Larry Williams Drive

I’m inclined to think that at some stage and in some way we will be helping the US to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. It’s been revealed by American media that Trump has told US embassies around the world to pressure governments to help. Australia is considering assistance and so are we. It’s early days at the moment. It appears both we and Australia are simply asking for more information at this point, probably along the lines of what help is actually required and under what circumstances. Those circumstances are important because I would imagine New Zealand would not want to agree to help if there were a hot war underway — meaning shots being fired. I’d expect we would only be willing to help if there were an active and sustained ceasefire in place. That said, I think that in the end we will still say yes because we’ve already indicated this is what we plan to do. We’ve already signed a joint statement with countries including the UK, France, Germany and Japan, saying we are ready to provide appropriate help t

NRL teams, including the Warriors, have voiced their concerns on the fine print of Papua New Guinea's first team joining the league.  The Papua New Guinea Chiefs’ are set to join the league in 2028, but they have a significant leg-up over the competition when it comes to recruitment.  An agreement between the Australian and PNG governments over the Chiefs’ admission into the NRL allows the club to offer tax-free contracts to players willing to relocate for 10 years.  Former Warriors Coach Tony Kemp told Heather du Plessis-Allan that this was a 'politically-based' decision between Governments, not clubs. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One New Zealand says a widespread internet outage this morning was caused by one of its technology partners.  Ninety cell towers were taken down by technical problems - leaving some customers in the South Island and lower North without service or internet. The company says the outage began about 1:30 this morning and it took hours to be fully resolved.  One NZ Chief Executive Jason Paris told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the issue was caused by a bug in one of their vendor's software.   He says it tried to roll back the update it had made, but the bug didn't go away.  The outage also affected 2 Degrees customers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ANZ is bracing itself for more variability - on the back of a lift in economic activity.  The bank's posted a $1.2billion half year net profit - a 2% increase on the 6 months prior.  It also saw a 2% rise in loans, and a 4% rise in deposits.  But Chief Executive Antonia Watson says there's a lot of uncertainty ahead, with conflict in the Middle East tanking business and consumer confidence.  She says some customers will be impacted more than others depending on fuel usage.  Watson says we're already seeing some customers cutting back on discretionary spending due to prices at the pump, which isn't good for businesses like retail.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Defence Minister Ron Mark says its not clear how New Zealand could meaningfully support reopening the Strait of Hormuz.  The US has formally provided an initial plan to New Zealand for the Government to consider - but Foreign Minister Winston Peters says more detail's needed.  Mark told Heather du Plessis Allan that our defence forces have reduced capability - and he could only see us helping with aerial surveying.  He says we are strategically irrelevant right now - and there's no way he could see us deploying a frigate.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Australian Language expert is praising New Zealand's new approach to teaching literacy.  The Government mandated state schools to teach a specific structured literacy curriculum to new entrants from the beginning of last year.  Education data showed increasing improvement in learning outcomes across the four school terms in 2025.   Professor Pamela Snow told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the new approach used the best possible techniques -- and calls the direction 'world leading'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

British police are treating the stabbing of two men on Wednesday in north London as a 'terrorist incident', following arson attacks targeting Jewish sites. Police have arrested a 45-year-old man - the 76 and 34-year-old victims are in a stable condition. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Israel has condemned the attack, and says the UK Government needs to start cracking down on anti-Semitism. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world's leading tech giants - Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet and Meta - all recently reported their latest earnings. All of these companies surpassed investor expectations, but one clearly came out on top. Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Halter has launched a world first direct-to-satellite service for its smart collars to enable beef cattle farmed in remote areas to access its virtual fencing technology. The new technology will provide the tech to beef farms that were previously out of reach due to connectivity limitations, particularly for regions like central Otago, Gisborne and Southland’s high country. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, artist and local Government politician Oscar Kightley and Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! There's been some infighting between National and NZ First over the last few days - what do we think of this? Is this a sign the coalition will fall apart, or is this just Winston being Winston?  More people are turning to AI to help with their relationship problems - what do we think of this? Do we think this is the way to go? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NZ Transport Agency has proposed a $4.50 toll on the proposed new highway between Warkworth and Te Hana, and it's proven controversial. AA has called on the Government to lower the proposed toll price for the first stage of the Northland Expressway. NorthChamber chair Tim Robinson says this is going to bring a significant benefit to the region economically, and the toll is fair. "Those of us here in Northland, we've been crying out for the opportunity to grow our economy and create the right environment for our kids and our grandkids - to be able to choose to live and work and play here."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 30 April, 2026, we talk to former Prime Minister Helen Clark about the spat between Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters. We hear from activist Samuel Leason after Israeli forces intercept a flotilla on its way to Gaza. A therapist tells us if using AI for advice on relationships is a good thing. And on The Huddle, we ask Tim Wilson and Oscar Kightley if the coalition government is in crisis. 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.

