Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Infrastructure Commission's suggesting the Government spends less on roads and tolls Auckland's future additional harbour crossing. It's 30-year-road-map released today makes 10 recommendations for what should be prioritised over the next decade, with hospital investment topping the list.  The plan suggests the extra crossing in Auckland, tunnel or bridge, gets a $9 toll. National Road Carriers Association CEO Justin Tighe-Umbers says the infrastructure has be paid for - and solutions need to be found.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data shows wool sales are still up in the South Island. PGG Wrightson South Island auction manager Dave Burridge said exporter demand remains highly competitive - with the SWI lifting a further 47 cents. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sky TV is seeing the loss of HBO content as a new opportunity.  Warner Bros Discovery's announced it will launch HBO max mid-year, home to original hit shows like The Pitt which originally featured on Sky's Neon service.  Sky CEO Sophie Moloney says they need a broader suit of options than what they've been securing through the HBO deal.  "It means that we can be investing in other content that makes sense for our business with other studios, like Sony and the BBC. So as a team, we're really excited about what the future holds."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day, and more! The ACT Party is looking to make changes to the End of Life Choice Act, and it's prompted concerns from critics about what it could mean for the healthcare system? Do we think these are warranted?  The Government is looking into tolling the Auckland Harbour Bridge, as well as the second harbour crossing. Do we think this is realistic? What do we think of the new birth statistics data. More women are delaying kids until they get older. What do we think of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You want some fascinating data about how we’ve changed in the past 60 years? Have a look at the birth statistics out today - especially the age at which mums are having babies. Last year, 14 percent of births were to mums younger than 25. In 1995, which is just one generation ago, it was double that: 28 percent of births were to mums under 25. And in 1960, two generations ago, it was 46 percent - nearly half of all births. Today, there are now more babies born to mums over 40 than to mums under 20. And I’m one of those mums - I was counted in last year’s data. Last January, at 40, I had a baby. Now, if I could do my life again, I reckon it probably would have been better to have my kids about a decade earlier. Your knees at 40 are not what they were at 30. Kids want you to run, you don’t really want to run anymore. You’re just tired. But at 40, you also understand the value of time. If I had my kids at 40, and they have their kids at 40, I’ll become a grandmother around 80. Which means I won’t have that long left with them. I probably won’t see my grandkids get married or have their own children - something that must be one of life’s great joys. Leaving it late means missing out on experiences that previous generations took for granted. But there are upsides too. You are simply a better person at 40 than you are at 30. You’re more in control of your emotions - a huge part of parenting - and that makes you a better parent. More importantly, and I reckon this is why so many mums are leaving it later - you’re more financially secure. By your late 30s, you’ve probably bought a house, paid off a decent chunk, and established your career. Your partner’s income is helpful, sure, but you’re not dependent on it in the same way your grandmother was on her husband. And that’s why I don’t think the age of mums is ever going back down. Women are more financially independent than they were two generations ago. They have choices - and the choice they’re making is right there in the data,They’re choosing to have kids later. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 17 February, 2026, a $9 toll for crossing the Auckland Harbour Bridge is part of a 30-year infrastructure plan - will it happen? More 40-year-old women are now having babies than those under 25. Why Sky TV's Sophie Moloney isn't gutted about losing HBO content on Neon. And on the Huddle, Maurice Williamson and Ali Jones discuss whether the euthanasia law should be expanded. 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.

Advocates warn the removal of requirements for assisted suicide would open Pandora's box. The ACT Party is pushing for changes to its End of Life Choice Act.  Proposed amendments include removing the six-month prognosis requirement and adopting all 25 recommendations for a Health Ministry review.  Ethos Alliance chief executive Alex Penk says it would open up euthanasia as an option to more long-term conditions and disabilities.  "If you're a doctor at the moment, for example, who says I can make my peace with euthanasia for end-stage cancer, say - they might start to feel quite differently about this when you start talking about diabetes, frailty, renal failure..." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand-based gambling experts have claimed prediction market platforms like Polymarket are illegal under the nation's gambling laws. Platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi are online markets where users can place bets on future outcomes, like political news events or OCR updates. Internal Affairs Director of Gambling Vicki Scott says Polymarket meets the definition of their illegal framework - and they're looking to shut it down. "We wrote to both Kalshi and Polymarket yesterday, explaining our view that it's clearly in breach of our laws and requesting their immediate removal from the New Zealand market." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More women are having children later in life, according to new data. Stats NZ figures show a record-low number of under-25s are giving birth, which is half the number of a generation ago. The number of live births last year was essentially the same as in 1995 - just under 58,000. Massey University Sociologist, Paul Spoonley says he's not surprised as life expectancy rises. "There are many more children born to women aged over 40 in New Zealand, compared to women aged 20 and younger in New Zealand."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's not getting good bang for its infrastructure buck, according to some. The Infrastructure Commission has released a 30-year plan with 16 recommendations, and 10 top priorities for the next decade - including health spending.  Infrastructure Commission chief executive Geoff Cooper says we rank high on spending in the OECD, but our outcomes are in the bottom 10 percent. He says New Zealand has unique problems we need to solve.  "The geography is very difficult and we have a dispersed population. That means more pipes, more roads, more transmission lines and so on - and that costs, if you're going to do that."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.