Best The Mega Driver Podcasts (2025)

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Politics Friday with Vanessa Weenink and Tracey McLellan: State of emergency, mega-strike, home economics, Netball NZ, Labour future funding 20:20

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1d ago20:20

20:20

Today on Politics Friday, National MP and former doctor Vanessa Weenink, and Labour's Tracey Lee McLellan join John MacDonald to delve into the biggest topics of the week. They discuss the Government response to yesterday's wind storm, the mega-strike, the end of home economics and outdoor education in schools, political involvement in the Netball …

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John MacDonald: Who forgot to press "send" on the emergency mobile alert? 4:18

1d ago4:18

4:18

What happened to the emergency mobile alert system ahead of and during yesterday’s wind storm? One explanation for the absence of text alerts from one government MP is that, with the power out in places, the cell towers weren’t working. But the power wasn’t out in Christchurch city and there were still no alerts on my phone. What’s more, the power …

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Who Stole Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar's Tequila with Jessica Mcfate 49:23

14h ago49:23

49:23

In “Who Stole Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar's Tequila”, Joe Lynch and Jessica McFate, Sr. Director of Intelligence Solutions at Babel Street, discuss how national security intelligence methods are now vital for solving commercial theft and securing global supply chains. About Jessica McFate Jessica Lewis McFate is Sr. Director of Intelligence Solutions…

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Labour’s ‘New Zealand Future Fund’, new GP funding policy, and today’s ‘Mega strike’ w/ Labour’s Shanan Halbert: 23 October, 2025.

7h ago

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Labour has launched its first key election policy, a fund that would invest in New Zealand businesses and infrastructure. Labour’s health spokesperson, Dr Ayesha Verrall, has also released Labour’s policy for a new approach to funding GPs. And thousands of teachers and healthcare workers are going on strike today, with weather-dependent rallies acr…

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The Impact of How We Talk About Disasters w/ University of Montreal’s Fatma Özdoğan: 23 October, 2025

7h ago

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October 13th is the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction with the United Nations. The day focuses on the rising cost of disasters, as well as disaster risks, including the impact of climate change and development choices. Fatma Özdoğan, PhD Candidate and Researcher at the University of Montreal, co-wrote an article on this topic, focused o…

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How the Government Should Respond to Today’s ‘Mega Strike’ w/ Rob Campbell: 23 October, 2025

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Today, about 100,000 public sector employees are going on strike. The action has been labelled as a “mega strike”, as it includes teachers, nurses and other public sector workers who are calling for better pay, staffing levels, and working conditions. The government is strong against the strike, with Public Services Minister Judith Collins issuing …

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Permanent Fix Needed for School Lunches w Dr. Kelly Garton

7h ago

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Health Coalition Aotearoa is calling for a permanent fix to New Zealand’s School Lunch Programme. The current contract is being delivered by provider ‘The School Lunch Collective’, after National axed the prior Ka Ako, Ka Ora programme model. This latest iteration of the school lunches programme has seen smaller meals, lower nutritional quality, an…

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City Counselling w Julie Fairey - October 23, 2025

7h ago

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A new term for Tāmaki Makaurau’s city council is rolling out amidst sizeable public transport changes for the city. Namely, the restructuring of responsibility that transfers primary policy and planning powers to council and leaves transport delivery responsibilities to Auckland Transport. It has also been announced that 4162 of the approximately 1…

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James Thompson: Canterbury Civil Defence Controller updates the region ahead of damaging storm 3:09

2d ago3:09

3:09

Canterbury Civil Defence Controller James Thompson joined John MacDonald on Canterbury Mornings with the latest information we need to know ahead of today's expected damaging wind storm. The region is under a red wind warning locally, along with parts of the Southern North Island. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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Dan Gordon: Waimakariri Mayor gives updates on storm preparation and damage in the area 4:29

2d ago4:29

4:29

Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon joined John MacDonald to get the latest from their district on storm preparation and damage. There are also reports that people set off fireworks in the area last night. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By Newstalk ZB

