Episodes
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Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 4 October.
Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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NZ Herald Deputy Political Editor Thomas Coughlan speaks to Jack Tame about the recent week in politics, regarding Casey Costello and release of her independent advice, no more free Covid tests, Keytruda, Parking penalties increasing, and more...
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Ryanair has caused quite a stir in the UK - from May next year, passengers will need to check in by smart phone only, meaning they will no longer be able to physically check in at a counter at the airport.
Currently 60 percent of their customers do check in online, but those who don't face a charge of $97 nzd.
For those without smartphones, they will have to find someone who has one. Ryanair does have a policy which lets passengers check-in online 60 days before their flights.
Aviation Commentator Irene Kind told Jack Tame that it's more convenient to check in online.
He says that it is the future and as a customer himself, the only focus is to get on that aircraft therefore, it is “very sensible” for that company.
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It's been inevitable for months now that the Ministry of Education would lose responsibility for building and maintaining schools and at first glance the government's onto a winner with its alternative plan.
The review into the state of school facilities shows only a third of the almost-500 building projects in the Ministry of education queue have been fully funded and concludes the average cost of a new classroom could rise to $1.8m over the next few years.
"That is unsustainable," it says. If indeed that price is accurate, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who disagrees.
Obviously not every school is the same, there are different environmental, geological and topographical challenges that distinguish different locations, and no one is expecting a 100% standardized building model for every single classroom across the country.
But a greater degree of standardization makes sense and more than anything, a new system might allow for that most important quality: transparency. At the moment, it's not always clear why some school builds are prioritized over others. Schools are pushed up and down the list at the mercy of political whims.
That can't continue. Schools and school communities need clarity and certainty and any system that can provide that while improving our classroom stock and improving the learning environments for our kids has to be a good thing.
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Up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers will join the North Carolina National Guard in delivering supplies, food and water to isolated communities.
President Joe Biden consoled victims whose lives were upended by the devastation of Hurricane Helene during a Thursday visit to Florida and Georgia.
At least 215 people are known to have died because of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene.
US Correspondent Mitch Mccann told Jack Tame that Helene is the second deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland in 50 years after hurricane Katrina.
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Dunedin remains in a state of emergency after seeing it's wettest day in over a century - with twice the usual October rainfall falling in just 40 hours.
The red warning for North Otago, Dunedin and Coastal Clutha is in place until 11pm tonight.
More than 80 people were evacuated from their homes overnight and nearly 40 roads are currently closed.
Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell told Jack Tame that he was at Saint Clair’s golf club and witnessed them set up the evacuation centre.
Mitchell says that volunteers have helped turn out stretches and look after families as they came in.
"As Kiwis we always seem to stand up and respond strongly when there's a need, and that's exactly what is happening," he said.
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I've had a bit of time now to look at the so-called 'independent advice' released by Casey Costello on the efficacy of heated tobacco products which she's so curiously and steadfastly supported.
To remind you, there is one company that has been providing these heated tobacco products in New Zealand: Philip Morris.
That company's external relations manager is the former chief of staff for New Zealand First and while Casey Costello says she has no links to the tobacco industry and that the tobacco industry has nothing to do with the policies she supports, she insists the heated tobacco products have a 'similar risk profile to vapes,' and so she wanted to see the excise tax on these products halved.
What did the official advice say? First of all, the tax side - Philip Morris had a monopoly on the market, so it was hardly surprising that Treasury pointed out there was nothing that would make Philip Morris pass on excise tax cuts to consumers.
And then, the health side. The Ministry of Health could find "no compelling evidence of the devices helping to stop smoking" So then to justify such a move, halving the tax, you'd think Casey Costello would have to have some compelling evidence that Heated Tobacco Products were really effective as a smoking cessation tool, for people who weren't simply vaping instead.
Except, she didn't. Her evidence included an opinion piece, an article which says heated tobacco products *might* help smokers quit but could also attract non-smokers, an outdated study that doesn't mention heated tobacco products, a study of snus (which isn't a heated a tobacco product), an article talking about Japan, which doesn't have vaping and relied on data from Philip Morris International and the Tobacco Institute of Japan, one of whose founding members was Philip Morris International.
I mean, come on - I can't recall a time when such a poor standard of evidence has been cited by a Minister advocating for this kind of legislative change. This isn't some rando backbencher, this is a Cabinet Minister. We all deserve better.
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has paid back over £6,000 ($12,000 NZD) in gifts and hospitality received since taking up the role after a controversy over donations.
Starmer is covering the cost of six Taylor Swift tickets, four tickets to the races, and a designer clothing rental agreement favoured by his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer.
UK correspondent says Starmer is under pressure to improve transparency after he and some other MPs faced criticism over accepting freebies from wealthy donors.
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Nuclear energy is experiencing a resurgence in interest amid concern surrounding shortages.
Its greenhouse gas emissions are smaller than most - and reactors produce reliable baseline electricity cheaply and efficiently.
Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie unpacks whether nuclear energy can have a future in New Zealand.
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Dunedin residents are preparing for a deluge of rain.
A red heavy rain warning is in force for North Otago, Dunedin and coastal Clutha today and tomorrow.
Otago Civil Defence says people should only travel tonight if absolutely necessary - to avoid getting caught up in rising rivers or streams.
