Larry Williams Drive

If you feel like we're just hearing pre-budget announcement followed by pre-budget announcement, you'd be right. The Government's been splashing the cash for law and order, apprentices, domestic violence. Pattrick Smellie from Businessdesk joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is expected to announce a new congestion charge for Auckland commuters next week as they try and recoup $1.3 billion in productivity losses. So now, essentially, you'll be paying $3.50 each way to travel in certain zones during peak hours. Starting with the CBD and then moving into areas such as Albany and Manukau.  Someone, surprisingly, in favour of it is chief executive of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce Michael Barnett. Michael Barnett joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT Party leader David Seymour joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to respond to Willie Jackson's comments.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Willie Jackson's lashed out at David Seymour – saying he's the most useless advocate for Māori because ACT wants to get rid of the Ministry for Māori Development. What do you make of that? Looks like congestion charges are all but confirmed – the question is how fast is the Government going to bring them in and where exactly will they apply? Prince Harry is launching some global campaign around sustainable travel and he picked out NZ to make his case... is this odd to you? The Employment Court has decided that Gloriavale kids who are working are indeed "employees" – has this got the potential to blow up the way this community operates? Ben Thomas, former National Party Press Secretary, and Neale Jones, former Chief of Staff to Jacinda Ardern, joined Heather du Plessis on the Huddle. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Minister for Māori Development has hit out at ACT Party leader David Seymour... Calling him a useless Māori.  It comes after ACT proposed to get rid of the Ministry for Māori Development along with other demographic ministries like the Ministry for Women.  Willie Jackson, Minister for Māori Development, joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

War-of-words in parliament today – David Seymour vs everyone else?  Grant Robertson's throwing down the gauntlet to National over its support of ACT's policies – why is he so frustrated?  Is the congestion tax a done deal? Chief political reporter Jason Walls joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest poll has Labor even further ahead of the coalition – but the number of people shunning the two major parties is also at an all-time high. A dead body was found in a Newcastle river with 50 kgs of cocaine. Michael Gunner resigns as NT chief minister. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warriors coach Nathan Brown is on the show today, have you got a few pointed questions ready? Chris Rattue has made the case that NZ is actually not a very good nation when it comes to sport even though we'd like to think otherwise. Host of Sportstalk D’Arcy Waldegrave joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Details of the Queen's mobility issues are scarce... but she's pulled out of British Parliament's state opening for the first time since 1963.  Royal commentator Juliet Rieden told Heather du Plessis-Allan the Queen's been seen having difficulty walking. Rieden says the House of Lords is an old building with accessibility issues. “She would walk all the way up the middle, she would have to go up the stairs then she would sit on that throne and then she would deliver the speech and be sitting there for a while and obviously her doctors have advised that that is no good for her.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I can tell you now, the Government’s plan to lump congestion charging on Aucklanders is not going to be popular. From the hints being dropped, it sounds like the Government might announce this congestion charge next Monday. The cost might be 3.50 each way, so if you’re traveling both in and out of the city daily, that’s $7 a day, $35 a week. And they could bring it in from 2025, but might be leaning towards doing it as early as next year. Now as I say, I don’t think this is going to be popular. There’s a poll up on the Herald and 75% of voters don’t support it. Don’t write that off as an untrustworthy opt-in poll too quickly. It almost perfectly mirrors what people told the Select Committee when it was considering congestion charging last year: 70% of people said no. I think we all know a congestion charge is inevitable – if only because we’ve talked about it for so long it’s got to happen eventually. But the devil is in the detail and there are a thousand ways this already unpopular idea could get even more

