Larry Williams Drive

The Government's pushed forward in overhauling NCEA, and it's sparked debate among experts. The Government wants to phase out the school qualification system in five years, replacing level one with a literacy and numeracy test, and level two and three with Education Certificates.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacks these changes - and reveals why a change to the system is overdue. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Premier of the Australian state of Victoria has announced plans to enshrine working from home into law. Under Jacinta Allan’s plan, workers would be entitled to work from home at least two days per week - if the role allows for it. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says business groups have since hit out at this move - and claimed this would decimate CBD spending. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A glass half-full mindset from All Blacks coach Scott Robertson after naming a group of six players as injury cover for the start of their Rugby Championship campaign. Uncapped trio Kyle Preston, Leroy Carter and Tevita Mafileo - along with Finlay Christie, George Bower and Josh Lord - comprise the back-up unit in the 42-strong wider squad. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland's North Shore Hospital has a 20-bed ward full of people, with no medical reason to be there. It was created in May for medically discharged patients who still require lower-level help from places like an aged-care facility, who have nowhere appropriate to go. Some stay for weeks, looked after by nurses and allied staff such as physiotherapists and social workers. Sarah Dalton from the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists says it's a sign of the nation's inability to properly resource community-based care. "We shouldn't just think about hospitals when we think about access to healthcare." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 1 August. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump has increased New Zealand's tariff from 10% to 15%. This increase comes as Australia remains on the previous 10%, prompting questions around the New Zealand government's handling of negotiations.  Former trade negotiator Stephen Jacobi told Heather duPlessis-Allan that this increase could have a bigger impact than many people realise. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ on Air has its fingers crossed its financial support of Shortland St won't be forever.  New Zealand's longest-running drama's been granted 2.5 million in funding for its 2026 season, to help the show transition to the audience's preference of online viewing.  NZ on Air CEO Cam Harland told Heather du Plessis-Allan that they also provided funding last year, but hoped it would assist the show moving to a more financially sustainable place.   But he says the economic environment for ad funded media hasn't improved.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New South Wales is celebrating its new programme - poaching cops from other states - and abroad.  21 experienced, poached, officers are graduating in the Australian state today - seven of them from New Zealand.  The New South Wales Police Minister, Yasmin Catley, is attributing it to a historic pay rise last year - making them the best paid officers in Australia.  Catley told Heather du Plessis-Allan she makes no apologies for taking police from elsewhere.   She says the graduates are looking forward to the endless opportunities in New South Wales.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, was our government too relaxed about the tariffs then?   Cause this is a shock today – isn't it? To find out that we’ve just been bumped up to 15% while Australia and dozens of other countries have stayed on 10%.  Now, it seems to be related, most likely, to our balance of trade and that the US has a trade deficit with us. So we get 15%, but then a trade surplus with Australia, so they get 10%. So perhaps it was inevitable and unavoidable, as long as the balance of trade sat like that.  But then, on the other hand, Australia did kind of lock that in as well. They lifted their ban on US beef imports while we did nothing. Should we have done something similar Because if there's one thing that we know about Donald Trump, it's that he's a trader.  South Korea had their tariff dropped from 25% to 15% by promising to buy $100 million worth of LNG. Sir Keir Starmer sucked up to Trump with a letter from King Charles.   Now we don’t actually know what our diplomats were doing, because they

