The Mike Hosking Breakfast

There’s a push to alter New Zealand's laws to allow people to indulge in a tea or coffee while at the hairdressers.  It's an offence to serve a drink in a salon's service area – deemed unsafe under health regulations.  National MP Dana Kirkpatrick has added a bill to the ballot to remove the law.  Rodney Wayne Chief Executive Julie Evans told Mike Hosking the offence is news to them...

A friend of Nikki Kaye has described her as an incredibly determined person.   The 44-year-old former National MP died on Saturday after battling cancer.   Her family says a private cremation service was held on Monday.   Kaye served as Auckland Central MP from 2008 until 2020.   Friend David Farrar told Mike Hosking that he and others in the National party told her she wouldn'...

A former Reserve Bank economist says there's a case for the Reserve Bank cutting the Official Cash Rate by 75 basis points.   The Reserve Bank will release its latest decision today.   It's widely expected to cut the rate by 50-basis points from 4.75% to 4.25%.   Former reserve bank economist Michael Reddell told Mike Hosking the Reserve Bank's view of an OCR of 2.5-3% as being neut...

There are calls for more discussion around genetic modification.   An Institute of Economic Research report, commissioned by Organics Aotearoa New Zealand, reveals genetic modification could reduce the value of primary sector exports by up to $20 billion a year.   It estimates GMO-free branding adds an extra 59% on the value of our exports.   Organics NZ chief executive Tiffany Tomp...

John Grisham is no stranger to success, having written 50 consecutive number one best sellers.   When he’s not writing, he works for the Innocence Project and Centurion Ministries, helping get innocent people released from prison.  A majority of his work are legal thrillers, but this time he’s taking a step into a realm he’s less familiar with: nonfiction.  ‘Framed’ is Grisham’s sec...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 26th of November, a new 24/7 police station is opening in Auckland CBD – Police Commissioner Richard Chambers joined the show to discuss.   The Prime Minister joined Mike live in studio for a chat about the economy, Waikato Hospital, and when we will get details of the new ferry deal.  Arguably one of the greatest ever authors,...

Universities are seeing increasing interest from students wanting to study courses in artificial intelligence.   Multiple universities now run Masters of Artificial Intelligence degrees, with many other courses and related papers at various levels also available.   Victoria University launched a masters in 2021 and last year began an undergraduate major in AI.   Senior lecturer Andr...

A capital gains tax is a no-brainer, according to a former Labour Party leader.  The topic is understood to be on the agenda at the party's conference in Christchurch this weekend, with members deciding whether to continue work on the proposal.  David Cunliffe told Mike Hosking he believes most in the party would be keen on the tax.  When it comes to voters, he says that capital gai...

The new top cop says Aucklanders will be feeling better about a police station in the city's centre.   Police plan to have the new Federal Street base open to the public by the middle of next year.  It will sit close to Aotea Square and the new CRL station, making it easier to deploy officers right across the central city.   Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told Mike Hosking tha...

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the “more tax, more borrowing” of the last Labour Government hadn’t worked.  “The decision for New Zealand is really about getting this country growing,” he told Mike Hosking.  One of the areas they’ve been focusing on in order to do so has been education.  Luxon said he was unaware of schools not getting necessary maths resources, and disagrees...

More schools are dropping NCEA Level 1.   An Education Review Office review has found it's not a fair or reliable measure of knowledge and skills, and needs substantial change.   Less than three-quarters of schools plan to offer NCEA Level 1 next year.  ERO's Ruth Shinoda told Mike Hosking that in more affluent communities, it's less than half.   She says three quarters of scho...

Australian police arrested 170 climate activists over the weekend after their floating blockade briefly disrupted activity at one of the world’s largest coal ports. The fleet of kayaks, paddle boards and inflatable boats blocked the entrance to the Port of Newcastle, which exports millions of tonnes of coal each year. Police said on Sunday evening 156 adults and 14 youths had been arrested and cha...

