Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Full Show Podcast: 17 July 2026 17.07.2026 1j 41mnt

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 17 July, 2026, we talk to Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard about a second case of bird flu - this time in a native hawk. Rail Minister Winston Peters on why the new interislander ferries will be named Kupe and Cook. We ask Parking Association chairman Mike Kelly about the best excuses he's heard for getting off parking tickets. And on the Sports Huddle, Nick Bewley and Matt Brown tell us who they'll watch - the All Blacks or the Warriors. 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.

Todd McClay: Trade Minister on being one step closer to signing a trade agreement with Switzerland 17.07.2026 4mnt

Trade Minister Todd McClay addressed media with his Swiss counterpart Helene Budliger Artieda at the Future of Investment and Trade (FIT) Partnership ministerial meeting in Auckland to announce trade partnership talks.  Limited details are available as the talks are in the early stages. "What we've agreed today is to start a formal trade investment dialogue," McClay told Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Trump's stolen election claim reflects a nervous outlook for midterms 17.07.2026 1mnt

Question for you: was Donald Trump's speech to the American people a classic case of muddying the waters? For Trump, it was a relatively short speech, about 40 minutes, in which he claimed there had been Chinese interference in the 2020 presidential election, that there were extreme vulnerabilities in the election system that need to be closed and that China obtained more than 200 million American voter registration records. He then released a trove of documents that he claims back up these allegations. Now, the allegation that China interferes in the elections of Western liberal democracies is not new and, frankly, isn't even controversial. We know the Chinese do this. They've been doing it for years across multiple countries: the United States, Canada, Australia and even here in New Zealand. We've been subjected to interference as well. The claim that China somehow involved itself in the 2020 presidential election is also neither new nor controversial. That allegation has been made before. The question then is: if none of this is new or controversial, why give a speech? Why set aside time to address the American people and revisit it all over again? Whichever way you look at it, I think it's probably safe to assume it's because he's concerned about the midterm elections coming up later this year. He is either trying to rally support for the Save America Act, which would effectively return the United States to in-person voting with voter ID requirements, a system that would likely favour Republicans, or he's laying the groundwork for an excuse in the event Republicans perform poorly in the elections anyway. Or it could be both. And, given it's Trump, you can't rule out the possibility that he's going through this whole exercise so that, a few months from now, he can blame someone else, perhaps the Chinese, if Republicans underperform at the ballot box.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doug Heye: Former Republican Communications Director says 2020 election 'wasn't stolen' despite Trump claims 17.07.2026 3mnt

In a speech to the American people Donald Trump has once again claimed fraud in the 2020 election, this time alleging Chinese interference.  Former Republican Communications Director, Doug Heye, told Heather du Plessis-Allan, "I think trying to make any sense out of this speech is a fool's errand." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters: Rail Minister chats latest details on new ferries 17.07.2026 2mnt

Rail Minister Winston Peters revealed the names of the two new ferries headed for New Zealand in 2029. The new ferry names are Kupe, after the first Polynesian navigator to discover New Zealand, and Cook, after Captain James Cook, who led an expedition to New Zealand with the Endeavour in the 18th century. Peters confirmed that KiwiRail would continue to own the Interislander ferries once they arrive, the Government had refused to commit to full KiwiRail ownership. He told Heather du Plessis-Allan, "we're just gonna get on and do the job, but most people will be delightfully happy with it." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Hoggard: Government measures ramp up as second bird flu case confirmed 17.07.2026 3mnt

A native hawk in the Wairarapa has been confirmed as the second case of bird flu in New Zealand. The animal was sent to a wildlife hospital after suffering a head injury where the disease was found upon routine testing.  Minister of Biosecurity Andrew Hoggard told Heather du Plessis-Allan that they are working with farmers in the region.  "From an MPI perspective, we are touching base with all, I think there's about 13, egg producers or poultry producers in the Wairarapa. So, teams getting in contact with all of them just to check, are they confident in their biosecurity measures they've got?" LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Mitchinson: US Correspondent chats mandatory testosterone tests for US troops 17.07.2026 5mnt

US Correspondent Dan Mitchinson joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to chat the latest news out of the USA.  Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, has announced that US troops aged 30 or older will have to undergo testosterone testing as part of annual health screenings. Mitchinson said, "there are, you know, studies that show 1 in 4 men over 30 have low testosterone, and only 1 in 20 recognise the symptoms, but really this just seems like, why are you doing this?" "What is the point?" LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Webster: Privacy Commissioner chats growing problem of unauthorised employee snooping on private information 17.07.2026 4mnt

Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster says that cases of unauthorised employees snooping on private information are growing. He told Heather du Plessis-Allan "it looks like at least 1 in 10 cases are employee browsing, and a greater percentage, up to a third, are, are what we call unauthorised access. So, people who have a right to look at material, but only for work purposes, and they're using it for their personal purposes." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Enda Brady: UK correspondent on England losing to Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup 16.07.2026 4mnt

The wait for England's next Football World Cup final appearance will extend beyond 60 years. The Three Lions have lost 2-1 to defending champions Argentina in the semi finals in Atlanta...after conceding two late goals in seven minutes. Manager Thomas Tuchel is already under scrutiny for his second half tactics after leading 1-nil. Argentina and Spain will contest the final in New Jersey on Monday. UK correspondent Enda Brady unpacked the collective disappointment from England. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Dickie: Fisher Funds expert on what the latest US bank earnings say about the economy 16.07.2026 2mnt

The major US banks have reported their earnings, and experts say these results can offer a clear snapshot of the state of the US and global economy. JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and Citi were among the major banks reporting their results, leaving investors to speculate about the wider implications. Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay: The Country host on the US launching safeguard investigation into NZ lamb imports 16.07.2026 3mnt

Meat industry leaders are disappointed with the United States’ move to initiate a safeguard investigation into lamb imports from New Zealand and Australia. The investigation, to be carried out by the US’s International Trade Commission, is expected to take up to six months to complete. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Huddle: Is banning smartphones really the way to go? 16.07.2026 10mnt

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and former Labour Minister Phil Goff joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Councils have been signing iwi partnership agreements before the RMA is replaced - are we worried about this? What is Chris Bishop trying to do?  ACT leader David Seymour is looking into banning smartphones for under-16s. Do we think this is the way to go? Should we wait and figure things out?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full Show Podcast: 16 July 2026 16.07.2026 1j 40mnt

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 16 July, 2026, Auckland University professor Dianne Brunton tells us why the spread of bird flu is now inevitable. Greens co-leader Marama Davidson on why the party believes new employees should automatically join the union. We talk to a university student leader about why those who have part-time jobs are doing better. And on The Huddle, Phil Goff and Jordan Williams on whether they think smartphones should be banned for under-16s. 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.

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: The Government needs to prove what it said about co-governance wasn't just hot air 16.07.2026 2mnt

If anyone on a council at the moment can't understand why so many of us ratepayers are so hostile towards them, sometimes bordering on hatred, can I just suggest they take a look at what's going on with these agreements with iwi? That might actually give them a bit of an idea. If you haven't followed this, Chris Bishop is planning to replace the Resource Management Act shortly and his replacement law will not allow councils to sign any more of these agreements. These agreements are called Mana Whakahono a Rohe agreements. In some cases, and certainly in the more extreme examples, they effectively cede significant decision-making power to iwi. The new law will not allow any further agreements to be signed but it will allow existing agreements to continue. So, of course, what's happening is that councils are rushing to sign as many of these things as they can before the law changes. The Far North District Council is trying to sign five of them, apparently without involving elected councillors in the process. They're reportedly not even allowed to see the detail.  I've had a letter today from the Mayor of Carterton drawing my attention to the fact that Greater Wellington Regional Council, which covers Carterton, is doing exactly the same thing, despite objections from two of its constituent councils: Carterton and Kāpiti. Environment Canterbury tried to rush one through this week, then got busted and pulled it from the agenda. The fact that councils are being cynical like this will come as no surprise to anyone because they did exactly the same thing with Māori wards when they knew that, in many cases, their own ratepayers did not support them. But this gets much more difficult for the Government because it, particularly the National Party and ACT, said this co-governance stuff would end. Yet they are allowing it to continue under their new RMA laws by permitting these agreements to carry over. They need to change that law. They need to change it before it becomes law if they really meant what they said. Importantly, if they want to retain the faith of the voters who backed them to end this stuff, then they need to act when they have the chance next week, when the select committee report on the RMA reforms comes back. They need to say that these agreements will be rendered void under the new law and that whatever has been signed in a last-minute rush will count for nothing. This is the Government's big test. It's the chance to prove that what it said about co-governance wasn't just hot air. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Fuge: Consumer NZ spokesperson on the number of Kiwis switching power companies 16.07.2026 4mnt

