Larry Williams Drive

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has reported its latest financial earnings - and the investors aren't thrilled. Shares reportedly dropped 7 percent after the company posted a slight miss in expected revenue. Milford Asset Management's Stephanie Batchelor unpacked the market factors behind this drop. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air New Zealand has confirmed it is looking into developing a new luxury lounge for frequent flyers. The airline is staying tight-lipped about what these plans entail - but the idea was floated during a presentation for investors during their Investor Day late last year. Aviation commentator Irene King says Air New Zealand's existing lounges tend to crowd out during peak times - and the airline might be looking to address that. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners 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! A new article out in the Herald today revealed TJ Perenara left the All Blacks in the dark about his controversial haka from the end of 2024. How problematic is this? US President Donald Trump has claimed the US should be taking over Gaza. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced support for this idea - how seriously should we be taking all this? There's reports claiming Air New Zealand is looking to upgrade the Koru lounge - what can we expect from this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 5 February 2025, Donald Trump says the US is going to take over Gaza after meeting with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ryan Bridge asks international relations professor Robert Patman if we should believe it's going to happen. The bombshell revelation from a group of scientists who believe that convicted child murderer Lucy Letby didn't kill any babies. Herald rugby writer Gregor Paul on his scoop revealing members of the All Blacks felt blindsided by TJ Perenara's controversial haka. Plus, the Huddle weigh in on the idea of a new luxury lounge for Air New Zealand. 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 Government is talking up the fact it’s exploring ways of making the tax system more business-friendly, with details of potential changes to be unveiled at the May 22 Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis is wary that at 28 percent, New Zealand’s corporate tax rate is above the OECD average of 24 percent. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny speculates what the Government might be planning ahead of this year's Budget. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DeepSeek, the new Chinese AI-powered chatbot platform that made headlines all over the world, will be banned from Australian Government devices after it was found to pose an 'unacceptable' security risk. The ChatGPT competitor has seen a surge in downloads worldwide after it attracted international attention for wiping billions from Wall Street and causing a frenzy. AI commentator and psychologist Paul Duignan says there's a real risk of public servants feeding the platform sensitive information - and caution needs to be applied. "As soon as you know all the different things someone may ask a chatbot, it can get a personality profile of you. So I think you'd need to be very careful about the ones that you use." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TJ Perenara's infamous haka that divided the nation also ended up dividing the team, according to new reports. The speech in te reo before the test against Italy in Turin came after the march to Parliament to protest the Treaty Principles bill. The Herald reports many within the All Blacks felt blindsided, with a limited number made aware of the halfback's intentions hours before kick-off. NZ Herald rugby writer Gregor Paul says Perenara originally set out to provide a message of unity, but few knew what that would actually entail. "It should have been brought up earlier in the week at a leaders' meeting, it should have been put in front of the whole team to form a viewpoint." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT's leader doesn't want the Waitangi Trust to face financial repercussions following an intense day at the Treaty grounds. New Zealand First MP Shane Jones made threatening sounds about Trust funding, after describing some people's behaviour today as a 'circus'. David Seymour had his microphone taken away twice during his speech - but he says the Trust puts a huge effort into the day. "It's not them that are ruining it - you know, $10 million to keep the place up to scratch for the whole country, I think we should be a bit wary of blaming them. They're the ones that are trying to make it better."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwibank says the latest unemployment figures are ugly, but in line with expectations.  The unemployment rate rose to 5.1 percent in the December quarter - the highest it's been since September 2020.  It's being blamed on a slow economy reducing demand and making employers trim jobs.  Chief economist Jarrod Kerr says the Reserve Bank needs to do more to put New Zealand into recovery mode.  "Interest rates are still restrictive - they're restraining households, they're restraining businesses, we're seeing it in the labour market, it's time to take some of that pressure off." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's suggestion he could take over Gaza casts a shadow on hopes for a two-state solution.  The President said today Palestinians could be resettled and the US could redevelop the territory. Israel's Prime Minister says the idea is worth paying attention to.  