Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi isn't saying if she has confidence in Te Pāti Māori's leadership, after her reinstatement. A High Court this week ruled her expulsion last year was unlawful. She says she'll maintain separate offices from the Party  for now, and consider the ruling with whanau and iwi. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, Queensland senator Matt Canavan is set to take over the Nationals - signalling a new change for the party. Canavan will work alongside fellow conservative Angus Taylor, and experts are speculating about what this could mean for the future of Australia's right bloc. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Canavan has spoken out against the Paris Agreement and called for new coal-fired power stations to be built. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the biggest advocates for New Zealand cricketers is going to be looking after every professional player around the globe. After almost 25 years in the role, Heath Mills is stepping down as New Zealand Cricket Players Association chief executive to become executive chairman of the World Cricketers’ Association. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of New Zealand sport’s biggest powerbrokers is stepping down. NZ Cricket Players Association boss Heath Mills has announced today that he will be leaving in June, after 25 years with the association. Mills says the time's right to step down, as he wants to focus on his new role as executive chairman of the World Cricketers’ Association. "The time's right for me now to step aside as CEO of the New Zealand Players' Association. It's been a hard decision to make, because it's been part of my life for so long and I've loved representing players." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meghan Markle is set to headline a weekend retreat hosted by the Her Best Life podcast in Sydney this April. The event will be held during a visit to Australia by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, concluding earlier speculation.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the event will take place over three days, and reportedly includes sessions with a psychologist, yoga, and other activities. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A proposed crackdown on companies that give shareholders loans, rather than pay them taxable income, appears dead in the water. Inland Revenue has been eyeing the whopping $29 billion shareholders currently owe companies, questioning the extent to which companies are issuing shareholders loans, rather than paying them dividends or wages. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US President's social media posts suggest he's worried about the price of oil, as the US and Israel bombard Iran into an 11th day. More than 1700 have been killed in the Middle East - most in Iran, and hundreds in Lebanon. Despite this, markets appear to have calmed down following the initial shock, and Milford Asset Management's Brendan Larsen explained why. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The Public Service Commissioner raised a few eyebrows when he confirmed boards can make individual employment offers to non-NZEI teachers from today, after the union rejected three recent deals. Do we think this was the right move?  There's growing calls to reform sick leave laws after the recent Covid wave led to more deaths and hospitalisations. Do we think changes are really needed here?  Do we really need more cash machines? Who still uses cash? Do we think the Reserve Bank was out of line? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 11 March, 2026, we talk to the Public Service Commissioner on why he's given a pay increase to non-union primary school teachers. Heinz Wattie's is shutting factories affecting about 350 jobs - an employers advocate warns there'll be more to come. An academic's call for sick leave to be accrued - and taken from job to job. And on The Huddle, Jack Tame and Maurice Williamson debate whether we really do need more cash machines. 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.

I think we can quite accurately use the word 'brilliant' to describe the latest move from the Government’s man in the primary teachers’ pay negotiations. Brian Roche, the Public Service Commissioner, has gone around the union and offered a 4.7 percent pay increase to primary teachers who are not in the union. If they agree to it, the first chunk of the pay rise will kick in 19 days from now and the next chunk will take effect in January next year. This is clever because it undermines the union - which still hasn’t settled, has it? For the past nine months, they’ve refused to finalise their pay agreement until the Treaty is recognised in teachers’ contracts and until the Government pays teachers more for their overnight camp allowance, for God’s sake. Based on the text traffic we get to this show, there must be huge numbers of teachers growing increasingly frustrated with their union for getting hung up on ideology over pay, while they lose up to $76 a week in income they’re not receiving because negotiations are still dragging on. So the pressure is now on the NZEI big time. Feasibly, union members can now do what 10,000 of their colleagues have already done: either avoid joining the union or leave it altogether and get their pay rise faster without the union than with it. Personally, I love that this is happening. It became obvious to me 20 years ago, as a junior reporter at TVNZ, that unions weren’t much use to me even then. And what’s happened since is much worse because unions are now actively holding up pay negotiations for really stupid reasons. So - brilliant move from the Public Service Commissioner. I can’t wait to see whether this forces the union to finally wrap up the pay talks to save themselves from an exodus of clever teachers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.