Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The former British ambassador to the US has resigned from the UK Labour Party, over his links with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The BBC reports that Lord Mandelson, who was sacked as the ambassador last year, is now stepping down from the party entirely. The latest release of Epstein files suggested Epstein transferred Mandelson more than $125,000 in 2003 and 2004. UK correspondent Mike Pearse explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch is set to re-ignite the debate over asset sales, according to new reports. The council's commercial arm has floated selling certain assets, including Citycare, to pay for other projects. Councillor Sam MacDonald explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump revealed he's picked Kevin Warsh, a former Federal Reserve Governor, to lead the central bank. Since taking office, Donald Trump has been critical of Jerome Powell and encouraged him to lower interest rates.  Harbour Asset Management expert Shane Solly explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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! Fire and Emergency NZ has launched an investigation into the firefighter who got caught making a crude gesture at the PM on video. Do we think this is really necessary?  Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is in the news again after the latest release from the Epstein files. New photos reveal the former royal crouched on all fours and touching an unidentified woman. What do we think of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 2 February, 2026, the Education Minister on new reporting guidelines for schools - what it means for you as a parent. Should the firefighter who made an obscene gesture behind the back of the prime minister keep her job? We talk to teenage running sensation Sam Ruthe's grandfather about what makes him so good. And on the Huddle, Trish Sherson and Josie Pagani - who says Christopher Luxon is in danger of being outperformed by his lectern. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, Fire and Emergency New Zealand has launched an investigation into the firefighter in the video with the Prime Minister. You’ll know what I’m talking about, you’ve probably seen it already. It’s been doing the rounds since Friday. It’s the video of the PM touring the devastation on the East Coast last week. As he’s walking back to a Defence Force helicopter, he stops to talk to a volunteer firefighter who’s wearing the old high‑vis with 'Fire' written on the back. He does his political schmoozing - having the chat, getting up in the face, clapping the arm - then he heads off toward the chopper. The firefighter turns around, looks at the phone filming her and makes a crude gesture, which the Hauraki boys would describe as “feeding the birds". I saw that on Friday, I smirked, I thought, “Oh, that’s a bit funny,” and then I shut it down and got on with my life. Fire and Emergency NZ, however, does not think it’s funny at all. They’ve completely overreacted to it and, after questions from the Herald, have decided to launch an investigation into this firefighter. If they're open to taking some feedback, I would urge them to drop the investigation here. If there’s been a bad call, the really bad call isn’t the firefighter doing something silly in front of her mates who are filming - it’s the person who put the video online, which was the truly unwise thing to do in this modern age. And it doesn’t seem to be the same person, by the way, given the TikTok account is run by a man and the firefighter is a woman. But even if they were the same person, it’s just really not a big deal, is it? Politicians should expect - and do expect - this kind of reaction when they go around doing their political schmoozing. And if people have a laugh about the PM doing his schmoozing, who cares? It’s not threatening or intimidatory, it’s just mocking. We have a shortage of volunteer firefighters in this country. We shouldn’t be lifting the expectations of volunteers to the same level as what we expect from professionals to the point that volunteers are dissuaded from giving us their time, which we frankly should be grateful for. And there but for the grace of God, etc, right? Because we all do stupid things - we just hope the people around us don’t put it on TikTok. I don’t want to live in a world where we get investigated over something as silly as this. Hopefully they drops this investigation because surely - surely to God - Fire and Emergency NZ has more important things to do. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AA Insurance's decision to stop offering new home insurance policies in Westport due to flood risks has prompted discussion about the future of climate-based buyouts. There's been debate over whether the Government will fund buyouts for homeowners living in areas at risk for weather damage, with many experts ruling the move as unlikely.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis says there's a Natural Hazards scheme in place for homeowners impacted by flooding or landslides - and it's important to ensure people have the right insurance measures in place. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The head of a mineral extraction company says New Zealand's rich in some of these sought-after critical minerals.  New Zealand and the United States are reportedly discussing a 'non-binding' framework relating to critical minerals as the US looks to reduce reliance on China.  Geo40 CEO John Worth says there's silica, lithium and antimony to name a few.  "I think we're relatively small by international standards, but there's enough interesting stuff here."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An employment law expert says a firefighter who used an obscene gesture about the Prime Minister brought Fire and Emergency into disrepute.  A clip posted on social media shows Chris Luxon speaking with a person before heading towards a Defence Force helicopter. The volunteer firefighter then turns to the camera and makes an obscene gesture. Fire and Emergency is now investigating.  Employment law expert Max Whitehead says volunteers don't have the same rights as a career firefighter, and explained she wouldn't be able to sue the organisation if she were fired.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Minister says new nationwide school reporting will give teachers and parents clearer data on how students are performing. Nationally consistent assessments in reading, writing and maths will roll out this year, with students ranked against one of five progress indicators twice a year. Erica Stanford says parent reports already exist - but they’re inconsistent across schools. "You get some schools who provide very detail-rich reporting and others who don't do that same level of detail. So we're just trying to get consistency across the board."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.