The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The Parking Association believes multiple changes are needed for chasing up unpaid fines.  In the three years to the end of 2024, just 68% of almost $29 thousand Auckland Transport fines were paid in part or in full.  While AT says it's not a straightforward process, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says he's asked for advice on making them better debt collectors.  Association chair Mike...

The country's top butchers are jetting off to Paris to represent New Zealand on the world stage.  Our national team, the Sharp Blacks, will compete with the best in the trade around the world in the annual World Butchers Challenge.  They'll be judged on things like their cuts, amount of meat wasted, and yield.  Sharp Blacks Captain Riki Kerekere told Mike Hosking the Kiwi team are h...

A census sent out to all government workers is wider reaching than simply identifying cost cutting advice.   Thousands of public servants across all agencies have been asked in a census to identify taxpayer value in their work and any changes needed, with results expected in July.   The survey's done every five years.  Public Service Minister Judith Collins told Mike Hosking how to...

Negotiations on a free trade deal with India have been launched.  Representatives across defence, tourism, and trade are home after travelling with the Prime Minister's delegation.   New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Chief Executive Peter Chrisp told Mike Hosking there's good-will on both sides to make it work.  He says there's was considerable warmth and engagement between the Pri...

Winston Peters says Donald Trump's team is "well-informed" about what's happening in our part of the world.  The Foreign Minister met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and key officials in the US last week.  The visit comes as New Zealand waits to see if we'll get any exemptions from Trump's tariffs.  Peters told Mike Hosking Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and the...

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.    GDP: 7/10   Or should that be 0.7? It’s a bigger number than they thought and an indication that we have finally turned the corner.    The Covid loan deadline: 3/10   A sad, sad, sad reminder of why the 0.7% in GDP has taken so long to get here. C...

If you accept that the Government are struggling in the polls, you may well accept the general notion that part of what is driving that is the lack of runs on the board.  Perhaps an impatience is frustrating some of us.  We voted to get rid of the last lot on the understanding that things had been wrecked and destroyed, and there was this new lot that were going to put it right.  Th...

There’s more uncertainty about who will be and won't be included in Donald Trump's upcoming agricultural tariffs.  Here in New Zealand, we're still in the dark about whether we'll receive an exemption for things like our growing exports of hamburger meat.  Over in Australia, analysts believe they're very unlikely to get an exemption.  Correspondent Murray Olds told Mike Hosking US f...

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was.  They discussed Mike’s unexpected sick day, Wordle, and the youngest person to break the 4-minute mile, Kiwi runner Sam Ruthe.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday the 21st of March, we have growth! 0.7% is higher than everyone predicted, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis is optimistic this is just the beginning.  We've got a new rare car and country music festival at Ayrburn - is that the best pairing, or is that the best pairing?  Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson discuss Mike's sick day and...

Fonterra has delivered a strong interim result for the 2025 fiscal year.  It's reported a half year Profit after Tax of $729 million, with earnings of 44 cents per share.  It's alongside a Farmgate Milk Price midpoint of $10 per kilograms of milk solids for the season ending 2025.  CEO Miles Hurrell says it’s pleasing to be able to deliver these results for farmer shareholders and u...

New Zealand's move out of recession is being felt by some much earlier than others.  Latest figures show our economy's grown by 0.7% between October and December.  But some sectors are faring much better than others, with construction and IT contracting about 3%, and transport and warehousing growing almost 2.5%.  Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Vice President Paul Ko...

A boost for Central Otago business when the inaugural Ayrburn Classic rolls into Arrowtown this weekend.  Hundreds of vintage and luxury cars will be on show at the 160-year-old farm, which has recently become a hospitality hub.  The event's taken inspiration from overseas festivals like Pebble Beach in California.  Ayrburn Owner Chris Meehan told Mike Hosking the land was a sheep p...

Protest action is still going ahead in Napier this weekend.  There's been community backlash after a leaked proposal showed the Government considering cutting the overnight urgent care nurse service.  It's now choosing to retain it, but still with no GPs on-site.  Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise told Mike Hosking the closest doctor is a 25-minute drive away at Hastings Hospital's busy Eme...

The Finance and Growth Minister is confident the economic turnaround will continue.  Latest figures show we're officially out of recession, after our economy grew 0.7% between October and December.  Nicola Willis says we're going to continue to see growth in tourism and agriculture exports.  She told Mike Hosking households should also be getting more disposable income as they switc...

The Telecommunications Forum says difficulty switching between providers isn't an issue, despite concerns from the Commerce Commission.   A study from the commission says the process of changing providers isn't working as well as it should for consumers.  It wants telcos to improve its process to benefit consumers and competition.  But Telecommunications Forum Chief Executive Paul B...

New Zealand’s middle-distance prodigy Sam Ruthe has become the youngest person in history to break the four-minute mile barrier.  The 15-year-old from Tauranga became the 49th New Zealander to break the four-minute mile doing so at a wet Go Media Stadium last night.  Olympian Sam Tanner helped lead Ruthe in the second half of the race, setting the pace for the teenager towards the finish...

There's no such thing as a ceasefire this morning.  It's all breaking down in the Middle East. Netanyahu's come out with more fighting talk and the rockets are back on.  And for Ukraine, Trump hasn't exactly cloaked himself in glory with this so-called deal.  And I say so-called deal because it hasn't actually held.  First, it was only partial. There wasn't a full ceasefire lik...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 20th of March, will the light at the end of the economic tunnel start to reveal itself with today's Q4 GDP data?   15-year-old Sam Ruthe is on the show after becoming the youngest person to run a sub four-minute mile.  Senior expert on Russia Keir Giles joins us out of the UK after we've now had the Trump/Putin call, and the Tr...

The details of President Donald Trump's phone conversations with his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts remain relatively shrouded.  Trump's sought a full end to hostilities between the two sides but appears to have settled for a limited ceasefire and further discussion for now.   All three parties say the calls have gone well, but there are discrepancies in their reporting.   Chath...

A crack down on persistent young offenders.  New Ministry of Justice data shows a 19% increase in children and young people receiving orders or adult sentences in 2024, compared to the previous year.  There's a 16% rise for Māori tamariki and rangatahi.  Blue Light CEO Brendon Crompton told Ryan Bridge these are children who have likely gone through the youth system and have continu...

An economist is warning not to expect big growth in GDP figures out today.  Data —due out from Stats NZ just before 11 this morning— is expected to show the economy has been pulled out of recession, but is still crawling to recovery.  Economists are predicting growth of between 0.3 and 0.5%.   Westpac senior economist Michael Gordon told Ryan Bridge he's predicting flat growth in th...

Simeon Brown's hitting back over concerns of overreach from what he's calling the 'health police.'   The Health Minister's directed public health doctors to stop weighing in on issues like fast food, and leading advocacy campaigns.   But the comments, combined with looming job cuts, have sent shockwaves through the medical sector – who fear this 'censorship' would limit doctors' ability...

The Pope's condition is said to be improving, but there's uncertainty over an upcoming royal visit.  The 88-year-old has been in hospital for more than a month with double pneumonia, but the Vatican is now saying he's making slight improvements.  King Charles and Queen Camilla are due to visit for the jubilee celebrations of the Catholic Church, early next month.  But Italy Correspo...

A change in direction for homeowners and their mortgages.  90% of home loans were floating or fixed for less than a year in January.  CoreLogic says there's anecdotal evidence borrowers have begun to fix for longer as interest rates come down.  Squirrel Mortgage Broker, David Cunningham told Ryan Bridge things have changed dramatically since Christmas, with favourable rates for long...