Heather du Plessis-Allan
Heather du Plessis-Allan is the drive host for Newstalk ZB and a columnist for the Herald on Sunday
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Check out Heather’s latest content
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Government all at sea on faltering ferry spend
OPINION: This isn’t doing much for National's attempts to look like better money managers.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Hipkins owes us an apology for ruinous Covid vaccine mandates
OPINION: A lot of people were hurt by the mandates. More people are angry about them.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: We're having the Treaty debate - it’s either hysterical, or adult
OPINION: Labour also needs a cup of tea and lie down to calm their nerves.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Nats, Labour both fail to read the room on Treaty bill
OPINION: The hīkoi is the opposite of organic. It’s a Māori Party protest.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Yes, Trump's a bad guy – but he won and should be better than Biden
OPINION: Trump's a big mouth - it’s hard to know what’s real and what’s bluff.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Tory Whanau's council is a laughing stock
OPINION: It would have to been hard for Simeon Brown to justify NOT intervening.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Cut the crap – the Reserve Bank has stuffed up
OPINION: If the Reserve Bank over-squeezes the economy, Kiwis lose their jobs.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Luxon and 'rich prick' politicians can’t win when it comes to property
OPINION: Conspiracies around Luxon's house sale are much sexier than the boring truth.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Crims the only ones not celebrating Coster's exit
OPINION: It was Coster who raised questions about his own political independence.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: WFH habits hitting Wellington's economy hard
OPINION: Mondays and Fridays are for WFH - working from home.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: The Trump bump even when he says stupid things
OPINION: Media are falling for the same tricks from the same guy eight years on.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Shane Jones vs the judge - he's naughty but not guilty
OPINION: Judges are bristling at the criticism they’re copping.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Greens humiliated by rogue rookie Darleen Tana
OPINION: The Greens have picked a fight with someone they clearly underestimated.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: The PM's right - our mayors and councils are hopelessly out of touch
OPINION: Luxon knew he was picking a fight he was odds-on to win.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: The screeching U-turn that led to OCR cut
OPINION: The economy is stuffed. House prices are going backwards.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: We’re getting close to an energy crisis
OPINION: Our electricity prices last week were said to be the highest in the world.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Govt's gang conundrum - which victims should get abuse in care compo?
OPINION: Either the Government pays compensation to everyone abused, or to no one.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: An inconvenient truth - Tana could linger like a bad smell
OPINION: Darleen Tana is just another badly behaved MP we could do without.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: The slow death of linear TV – sadly Newshub is just the start
OPINION: Newshub is so far the biggest loss in the slow death of linear TV in NZ.
Heather du-Plessis Allan: The two main issues with the Three Strikes Law 2.0
OPINION: Government MPs should prepare for an influx of angry emails.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Wellington City Council needs to call the grown ups in
OPINION: Doubts are emerging that the council's Long-Term Plan will pass.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Hey entitled MPs - the public hates paying off your mortgages
OPINION: Parliament can change the rules if it wants to. It just doesn’t want to.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Public inquiry needed over Te Pāti Māori allegations
OPINION: All those involved in the allegations should want a proper inquiry.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: A Budget of triumph and tragedy for Nicola Willis
OPINION: Finance Minister is no more than big spender Grant Robertson in drag.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Te Pāti Māori's ridiculous behaviour towards Karen Chhour
OPINION: There's a deeply troubling idea at the heart of TPM's comments.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: The one solution to stop more Kiwis moving to Australia
Opinion: The Government has some tough calls to make, writes HDPA.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Labour’s decisions still affect us negatively
OPINION: What happens next is the fault of the last Government.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Why Luxon should have acted like Ardern in pay rise saga
OPINION: The country’s so broke that more than 3000 public servants were fired.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Seymour runs the risk of taking things too far
Opinion: Seymour and his party don’t mind having a crack at his PM.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Let’s talk more about Aukus
OPINION: If we’re keen on joining - and we clearly are - why are we keen on joining?
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Age is just a number for Peters
OPINION: It’s been a busy week for the oldest member of the current Parliament.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: NZ’s CEO Luxon should double down on being Prime Manager
OPINION: PM's strongest asset is also his greatest risk.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Simple solution to Kiwi students’ bad behaviour problem
There are countless examples of teachers being punished when the pupil really should be.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Invoking Nazi isn’t politically bad for Winston Peters
There is a saying on the internet known as Godwin’s law. Basically everyone misquotes it.
Can Golriz Ghahraman complain? - Heather du Plessis-Allan
OPINION: I hope they can shield her from the worst of the media attention.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Christopher Luxon’s political radar is broken
OPINION: Maybe Luxon has been rich for too long. That is not a criticism.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Why we need to let Newshub go
OPINION: Too many of us are too sentimental to be completely honest about Newshub.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Grant Robertson is a great bloke, but he was a terrible Finance Minister
OPINION: I suspect many commentators like him too much to truly call it.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Brown v Brown showdown a positive for Auckland
OPINION: It's good to see a mayor squaring up to central government on behalf of the city.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Luxon just chose to disagree with two-thirds of his own voters
OPINION: Is it possible for us to have a Treaty debate without resorting to violence?
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Wellington City Council the most poorly run council in NZ
OPINION: Once again, Wellington is on water restrictions over summer.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Why would Govt start controversial Treaty debate for no outcome?
OPINION: Mixed Treaty Principles Bill messaging by the coalition Government is awful.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: The bar is embarrassingly low for National
OPINION: Five of the top columns of the year from Heather du-Plessis Allan.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Life is different. Will next year be normal?
OPINION: Every year since the pandemic it hasn’t gone back to normal.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: 'Uncomfortable' National ministers in for ride over race relations policies
OPINION: Not everyone in the coalition Govt is thrilled about its race relations policies.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: How Peters is undermining Luxon and why he has to defend his silly policies
Winston Peters has upstaged Christopher Luxon all week.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: There’s enough in coalition agreements to make every party happy
OPINION: It’s a no to the referendum but apparently a yes to everything else race-related.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: This is not the way Luxon imagined his debut coalition talks would go
Yesterday was day 35 since the election. These talks are now the second longest since MMP.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Why Winston Peters is the political story of our lifetimes
OPINION: For all of his faults - and there are many - Peters really is remarkable.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: National's only way to win is Winston
Opinion: Nats should’ve ruled him out and starved him of votes.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Co-governance referendum will return a big, fat no
Opinion: We can ignore it but it will break down trust in our democracy
Heather du Plessis-Allan: David Seymour needs to stop the panic statements
OPINION: The difference between 33 per cent and 20 per cent is massive in terms of power.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Lose with dignity, don’t lose dirty
Porkies aren’t a surprise in politics. But generally parties are a bit smarter than this.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Willis just passed the job interview of her life
OPINION: A lot rested on Willis nailing her tax policy this week.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: This hard week a warning to Act and Seymour
OPINION: David Seymour’s often the smartest guy in the room.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: GST policy on fruit and veges is rotten
Opinion: Chris Hipkins' announcement given an epic wall-to-wall trashing.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Luxon feels a headache coming on
Opinion: Winston Peters will bring drama, nostalgia - and there’s the David Seymour thing.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: What were you thinking? Labour's baby brain move
Opinion: Party’s vote against Nicola Willis’ paid parental leave bill goes down badly.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: What’s to blame for the unhappiness in Labour?
OPINION: The tax plans made Parker either so angry or so disappointed he quit his post
Heather du Plessis-Allan: 'Crash' poll a wake-up call for Labour
Opinion: Labour has fallen to its lowest level since at least 2019.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Te Pāti Māori is where it’s at for the wokesters
Opinion: The party is about climate change, fixing poverty, restoring Māori rights.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Yes it's an election year, but crime is no imaginary issue
OPINION: Aucklanders seem to be scared the crime they’re reading about will walk in.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Three reasons why Cabinet's loss is New Zealand's gain
Opinion: There is very little downside in losing Wood as a minister.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Climate tax plan as dead as Labour’s hold on the farming vote
OPINION: The power lies with farmers when it comes to climate tax
Heather du Plessis-Allan: What’s the point of sacking Michael Wood?
OPINION: Michael Wood definitely deserves the sack.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Labour is in a pickle over economy
There’s just not enough time for things to improve.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Bar is embarrassingly low for National
Some voters are so desperate for a change of government they’ll take almost anything.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Parties playing nice for the sake of coalition
Why Meka Whaitiri’s defection did not bring the expected fallout
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Taxing the wealthy? Be careful what you wish for
David Parker hopes to stoke the fires of envy.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Three Waters is undemocratic; should we be alarmed?
Minister is giving more political rights to mana whenua than everyone else.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Jacinda the Great of what?
Some of former PM’s global stardom was earned some a coincidence of timing.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Hipkins hears Labour's gnashing of teeth
OPINION: Davidson drama is probably more damaging than Nash-created troubles.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Posie Parker’s opponents played into her hands
The Greens were surely performing for a crowd rather than expecting an actual ban
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Labour and National taking election straight to the boring centre ground
Memo to Labour: before you do anything, ask yourself, would National do this?
Heather du Plessis-Allan: How Rob Campbell has done Labour a favour
Campbell’s sacking from both jobs - but especially the health one - is a pity.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Hipkins doing job like it’s been 25 months, not 25 days
A crisis always favours the incumbent
Heather du Plessis-Allan: After bonfire, voters need to hear plans
Once Hipkins finishes telling us what Labour won't do, he'll have to tell us what it will
Heather du Plessis-Allan: All eyes on Auckland this election year
Auckland will play a crucial role in deciding the new government
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Now is Hipkins' chance to prove he’s a different sort of leader
OPINION: Three Waters will be the make or break issue for new leader.
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Reckless climate tax will wreck industry
Top five columns of the year from Heather du Plessis-Allan.