Larry Williams Drive

Zespri has issued its November forecast for the 2025/26 kiwifruit season, and it's predicting some solid results. At a per-hectare level, record returns are currently projected across all categories. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners 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!  NZ First is looking to repeal the Regulatory Standards Act ahead of the election. ACT's David Seymour isn't thrilled - what do we make of this? What's Winston's plan here? The Government has officially recognised feral cats as pests and added them to the Predator Free 2050 list. Do we think this is a good idea? What are the risks here?  New research shows the ban on phones in schools is working - but the ERO recommends the Government can go further. Do we need social media restrictions next? Heather was at last night's Metallica concert and she saw a fan in the stands rocking out - before he was encouraged to sit down. Heather says fans should be able to stand and move at concerts if you want - do we agree? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A promise the Government's working as quickly as possible on roading projects - but an admission some will take a long time. The Transport Minister says he's trying to make expectations clear. Officials estimate petrol tax and road user charges would need to be hiked 70 percent - to deliver all the $56 billion Roads of National Significance - within two decades. Chris Bishop says the Government is committed, but these are very big projects. "So I'm just saying, it's about a long-term pipeline over many, many years." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's mayor says scrapping the controversial Golden Mile project would be relatively easy, but they want to act in good faith. Councillors voted 12-4 to hold fire, after warnings the project could balloon to $220 million up from the 2021 budget of $160 million. Doing up Courtney Place could cost up to $25 million more than approved. Andrew Little says there's no contract or exit costs - but there's an agreement with NZTA.  "We actually need to maintain that relationship with NZTA, we've got some big projects scheduled for Wellington now too." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour isn't impressed with New Zealand First's promise to campaign on repealing ACT's Regulatory Standards bill.  The Bill passed last Thursday - supported by New Zealand First, National and ACT - and became law two days ago.  NZ First leader Winston Peters has since called it a 'terrible overreach' and 'not fit for a modern democracy'. Seymour gave his opinion on this move.  "People want to play politics - I mean, it's not even an election year yet." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has officially recognised feral cats as pests and added them to the Predator Free 2050 list. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka described them as 'stone cold killers' and says they need to be dealt with to protect New Zealand's native species.  Predator Free NZ Trust chief executive Jessi Morgan says they've been campaigning on this move for a long time and it's 'exciting' to see it in motion. "I think New Zealanders are ready for this and they've actually been calling out for it. So I don't think it's going to cause any issue at all."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Minister's not ruling out banning other digital distractions in schools. An Education Review Office report shows three-quarters of secondary school teachers believe student behaviour's improved since cellphones were outlawed in class. It's also recommending considering also excluding smart watches and social media. Education Minister Erica Stanford says she's open to the ideas. "We're certainly going to take ERO's recommendations into account and I'll get the Ministry to give me some advice, but I certainly think we probably do need to go further. But that'll obviously be a decision I need to take to Cabinet."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's growing speculation Chris Luxon is at risk of being rolled ahead of the election, with Chris Bishop being touted as a potential replacement.  An opinion piece by Audrey Young was released today, and it claimed that Labour was going extra hard on Bishop over the cycleway project because he was likely to take over the party by 2026. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says National's taking a hit in the polls and there's discussions about Luxon's leadership abilities taking place. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’ve got a possibly controversial opinion about standing up at concerts. Last night, I went to see Metallica. Incredible show - way better than I gave them credit for yesterday. But here’s what happened. We were in the stands, seated tickets. A few rows ahead, there was this guy who, the second Metallica hit the stage, jumped to his feet. Everyone else stayed seated, but not him. Hands in the air, devil horns flying, head-banging, air guitar, singing every lyric. He was having the best night of his life - and honestly, watching him made the rest of us enjoy it more. Not everyone agreed. People behind him started throwing cans. They hit him in the back; he ignored it. Then a couple of women clambered over seats, smacked him on the back, told him to sit down. He ignored that too. Eventually, a guy from way back stormed down, leaned across rows, got into a shouting match, even tried to physically drag him into his seat. After a few minutes, the head-banger gave in and sat down. But he couldn’t help himself. Ever

