• Full Show Podcast: 04 July 2025
    Jul 4 2025
    Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 4 July.
    Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 40 mins
  • Nick Khoey: Auckland Camera Centre Manager on Gen-Z's digital camera obsession
    Jul 4 2025

    Digital cameras are seeing an explosion in sales following the latest Gen-Z trends.

    These cameras have widely been considered dated since the arrival of smartphones. However, the younger generations seem to have made the switch back.

    Auckland Camera Centre Manager Nick Khoey told Heather du-Plessis Alan that the rise in demand for these cameras has been outstanding.

    ‘We’ve been selling them new, used... we just can’t keep them in stock’

    LISTEN ABOVE

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    3 mins
  • Jules Radich: Dunedin Mayor on potential loss of games to new Christchurch stadium
    Jul 4 2025

    Festivities are kicking off in Dunedin - a day before it hosts its only All Blacks game this year.

    The first international match of 2025 against France has sold out at Forsyth Barr Stadium tomorrow night.

    But the opening of Christchurch's new stadium in April could mean Dunedin will host even fewer matches.

    Mayor Jules Radich told Heather du Plessis-Allan he isn't worried.

    He says the rugby union will continue to share games around the country.

    LISTEN ABOVE

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    3 mins
  • Jason Walls: Political editor says Labour MP's domestic violence claim is 'complete nonsense'
    Jul 4 2025

    The Police Minister says a Labour MP's claim is a deliberate attempt to undermine hard-working officers.

    Labour's Deborah Russell told Newstalk ZB Police were being told not to attend domestic violence crimes.

    Political Editor Jason Walls told Heather du Plessis-Allan that data shows police are attending 7.7 percent more family violence callouts, since changing the triage system.

    He says Mitchell called Russell's claim complete nonsense.

    She clarified she meant to say family violence is one of the most common forms of violent crime - but often underreported.

    LISTEN ABOVE

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    5 mins
  • Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Are IRD really the 'bad guys' when it comes to student debt?
    Jul 4 2025

    Right, tell me what you think of this.

    There seems to be a bit of an effort underway at the moment to portray IRD as bad guys because they're chasing Kiwis overseas who owe money on their student loans.

    Now, tell me if you think that we should let either of these two off the hook on the money that they owe.

    The first is a pilot who moved to Australia 10 years ago. He now owes IRD $170,000. That is his original loan, plus basically mostly interest.

    He says he moved there for a pilot job in 2014, did it for six years, lost it during COVID, had to take a low-paying job in a storage warehouse.

    He's a pilot again, but this loan is so big, he doesn't know if he's ever gonna be able to pay it back.

    Should we let him off his debt?

    Or do you, like me, look at what a regional commercial pilot in Australia can earn, which is over $100,000 and possibly even closer to $200,000 Australian dollars, and think, he can probably afford to start paying back that debt.

    The second is a woman who has a debt of $70,000.

    Now, she moved to the United States 20 years ago.

    She wants to come back now to see her sick mom, but she can't because she's worried that she's gonna be arrested at the border.

    Should we wipe her debt? So she can come home and see her sick mom?

    Or do you like me, think that's entirely her decision.

    She can come back and see her sick mom. Ain't nobody stopping her doing that. And maybe when she gets here, we'll have a little chat about how she can start to make some repayments on that debt.

    Or she can carry on like she is, which is clearly valuing her money over her mom. Not coming back.

    And by the way, arrests over the border only happen to the worst offenders who've who've ignored all attempts by IRD to sort out the debt.

    Now, don't think I'm callous, right?

    I do feel sorry for both of these people and everybody else like them, because I imagine it's a horrible situation to be in, to allow your debt to get that out of hand.

    But that is not an excuse not to pay it back. IRD is, from what I can tell, pretty reasonable here.

    So much so that that woman's $70,000 debt has now been reduced to only $15,000 so it just covers the original debt in the end. The penalties have been wiped. This is them coming to the party to try to help.

    Sorry, the free ride is over, the repayments need to start. New Zealand is broke, we actually need this money back.

    I applaud IRD for going hard on this, and so far, I'm completely unmoved by any attempts to paint them as bad guys.

    I am yet to come across a single case where I think that IRD is being unfair, asking for the student loan to be repaid.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    3 mins
  • Chris Mackenzie: Ferry Holdings Chair blames lacklustre service on government purchases
    Jul 4 2025

    The team purchasing the newly public-owned Cook Strait ferries says the process can't be compared to private contractors.

    Kiwirail's new ferries aren't expected to be in service until Christmas 2029.

    Ferry Holdings Chair, Chris Mackenzie, says part of the issue is the Government is buying new ferries - not second-hand.

    He also told Heather du Plessis-Allan they fulfil different needs, with the Government providing a year-round service, which the private sector can't afford.

    LISTEN ABOVE

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    5 mins
  • David Seymour: ACT leader says unit for verifying the costs of pre-election political policy promises would add more bureaucracy.
    Jul 4 2025

    Act's David Seymour says a unit for verifying the costs of pre-election political policy promises - would add more bureaucracy.

    Act and New Zealand First torpedoed a proposal by Finance Minister Nicola Willis to publicly fund such a service.

    National declined Labour’s offer of support.

    Seymour claims his Party managed to release a fully costed alternative Budget without it.

    He says he doesn't like the idea that people need bureaucracy to tell them what is good or accurate.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    3 mins
  • Rawdon Christie: Real estate agent says some Kiwis are stumbling into home ownership.
    Jul 4 2025

    A Realestate.co.nz survey found that 24% of respondents bought a property without initially intending to purchase, with 8% buying spontaneously in the past year.

    Agent Rawdon Christie told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's hard to believe people are really buying on a whim.

    He says there's a mountain of paper work and regulations to get through before signing on the dotted line.

    LISTEN ABOVE

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    5 mins