Larry Williams Drive

Labour leader Chris Hipkins raised a few eyebrows after he offered his theory about why ram-raids don't get as much media coverage anymore. In an earlier interview on ZB's Wellington Mornings, Chris Hipkins claimed NZME's 'Tory owners' decided not to put ram-raids on the front page anymore - in order to put the National Party in a better light. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says data shows ram-raids have dropped significantly over the last year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After hours of stalemate, Republicans in the US Senate narrowly passed President Donald Trump's latest bill on tax and spending. The 'big, beautiful' bill passed with Vice-President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote after over 24 hours of debate. US correspondent Charles Feldman says Elon Musk extensively criticised the bill, and he's recently threatened to support campaigns against Congress Republicans voting for it.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More top 10 seeds are out of the first round in an Open era tennis major than ever before at this year's Wimbledon - eight have exited in total. Four of the top men and four of the favoured women have departed, including French Open champion Coco Gauff. Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Chief Victims Advisor says scrapping juries from sexual violence trials could result in more fact-based verdicts.  Ruth Money believes it would be better for survivors - in part because judges must give reasoning for their verdict. The idea's received some pushback, with one legal expert arguing jury trials are a foundation of the justice system.  Money says jurors enter a court with bias, and mightn't understand nuances of sexual assault.  "I've had survivors say to me - look, I was slammed around that courtroom like a tennis ball, I was rape-mythed, I was shamed, I was blamed." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People throughout Europe have been grappling with the first heatwaves of the Northern Hemisphere summer as increasing temperatures push thermometers into the red. Scientists have long warned that climate change comes with disastrous consequences for the environment, with  Europe’s ever-hotter summer heatwaves being a direct result. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Spain and Portugal had 'record-breaking' hot days yesterday - and people are concerned. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meat plants across the nation are struggling to match low volumes of livestock coming through with staffing levels. New Zealand's national sheep flock and dairy herd have continued to decline in recent years, impacting the flow of livestock into meat works. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 1 July 2025, the Government's rolling out harsher punishments for theft, and new spot fines for shoplifters. Health professor Boyd Swinburn makes the case for why we should be funding weightloss drug Wegovy for those struggling with obesity. Some Youth MPs are complaining their speeches were censored - one of them joins Heather to explain what he wanted to say before it was vetoed. Plus, the Huddle debates why National is not pulling its weight and whether we'll miss Jaffas. 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.

