Larry Williams Drive

SkyCity and the TAB have complained there won't be a level playing field when the new regulations for online gambling kick in. The Government is set to auction off 15 online casino licences - and both local and international companies will be allowed to bid on the licences.  Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says it's important proper regulations are put in place. "We are enabling people to play safely in a regulated market - which is not the case at the moment. But we are also not trying to restrict it so much that we're not actually channelling people into that market." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington Water Chair Nick Leggett says he's not going anywhere.  The mayors of Wellington and Upper Hutt - Tory Whanau and Wayne Guppy - both say they have no confidence in him.  A recent critical report found the organisation was potentially wasting millions of dollars on infrastructure contracts.  Leggett says he'd like Wellington to transition to a different water entity.  "That owns its own assets, can raise money off those assets and get good value for the money it spends and get them replaced as soon as possible."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Research showing Kiwi women are more financially literate than men suggests they could be more confident about money. Financial Services Council statistics show 66 percent of women answered three or more literacy questions correctly, compared to 57 percent of men.  But women saw themselves as less knowledgeable.  EnableMe Financial Advisor Shelley Palman says literacy doesn't always translate into action - so women aren't necessarily better off.  "This actually stems from fear - and what it does is it leads to less risk-taking."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A drug researcher is warning more fentanyl will arrive in New Zealand.  The Government's working to tighten controls on 23 substances - helping to allow a police and Customs crackdown. Health Minister Simeon Brown want to categorise three drugs similar to fentanyl as Class A substances, with harsher penalties for manufacture. Massey University's Chris Wilkins says fentanyl is a cheaper alternative for many drugs. "They've been replacing heroin with fentanyl - but now, increasingly, a whole lot of other drugs. And given that economic incentive, it's hard to see that New Zealand is going to avoid this problem." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour's confident the Government's school lunch programme will continue without issue - despite a provider going into liquidation. Libelle Group was contracted to make about 125,000 meals each day. Minister-in-charge David Seymour says its collapse won't cost anything extra. He says the contract remains between the Ministry of Education and Compass. "Any issues that may be reported in the media are between Compass and other businesses - and I don't want to sound like I'm avoiding the issue, but it is actually something that needs to be left to them." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister's yet again been forced to defend David Seymour over the school lunches saga in the House.  The Opposition was relentless at Question Time today - with Chris Hipkins taking aim at the Government over the school lunch programme. Yet again, it was up to Chris Luxon to fend off the the attacks.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacks today's events.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Details are being revealed about the Sydney caravan hoax - described by police as a 'fake terrorism plot'. NSW police were given a tip-off in January about a caravan at a property in Dural, filled with explosives and a note referencing Jewish targets. Police have now revealed it was a con job - manufactured by organised crime. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the police say they knew early on that it was a hoax. "Explosives from the mining industry -  not only were they old and not designed to go off anymore, they didn't have a detonator. And they had written in crayon, from the sound of it, a list of Jewish targets in Sydney."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

T20 franchise globetrotters Finn Allen, Jimmy Neesham and Tim Seifert will return to the Black Caps for the home T20 series against Pakistan starting on Sunday. Michael Bracewell has been named captain and is one of seven players from the Champions Trophy runners-up who'll join the squad. There's no Kane Williamson, Bevon Jacobs, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and usual white-ball captain Mitchell Santner due to IPL commitments or unavailability. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More consumers are falling into subscription traps - prompting warnings from advocacy groups.  The Commerce Commission has filed criminal charges against HelloFresh. It's accusing the meal company of reactivating subscriptions without clearly seeking customers' permission - during cold calls between February 2022 and July 2023. Consumer NZ's Sahar Lone says it's important to check your bank account regularly to offload anything you don't need - and to check the terms and conditions of any new subscription.   "There's also reading the T&C's before signing up to make sure there's no hidden costs or cancellation fees - you can diarise renewal dates...you can make sure that doesn't keep rolling on." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 29-year-old who scaled Big Ben's Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster in central London has been charged by police after the incident took place. Daniel Day has been charged with causing a public nuisance and trespassing on a protected site after climbing the clock tower - resulting in the closure of Westminster Bridge and Bridge Street. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says Day is expected to appear in court in the coming hours. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand is hoping for an economic reprieve - but experts warn that's less likely to happen this year. Donald Trump's ascension to the presidency has generated plenty of economic concern, with many worried it could contribute to the ongoing downturn. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump has declined to rule out a recession this year as his administration's tariffs spark economic concern. It comes after a volatile week for US financial markets as investors grappled with ongoing uncertainty as a result of the administration's trade policies.  Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 10 March 2025, Chris Hipkins has overtaken Chris Luxon in the latest political poll - and we'll dig into what's going on with the PM's popularity. Who is Mark Carney? Ryan Bridge tells you everything you need to know about Canada's new PM. Ryan asks Finance Minister Nicola Willis when she found out about Adrian Orr's shock resignation. Plus, the road cone scandal that has us all riled up. 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.