The Country's Jamie Mackay says people are getting the sandbags ready ahead of the weather changes.
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Business leaders have given their verdict on the Government in the Herald’s Mood of the Boardroom survey.
Some experts have noted that as the country enters an interest-rate cutting phase, now is the time to have a discussion about the make-up of ongoing retirement savings.
NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says there's a clear mood for change as the economy enters a new phase.
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Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
New data from the 2023 Census reveals over half the country isn't religious? Is this surprising? What do we think changed?
The Mood of the Boardroom Survey results came out today, revealing Kiwi business leaders are feeling more optimistic about the economy. What do we make of this?
A teenager has been arrested for running a 'smishing' scam - where fraudulent text messages are sent out en masse to get people to give up sensitive information. Should we be concerned about this?
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On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Thursday 3 October 2024, the highest possible weather warning has been issued for Dunedin. Otago Civil Defence Group Controller Matt Alley updates Jack on the extreme rainfall and likelihood of evacuation for the region.
Police are delighted at the number of new recruit applicants and to keep up with the influx, Assistant Commissioner for Leadership, Talent and Development Jill Rogers discusses the potential of a new Police College in Auckland.
The Huddle reflects on the latest Census data and Nicola Willis inviting her opposition counterpart to talk on superannuation.
And Nicola Willis reacts to the latest Mood of the Boardroom survey.
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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The Finance Minister is pleased the nation's business heavyweights share her values and priorities.
The Herald's annual Mood of the Boardroom survey has found CEOs and board members are more optimistic than pessimistic about the economy.
But they still have concerns about things like energy, living costs, interest rates, cyber security threats and insurance costs.
Nicola Willis says it's good to see New Zealand's business community agrees with the Government's optimism about the economy.
"They're focused on the same things we are, which is - let's get growth happening. Investments, new jobs, more innovation, more exporting. We're on the same page."
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More than half of Kiwis have no religion, new data shows.
Census figures released today shows the proportion of people without religion is now at 51.6 percent.
Massey University Emeritus Professor of Religion, Peter Lineham says Christianity has been declining since the 1960s.
"It speeded up a tremendous amount in the period from 2006 to 2018 - and it's still going on."
Lineham says the speed of people choosing no religion is reducing, suggesting other religions may be replacing Christianity.
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The Defence Minister says China featured in round-table talks with South Pacific partners this week.
Auckland hosted the annual meeting for ministers from Australia, Fiji, France, Chile, Tonga and Papua New Guinea.
Judith Collins says everybody was very disappointed by China's recent intercontinental ballistic missile test over the Pacific Ocean.
She says New Zealand was told a few hours beforehand.
"But most of the countries over whose territory it would have flown did not know about it - and people felt that that was unwelcomed, unexpected and unnecessary
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A police college based in Auckland could be on the cards.
New intakes at the Porirua college will be bolstered next year by 20 recruits each wing to reach 100 trainees.
By late August, applications had overtaken 5,500 - more than double the number for the same period last year.
But Assistant Commissioner Jill Rogers says the Porirua facility is already groaning at the seams.
"It makes sense for us to look in that Tāmaki Makaurau environment, because that's where the bulk of our people will come from. I think it's a good, sensible decision for us to start looking around there."
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The message is clear as heavy rain pelts the lower South - be prepared.
A red-level heavy rain warning is in force for North Otago, Dunedin and coastal Clutha.
NIWA reports Dunedin has already had 75 percent of its normal monthly rainfall for October.
Otago Civil Defence group controller Matt Alley said they were continuing to monitor rain as it was falling.
"We have our emergency operation centre in Dunedin city and Clutha and a coordination centre in Dunedin as well, fully activated."
Residents and visitors to Central Otago's Omakau and Ophir are under a Boil Water Notice for the time being and drinking water tankers are at the Omakau Domain and Swindon Street.
Conserve water notices remain in place for Ranfurly, Naseby and Patearoa.
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The latest Census data is out, with numbers for all sorts of data points from ethnicity, home ownership and income to gender and sexual identity. But the number that most interested me today is buried in the housing stats.
In 2018, when we last did the numbers, about one in every six New Zealand homes recorded mould bigger than an A4 piece of paper. More than 21 percent of households recorded dampness at home.
But despite our famously crappy housing stock, the numbers have meaningfully improved. Today, 18 percent of houses have dampness: a 3.4 percent improvement. And from one-in-six homes previously, one-in-seven households now records mould at home.
In real numbers, that's roughly 70,000 fewer damp homes and 50,000 fewer mouldy homes than we would have had if our housing was at the same standard as it was in 2018. That's a real success.
So what's changed in that time? Obviously newer homes are more likely to be built to a better, warmer standard. But I also think you can credit some of that improvement to the healthy homes standards. And while, of course, bringing rental stock up to standard has come at an expense, it's surely nothing compared to the cost of healthcare for those who'd otherwise be getting sick in cold, damp homes.
There's isn't all that much the previous Government can hang its hat on in terms of enduring change - but I reckon that policy is a winner.
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Prime Minister Chris Luxon's feeling 'stoked' with today's Mood of the Boardroom survey results.
The nation's business heavy-weights have ranked Government ministers in the Herald's annual survey - and they're feeling pretty optimistic with the state of the current Government.
NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan says the nation's business community always feels more positive when they get a centre-right Government aligned with their needs.
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