Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Stats NZ  recently reported annual inflation increased to 2.7 percent in the three months to the end of June, and it's sparked concerns among experts.

Economists had all been expecting annual inflation would be recorded at 2.8 percent or 2.9 percent - close to the Reserve Bank's 3 percent target band.

Harbour Asset Management spokesperson Shane Solly revealed what this could mean for the economy going forward.

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Website infrastructure company Cloudflare has announced moves designed to stop AI from scraping digital content for free.

Going forward, website owners can choose if they want AI crawlers to access their content - and decide how the content gets used.

Cloudflare chief strategy officer Stephanie Cohen says websites want control over who uses their output - and they can charge or block AI platforms if needed.

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Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

There's growing calls to scrap NCEA - and the Government is looking to make some changes to the qualification. What do we make of this?

Coldplay's Chris Martin is now warning adulterers to disentangle before the kiss cam comes on. What do we think of this saga? Shoul...

The Finance Minister says the costs involved in building a new medical school at Waikato University have been through a thorough business case.

Construction will begin this year - with the school providing 120 doctor training places a year, focused on primary care and rural health.

The Government's chipping in $83 million dollars, and the university and philanthropic investors will contribute $150 million.

When asked what would hap...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 21 July 2025, Health Minister Simeon Brown on giving the green light for the new Waikato Medical School - and how the Government managed to cut a significant amount of money from the original proposal.

Inflation is up again to 2.7 percent but the Finance Minister Nicola Willis reckons the economy will have firmly turned around by the time we get to the election nex...

Now, here's a prediction for you - watch those Waikato University medical school costs blowout.

I reckon it's gonna blow out and there's all the signs this thing is gonna blow out.

Even when the Waikato University was itself putting in less money, which is $100 million, there were questions about whether it could afford it because Waikato University's debt level is maxed out at the moment.

So everybody looked at it and went, are yo...

One expert is joining the calls to overhaul NCEA after the Government indicated changes were on the way.

A damning report's highlighted major problems with the qualification's credibility, with some schools already withdrawing from Level One.

NZ Initiative Senior Fellow Dr Michael Johnston says NCEA's had a 20-year run and it's time to rethink it.

"I think a lot of teachers and schools have probably had a gutsful of it, to be hones...

Experts have offered reassurance our high inflation isn't a sign of things to come.

Stats NZ figures show the Consumers Price Index reached 2.7 percent for the year to June.

Inflation fell to just 2.2 percent last year - from 7.3 percent three years ago - but has been rising since.

Kiwibank senior economist Mary Jo Vergara says this is likely a spike, so should go back down.

"If you look at domestic inflation, that's really trendin...

Construction will begin this year on a new medical school at Waikato University.

The Government has given it the go ahead - and is providing $83 million dollars towards the project.

Health Minister Simeon Brown says the school will offer a post-graduate degree aimed at other fields, such as nurses or paramedics.

"This is about attracting people from those rural communities working potentially in healthcare or different roles and gi...

Consumer NZ says complaints against Noel Leeming go beyond its price-matching policy. 

The tech retailer is facing criminal charges brought by the Commerce Commission - accusing it of making misleading promises. 

Noel Leeming's strongly rejecting the claim, and says it will vigorously defend its stance. 

But Consumer NZ chief executive, Jon Duffy, says the company's also charged with misleading people about their con...

The Prime Minister has confirmed a Waikato medical school's coming, with construction beginning this year.

The Government's putting $83 million towards the $230-million-dollar project, with the rest coming from Waikato University and philanthropic investors.

It'll offer a graduate-entry programme, focused on primary care and rural health.

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the ACT Party quickly released a s...

A win for Kmart workers, whose union says it's secured an industry-leading deal. 

Worker First Union says it's ratified a two-year pay deal matching the minimum living wage - and rising alongside its increase next year. 

Deputy Secretary of Retail at Workers First Union, Rudd Hughes, says this deal is a 'gold standard' for retail workers - and he hopes other retailers can follow suit.

"It's not that they can't afford not ...

A flurry of action has occurred over Wellington mayoral hopeful Ray Chung's campaign.

Three council candidates aligned with his ticket, Independent Together, have dropped out in just three days.

This follows criticism of an email Chung wrote, containing salacious rumours about the city's Mayor.

He's since apologised.

But Alistair Boyce from campaign group Better Wellington is standing by him.

He told Ryan Bridge he doesn't expect a...

A recent survey has revealed that Kiwis are more nosy in open homes than many would expect.  

The survey found that 72% of participants admitted to snooping through wardrobes, and 69% confessed to looking through drawers and cupboards. 

Despite this, real estate agent and Location, Location, Location host Jayne Kiely told Ryan Bridges that she’s never had a missing item reported from an open home. 

‘11 years I’ve bee...

The Education Minister is promising a school property agency (taking over management from the Ministry of Education) will pay for itself.

Erica Stanford says using offsite manufacturing and repeatable designs from now, is reducing class build costs.

She's announced plans for 137 new schoolrooms in Auckland.

Stanford told Ryan Bridge cost efficiencies will pay for the new property agency.

Stanford's also today announced plans to bui...

US President Donald Trump is now asking for some of the Epstein documents to be released. 

The President, who earlier this week was calling for people to forget about the files, has now changed his approach to the situation.  

US Correspondent Dan Mitchinson told Ryan Bridge, ‘I think he wants to try and get ahead of this, even though he has been trying to divert attention from it.’  

These documents are suspected of...