One of New Zealand's big power companies is throwing their support behind a firm planning to build a large data centre in Southland.

Mercury has invested $53 million for a 12.7 percent minority equity stake in Datagrid NZ.

Mercury CEO Stew Hamilton says the company's looking to invest in a new growth sector - and there's potential to make more investments like this down the track.

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One of New Zealand's big power companies is throwing their support behind a firm planning to build a large data centre in Southland.
Mercury has invested $53 million for a 12.7 percent minority equity stake in Datagrid NZ.
Mercury CEO Stew Hamilton says the company's looking to invest in a new growth sector - and there's potential to make more investments like this down the track.
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

Stew Hamilton: Mercury Energy CEO on the company taking a 12.7 percent stake in Datagrid NZ

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/78de9ee9-a85a-4faa-b3ca-b4900072da71/transcript

Tonight on The Huddle, Kiwiblog writer and Curia pollster David Farrar and artist and local Government politician Oscar Kightley joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

Paul Henry has copped some backlash from Labour after saying he'd shoot Chris Hipkins as part of a risqué radio game. Does this really count as a death threat - or is Labour making a big deal about an innocuous comment?

Stuart Nash has resigned following his controversial comments about Katie Nimon's parental leave. Was this the right call?

LISTEN ABOVE

Tonight on The Huddle, Kiwiblog writer and Curia pollster David Farrar and artist and local Government politician Oscar Kightley joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
Paul Henry has copped some backlash from Labour after saying he'd shoot Chris Hipkins as part of a risqué radio game. Does this really count as a death threat - or is Labour making a big deal about an innocuous comment?
Stuart Nash has resigned following his controversial comments about Katie Nimon's parental leave. Was this the right call?
LISTEN ABOVE

The Huddle: Was Paul Henry really threatening Chris Hipkins?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/f170e7e8-87c5-4fb0-89cf-b490007c6d74/transcript

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday 23 July.

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 Thursday 23 July. 
Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Full Show Podcast: 23 July 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/a4aadb0e-2e14-4601-b759-b4900076b37b/transcript

Right, is it just me, or is there anyone else out there who thinks it's mighty rich of New Zealand First to force Stuart Nash to resign, given the candidates and MPs they have defended for some of the most outrageous things they have said?

Is it not rich that Shane Jones was on the radio saying, "Mm, yeah, sensible for Stuart Nash to have resigned," when he is the guy who referred to the Prime Minister needing to get out the kneepads for Narendra Modi when he visited, and he is the guy who used the phrase "butter chicken tsunami"?

Now, I was aware of what was happening about 7pm on Wednesday. What was going on was basically that New Zealand First told Stuart Nash that he needed to quit or be fired. He tried to fight his corner but he was unable to do so and he was basically told that was the end of it.

I have to be honest, I was really surprised by this. If this were any other party, it'd be fine, but it's New Zealand First.

It feels off-brand for New Zealand First. This is a party that's made a virtue of resisting the wokesters and resisting the mainstream media. And then, the minute the wokesters and the mainstream media get upset at Stuart Nash, New Zealand First doesn't even hold its line for 12 hours. It just folds immediately.

I mean, that has got to shake the confidence of voters who are attracted to New Zealand First because they think the party is going to provide some sort of bulwark against the creep of political correctness and so-called wokeness. Apparently not. They will fold within 12 hours.

Now, I can only guess at why New Zealand First has folded on Nash and not on Jones. I'm guessing it's because there are more women voters in New Zealand than there are Indian voters. I'm guessing it's because Winston Peters prides himself personally on chivalry towards women and this would actually personally offend him.

I'm guessing it's because Nash was already on his last chance after the "What is a woman?" thing and the aggro texts to Todd McClay. I'm guessing it's because Nash was not going to win the seat of Napier anyway so this gets New Zealand First out of an embarrassing defeat by a woman who's apparently distracted by her toddler.

Because otherwise, immediately agreeing with the wokesters and the mainstream media does seem like quite a weird thing for New Zealand First to do, don't you think?

LISTEN ABOVE

Right, is it just me, or is there anyone else out there who thinks it's mighty rich of New Zealand First to force Stuart Nash to resign, given the candidates and MPs they have defended for some of the most outrageous things they have said?
Is it not rich that Shane Jones was on the radio saying, "Mm, yeah, sensible for Stuart Nash to have resigned," when he is the guy who referred to the Prime Minister needing to get out the kneepads for Narendra Modi when he visited, and he is the guy who used the phrase "butter chicken tsunami"?
Now, I was aware of what was happening about 7pm on Wednesday. What was going on was basically that New Zealand First told Stuart Nash that he needed to quit or be fired. He tried to fight his corner but he was unable to do so and he was basically told that was the end of it.
I have to be honest, I was really surprised by this. If this were any other party, it'd be fine, but it's New Zealand First.
It feels off-brand for New Zealand First. This is a party that's made a virtue of resisting the wokesters and resisting the mainstream media. And then, the minute the wokesters and the mainstream media get upset at Stuart Nash, New Zealand First doesn't even hold its line for 12 hours. It just folds immediately.
I mean, that has got to shake the confidence of voters who are attracted to New Zealand First because they think the party is going to provide some sort of bulwark against the creep of political correctness and so-called wokeness. Apparently not. They will fold within 12 hours.
Now, I can only guess at why New Zealand First has folded on Nash and not on Jones. I'm guessing it's because there are more women voters in New Zealand than there are Indian voters. I'm guessing it's because Winston Peters prides himself personally on chivalry towards women and this would actually personally offend him.
I'm guessing it's because Nash was already on his last chance after the "What is a woman?" thing and the aggro texts to Todd McClay. I'm guessing it's because Nash was not going to win the seat of Napier anyway so this gets New Zealand First out of an embarrassing defeat by a woman who's apparently distracted by her toddler.
Because otherwise, immediately agreeing with the wokesters and the mainstream media does seem like quite a weird thing for New Zealand First to do, don't you think?
LISTEN ABOVE

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Why would New Zealand First make Stuart Nash resign?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/67bff4b0-2e90-46e5-a376-b49000772888/transcript

Stew Hamilton: Mercury Energy CEO on the company taking a 12.7 percent stake in Datagrid NZ

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