The Mike Hosking Breakfast

A climate professor says forestry isn't the answer to climate change.  It comes after Parliament's environment watchdog released a report proposing completely removing the ability of carbon polluters to rely on planting trees to meet their climate obligations, instead of cutting their emissions.   Victoria University Adjunct Professor of Climate Change Adrian Macey told Mike Hosking we n...

Donald Trump says the changes to his tariff policy show he's flexible.   He's put a 90-day pause on additional tariffs and lowered tariffs on all countries to 10% – except China.   Instead, Trump hiked China's rate from 104% to 125%.   He's thanked Americans for bearing with him and promised better days are coming.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking things are un...

The Science Minister says merging our two Government weather agencies will free up millions of dollars.  Incoming legislation will bring NIWA and MetService together before the end of the year.  Shane Reti says the merger will resolve the structural issue that's resulted in duplication and conflicting advice.  He told Mike Hosking they'll merge capabilities, assets and services, and...

There’s a belief the Government's new building directive for wool will be followed.  From July, new builds worth more than $9 million and refurbishments costing over $100 thousand must use New Zealand wool where possible.   The directive orders state agencies to follow the directive where practical.  Wool Impact chief executive Andy Caughey told Mike Hosking it's not a rule, but str...

Ken Langone started a small operation called Home Depot.  These days he is a billionaire and major donor to the Trump campaign and Republican Party.  He is, like all the rest of us looking on, incredulous, or furious, or in disbelief, or confused.  Yesterday for a very brief period, a rumour that appeared to come out of a very small 'X' account and somehow linked to CNBC, swept the...

Should you look into building a house?  CoreLogic’s latest Construction Cost Index suggests that outside of Covid, the price to build is the lowest it’s been since 2012.  Costs are rising at one of the slowest rates on record, with only 0.9% over the last year.  Generation Homes CEO Craig Hopkins told Mike Hosking the sectors’ greatest competition is the pre-existing market, with ar...

Fans may have noticed a more enjoyable Super Rugby product this season.  Static time has been cut by 73 seconds, and an average of 61 points are being scored per game – the highest ever.  Viewing numbers and game attendance have also increased.  CEO Jack Mesley told Mike Hosking the growth’s happening on both sides of the ditch, with Australia leading the charge this season.  H...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 9th of April, will the tariffs affect our OCR announcement this afternoon?      A new report on organised crime shows we are in shambles , it's getting worse, not better, and we are losing the fight.  Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell talk Andrew Little’s potential run for Wellington mayor, David Parker’s resignation,...

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has come out on top in the first debate of the election.   Of the 100 undecided voters polled after the debate, 44 chose Albanese, 35 chose his opponent Peter Dutton, and 21 were undecided.   Australian correspondent Steve Price told Mike Hosking a personal tragedy struck Dutton shortly before it started.   He says Dutton received news his...

Labour's Ginny Anderson says former party leader Andrew Little would make a great mayor.  Newstalk ZB yesterday revealed Little is actively considering running for the Wellington Mayoralty after previously ruling it out.  Little says the city needs a change, and he's been approached by many to run.  Andersen told Mike Hosking he'd improve the council  She says Little's level he...

Methamphetamine use skyrocketed to its highest level last year as New Zealand struggles to keep pace.  A ministerial advisory group on organised crime has released it's first report since being established in February.   It says police and customs do their best, but the reality is the country is losing the fight.  Advisory group chair Steve Symon told Mike Hosking there are high spi...

International students are returning to New Zealand campuses, with numbers reaching pre-Covid levels.  Education New Zealand says the students contribute billions to the economy annually.  Universities New Zealand CEO Chris Whelan told Mike Hosking it's a welcome financial boost.  He says as well as bringing life back to the campus, they also help keep our institutions afloat financ...

