Larry Williams Drive

Workers are now able to speak freely about their salaries, and it's got experts speculating about what this means for Kiwis. The House passed a new law last night preventing employers from taking legal action against workers talking about their pay.  The bill, introduced by Labour's Camilla Belich, essentially renders pay secrecy clauses unenforceable.  Employment lawyer Jordan Boyle says New Zealand already has a culture of keeping pay private.  "People may feel a little bit more freedom to ask, but you don't have to share. People may choose to share, employers may face some difficult conversations." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's speaking about the importance of deterring threats, as it confirms a multi-billion dollar defence spend. It's investing $2.7 billion dollars for two new Airbus A321 planes to replace ageing planes that have broken down numerous times. The new planes will be delivered in 2028. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper talks about the potential implications of this spend. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tensions between Israel and other nations have escalated, with Benjamin Netanyahu accusing Australia's Anthony Albanese of 'betrayal'. Australia is standing by its decision to recognise a Palestinian state, with a formal declaration to be made at the United Nations General Assembly in September. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Netanyahu also accused Albanese of 'abandoning Australian Jews', prompting further concerns. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The entry of Auckland FC into the women’s A-League competition has been delayed for two years. It was confirmed on Thursday by the Australian Professional Leagues (APL), the governing body of the A-Leagues, that the new licence will be granted for the 2027/2028 season. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A pitbull launched itself from a moving vehicle and stormed into an Auckland jewellery store, injuring an employee during the incident. Auckland Council confirmed the owner was given an infringement notice and education on dog control after the attack. Stacey Penn says the punishment for the owner 'wasn't fair' and further consequences are needed. "The fact that she's already been warned previously and still chose to drive around with her dog in her car - she'd been told to muzzle it and didn't muzzle it. So it's not the first time it's happened." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK inflation figure rises in data just released, and it's prompted concerns among experts. The 3.8 percent rise in inflation over the 12 months to July this year is the largest increase in inflation since January 2024. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains what this means for the economy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank cut the OCR by 25 basis points to three percent today, but the markets still saw some surprises. Today's cut was divisive, with 2 of the 6 committee members voting for a 50 basis point cut. Remy Morgan from Milford Asset Management explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The OCR dropped by 25 basis points to 3 percent today, with the MPC divided about the cuts. This indicates the economy is not in a good spot - where does this leave the Government?  Winston Peters is offering to give public evidence at the Covid inquiry - is this a stunt?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The longer that this economic funk that we find ourselves in goes on, the more that Jarrod Kerr of Kiwibank is being proven right, isn't he? And we had a cut today - it was 25 basis points down to 3 percent - and now there's the expectation that we will maybe get down to 2.5 percent before this thing bottoms out. 2.5 percent is where Jarrod Kerr has been saying for months that we need to get to. But even though he's been saying it since at least September last year, if not earlier, the Reserve Bank has only just caught up with him. Up til now, they've been talking about 2.75 percent, 3 percent maybe. Now, what you should take from this is that the Reserve Bank is surprised by what Jarrod Kerr - and you could argue many of us - have been seeing for ages, which is that the economy is properly, properly stuffed. Like, stuffed enough that they should be cutting a lot more than they are. Why this is a surprise to them is beyond me, because you just need to look at what's going on with businesses today to see

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 20 August 2025, acting Reserve Bank Governor Christian Hawkesby speaks to Heather about the decision to cut the OCR down to 3 percent - and why the bank didn't go for a bigger cut. How many more days will students be off school because of striking teachers? The union's Chris Abercrombie tells Heather they're hoping to get a better pay deal from the Government. Things are going from bad to worse for Fletcher Building. CEO Andrew Reding tells Heather they're a victim of the economy which hasn't been this bad since the 80s. Should your life insurance company have access to genetic tests you do, and hike your premium as a result? Plus, the Huddle debates the state of the economy and whether Nicola Willis is in the danger zone. 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.

Spark has reported another big fall in profit, with reported net profit down 17.7 percent to $260 million - or a 33.6 percent fall to $227 million, adjusting for one-offs. The telco also cut approximately 1300 full-time employees by the end of June, with many roles being eliminated or going to outsourcing and offshoring firms. CEO Jolie Hodson says it's a tough economic market and the company has had to adjust to these changes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fletcher Building has confirmed a new focus on building materials. The construction giant's announced a net loss of $419 million for the past year, compared to a loss of $227 million last year. It's already been looking for buyers for its construction division and some other subsidiaries. Fletcher CEO Andrew Reding says this is the toughest things have been since the GFC. "It's highly unusual when you get both your residential infrastructure and your commercial market segments all crashing down at the same time." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand wool can be found in clothing and people's homes - but it's set to be bouncing around the courts of the next US Open. Tennis balls made with wool sourced from farms throughout the country will be served up by the world’s top-ranked players when the tournament gets under way this weekend.  NZ Wool Services trading manager Nathan Watt says New Zealand-produced wool is widely regarded as the best in the world for tennis balls. "We've got the best-coloured wool in the world for strong wool, so it's perfect for tennis ball felt." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Foreign Minister's defending recalling Trevor Mallard as Ambassador to Ireland now, and not 18 months ago.  The previous Government appointed the former Parliament Speaker to the role in 2023. Winston Peters yesterday replaced him, saying Mallard will return home two months early.  He says Mallard should have resigned. Peters further explained he didn't bring him home earlier to avoid being accused of being vindictive.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Secondary teachers aren't backing down from their fight for better pay. Thousands of teachers walked off the job today and picketed across the country.  They say a proposed one percent pay rise is actually a cut in real terms - and concerns on staffing, professional development and support aren't addressed.  PPTA President Chris Abercrombie says he hopes that'll be the end of action, and the Government will come to the table. He says Minister Erica Stanford's signalled interest in improvement.  "Erica's come out and said she wants a world-class education system, and we want the same. So there's definitely common ground there, but it's just about how we get to that space." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's cautious optimism from the Reserve Bank Governor after cutting the OCR by 25 basis points this afternoon. Christian Hawkesby says the economy's been a bit stagnant, but there's reason to be positive. "We've lowered interest rates a long way now, we've sent out a pretty strong signal that we're willing to lower them further, as required, we've got other drivers of the economy - like high commodity prices." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank is signalling further OCR cuts, but making no promises. It's slashed the cash rate 25 basis points today, to 3 percent. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this is a sign that the screws are off the economy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The White House is claiming plans are well underway for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin's and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. US President Donald Trump met with Zelenskyy and several foreign leaders earlier in the week. He's also now ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine under any peace deal. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says it's clear Trump doesn't want to be a part of any discussions between the leaders. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The champions of last month's Softball World Cup are under a doping cloud, after Venezuela pitcher Maiker Pimentel returned a positive drug test. Pimentel has been provisionally suspended for taking the anabolic steroid stanozolol, which promotes and enhances lean muscle growth. He was named tournament MVP after pitching Venezuela to victory over the Black Sox in the final. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two New Zealanders who took drastic steps to prevent deadly hereditary cancers recently informed Parliament that insurance discrimination is stopping others from doing the same - costing lives as a result. As part of AGenDA’s campaign to end 'genetic discrimination', Jody Bews-Hair and Julian Grennell urged the Government to protect Kiwis from being penalised by insurers for their genetic test results. Jody Bews-Hair says genetic testing saves lives, and people should be encouraged to take the tests without fear. "Anything that encourages people to get testing is really important, because it literally saves lives - and it ultimately saves money down the track. It's a lot cheaper to fund a prophylactic surgery or screening than it is to fund 10 years of cancer treatment." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.