A New Zealander involved in the latest Gaza-bound flotilla attempt says four other Kiwi activists have been kidnapped by Israeli forces.  About 19 ships were reportedly intercepted near Greece. MFAT says up to six New Zealanders were onboard - and Consular officials are trying to find out if any have been detained. Activist Samuel Leason, who remains with the flotilla, says there are still dozens of boats loaded with aid, so the mission will continue. He explained they want to break the illegal siege on Gaza and create a humanitarian corridor so aid can be taken in.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes in relationships, conversations can be difficult to carry out, and more young people are outsourcing their issues to AI. New reports show a significant chunk of Gen Z are turning to AI to fix their interpersonal conflicts, and experts are concerned it could be stunting their emotional growth. Therapist Jo Robertson says this technology could be useful - but it's important to also discuss these issues with an actual human being too. "There's a touch of me that's a bit impressed, because I like that they're thinking about it, they're not just going willy-nilly, what should I say to this person? They're getting advice, they're getting input."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former senior economist at the Reserve Bank is calling releasing details of who voted which way on the Official Cash Rate a 'baby step'. It's been agreed by the Minister of Finance and the Monetary Policy Committee that vote details will be released publicly if committee members are unable to come to consensus on the OCR. The charter comes into effect today.  Michael Reddell says it's fairly rare for the committee not to come to a consensus, but it's a good step.  "So I'm not criticising it, it's just that it's not a particularly bold move." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Helen Clark reckons political polling's behind disagreements in the coalition. Winston Peters' office released emails showing Prime Minister Chris Luxon was advised against supporting the US and Israel's strikes on Iran. National's Nicola Willis believes Peters is playing politics - and should have informed them before releasing the emails. Willis separately accused NZ First of race-baiting in their opposition to the India free trade deal. Clark says Willis is not holding back. "New Zealand First is eating fairly deeply into National's support, and that is starting, I think, to become somewhat more corrosive in the coalition."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TVNZ's Maiki Sherman's had her access to Parliament suspended for five days, after an altercation with an MP.  The decision comes after National complained to TVNZ, alleging Sherman aggressively banged on party whip Stuart Smith's office door for several minutes.  TVNZ says it has a different view of events.  Newstalk ZB's senior political correspondent Barry Soper the issue could lead to tighter rules for all reporters.  "I think what you'll find as a result of all this is that Speaker Gerry Brownlee, he'll be tightening the rules yet again and just explaining to the journalists that you don't chase MPs around Parliament."  The suspension's unrelated to claims Sherman lobbed a homophobic slur at another journalist at drinks in Nicola Willis' office last year.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An interim report from the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has made some recommendations in order to strengthen strengthen counterterrorism responses. The commission is examining the circumstances surrounding the December 14 attack in which 15 people were killed during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says some of the recommendations haven't been made public, but there's calls for a gun buyback in response to the attack.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LIV Golf's future could finally come to a head overnight. The Wall Street Journal report that LIV will tell players in the coming hours that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund will stop backing the circuit after this season. Reports first emerged a fortnight ago, but LIV pushed back on those claims at the time. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hopes some relief for businesses will be on the cards in a public meeting to discuss the future of Mount Maunganui this evening. Mauao has been closed to the public ever since a landslide killed six holiday-makers almost 100 days ago. The Mt Maunganui Ratepayers, Residents and Retailers Association expects discussions tonight about allowing one route to the top of the mount. President Michael O'Neill says businesses rely on the patronage of people using the mount. He explained the same goes for people using the campground, hot pools, and boat ramp - all of which are closed.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.