Larry Williams Drive

The Police Minister has confidence Police Commissioner Andrew Coster will fit well into his new role. Coster has led the police since 2020, but will move to become the head of the Social Investment Agency in November. Mark Mitchell says the agency will be at the forefront of dealing with inter-generational social issues. He says he looks forward to seeing Coster succeed in the new position. "The Social Investment Agency's got a big role to play and I think that Andy Coster, when you look at his background and experience - he's the perfect fit for the role." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, Andrew Coster has resigned as Police Commissioner and he's got himself a new job. He's going to be running the Government's new Social Investment Agency - and I reckon he's going to be good at this. I acknowledge this might not be a popular appointment, I think a lot of people will see this for what it probably is - which is that it feels an awful lot like a job that’s been given to him to get him to leave the police because the Government doesn't want him there. It also reinforces the idea that there's a job merry-go-round in Wellington, which is obviously true. Plus, there'll be questions about why you'd reward somebody for being pretty bad at their previous job, which Coster definitely was. He was a shocker of a Police Commissioner. And all those of those criticisms - many of which are already in my inbox - are completely valid. But setting all that aside, I still think he will be good at this job. This is in his wheelhouse. Andrew Coster never was a crack down on crime guy, he's a cotton wool guy, a b

The Prime Minister says Andrew Coster has been an outstanding Police Commissioner - as he takes on a new role Coster has been appointed the head of the Government's Social Investment Agency, stepping down as Commissioner by November. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Andrew Coster faced some pushback when National was in opposition - but Chris Luxon was eager to defend him. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katy Perry has reportedly faced some pushback over her proposed song choices ahead of her AFL Grand Final performance. The pop star is set to headline as the pre-game entertainment act - and it's been revealed league officials told her to play the hits from her back catalogue while Perry wanted to showcase newer stuff. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says it's fair that the AFL gets to make the calls - as the league's footing the bill for her performance.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Professional Footballers' Association is standing with the governing body regarding alleged inappropriate behaviour by outgoing coach Jitka Klimkova towards a player. Newstalk ZB understands a number of players were dissatisfied with New Zealand Football's handling of the employment-related matter. The incident, which the players say happened during last year's World Cup, resulted in an independent investigation. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacks the controversy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heart of the City is urging Auckland Council to follow the Wellington's lead on cracking down on people working from home. Public Service bosses are being told to manage staff working out of office as an agreement - not an entitlement. Heart of the City CEO Viv Beck says council workers are only required to come to the office three days a week. She says getting them back in the city is what the CBD needs. "There's no point waiting for the CRL and expecting 54,000 people to pop out every hour. We've actually got to keep the place alive and vibrant - and this is one way that would make a difference." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to deliver her first Budget on October 30th. She's warned this Budget will involve some 'difficult choices' regarding tax, spending and benefits. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says significant tax rises have been ruled out to fix the multi-billion pound financial 'black hole'. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand exported a record $3.1 billion worth of kiwifruit in the year to August, a 20 percent lift on the previous season. The figure was largely made up of gold kiwifruit, jumping 24 percent on the previous year to a value of $2.4 billion. Zespri Head of Global Public Affairs Michael Fox says this is great news for growers and businesses. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 23 September 2024, Philip Polkinghorne has been found not guilty of murdering his wife Pauline Hanna. NZ Herald journalist Michael Morrah tells Heather what Polkinghorne told reporters outside court and what his mistress has had to say. Finance Minister Nicola Willis explains why she's issued a notice to public servants to stop working from home and come back to the office. Plus, the Huddle debates Tory Whanau's car crash Q&A interview and the confusing question of whether or not she sold her car to help pay for the bills. 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.

