Larry Williams Drive

US President Joe Biden recently unveiled a halt to asylum-processing at the U.S. border with Mexico when illegal entries reach a certain threshold.  About 4,000 people already are entering the U.S. each day.   Biden has received Republican criticism over an unprecedented surge in new arrivals in an election year.  US Correspondent Dan Mitchinson told Heather du Plessis-Allan the cartels are offering ‘VIP packages’ for trafficking illegal immigrants across the border.  He said “Experts say the return on investment for trafficking humans has overtaken drugs.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Super Rugby finals clash is tomorrow night at Eden Park – selling out hours after tickets went on sale.  A crowd of more than 44,000 is expected – with many coming up from Hamilton for the event.  Weekend Sport host Jason Pine told Heather du Plessis-Allan “I think Blues will win – they've got a lot stacked in their favour – it's a home game, they’ve had an extra day of rest.”  Pine said “They’ve got their inspirational skipper back – after a fortnight.”  He said “Having said all of that – The Chiefs are a good team, with more genuine gamebreakers – it could come down to moments.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, Transpower has given us a master class in how to look guilty, hasn't it?   I mean, come on. Who doesn't now think that the crew took the bolts out of the leg, which caused the thing to fall over, which caused the entire region of Northland to lose power? And why do we think that? Because Allison Andrew, the Chief Executive, sounded guilty as all hell in her media interviews this morning.   “I didn't want to talk about it, it's really unhelpful to speculate at the moment, we have to focus on the power restoration.” - I mean, come on. In 2024, when modern communication is in your pocket – no one believes that Allison Andrew doesn't already know what happened. Of course she does. If she doesn't, then she sucks at her job.   Because in any decent organisation, the first thing that happens when there is a major snafu is the boss calls the points person who's on the ground and gets a preliminary idea of what happened. And they do that because if there’s a bigger problem, they need to know what happened.   You

Rocket Lab is entering a league of its own --reaching 50 space launches in the shortest space of time.  Its latest electron rocket launched this morning from the Mahia Peninsula, is taking a French satellite into orbit.  Rocket Lab’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Morgan Connaughton, told Heather du Plessis-Allan “A lot of rockets don’t get past ten – and we're talking globally here – it's a massive deal.”  Connaughton said “To get there faster than anyone else... it puts us up there with the best rocket companies in the world – it's us, and Space X.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A pair of Just Stop Oil protestors painted two jets orange at a London airport, hours after Taylor Swift touched down for her next tour stop. The climate activists carried out the vandalism with fire extinguishers, in an act reminiscent of their previous protest at Stonehenge. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this will likely spark an investigation into the group. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One expert says investors have had to pay more attention to their long-term goals this year. Ongoing inflation and changing economies have led investors to chop and change their short-term predictions as 2024 went on. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explains further. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Minister Shane Jones is still keen to bring back live animal exports sooner rather than later. In an interview on The Country, Jones made it clear in no uncertain terms that live animal exports would be good for the economy. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's GDP grew 0.2 percent in March, according to new data. This officially takes the country out of a technical recession, but on a per-capita basis, it went backwards 0.3 percent. Experts predict a weak economy for the latter half of this year. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says the economy isn't likely to bounce back just yet. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has launched a new review designed to ensure earthquake-prone buildings are up to standard. The current NBS system has run into controversy, with the inadequate review of a Wellington hospital unit sparking concerns. Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says the current standards are very complicated - and he aims to make it easier for people. "In a lot of cases, people simply can't afford to remediate, they're not necessarily allowed to do that in the way that they want or need, sometimes they can't even demolish it because of heritage status." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 20 June 2024, Finance Minister Nicola Willis reacts to news that our economy grew 0.2% in the first quarter, lifting NZ out of recession. The power is out across large parts of Northland - Energy Minister Simeon Brown says it could take a few days to bring everybody back on line. Are police closing in on finding Marokopa dad Tom Phillips and his missing kids? The Huddle debates whether Wellington Council's Chief Executive is entitled to withhold information from elected councillors. Plus, Blues coach Vern Cotter talks to Heather ahead of the Super Rugby Final against the Chiefs. 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, David Farrar and Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Wellington Council's CEO is under fire for trying to hide information from councillors. Is this a bad move? GDP rose 0.2 percent, bring New Zealand out of technical recession. Is this good news for the economy - or is the worst yet to come? The Just Stop Oil protestors were caught vandalising Stonehenge, with two arrested. Is throwing paint on a historical landmark a step too far?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's nerves in the air as the Blues gear up for their Super Rugby final this weekend. It's been 21 years since the franchise lifted a full Super Rugby title - something they can end against the Chiefs at a sold-out Eden Park on Saturday. Blues head coach Vern Cotter says the team are hoping to play well, but they've seen what the Chiefs can do on the field. "We know it's a final and finals are played with utmost intensity... we've locked that in and the boys are trained well." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ministers are keeping a close eye on Wellington City Council, over a stoush between councillors and officials. Some around the council table claim CEO Barbara McKerrow is withholding information from them. She'd devised new protocols limiting information councillors could request from officials. The proposal's been withdrawn after Local Government Minister Simeon Brown labelled it 'appalling'. Brown says it should never have happened. "The CEO of the council needs to realise that she is not elected, and that the councillors and the mayor is." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police don't think a letter from Tom Phillips is recent, or relevant to their search for him and his three children. Their mother, Cat, posted the letter on social media, while begging the public to help. Searches around Marokopa continue, with the $80,000 reward for information expiring in five days. Newshub reporter Karen Rutherford is in Marokopa - and she says there are strong indicators an end to the search is near. "They know who they're looking for and they know who they're targeting with this $80,000 reward. They are hoping that someone in that wider circle will cave." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says there's still better days to come for the economy as New Zealand exits a technical recession. Stats NZ figures show GDP rose 0.2 percent in the three months to March, and the same amount for the year. Minister Nicola Willis says it's still tough out there for Kiwi workers - and the Government still has work to do. "Good news is - the Government is doing everything right, we are forecasting inflation to come back under band. That means interest rates can drop and growth will recover." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New GDP data shows New Zealand's out of a technical recession - but the nation's not out of the woods just yet. Stats NZ figures show GDP rose 0.2 percent in the three months to March, and the same amount for the year. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says it's a good result for the new Government, but there's room for a bigger victory. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police are on the hunt as details about a deadly road rage accident in NSW continue to emerge. Authorities have revealed a 27-year-old was killed after he got out of his vehicle to respond to threats from the driver following him. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says witnesses have claimed the alleged killer was driving a ute - and an appeal has been made for dashcam footage. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A leaked letter has revealed NZ Football plans to start a 'restorative process' to repair rifts within the Football Ferns weeks out from the Olympics. The moves were outlined in a letter NZ Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell sent to players after an employment investigation into coach Jitka Klimkova. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave speculates about what might come next. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two Just Stop Oil protestors have been arrested after the vandalisation of Stonehenge. Activists from the group were caught spraying the monument with orange powder paint - and Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have condemned the incident. Extinction Rebellion Auckland member Caril Cowan is defending Just Stop Oil, claiming the paint they used did no permanent damage. "It's making a point that we've got a climate crisis. 80 percent of our population is concerned about the climate... and yet we've got Governments not only here in New Zealand, but around the world, who are just stalling." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, inflation has hit the Reserve Bank's target for the first time in nearly three years. Prices rose by 2 percent in the year to May, down from the previous 2.3 percent. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says these stats will likely come into play ahead of July's general election. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.