Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Six shipbuilders have been shortlisted for the job of delivering the much-anticipated new Cook Strait ferries.

This comes after the Government pulled the plug on iReX because of cost blowouts, which was set to deliver new port-side infrastructure and two rail-enabled hybrid ferries.

Ferry Holdings chairman Chris Mackenzie won't disclose the names of these companies.

"We're not making anything public...we will not announce who the s...

Black Ferns captain Sarah Hirini raised a few eyebrows after she dropped the f-bomb on live TV - and it's prompted some debate.

After the team claimed the world championship title in Los Angeles, Hirini gave a post-match interview, which sparked some controversy. 

NZ Herald rugby writer Gregor Paul wrote an opinion piece critiquing the practice of post-match interviews - and he stands by it.

"I'm not a big fan of sports stars ...

Let me make a prediction for you on this pay equity drama that's been playing out for the last 24 hours - the Government is going to pay for this in a big way.

I reckon that this could become one of the defining moments of this Government when we look back on it in years to come.

Kind of like the 'Mother of All Budgets' came to define Ruth Richardson and Bolger's Government and the way the cup of tea came to define David Lange's Go...

Transpower says upgrading the Cook Strait electricity cable would come at a very small cost to consumers. 

It's consulting on a $1.4 billion proposal - to upgrade existing cables and allow for building a fourth.

CEO James Kilty says the plan is to get another 40 years of stable electricity. 

He says because costs will be paid for over that 40 years, prices won't surge. 

"It'll be a few dollars a year - but by the tim...

After many hours of debate, MPs have reached the final stage of the controversial pay equity legislation.

The Government introduced the Bill under urgency yesterday - which lifts the bar for claims of sex-based discrimination and forces existing claims to restart.

NZ College of Midwives Chief Executive Alison Eddy says it's unclear how much of the sector will be impacted.

"We have to wait for the court to decide that...we've still ...

Overall employment's held steady - but the hours people work have notably contracted.

In figures out today, the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.1 percent in the three months ending March. 

But total hours worked are down three percent over the year. 

Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr says numbers of part time workers are rising, with those working full-time falling. 

"Businesses are clearly cutting hours...

There's fears of escalation between India and Pakistan among experts.

Pakistan claims Indian missile attacks have killed eight people - and India's claiming three died when Pakistan shot down five of its planes.

Auckland University Global Studies Professor Chris Ogden says both countries have nuclear weapons. 

He says that could actually be beneficial. 

"It might actually enhance the possibility for a limited war - this h...

The final stage of a bill to increase the threshold of pay equity claims is expected to pass in Parliament.

It'll extinguish 33 active claims, requiring them to re-start under the new model - with the changes expected to impact hundreds of thousands of workers.

This bill has been met with outrage from unions and the Opposition - describing it as a 'dark day for women'. 

Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls weighed in on th...

Confusion reigns between Netball New Zealand, the Silver Ferns captain and the country's star player on eligibility criteria for the national team.

The issue has resurfaced with shooter Grace Nweke currently ineligible for the Ferns because she's playing for New South Wales in Australia's Super Netball competition.

Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacks the ongoing discussions.

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Prime Minister Starmer has announced plans are in place to crack down on international students applying for asylum in the UK in a bid to address migration figures.

An immigration white paper setting out the proposed reforms in mid-May will include measures to reduce the number of UK students making asylum claims after their visas expire.

UK correspondent Enda Brady says Nigel Farage's Reform Party is gaining popularity - and the G...

The Government will make major savings over the coming years by outperforming on its housings goals. 

Last year, it aimed to reduce the number of people in emergency housing by 75 percent in 2030 compared to December 2023. 

However the target was achieved before the end of last year. 

Infometrics Principal Economist explains what this could mean for the upcoming Budget.

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Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! 

 The Government is overhauling the pay equity system - restricting future claims and stopping all 33 current claims. The changes will be rushed through under urgency this week. Do we think this is the right move?

National has outlined plans to ban social media...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 6 May 2025, a dicey call from the Government... today scrapping all current pay equity claims and overhauling the system. Workplace Relations Brooke van Velden tells Heather the move will save billions.

The former boss of Facebook New Zealand Stephen Scheeler reacts to National's plan to ban social media for under 16s.

Victoria University law students will have to...

That decision today to stop all those pay equity claims is ballsy - I mean, you know, ballsy is good - and I think I lean towards thinking this is the right thing to do.

Those pay equity claims have been a bit random. I don't know if you know how this works, but basically, if people can prove that they're underpaid because they work in women-dominated jobs, then they can get a pay rise.

And how they prove this is by finding men who...

NZME’s likely new chairman Steven Joyce says he hopes to unify the media company’s shareholders as much as possible, following two months of heated debate over the company’s performance and editorial endeavour.

Joyce, a National Party Cabinet minister for three terms from 2008 and an experienced commercial media businessman, was today confirmed as a board nominee for NZME.

Spinoff founder Duncan Greive says this is a smart manoeuvr...

The Government is planning a massive overhaul of New Zealand’s pay equity regime - and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation doesn't approve.

The reforms will overhaul a 2020 law establishing a regime to allow people in sectors with a large female workforce to argue that they were underpaid relative to similar work done in male-dominated sectors.

NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter says these proposed changes are 'disappointing'.

"We'v...