The Police will continue with their plan to pull back from mental health callouts, but they're going about it more slowly. From Monday, 4 of the 12 police districts will move into the second phase, which involves 60-minute ED handovers.   They will now be staggered across districts, instead of all at once.   The Mental Health Foundation has been critical of the pull back.   Police A...

More than 70 countries have approached the White House for talks following Trump’s tariffs.   There's been no let up on China though – the US has promised to hit them with a 50% increase tomorrow.   That will take China's total tariff rate to 104%.   US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking the world's biggest company,  Apple, has been dealt a massive blow.   He s...

Economists are agreeing on where they think today's Official Cash Rate will land.  They expect a 25 basis point cut to the OCR, down from 3.75%.  ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner told Mike Hosking there's a risk the Reserve Bank opts for a different strategy after the US tariff announcement.  She says if it were to be a surprise, a 50-point cut is more likely than a pause.  L...

A touch of the ol' intellectual snobbery reared its head with news that the Defence Force dropped education criteria last year.  As a person who had no time for school and could not wait to get out into the world, I was, and still am, very grateful for the idea that you choose the person and not the piece of paper when it comes to work.  When I started, School Certificate and UE were wha...

It’s fair to say Bruce Hornsby is a bit of a legend in the music game.  Even a casual fan will know ‘The Way It Is’, the intro often considered the greatest piano intro of all time, and finding even more fame thanks to Tupac using it in ‘Changes’.  He began his career in the 80’s, and since then, some of the biggest and best have cited his influence, including the likes of Willie Nelson...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 8th of April, the Government has announced a major defence spend – the highest since WWII. Defence Minister Judith Collins and former Minister Ron Mark share their thoughts.    A New Zealand restaurant has is in the top three – worldwide.   Famed singer and pianist Bruce Hornsby has been on Mike's interview bucket list for...

Central Otago has once again caught the attention of world-renowned food critics.  In Food & Wine’s Global Tastemaker Awards, Queenstown’s Amisfield has been named the third best restaurant in the world.   It was recognised in the Top 15 International Restaurants category, with the judges saying it was a “beacon for wine enthusiasts worldwide who seek an unparalleled dining experienc...

The World of Wearable Arts is already preparing for this year's show.  Executive Creative Director Brian Burke has announced he's returning for another year to lead the show in six months.  The fashion competition features designers from more than 40 countries each year.  Burke told Mike Hosking it's his pleasure to be involved with the fashion design extravaganza.  He says he...

The Government's promising to spend big in areas of defence, including improving its fleet in the air, and on the land, and sea.  The long-awaited Defence Capability Plan was released yesterday afternoon, with $12 billion worth of public spending across four years – $9 billion of which is deemed new spending.  It includes plans to bring defence spending up to two percent of GDP, with pro...

Former Defence Minister Ron Mark's toasting the coalition Government following a commitment to more defence spending.  It's pouring $12 billion over four years into defence – $9 billion of which is new spending.   It includes enhancing our strike capabilities, replacing the Boeing 757 fleet, and upgrading our javelin anti-tank missiles.  Mark told Mike Hosking it will be good for Ne...

The Justice Minister says he's hunting for a solution to make sure victims of crime get their reparations.   Figures released under the Official Information Act show almost half of all court-ordered reparation payments are overdue – $105 million owed to victims.   Paul Goldsmith says there's scope for taking it out of people's benefits.   He told Mike Hosking while they don't want t...

The US is facing a trade war with China and a potential trade war with Europe.  Donald Trump's threatening to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to more than 100% in response to the retaliatory tariffs announced by China over the weekend.  The EU is still mulling over its response.  Paris Correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking in the past few hours, the EU's revealed it offered...

An increase in crackdowns has paid dividends for Inland Revenue.   It collected $600 million in extra taxes from 3,600 audits between July and December last year – 50% more audits than the same time period in 2023.   Half of the money came from fewer than 10 audits.   Deloitte Tax Partner Robyn Walker told Mike Hosking it shows the investment at the last budget was worth it, New Zea...