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John MacDonald: The Minister for the South Island is (rightfully) ducking for cover 4:48

3d ago4:48

4:48

The Minister for the South Island is ducking for cover. I probably would be too, if I was him. Because he knows it’s going to be very difficult to defend the pitiful share the South Island is getting from the Government’s latest $1.2billion funding round for new roads and roading upgrades. The south island has been virtually shut out, with just 6 p…

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The Mega-Strike w/ PSA's National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons: 22 October, 2025

1d ago

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Tomorrow, we are set to see what could be the largest strike in last 40 years, as seperate unions representing nurses, teachers and many more come together to put pressure on the government to take their negotiations seriously. In total, it'll likely be around 100,000 kiwis pushing for better working conditions. Frequent in their demands are reques…

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The Wire w/ Max: 22 October, 2025

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For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez March about the mega strike happening tomorrow, the Labour Party releasing their first major policy ahead of next year’s general election, and the government moving forward with their Roads of National Significance programme. Max also spoke with Paul T…

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Concerns regarding changes to eye exams for driver licenses w/ the New Zealand Association of Optometrists' Hadyn Treanor: 22 October, 2025

1d ago

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The government is looking to introduce a raft of reforms to the driver licence system, officially called the Graduated Driver Licensing System. The government aims to make getting a full driver’s licence easier and cheaper for New Zealanders, which is why one of the proposed changes to the system includes scrapping the full licence test. However, t…

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Weekly Catchup w/ The Green Party's Ricardo Menendez March: 22 October, 2025

2d ago

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On Monday this week, the Labour Party announced their first major policy ahead of next year’s general election, which is titled the “Future Fund”. Although Labour didn’t include many specifications about the policy, the aim is to invest in New Zealand businesses that are inventive and resourceful. They also announced the fund would begin with a $20…

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Real-World Supply Chain AI Applications with Gather AI's Sankalp Arora 52:25

1d ago52:25

52:25

In “Real-World Supply Chain AI Applications with Gather AI's Sankalp Arora”, Joe Lynch and Sankalp Arora, CEO and Co-founder at Gather AI, discuss how Gather AI's combination of drone-collected visual data, AI analysis, and WMS integration is revolutionizing warehouse inventory management. About Sankalp Arora Sankalp Arora is the CEO & Co-Founder o…

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John MacDonald: How could anyone turn a blind eye to this? 5:49

4d ago5:49

5:49

Some days you hear about something which absolutely beggars belief. Today is one of those days. You hear about something that makes you wonder what the hell has happened to society. Sometimes it can be overseas. Or it can be something here in New Zealand. Today is one of those days. Because I am blown away by this coroner’s report which has just co…

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Te Pāti Māori leadership needing a shift in focus w/ University of Auckland’s Jason Mika: October 21, 2025

2d ago

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Te Pati Maori have drawn media speculation on the strength of their leadership, which has been described as “internal chaos” and “infighting,” despite the party announcing a reset. Academic and professor of Maori management Jason Mika from the University of Auckland’s business school likens the conflict to “an open divorce court gone bad,” and beli…

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John MacDonald: Judith Collins is egging on parents and it needs to stop 4:32

5d ago4:32

4:32

The Government is really spooked by this week’s mega strike. With about 100,000 people expected to walk off the job on Thursday. If it wasn’t spooked, we wouldn't have Public Service Minister Judith Collins writing this open letter to patients, students and families affected by the doctors, nurses, teachers, prison staff and other healthcare worker…

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QNX's John Wall on how software recalls are changing the development process 19:16

4d ago19:16

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John Wall, COO of QNX, which makes operating systems, development tools and more for the automotive industry, explains the results of a new survey of developers during a conversation with Automotive News staff reporter Molly Boigon. Respondents said that cybersecurity is the greatest risk to software-defined vehicle development, but also flagged th…

