Australia's Prime Minister will address the nation tonight outlining how Australians can help with the fuel crisis. 

It's understood Anthony Albanese will urge people to save fuel for industries that most need it. 

It's the first time an Australian Prime Minister has delivered a national address since Scott Morrison did during Covid-19 in March 2020. 

Australian correspondent Charles Croucher says the timing is strategic. 

"This is an attempt to put everyone on the same page, before we go into that Easter long weekend and then school holidays over here. You kind of lose the audience if you're the PM."

LISTEN ABOVE

Australia's Prime Minister will address the nation tonight outlining how Australians can help with the fuel crisis.&nbsp;
It's understood Anthony Albanese will urge people to save fuel for industries that most need it.&nbsp;
It's the first time an Australian Prime Minister has delivered a national address since Scott Morrison did during Covid-19 in March 2020.&nbsp;
Australian correspondent Charles Croucher says the timing is strategic.&nbsp;
"This is an attempt to put everyone on the same page, before we go into that Easter long weekend and then school holidays over here. You kind of lose the audience if you're the PM."
LISTEN ABOVE

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Charles Croucher: Nine News chief political editor ahead of Anthony Albanese's upcoming address

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/0b0e3d4d-cf2e-4d4c-9581-b41f0053810e/transcript

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and broadcaster Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

Broadcasting Minister Paul Goldsmith says changes for the Broadcasting Standards Authority could be made after it deemed it has authority over online broadcasters, after it received a complaint against The Platform. Do we think it needs to be updated?

Parliament's debating a member's bill to let pubs sell alcohol on selected public holidays without needing to serve a meal. Do we think this change needs to be made?

The Post is reporting Fire and Emergency’s deputy chair and board members will get pay increases of up to 79 percent. What do we make of this?

LISTEN ABOVE

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and broadcaster Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
Broadcasting Minister Paul Goldsmith says changes for the Broadcasting Standards Authority could be made after it deemed it has authority over online broadcasters, after it received a complaint against The Platform. Do we think it needs to be updated?
Parliament's debating a member's bill to let pubs sell alcohol on selected public holidays without needing to serve a meal. Do we think this change needs to be made?
The Post is reporting Fire and Emergency’s deputy chair and board members will get pay increases of up to 79 percent. What do we make of this?
LISTEN ABOVE

The Huddle: Does the BSA need to be updated?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/c80f2840-a9c3-4ff6-9e81-b41f006c3e25/transcript

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday  1 April.

Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 1 April. 
Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Full Show Podcast: 01 April 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/de20eef1-ec00-4a31-9c70-b41f006631a8/transcript

I’d like to know how you feel about the firefighters and their strike because I’ve gone from soft support a few weeks ago to very hard support today.

What’s tipped me over the edge is this kerfuffle around board pay. Frankly, it’s one of the most tone-deaf things I’ve seen in a very long time.

The board has approved pay rises for itself of up to 79 percent. Meanwhile, firefighters have been fighting - and now striking - for 18 months just to get pay increases. Most of them sit somewhere above the minimum wage but below the living wage, which is not a lot of money to pay people who literally go into burning buildings.

If these board pay increases go ahead as planned, the board chair will be paid more than any frontline firefighter on the base salary. One of those people is out there fighting fires and risking their life, the other is running the organisation - and running it badly.

That last point matters. If Fire and Emergency New Zealand had a strong track record we could point to, a pay rise of this scale might at least be explained, if not justified. But this is a terribly run organisation.

They’ve failed to settle a pay dispute for 18 months. Fire trucks break down so often it’s ridiculous - and quite scary. Equipment is failing. They paid for a fleet of fire trucks that arrived in the country too small to be used for rescues because the equipment doesn’t fit.

They’ve spent $500,000 on a chief executive and $2.37 million on seven deputy chief executives. There are now calls for a review into Fire and Emergency NZ because the place is so badly run.

I’m usually sympathetic to the argument that you need to pay decent rates to attract decent talent. But that’s not what’s happening here. This is simply a plan to increase the pay of the same people who are already doing a poor job running the organisation.

It’s unreal that this is happening. But in a strange way, it may actually be a gift to the striking firefighters. If they didn’t already have enough public support, surely seeing the kind of outfit they’re dealing with will generate some sympathy for their plight.

LISTEN ABOVE

I’d like to know how you feel about the firefighters and their strike because I’ve gone from soft support a few weeks ago to very hard support today.
What’s tipped me over the edge is this kerfuffle around board pay. Frankly, it’s one of the most tone-deaf things I’ve seen in a very long time.
The board has approved pay rises for itself of up to 79 percent. Meanwhile, firefighters have been fighting - and now striking - for 18 months just to get pay increases. Most of them sit somewhere above the minimum wage but below the living wage, which is not a lot of money to pay people who literally go into burning buildings.
If these board pay increases go ahead as planned, the board chair will be paid more than any frontline firefighter on the base salary. One of those people is out there fighting fires and risking their life, the other is running the organisation - and running it badly.
That last point matters. If Fire and Emergency New Zealand had a strong track record we could point to, a pay rise of this scale might at least be explained, if not justified. But this is a terribly run organisation.
They’ve failed to settle a pay dispute for 18 months. Fire trucks break down so often it’s ridiculous - and quite scary. Equipment is failing. They paid for a fleet of fire trucks that arrived in the country too small to be used for rescues because the equipment doesn’t fit.
They’ve spent $500,000 on a chief executive and $2.37 million on seven deputy chief executives. There are now calls for a review into Fire and Emergency NZ because the place is so badly run.
I’m usually sympathetic to the argument that you need to pay decent rates to attract decent talent. But that’s not what’s happening here. This is simply a plan to increase the pay of the same people who are already doing a poor job running the organisation.
It’s unreal that this is happening. But in a strange way, it may actually be a gift to the striking firefighters. If they didn’t already have enough public support, surely seeing the kind of outfit they’re dealing with will generate some sympathy for their plight.
LISTEN ABOVE

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: It's a tone-deaf move from Fire and Emergency NZ

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/a89aede4-5eca-495c-a07a-b41f00661a1d/transcript

Charles Croucher: Nine News chief political editor ahead of Anthony Albanese's upcoming address

In 1 playlist(s)

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips