The Mike Hosking Breakfast

There’s a feeling bad blood may linger in Wellington City Council.  The council has voted to overturn its decision to sell the city's 34% stake in Wellington Airport after a process one councillor described as the “dirtiest politics” she's been involved with.  Mayor Tory Whanau's suggesting the council will have to look at further cuts in the wake of this decision.  Councillor Tony...

Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce says there are some things worth celebrating amidst a grim outlook on the economy.   Treasury documents show the Crown's deficit has grown $3.4 billion dollars in the year to June, to $12.9 billion.   Spending is outpacing income despite revenue increasing by $14 billion.  Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking that recovery will be tough, but there are...

A new frontrunner has emerged in the race for the Tory leadership.  James Cleverly has shot to the top after the latest vote, taking 39 of the 120 votes.  Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick are battling for a spot in the final two, taking 29 and 30 votes respectively, and Tom Tugendhat fell short at only 20 votes.  UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking that Badenoch is almost...

Universities are a bit of a minefield at the moment.  Grant Robertson has gone to run Otago, Auckland has introduced a Māori-related compulsory course which has received surprise and push back, and AUT has been giving out free points in a race-based travel rort, where if you're Māori you get a better chance at travel funding than if you're not Māori.  So when the latest international uni...

The US Wine Market may be becoming more lucrative than the one back home.  The owner of Te Awanga Estate in Hawke’s Bay is looking to sell up his restaurant, vineyard, and cellar door and focus his efforts on exports.   Owner Rod McDonald told Mike Hosking that they’ve got really exciting opportunities in the US, so they had to weigh up the hard work of the New Zealand hospo industry aga...

It’s coming full circle for Malcolm Gladwell.  Twenty-five years after the success of his first book ‘The Tipping Point’ , he returns with a brand-new volume, reframing those original lessons.   ‘Revenge of the Tipping Point’ returns to the topic of social epidemics and tipping points, this time with the aim of exploring the dark side of contagious phenomena.   Gladwell told Mike Ho...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 10th of October, how will the OCR drop affect all of us? ASB boss Vittoria Shortt talks about what happens going forward.    Transpower are giving $1 million to "projects benefiting Northland". A token gesture to get people to go away or a genuine attempt to apologise for what happened? The acting CEO is on the show to discuss...

A token for the Northland community in the aftermath of the collapsed pylon calamity.   Power was cut to about 88,000 homes and businesses in June, when an Omexom worker unfastened three legs of a Transpower pylon.   The electricity provider and its contractor are now putting $1 million towards a regional energy package, to be used for community projects and economic development.  ...

The Emergency Management Minister's motivated to strengthen the country's disaster resilience in the long haul.  The Government's released a long-term vision for the system over the next five years, which includes creating a "whole of society" approach, and building the capability of the workforce.  Mark Mitchell says recent weather events show the current system isn't fit for purpose.&n...

There's a belief the Government's FamilyBoost rebate is working, despite a lack of interest from eligible families.  The new scheme is a hallmark policy of the Government's first Budget, offering financial support for early childhood education.  It's been open for three weeks and less than half of families eligible have applied to receive it.  Early Childhood Council chief executive...

Hurricane Milton has more than doubled in size as it heads towards land in Florida.   Its wind field extends around 400 kilometres from the centre.   It is still a Category 4 hurricane and is expected to make landfall later today.  Officials have warned life-threatening storm surge, destructive winds and flooding will happen.   Reporter Dave Elias in Fort Myers told Mike Hoskin...

Kiwis could expect another cut to the Official Cash Rate before Christmas.  The Reserve Bank has cut the OCR by 50 basis points, following a 25-basis point cut in August.  Banks are following through with further interest rate cuts.  ASB Chief Executive Vittoria Shortt told Mike Hosking the neutral rate is about 3.25%, so the central bank still has a way to go.  She says it cou...

