Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 19 June.
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I’m going to make a prediction that I’m fairly certain is going to bear out: no one is going to be shocked by reading in the Herald that Wayne Brown might be a bully.
This has kicked off again this week with a complaint from a new Auckland councillor, Bo Burns, that Auckland Council is so dysfunctional she has packed up and walked out of meetings twice because of behaviour she considered unacceptable. Then, the Herald dropped a much bigger piece expanding on all of this, featuring the accounts of multiple councillors who also complain and who then hone in on the mayor in particular.
Mike Lee says the mayor revels in put-downs and insults and pulled him off the Auckland Transport board as punishment because he voted against him on something. John Watson says the mayor is a narcissist. Lotu Fuli says the mayor drops the f-bomb all the time. And on and on the complaining goes.
Now, look, I’m not completely hard-hearted. I have some sympathy for these people because I don’t think I’d like to work in a place where I got punished for taking an opposing view. The mayor is not an easy bloke to work with and I thank the Lord every single day that I don’t have to work with him.
But I also don’t have sympathy for them because this is not a normal workplace—it’s a council. It’s supposed to be robust. And Bo Burns should probably reconsider whether she thinks ratepayers will feel they’re getting bang for their buck if they’ve elected someone who isn’t robust enough to hack it at the big boys’ table.
As for Wayne Brown, claiming he’s a bully is not going to hurt him, is it? Because it’s not a shock to anyone. This is the guy who called the media “drongos” and barely apologised for it. This is the guy who emailed the Ratepayers’ Alliance with two words: “f*** off.” Have you ever met him? The fact that he swears is not a surprise.
What probably hurts him more, I would say, is that he hiked rates in the city by 7.9% this year. But finding out he’s a bit mean to people and swears a lot? Not news.
What would be news is if everyone around the Auckland Council table grew a pair and stopped complaining about him.
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New Zealand's exporters are seeing success, with the total value of exports adding up to $8.9bn in May.
This is a rise of $1.4bn from last year, and red meat is the biggest driver. It's jumped 43% year on year - with frozen beef being particularly successful.
Beef and Lamb Chair Kate Acland told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the success is due to a combination of factors.
"High demand, low supply, and I think, you know, I have to say it is supported by a low Kiwi dollar at the moment."
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Switzerland’s foreign ministry has announced the US Iran peace negotiations have been cancelled - after US Vice President JD Vance has called off plans to attend.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding signed this week with the US, Iran's keeping the Strait of Hormuz open during the 60-day negotiating period.
It appears open - with five ships reportedly moving through in the past 24 hours - but others cautiously holding back.
Starboard Maritime Intelligence Domain Analyst Mark Douglas told Heather du Plessis-Allan a mine's been identified in the Strait.
He says any mine is one too many to be able to easily navigate the 330 metre long tankers needed to get crude oil flowing again.
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The Government's announced it will force manufacturers to make local streaming apps front and centre on all TVs entering the country.
Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says apps like TVNZ+ and ThreeNow must be pre-installed and easy to find - comparing it to remotes with built-in Netflix.
Goldsmith says it requires legislation through Parliament, and roughly-18-months for manufacturers to adjust.
TVNZ's Jodi O'Donnell told Heather du Plessis-Allan that it'll make a significant difference.
She says we should recognise these platforms cover local news and sport, and it's really important to be able to find them.
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