Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The deadly Bondi Beach shooting, which saw 16 people killed and dozens more injured, has prompted the Australian Government to tighten up gun laws following the incident. The Government revealed plans to further restrict gun licences to citizens only - with limits on the types of guns and number obtained.  Australian correspondent Murray Olds says questions have been raised over why people who live in suburban Sydney needed multiple weapons. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's confident a planned mega-ministry, MCERT, will support RMA and Local Government reforms.  It expects the Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport to be up and running by next July. It replaces the Ministries of Environment, Transport, Housing and Urban Development.  Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says New Zealand's great challenges involve all those agencies.  "At the moment, it's all disconnected between three of four different agencies that we're merging together into one." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five people were arrested in Germany after they were suspected of being involved in a plot to drive a vehicle into people at a Christmas market. The group were detained over the plan to target a market in the southern Bavarian state. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The BNZ - BusinessNZ Performance of Services Index has slowed down, according to new data. Reports show it fell by 1.5 points to 46.9, sparking concerns about the future of the economy. Harbour Asset Management expert Shane Solly explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Motor Trade Association is coming out against proposed changes to the Warrant of Fitness scheme.  Under the proposal, the first WOF on a light vehicle would last four years. Head of Advocacy James McDowall says the annual check help ensure brakes, tires  and essential parts of the car are working - keeping people safe on the road. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This terror attack in Sydney is what everyone else has been saying it is: absolutely horrific. Antisemitic terrorism. Sadly, this type of attack is happening and will keep happening more frequently, according to intelligence agencies. And the worst part is that it's almost impossible to stop. Australia has what the world considers the 'gold standard' gun control. After the Port Arthur massacre, they tightened up the rules. But it still has more guns now than it did back in the 90s - both in number and per capita. Guns don't cause terror attacks of course. For that, you'll need radial fanatics with a screw loose. The internet is full of them. It's a great place to meet like-minded people, sadly. We run very expensive security agencies in most Western countries whose job it is to track people down and prevent Bondi beach events. In this case, ASIO knew about the son with the gun in Sydney as early as six years ago. There were links to ISIS. But it didn't stop him, did it? Brenton Tarrant was posting about the God-awful things he was going to do up to a year beforehand online, but wasn't stopped, either. Samsudeen - the guy who slit peoples' throats while they shopped for groceries in New Lynn - he was actually being watched and followed at the time and even he still managed to stab eight innocent people. Some argue migration is the problem. They say Jews and Muslims have been fighting for centuries and that's where the problem lies. Except mass shootings are perpetrated by all different sorts of people for all different sorts of reasons. There's left-wing extremism - the death of Charlie Kirk, the insurance assassin, the attempt on Trump are all suspected of being motivated by far-left extremists. And then you've got right-wing extremism and radical Islamic terrorists. And then there's just completely crazy people who seem to have no motive, they just want to be famous or kill people for a body count like life is some video game. The sad, disturbing, uncomfortable part of this attack is that it won't be the last, and there's very little it seems we can actually do to stop them. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 15 December 2025, the ripple effects of the shocking Bondi terror attack are being felt far and wide. Ryan Bridge speaks to terrorism expert Dr Levi West, Holocaust Center chair Deborah Hart and Police Assistant Commissioner Mike Pannett. The Reserve Bank Governor has swung into action to talk down financial markets, Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems happy. Avatar director James Cameron has warned this might be his last Avatar movie and is pitching for a better film rebate for local productions. Plus, after the Bondi attack the Huddle debates whether we have let antisemitism become acceptable. 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.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and former Green MP Gareth Hughes joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day! There was a fatal attack on Bondi Beach last night, with 15 dead and over 40 people injured. What do we think of this? Is this a sign we've normalised anti-Semitism?  The Motor Trade Association is warning that we shouldn't extend WOFs from one to two years. Will this lead to more road-unfit cars on the roads?   James Cameron has said he might not make another Avatar sequel, and he wants the Government to strengthen the film rebate system. Do we really think this is the way to go? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update is due to be unveiled to the nation tomorrow, and the Finance Ministers outlined her expectations.  Experts have speculated a projected surplus will be pushed back from 2029 by another year, and Prime Minister Chris Luxon tempered expectations earlier today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says 'fiscal discipline' will see New Zealand's economy keep growing in the coming months. "Importantly, I also get to update the Treasury's economic forecasts and that's what shows the picture for more job creation, income growth into the future, and people doing better." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police are assuring the public there's no immediate threat of a terror attack in New Zealand.  They're bolstering their presence around Jewish sites after the targeted attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney's Bondi yesterday.  A father and son opened fired on a crowd of some 1,000 people - killing 15 and injuring more than 40.  Assistant Police Commissioner Mike Pannett says in these situations, try and escape quickly and quietly, hide, and contact police when safe to do so.   "We will absolutely attend as fast as we can, but as these circumstances have shown over the last day, there is no crime advance warning."   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.