The Mike Hosking Breakfast

You may remember that Morgan McSweeney was one of Keir Starmer's fall guys in the Mandelson scandal.  He ran the Labour Party's 2024 campaign that saw Labour land a comparatively small amount of the vote (37%) in exactly the right places to give them a stonking great majority and end 14 years of Tory rule.  It ended badly for McSweeney. It's ending badly for Starmer, and a bloke who neve...

Hard-right politician Nigel Farage is resigning from UK Parliament, only to stand again.   The Reform Party Leader's running in the Clacton by-election after triggering a vote when he stood down as MP.   He remains under financial scrutiny for not declaring a £5 million gift, but currently only has joke-candidate Count Binface standing in his way.  UK Correspondent Enda Brady told M...

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.    The World Cup: 8/10  Even a person like me who has minimal, if any, interest in football at the best of times is increasingly mesmerised by people like Messi and teams like England. It's why it’s the biggest sport there is.    The Reserve Bank: 5/10&nb...

You can't bag the Monetary Policy Committee.  Well, you can, but in this case, you would be fairly churlish.  Personally, I would have held, but given the vote was done by consensus I clearly would have been a lone voice.  Three hikes are coming, we may get them every other meeting, and we will end up with a cash rate of 3.25%.  If you want the glass half full, look at Australi...

At the end of a short week, Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that Was. They discussed the All Blacks’ travelling gear, whether it’s acceptable for kids to go barefoot in restaurants, and what people should actually be wearing in public.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 9th of July, Finance Minister Nicola Willis speaks on the Official Cash Rate, and Luke Jacobson tells us how the All Blacks will beat Italy this weekend.  Dr Anna Breman explains the Reserve Bank’s decision to raise the OCR by 25 basis points.  And Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson discuss the All Blacks’ travelling gear, going to r...

Video games are raking in the cash and keeping people employed.   NZ on Air-funded studios brought in $829 million in the year to July – 17% more revenue than last year.   Those studios also have more than a thousand full-time employees.   Director of the Game Development Sector Rebate at New Zealand on Air, Chantelle Cole says we're punching above our weight, with the global averag...

The All Blacks continue to fend off the 'easy beat' tag around Italy as they begin final preparations for Saturday's Nations Championship test in Wellington.  Loose forward Luke Jacobson told Mike Hosking the Italians are the most improved international side over the past couple of years.  He says they’ve tipped up Scotland and England in the Six Nations, and they’re a hugely passionate...

Our national ploughing team may be at a disadvantage at the World Ploughing Championships in Croatia.  The team’s tractors, ploughs, tools, parts, and uniforms have gone missing at sea – ending up in Tasmania.  They now have plans to borrow equipment from overseas if it doesn't arrive by the fifth of September.   Five-time New Zealand champion, Mark Dillon told Mike Hosking it won't...

The Reserve Bank Governor doesn't want to hinder New Zealand's economic recovery any more than she needs to.  Anna Breman has confirmed the first OCR hike in more than three years – lifting it from 2.25% to 2.5%.  Former Governor Adrian Orr was open about trying to "engineer" a recession during the last cycle of OCR hikes.  Breman told Mike Hosking that's not what she's trying to do...

The Finance Minister's again reiterating the volatility of oil prices as fighting resumes between the US and Iran.  US President Donald Trump's declared the ceasefire is over as both sides accuse the other of breaching the terms of the ceasefire agreement.   American forces have hit dozens of Iranian targets, while Iran's fired drones at US bases in response.   Finance Minister Nico...

Two powerhouse actresses are leading one of Prime Video’s next big TV shows.  ‘Ride or Die’ is an action comedy about a couple of best friends who have to go on the run after one of them is revealed to be an international assassination.   It stars Hannah Waddingham, of ‘Ted Lasso’ fame, and Octavia Spencer, Academy Award winner for ‘The Help’, as Judith Burton and Debbie Claybourne. &nbs...

