Larry Williams Drive

The Australian state of Victoria will be formally apologising to indigenous people for colonisation next month. The symbolic action will be delivered by State Premier Jacinta Allan - acknowledging ongoing harm and injustices and land being taken without consent. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this comes after a first-nations Justice Commission report recommended 100 actions - and more changes will be made as a result. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahmedabad will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games centenary edition. The decision has been ratified by the organisation's general assembly in Glasgow. India sees the event as a launching pad to bid for the 2036 Olympics. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Millennials are the first generation to get more left-wing as they age, according to new reports.  A study by the Australian National University has found the age group's support  for Australia's right-wing coalition fell between 2016 and 2025 -  from 38 percent to 21 percent. Study Author Sarah Cameron says education and gender are playing a role.  "It used to be that women were slightly further right, and then were slightly further left. Over time, that gender gap - it's reversed." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four more people have been arrested as as result of last month's high-profile robbery at the Louvre Museum. Two men, aged 38 and 39, and two women, aged 31 and 40, all from the Paris region, were recently arrested. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says police now have 96 hours to question these new suspects.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leaky-home experts fear a proposed overhaul of the Building Act could leave unlucky home owners - apartment owners in particular - in financial ruin. Under the new regime, liabilities are only assigned to the party responsible, and for many new buildings, a warranty will be required. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny unpacks the concerns further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 26 November 2025, Reserve Bank Governor Christian Hawkesby tells Heather why the bank decided to cut the OCR again - and whether that's the end of cuts. Ports of Auckland boss Roger Gray has criticised Kiwi's culture of "no", saying people call us "No Zealand" overseas. Does he have a point? Another summer, another festival cancelled. Promoter Brent Eccles on what's going on, and how we can make sure we definitely get our tickets reimbursed in the future. Climate Change Minister Simon Watts calls Heather's bluff and pops into the studio. Plus, the Huddle debates high tech cars - and whether they're actually annoying (despite reducing the number of crashes)! 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.

The Reserve Bank ended the year on a hopeful note and brought down the OCR for the end of 2025. The central bank cut the Official Cash Rate another 25 basis points today - bringing it to 2.25 percent. Milford Asset Management's Sam Trethewey explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So the Ports of Auckland boss Roger Gray is onto something, isn't he? Because we are a country that loves to say no. He said in a speech to a crowd at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland that he went to Miami to speak to four major cruise liners to find out why the cruise ships aren't coming here as much as they used to. And he apparently says that they call us 'No Zealand' because we just say no to everything. Is he wrong? I mean, look at the news that's been around just for the last couple of days, right? Santana wants to dig $7 billion worth of gold out of the ground near Cromwell. The locals say no. Eric Stanford wants to change the curriculum so our kids can actually get a decent international education and have a future ahead of them. The unions say no. Chris Bishop wants to scrap regional councils because they just waste everyone's time and money and say no to things, and the perpetually concerned looked at that and said no. We say no so much that the Government has created

Tonight on The Huddle, Q&A and ZB Saturday Mornings host Jack Tame and Kiwiblog writer and Curia pollster David Farrar joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Port of Auckland CEO Roger Gray has slammed new Zealand's culture of saying no - and that it's off-putting to prospective investors. Does he have a point here? Mayors and regional councillors have had mixed reactions to the Government's decision to reform local Government. What do we think of all this?  New reports show car crashes have come down thanks to new technological developments. How much do we rely on this tech while driving? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says offshore carbon credits could be bought in the future - but not yet. Climate Minister Simon Watts says all options are being considered, but they've ruled out shopping overseas this term. But for New Zealand to meet Paris Agreement targets signed up to in 2016, it may be necessary - and work is under way so it's an option down the line. Watts says he is focusing on domestic actions. "The reality is, I actually think - and I'm pretty optimistic - we're looking pretty good in terms of our emissions reduction." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Port of Auckland's CEO says a 'no' culture has permeated New Zealand.  Roger Gray says a cruise ship representative he spoke to in the US labelled our country 'No Zealand'. Gray says they claimed excessive regulation made things too difficult for them. He says he doesn't think it's the case in Australia. "I think Australians are a bit more optimistic and go - yeah, let's have a crack. We're a bit more sit back and a bit more conservative."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New advancements in technology are reportedly behind a significant decrease in car crashes. Collisions have dropped 7 percent each year over the last two years, according to the latest AMI motor report. AA Principal Policy Advisor Terry Collins says adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking are among the recent developments that have made all the difference. "We know that accidents occur when people try to do their best and some things happen through inattention. What they do is they give you that physical warning - or they apply the breaks when something happens unexpectedly." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At least one Wellington mayor says it's time district councils combined into one. The Government's proposing replacing regional councillors with boards of district mayors.  They'll have two years from establishment, to put up a regional plan for future local Governments. Porirua mayor Anita Baker says the Wellington region should grab this opportunity.  She explained Hutt City and Porirua residents have already said yes to amalgamation, and Wellington city mayor Andrew Little doesn't seem opposed either.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank's outgoing Governor says New Zealand's economy may be doing better than we realise. The central bank has cut the OCR 25 basis points today - to 2.25 percent. Christian Hawkesby says the economy already appears to be recovering from this year's downturn. He says what's unclear - is its pace. "The recovery could be faster and stronger than we expect, because we have cut interest rates a long way and it could really start coming through quite quickly." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government recently unveiled their plans to make changes to local Government, and it's prompted additional speculation. It's proposing replacing the country's 11 regional councils with boards made up of local mayors. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan speculated about some further changes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ukraine officials say they've agreed to the 'essence' of a peace deal with Russia, but some sensitive issues are still to resolve. US President Donald Trump says a deal is close and US and Russian officials have been meeting separately in Abu Dhabi on discussions. Reports indicate it's now expected Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet within the next week. US correspondent Jonathan Kearsley says the final deal will come down to whether or not Russia accepts the proposed changes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Caps cricketers have been grouped with Afghanistan, South Africa, Canada and the UAE for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. The marquee pool fixture will see India and Pakistan meet on February 15 in neutral Colombo.  Sri Lanka will also host any play-off matches involving Pakistan, due to the latter's ongoing political tension with India. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A promoter says concerts in New Zealand have a bright future, despite some high-profile cancellations.  Tauranga reggae festival One Love and Taranaki's WOMAD have called off their 2026 showings. Promoter Brent Eccles says other festivals like Electric Avenue are doing very well.  He says there are plenty of future opportunities.  "And I think you'll find that next year, with this new Government scheme that's going on, a lot will be announced." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 25 November 2025, regional councils are about to get the axe. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop explains what will replace them, and why it's hopefully going to lower your rates. Massively promising results from the new maths curriculum, as kids are finally seeing a turnaround in their dropping results. GPs are welcoming plans to digitise the health system - to allow hospitals and doctors to all have access to a patient's health history. Plus, on the Huddle, freshly minted Labour candidate Craig Renney and Tim Wilson debate the changes for regional councils and Black Friday deals. 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.

Over in the UK, concerns have been raised over a new kind of brain drain as migration remains a consistent issue. A total of 257,000 British nationals are now thought to have left the country last year, 180,000 more than the initial estimate of 77,000. UK correspondent Enda Brady says rich-listers are among the high-profile Britons leaving, including steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal - who voiced displeasure with proposed tax changes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.