Otago University politics professor Robert Patman says one problem is the lack of any clarity on Benjamin Netanyahu's end goal. "It doesn't seem like Mr Trump is actually applying too much thinking about how tensions in the region can be resolved - as opposed to transplanting them elsewhere." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is threatening to withhold Waitangi funding, over recent actions at the commemorations. Protesters turned their backs on ACT leader David Seymour as he addressed the crowd, with some displaying messages around honouring Te Tiriti. Some took his microphone off him, and others sang as he spoke. Jones has since asked what the point of funding the Trust is - if it has not made Waitangi a more hospitable place. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says there's been debate about misbehaviour on the Waitangi grounds every year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's disbelief and criticism over comments on the Middle East by the US President. Donald Trump's suggested Palestinians should leave Gaza for Jordan and Egypt - and the US will take over and redevelop the land. Saudi Arabia says a Palestinian state is needed, and Hamas has labelled the plan a recipe for chaos.  US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Trump's plan lacks a lot of clarity - and suggested the US leader was throwing ideas at the wall to see what stuck. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hoo-ha over TJ Perenara's message before leading the All Blacks final haka last year has erupted again. His speech in te reo before the test against Italy in Turin came after the march to parliament to protest the Treaty Principles bill. The Herald reports many within the All Blacks felt blindsided regarding the politicisation of the issue, with a limited number made aware of the halfback's intentions hours before kick-off. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High insulin levels in babies - used to convict UK nurse Lucy Letby - could have occurred naturally.  A jury found the 35-year-old guilty of the murder or attempted murder of 14 babies. Some experts have suggested in a report that the deaths could be from errors or natural causes.  Canterbury University professor, Geoff Chase, assisted in the report. He says Letby was found guilty of adding insulin to two babies' intravenous food - and their levels were unexpected, but not impossible.  He also explained their levels were unexpected, but not impossible - and in pre-term newborns, most to all bets are off.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK Party overtook the Labour Party to become the country's most popular political party in a new YouGov poll. The poll showed that if an election were held tomorrow, 25 percent of British voters would pick Reform, 24 percent would choose Labour and 21 percent would pick the Conservative Party. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this will give Farage a boost ahead of the next election - as he fully intends to run for Prime Minister. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia has kept their official cash rate on hold for an entire year - but one expert believes that's likely to change. The nation has been committed to bringing down inflation, but HSBC's Paul Bloxham predicts a rate cut will come this February. He explained the factors contributing to this choice, and outlined his predictions for the rest of 2025. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts are hoping for a good result ahead of tonight's GDT auction. Jarden economists are expecting a 4 to 5 percent lift - off the back of a solid auction in January. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 4 February 2025, Kainga Ora has got a turnaround plan, and it involves selling off 900 old state houses yearly. KO Chair Simon Moutter tells Ryan Bridge how he's getting the flailing agency's finances under control. Climate Change Minister Simon Watts is under pressure from farming groups to explain the Government's emissions reductions plan - and whether it's realistic or will cost the country billions. Wellington QV ratings are out and home values have dropped 25% on average. So does that mean rates will also drop? Plus, Ryan's controversial idea to bring back the crowds to Super Rugby games. 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.

Treasury has warned the Government that 'significant reforms' or 'reductions to public services' will be needed in the not-too-distant future if it sticks to its current, restricted spending track. New reports reveal the Government will not post a surplus under the traditional Obegal measure until 2031 - even with this relatively tight spending. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen explains the challenges impacting the Government - and how they can potentially turn this around. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute and former Health NZ chair Rob Campbell joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Wellington housing valuations have taken a dive, with new data showing values have fallen 24.4 percent since 2021. What do we make of this?  The new plan to turn Kāinga Ora around includes selling off 900 older homes a year and replacing them with newer, simpler builds. Do we agree with this choice? The Government is hinting at potentially changing the corporate tax rates in this year's Budget. Will this help? How far should they go? Auckland real estate agent Janet Dickson has lost a court battle after she lost her license for not completing a Maori course. She'd argued it wasn't relevant to her job - the judgement said the Real Estate Authority had the right to strip her of her license. What do we think about this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.