Larry Williams Drive

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 15 October 2025, shocking video footage from Gaza shows Hamas publicly executing a number of people. The Australian's Greg Sheridan tells Heather it's impossible for peace to continue with Hamas' involvement.   Hospitality NZ's Sam McKinnon tells Heather the stupidest rule in hospitality that needs fixing by the Ministry for Regulation. Why does the AA want your speeding ticket to get more expensive? The Broadcasting Standards Authority has been accused of acting like Soviet era stasi by Winston Peters - what's going on? Plus, the Huddle debates whether the Maori Party's latest antics will hurt them - and whether we might see the party break 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.

There's growing calls to evaluate the future of fees-free university after a recent review labelled the policy 'deadweight'. The policy was originally introduced under the Jacinda-led Labour Government in 2017, with the current coalition moving the policy to cover a student's final year of university instead of the first. AUSA president Gabriel Boyd says dismissing the policy is 'unfair', as it's helped students save money. "I think the $12,000 that students saved, that they can then put towards accommodation, food, transportation, with this cost of living - does make a huge impact." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hospitality New Zealand is throwing its support behind a Government inspection of sector rules. Its wide-ranging review will investigate rules for everything from bars, to restaurants - to market stalls. Regulation Minister David Seymour says existing rules change frequently and are inconsistently applied. Hospitality NZ's Sam MacKinnon says the sector has to work through a 'myriad' of regulations just to operate - and this review presents a good opportunity.  "While there are some of these really stupid rules that are in place, the opportunity for the industry to be able to have a comprehensive look at all of the different areas that cut across what it takes to run a hospitality venue is the real opportunity here."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mooove over dairy and beef cows, for a new hybrid breed on the block. Pāmu and Livestock Improvement Corporation have created a new cattle breed - called the Synegizer. About 350 first-cross beef-on-dairy calves were born this year, and limited frozen insemination will available next spring. Pāmu CEO Mark Leslie says dairy farmers won't use Synegizers for milking. "These bulls will be used to go over maybe some of the cows they don't want to keep the replacements out of - and they'll use these to generate animals that can then go off into the livestock centre." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas holds - but looks shaky, with eight of the 28 dead Israeli hostages returned. Israel is reportedly reopening the Rafah border for aid, despite threatening delays after the slow delivery of remains by Hamas. Foreign editor at the Australian, Greg Sheridan, says videos have emerged on social media, showing Hamas publicly executing several Palestinian men.  "Hamas still has the guns, it's plainly not interested in disarming. I also think it looks like a breakdown of the process for about two days." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent polls show Prime Minister Chris Luxon's popularity has taken a nosedive, prompting speculation about his future in the National Party. With the election set to take place next year, there's growing speculation Luxon's leadership role might not last. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this discussion is a self-fulfilling prophecy, but it's likely there could be mood for change. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's warning Hamas will have their weapons taken off them - even if it falls to him to make it happen.  Talks are underway in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh on the second phase of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.  US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Trump hasn't given Hamas a hard deadline as of yet, and it's unclear how this will go. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Silver Ferns shooter Grace Nweke has stood by her support for embattled coach Dame Noeline Taurua. As the Ferns gear up for the Constellation Cup, Grace Nweke reiterated she's hoping for Taurua to come back. Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explained the ongoing situation further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The AA is calling for an overhaul of driving fines. It says fines haven't been adjusted for inflation since 1999 and no longer represent a big enough deterrent.  AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen says doubling the fines would make a good starting point - with some specific offences incurring higher penalties. "We need to look at some specific offences, the ones that show up in crashes most often. Drunk driving, drugged driving, seatbelts distractions like cell phones and speed. And we might actually need to lift those even further to really try and make people care more about sticking to the rules." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New reports out of the UK claim Prime Minister Keir Starmer is looking to blame Nigel Farage and Brexit for tax rises in the upcoming November budget. The UK has a significant financial black hole it needs to fill up, and it's looking more likely that increased taxes are the way forward. UK correspondent Enda Brady says it's unlikely UK voters will accept this. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, lawyer and political commentator Brigitte Morton and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! New data shows one in seven Kiwis believe violence is needed to get the country back on track. How worrying is this data? The hostages and prisoners have been freed in Gaza - why aren't more people celebrating? Do we need to give Donald Trump more credit for what appears to be - for now - peace in the Middle East? Are the latest dramas involving Te Pāti Māori (allegations of MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi overspending its budget, allegations that Eru Kapa-Kingi verbally abused Parliamentary security staff) a sign of a party that shouldn't be in power? What do we make of all this? New data shows more Kiwis are moving to Australia. Should we be concerned about the ongoing brain drain? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New reports indicate the Reserve Bank of Australia won't be cutting interest rates until at least February 2026. Employment remains high and inflation is still at target, and experts claim the central bank has no reason to do anything big. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 14 October 2025, former Australian army officer and Middle East expert Rodger Shanahan on peace in Gaza - and how much credit Donald Trump deserves. The implosion continues at the Maori Party with fiery allegations sent out against their own MP in a late night email. Integrity Institute director Bryce Edwards says it's an extraordinary move. Air NZ is making a long-awaited change to regional flights - Chief Transformation and Alliances Officer Mike Williams explains what's taken them so long. Wayne Naylor from  Hospice NZ explains why NZ gets only 3 from 5 stars as a place to die. Plus, the Huddle debates a new poll that found 1 in 7 people think it's okay to use violence as a means to get the country back on track. 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.

