

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive
Newstalk ZB
With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 2, 2025 • 4min
Enda Brady: UK correspondent on Harry bringing William and Kate into Daily Mail lawsuit
Prince Harry's legal battle against the Daily Mail continues, and he's dragged William and Kate into the mix. Harry is one of several public figures - including Sir Elton John, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Elizabeth Hurley - accusing Associated Newspapers Limited of privacy breaches. UK correspondent Enda Brady explains the situation further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 2, 2025 • 4min
Sam Dickie: Fisher Funds expert on the new media moguls looking to buy TikTok
Move over Murdoch family - there's a new set of media moguls looking to make a name for themselves. Larry Ellison, founder of the software firm Oracle, and his son David are orchestrating media deals which could see them owning big names like CNN, Paramount and TikTok. Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 2, 2025 • 2min
Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Does the flotilla stunt really help the people of Gaza?
I reckon we shouldn't panic too much on behalf of those three New Zealand citizens who've been intercepted by the Israeli military and the flotilla. Obviously, we want international law to be followed, but it's pretty clear that these guys knew what they were getting themselves into and did it anyway. I mean, they are absolutely milking this for all that it's worth with the social media posts claiming they've been kidnapped and all that kind of stuff - by the Israelis, by the way. But they knew this was gonna happen, and they were prepared for it because this is what happened to Greta in June. She was on the flotilla that got stopped by the IDF- and they took her to Ashdod and they kept her for a few hours and then they tried to make her watch a video of the October 7 massacre, she didn't want to. And they put her on a plane in the back row, right in front of the toilet, so there wasn't even any reclining space for her, and then they packed her off home. And that was fine. So they got on some more ships and they tried to do it again. So it was always going to play out in exactly the same way. And for that reason, I think it is fair to call this a stunt, because what they're doing is something that they know has no reasonable chance of success - which is delivering aid to Gaza, but they're doing it anyway, to draw attention to Gaza. That's a stunt. Now, I'm not going to criticize them for wanting to draw attention to Gaza because it is horrific and intolerable what's happening there. And if there is any doubt that the Israelis are deliberately constraining the flow of aid, I think that was quite obviously dispelled this week when the Trump peace plan was released and it promised that if Hamas accepts the deal, then full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. Which is essentially, I think you can see, an admission that full aid is currently being withheld from the Gaza Strip. So I understand why they want to draw attention to it, but I still don't have much time for stunts like this because generally, they don't actually draw attention to the thing that they're trying to draw attention to - which is the starvation in Gaza. They only really draw attention to themselves - which is Greta and her mates. That's what we're talking about. Because we're not talking about Gaza today, are we? We're talking about Greta and her mates. The whole thing becomes about the safety and the treatment of the activists, not the safety and the treatment of the people of Gaza. And frankly, they are, in my opinion, of no value whatsoever to the people of Gaza right now. Now, obviously, I do hope the IDF treats these kids well. Our diplomats have asked for as much, but they knew this was going to happen. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 2, 2025 • 1h 41min
Full Show Podcast: 02 October 2025
On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 2 October 2025, three New Zealand citizens have been arrested by the Israeli Defence Force because they were on a protest flotilla headed for Gaza. One of them is 18-year old Samuel Leason, his dad speaks to Heather. The Warehouse chief executive Mark Stirton tells Heather why the company is struggling to turn a corner. What's behind the rise in Tramadol prescriptions? Should we be worried about people getting addicted to pain killers? More drama in the Maori Party with the very public falling out between the party leadership and the leader of Toitu Te Tiriti. Plus, the Huddle gets fiery after Wayne Brown tells an Auckland Ratepayers group to "f off". 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.

Oct 2, 2025 • 2min
Hamish McKay: The Country spokesperson on what's behind the increase in the price of wool
Wool prices have seen a significant rise this week, and there's a few key factors behind this development. Currently, wool prices are on the longest rise since 1987 - and while these prices are mostly benefitting Australian farmers, there's hope Kiwis could benefit from this demand too. The Country's Hamish McKay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 2, 2025 • 4min
Liam Napier: NZ Herald sports writer on the All Blacks squad picks for Australian clash in Perth
A much-revamped All Blacks line-up will confront Australia in Saturday's second Bledisloe Cup test against Australia. Injuries account for four of the seven changes to the run-on side. Captain Scott Barrett returns at lock, Tamaiti Williams and Fletcher Newell start as props and Peter Lakai has his first test start, at number eight. In the backs, Quinn Tupaea dons the 13 jersey and Leicester Fainga'anuku starts on the left wing - his first test since the 2023 World Cup. NZ Herald ruby writer Liam Napier says the All Blacks are striving for consistency ahead of Saturday's match. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 2, 2025 • 10min
The Huddle: What does Toitū Te Tiriti cutting ties mean for Te Pāti Māori?
Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Toitū Te Tiriti, the activist group behind the hikoi on Parliament last year officially cut ties with Te Pāti Māori today. What does this mean for Te Pāti Māori's political future - or Labour's? Should we be assisting the Kiwis who got arrested because they were on the Gaza flotilla - in any way? What do we make of these kinds of stunts? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 2, 2025 • 3min
Meka Whaitiri: former Labour MP on Toitū Te Tiriti cutting ties with Te Pāti Māori
Questions have been raised over ructions within Te Pāti Māori. Toitū Te Tiriti - which led the large hikoi on Parliament last year - officially cut ties with the party today. Leader Eru Kapa-Kingi is the son of one of the party's MPs, and he claims the party follows a 'dictatorship model'. Former Labour MP Meka Whaitiri ran for Te Pāti Māori in the last election. She says this news is disappointing. "There's a lot of dynamics at play - there's some family ties there, you've got relationships, you've got kaupapa, you've got new movements. We can just purely speculate." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 2, 2025 • 3min
Karen Fifield: Wellington Zoo CEO on the death of Jane Goodall
Conservationist Dame Jane Goodall, who was credited with revolutionising the world's understanding of chimpanzees, has died at the age of 91. She died of natural causes while on on a speaking tour in California. In her later life, Goodall was almost always travelling the world, delivering speeches about the importance of protecting the environment. Wellington Zoo CEO Karen Fifield says her research transformed the way we view animals - and revealed how we can make their lives easier and better. "I had the honour and privilege of actually interviewing her last year, when she was in Wellington... it was actually one of the honours of my life, I must say, to share the stage with someone as wonderful as Jane." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 2, 2025 • 4min
A.D Leason: father of 18-year-old detained from intercepted Gaza-bound flotilla weighs in on situation
The father of a New Zealander reportedly detained from a Gaza-bound flotilla intercepted by Israel says he spoke to his son last night. Eighteen year old Samuel Leason posted a video online - pre-recorded in case of emergency. His father, A.D Leason, says Samuel described a submarine circling the flotilla, and a blockade of military vessels ahead. "We were comforted by the fact that the Israeli Defence Force has announced that they weren't going to attack vessels, sink them or shoot people in the water like they did on another occasion. So we took comfort from that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.