Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Recent data shows there were 27,850 fewer jobs in New Zealand in June compared to the year before, and young Kiwis are being hit hard by a tightening labour market.

Over 12,000 of those lost jobs came from the construction sector, manufacturing lost 5850 jobs, professional, scientific and technical services lost 5150 jobs and admin and support services lost 4860 jobs.

Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen explains what's behin...

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and former Labour minister Stuart Nash joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

The Government is banning retailers from charging credit card surcharges - but banks are still allowed to charge the retailers. What do we make of this? Is this unfair for retailers? 

Prime Minister Chris Luxon got booed at the ANZ Premiership grand final...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 28 July 2025, a combative interview with Commerce Minister Scott Simpson who is announcing a ban on credit card surcharges - but will retailers pass on the cost anyway?

Israel is finally letting some aid back into Gaza. Heather asks Claire Manera from Doctors Without Borders whether the aid is actually getting to people in need.

Bad news if you love a lie-in - life...

The news of the day, politically, is that surcharges are gone, as the Government's just banned them.

You know what I'm talking about here, right? They're the little extra amount that you get pinged when you turn up at the dairy and you use your credit card, or you use your paywave - it's gone from May next year.

The big sell behind this is basically that it's to help you with the cost of living crisis.

Now, I hate to do this becaus...

The Government's recent ban on on payment card surcharges has been met with criticism from the retail and hospitality sectors.

The Government's announced it will scrap extra in-store card fees by next May.

The Commerce Commission has already reduced bank interchange visa and master card fees for businesses.

Dairy and Business Owners Group chair Ankit Bansal says these proposed changes are 'unfair' as the banks can still charge what...

Humanitarian groups say there's zero evidence to support the claim that Hamas is stealing humanitarian aid meant for Gaza. 
 
Trucks and airdrops are reaching the Strip after Israel's paused fighting to open some aid corridors. 

International pressure's been mounting as starvation deepens. 

Doctors Without Borders coordinator Claire Manera says Israeli authorities are the only ones she's seen blocking aid....

There's no shortage of research on the dangers of not sleeping enough, but sleeping too much has been found to be worse for your health than expected.

New research has revealed that people who sleep over nine hours per night are 34 percent more likely to live shorter lives than those who sleep the ideal 8-9 hours a night.

Dr Alex Bartle from the Sleep Well Clinic says if you frequently sleep longer than the ideal timeframe, you'll ...

The Government's scrapping card surcharges at the till, which collectively cost Kiwis $150 million each year.

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson confirmed they'll ban in-store credit and debit card surcharges, like paywave fees. 

He says it's important for consumers to have transparency when it comes to pricing. 

"In a competitive world, businesses understand the price-competitive nature of the businesse...

A frosty reception for the Prime Minister at the ANZ Premiership grand final in Auckland yesterday - with booing from the crowd.

Chris Luxon is brushing it off, and says he was well-looked after at the event.

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Luxon's taken the backlash in his stride, and acknowledged the backlash that comes with politics.  

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Anthony Albanese recently claimed Israel is 'quite clearly' breaching international law by withholding aid from civilians in Gaza.

He added that he would respect formal processes for determining any breaches - but said the actions were a 'breach of decent humanity and morality.'

Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says there's been pressure on Albanese to join France in recognising a Palestinian state.

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The Government's aiming to strike a balance between cutting red tape and keeping people safe on work sites.

Officials are consulting with the construction sector on changing rules on scaffolding.

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister, Brooke van Velden, says over-compliance makes jobs cost more - and take more time.

Building Industry Federation chief executive Julien Leys says health and safety is important to the sector, and a b...

First up, we need to talk about Gaza. 

I'm not gonna be graphic, and, and I'm not gonna talk about what it is hap what's happening there in detail. You already know, you can choose to read about it yourself, and I recommend that you do just to the point that you can kind of handle it.   

Credit, today, to Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia.  

He has stopped pussyfooting around what's going on here...

Ghislaine Maxwell, a key former associate to Jeffery Epstein, is due to meet with the Deputy Attorney General of the US for a second day in a row tomorrow. 

These meetings come as the controversy surrounding the release of the Epstein files continues to grow. 

US Defence Attorney Randy Zelin told Heather duPlessis-Allan that 'there are two paths for Ms. Maxwell to get home.’ 

‘One way is if she assists the United Sta...

There are doubts that high-strength beers are causing as much harm as critics say.  

The products are sold as singles in supermarkets and liquor stores and are stronger than RTDs, ranging from seven to 16 percent.  

'Communities Against Alcohol Harm' has been raising the issue at a number of public hearings - calling for a ban.  

But Brewers Association Executive Director Dylan Firth says a blanket ban would be an ov...

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