The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was.  New Zealand finally has a radio station that caters to Mike’s taste in music, with iHeartCountry NZ launching this morning.   Plus, Kate and Tim played a game of Mike’s invention for the chance to win a cash prize.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Rugby has posted a $19.5 million loss for 2024.  Since NZR brought US fund manager Silver Lake on as an equity partner in June 2022, the national body has posted total accumulated losses of around $76 million over three years.  NZR is trumpeting record income of $285 million dollars against the loss.  CEO Mark Robinson told Mike Hosking that much of the deficit is as a r...

New Zealand banks are being asked to pay up in the next few months.  Kiwibank, BNZ, Westpac, ANZ and ASB will need to repay around $9.2 billion in cheap Covid-era loans to the Reserve Bank.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Mike Hosking that they have variety of options they can use to repay the money.  He says the banks knew when taking out these loans they’d have to...

The Government's scraped the bottom of the barrel to find more money for the upcoming Budget.  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's promising an extra $400 million for maintaining and upgrading assets, on top of the already projected $3.6 billion.  He says he wants to prioritise growing the economy.  Infrastructure New Zealand Policy Director Michelle McCormick told Mike Hosking thing...

The new Pope's experience around the globe has hoisted him above front-runners for the papacy.   69-year-old Robert Prevost, who will be known as Pope Leo XIV, is the first Pope to come from the United States.   While he was born in Chicago, he's also a naturalised Peruvian having lived there for about 20 years, and speaks English, Spanish, and Italian.  Newstalk ZB's Jo McKenna is...

The Government's planning to increase ventilation requirements in new homes to address overheating in townhouses.  RNZ reports Auckland homeowners have complained of 30-degree temperatures overnight due to poorly ventilated buildings.  Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says changes are needed so people don't get cooked alive in their own house.  Property developer and in...

Donald Trump's tariffs continue to loom over the film industry.  The New Zealand Film Commission is embarking on an international trade mission of its own.  The team is headed to India, the UK, and France to look for new investment partnerships and international productions.  Chief Executive Annie Murray told Mike Hosking co-production is on the rise, despite the tariffs.  He s...

Red meat exports are setting records.  The country's March export sales were $1.26 billion - a new high.  China's beef demand dropped 35% by volume and value compared to last March, due to their growing imports from South America.  Fed Farmers President Wayne Langford told Mike Hosking there's still room to expand.  He says there's work to do for farming marketing and trade tea...

An organised crime expert believes New Zealand's failure to curb criminal activity isn't due to a lack of trying.   A ministerial advisory group has released its second report criticising our response to modern crime and money laundering.   It shows the cash and assets seized by police is just 4.2% of the $1.6 billion in criminal profits each year.   Group Chair and top lawyer Steve...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 8th of May, our unemployment numbers look to have peaked , and we have the latest report from the advisory group for organised crime.  Would you be happy if Mark Lundy moved into your neighbourhood? Should we know where a high-profile prisoner is reintegrating back into society?   Outgoing Air NZ CEO Greg Foran gives his first...

Greg Foran knew his time with Air New Zealand was limited from the get go.  The outgoing CEO announced his resignation in March, planning to stay on until October.   He began at Air NZ in early 2020, replacing Christopher Luxon.  Foran told Mike Hosking he knew in the back of his mind he’d probably only do about five or six years with the company, as he has other things he’s keen to...

A $1.4 billion upgrade could be on the way for Transpower's Cook Strait electricity cable.   The 610 kilometre link is a transmission system connecting the North and South islands, installed in 1991.  The existing cables are likely to reach their end of life in the late 2030s.   Energy Resources Aotearoa CEO John Carnegie told Mike Hosking the Commerce Commission will need to review...

Black smoke has billowed from Rome's Sistine Chapel, signalling a new pope's failed to be elected.  The 133 cardinals will now reconvene tomorrow to choose a successor to Pope Francis.  Jo McKenna, who's in St Peters' Square, told Mike Hosking they went up until about 9pm local time.  She says many of the cardinals are elderly and have to come back in the morning.  LISTEN ABOVE...

It's expected twice-convicted double-murderer Mark Lundy will be slipped back into the community.  He's been released from prison after more than 23 years for the murders of his wife Christine and 7-year-old daughter, Amber, in their Palmerston North home.  The now 66-year-old has always maintained his innocence  Criminal lawyer Steve Cullen told Mike Hosking where parolees are rele...

The Finance Minister admits many Kiwis aren't getting as much work as they'd like to be.  Unemployment has remained unchanged at 5.1% in the March quarter, despite most economists predicting a rise.  However, 21% of employed people are now working part time.  Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking the ongoing rise in the under-utilisation rate is a concern.  She says it's clear that s...

Kristine Bartlett was, to many, a hero.  She was a very likeable woman. She was a caregiver who argued her work was undervalued and she deserved more.  The Labour Party who love “feels” and are not exactly unfamiliar with the unions leapt all over it and the Equal Pay Act 2022 was born.  The downside was how to compare this so-called "underpaid work" like in nursing homes, where wom...

135 cardinals from around the world will take their picks on who the new pope should be.   They'll be locked in Rome's Sistine Chapel from tomorrow to decide who will replace Pope Francis.    There's no timescale for how long it'll take, but the last two papal elections lasted for two days.  Australian Catholic Journalist Mark O’Connor told Mike Hosking the cardinals know what...

There's acceptance banning social media for under 16s may be easier said than done.   National has put forward a members’ bill to prevent under 16 year olds having social media accounts, with large corporations being responsible for technically regulating age verification.   The author, Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd told Mike Hosking she knows anyone can use a fake age to set up a social me...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 7th of May, Brooke van Velden talks improving the pay equity process and why it isn't, apparently, all about the Budget.  And we've got a National bill that wants to ban social media for under 16s. Possible or not?  Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen talk pay equity and the feasibility of the social media ban – and can we get th...

MPs across the political spectrum are fired up over the latest proposal to overhaul —under urgency— rules around pay equity.   The proposed law, which would lift the threshold of pay equity claims of gender-discrimination, is expected to have its third reading this morning.   Labour's Ginny Andersen told Mike Hosking the Government was boasting about savings.    She says the wo...

An observation the recession hasn't been felt evenly.  Stats NZ data out this morning could show unemployment has hit its highest point since 2016 during the March quarter – reaching around 5.2%.  ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner told Mike Hosking she expects it will have bigger impacts on different age groups and communities.  She says young people as well as Māori and Pacific co...

The US President and Canadian Prime Minister have had some tough conversations today.   Donald Trump and Mark Carney met at the White House and vowed to bring up tough points that are dividing their countries since Trump won office.  On Trump's desire to make Canada America's 51st state, Carney stated the country is not for sale.   US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking D...

The more vape stores near schools, the more young people vape.   Fresh research from Auckland University shows almost half of schools across New Zealand are within a ten minute walk from a vape store  The government passed a law in 2023 banning specialist vape shops from opening within 300 metres of schools, but the laws didn't apply to hundreds of existing suppliers.  Study lead Ro...

The Government says its new tough rules for pay equity claims will result in major taxpayer savings.   The proposed law, which would lift the threshold of pay equity claims of gender-discrimination, is expected to have its third reading this morning.   It's caused an uproar, with many women and union groups opposed to the idea.   Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden told M...

I always find it amusing when officialdom is confused, and they seem confused, as to why so many of our brightest minds have bailed and gone off overseas.  This is the group of top achievers at NCEA level and the ones with international qualifications.  More of them than ever have left the country. Officialdom here doesn’t know if they are enrolled offshore or, and here is the critical p...