Episodes
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First of all, can I just say to all Catholics, condolences, obviously, over the passing of the Pope.
It's a big moment for the Catholic Church.
I enjoyed this Pope.
He seemed a little bit more fun than his predecessors, didn't he? He loved football, he loved saying things that got him in trouble, carried his own luggage.
Seems like a normal guy, right? A normal guy who became the Pope.
But if I'm honest with myself, setting that all to one side, I think he was ultimately quite disappointing as the Pope, wasn't he?
Because he said a lot of stuff about wanting to be more liberal and be more inclusive, but he actually didn't do anything, did he?
He didn't change anything about the way that the Catholic Church regards gay people.
He didn't change anything about the way that the Catholic Church treats divorced people.
He didn't change anything about the fact that women are completely excluded from serving as clergy in the Catholic Church.
Now obviously, a generous explanation of this is that he tried but couldn't, because the Catholic Church is massive.
I mean, there are 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, spanning a huge number of countries, completely different views, and changing something that big and that diverse and actually really fundamentally that conservative, takes a really long time.
And so he did what he could, what he did was enough.
It was enough to kind of set people, set the wheels in motion, if you like, get people talking about being a bit more kind to gay people and divorced people in particular, and that in time, he's planted the seeds that will then come to fruition in years and decades and Lord, maybe even centuries from here.
And maybe that's right.
Maybe that's exactly what he's done.
But then, you know, he was chosen as pope by 3/4 of cardinals, which means that 3/4 of those dudes knew that they were choosing a liberal guy, and they were ready for a liberal guy.
So I look at that, I think that he had a little bit more latitude than he actually used, even for just one change, in just one of those areas, maybe he could have done it.
Also, while I love the fact that he was humble, he lived in a hostel and not a palace, he drove around in a cruddy car and not a flash limousine. He carried his own luggage, washed people's feet in public.
I have to be honest with myself as well about that.
That was performative, and he surely understood what he was doing.
He did those things to be seen.
But did he actually do anything to change the fact that the Catholic Church hoards all of its wealth and lives in opulence of upper levels?
Did he actually do anything beyond this performance?
Now, some commentators reckon that the real test of his legacy is going to be whether the next Pope, the next one that's chosen, is as liberal as he is and can actually push the church just a little bit more in that liberal direction.
And if that does happen, then maybe Francis can be credited with having started some real change within the Catholic Church.
And so, as in most cases, time will really be the judge of his legacy.
But I'll tell you what, right here, if you had told me in 2013 when he was appointed Pope that he would die with nothing changed in the church, I wouldn't have believed it.
So I'm disappointed.
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King Charles has spoken out after the death of Pope Francis - and says he touched the lives of so many through his care for both people and the planet.
The monarch says he sends his most heartfelt condolences to the Church Francis served with such resolve, and to the countless people around the world who, inspired by his life, will be mourning his loss.
UK correspondent Enda Brady says the pair got to have one last meeting before the Pope passed.
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Missing episodes?
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On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 22 April 2025, following the death of Pope Francis, Sir David Moxon, tells Heather what the late Pope was like.
NZ First leader Winston Peters explains why we need a legal definition of what makes a woman (and a man).
Ukraine's ambassador to NZ reacts to news that NZ has committed to training Ukrainian troops until the end of 2026 - but what could end the war before then?
A neuroscientist explains what you should do if your phone notifications give you anxiety.
Plus, on the Huddle, two Catholics on the Pope's death, why Josie reckons she's a cafe catholic and why Tim wants to baptise Heather's kids.
Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Chicken exports are returning to normal after a bird flu outbreak in Otago last year.
Last December, New Zealand experienced its first confirmed case of avian influenza on an Otago egg farm and thousands of chickens were culled.
While the outbreak was contained to the Hillgrove farm, measures were taken to prevent further spread, including surveillance and temporary suspension of chicken exports.
The Country's Rowena Duncum explains further.
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Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
Pope Francis has passed away at the age of 88. He sparked plenty of discussion and debate in his time in the role - what did we think of him?
MetService copped some backlash over their use of the Emergency Management alerts over the weekend. Should we be able to expect better forecasts and weather warnings from our forecasters?
New research shows over half of Kiwis are feeling overwhelmed by phone notifications. What do we make of this?
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There's been some positive trade news.
Stats NZ data shows goods exports rose 19 percent to $7.6 billion in March - compared to the same time a year ago.
Milk powder, butter and cheese rose 35 percent to $2.3 billion.
Goods imports rose 12 percent to $6.6 billion.
Infometrics principal economist Nick Brunsdon unpacked the factors.
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There's less than a month to go until the 2025 Budget is unveiled - and the Finance Minister has been clear about the goals she aims to tackle.
Nicola Willis says New Zealand has been in a significant deficit since 2019, and she's determined to get back into surplus by 2027/2028.
She explained getting the country back into surplus will help to pay down debt.
"We're borrowing every day right now to keep our hospitals, schools and police going - but we can't do that forever as a country, we need to get the books back in balance."
