Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Immigration Minister hopes allowing people on the Golden Visa to buy a home here will boost the economy in the long-run. The coalition's come to an agreement - allowing people on Active Investor Plus visas to buy or build one home, worth at least $5 million - if they invest at least another $5 million into the economy. Erica Stanford says she didn't want anything to skew the market - and $5 million seemed like a good figure. "It means that these people can come, settle in New Zealand, get used to the landscape, spend more money here - but also not skew the property market, which is what we wanted to avoid." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hopes from one electricity retailer that the Government may underwrite generation projects.  The Government is expected to make decisions this month on reforming the energy sector - after it asked global consultancy company Frontier Economics to report back on what's needed.  Octopus Energy chief executive Margaret Cooney says underwriting's worked in the past with the ultra-fast broadband rollout.  "You can do that by issuing a tender, getting long-term contracts and new supply to come into market as soon as possible."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The coalition's confident allowing certain wealthy foreign buyers to buy a home won't drive up house prices. It's agreed to pass changes, allowing people on an Active Investor Plus visa to buy or build one home in New Zealand - worth a minimum of $5 million. The visa requires an additional investment of at least $5 million, on top of the price of the home. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says these changes make sense for investors. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The wife of a gunman who allegedly killed two police officers in rural Victoria last week has urged her husband to surrender.  Dezi Freeman is accused of opening fire on police officers, who were carrying out a raid at property in Porepunkah. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says the police have been dealing with adverse weather conditions as the manhunt enters its seventh day. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks are prepared to wait as long as they can to clear Cortez Ratima to play Saturday's test against South Africa. The Chiefs halfback is battling a rib injury - but is yet to be ruled out. Coach Scott Robertson says they will wait, otherwise Finlay Christie and debutant Kyle Preston will play. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's relief for regional airlines, as they receive help to battle soaring costs. The Government's offering up to $30 million in loans from the Regional Infrastructure Fund.  It's also approved funding to allow digital upgrades to be made in order to integrate regional bookings with the platforms of major carriers. Air Chathams CEO Duane Emeny says this is good news for the sector. "We're looking to hopefully roll out a domestic trial later this year, but it's expensive, I can tell you, having gone through it. So any support that we can get for that is greatly appreciated."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 29 August 2025, Reserve Bank chair Neil Quigley has quit with immediate effect. Finance Minister Nicola Willis tells Heather if he hadn't left voluntarily, she would have sacked him. The Marokopa fugitive dad and his kids have burgled a dairy this week - but police don't sound like they're actively trying to find them. Why did Heather have to apologise to TVNZ CEO Jodi O'Donnell? A member of the Mongrel Mob has asked a judge for his confiscated patch back and the judge has said yes.. because of tikanga. Law Professor Al Gillespie says it was a good call. Plus, the Sports Huddle on this week's discussion about the risk of longlasting brain injuries from rugby - and whether more needs to be done to prevent them. 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.

Now, I've got a huge amount of respect for the police, and I very much, almost weakly appreciate what it is that they do for us, but I think we have to call it. Tom Phillips is embarrassing them. I mean, the fact that he is still out there with his kids coming up 4 years now is embarrassing for the police because it looks like they're having rings run around them by a skinny guy from Mara Koppa. He makes a mockery of them every single time he pops up to nick milk from a dairy or shop in full view of the public in Bunnings, or do a job on a bank. Every time someone in the family pleads for him to come home, every time an international media outlet writes another fascinated piece about him being out there. Every winter, when our own media remember that the family are still out there and draw attention to it again, every time that happens, we are reminded that our police cannot find a guy and his kids in the bush around Mara Koppa. Now, I don't know what's going on here. I have a suspicion, I've shared it with you before, that the police are deliberately just leaving him to it.Cause if they wanted to, they could get him out. And you know that. We're a country of people who understand the bush, he's not the only guy in New Zealand with bush skills. The cops have got specialist teams, and if they don't want to use those teams because they don't wanna have a shootout, well, then we've got the Defense Force. The defense force can be used here - they've actually been used in the search beforehand. And you cannot tell me that our SAS can handle the Taliban, but can't track down a guy in the bush and be on him before he knows that they're there. You cannot tell me they can't do that. I suspect the police have made the decision to not find him, which, by the way, I actually think may be the right decision given how messy I think the family court business could in fact be in this case, but they are not trying to find him. And I just wonder if maybe they should say that out loud. Maybe they should just be upfront that he is out there until the day that Tom Phillips decides to come back, just so that every single passing winter doesn't make the police look like they're being beaten by Tom Phillips.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The British court of appeal is set to make a decision on the 'asylum hotels' around the country.  Asylum seekers have been staying in hotels at the taxpayers expense, and the government is expected to make an announcement later today. UK Correspondent Gavin Grey says that tension around these hotels is rising and protests outside these hotels are getting 'pretty fraught.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 25,000 visitors from around Australasia are headed to Tauranga for the AIMS games this weekend. Around 14,000 kids from across the continent will be competing in 27 different sports. AIMS Games tournament director Kelly Schischka told Heather duPlessis-Allan that there are 431 schools being represented, including new competitors from Fiji and the Cook Islands.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.