Larry Williams Drive

The Reserve Bank spent most of 2025 lowering the OCR, leaving experts to speculate how these changes impacted the economy. Since then, economic and business confidence has gone up for the start of 2026, but inflation data for the December quarter has raised some concerns Milford Asset Management expert Brendan Larsen explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2026 has been a rough year for New Zealand's construction sector, with multiple businesses going bust in January alone. Reports show there were 22 applications to put building or property related companies into liquidation over the 7 days from January 20 to January 27. NZ Certified Builders CEO Malcolm Fleming says this reflects the tough conditions that have impacted the market over the last two years. "Any liquidation is a bad news story, it's devastating for the builder, the homeowner, the sub-trades and supplier." 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! Judith Collins today confirmed she was retiring from politics - will we miss her? Will New Zealand politics be different without Ju-Co around?  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has sunk to his lowest popularity in the past year, with a leaked poll showing more voters disapprove of him than approve. What can the Government do differently here?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right, so the biggest political news of the day is that Judith Collins has announced she’s retiring from politics to take up a new job as the head of the Law Commission mid‑year. I, for one, am going to miss Judith Collins being in politics, because she has that thing very few politicians have. Winston Peters has it, John Key had it - the ability to be a bit cheeky and have a laugh, but then get on and do the job. Too many politicians only have one or the other: they’re either so serious about their work that they’re boring, or they’re having so much fun that they get distracted from the work. Collins, though, could crack a joke, smirk, raise an eyebrow, giggle, enjoy firing off a handgun - and still keep a lid on whatever portfolio she was managing that day. It hasn’t always worked for her, obviously. Talofa became a meme, and praying in church during the 2020 campaign was probably one of the weirdest things you’ve ever seen. She was, you’d have to say, a better National Party leader on paper than in reality

Tauranga City Council's confirmed staff were working around Mount Maunganui on the morning a landslide buried six people at the campground. Surrounding cordons were reduced this morning, on day seven of work to recover those buried. A rāhui's been declared for parts of Pilot Bay and Mount Main Beach and the cordoned search area. Mayor Mahé Drysdale says the council's independent review will help narrow down which staff were in the area - and their jobs. "They were in the process of closing Mount Maunganui and putting fences up to stop the public from going into the Maunga, and that's because there were a lot of slips."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Official Cash Rate is expected to rise this year, although forecasters say predicting when is tricky. Inflation was stronger in the December quarter than expected, at 3.1 percent. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen is picking a hike in November - with an outside possibility of one in May.  He says other signs in the market signal a possible increase.  "Actual bank rates for longer-term mortgages have already started to increase a touch this year." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Judith Collins says the one thing she'd change about her political career is leading the National Party. The Senior MP has announced she's leaving politics after 24 years, in a career that included 18 different ministerial portfolios. In 2020 she had a brief stint leading the party, and lost the election to Jacinda Ardern.  She says stepping up was a bad move. "And I knew it was a hospital pass now, and I still did it, even though my husband was saying - don't do that. And I thought, well, who's going to do it if I don't?" LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reflections on a tumultuous career, as senior National MP Judith Collins quits politics. She's moving to become the Law Commission President - after 24 years in Parliament.  She lost the National leadership in 2021 after a caucus revolt, but just two years later became the Minister with the most portfolios. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper looked back on Collins' long-running political career. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest civilian death at the hands of Federal Immigration Officers in the US could hurt the Republican party in midterm elections.  Donald Trump is kicking off the campaign in Iowa - a state neighbouring Minnesota, where ICE agents have now shot two protesters dead. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says many Republicans and Trump allies are questioning the immigration agents' tactics.  He says Democrats aren't the only ones concerned. "And a lot of this, I'm sure, has to do with the mid-terms that are coming up this year. Democrats are going to take any opportunity they can to turn something like this into a political soundbite."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fifth seed Elena Rybakina has taken the first set of her Australian tennis Open quarter-final against world number two Iga Swiatek 7-5. The weather is considerably cooler than yesterday's 45 degree high - it's currently 21 in Melbourne. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave recapped today's action. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of New Zealand’s most violent murderers is set to appear before the Parole Board for the first time this week. Clayton Weatherston was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum non-parole period of 18 years for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Sophie Elliott in 2008. Weatherston is now eligible for parole, but Sophie's father, Gil Elliott, says he hasn't availed himself of any rehabilitation measures. "I maintain that his mental state, when he went in, will be the same as his mental state now after 18 years. Why would it be any different?" LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 27 January, 2026, should there be two inquiries into the Mount Maunganui landslide - one by the council, the other the Government? And is the uprooting trees at the crux of the problem there? We look at why boys are finding it harder to make friends as they get older. The fitness trends that could do you more harm than good. And on the Huddle, David Farrar and Rob Campbell dissect the latest political poll that's  got Winston Peters on the up. 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.

