Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Tonight on The Huddle, CTU economist Craig Renney and Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! More than a hundred students at Lincoln University are being re-tested after suspicions they used AI to cheat. Is this the right move from the university?  Are we in favour of 4-year parliamentary terms? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 26 August 2025, we're one step closer to a referendum on four year terms. But do we have the right safeguards in place to protect us from rogue Governments and bad decisions? Australia's Channel Nine Chief Political Editor Charles Croucher has the latest on news that Iran has been accused of orchestrating antisemitic attacks in Australia. Fonterra's consumer arm, Pic's Peanut Butter, now Eventfinda - foreign investors are lapping up Kiwi businesses. What's making us so attractive to overseas buyers? Lincoln University's Chad Hewitt explains why they're making a whole class defend their assignments because many of them are suspected of cheating with the use of AI. Plus, the Huddle debates four year terms and whether Universities need to change their approach on AI in exams. 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.

I think it is significant that David Seymour has walked away from supporting his own bill to bring in four-year terms for the Government. He was the one who introduced this bill - but he's now pulled ACT's support. Every other party in parliament appears to still back it, but he's pulled support because the safeguards that he wanted are gone. His idea was that we increase the terms from three to four years. So you vote the Government and you get three years - and now he wants to make it four years, which basically means giving the Government more power. But he was only okay with that if we balanced it out by taking away some power. And his idea was to allow the opposition parties to control every single select committee, giving them the power. But that part of the plan, the select committee part, has been removed. So David Seymour doesn't support his own idea anymore, which frankly, I think is a good idea, because he has ended up exactly where I have been this entire time. No to four-year terms unless there are new limits, because as it is, Governments in this country do not have much in the way of limits. If they want to pass a law, they can - they can do it under urgency if they want to. They can announce and pass it in literally the same day. That is what happened with the pay equity law. Did you like that? You want some more of that? Because that would happen with four years. This is why Jeffrey Palmer said that we have the fastest law in the West. Other countries have ways to limit or control or check the power of the executive. They have upper houses, they have senates, whatever. We've got nothing. Given that everyone else in parliament seems to support this, it seems to me there's a fair chance this is going to go to referendum for us to decide, perhaps at the next election. And people who want four years will tell you that you must say yes because Governments don't have enough time to do what they want, which is utter bollocks, because they do have enough time. I've realized in the last couple of years, it's not because of lack of time they don't get things done, it's because of a lack of will. This Government had enough time to make changes to the supermarkets and make changes to the banks and make changes to the energy sector. They've talked about it enough - but they haven't done it because they don't want to do it, because it takes balls. I don't want four years because two blocks of three years of Jacinda Ardern's lunatic Labour administration was enough. Can you imagine how broke the country would be after two blocks of four years? Unless there are new safeguards brought in - and there are no safeguards proposed. So it's a hard no. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZME is reporting an almost 12 percent rise in half-year earnings. The media company - which owns Newstalk ZB and the Herald - is reporting growth across audio, podcasts, subscriptions, and the OneRoof property website. CEO Michael Boggs says this is a strong result, given the tough economic environment, but there's hope for more growth.  "People are seeing green shoots, but sadly, I've been saying that for the last year in every one of our results announcements...this time, we've not done any forecast based on green shoots."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than a hundred students at Lincoln University are being re-tested after suspicions they used AI to cheat.  An entire post-graduate finance class is suspected of wrongdoing, with a threat of disciplinary action if they can't individually explain their workings in an in-person presentation involving coding and answering questions. The university's Provost, Professor Chad Hewitt, explained there are some cases where they allow the use of AI - but in this case, students were expected to use their own brain.  "The course has just identified a high number of suspected cases - as a consequence, the easiest thing to do is to bring the students in and ask them questions." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Events discovery platform Eventfinda could soon reach global markets, with help from Ticketek Entertainment Group. The live entertainment business has acquired Eventfinda, subject to conditions. Eventfinda will continue to operate under the same brand, and says clients can be assured that it’s business as usual. Co-founder James McGlinn says the team's 'overjoyed' with the new deal. "It couldn't come fast enough, we're really excited about it."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New intelligence reports have linked Iranian officials to multiple attacks against Australia’s Jewish community. Iran's ambassador to Australia and three other Iranian officials have been expelled and given a week to leave the country.  Australia's also suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran and designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist entity. Australian correspondent Charles Croucher says this is an 'unusual situation' and investigations are still ongoing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A referendum on increasing the parliamentary term to four years is looking highly likely.  This is despite a Select Committee Report confirming ACT - who proposed the bill - will only support it if stronger checks and balances are built into the system. This includes more powers to the opposition in committees. But Justice Select Committee Chair Andrew Bayly says they're suggesting possible dates.  "It's had almost unanimous agreement across the Committee that we should put it to referendum - the question is when." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand film and television producer John Barnett died on Sunday night, according to new reports. Barnett's known for working on some of the country's highest grossing films - including Footrot Flats, Whale Rider and Sione's Wedding. He ran South Pacific Pictures, the country's largest production company, from 1992 to 2015, and was made companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to film and television in 2019. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper recalled his experience working with John Barnett. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iran's ambassador to Australia has been expelled after intelligence revealed the Iranian government was behind two anti-Semitic attacks in Australia. The ambassador, as well as three other Iranian officials, have been given a week to leave the country. Australia's also suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran, and designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist entity. Australian correspondent Murray Olds explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.