Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Taxpayers'-Union Curia poll revealed this morning that Christopher Luxon’s National Party has sunk to its lowest result in the poll since 2021. National is sitting on 28.4%, down 2.9 points from February’s poll. The result sparked conversation around whether Luxon should step down.  Luxon joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to defend his position and says he is 'absolutely not' stepping down.  LISTEN ABOVE OR WATCH BELOW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queues are forming at petrol stations as concerns over increasing fuel prices brought on by the war in Iran. International oil prices have increased since the start of the war as traffic halts in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s crude oil is transported. Waitomo Group CEO Simon Parham joins Heather du Plessis-Allan to chat about the near-future of our gas prices.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK is preparing a British warship to protect a military base in Cyprus, but it's not expected to sail until next week, according to new reports. The HMS Dragon is being loaded with ammunition in Portsmouth, as defensive capabilities in Cyprus are set to increase amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.  UK correspondent Enda Brady has voiced concerns about what this means for the UK's military. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Punishing strikes continue across the Middle East as Iran retaliates to US-Israeli attacks - with Gulf states busy blocking incoming fire. Israel continues to pummel Tehran, and has launched fresh attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, while Iran has launched an attack on Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie revealed what this week's developments could mean for investors. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest Federated Farmers Confidence Survey indicates more farmers are turning a profit, but there's still some industry concerns to consider. Of nearly 650 farmers who responded to the survey in late January and early February, 70 percent said their farm was currently profitable - the highest since the survey was launched.  The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and former Green MP Gareth Hughes joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Government is looking to possibly scrap the Clean Car Standard, and a review is under way. Do we think this is likely to go ahead? Trade Me is ditching their 'success fees' and bank transfers as part of a new overhaul. Do we think this is a good idea? Do we prefer Facebook Marketplace anyway? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 5 March, 2026, we ask Transport Minister Chris Bishop why the government's looking at scrapping the clean car standard altogether. A Gisborne farmer tells us why he's got a beef with changes to the rural school bus service. Black Cap Cole McConchie on what it was like having a front-row seat to Finn Allen's blistering century - the fastest-ever at a T20 World Cup. And on The Huddle with Jordan Williams and Gareth Hughes we hear how there could be more polling bad news for National. 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.

So the latest climate drama involving this Government is that they’re being accused of lining up to scrap the Clean Car Standards altogether. And I would say to the EV lobby group pushing this line that they may want to just settle down. Even those of us -and I’m looking straight at myself here - who want to see the standards dropped altogether do not think it’s going to happen. That would take political courage and I do not think this Government has that on a subject like this in an election year. Now, what I’m talking about, if you don’t follow all of the details, is the twin of the ute tax. This is the other part of that policy that was brought in at the same time. It’s a penalty that importers have to pay for every dirty car they bring into the country, in the hope that it will encourage them to instead go for the cleaner cars - the EVs. It was recently dropped right down at the end of the year and it’s now up for consultation. The Government is considering overhauling the system. One of the questions being asked in the consultation is whether it should just be abolished altogether. Now I’d love it to be because it hasn’t worked. Consumers simply do not want to buy that many EVs in this country. The only thing this standard has done is reduce the number of Japanese cars - which we love - coming into the country in the past five years, from 150,000 a year to 90,000 a year. That’s down 45 percent and apparently most of this, according to dealers, is because of the Clean Car Standard.And you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what that does to prices. If you’re bringing in so many fewer cars, what happens to prices? That’s right - they go up. And who pays that? That’s right - you and I. I don’t love that. The other thing it’s done is force 244 dealers - just last year - to shut down because they couldn’t get enough cars. So I’d love to see the standard scrapped. It’s only making our cars more expensive, it’s only putting people out of business, and as we know, it’s going to do nothing for the climate because New Zealand is insignificant in the scheme of global emissions. But it will not be scrapped because every other developed nation apart from Russia is applying standards like this, so we’ll be stuck playing the game too. “Should it be abolished?” is, I’m sorry to say, just a question to make the Government look like it’s considering everything - but it is not actually considering everything, and we’re probably stuck with this. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People will have to pay with cash after a Trade Me sale if they want to avoid a fee. The company's removing its 7.9 percent 'success fee' for casual selling - keeping only a small service fee. Along with Afterpay and cash, Trade Me uses its own payment system, Ping - taking just over two percent from every sale.  Trade Me’s Head of Marketplace Lisa Stewart says bank transfers will now be against their policy. "We've got teams of folks who scan the site to check that nothing dodgy is going on, if they catch that that kind of behaviour's happening, we'd look to educate our customers." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Caps have been launched into the T20 World Cup final, and the Kiwi side's thrilled. New Zealand have thrashed previously unbeaten South Africa by nine wickets in the first semifinal, with Finn Allen smashing 100 not out from 33 balls. Black Caps player Cole McConchie says Allen gave a 'world-class' performance. "That was some innings, he had to put out a performance like that in a semi-final from him - that was incredibly special." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.