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! Another new poll shows the Government is losing popularity - and Chris Hipkins has overtaken Luxon as preferred Prime Minister. Should the coalition be worried? Will this hurt Chris Luxon in 2026? Canada's new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, is not holding back when it comes to attacking Donald Trump and his tariffs. Will this help him in the next federal election? Will this encourage Trump to back off? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite some less-than-ideal poll figures, Minister Nicola Willis doesn't believe Kiwis have lost faith in the Government.  The latest Taxpayers Union-Curia Poll has Labour on 34.1 percent, overtaking National on 33.6 percent. Chris Hipkins is also ahead of Chris Luxon as preferred Prime Minister. Nicola Willis says there's plenty of polls left between now and the 2026 election - and she's focused on results. "My focus is never on a poll, it's always on how we can deliver for New Zealanders. And New Zealanders are letting us know loud and clear that they want us focused on reducing their cost of living, growing this economy, delivering better education and health services." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Council’s Community Committee is urging the Government to help the city as rates of homelessness grow. This comes as new data shows the number of people sleeping rough in the city has gone up by 53 percent since September. Committee Chair, Councillor Angela Dalton, says she's never seen a spike like this before. She also explained that this tied in with a number of other changing factors that were putting significant stress on Aucklanders.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canada's new Prime Minister is expected to tout his economic expertise as he enters the job.  Mark Carney has served as Governor of Canada's and England's central banks.  He'll lead the Liberal Party into this year's general election.  Canadian correspondent Rachel Aiello says it's important for Carney to sell himself as a numbers man.  "At this current moment, with the ongoing trade war with the United States, the state of the Canadian economy and who is best placed to manage it is going to be one of the biggest ballot questions in our upcoming federal election." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland community leader says mandatory police body cameras would help everyone. David Letele is behind a petition calling for the change - a petition that's garnered nearly 10,000 signatures so far. A 45 year-old man died a week ago at Auckland's Ōrere Point, after he and another person fled police.  Faasala Samu Matue lost consciousness after being tasered and pepper-sprayed - when he threatened police and bit an officer’s hand. Letele says body cameras are a no-brainer. "These body cams - it's not just for the safety and accountability for the public, but it also keeps the police safe." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another poll is showing a clear drop in support for the coalition Government - and some are wondering if it's cause for concern. The newest  Taxpayers Union-Curia Poll has Labour on 34.1 percent, and National on 33.6 percent - and Hipkins in the lead for preferred Prime Minister. ACT has fallen 2.3 points to 7.7, and New Zealand First is just above the threshold on 5.1 percent. Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union says the Government should be concerned about losing favour with voters. "We are now only 18 months away from Christopher Luxon having to go to the public to ask that fundamental question - do you feel better off than three years ago? Right now, that answer is no." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour has overtaken National - and Chris Hipkins has leap-frogged Chris Luxon as preferred Prime Minister in a new poll. The Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll has Labour on 34.1 percent and National on 33.6 percent - leaving the coalition unable to form a Government. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Luxon doesn't appear to be bothered by this data - and he's focused on getting the economy sorted ahead of the 2026 election. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.