Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Listen, I am more and more convinced that we need to cut the number of councils we have across the country. I mean, that voter turnout that we've seen at the weekend was abysmal. Last count I've seen is that nationally, only 38 percent of us voted. It's worse in Auckland, where only around 29 percent -  so not even 1 in 3 of us - voted. Now, I think anyone who thinks that we can fix local Government by ditching the postal vote system and going hard with the orange guy and his dog is dreaming. Because that is not the problem. The problem is not how you vote, the problem is who you vote for. I think we have a complete breakdown in the trust between the voter and the people that we are voting for and the authority in general. I mean, you've opened your booklet, right? Surely, you've had a look at who you had to vote for. It's overpopulated by people you wouldn't trust to mind your pet, never mind run the council. You don't actually believe that these people are going to make smart decisions, do you? Or do what they say they're gonna do? You wouldn't even know if they do what they say they're gonna do, because there's hardly any media coverage nowadays and holding people to account. I think it fundamentally comes down to us simply having too many local body politicians in New Zealand, right? Because Auckland alone has 170 of these people. That is more than Parliament has for the entire country. Now, run that 170 in Auckland across the entire country, but it's like 1000. We don't have enough media to cover everything, grill them when they break promises. We don't have enough attention spans ourselves to absorb that much information on top of everything we're already absorbing with central Government. And so what we do is we just tap out and we give up and only what, 40 percent of us vote? I reckon what we need to do is we need to take our 67 territorial authorities and just cut it down. Some commentators reckon we need to go as low as 13. I don't mind, that's a good starting point. It's certainly a better starting point than 67 which equals a, what, 38 percent turnout? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 13 October 2025, the last of the Israeli hostages are being released today in a momentous day for Gaza. Israel correspondent Alexander Cornwell speaks to Heather ahead of Donald Trump's arrival to Jerusalem. The Education Minister says "I told you so!" after literacy stats show the structured literacy approach she mandated across the country is already lifting reading rates for our youngest school kids. Heather reckons we need a fundamental change to local body elections after an abysmal turnout over the weekend. Plus, the Huddle debates literacy, local politics and longer hospital stays for new mums. 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.

Participation in local elections is at a historic low and there's growing calls for reform. Turnout's been higher in rural areas and much lower in the main cities, but data shows under 40 percent of eligible voters made their voices heard. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says a simpler solution is needed, much like the general elections. "It might be simpler if it was just - turn up and vote. Turn up to the booth, turn up to the place just as you do for the general Government elections." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamas is expected to start releasing Israeli hostages now. It's handing over 20 hostages over the next two hours - followed by Israel handing over nearly 2000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.  The US president is expected to arrive in Tel Aviv very soon, and claims the war is over in Gaza and the ceasefire will hold. Reuters correspondent Alexander Cornwell says people could start arriving very soon - and that the Red Cross will be there to collect them. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's disappointment from some after a majority of Māori wards are set to go.  17 councils have voted to keep them, and 25 have voted to remove them Whakatane Māori Ward councillor Toni Boynton says those referendums should never have been held. She says this choice should be up to councils. "If they're elected by their constituents, that's democracy, right? And they're elected to be able to make those decisions and that decision was taken away from them." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's confidence New Zealand schools are turning a corner on literacy skills. The Education Minister says data shows 58 percent of new entrant students are at-or-above phonics expectations after 20 weeks at school - up from 36 percent in Term One. The number exceeding expectations is more than double Term One's figure. Erica Stanford says she wants 90 percent of kids to achieve curriculum level. "As teachers become more confident and capable with explicit teaching and the new curriculum and structured literacy, the results will get better and better and better...we see that overseas." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The IRD is set to be cracking down harder on those who don't pay their taxes properly, and they've unveiled new measures for people who ignore correspondence. The department will start taking money out of people's bank accounts if they owe over a certain amount - and they've recovered at least $17 million so far. The IRD's Tony Morris says they aim to phone people at least twice before they start directly taking money out of accounts. "Other times, we might just contact people once or twice and then take money out of their accounts so they don't squander it."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erica Stanford believes mandated structured literacy is turning reading and writing skills around. The Education Minister's revealed new data showing 58 percent of students are at or above phonics expectations after 20 weeks at school - up from 36 percent in Term One. The number exceeding expectations is more than double Term One's figure. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this data shows the Government's education plan is working. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Government has backed down on its controversial superannuation tax plan, following long-running criticism from key industries. Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced the surprise decision today, one week after Prime Minister Albanese claimed the plan was going to remain unchanged.  Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says these changes have been met with support from Australians. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has defended the lack of fresh faces in the 36-strong squad for the upcoming Grand Slam tour. There's just one new cap in prop Tevita Mafileo and only one player - hooker George Bell - didn't appear in the Rugby Championship squad. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.