Kiwis are often told to look for the best deals on power, and they're not afraid to swap providers for a better price. So who's winning and who's losing the battle for those customers? Data from the Electricity Authority shows that Genesis Energy is the biggest loser here, with the company losing a net 35,015 customers in the year to June. Nova lost 9059, Manawa 3329 and Mercury 2706. On the opposite end, Contact gained 20,577, Electric Kiwi gained 11,590 and Meridian gained 10,288.  Consumer NZ Paul Fuge says the energy market is quite volatile, and many companies have been making changes to keep up. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Davina Smolders: Far North district councillor on the council signing up five iwi 16.07.2026 3mnt

A Far North Councillor is accusing the council of keeping details of iwi agreements under the rug. Davina Smolders says the council is in the process of negotiating and signing Mana Whakahono ā Rohe with five iwi and one hapu.  She is demanding these agreements be made public so voters and other elected officials can have their say. Smolders says the deals are binding statutory agreements.  She says they establish permanent Māori governance and are completely 'uncosted'.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aidan Donoghue: Victoria University Students Association Engagement Vice President on the research into uni students who work while studying 16.07.2026 2mnt

A new report by the Education Ministry shows more tertiary students than ever have been working while studying and most had better pass rates than the ones who didn't work. The report said that in 2024, students in low-intensity work had a course completion rate of 88 percent while those in moderate-intensity work had a slightly lower pass rate. Meanwhile, those who did not work at all had the same pass rate as those in high-intensity work - about 83 percent. Victoria University Students Association Engagement Vice President Aidan Donoghue says this is surprising - and he'd be interested into a deeper dive on these stats.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marama Davidson: Green Party co-leader on the party's members bill to make union membership the default 16.07.2026 2mnt

The Greens have made an election pledge to make union membership automatic for new employees. Co-leader Marama Davidson says this members bill and policy would make union membership the default setting for new employees, who could choose to opt out. Davidson explained that unions are a critical way for workers to get better pay and conditions and this bill will make it easier for them to get involved. "This is a good idea, and of course we need to protect privacy - at the same time, normal accountabilities will apply."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dianne Brunton: Auckland University professor on whether there's more bird flu cases in NZ 16.07.2026 3mnt

More cases of bird flu seem inevitable here, according to some experts. Our first infection with the globally spreading H5N1 strain has been confirmed in a migratory brown skua, found on Wellington's Petone Beach last Friday.  Auckland University Professor Dianne Brunton says it's not even clear if our next likely case will be linked.  "New Zealand is kind of in the middle of nowhere, of course, but we are surrounded by seabirds - we're the seabird capital of the world."  MPI is asking people to stay vigilant and report any groups of sick or dead wild birds. The illness is a low risk to humans, and our poultry and eggs are safe to eat. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on the Greens campaigning on making union membership the default for new employees 16.07.2026 5mnt

The Green Party says unions are to thank for workplace rights Kiwis now see as a given.  Co-leader Marama Davidson's announced a members bill to make union membership the default, which is also a Party election policy.  Membership would still be optional, but workers would need to opt-out, not in. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this proposal feels like a step backwards, given which other countries have compulsory unions.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.