Larry Williams Drive

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  It's day two of the pay equity saga - what do we make of all this? Has the Government mishandled this? Was it a bad call to rush the law through the way it has? Should they admit they're just doing it for the money? Should we take Donald Trump seriously when he floats ideas like making Canada the 51st state? How much attention should we give statements like these? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been 15 years since Auckland became a supercity, and new data has revealed what people believe the city needs in order to improve. A total of 575 Aucklanders participated in the survey, casting 46,000 votes on statements, creating what’s been called a “digital snapshot” of the city’s sentiments. Former Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Graham Quirk, outlined some other point of concern - as Brisbane prepares some upgrades ahead of the 2032 Olympics.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six shipbuilders have been shortlisted for the job of delivering the much-anticipated new Cook Strait ferries. This comes after the Government pulled the plug on iReX because of cost blowouts, which was set to deliver new port-side infrastructure and two rail-enabled hybrid ferries. Ferry Holdings chairman Chris Mackenzie won't disclose the names of these companies. "We're not making anything public...we will not announce who the six are, we will be announcing the successful shipyard further down the track."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 7 May 2025, good news on the unemployment front... things have not gotten worse. Kiwibank's Jarrod Kerr tells Heather there's still a good case for more interest rate cuts. Underhand, sneaky and cowardly - Heather doesn't hold back when it comes to telling you what she thinks of the Government ramming through changes to the pay equity system under urgency. Sportswriter Gregor Paul explains why he thinks we should scrap post-match interviews with sportsplayers for fear of them swearing. Plus, the Huddle debates whether we should take Donald Trump seriously when he talks about making Canada a part of the US - or should we just accept he's joking and move on? 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.

Black Ferns captain Sarah Hirini raised a few eyebrows after she dropped the f-bomb on live TV - and it's prompted some debate. After the team claimed the world championship title in Los Angeles, Hirini gave a post-match interview, which sparked some controversy.  NZ Herald rugby writer Gregor Paul wrote an opinion piece critiquing the practice of post-match interviews - and he stands by it. "I'm not a big fan of sports stars - or anyone really - swearing in public as part of an entertainment package, I think it's unnecessary." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let me make a prediction for you on this pay equity drama that's been playing out for the last 24 hours - the Government is going to pay for this in a big way. I reckon that this could become one of the defining moments of this Government when we look back on it in years to come. Kind of like the 'Mother of All Budgets' came to define Ruth Richardson and Bolger's Government and the way the cup of tea came to define David Lange's Government - I think this is a moment for this Government. Not because it's the wrong thing for this Government to do, but because of the underhanded and sneaky and cowardly way that they have done it. Now, I personally think that the pay equity system did need an overhaul. I mean, I think it is ridiculous to have librarians, as I said yesterday, compare themselves to engineers to justify similar pay. You can see those jobs are not even the same, right? But I do not think that it should have been rushed through with the shock and awe that it has been. ACT, in particular, has

