Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Labour MP Kieran McAnulty says his member's bill to loosen liquor regulations on key public holidays will clear up confusion. It would allow hospitality venues to sell alcohol on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning and Christmas Day - without needing to serve a meal. The bill could be in place by this Easter weekend, with its final reading underway in Parliament. McAnulty says venues currently have to operate under different rules than the rest of the year, which doesn't make any sense. "All I'm proposing is that on these days, the businesses that are already operating and the workers that are already working anyway can just do so under normal conditions."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, the fuel supply update shows the amount of jet fuel in the country sat at 22.1 days of supply as of Sunday, down from 25.3 recorded last Wednesday.  Diesel's about the same at 21.6 days - meanwhile petrol was up on Sunday, at 29.3 days of supply.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says we'll find out about the Government's new plans for the crisis tommorow. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A US judge has halted construction of Donald Trump's nearly $700 million White House ballroom. The President had the East Wing bowled last year to make way for the project. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has been granted a request for a preliminary injunction, alleging Trump exceeded his authority by not getting Congress approval before launching into construction. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says this delay will give Trump time to appeal the decision.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Black Ardie Savea appears to have reconciled with New Zealand Rugby after a potential estrangement last year. The Herald reports he came close to international retirement after the defeat to England at Twickenham. Savea was understood to have become disillusioned with the amount of the sport he was playing and time away from home, despite moving from the Hurricanes to Moana Pasifika and opting for a couple of sabbaticals in Japan. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been confirmed Fire and Emergency’s board members are getting pay rises of up to 79 percent amid prolonged industrial action. A departmental briefing recommended Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden approve large increases to board pay packets in December. NZ Firefighters Union national secretary Wattie Watson has voiced outrage with this move, as strike action is set to continue. "It's outrageous when we have our three lowest ranks barely getting paid minimum wage, they're not even getting paid the living wage  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The BBC has reported that Beatrice and Eugenie, the daughters of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, won't be at the royal family's traditional Easter service this year. The gathering at St George's Chapel takes place every year, but the pair have reportedly made 'alternative plans' as their parents face scrutiny over their connections to Jefferey Epstein. UK correspondent Enda Brady says it's unlikely the four will be invited to future royal events going forward.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Middle East conflict continues on for another week, and it's led to economic forecasters revising their predictions for recovery. Significant cuts to growth, higher inflation, lower investment, household consumption, and higher unemployment appear to be on the cards, according to new reports.  HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham says it's unclear how the central banks on both sides of the Tasman will proceed.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Power bills are set to go up from tomorrow, from as high as 5 to 10 percent. Electricity lines charges are set to go up, following an earlier Commerce Commission decision to allow for the charges to go up. Consumer NZ's Paul Fuge explained that these increases will vary across households, with some seeing higher increases and some seeing lower ones.  "Because it is so convoluted and so complex and the maths is so hard, we have to run the service we've been running for 25 years now to try and help people make heads or tails of this." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Federated Farmers High Country Field Day recently took place at Glenaray station in the Waikaia Valley. Over 280 visitors visited various sites across the farm to discuss the issues impacting New Zealand's rural sector. The Country's Jamie Mackay recapped the action, and speculated about the lack of Labour MPs at the event.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 31 March, 2026, New Zealand Herald senior reporter David Fisher says he's amazed it took so long to quash David Tamihere's double-murder convictions. We talk to Iran's ambassador to New Zealand about Donald Trump's threat to "obliterate" his country's energy sites. A public health physician has issues with a study linking vaping to lung and oral cancer. And on The Huddle, Trish Sherson and Phil Goff debate the Greens refusing to run a sex worker as a candidate. 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.