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A new study has revealed another significant impact our phones are having on our mental health.
New research reveals half of all New Zealanders over 18 now feel overrun by notifications on their phones - particularly those in the Gen Z cohort.
Neuroscientist Kathryn Berkett says our devices are training us to be on alert for anything - and those anxious feelings aren't good for our overall well-being.
"We don want to know that people care about us and like us- so that's all we're asking people. Not to walk away from it, but to control it, to have a bit more control rather than it controlling you."
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Winston Peters says the term 'woman' needs protection - by a bill legally defining it as an adult human biological female.
MP Jenny Marcroft's proposed Members bill would legislate gender to biological sex, essentially meaning transgender people could not legally align with their identities.
The New Zealand First leader says having to write the law this way is unusual, but it has become 'critical'.
"And the fact of the matter is - that this is a case where women, who are deserving protection and support in many other occasions, are simply not getting it in our law."
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More questions have been raised after a twist in the disappearance of John and Mike Beckenridge in 2015.
The pair disappeared after John Beckenridge broke a court order and took his 11-year-old stepson from his Invercargill school.
A coronal hearing into the case adjourned in 2023 - but has resumed with five new witnesses.
A friend allegedly told people they'd assisted them, and that they're alive.Senior NZ Herald crime reporter, Anna Leask, says police were made aware of the story mid-last year.
"I think that's one of the big questions that will be asked - why did it come out when it did?"
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The openness and compassion of Pope Francis may carry over to the next pontiff to take up his title.
The Head of the Catholic Church died last night after a stroke - he was 88.
A period of mourning has begun.
Worshippers will flock to the Vatican in the coming days to farewell Pope Francis, including the Cardinals who will elect his successor.
Former representative to the Holy See, Sir David Moxon, says the Pope chose most of the Cardinals - so he'd expect them to value a warm and loving Church.
"I think that it would be highly likely that the next Pope would be someone who would respect the pontificate of Pope Francis."
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New Zealand First wants the definition of a woman and a man etched into the law.
Britain's Supreme Court has ruled the legal definition should relate to biological sex - excluding transgender women.
Leader Winston Peters says the Bill would define a woman as an adult human biological female, and a man as an adult human biological male.
NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says it's unclear if a Bill of this nature will come to pass.
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Women and younger voters have turned their backs on the opposition party ahead of the upcoming Australian election, according to new polls.
The Coalition is trailing Labor 52-48 on a two-party preferred basis - and those figures get wider when broken down by demographic.
Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the Coalition is also losing ground in key battleground areas - including Western Sydney and Western Melbourne.
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A switch to rugby league is almost certainly off the table for rugby great Portia Woodman-Wickliffe.
The three-time Olympic sevens medalist is emerging from international retirement to have a crack at adding to her two Rugby World Cup gold medals later this year.
Woodman-Wickliffe had a move to the NRL-W blocked this year due to her ambassadorial role for union's premier event.
Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further.
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Prime Minister Chris Luxon has revealed that New Zealand will be extending its military assistance in support of Ukraine's self-defence until December 2026.
Luxon says this announcement signals New Zealand's ongoing commitment to Ukraine in the fact of Russia's aggression.
Vasyl Myroshnychenko, the Ukrainian ambassador to New Zealand and Australia says Russia won't be giving up any time soon - and support is still needed.
"Russia is belligerent, Russia is authoritarian, and Russia is not giving up on Ukraine, so we do still need to have a strong army - and New Zealand's Government is making a very significant contribution to improve on our military capabilities, for which we are extremely thankful."
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The day to day implications of a landmark UK court ruling - that the term woman refers to biological sex - are not yet known.
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled the definition of sex is binary and cannot apply to those with a gender recognition certificate.
UK correspondent Enda Brady explains what this ruling could mean going forward.
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With China and the US promising trade war escalations, economists are speculating about the future of the tariffs and how they'll impact global economies.
Some have have drawn parallels with the Great Depression - and warned the world should be prepared for a downturn.
Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explains further.
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Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson and Craig Renney from the CTU joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
Labour is talking up the potential of a snap election, saying 'we are ready'. Do we think there's a chance Winston Peters is going to blow it all up - or is Labour just stirring?
Do we think Simeon Brown is being too hard on the senior doctors - given how badly we need them in this country?
New Zealanders’ concerns about the impact of climate change has declined to 69 percent from 76 percent in 2022 and 80 percent in 2023. Why do we care less?
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says it is the agriculture sector that's pulling New Zealand out of a recession.
Luxon spoke about the success agriculture was seeing on a trip to Taranaki on Thursday where he met with local businesses and trades.
He said agriculture was the 'backbone of New Zealand' and praised how much it generated for the nation.
The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further.
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New data shows inflation's gone up again - and there's concerns about what it could mean going forward.
The latest Stats NZ figures put the rate at 2.5 percent, up from 2.2 percent three months ago.
It's the first time it's risen in almost three years.
NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann explains what this could mean for the state of the economy.
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