Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

New Zealand Winegrowers are on Cloud Wine over proposed Government changes to alcohol laws. They include allowing licensed premises to meet legal obligations by stocking zero-alcohol drinks. Currently, licence holders must stock 'low alcohol' products containing no more than 2.5 percent alcohol.  Chief executive Phillip Gregan says it's a common sense change. "Frankly, I'm not sure that there are any wines less than 2.5 percent, they tend to be slightly higher than that, or just zero." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 13 March, 2026, we look at whether people are over-reacting by panic-buying petrol. The Crusaders chief executive says media ban ... what media ban? An Auckland University researcher tells us why you shouldn't mow your lawn. And on the Sports Huddle, Lavina Good and Paul Allison discuss whether Liam Lawson will last the Formula One season. 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.

Senior political correspondent Barry Soper joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to wrap the political week.  The big topics this past week were former Chatham Islands Council CEO Paul Eagle's serious fraud office inquiry, reflecting on last Friday's Luxon chaos, and the Covid inquiry.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Okay, here’s a prediction for you, because there have been headlines today about petrol stations running out of fuel because of panic buying: people will panic buy petrol this weekend. Yesterday was discount day at Gull so things went a bit crazy. Gull Ōtāhuhu ran out of 95; Gull Greville Road, Gull Henderson, Gull Torbay, Gull Takanini and Gull Takapuna were also out of at least one type of fuel. Two pumps ran dry at supermarkets in Palmerston North as well. Here’s my second prediction: there will be tellings-off. Cheryl from the Bay of Plenty is going to see some punter filling multiple containers and she’s going to get angry about it.  Actually, that’s not even a prediction — because it’s already happened. Cheryl went to the Gull in Whakamarama and saw a van filling up multiple large containers causing a 20-minute wait for other customers. She spoke to the media and called it unfair. Now, the thing is: panic buying is obviously not a good idea for the collective good. We’ve been here before with the toilet paper during COVID, haven’t we? It’s not a good idea for everyone as a whole — but it is a completely rational thing to do from a selfish perspective if you’re just looking after yourself and your family. So you should expect people to do it. And before you tell anyone off for doing it, remember: we don’t know their personal circumstances. We don’t know what’s made them go down to the petrol station that day to fill up their car and multiple containers. We don’t know whether they’re running essential generators back on the farm, whether they need to be sure they have enough fuel for the next few days. And more importantly, we don’t know how tight their budgets are. You and I might be able to absorb a 30-cent rise in the price of fuel, but if someone only has a few dollars left at the end of the week, and they’re driving in from Pōkeno to the city centre every day, they might not have the ability to absorb that kind of increase. They may in fact need to buy as much as they can while it’s cheap. No one is to blame for what’s happening at the moment. This is normal human behaviour. The media is just doing its job by reporting on the fuel increases people want to read about. The government is being as careful in its messaging as it can be. And even the punter filling up is only doing the rational thing. So what I’d say is: expect this to continue for as long as we’re talking about possible shortages and price rises. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queenstown's tourism growth has remained steady over the last few months with tourism levels now reaching 97% of pre-Covid numbers.  Queenstown Mayor John Glover joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to chat about growth management, the potential for increased flight prices as fuel costs become a concern, and the pipeline from visitor to resident.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

University of Auckland PhD candidate Olivia Rooke-Devoy has offered a 'low-mow' alternative to protect the lawn environment.  She claims that over-mowing is letting off too much CO-2, and destroying the habitats of insects and bees.  Rooke-Devoy told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's an 'environmental disaster'. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The war in Iran has sparked worldwide concerns of fuel shortages after the Strait of Hormuz was shut. The passage carries roughly 20 percent of the world's oil supply.  The final oil tankers that made it through the strait before it's closure have now reached Singapore.  Although, Starboard Maritime Intelligence analyst Mark Douglas says the fuel crisis might come later than expected.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to a new PBS poll public support for Donald Trump is in decline as more than half of US citizens oppose the war in Iran.  Dan Mitchinson spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan about the questions arising surrounding the progression of the war, including the possibility of robot soldiers and security risks at the Oscars.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Select Committee report on the Government's proposed Greyhound Racing ban has come back, with the committee saying they want the bill passed.  But, ACT has some concerns surrounding the impact to the livelihood of a 'lawfully acting industry'. ACT MP Cameron Luxton sat on the Select Committee, and joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to discuss the party's proposed changes.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK Prime Minister was warned of the risk of appointing Lord Mandelson as US ambassador, given his ties with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Documents released by the UK Government include advice warning Sir Keir Starmer the relationship continued after Epstein's conviction. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this will create extra political pressure for Starmer, especially following the recent local elections.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.