The Trade Minister's hitting the phones, as it's confirmed US tariffs on New Zealand will be higher than when they were first announced. The Trump administration has confirmed base tariffs will now be 15 percent -- up from 10, in a decision that impacts countries including New Zealand. It's believed the new rate applies to those with a trade deficit with the US. Todd McClay told Heather du Plessis-Allan that he's seeking an urgent call with American representatives on this. He says it's disappointing and challenging for exporters, and while there are opportunities, tariffs aren't good for trade. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand is facing a shortage of school board members, as only 60% of the 10,000 required spots have been filled.  School Board Association President Meredith Kennett says that it’s up to community members to get involved.  She told Heather duPlessis-Allan that, ‘it's important that communities continue to get engaged in their school.’  Although the numbers look sub-par now, Kennett says she is expecting a boost in numbers over the weekend.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump's flown back to the US after a brief visit to Scotland, but he's revealed he's not done with the region just yet. Trump expressed interest in leading Scotland after he's done with America - and said Scotland was full of 'fine people'. UK correspondent Enda Brady says it's important not to underestimate Trump - given how the last 8-9 years have panned out. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2025 is nearly halfway over - and it's been a memorable one for the markets so far. Between new developments in AI, ongoing economic uncertainty and Donald Trump's string of tariff announcements, investors have had to contend with a lot of unique factors. Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explains further - and reveals what investors can expect for the months ahead. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest Farmer Confidence survey shows farmers are seeing one of the highest lifts in confidence in recent memory. The July survey shows the rural mood has improved significantly this year, rebounding from record lows 12 months ago. The Country's Hamish McKay explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!   Did Emergency Management go overboard with their alerts regarding the tsunami? Or is it better to be safe than sorry?   The Chief of Navy has ordered Kiwi sailors to stop drinking irresponsibly, saying alcohol substance misuse is undermining the organisation. Do we agree with this? The leader of Gloriavale is officially a sex offender after pleading guilty to 12 charges mid-trial. Is it time to shut down Gloriavale for good?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland company is part of a consortium which has secured nearly $18 million in UK Government funding to help Jaguar Land Rover recycle old EV batteries. Mint Innovation, along with LiBatt Recycling and Warwick University, will help develop technology to extract lithium, nickel and cobalt from used batteries. Mint Innovation CEO Dr Will Barker says the company is scaling to be one of the leaders in recovering valuable metal from e-waste.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 31 July 2025, Civil Defence Director John Price has defended emergency warnings sent out across the country - and says there continues to be a tsunami risk. Minister for Defence and Intelligence, Judith Collins, explains why the FBI is opening its own office in Wellington. Oil and gas exploration has been officially unbanned - Energy Resources Aotearoa is hopeful that this will actually lead to some exploration. Former Defence Minister Wayne Mapp weighs in on a warning by the Chief of Navy to his sailors to stop the excessive boozing. Plus, the Huddle debates whether now is the time to shut down Gloriavale after its leader pleaded guilty to assault charges. 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.

So the national emergency alarm that bugged a nation was the big talking point in New Zealand today. There's a million stories about the alarm, and here's mine:  The first alarm yesterday afternoon at 4:30pm I welcomed. I'd been out and about and didn't know about the Russian earthquake. So I looked up the story and quickly ascertained there were hours before this could become a problem. This was important because my partner was commuting home on a ferry at 5:40pm and we needed to know if anything would happen. I checked the AT app and phoned her and the day continued on as normal. The next alarm this morning was interesting. We knew of the threat and we knew that it was around about then that waves would arrive. So I expected an update on the wave strength after tsunami monitoring across the oceans. None of that info was there. It was the same alert as last night. So, again, we looked up the story and again, we decided it would be fine so Helen went off to catch the 8am ferry. As she left, she said if t

The Government crossed the final hurdle of overturning the oil and gas exploration ban as of today. The bill passed 68 votes to 54, with all coalition parties in support and the opposition parties opposed. Energy Resources Aotearoa CEO John Carnegie has voiced support for this change. "We've all felt the effect of an energy shortage over the last couple of years - in terms of the threat of electricity blackouts, factory closures and high prices, and actually, we don't need to stay on this path. This bill reflects a change of path."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Defence Minister is commending the Navy Chief's stance on irresponsible drinking. A directive from Rear Admiral Garin Golding points to multiple alcohol-related incidents in the past month at various levels, domestically and internationally. It says alcohol undermines health, wellbeing and decision-making across the Navy. Current Defence Minister Judith Collins says no Chief should have to deal with it. Wayne Mapp says this order will tackle the issue at its core. "Changing expectations, giving briefings, giving counselling - getting the things done that actually reduces these problems." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.