Larry Williams Drive

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.

Oil prices have jumped more than three percent on the back of another snag in negotiations between the US and Iran.  Donald Trump has taken to social media to call Iran's response to a US 14-point memorandum 'totally unacceptable'.  Brent crude is now trading at more than 104 US dollars a barrel.  Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Mariameno Kapa-Kingi has left Te Pāti Māori to start a new party. Is this the beginning of the end for them? What do we think?  Does New Zealand have to worry about far-right populism sweeping through the nation? Between Reform and One Nation, do we see New Zealand getting its own counterpart? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re never going to know for sure what tipped the Government into finally cutting the fees-free policy but I would like to take some credit for this show’s part in it. We have harped on about the need to get rid of that policy for so long that it actually started to get boring, even for me. But as with everything: persevere and you will succeed. And finally, the policy is gone. We had it confirmed by Winston Peters on Friday. Now, I’ve already had emails from people who are upset about this. I’ve heard students complaining and I’ve heard some parents complaining as well. And I understand - it is never fun to have free Government money taken away from you. It is because of this kind of angst that free Government money is so rarely clawed back once it’s started being handed out. But this policy was a dog from the start. It cost perhaps $350 million a year - and $350 million a year is a lot of money. For that money, it didn’t do what it was supposed to do, which was to lift enrolments among poorer kids. If it d

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 11 May, 2026, we ask a Māori political commentator if others will join Mariameno Kapa-Kingi in leaving Te Pati Māori to start their own party. A school principal tells us why he'll defy an order to not let children take home leftover lunches. Don Mackinnon on how much of a blow it is in delaying NZ20 for a year. And on The Huddle, Josie Pagani and Trish Sherson discuss whether it's the beginning of the end for Te Pati Maori. One of them says we wouldn't have Te Pati Pakeha. 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.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has backed the decision to scrap the fees-free scheme for good. Last week, Winston Peters revealed to Newstalk ZB on Friday the Government's doing away with the free final year of tertiary education. Nicola Willis says it's important for the Government to invest in things that Kiwis really need and want - not a failed policy that didn't achieve any of the goals it aimed to accomplish. "New Zealand has been in deficit since 2019, we're carrying a heck of a lot of debt, we've got some real priorities for our budget in terms of the health system, the education we want to give our young kids, the defence system we want to build up, the infrastructure we want to build - all of those things have a better call on money."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a view Government attacks on public service workers are driving them out of the country.  New Public Service Commission data finds a quarter are considering quitting the country for better pay overseas.  Health and public service department workers are most likely to pack their bags. PSA National Secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons, says workers want to build a future here, but they're seeing an 'onslaught' of measures that negatively impact them. "We saw it in the cuts to public services, we've seen it in the cancelling of pay equity claims, now they're coming after holidays and leave in their changes with the Employment Leave Bill. It's not surprising that people are looking to go overseas."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.