A local board member says tempers are high over a multitude of new T3 lane cameras on an Auckland road, with some vandalised recently. 68 new cameras have been erected on a 2.3-kilometre stretch of Onewa Road, on the North Shore, to enforce transit lanes. Kaipatiki Board member John Gillon told Heather du Plessis Allan fines will start being enforced from May 24 ... at $150 a pop. “I don’t endorse the vandalism at all, I don’t endorse any action like that but I can understand that people are very concerned about them.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Significant compensation could be the result of a landmark Employment Court decision. The court has ruled a group of former Gloriavale members were working as employees from six years old. Hosea and Levi Courage, and Daniel Pilgrim, sought a declaration on the status on work they did at the commune and its businesses. Lawyer Brian Henry told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's not clear what full back pay would amount to – but it could be a lot. “There will be a need for the labour inspector to look at a whole range of things which is including paying them properly, compensation for various breaches of the general employment standards that they’ve incurred.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, the Government is expected to announce a new congestion charge for Auckland next week. In an attempt to reduce congestion by up to 12 percent, comparing the result to school holiday level traffic all year round. The new charge could be implemented within the CBD as soon as 2025 and expanded into other areas by 2028. Auckland Mayor Phil Goff joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A fresh sanctions package on Russia and Belarus ahead of Victory Day being celebrated in Russia today. Now the Labour Party leader is caught up in his own partygate scandal ... Keir Starmer has pulled out of an event. Unseen footage from the Queen's archive is set to be aired in a BBC documentary narrated by the monarch later this month. Prince Harry is going to make some grand announcement on NZ TV tonight. UK correspondent Gavin Grey joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economist Tony Alexander says we could face a recession later this year if consumers cut their spending as much as they're planning to. In his latest survey, Tony found that 20% of people were planning on cutting spending in the near future, up from 11% in the first three months of the year. Tony Alexander joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re not a fan of the kinds of climate activists that glue their hands to walls, then brace yourself because I have got next level douchebaggery to tell you about. There is a group in the UK called Tyre Extinguishers who go around deliberately deflating the tyres of SUVs and utes because these vehicles are considered the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide on the road. They have just set up a branch in Auckland of someone – because it’s probably just one lonely, bored hand wringer at this stage – who went around deflating tyres in Sandringham last week. They then popped a flyer on the windscreen of the vandalised cars that said: “ATTENTION – your gas guzzler kills. We did this because driving around urban areas in your massive vehicle has huge consequences for others” This is not going to win anyone over, is it? Is anyone targeted by these people going to get on board with the climate message and realise maybe they should ditch that SUV and catch the bus instead? I doubt it. And get a load of this: The fl

The budget's a week away, do you think this is the Government's chance to claw back some political points?  Jacinda Ardern will be hoping she doesn't come down with Covid as well. She's got a big trip to the US planned. NZME business commentator Fran O’Sullivan joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has tried to stem the bad crime headlines with a half-billion-dollar announcement on law and order. They've promised action on ramraids but don't have much detail on that yet. Talk is the Government is going to continue the public transport subsidy – but if they do that should they also continue with the discount on the fuel tax. What do you make of climate activists who deflate SUV tyres? Prince Harry has an announcement to make on Māori Television tonight. Is it ok to leave a message in your neighbour's letterbox to tell them to mow their berm? Hayden Munro, former Labour Campaign Manager, and Phil O’Reilly, former Chief Executive at Business NZ, joined Heather du Plessis-Allan on the Huddle. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The AA reckons we'll see the price of fuel hit $4 a litre this year are you going to extend the discount on fuel taxes and public transport fares? Budget next week... will this bring some meaningful relief on cost-of-living issues for all Kiwis? We spoke to the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce on Friday... Queenstown now has more staff vacancies than ratepayers... When is the Government going to make it easier to bring staff in to deal with labour shortages? Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Grant Robertson joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The director of a clothing chain hit by ram raiders says we should reach out to kids on social media to stop them. Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson says the Government could potentially assist stores to install anti-crime measures. Yesterday's law and order package included a commitment to help retailers, but lacked detail on exactly how. Huffer Director Kate Berry told Heather Du Plessis Allan we could launch a social media campaign on the likes of TikTok. “To say ‘crime is not ok’ and actually, these people should put their time and efforts into positive educational facilities rather than destroying the fronts of our stores.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.