It's hard to reconcile but the power of self interest is never to be underestimated.  Retail NZ is loving the look of the EU, who this month started a new tariff on cheap goods.  It's three euro per package for anything under 150 euros.  It's aimed at Temu and co.  It's an easy argument to make because who likes Temu? Who likes cheap, nasty, tacky, plastic-y stuff that pollutes...

The NRL is staying on Sky.  The television broadcaster has secured the rights for another seven years, starting in 2028 and running through until the end of the 2034 season.  The deal is reportedly worth $61 million a year – up to $20 million more than before.   Sky TV CEO Sophie Moloney told Mike Hosking that they definitely believed, and this has confirmed, that they are the right...

Questions are circling about how much progress New Zealand's actually made in the years since 1970.   An NZ Initiative report suggests it's a mixed bag, with genuine improvements that are largely going unseen alongside stubborn problems that refuse to budge.   On the positive side, fewer people are dying on the roads and life expectancy at birth has risen almost 11 years.   But on t...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 8th of July, what will happen with the Official Cash Rate?   Sky boss Sophie Moloney speaks from Australia after securing the NRL rights in a record deal.  Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell talk emergency declarations, the perils of door knocking, and whether we might get election fatigue on Politics Wednesday.  Get the Mi...

A question of if election campaigning has started too early.   Political parties have begun to roll out their policies in advance of November’s general election – but are people in engaging with them?  Labour’s Ginny Andersen told Mike Hosking there's not a deep analysis of issues – the average person on the street doesn’t know the policies from any parties.  She says it’s not relat...

There's concern around restraint of trades being cut and pasted across all levels of the workforce.  A new OECD study reveals 43% of the country's employees are covered by them – more than the 14 other countries surveyed.   The study notes it's fair for companies to require employees to wait some time before starting work for competitors, but notes some could be going overboard with proh...

Defence spending's looming large as NATO leaders meet in Turkey for the annual alliance summit.  US President Donald Trump's already made headlines, reiterating he'd like the US to control Greenland and his disappointment with the lack of ally support for the Iran war.  Our Defence Minister Chris Penk is also heading there for the NATO Defence Industry Forum, and meeting counterparts fro...

It's thought another split vote could be on the cards for today's OCR decision.   The Reserve Bank will announce its decision at 2pm.   BNZ Head of Research Stephen Toplis expects a 25 basis point increase, taking it from 2.25% to 2.5%.   He told Mike Hosking the war in Iran has increased uncertainty about the economy's future.   Toplis says banks have already priced in three r...

I read that apparently the Government are about to give a formal response this month to the Covid Inquiry Phase Two report.  Brooke van Velden, who drove it, was so concerned about the mistake made around Covid vaccine advice for 12–17-year-olds, and the fact Chris Hipkins said he didn’t see any advice, when in fact he did.  She went off to seek advice as to what to do.  They told h...

The leader of Reform UK is in hot water over some undeclared financial gifts.  Nigel Farage is facing a probe by Parliament’s standards watchdog over a £5 million gift from convicted fraudster George Cottrell.  Farage claims he has done no wrongdoing – insisting he followed the rules and is the victim of an “establishment hit job”.   UK Correspondent Enda Brady told Mike Hosking he...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 7th of July, should we be worried about China testing a nuclear-capable missile in the South Pacific? And is there actually anything we could do about it?  Invest NZ is pushing for $30 billion in investment into data centres, so we got the facts about them from Tech New Zealand’s Graeme Muller.  And Hannah Waddingham and Octavia...

The country's property sector is opening its doors to establish branded residences.  Bayleys Real Estate is facilitating the opportunity for developers to partner with brands.  The concept has been successful overseas – with high end fashion brand Bvlgari partnering with a residency in Dubai.  General Manager Gavin Lloyd told Mike Hosking they're focusing on Auckland and Queenstown...

The Media Minister believes it's important to watch the moves made by Australia in its new deal with Microsoft.  An agreement's been made between Microsoft and the media company Nine.  It'll see the tech giant pay to reference journalists' work from its masthead content, including the Sydney Morning Herald and the Financial Review.  Paul Goldsmith told Mike Hosking the first point o...