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Beyond the Rate: Why Accuracy, Transparency, and Context Matter with Dawn Favier 48:25

7d ago48:25

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In “Beyond the Rate: Why Accuracy, Transparency and Context Matter”, Joe Lynch and Dawn Salvucci-Favier, President, Intelligence, at Triumph, discuss how accuracy, transparency, and network connectivity are the new drivers for precision and confidence in the logistics industry. About Dawn Favier Dawn Salvucci-Favier serves as President, Intelligenc…

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Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader talks Te Pati Maori, parliamentary standards, political violence 8:40

10d ago8:40

8:40

The Opposition Leader's again expressing concern about Te Pati Maori, but not yet ruling out working with them. Toxic culture claims by Eru Kapa-Kingi were followed by the party releasing documents accusing him of threatening Parliamentary staffers. They also show his mother, recently demoted Whip MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, was warned about risking b…

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John MacDonald: Would harsher fines really change driver behaviour? 4:55

10d ago4:55

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Isn’t it weird that, in the past 25 years, we have spent millions and millions and millions of dollars on road safety campaigns, but there have, generally, been no changes in that time to the penalties handed out for bad and dangerous driving? I tried to find out exactly how much has been spent, but I realised that was quite ambitious. Nevertheless…

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Beyond the Mega Shipper: Finding Untapped Demand with Shan Wu 43:48

9d ago43:48

43:48

In “Beyond the Mega Shipper: Finding Untapped Demand”, Joe Lynch and Shan Wu, Co-founder of breadd.ai, discuss the massive, yet often overlooked, opportunity in the mid-market. This essential pivot from chaotic prospecting to laser-focused selling is what breadd.ai helps brokers achieve. About Shan Wu Shan Wu is the cofounder of breadd.ai. As a li…

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John MacDonald: Compulsory helmets for skaters is a no-brainer 4:06

11d ago4:06

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I’m right behind the call being made today for helmets to be made mandatory at recreational ice skating and roller skating rinks. For it to be a legal requirement that if you want to go and have a skate with your mates, you have to wear a helmet. Because if it’s good enough for helmets to be compulsory on bikes, then why isn’t it good enough for he…

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Season 6: Episode 13 - "The Sega Dreamcast Bucket List - A Dozen Games You Have to Play" 2:03:14

10d ago2:03:14

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The Dreamcast is home to hundreds of classic experiences. While there are various opinions on what could be considered "The best", another way to look at it is what are the must play experiences that made the Dreamcast special. Which games should be experienced on Sega's final console? Dan the Mega Driver and James The SEGAHolic attempt to answer t…

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John MacDonald: We need compulsory voting 5:09

12d ago5:09

5:09

If you voted in this year’s local body elections, congratulations. You can consider yourself a member of a very exclusive club. Because, this year, voter turnout around the country was the lowest it’s been in 36 years. Which is pitiful. So pitiful that I don’t even think my idea of having just one main voting day - like we have for central governme…

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Jon Toogood: Shihad frontman joins John MacDonald ahead of the Christchurch Full Metal Orchestra concert 13:19

12d ago13:19

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Shihad frontman Jon Toogood joined John MacDonald ahead of the Christchurch Full Metal Orchestra concert. He talked about performing with Phil Rudd of ACDC, his passion for heavy music and the joy it brings the crowds, and how his health has become a priority in his later years. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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Phil Mauger: Re-elected Mayor of Christchurch discusses his plans for another term in office 10:58

12d ago10:58

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Phil Mauger has been re-elected as Mayor of Christchurch. He joined us on the show following his win, and discussed the key issues he wants to focus on. Where will cut debt? Who will be his deputy? And does he think Wayne Brown is correct that Auckland is our only international city? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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Shmuel De-Leon on solid state battery benefits, why the U.S. should speed development 20:51