Over in the UK, another high-profile member of the Conservative Party has defected to Nigel Farage's Reform Party.  Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, well known for championing the controversial Rwanda plan, has joined the party.  It follows defections from others like former Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawai and Conservative Party leader candidate Robert Jenrick.  UK correspondent Enda Brady says it's damaging for the Conservatives to lose such a high-profile member. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week's extreme weather in the Upper North Island left a lot of damage behind, and concerns have been raised about the future. The Government last year established a loose framework for climate adaptation, on an expert panel's recommendation to transition from buying-out destroyed homes - but Minister Simon Watts says a better assessment is needed. Climate adaptation expert Dr Judy Lawrence says clearer adaptation plans are needed in order to better equip risky places.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite Labour raising some concerns with the Government's trade deal with India, the move has been welcomed by rural economists. Trade analyst Stephen Jacobi says the Government timed the deal perfectly - and might have had to wait years if they prolonged the negotiations. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Kiwiblog writer and Curia pollster David Farrar and AUT Chancellor Rob Campbell joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  There's growing calls to phase out branded uniforms as parents grapple with rising costs. Do we need to ban uniforms altogether - or figure out an affordable solution?  The Government has indicated that they want to launch their own inquiry into the Mount Maunganui landslide tragedy. Should this replace the one being run by Tauranga Council - or should they work together?  More polls out today, and the date shows NZ First's Winston Peters is on the up. Why do we think this is? What will this mean for the election?  New data shows a quarter of young men don't have any close friends - and more young people feel pessimistic about the future. What do we make of this? Should we be concerned? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ Post is being criticised for its radio silence, after announcing it's withdrawing services from inside 142 stores.  Despite the changes, 90 percent of customers will still be within four kilometres of an NZ Post store.  Postal Workers' Union organiser John Maynard says NZ Post hasn't talked about the hubs being set up to provide good services.  He says it shouldn't be on the unions to promote the positives.  "It's one thing for the company to adjust to changing mail volumes and people's communication methods, but it's quite another to consistently act in a manner which undermines people's confidence in the postal service." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right, it seems there’s a very good chance that Tauranga City Council is going to have the inquiry they’ve launched taken off them and run by the Government instead. The Government hasn’t actually said those words out loud just yet. What they have said is that there is a strong case for a Government inquiry. But you can read between the lines here - they’re preparing us, and probably most importantly preparing the Tauranga City Council, for the fact that they, the Government, are going to run this inquiry. And they should be the ones running it. The council can’t investigate its own actions like it’s planning to do. No one is going to believe the council if it concludes the council has done nothing wrong - if you follow what I’m saying. And there are plenty of reasons to think the council may actually have done quite a lot wrong here. From the 111 call they claimed wasn’t forwarded to them - until they realised, whoopsie, yes it was - through to reports that council staff were at the campground before the sli

A move for schools to leave branded uniforms to reduce costs for parents. Some are calling for rules to be modernised - to let students wear plain, generic clothing. It's been done in countries like Puerto Rico for years. Albany Senior High School Principal, Claire Amos, says it’s increasingly common for Kiwi students to wear coloured items without logos or embroidery. "They're often pretty much the same as what was their uniform - it's just no longer logoed, it's just a simple culottes, or skirt, or pants, and a top."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new year is well underway and people will be looking to get in shape, but one expert says not every social media trend is worth following on your fitness journey. Between the 75 Hard challenge and Zone 2 training, there are trends that work and trends that are less effective, depending on your level of fitness. Personal trainer Alex Flint says going too hard will lead to soreness, fatigue and late-night snacking, which can do more harm than good. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.