Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Over in Australia, the Government's denying their move to lift restrictions on imports of US beef is not related to President Trump's increasing tariff war. The Government recently confirmed that the Department of Agriculture would allow the imports into Australia, saying the US now 'effectively' manages the biosecurity risks.  Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the Opposition has raised questions about this move.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The removal of Sport New Zealand's community sport trans guidelines are sparking debate around who wins and who loses protection.  The principles around allowing participation based on gender identity were scrapped following a Government directive.  Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacks the situation further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donors have expressed concerns after Givealittle shut down multiple pages designed to raise relief aid money for Gaza. Givealittle has confirmed it's required to assess the risks amid concerns surrounding money laundering. ReliefAid founder Mike Seawright says Givealittle can't determine where the money is going in a peer-to-peer donation situation. "There are other issues of course, there's legal compliance issues that also go with that - but ultimately, giving is good and giving responsibly is also a critical part of that action." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Treasury has confirmed concerns were raised about former Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr’s conduct. Its comment comes as it responds to an allegation there was more to Orr’s departure than the public has been led to believe. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny speculates further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over 100 survivors of alleged sexual abuse by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed have entered the company’s compensation scheme, reports confirmed. The retailer set up the scheme after dozens of women came forward with allegations of abuse by the late owner, with some going as far back as 1977. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fletcher Building is looking into possibly selling its construction arm. It's exploring divesting its main construction division - and the Higgins, Brian Perry Civil and Fletcher Construction Major Projects business units. Milford Asset Management's Andrew Curtayne explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Kiwiblog's David Farrar joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Can we confirm Nicola Willis' meeting with Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell was entirely pointless?  Some advocates have blamed the Government's policies for the increase in homelessness. What do we make of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tower is ending its multi-policy discounts, with the insurer claiming the level of risk is unacceptable for meeting regulatory requirements. The insurer previously offered people who bought two eligible policies up to 10 percent off their premiums and up to 20 percent off if people had three or more eligible policies. Massey University marketing professor Bodo Lang explains why these changes are taking place. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So guess what's happening after Nicola Willis' butter meeting with Fonterra last night? Nothing. After hyping the meeting, after Mikey chasing Miles down the street, after the news going live with the banner across the TV that the Fonterra meeting is underway, after all of that - nothing is happening because nothing can happen, because Fonterra's not ripping us off. We're simply paying the same international price as everyone for butter, which Nicola knows because she's an intelligent woman and because she used to work for Fonterra as well. So, nothing has come from the meeting. There is no announcement about what is being fixed. Miles Hurrell is not resigning or apologizing, and the price of butter is not dropping. All that has happened is that Nicola Willis has fronted up for the media today and told them that Miles Hurrell will talk to them at some time soon to explain how the price of butter works, which is a nothing outcome. In which case, you have to ask yourself the question, what was the point of the meeting? If Nicola actually truly does understand the mechanics of butter pricing, and presumably then also understands that Fonterra isn't ripping us off and also had no plans to announce anything after this, why hype the meeting? I can answer that question for you. Because she wanted to pass the buck. She wanted to blame Fonterra, because National is feeling the pressure over the fact that Labour is now more trusted to deal with the cost of living crisis than National is  - according to the Ipsos survey, which is out this month. And because the heat has been cranked up on National, who have talked a very big game about getting the economy back on track - and yet 18 months in, it's still very much off track to the extent that people cannot afford butter. Nicola tried to shift the blame from National to Fonterra and it didn't work. Now, the lesson here is that performance politics doesn't work. Blaming the supermarkets but doing nothing, blaming Fonterra but doing nothing, blaming the banks but doing nothing, that kind of stuff doesn't work. And in fact, it's risky, it runs the risk of backfiring, which is exactly what's happening here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 23 July 2025, Space Minister Judith Collins explains why she urgently needed to change the law to crack down on foreign actors manipulating our space industry. Homelessness rose by 37% between 2018 and 2023 - and councils say anecdotally the situation has got even worse since then. Nicola Willis has had her big meeting with Fonterra boss Miles Hurrell to get to the bottom of the butter price - and revealed why your butter is unlikely to get cheaper. Wellington is very excited to finally secure a big concert for the capital again - so can Ed Sheeran spark the city's recovery? Plus, the Huddle debates whether parents still feel comfortable with male daycare teachers. 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.