New Zealand First has started to voice concerns over the proposed  Gene Technology Bill, breaking away from fellow coalition partners. NZ First claimed it wouldn't support the current bill - unless National agreed to some significant changes.  The Country's Hamish McKay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air New Zealand's teamed up with Air Chathams on a new partnership for Whakatane. It'll mean customers can book single-ticket trips that combine domestic flights on both airlines. Checked-in baggage will be transferred directly to the final destination. Air New Zealand's Chief Transformation and Alliances Officer, Mike Williams, explained what the partnership could mean for both airlines. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, what happened last night is remarkable. Before the deadline of 10pm New Zealand time, 20 living Israeli hostages - who had been held for 2 years, who had been forced in some cases to dig their own graves, spend unknown lengths of time in tunnels underground, and go without much in the way of sustenance at times - were handed over by their captors back into the care of Israel, which is their home. That is remarkable. Because, I mean, let's be honest about it - in the last two years, there were times where surely we started to believe that we'd seen the last of the survivors make it out. Surely, we'd assumed most, if not all, of the remaining 20 would die in captivity in the years that we may have thought stretched ahead of us. But look at what's happened, aid is now flowing back into Gaza, people are going back to their homes - whatever is left of it - and the shelling has stopped. You would think this would be a moment to celebrate, right? The very thing that so many of us have been calling for

There's real concern from a former Green MP over how openly people talk about committing violence.  A new Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll shows one in four Te Pāti Māori voters and one in five ACT voters agree Kiwis may have to resort to violence to get the country back on track.  The younger generation are more likely to agree, and they're less likely to have friends with differing political views.  Catherine Delahunty says understanding the causes is important.  "I think it's a sign of deepening inequality right now, that some people are really, really frustrated and feel really excluded from our society." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders who are dying, or caring for someone who's on their deathbed, have been leaving reviews rating their experience with death in Aotearoa.  In a new initiative led by Hospice NZ, Dying Reviews invites people who've had experience with death to reflect how they were treated by the everyday systems that surround us. New Zealand's national score is 3.28 out of 5, and Government agencies received the lowest ratings of any sector (2.5), while restaurants and events were the top scorers (4.55). Hospice NZ CEO Wayne Naylor unpacked the reviews - and all the variables impacting the scores. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's suggestions of a deep divide within Te Pāti Māori. The Party's released documents to members alleging former vice president Eru Kapa-Kingi threatened parliamentary staff and made inappropriate remarks.  He's the son of recently demoted Party Whip, MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.  Papers also showed Parliamentary Services were concerned she risked overspending her office budget.  Political commentator Bryce Edwards says there are obviously factions.  "This is from the leadership against the MPs in question, so this is a bit of a meltdown." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's signs peace could persist in Gaza, as US President Donald Trump declares the war over. Hamas has released the 20 living Israeli hostages - and almost 2000 Palestinians have been returned by Israel. Leaders including Donald Trump have signed the US-brokered peace deal, at a summit in Egypt. Middle East analyst Rodger Shanahan says after two years, there's a sense of exhaustion from Israel and Hamas. "Both sides really want to go back to their corners and take stock about the next steps." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.