Larry Williams Drive

Casey Costello believes slashing inclusive language will help the health system connect with women. The Associate Health Minister is directing Health NZ to refer to pregnant people as women, and to not use gender-diverse terms. Costello says we need to recognise women have significant health issues. "So we need to be clear - we are targeting women and we want women to reach out and connect as much as possible with health services." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working from the office could set people up better for a promotion than working from home.  Recruitment agency Robert Half says 58 percent of workers believe opportunities to advance correlate with office attendance.  It says 54 percent would turn up more if it was needed to get promoted. Managing director Megan Alexander says there is a mentality of out of sight, out of mind.  She explained that relationship building is critical to climbing the career ladder - which is difficult when you're sitting at home not talking to anybody.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister is rejecting claims the last Government can be thanked for reduced victim numbers. The Government claims there are 28,000 fewer victims of violent crimes since the last election - exceeding its goal of 20,000. It admits the numbers are from a survey spanning 24 months - including the last months of the Labour's rule.  But Minister Mark Mitchell says Labour only made it worse. "We've definitely seen the numbers - and the police numbers starting to reduce. We've got a very different approach around public safety, we're putting victims first and I think we're staring to see the results of that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior doctors will be walking off the job in May, looking for a 12 percent pay rise.  The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists announced a 24-hour strike would take place starting on May 1. It could affect 4300 planned procedures or first specialist appointments - and up to 4300 radiology appointments.  Association executive director Sarah Dalton says claims specialists make more than $300,000 dollars a year are wrong.  "It's probably closer to $240,000 - which still sounds like a lot, right? But we have to think about what senior doctors actually do." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister says the patch ban for gangs has changed their behaviour, and made people feel safer.  Gang laws are among policies the Government's crediting for surpassing its target for reducing violent crime victims - although it admits the data is volatile.  NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says the Government will still need to prove if they can keep meeting these targets long-term. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A response from the Australian Prime Minister after being dissed in a rap song by the Liberal party. The track released by Peter Dutton's Liberal party takes aim at Anthony Albanese's leadership - claiming he's ruined the economy and risen the cost-of-living. The voice behind the song is an un-named 'commercial artist'. Australian correspondent Murray Olds has been quick to label this move as 'nonsense'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Rugby remain happy with their player retention rates, despite All Blacks wing Mark Tele'a's decision to head to Japan after this season. The 28-year-old started four of five tests on the 2024 end-of-year tour. He's understood to have penned a three-season deal with Toyota Verblitz under former All Blacks coaches Sir Steve Hansen and Ian Foster. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is cracking down on dog owners tying up pets for long periods.  SPCA and MPI Animal Welfare inspectors can now issue fines over dogs found tethered in poor conditions and displaying signs of frustration like excessive barking.  Practical exemptions are included for farm dogs.  Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says there was a 'gaping hole' impacting animal welfare inspectors' ability to handle people who mistreat their dogs. "They could either just offer advice or go the whole hog and take people to court - this is about having a middle step in there and hopefully preventing people from going to court and the rest of the rigmarole that goes with it."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 14 April 2025, Heather is back from maternity leave! The Finance Minister gets a grilling over tariffs and wool. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan on whether the stoush between Chris Luxon and Winston Peters is a media beat-up or real. A driving instructor tells Heather why he doesn't think the Government should get rid of the second practical driving test. Plus, the Huddle on the new Polkinghorne doco and whether it's okay to sleep in separate beds than your partner. 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.

Last-minute efforts to keep British Steel operating are to be carried out today, as the plant races to secure a supply of raw materials. The Department for Business and Trade said officials are working to keep British Steel operational - and ensure all staff at the  Scunthorpe site will be paid. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says efforts are in place to keep it open - but things still feel quite touch-and-go. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump administration's tariff announcements have left a notable impact on financial markets - and experts fear we may not be out of the woods yet. Smartphones, computers and some other electronics from China will face 20 percent tariffs, rather than the 145 percent imposed on other Chinese goods. The White House says the exemption is not permanent. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson of Sherson Willis PR and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  On the Peters v Luxon saga - is there a genuine disagreement between the pair when it comes to our trade response or is this just a media beat-up job? What do we make of this? The new Polkinghorne TV documentary is out - have we seen it? What did we think? New data shows people still don't trust the media - why do we think this could be? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Demand is outpacing supply in the small business market, as sellers wait out tough trading conditions while buyer interest is at record levels. Recent data shows new business listings fell 10 percent in the year ended March, compared to a 10 percent increase in completed sales. ABC Business Sales managing director Chris Small says there's been an uptick in migrants gravitating to smaller businesses - which has left an impact on prices. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says the Government is still looking to alleviate the impact of the US' tariffs on New Zealand. New Zealand's current rate is at 10 percent - in line with a majority of other countries. Nicola Willis says officials are determined to engage with their American counterparts to work out a solution. "We're pointing out that our tariff regime is very limited towards the US...we have very few non-trade barriers and as far as possible - we'd like to grow the trade between our two countries, so we'd prefer no tariff." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a big week for space enthusiasts and pop fans, as an all-female crew gears up for the Blue Origin NS-31 launch set to take place in a matter of hours. Katy Perry and TV host Gayle King will join four others on the first all-women expedition in 60 years - rocketing 100 kilometres above Earth tomorrow. They'll cross the internationally recognised space boundary - and float for four minutes. It's part of a mission to balance out the 90 percent of men dominating space expeditions. Asia Pacific Aerospace Consultants CEO Kirby Ikin says most of this crew have paid for the experience. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Tourism Minister says hitting more markets will pay off in the long-term.  The Government has pumped $13.5 million into Tourism New Zealand for marketing the country as a holiday destination.  Louise Upston says efforts this year to promote to the Australian market are already paying off.  She says there's room for growth.  "We're only at 86 percent of the number of visitors we had back in 2019 - so there's lots of capacity." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Texting words like LOL and OMG may not be as cool as it once was. A US study has found people using abbreviations or slang in texts sound 'stupid' to others. Massey University linguistics expert Dr Arianna Berardi-Wiltshire says slang seems to have become less common. She says changing tech may play a part - with phones now having full keyboards and predictive spelling. "Young people are much more relationally aware than people were in the past - they know, quite often, when it's appropriate to use them." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A driving instructor says the full-license test is important for weeding out bad habits.   The Government is proposing scrapping that last exam for new drivers - letting them move from a restricted to a full licence after 18 months, as long as they have no driving offences.  It's calling the current system 'expensive' and 'inefficient'.  But A1 Driving School owner Harald Leeuwenburgh says it helps maintain high driving standards. "A lot of it is an observation - people are not just looking around and not scanning properly at intersections and making poor decisions. That's really a big one that causes lots of accidents." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister's dismissing suggestions of tension with his deputy over US tariffs and trade.  Winston Peters last week said Chris Luxon was premature in calling other leaders - and yesterday labelled some language used around trade 'hysterical'.  But Luxon says all the Ministers responsible, which includes Peters, are aligned on the fact a trade war would be bad for New Zealand. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says the trade issue has generated a bipartisan response, but it's unwise to draw too much attention to it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of the Australian election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled a new housing policy designed to 'unlock' 100,000 new homes for first home buyers. This scheme will only be available to first home buyers and the Government plans to make it easier to get approval for a mortgage. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says it's unlikely this promise will be able to address the root of the issue. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.