Surely the TJ Perenara performance is a sign of the times? How far back (small clue, not far) do you need to go to think that this sort of extra curricular activity would never have even been close to being countenanced by an All Black squad? Not long ago, essentially, sport was sport. It got political in the Springbok apartheid era, but that was politics from the outside in, not the other way aro...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 25th of November, our NCEA Level 3 and UE entries are at their lowest point in a decade and Covid is being blamed. We get the Maori All Blacks cultural adviser on to discuss TJ Perenara's political message in the haka before the All Blacks game. Guy and Sav talk the haka, the Phoenix and the All Blacks brand. Get the Mike Hosking Break...

Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to discuss Guy’s weekend of team golfing, TJ Perenara’s haka before the All Blacks’ 29-11 victory over Italy and the last test outings for Perenara and Sam Cane, the Wellington Phoenix’s and Auckland FC’s latest A-League outings, and Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies contract. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liam Lawson wasn't the only Kiwi ripping it up at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Synthony - an orchestra which reimagines some of the biggest dance hits of all time - was there as well. The group stems from New Zealand and is increasingly going global. Singer-songwriter Ilan Kidron – who’s teamed up with Synthony – joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's filling out his Cabinet - with some unconventional picks in the mix. The President-elect's selections are raising questions over whether some people are up to the job. It's thought locking in Trump's defence pick Pete Hesgeth and intelligence pick Tulsi Gabbard - both of Fox News - could prove difficult. Meanwhile, US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking Pam Bondi has been...

Questions over whether New Zealand's regional airport security measures are up to scratch. Stuff reports gangs are travelling between our smaller centres to traffic drugs around the country, where there's little risk of having their bags scanned. Current security settings mean flights with fewer than 90 passengers are unlikely to go through screenings. Former Detective Inspector Lance Burdett told...

A climate academic says the COP climate conferences have achieved little in actually cutting emissions. It comes as COP29 takes place in Azerbaijan, with a new deal forged which will see developing countries supported to the tune of $500 billion to manage climate impacts. But Victoria University's Adrian Macey told Mike Hosking more must be done, and thinks the conferences have become unproductive...

Youth vaping rates in New Zealand have dropped more than 50 per cent over the past three years, but one headmaster's calling for stronger regulation. An annual youth vaping survey's found a promising drop in secondary school aged children vaping. It's consistent with what Auckland Grammar's Tim O'Connor's been seeing. But he told Mike Hosking it remains a significant issue for young people. “I sti...

The cultural advisor for the Māori All Blacks says he's completely comfortable with TJ Perenara's haka. The All Black halfback referenced the Toitū Te Tiriti movement ahead of yesterday's match against Italy. The team also posed with the Tino Rangatiratanga flag. Lawyer and consultant Te Wehi Wright told Mike Hosking context and the appropriateness of any political stance will always be debated re...

NCEA achievement levels have dropped since the Covid-19 pandemic. More students are leaving school with Level 3 pre-pandemic – but now achievement levels have dropped to where they were a decade ago. The number leaving before their 17th birthday without Level 3 or university entrance is a major factor. There have been steeper drops in Levels 1 and 2. Education Hub founder Dr Nina Hood told Mike Ho...

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.     Basketball: 7/10   The most popular school sport in the country. Who doesn’t love a pick-up game and a lay-up?    The gang laws: 7/10   Because they represent a turning of the tide, a restoration of some common sense and some realisation of...

I am trying to work out which I like least – Elon Musk or Disney.  Elon bought Twitter and turned it into 'X'. He paid $44 billion, and they say it's worth about $10 billion now, but he doesn’t care.  It's worth $10 billion because a lot of corporates bailed because of its ugliness.  He argues it's free speech, but it's free speech at the lowest level, so it's ugly. He still defends...

New Zealanders can now make contactless payments entirely on iPhones.  Any retailer with a supported iPhone can accept payments from cards or digital wallets.  It's paid via an app from one of Apple's payments service partners including Stripe, Worldline, Windcave, and ANZ.  Ben Hanna, Head of New Zealand at Stripe, told Mike Hosking that it cuts down on the costs of running a tradi...