatory 12-month period as a restricted driver before they can apply for a full licence. Do we think this is a good idea? Does New Zealand need to become Australia's 7th state? Do we need the extra protection? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 3 February, 2026, we talk to champion driver Greg Murphy about changes to our driver licensing laws. Are parents to blame for children starting school without even being toilet trained? David Farrar tells us why it's time for New Zealand to become a seventh state of Australia. And on the Huddle, Brigitte Morten and Craig Renney discuss Labour's show of unity with the Greens at Waitangi. 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.

You know what that Labour and Green Party unity news conference at Waitangi today looked like to me? It looked like desperation. Parties don’t generally get other parties to stand next to them and hold their hands in an election year just to convince people to vote for them. Now, having said that, it’s obviously not the first time we’ve seen something similar from Labour and the Greens. You’ll remember that before the 2017 election, Grant Robertson and James Shaw did a similar-ish thing. They released their Budget Responsibility Rules to try to convince us they could be trusted with the Government’s finances. That was an act of desperation, because they’d been battered by Steven Joyce’s 'fiscal hole' allegations for so long they had to do something. And just like in 2017, this is an act of desperation, because Chippy knows his biggest problem this time around -trying to get into Government - is convincing voters that his coalition mates are not just a bunch of nut jobs, but can actually be trusted to run the

Senior Labour MP Peeni Henare's announced he's leaving politics, after what he calls a 'tough' 2025.  Henare says he's not seeking re-election for Labour this year, and will leave Parliament in the coming weeks.   It comes after he lost the Tamaki Makaurau seat to Te Pati Māori for a second time in last year's by-election, a seat he'd held for six-years from 2014 to 2020.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An upcoming visit by Israel's President is causing tension in Australia.   Isaac Herzog will visit New South Wales for a five day tour at the end of the week to honour victims of the Bondi terror attack.  Australian correspondent Murray Olds says protests by pro-Palestinian have been banned in the state for the duration of his visit.  He says it follows other recent issues in the state.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Donald Trump's presidency creating extra challenges for the rest of the world, questions have been raised over what a small country like New Zealand can do for extra protection. Political commentator and former parliamentary staffer for the National Party David Farrar wrote an opinion piece claiming New Zealand should take up the 125-year-old invitation to become part of Australia. Farrar says the world has turned into a 'might-is-right' environment since Trump took office and that New Zealand needs to get bigger. "We're lucky, because we've got a country which we're very, very close to, we're culturally similar to, we're economically integrated to, and we'd be a lot safer if we're a bigger country." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.