Larry Williams Drive

Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!   Did Emergency Management go overboard with their alerts regarding the tsunami? Or is it better to be safe than sorry?   The Chief of Navy has ordered Kiwi sailors to stop drinking irresponsibly, saying alcohol substance misuse is undermining the organisation. Do we agree with this? The leader of Gloriavale is officially a sex offender after pleading guilty to 12 charges mid-trial. Is it time to shut down Gloriavale for good?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland company is part of a consortium which has secured nearly $18 million in UK Government funding to help Jaguar Land Rover recycle old EV batteries. Mint Innovation, along with LiBatt Recycling and Warwick University, will help develop technology to extract lithium, nickel and cobalt from used batteries. Mint Innovation CEO Dr Will Barker says the company is scaling to be one of the leaders in recovering valuable metal from e-waste.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 31 July 2025, Civil Defence Director John Price has defended emergency warnings sent out across the country - and says there continues to be a tsunami risk. Minister for Defence and Intelligence, Judith Collins, explains why the FBI is opening its own office in Wellington. Oil and gas exploration has been officially unbanned - Energy Resources Aotearoa is hopeful that this will actually lead to some exploration. Former Defence Minister Wayne Mapp weighs in on a warning by the Chief of Navy to his sailors to stop the excessive boozing. Plus, the Huddle debates whether now is the time to shut down Gloriavale after its leader pleaded guilty to assault charges. 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.

So the national emergency alarm that bugged a nation was the big talking point in New Zealand today. There's a million stories about the alarm, and here's mine:  The first alarm yesterday afternoon at 4:30pm I welcomed. I'd been out and about and didn't know about the Russian earthquake. So I looked up the story and quickly ascertained there were hours before this could become a problem. This was important because my partner was commuting home on a ferry at 5:40pm and we needed to know if anything would happen. I checked the AT app and phoned her and the day continued on as normal. The next alarm this morning was interesting. We knew of the threat and we knew that it was around about then that waves would arrive. So I expected an update on the wave strength after tsunami monitoring across the oceans. None of that info was there. It was the same alert as last night. So, again, we looked up the story and again, we decided it would be fine so Helen went off to catch the 8am ferry. As she left, she said if t