Fletcher Building is looking to put its problems in the past, as it aims to raise an extra $700 million. The construction giant plans to issue $292 million in new shares for investors, to cut into its $1.8 billion debt. Fletcher Building has announced a group net loss of $227 million last month. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly says this is part of the company's bid to reduce additional losses.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Josie Pagani from Child Fund joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Wellington mayor Tory Whanau's in hot water after she got caught flip-flopping on whether she sold her car to pay the bills. What's going on here? Is this a bad look?  The Government has put the hard word on public servants and urged them to stop working from home and go back to the office. Is this a good call?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Public Service Minister has put the hard word on Government departments and urged them to call their staff back to the office. She says there are performance downsides to working-from-home arrangements - and harmful impacts on local businesses. Willis says these changes will begin with public service departments updating their remote working rules. "Then we can compare one agency with another - that's when we can really take a close look at whether this is working the way people would expect. Because if everyone's taking Fridays off, we're going to have some questions." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's further calls for Government intervention in Wellington City Council after a rough TV interview from the mayor. Tory Whanau has faced criticism following a Q&A interview where she backtracked on why she sold her car, contradicted herself, and got confused on questions. Local councillor Diane Calvert has been calling for a Crown facilitator on the council. She now says people have lost trust in the council. "A lot of people have rung me, texted me, or stopped me in the street - we're really sad about what's happening in our city. It needs some leadership and it's not there." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's ordering public servants back to the office, with a crackdown on working from home. Public Service Minister Nicola Willis has outlined new expectations for agency bosses to make flexible working an agreement, not an entitlement. She says there are performance downsides to such arrangements - and impacts on local businesses. Public Service Association national secretary Duane Leo says the Government's blaming public servants for a problem of its own making. "If the Government really cared about the Wellington economy, why did they sack thousands of public servants this year? That's one of the issues that the Wellington economy is struggling with at the moment." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gasps from the public gallery as Philip Polkinghorne was declared not guilty of murdering his wife Pauline Hanna in 2021 - nor of manslaughter. He's been discharged, but will be back in court in November for sentencing on meth possession charges. NZ Herald reporter Michael Morrah was in court. He says it was very tense as the verdict was announced. "Some people in the public gallery were in tears, Polkinghorne himself just stood still, head down - and was pretty much expressionless when that verdict of 'not guilty' was read out." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working from home is not an entitlement, it's an agreement. That's the Prime Minister's message to public servants today, claiming routines begun during Covid - now risk undermining performance. From now on, it'll only be agreed when Working from Home doesn't compromise agency objectives. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says more data is needed regarding the benefits and drawbacks of flexible working arrangements. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's leading supermarket giants are set to face court after allegedly misleading consumers through fake discounts. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission claims Coles and Woolworths bumped prices of products by 15 percent for brief periods before selling them at a discount. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says the supermarkets can expect to face fines and additional penalties over these misleading discounts.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's belief New Zealand wouldn't have been involved in a bribe to free Kiwi Philip Mehrtens. The pilot was released last Saturday after 19-and-a-half months of captivity in West Papua. RNZ has reported the West Papua National Liberation Army claims it was paid a bribe, but Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says that's entirely unsubstantiated.. West Papua Action Aotearoa spokesperson Catherine Delahunty says no one thinks New Zealand paid it. "I think if a bribe happened, it happened between local people within the area of West Papua." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So after eight weeks in court, and more than three years of living under suspicion - Philip Polkinghorne is not guilty. This verdict today will come as absolutely no surprise to anyone who's been following this trial closely. The Crown simply did not have a good case, at no point, really, was it actually convincing. But when it came to closing arguments last week, it became really obvious how weak the case against him was. The best piece of evidence they had, according to them, was that Pauline Hanna had told someone one time that he tried to strangle her about a year before she died. That was the best they did - that's not much, is it? So, no surprise it took the jury only 10 hours to decide to find him not guilty. I don't know where this leaves Philip Polkinghorne, because the jury made it clear today with that questions to the judge that most of them don't think Pauline Hanna killed herself.  But some didn’t think there was enough evidence against Philip Polkinghorne. And after 8 weeks of his intimate deta

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 20 September. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.