The Mike Hosking Breakfast

There's mixed emotions over the decision to move Auckland's speedway from its home of 95 years.   This summer season will be the last raced at Western Springs.  Councillors deliberated for seven hours before voting 11-8 in favour of an $11 million upgrade to Onehunga's Waikaraka Park.  Western Springs Speedway Manager John McCullum told Mike Hosking it's a tough pill to swallow.&nbs...

Is rugby union having a revival?  Player registrations were up by 6% in 2024, with the critical bracket of teenage boys experiencing a 5% in of itself.   There were 156 thousand registered players across the country, with Heartland provinces setting new records.   NZR Community Rugby GM Steve Lancaster told Mike Hosking that enjoyment drives registration and retention.  He said...

It's kind of odd that it took Jeff Bezos to explain what I would have thought was the bleeding obvious. There is a 'to do' in the US election among the elites over a couple of newspapers not endorsing a candidate. This is an American thing – we don’t do it here and we are wise not to. It started with the LA Times, who decided no endorsement would be made. This led to one of the editorial board qui...

Australia's Prime Minister is facing increasing scrutiny for allegedly asking the boss of Qantas for personal flight upgrades.  Anthony Albanese is accused of asking for upgrades on 30 flights, dating all the way back to a flight from Christchurch to Sydney in 1999.  Albanese claims he's doing everything by the book.  But Australia correspondent Steve Price told Mike Hosking he's fa...

Labour says homeowner protections will need to go hand-in-hand with Government's proposed building consents scheme.  The reforms will allow tradespeople to consent their own work for basic housing, foregoing inspections.   Criteria is also being considered for businesses with a track record of delivering bigger projects to access streamlined consenting.   Labour's Housing Spokespers...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 30th of October, we get the pros and  cons of the Government's self-certified building consents scheme from different industry professionals.  The lab-grown diamond business is booming in this country. So, can you tell the difference? And will they flood the market?  Kieran McAnulty and Mark Mitchell cover off Ginny's soc...

Not everyone in the industry is on board with the Government’s proposed building consents scheme.  Businesses with a track record of delivering bigger projects, will be able to access streamlined consenting.  Qualified tradespeople will be able to forego inspections for low risk builds through the opt in 'self-certification scheme'.  Institute of Building Surveyors President David C...

The Government’s proposed building consents scheme is being hailed as a ‘common sense’ approach by one construction company.   Qualified tradespeople will also be able to forego inspections for low risk builds through the opt in 'self-certification scheme'.  Businesses with a track record of delivering bigger projects will be able to access streamlined consenting.  GJ Gardner Genera...

Lab-grown diamonds are dulling the sparkle of the real thing.  The jewellery trend is taking over the traditional diamond market, mainly due to their cheaper price.  Auckland's Holland & Co Fine Jewellery owner Greg Holland told Mike Hosking people can't tell the difference between lab grown and real with the naked eye.  He says someone would need strong magnifying equipment to...

The Education Review Office says there's a chronic absence crisis.   This Term 2, one in ten students were chronically absent.   Chronic absence has doubled in secondary schools since 2015, and almost tripling in primary schools.   By age 20, chronically absent students can cost the state three times more than a student who went to school.   ERO Ruth Shinoda told Mike Hosking t...

Small businesses want the Government to rethink regulations it describes as a burden.  A new report from Business NZ claims small Kiwi businesses are bogged down by compliance hurdles and complicated regulations, which it says cost time and money.  Business NZ CEO Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking politicians need to ease the burden, and not politicise it.  She says too often the deb...

Fresh off the back of new Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer accepting free suits and glasses (is it just me or is accepting free glasses even weirder than accepting free suits?), the Deputy Leader of the British Labour Party accepted a free apartment in New York.  I can understand that a little bit more readily. You're in New York, a donor says, "I've got a place, stay there", you needed...

Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to discuss some of the biggest sporting news from the weekend.  They discussed the Black Caps history-making win in India, the Silver Ferns claiming a win over Australia and taking the Constellation Cup, the latest from Formula 1 and Liam Lawson's eyebrow-raising behaviour, and Auckland FC's second A-League win in a row.  LISTEN ABOVE&nb...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday 29th of October, we do a deep dive into the health spending figures with Minister Shane Reti.  The Prime Minister talks meeting the King at CHOGM, the plans for Kiwibank, and whether we should let Singapore invest in our infrastructure.  After a long weekend of sport Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt talk F1, the Black Caps, Silver...

There's a growing market for electronic recycling companies as the Generative Artificial Intelligence industry booms.  Nature Computational Science has published a study finding the rise of the technology, means hardware and chip technology is quickly becoming outdated.  It finds that it could create potentially five million tonnes of e-waste between 2020 and 2030.  Echo Technology...

The Health Minister believes Health NZ is funded enough, it's just not spending it well.  Treasury warned that health spending's been increasing rapidly due to demographics, with costs increasing faster than inflation due to an ageing population.  The total health system's estimated to cost $30 billion this year.  Documents show Treasury suggested further cost cutting at Health NZ c...

Treasury's advised the Government of three options to boost Kiwibank's capital to better compete with the Australian-owned banks.   They include borrowing money for Crown investment, third party investment, or an Initial Public Offering on the share market.   It comes in response to the Commerce Commission market study on personal banking.  Massey University Business School associat...

Singapore has its eye on New Zealand as the place to invest.  This is the message that has been relayed by Minister Shane Jones, who's just returned from a visit to the wealthy city state.  He says Singapore is keen to invest in infrastructure, including the government’s planned road building programme and water infrastructure.  Queen City Law managing director Marcus Beveridge told...

Plans are being put in place across Europe for the possibility of Donald Trump winning the US election.  Europe Correspondent Catherine Field says the European Union has already set up a special taskforce prepared for next week's election.  She told Mike Hosking the officials have concern over the former president's potential policies, including pulling out of supporting Ukraine.  F...

The Prime Minister believes a major Commonwealth diplomatic summit does have a future, with certain priorities. Christopher Luxon joined his Commonwealth counterparts for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, held this year in Samoa. King Charles and Queen Camilla also attended. Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking it was a good opportunity to meet leaders from the Caribbean and Africa who...

Australian media executive, Kim Williams has been made chair of the ABC Radio. He aims to raise the importance of news radio in Australia. William said that there's far too much fluff on the website and that they need to tidy it up and tighten it up, he has got rid of the National Morning Pres, Breakfast Presenter Patricia Karvelas and has advised the team to be more serious. They have now returne...

If you are looking for cogent arguments, then there was no shortage of them from the banks this week in front of the Parliamentary committee looking into banking.  They are doing this because the Government has decided banks need some kind of reform and there is not enough competition.  What they plan to do about it we don’t know, but it’s the same argument around telcos, and petrol, and...

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.    Andrew Bayly: 2/10   Inexplicable behaviour. We still don’t really know the details of it, but it's also been hopelessly explained, thus dragging it out.    Darleen Tana: 1/10  A person who should have never found her way to a House of Representat...

New Zealand is experiencing a vinyl revival, a new generation getting hooked on the old-school technology.  It’s not just the cities experiencing the boom, Napier’s ‘Just For The Record’ filled with customers.  Gordon Stevenson, the store’s owner, told Mike Hosking that there’s very few artists that aren’t on vinyl these days.   He said that vinyl sounds considerably better than dig...

There’ll be carnage in Canterbury this Labour Day weekend.   The Kiwis are facing the Kangaroos for the first time since November in a sell-out league double-header.  Their last match saw them claim a historic win in Hamilton, claiming 30 points and leaving the Aussies with zero.  Coach Stacey Jones told Mike Hosking he’s confident they can put together a good performance.  He...