The Government crossed the final hurdle of overturning the oil and gas exploration ban as of today. The bill passed 68 votes to 54, with all coalition parties in support and the opposition parties opposed. Energy Resources Aotearoa CEO John Carnegie has voiced support for this change. "We've all felt the effect of an energy shortage over the last couple of years - in terms of the threat of electricity blackouts, factory closures and high prices, and actually, we don't need to stay on this path. This bill reflects a change of path."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Defence Minister is commending the Navy Chief's stance on irresponsible drinking. A directive from Rear Admiral Garin Golding points to multiple alcohol-related incidents in the past month at various levels, domestically and internationally. It says alcohol undermines health, wellbeing and decision-making across the Navy. Current Defence Minister Judith Collins says no Chief should have to deal with it. Wayne Mapp says this order will tackle the issue at its core. "Changing expectations, giving briefings, giving counselling - getting the things done that actually reduces these problems." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a new strengthening of the partnership between our police and security agencies and the FBI. The bureau is opening a stand alone office in Wellington, meaning they're established in all Five Eyes countries. Minister for Defence, SIS and GCSB Judith Collins says it will work on combating terrorism, organised crime, and foreign intelligence threats. "Whether it's people trafficking fentanyl, which is a big focus at the moment for the FBI - but also methamphetamine, which is one of our big focus areas." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cautionary handling of the effects of Russia's earthquake, which triggered tsunami phone alerts and some coastal evacuation, has been further explained. The 8.8 magnitude quake shunted tsunami waves across the Pacific - the largest to hit our shores, landing on the Chatham Islands at 51 centimetres.  Unpredictable currents are expected to continue until tomorrow.  Civil Defence Director John Price says precautions are important - and he's defending the use of emergency alerts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oil and gas exploration is once again allowed in New Zealand. Coalition parties voted to overturn the ban introduced by the previous Government to strong resistance from all opposition parties. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls wonders what this means for investors - and if they'll want to commit to New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's parliament on Thursday passed a law to cut student loans by 20 percent - removing over AU$16 billion in debt for 3 million people. During this year's election, Labor made cutting student debt a key election promise, framing it as a measure to ease living costs and tackle intergenerational inequality. Australian correspondent Murray Olds explained that the student loan cuts weren't just for degree holders, but trade students also got some of their course-related debts waived too. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Caps are in danger of missing out on competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. It’s understood the International Cricket Council has opted to use a regional qualifying format to select the six teams to contest the men’s T20 tournament. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains why the side may not make the cut. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's keeping tabs on how much councils are spending and where the money's going. Yearly performance metrics are out for each council, showing rates rises, revenue, debt levels, expenditure, and whether the budget's balanced. Monitoring comes as the Government considers a rates cap. Horowhenua mayor Bernie Wanden says successive years of underfunding and borrowing has contributed to the region's notable debt levels. "Obviously, there will be nuances and context that will not be able to be read into the figures. I think, give it a bit of time, we'll get used to this and the tables could provide some useful information." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK and France both vowed to recognise Palestine as a state if Israel doesn't agree to a ceasefire, but Israel has voiced opposition to this proposal. Prime Minister Netanyahu has accused UK PM Keir Starmer of 'appeasement' following the announcement. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says Starmer remains committed to the move. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has given the green light to a partial privatisation for KiwiBank. The bank now has the opportunity to raise up to $500 million from investors.  NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains the deal further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After years of a historically strong labour market, there are now growing signs of softening beneath the surface. Work opportunities in the US are dwindling amid ongoing economic uncertainty, with the Trump administration's policies contributing to high unemployment figures. Milford Asset Management expert Brendan Larsen explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore 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! The UK is threatening Israel with recognising the state of Palestine if it doesn't agree to a ceasefire deal in Gaza. Is this a terrible bargaining chip - or you do what you've got to do? Australia wants to ban under-16s from using YouTube off the back of their social media ban for teenagers. Do we think this is a good idea? Netball NZ has just signed a new broadcasting deal with TVNZ - will this help netball turn its viewership around? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know that story about the gang numbers cracking the 10,000 mark? That's classic gotcha politics, isn't it? It doesn't count when the number is 9,999, but once it hits 10,000 - or in this case, 10,009 - it's a thing, and it's the Government's fault. Is it the Government's fault though? I mean, should we actually be angry at Mark Mitchell for this one? I don't think so. I think that what we're seeing right now is the result of stuff that has already happened, mainly- with the deportation of criminals from Australia and the recession that we're in. Recessions lead to an increase in crime for obvious reasons, and the deportation of serious criminals will lead to an increase in gang numbers - probably for a while yet actually - until the likes of the Comancheros and any other heavy outfit that's been brought here from Australia has maxed out its recruitment drive in New Zealand. I think it's highly ironic that Ginny Andersen is the one moaning about this. Do you need me to remind you of Ginny An

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 30 July 2025, Finance Minister Nicola Willis explains why she's given the green light for a partial privatisation of Kiwibank. Air NZ has a new CEO. His name is Nikhil Ravishankar and Forsyth Barr's Andy Bowley tells Heather what we can read into the appointment. Australia will include YouTube in its social media ban for under 16s - is that going too far, or should NZ do the same? TVNZ's Melodie Robinson spills the beans on the new broadcast deal with Netball NZ - and whether money will actually change hands. Plus, the Huddle debates whether the UK made a mistake threatening Israel with recognising Palestine as a state. 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 New Zealand Chambers of Commerce have warned that the Government’s proposed ban on retail payment surcharges risks hitting small businesses with higher costs. Simon Bridges, CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber, acknowledged that the Government was trying to protect consumers from additional fees - but voiced concerns about what this ban could do for smaller operators. He says the ban isn't a cost-free exercise - and someone will have to pay the merchant fees.  "It's either going to be through price hikes that consumers may not appreciate or understand - or it's going to be the poor old SME in areas like retail, hospo, tourism that are going to be having to find a way to pay for it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wider global recognition of Palestine is within sight - but it's unclear how much weight that will carry. The UK and France plan to join many national already recognising Palestinian statehood in September, unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire.  Our Government has joined others supporting a two-state solution and is open to recognising Palestine - in time. Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa chair, John Minto, says Israel has made it almost impossible to form a Palestinian state. "All Palestinians have got left is a piece of Swiss cheese, so you've got all of these Israeli settlements on their land connected by roads which Palestinians are not allowed to drive on." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.