Larry Williams Drive

ASB recently agreed to pay $135.6 million to settle a class action for allegedly breaching the  Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act. ANZ has refused to settle, and it's prompted concerns over recent proposed banking reforms are at risk. Banking Reform Coalition convener Kent Duston explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A major new report is warning that more than 1000 seaside homes could suffer significant damage from extreme weather by 2060. And hundreds of thousands of homes worth an estimated $180 billion are located in flood-prone areas, according to Our Marine Environment 2025 from the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ. Alison Collins from the Ministry for the Environment says many of these homes are in low-lying coastal communities and on flood plains. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 8 October 2025, the Reserve Bank has pulled out the big guns and cut the official cash rate by 50 basis points today. Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr speaks to Heather. Former National Party staffer Ben Thomas says National polling in the 20s is not good news for Chris Luxon. NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson explains why rugby unions across the world don't want players playing for a new rival league backed by Saudi Arabia. New Zealand's best big airport is .... Queenstown Airport! Heather is surprised? She speaks with Queenstown Airport Chief Operating Officer Todd Grace. Plus the Huddle debates that poll and Tory Whanau's final speech as Wellington mayor - surprising? 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.

Good news - the Reserve Bank has finally done the thing many of us thought was necessary, and they've gone for a double cut in the OCR of 50 basis points. That's the good news. The bad news is that they've been forced to do it because they didn't do it earlier, as in, they haven't cut as quickly as they should have. I mean, think back to July when they actually chose not to cut at all, which was clearly a mistake at the time - but became even more of a mistake when we saw the shock GDP number that followed. We saw that in the three months before that decision, the economy had actually contracted by a whopping 0.9 percent and the Reserve Bank hadn't really noticed at all. And the bad news, I suppose, again, is that they could have done a double cut last time when two of them on the Monetary Policy Statement said we should go double cut. But more of them said, no, let's just go with the single cut. So they've gone with a double cut today - vindication for two, it would seem. We're gonna stick to the good n

Eight international rugby unions, including New Zealand, have warned players that they won't be eligible for high-level selection if they switch to the proposed Rugby 360 league. There have been rumours of monetary offers directed at high-level rugby and league players for the competition, which is being promoted by former England international Mike Tindall. NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson says many of the other unions haven't been as clear or public as New Zealand's has, because of the scrutiny, but they wanted to make things clear. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queenstown Airport is flying high, thanks to a surge in visitors. It's been named Large Airport of the Year at the national awards - with judges praising its strong safety record, commercial success, and community engagement. They were also impressed with its new end-of-runway safety system. Chief operating officer Todd Grace says the airport's seen strong growth since Covid. He says they're the only airport in New Zealand operating back past pre-Covid levels. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's claims a rebounding economy could propel National to another election win. But a former senior National staffer also says next year's election is looking like a toss-up. The recent Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll has the party on just 29.6 percent - one of its lowest results since returning to Government.  Ben Thomas says that's not a good place to be.  "That is a psychological threshold - we used to be thinking that anything in the middle-low 30s was a disaster for a National Party leader." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's 50 basis point OCR cut could go some way to getting our economy growing again. The Reserve Bank's slashed the cash rate to 2.5 percent. ANZ has lowered its floating and flexible rates, on top of all major banks already lowering fixed term offerings. Kiwibank chief economist, Jarrod Kerr, says he's been calling for a 2.5 percent cash rate for two years. "We knew it needed to go below neutral, which is three, and we needed to get some stimulus into the economy to really ignite the recovery." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank has cut the OCR by 50 basis points to 2.5 percent, despite acknowledging inflation is still above where they'd like it. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says they've factored in broader economic conditions. She says the central bank clearly thinks any fluctuation in inflation will be constrained by spare capacity in the economy. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this will come as good news as more people are set to roll into lower mortgage rates. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Locking down a new trade deal is front of mind for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as he met for talks with US President Donald Trump.  Negotiations have been ongoing since August, when Trump imposed 35 percent tariffs on Canadian goods.  Canada remains the only G7 country without a deal - something Trump attributes to a 'natural conflict' stemming from their proximity. US correspondent Jonathan Kearsley says this meeting appeared to be a positive one, when compared to their previous discussion.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

R360 has reacted to the eight nations who have agreed to ban any players defecting to the rebel rugby competition. They've claimed this new league is designed to work around the global calendar...not against it. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 300 people are being made to re-sit their practical driving test - following fraud allegations at an Auckland VTNZ. Police and NZTA are looking into claims testing officers at the Highbrook branch took money in return for passing applicants, over several years.   Five officers have been sacked for misconduct - and the branch has stopped offering tests in the meantime. Transparency International NZ executive director Julie Haggie says they need to figure out how this was possible. "Behaviour and the training and the culture that was existing and whether any of those things had an impact on people feeling like - I can get away with it. And they have felt like they can get away with it and make profit out of it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK police say they've cracked down on an international gang suspected of  smuggling up to 40,000 stolen mobile phones from the UK to China over the last year. In what authorities claim is the UK's largest ever operation against phone thefts, 18 suspects have been arrested and more than 2,000 stolen devices discovered. UK correspondent Enda Brady reveals more about this case. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trade Minister Todd McClay has confirmed trade negotiations with India are progressing - but there's still a ways to go. New Zealand and Indian trade negotiators met in Queenstown last month for a third round of formal negotiations for a free trade agreement. The Country's Hamish McKay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson and CTU economist Craig Renney joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! NZ Post today revealed they'll be cutting services down, including fewer delivery days and fewer post offices. Do we mind this change? Who still sends post?  Winston Peters' home got vandalised last night - is this a sign the protests have gone too far? More than 200 people will be elected unopposed at this weekend’s local elections. Is this ridiculous? Do we need an overhaul?   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We need to talk about why we're persisting with having so many local body politicians. We clearly have too many positions, don't we? I mean, just look at how many people are winning their seats at the moment. The elections are this weekend - look at how many people are winning their seats without any elections, without anybody standing against them. With more than 200, that's 1 in every 7 council races. So Hurunui already has its mayor, even though the elections are this weekend. It's Marie Black, no one's standing against her. Manawatū already has its mayor, Michael Ford, no one's standing against him. There are more than 80 councillors who are already elected across the country, there are several on the Southland Regional Council already elected. Lower Hutt, Southland, Buller, Stratford, Marlborough councils, two of Auckland's councils already elected - unopposed - as well as 3 of Christchurch's. There are also empty seats that no one wants to fill in community boards in the Rotorua Lakes, New Plymouth

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 7 October 2025, Palestine protestor Acacia O'Connor says she doesn't regret making Winston Peters' home address public, despite a person smashing his window as a result. Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill wins his bet with Heather - and calls off a restructure of rural police. Lawyers of a class action lawsuit against ANZ are calling on the Government to walk back retrospective banking reform. It comes after ASB agreed to settle their own dispute for more than $135 million . Former All Black Mils Muliaina has joined the Auckland Business Chamber to become its first Pasifika director - he tells Heather about the Pasifika economy. Plus, the Huddle debates whether we should cut the number of elected local body politicians after news that 1 in 7 candidates will get the job unopposed. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESe

Former All Black Mils Muliaina is set to trade rugby fields for the boardroom as he steps into his new role. He recently joined the Auckland Business Chamber board, becoming its first Pasifika director in the organisation's history. Mils Muliaina says this new role came to him as a surprise, but he's welcoming the new opportunity.  "I'm supposed to provide a voice for the communities, especially for the Pacific community, in finance and insurance and I suppose economic matters. So I'm pretty chuffed." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ASB has agreed to pay $135.6 million to settle a class action after it was accused of breaching its disclosure obligations under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act. The case against ASB alleged failures to provide compliant written disclosure of loan variations to a significant number of customers. ANZ is still hanging on as the remaining defendant of the class action. Scott Russell, the lawyer representing bank customers in the class action, says the lawsuit against ANZ hasn't been dropped. "We remain fully committed to our claim against ANZ...ANZ customers deserve a positive outcome similar to that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Post is moving to review its offerings amid a recent move to cut back on services. A new Government agreement will let it close almost 400 postal outlets, and reduce mail deliveries. They'll now only be required two times a week for most areas, down from three - and can fall from at least five times weekly in rural areas, to three. NZ Post CEO David Walsh says these changes reflect New Zealand's changing communication habits. "Our role is to deliver the services New Zealanders need - we'll keep delivering mail and we'll have to respond to the circumstances we're facing, but that's our job." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.