Larry Williams Drive

The US and Chinese Presidents are gearing up for face-to-face talks on all things Middle East, trades and tariffs.  Donald Trump's en route to China for the first visit by a US President in almost a decade. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says the ongoing Middle East conflict is likely to be top of the agenda, but Trump has confirmed he won't need help in Iran. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the NRL's most decorated coaches has announced he is standing down at the end of the 2027 season. Penrith coach Ivan Cleary has confirmed he is calling it quits. Cleary led his side to four straight premierships between 2021 and 2024 and they are top of the table this season. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sociologist warns we should refrain from comparing our immigration with overseas. Prime Minister Chris Luxon's pointed the finger at immigration - for driving lower social cohesion and trust in institutions worldwide. He's indicated National will say more on the topic ahead of the election. But Massey University's Paul Spoonley says it's worth having a debate about our settings - but we need skilled migrants. "We should not compare our immigration system to what's happening in Europe, it's completely different. They have a large number of refugees and asylum seekers, we do not." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A senior UK Cabinet minister is the latest to call for Sir Keir Starmer to step aside after poor local election results last week. Four Labour MPs have quit as ministerial aides and more than 70 MPs, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, have publicly urged the Prime Minister to resign or set out a timetable for leaving.  UK correspondent Enda Brady says it's unknown who could take over Starmer's role, but the pressure is mounting. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers is set to deliver the next Australian federal budget, and reports indicate it's going to be focused on housing. It's likely new property tax reforms will be unveiled, with an expected crackdown on capital gains tax discounts and negative gearing. HSBC Chief Economist Paul Bloxham explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rabobank has just released their latest agribusiness monthly report for May, and it's good news for Kiwi farmers. The report has positive prospects for beef and dairy, thanks to ongoing international demand. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland councillor Maurice Williamson and former Auckland mayor Phil Goff joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Can Auckland afford a second Harbour crossing? Chris Bishop has said we'll hear more about it in the coming months, but is this just an election promise?  Can Keir Starmer bounce back from the local election drubbing? Should he resign? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The manufacturing sector has been hit hard over the past few years, but ongoing global conflict has worsened current market conditions. Average profit margins have plunged to 31.53 percent, the lowest since records began in 2018. This has resulted in more manufacturers clearing out their warehouses, with stock on hand dropping to historically low levels.  Unleashed Head of Product Jarrod Adam says the challenges to the supply chain are being worsened by the Middle East conflict, and experts are unclear on what will happen next. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 12 May, 2026, we ask Transport Minister Chris Bishop how we can afford a second Auckland Harbour crossing. The Police Association president tells us how angry officers are about a pay offer. We hear from Sir Graham Henry on how happy he is to come out of retirement to be an All Blacks selector. And on The Huddle, Maurice Williamson and Phil Goff discuss what's wrong with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. 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.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m taking this latest talk of a second Auckland Harbour crossing with a gigantic grain of salt. The development today is that Chris Bishop has revealed the Government will announce its preferred option for a second crossing by mid-year - so I suppose you could say June-ish or July-ish - and they will decide between a tunnel or a bridge. And while I really want to get excited about it, because Auckland needs this crossing and has been waiting decades for it, I cannot get excited. That’s because I can see what’s going on here. It’s an election year and National is in danger of losing Auckland, which means potentially coming quite close in the election - as in, potentially losing it. Unlikely, but possible. So the easiest way to win favour in Auckland is to promise something big and shiny, like a bridge. Have we been here before? Yes, we have. Do you remember Michael Wood’s boomer bike bridge to Birkenhead? Where are we with that? We spent $51 million-plus on consultants, and in

New research shows some surveys might not be as accurate as we all think. Researchers asked Kiwis if they believed the Canadian Government was secretly training genetically enhanced raccoons for warfare, with 7.2 percent of respondents - or 300,000 people - saying they believed it. University of Otago psychology expert on Dr John Kerr says it's extremely unlikely all these respondents believed this, and the question was designed to be outlandish to weed out the trolls. "It helped us to get an idea of the extent of what we'd call 'insincere responders' - or trolls, who are skewing the results on this kind of research."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sir Graham Henry is keen to offer his perspective to the All Blacks selection roundtable. The 2011 World Cup-winning coach will join the panel as an independent selector, alongside head coach Dave Rennie and assistant Neil Barnes. Sir Graham says everyone has an opinion on what's right and wrong in rugby. "I think that sure, when people are watching my team win when I was a coach, they felt probably the same way. So I guess it's part of the deal." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors are prepared to let Luke Metcalf negotiate with other clubs. A club statement says they will allow last year's first choice halfback to look for a new home, after falling down the pecking order following injuries over the last 12 months. It comes with Tanah Boyd poised to re-sign until 2029. Former Kiwis player Richie Barnett says it's a stunning turn of events. "Obviously, we've seen through the year that he doesn't like playing six and Tanah Boyd's playing so well, Chanel's playing so well at six - Tanah Boyd's just amazing at seven, so it's incredible how the tide has turned." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's assurance scoping work on a second Auckland Harbour crossing is still under way, with plans expected mid-year. Two Transport Agency reports have detailed defects in the 67 year-old bridge, and warn it's at risk of failure. It says without long-term strengthening work, month-long lane closures, truck limits, and more wind-related restrictions are on the cards. Chris Bishop says he won't be the Transport Minister who produces a pie-in-the sky idea that turns to custard. He says they're taking an evidence led approach, engaging with the market, doing geotechnical assessments and extensive studies. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new poll has the coalition returning to power - despite a drop in support for the minor Government parties.  The latest Taxpayers' Union Curia poll has National up slightly to 30 percent and Labour down to 31.9 percent. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the minor parties have taken a hit, with ACT and NZ First looking less solid than they did in earlier polls.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian federal budget is set to be delivered tonight, and it's promising big changes. Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the budget will feature 'more than the usual amount of savings and more than the usual amount of reform'. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this will appeal to younger voters, as concerns have been raised about intergenerational inequality and the housing market.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Metcalf is poised to leave the Warriors. The NRL club have confirmed they have agreed to a request from Metcalf's management to talk with other clubs. It's unclear whether they would allow an immediate release for the halfback, who only re-signed until 2028 late last year. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Association says a new pay offer doesn't meet struggling officers' needs. The union says they'd effectively get a 0.6 percent bump, with nothing for managers. Police Association President Steve Watt says the impacted officers have found this offer 'tough' to accept, given the demands of the job.  "We've asked for five percent, we understand that CPI is still to come out, but we understand that the CPI figure is going to be around that four to five percent. And the reality is, for our members, anything under CPI is essentially a pay cut."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pressure on Sir Keir Starmer keeps ramping up in the UK. Labour had a disastrous showing in local elections at the end of last week - a reflection of the Prime Minister's growing unpopularity. The party lost a total 1500 councillors across England, with Nigel Farage's Reform UK party picking up steam. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says Starmer is set to give a speech addressing the situation, but there's growing calls to replace him as party leader.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Green Party's written to Government ministers asking them to use their majority owner status to pressure major gentailers to reduce power prices. Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says shareholding ministers, Simeon Brown and Nicola Willis, can write to the gentailers and require them to do more on energy hardship programmes.  She suggests they could also call for retail prices not to surpass inflation. Energy economist Geoff Bertram says it's time action was taken to bring down the impact of the major gentailers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.