Australian teenagers have been warned their accounts of Facebook, Instagram and Threads will be shut down ahead of the country's incoming social media ban. Meta has confirmed it has started notifying users between 13 and 15 years old by text, email and in-app messages that their accounts would be deactivated come December.  Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Meta has encouraged young users to download their content now, before the data gets removed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pride from Silver Ferns interim coach Yvette McCausland-Durie after completing their 2025 season on a high. New Zealand's overcome adversity to down England 55-49 in Manchester and claim the series 2-1. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave recapped the action. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A long-term US study shows water fluoridation at recommended levels doesn't reduce cognitive ability. The 40-year study found children who drank such water did slightly better in school tests. By 60, that edge was insignificant, but fluoride didn't contribute to cognitive decline. Dentist Justin Wall says this puts this particular argument to bed - but theories about fluoride are bound to continue. "People would probably blame fluoride for mullet haircuts and not getting the Lotto numbers right if they could. But at the end of the day, fluoride is very highly researched." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK Government has confirmed it aims to ban people from reselling tickets from live events to make a profit. Restricting ticket scalpers was one of the Labour Government's election pledges, and it comes after  Sam Fender, Dua Lipa and Coldplay urged Sir Keir Starmer to take action. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says more details of this plan will be revealed soon. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is delaying hiking the levy most home owners pay via their private insurers to fund the Natural Hazards Commission until 2027. The $552 levy was supposed to go up by between $207 and $311, but reports claim ministers are still considering their options, with Finance Minister Nicola Willis saying she didn't want to make a 'hurried decision'. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank is set to reveal their latest OCR update next week, but experts aren't feeling too hopeful about the economy. GDP is down and the labour market remains weak, and many are feeling less optimistic. Milford Asset Management's Brendan Larsen explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, broadcaster Mark Sainsbury and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Government has moved to pause prescription on puberty blockers - what do we make of this?  Winston Peters is celebrating how much money he's saving the country with our new Cook Strait ferries. Do we see the costs blowing out on this one? The Breakers are being criticised for deciding not to wear a rainbow flag on their jersey for the NBL's Pride Round. What do we make of the backlash? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 19 November 2025, Rail Minister Winston Peters says he's saved taxpayers more than two billion dollars with his new Interislander ferry deal. But does the maths add up? Rotorua's days as a emergency housing hotspot are officially over. Mayor Tania Tapsell reacts to news the last people have officially left emergency motel accommodation. Health Minister Simeon Brown explains why the Government is banning transgender kids from accessing puberty blockers. Kiwi families are facing the pinch as Christmas is looming, personal finance expert Mary Holm has some tips how you can stretch the money further. Plus, the Huddle debates whether Winston's ferry announcement is convincing. 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 would not be a drama today about the Breakers basketball team not wanting to wear the rainbow flag on their jerseys if the basketball league had stayed out of politics in the first place. Now, if you haven't caught up on this, there is unnecessary upset today because it's emerged that the entire Breakers team will not wear that little rainbow Pride flag on their jerseys during Pride Round next year because some of the players don't want to. And it's for religious and cultural reasons, apparently. So because some of the players don't want to, the whole team won't. Now, as you can imagine, this has absolutely blown up and it has led to accusations of homophobia, accusations of bigotry, accusations of cowardice. And look, I don't know, maybe all those accusations are right, but this didn't have to happen. They didn't have to have this drama if they hadn't tried to get all of the players to wear a symbol that you can guarantee some players wouldn't want to wear, because statistically that had to be a p

New data shows that more Kiwis will have to take on debt ahead of this coming Christmas season. A nationwide survey by MYOB showed 35 percent expected to feel financially better off in a year's time, while 38 percent expected to be about the same, and 24 percent believed they would be worse off. Personal finance expert Mary Holm says more Kiwi households will be struggling to afford presents for their kids, but there are workarounds. "There's buying only op-shop gifts or second-hand books, which could be quite fun, going and rummaging around bookshops to find the right gift for people." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No child will be able to start taking puberty blockers from December 19. The Government says the Ministry of Health has found a lack of evidence for the benefits or risks of gender dysphoria or incongruence treatment - gonadotropin - releasing hormone analogues. Health Minister Simeon Brown says they're putting up safeguards until more evidence is available.  "Effectively, what we're doing is putting in place a restriction on the prescribing of these drugs for this purpose to make sure that those who are prescribing look at the wider range of treatments or things that can be done." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.