Tonight on The Huddle, former Labour minister Stuart Nash and Thomas Scrimgeour from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The Government has introduced some new measures to crack down on shoplifting - do we see these working?  Do we see the Government helping to fund Wegovy? The obesity crisis impacts a significant amount of Kiwis - but what about the costs? National have been talking about removing Treaty of Waitangi references and removing special treatment for certain ethnicities, but ACT and NZ First have criticised the party for not following through. What do we make of this? Jaffas are being discontinued - will we all miss them? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A nurse who needed a double hip replacement faced a lengthy wait or an $80,000 bill for the operation, and she eventually went overseas to find a solution. She had robotic surgery in India - which set her back $20,000. Claire Olsen says it was 'world-class' and pointed out that New Zealand's own healthcare system was 'third-world' by comparison.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More details about infrastructure in Wellington and Picton in Government plans for new Cook Strait ferries. CentrePort, Port Marlborough, and KiwiRail have agreed a plan to re-use and strengthen the Wellington wharf servicing Interislander's Aratere - and to re-use terminals both sides of the Strait. Minister for Rail Winston Peters says the Government won't consider privatisation - and he's just looking to make sure Kiwis stay informed. "We're not about to make the same mistake a second time." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's growing claims of Youth Parliament censorship.  Some young people say they've been told their speeches can't be critical of the Government. But organisers say although changes are sometimes suggested - Youth MPs make the final call on speech content. Nate Wilbourne is part of the Youth Parliament and says it feels like a mandate.  He says he was sent an edited version of his speech that cut most of it, but he's sticking with the original. "I'm here to give my voice on what I care about and what my community back in Brightwater and my electorate care about." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An invasive spider with a nasty bite is spreading its population across New Zealand - prompting warnings from experts. The noble false widow spider has been spotted in Christchurch, Nelson, Northland and Waikato. Massey University evolutionary ecology professor, Steven Trewick, says their bite is unlikely to kill you - but it's harmful if left untreated. "Like most spiders, they're not going to bite you because they're not interested in you...but they do have some toxins that are similar to the toxins black widows and redbacks have." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's expectations weight-loss drug Wegovy will eventually be funded publicly, according to experts. It's become available from pharmacies under prescription - from today. It's not funded by Pharmac, and costs about $500 dollars per month.  Auckland University population nutrition professor, Boyd Swinburn, says that is unaffordable for the public purse. "When the first generation of these drugs come off patent, their price will drop enormously and that will give Pharmac a chance to really negotiate the price." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's another tool in the police toolbox for cracking down on crime. A retail crime prevention advocate says he's happy with proposed law sentencing changes. The Government's confirmed new proposals to increase penalties for shoplifting - including infringement fees, a new 'aggravated theft' offence, and prison sentences. Ministerial Retail Crime Advisory Group lead Sunny Kaushal says we need to create deterrents - and he wants it to be easier for police to prosecute shoplifters. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced that former acting Reserve Bank Governor Grant Spencer has been appointed to the central bank’s board. Spencer retired from the Reserve Bank in 2018, after he was deputy Governor and head of financial stability from 2007 to 2017. He was acting Governor over the six months to March 2018. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan unpacks what Nicola Willis is indirectly saying through this announcement.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lulu Sun’s return to Wimbledon after a remarkable run 12 months ago has been brief, knocked out this morning in the opening round. The Kiwi world number 47 fell in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 to Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic, Sun’s fourth straight first-round exit at a grand slam. Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 26-year-old Melbourne childcare worker is facing 70 charges relating to eight pre-schoolers aged between five months and two years.  Joshua Brown's worked across 20 centres since 2017 - and is accused of sexual assault and producing child abuse material. The parents of 1200 children who'd been in his care have been advised to screen them for infectious diseases. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says authorities are warning the parents to get their children tested - and treated. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From today, Wegovy is available on our shelves so you can get skinny like Oprah, if you want. But it'll cost you - $500 per month. Which is unaffordable for most people, prompting a debate over whether the Government should fund it to reduce obesity and safe money on obesity-related illnesses and injuries. Now on principle, this is the kind of thing I'm a fan of - a bit of money upfront to save lots of money later. But unfortunately, as it stands, this wouldn't be an example of saving money. If we were funding Wegovy like they do in the UK, we'd fund it for people with a BMI over 30. In New Zealand, that is a staggering 1.5 million adults, apparently. If every one of those adults cost $500 per month, that would cost $7.5 billion per year - but it would only save $2 billion a year in obesity-related healthcare costs. Now, that's only measuring health costs directly related to obesity. As we know, carrying too much weight makes you prone to illness, which means you take more days off work, making you less produ

A new investigation into the Christchurch Mosque shooting delves into the shooter's motivations - and questions whether he should be identified as a 'lone wolf'. In the six-part podcast, Secrets We Keep: Lone Actor, investigative journalist Joey Watson traces the killer's descent into extremism and wonders if he truly acted alone after being radicalised by online communities. Watson explained that he went through the online communities that radicalised the shooter and saw how he was desensitised to violent acts. "The closer I looked at it, the more I came to see that based on how these ecosystems operated before the attack, what happened in Christchurch - it certainly wasn't inevitable, but it's tragically explainable." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK authorities have confirmed they plan to assess comments made by some controversial artists at the Glastonbury Festival. English punk duo Bob Vylan and Irish group Kneecap performed controversial sets at the famed festival - criticising Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Israeli Defence Force. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the organisers of the festival were 'appalled' by these - and it's likely investigations will continue.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.