Kiwibank has already made a cut ahead of this afternoon’s OCR announcement.  The Reserve Bank is set to announce a cut to the Official Cash Rate, with economists and the market predicting a cut of 50 basis points.  Kiwibank has taken 50 basis points off their floating loan rates, potentially pre-empting the bank’s decision.   CEO Steve Jurkovich told Mike Hosking that they’d be disa...

There are some dumb games being played at the moment in the very serious business of health.  Health NZ is in the red to the tune of $1.7b - that's for the year. They are over budget by $1.7b.  That’s why Lester Levy got to be Commissioner and all the others were let go.  Game one is the Labour Party, who have of course zero credibility when it comes to money, who are claiming the $...

Is the rugby league season getting too long?  The season is about to get longer, as the Kiwis take on Australia and Tonga later this month.  Kiwis Selector Tawera Nikau told Mike Hosking that the length of the NRL season becomes a bit of a problem at the back end.  He said it’s not a lack of willingness from the players, but rather the state they’re in by the end of 27 rounds. ...

Buyout blueprints are “on the way” after the severe flooding in Dunedin last week.  Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell says they’re currently building legislation that can be used as a template for future disasters, streamlining the process.  He told Mike Hosking that in terms of recovery, they’ve definitely moved the needle, and he’s hoping they’ll have most of the buyouts comp...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 9th of October, we look at what Adrian Orr may do with the OCR today as well as the Government’s crackdown on dodgy builders.    We've got new data as to how the Health NZ deficit blew out, so Commissioner Lester Levy is on as they try to turn it around.  Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell talk Dunedin Hospital and buy outs...

The Health Commissioner's pushing back on claims Health New Zealand's dealing with a manufactured crisis.   The agency's finances jumped from a half-a-billion dollar surplus to a $1.4 billion deficit in April, now expected to blow out to $1.76 billion.   Some have argued this comes down to its lack of funding.   But Lester Levy told Mike Hosking health expenditure's been increasing...

The Reserve Bank could still surprise us with this afternoon's Official Cash Rate decision.  Interest rates have been falling, with markets pricing in a 50 basis point cut.  But former Reserve Bank economist Michael Reddell says the central bank may opt for another option, like a 25 basis point cut.  He told Mike Hosking when he was on the Monetary Policy Committee that makes the OC...

The Government promises it's pulling all the levers to bring down driver licence wait times.  It's allowing people to drive on an overseas licence for 18 months in November, extending it from a year.  The Transport Minister's admitted there's still more work to do after scrapping the unlimited free driver licence re-sit policy.  Simeon Brown told Mike Hosking NZTA is speeding up the...

There’s a belief the problems in the building industry are due to an insufficient number of pre-requisites.  The Government's looking at changes to registration and licensing regimes, with a focus on lifting competence and accountability requirements.  Larger fines could also be on the cards for individuals and companies for hiding non-compliant work during inspections.  New Zealand...

People in Florida are urged to evacuate before Hurricane Milton hits.   US President Joe Biden has warned it could be the worst storm in a century.   It comes just two weeks after Hurricane Helene killed around 200 people and caused damage in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.   US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that last night...

I was going to suggest we are petty, but I have been saved by the Brits.  They are having a couple of debates over money.  One is involving a woman called Sue Gray, who has quit, and the other is over the role of Cabinet Secretary, which is the country's top civil servant, a job which is currently vacant given the incumbent stepped down for health reasons.  As it turned out, Sue Gra...

The UK Prime Minister’s chief of staff has quit her role, saying she “risked becoming a distraction”.  Sue Gray was caught up in a conflict over pay, after the BBC revealed that her salary was higher than Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer’s.   UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking that this is quite a remarkable decision.   He said that in the last six to eight months, Starmer...

The rubber has hit the road in the US Election.   Just one month out from voting, the debates have been wrapped up and the only thing left is for the candidates to continue campaigning.   It’s a tight race, with Kamala Harris maintaining a narrow lead in key battleground states.  Former US Correspondent Nick Bryant told Mike Hosking that Harris has turned out to be a better candidat...