Transpower says upgrading the Cook Strait electricity cable would come at a very small cost to consumers.  It's consulting on a $1.4 billion proposal - to upgrade existing cables and allow for building a fourth. CEO James Kilty says the plan is to get another 40 years of stable electricity.  He says because costs will be paid for over that 40 years, prices won't surge.  "It'll be a few dollars a year - but by the time it's spread across every connection in the country, it's spread over 40 years. It'll be a reasonably small amount." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After many hours of debate, MPs have reached the final stage of the controversial pay equity legislation. The Government introduced the Bill under urgency yesterday - which lifts the bar for claims of sex-based discrimination and forces existing claims to restart. NZ College of Midwives Chief Executive Alison Eddy says it's unclear how much of the sector will be impacted. "We have to wait for the court to decide that...we've still got some way to go."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Overall employment's held steady - but the hours people work have notably contracted. In figures out today, the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.1 percent in the three months ending March.  But total hours worked are down three percent over the year.  Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr says numbers of part time workers are rising, with those working full-time falling.  "Businesses are clearly cutting hours to reduce costs and fight their way through what's quite an awkward period, and that's weighing on households." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's fears of escalation between India and Pakistan among experts. Pakistan claims Indian missile attacks have killed eight people - and India's claiming three died when Pakistan shot down five of its planes. Auckland University Global Studies Professor Chris Ogden says both countries have nuclear weapons.  He says that could actually be beneficial.  "It might actually enhance the possibility for a limited war - this happened back in 1999, when both sides were testing weapons in 1998."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The final stage of a bill to increase the threshold of pay equity claims is expected to pass in Parliament. It'll extinguish 33 active claims, requiring them to re-start under the new model - with the changes expected to impact hundreds of thousands of workers. This bill has been met with outrage from unions and the Opposition - describing it as a 'dark day for women'.  Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls weighed in on the bill's progress. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney says his country and the US are in the process of re-defining their relationship. He's been at the White House talking trade and Canadian sovereignty with Donald Trump. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Carney made it clear that Canada was not for sale - but Trump is still hopeful this will change. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Confusion reigns between Netball New Zealand, the Silver Ferns captain and the country's star player on eligibility criteria for the national team. The issue has resurfaced with shooter Grace Nweke currently ineligible for the Ferns because she's playing for New South Wales in Australia's Super Netball competition. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacks the ongoing discussions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Starmer has announced plans are in place to crack down on international students applying for asylum in the UK in a bid to address migration figures. An immigration white paper setting out the proposed reforms in mid-May will include measures to reduce the number of UK students making asylum claims after their visas expire. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Nigel Farage's Reform Party is gaining popularity - and the Government is looking to push back. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New figures from Stats NZ show livestock numbers have dropped substantially over the past decade. The total number of sheep dropped by 21 percent and the total number of dairy cattle also fell by 13 percent over a 10-year period. The Country's Jamie Mackay unpacks what could be causing these drops. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government will make major savings over the coming years by outperforming on its housings goals.  Last year, it aimed to reduce the number of people in emergency housing by 75 percent in 2030 compared to December 2023.  However the target was achieved before the end of last year.  Infometrics Principal Economist explains what this could mean for the upcoming Budget. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!   The Government is overhauling the pay equity system - restricting future claims and stopping all 33 current claims. The changes will be rushed through under urgency this week. Do we think this is the right move? National has outlined plans to ban social media for under-16s - do we think this is a good idea? More Government ministers have admitted to using Gmail for Government tasks - is this a bad look? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 6 May 2025, a dicey call from the Government... today scrapping all current pay equity claims and overhauling the system. Workplace Relations Brooke van Velden tells Heather the move will save billions. The former boss of Facebook New Zealand Stephen Scheeler reacts to National's plan to ban social media for under 16s. Victoria University law students will have to do their upcoming three hour exams by hand - because the university can't shut down AI on their laptops. Plus, the Huddle gets fiery on pay equity and Ministers using emails. 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.

That decision today to stop all those pay equity claims is ballsy - I mean, you know, ballsy is good - and I think I lean towards thinking this is the right thing to do. Those pay equity claims have been a bit random. I don't know if you know how this works, but basically, if people can prove that they're underpaid because they work in women-dominated jobs, then they can get a pay rise. And how they prove this is by finding men who are doing a similar job and then showing that there is a difference in pay. But the problem is, it really isn't. It isn't comparing apples with apples, it's often apples with oranges. For example, librarians. Librarians are currently trying to get a pay rise by comparing themselves to traffic engineers. Now, no disrespect whatsoever to librarians, but the Dewey Decimal System is not that hard. I'm pretty sure that most of us could learn to do it and become librarians in about 20 minutes flat. I think it takes a little bit longer to train up as an engineer who specializes in designi

NZME’s likely new chairman Steven Joyce says he hopes to unify the media company’s shareholders as much as possible, following two months of heated debate over the company’s performance and editorial endeavour. Joyce, a National Party Cabinet minister for three terms from 2008 and an experienced commercial media businessman, was today confirmed as a board nominee for NZME. Spinoff founder Duncan Greive says this is a smart manoeuvre.  "If you were going to pick anyone out of this country to tie a bow on this...maybe it's not what everyone wanted, but everyone can live with it - Joyce would be your guy." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.