On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 22 May, 2026, $35 million from the Government and more donations coming in. St John's chief executive tells us about a boost for the ambulance service.

Customs has a new tool in its war on drugs. Minister Casey Costello on the remotely controlled underwater vehicle.

We hear how excited The Spinoff founder Duncan Greive is about his new music app, Lume.

And on the Sports Huddle, D'Arcy Waldegrave and Alex Powell on the chances of another penalty shootout for Auckland FC in the A-League grand final.

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

LISTEN ABOVE 

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 22 May, 2026, $35 million from the Government and more donations coming in. St John's chief executive tells us about a boost for the ambulance service.
Customs has a new tool in its war on drugs. Minister Casey Costello on the remotely controlled underwater vehicle.
We hear how excited The Spinoff founder Duncan Greive is about his new music app, Lume.
And on the Sports Huddle, D'Arcy Waldegrave and Alex Powell on the chances of another penalty shootout for Auckland FC in the A-League grand final.
Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

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

Full Show Podcast: 22 May 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/876e72a1-ca82-4a06-ac3d-b4520076b5c6/transcript

Sky TV has posted a full year net profit of $59 million, more than double last year's, resulting in 32 cents per share dividend for shareholders.

CEO Sophie Moloney told Heather du Plessis-Allan she is 'really thrilled' by the result. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

Sky TV has posted a full year net profit of $59 million, more than double last year's, resulting in 32 cents per share dividend for shareholders.
CEO Sophie Moloney told Heather du Plessis-Allan she is 'really thrilled' by the result.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Sophie Moloney: Sky TV CEO on $59 million full year profit

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/97135549-bbac-4d76-acf6-b4b4006fb368/transcript

The All Blacks are set to face their second test against the Springboks at DHL Stadium, Cape Town on Sunday (NZT) after winning the first test last week. 

Former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the team shown in last weeks test.

LISTEN ABOVE 

The All Blacks are set to face their second test against the Springboks at DHL Stadium, Cape Town on Sunday (NZT) after winning the first test last week.&nbsp;
Former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the team shown in last weeks test.
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Sean Fitzpatrick: Former All Blacks captain chats ahead of second Springboks test

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/8bcf00e9-6b27-4f0f-874f-b4b40067976b/transcript

Now listen, if you're one of the people celebrating Chris Hipkins for promising to cancel fuel tax rises if he wins the election, can I just warn you about the implications of him doing that?

And to be fair, it's not just him, okay?

I suspect very strongly, because they've hinted as much, that the National Party and the coalition government will announce exactly the same thing on Monday. After all, raising fuel taxes by 12 cents a litre in January, at a time when petrol prices are already elevated because of the war involving Iran, is, as Chris Bishop once put it, a political death wish.

But you can't have everything, okay? You're going to have to give something up.

Maybe it's the maintenance on your local road that those taxes help pay for. Maybe it's the new road you were hoping for.

In my case, it's the upgrade to Mill Road, which was promised to us by Grant Robertson, then cancelled, then re-promised by Chris Bishop, and now appears to have been cancelled again. That's because letters have gone out to property owners informing them that the deal is off.

NZTA is passing this off as a delay of maybe a couple of years. BS.

This is not a small delay. Remember, they started buying properties for a second Mt Victoria Tunnel in the 1960s. It is now 60 years later and we still don't have that tunnel.

So if they're cancelling these property purchases, it's because the upgrade has effectively been shelved for the foreseeable future.

Now, I'm gutted about that because I've lived south of Auckland in Pukekohe and I know how difficult it is to get up the Southern Motorway during rush hour. I also know how important Mill Road is as an alternative route for those vehicles.

But it has been cancelled because there simply isn't enough money. We haven't increased fuel taxes for nearly seven years now.

So sure, politically it's a smart move for these political parties not to increase the fuel tax, but there will be consequences.

And Mill Road is one of them.

LISTEN ABOVE 

Now listen, if you're one of the people celebrating Chris Hipkins for promising to cancel fuel tax rises if he wins the election, can I just warn you about the implications of him doing that?
And to be fair, it's not just him, okay?
I suspect very strongly, because they've hinted as much, that the National Party and the coalition government will announce exactly the same thing on Monday. After all, raising fuel taxes by 12 cents a litre in January, at a time when petrol prices are already elevated because of the war involving Iran, is, as Chris Bishop once put it, a political death wish.
But you can't have everything, okay? You're going to have to give something up.
Maybe it's the maintenance on your local road that those taxes help pay for. Maybe it's the new road you were hoping for.
In my case, it's the upgrade to Mill Road, which was promised to us by Grant Robertson, then cancelled, then re-promised by Chris Bishop, and now appears to have been cancelled again. That's because letters have gone out to property owners informing them that the deal is off.
NZTA is passing this off as a delay of maybe a couple of years. BS.
This is not a small delay. Remember, they started buying properties for a second Mt Victoria Tunnel in the 1960s. It is now 60 years later and we still don't have that tunnel.
So if they're cancelling these property purchases, it's because the upgrade has effectively been shelved for the foreseeable future.
Now, I'm gutted about that because I've lived south of Auckland in Pukekohe and I know how difficult it is to get up the Southern Motorway during rush hour. I also know how important Mill Road is as an alternative route for those vehicles.
But it has been cancelled because there simply isn't enough money. We haven't increased fuel taxes for nearly seven years now.
So sure, politically it's a smart move for these political parties not to increase the fuel tax, but there will be consequences.
And Mill Road is one of them.
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: If you want to cut taxes, accept the bad roads

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/17d937a4-bced-4894-8d62-b4b4006331c4/transcript

Full Show Podcast: 22 May 2026

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