Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

King Charles and Queen Camilla spent the day with the Trumps at the White House, beginning their four-day US state visit. The royal visit follows the weekend shooting outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner - with a gunman charging a security checkpoint outside the Washington Hilton. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the royals will be walking a 'diplomatic tightrope', given the tensions between the US and UK amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While most of the world will hold interest rates and wait out the energy shock, Australia and New Zealand are set to lift their rates up. Both nations are looking to bring down inflation, and the ongoing fuel crisis is set to pose additional economic risks. HSBC Chief Economist Paul Bloxham explained why this is the case. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand and India have signed a landmark FTA - which is set to slash tariffs on Kiwi exports to India. The agreement will now be examined by Parliament’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee before legislation is introduced to bring it into force. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains how Kiwi farmers will benefit from this arrangement. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’ll tell you what I found most surprising about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump at the weekend: the number of people who do not believe it really happened or that it was a genuine attempt at all. There are a remarkable number of people who believe the incident was staged and who are openly discussing that belief, including claims that Trump was not actually shot through the ear a couple of months ago. Well, it was more than a couple of months ago - but you get the idea. Within hours of the attempt on his life, the term “staged” appeared in more than 300,000 posts on X. A former CIA agent has gone public saying he thinks it was staged because security moved JD Vance before they moved Donald Trump, which he says is against protocol. Trump, of course, hasn’t helped matters. In his first news conference afterwards, he argued the assassination attempt proves he needs to build a new ballroom because it would be much safer. That is obviously not the logic of a normal person who has just been in the same building as someone with a gun who wants to kill them. And if we’re being honest, it probably doesn’t help that Trump has now had so many assassination attempts on his life that it’s starting to feel like each time it happens, you care a little less. It also doesn’t help - frankly - that it’s Trump. He is so unconventional that it is more believable he would stage a false-flag event like this than, say, Barack Obama, who is far more conventional. I’m resisting the temptation to take the mickey out of people who don’t believe the assassination attempts were real. As silly as it seems to me - and I do think it stretches credibility to believe Trump would stage not one but at least two attempts on his own life, given how much could go wrong when weapons are involved - part of me actually takes comfort in the number of people thinking this way. I might not agree with where they’ve landed, but I like the fact that they are assessing the facts for themselves and reaching conclusions different from mine, different from the majority view, different from the consensus. It’s strange that this is where some people’s minds go. Clearly, someone tried to kill Trump at the weekend and thinking otherwise is a conspiracy theory. But maybe conspiracy theories aren’t all bad if they at least show that people are exercising their brains independently. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! There was another assassination attempt on Donald Trump over the weekend, but some have written this off as a 'false flag'. What do we make of this? Do we believe the conspiracies? The Maiki Sherman saga - what do we make of this? Should TVNZ sack her? The New Zealand-India FTA has been sorted out - what do we think of this? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 28 April. 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.

The Government says there will be downsides to loosening restrictions on heavy vehicles. Trucking lobby group Transporting New Zealand is calling for weight restrictions to loosen immediately, not just in Phase Two of the fuel response. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the Government's looking into options they can implement quickly - and they're weighing up the benefits and drawbacks. "I wouldn't rule out progressing them in Phase One, because actually, what they'll do is reduce the cost of fuel for major diesel users." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A controversial statue in Auckland honouring women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Army during World War II won't go ahead. The Devonport-Takapuna Board has voted 4 to 2 to deny the Korean Garden Trust the permission to build it at Barry's Point Reserve in Takapuna. More than 600 people had given feedback on the statue, including the Japanese Embassy - who opposed it. Devonport-Takapuna Board Chair Trish Deans says the statue was a 'political statement' - and it didn't have a place in this context. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One expert has noticed there doesn't appear to be any significant surprises in New Zealand's new trade agreement with India. The agreement was signed in New Delhi overnight, and will reduce or eliminate tariffs on 95 percent of exports to the world's largest country. BusinessDesk senior journalist Dileepa Fonseka says there's no numerical limits on the international student numbers, but we can make tweaks if needed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The popularity of American sports could keep growing here - as streaming giants compete for viewers. Disney Plus is pushing its ESPN sports offering across Australasia with a new lower-cost subscription plan. Media commentator Duncan Greive says younger audiences are increasingly turning to American sports on global platforms over watching traditional sports like rugby and cricket. "The had a moat as wide as the Tasman around them in terms of TV and radio - now with YouTube and TikTok, rugby doesn't have the kind of hold over them." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A truck-drivers advocate says relaxing freight restrictions will have very little impact on infrastructure. The Government's planning to increase truck load limits and allow freight to move during off-peak times, if we go to Phase Two of the fuel plan. Multiple sector organisations and companies say the changes should just be implemented now. National Road Carriers Spokesperson James Smith says it won't cause any more potholes. "If you're operating within the existing axel mass limit and all you're doing is increasing the total at the end, the actual pavements aren't going to notice a difference." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The suspect of the shooting outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner, has been charged with the attempted assassination of the US President. 31-year-old California teacher Cole Allen was allegedly armed with multiple guns and knives, and written documents suggested he'd planned to target Trump officials. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper addressed the fallout from this incident - and the conspiracies. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, the opposition has called on the federal Government to double minimum fuel reserves and boost storage capacity amid the ongoing fuel crisis. This plan would increase Australia's fuel stocks to a 60-day supply, with at least 1 billion litres of additional storage capacity. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the Government has raised concerns over the costs of this plan. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Greenacre insists the length of contract was no issue in him agreeing to take charge of the Phoenix men in football's A-League next season. The former striker for the Wellington club - and four-time interim manager - has taken the fulltime role on a one-year deal, with an option for the following season. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Black Cap Geoff Allott has been appointed New Zealand Cricket's new CEO. The ex-fast bowler-turned-administrator served as NZC's general manager of cricket from 2008 to 2010, and board director between 2013 and 2021. Allott says the role is 'a huge honour' and he's looking forward to getting stuck in. "I know it's a big challenge, but to be given the reins of New Zealand Cricket - the sport that I love - is a huge honour. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’ve tried very hard to understand the Government’s decision to essentially cancel SailGP in Auckland next year and I just can’t. I cannot understand what has gone on here because, as I understand it, this has come down to a few hundred thousand dollars. Let me run you through the timeline. We’ve been fighting for SailGP to stay in New Zealand - particularly in Auckland - for the past few years. In October last year, the Government and Auckland Council agreed to pay a combined $5 million for SailGP to be held in Auckland. That agreement was made in October. Then, in February, SailGP requested additional funding, which would have come out of the Major Events Fund. That request appears to be what prompted Louise Upston to say no. Finding out how much that request was for was incredibly difficult. No one wanted to give me a number. Eventually, I was told it was less than a million dollars and may have been closer to $500,000. If that’s true, then turning down SailGP over $500,000 is frankly nutty. That is peanuts for a Government - and money that would almost certainly have paid for itself. I would argue it was a wise investment. SailGP is not just about what people spend in Auckland when they come here. Just like the America’s Cup, it’s about what people around the world see when they’re watching. They see Auckland’s beautiful harbour on a stunning day. They see crowds having fun. They see beautiful buildings and incredible maunga. You cannot buy that kind of international exposure. We have blown tens of millions of dollars on the America’s Cup over the years. We paid for Linkin Park, for God’s sake, to come to Auckland. We set aside $70 million for major events just like this - and yet we turned down one of the hottest sailing events in the world over $500,000. Even on a purely political level, this makes no sense to me. Auckland has been desperate - begging the Government - for help with events like this to revive the city. We’ve only just got that momentum underway and then this happens. It’s an election year, in a city you must win to win the election, and it’s a city already showing signs of leaning left. I am open to arguments to the contrary - but to me, this just looks like a really bad decision. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 24 April, 2026, National Cabinet minister Simeon Brown gives us details about the complaint he's lodged against TVNZ. Sail GP NZ co-chief executive Blair Tuke is gutted the event won't be coming to Auckland but hopes it'll make a comeback. ChristchurchNZ on why the Garden City is the place to be right now, with more people moving there. And on the Sports Huddle, Matt Brown and Jeff McTainsh on a huge weekend of Super Rugby to christen Christchurch's new stadium. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good on Chris Luxon for ditching his regular spot on Breakfast. That’s from Tina. I disagree with Tina. I don’t think Chris Luxon should have given up on Breakfast the way he has, pulling out of his weekly slot. I mean, obviously it’s his prerogative to do it. And the truth is, in New Zealand—and in our media—we actually have more access to our Prime Ministers than in many other countries. Loads of other Prime Ministers—think Australia—do not take the number of questions after news conferences that Chris Luxon does. They don’t turn up to news conferences as often as he does, or as Jacinda did, or Helen did, or John Key did. In some countries, like Canada, you can go a very long time between drinks when it comes to hearing from the Prime Minister. The truth is, Chris Luxon isn’t good at media interviews. A lot of the trouble he’s faced has come from stuffing them up. You had Tova with the “how many Māori ministers do you have?” stuff-up recently. You had Mike Hosking last year with the “will you or will you not have fired Andrew Bayly?” stuff-up. And then there was the “I don’t know how to be any clearer with you guys” bollocks from earlier this year. There’s just a long list of mistakes he’s made in media interviews. So if he’s not good in media interviews, on balance, he’s probably better off not doing them—especially in an election year. The trouble is, people will see this for what it is: that he’s running scared. Or, as Mike Hosking once said of Jacinda when she didn’t want to appear on his show, running for the hills. He’s trying to get away from situations he can’t handle very well and those situations are media interviews. And by the way, it’s not just Tova O’Brien on Breakfast—it’s Jack Tame on Q+A as well, both on TVNZ. Now, I don’t think he can credibly blame the Maiki Sherman door-knocking situation or the Benedict Collins perceived bias for this. These are different programmes. That’s the press gallery reporting to One News; this is TVNZ Breakfast. They’re different. But I don’t think people are going to care. And I say this having analysed the situation: most people out there just don’t care. They hate the media, so they’re going to say, “Fair enough.” But this is what Jacinda started. When she did it, I said, watch this, this will start a thing and it will happen all over the place afterwards. And if you didn’t like Jacinda doing it, then you have to hold the same standard. You can’t hate what Jacinda did and then love what Chris Luxon has done. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Correspondent Dan Mitchinson joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to chat about the latest in the fuel crisis and Iran war. They also discussed the rise of going 'no-contact' as 60% of Gen Z say they will cut contact with friends or family if they face disrespect or negative effects to their mental health. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior National MP Simeon Brown has accused TVNZ news staff of breaching parliamentary rules this week by following National's Stuart Smith into a corridor area and "aggressively banged on" Smith's door for several minutes. Simeon Brown told Heather du Plessis-Allan, "ultimately what we're seeing here is behaviour which I think most New Zealanders would say is unacceptable." This evening Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has pulled out of his weekly TVNZ interview slot, but it isn't clear if these events are connected. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.