11d ago20:51

20:51

Shmuel De-Leon, CEO of De-Leon Energy, an Israeli battery consulting firm, explains the safety and performance benefits of solid-state batteries in electric vehicles. He spoke with Automotive News reporter Richard Truett at The Battery Show Oct. 8 for the Shift podcast. The U.S. should support solid state battery development to compete with China l…

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The Margin Compression Playbook: The Essential Strategies for Brokerage Survival with Kevin Hill 46:12

12d ago46:12

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In “The Margin Compression Playbook: The Essential Strategies for Brokerage Survival”, Joe Lynch and Kevin Hill, Head of Sales at CarrierSource.io and Founder and owner of Brush Pass Research, discuss how freight brokerages can utilize specialized data, technology, and superior carrier quality to overcome margin pressure and secure long-term viabil…

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Phil Mauger: Christchurch Mayoral candidate on rates, campaigning 36:18

16d ago36:18

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Christchurch's incumbent mayor believes debt is the Council's biggest challenge. Phil Mauger says if re-elected he's committed to tackling the Garden's City's growing debt by selling off assets like the Lichfield Street carpark. Mauger told John MacDonald the current debt level is $2.5 billion, and he wants it under control. He says 25 cents of eve…

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John MacDonald: Isn't the Drug Foundation stating the obvious? 5:09

16d ago5:09

5:09

I support the NZ Drug Foundation’s push to decriminalise drug use and drug possession. The key point here is “use” and “possession”. It’s not saying let the dealers and manufacturers away with it, it’s saying we need to take a much more compassionate approach and treat drug users as people in need of help, instead of treating them as criminals. I’m…

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John MacDonald: Keeping victims of crime in the dark isn't good enough 4:52

16d ago4:52

4:52

Is it good enough that the victim of a nasty assault in Christchurch has had to hound the police for four weeks to find out what’s going on with their investigation? This is someone who lost several teeth in the assault which happened in broad daylight inside The Palms shopping mall. Is it good enough? He and his family don’t think so, saying today…

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Sales Insights for Logistics Leaders with Trey Griggs 36:37

15d ago36:37

36:37

In “Sales Insights for Logistics Leaders”, Joe Lynch and Trey Griggs, Founder and Chief Encouragement Officer of BETA Consulting Group, discuss the strategy for logistics leaders to build a trusted brand and create sales momentum using clear messaging, social proof (testimonials), and self-awareness to replace reliance on their shrinking profession…

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John MacDonald: No protests outside homes? Yes, but where else? 4:19

17d ago4:19

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By Newstalk ZB

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Sara Templeton: Christchurch Mayoral Candidate talks campaign, rates, transport 34:43

17d ago34:43

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By Newstalk ZB

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Magna’s Todd Deaville on how the mega-supplier uses AI 18:29

18d ago18:29

18:29

Magna International is leaning on artificial intelligence to improve manufacturing and to gain supply chain insights amid shifting trade policy. Todd Deaville, vice president of advanced manufacturing innovation at Magna, joins Automotive News supplier reporter John Irwin, on this week’s Automotive News Shift podcast. Plus, Shift hosts Hannah Lutz …

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Private Fleet Net Zero: The Deadhead is Dead with Russ Jones 46:46

21d ago46:46

46:46

In “Private Fleet Net Zero: The Deadhead is Dead”, Joe Lynch and Russell Jones, CEO & Co-founder of Private Fleet Net Zero, discuss how PFNZ is using AI to eliminate the deadhead of private fleets, turning empty miles into profitable, superior capacity while simultaneously driving significant progress toward net zero. About Russ Jones Russell Jones…

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Long Beach: Port of the Future with Dr. Noel Hacegaba 40:49

23d ago40:49

40:49

In “Long Beach: Port of the Future”, Joe Lynch and Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Chief Operating Officer of the Port of Long Beach, a global leader in green port initiatives and top-notch customer service, moving cargo with reliability, speed and efficiency. As the premier U.S. gateway for trans-Pacific trade, the Port handles trade valued at $300 billion ann…