The Mike Hosking Breakfast

25,000 more people need to be hired if the Government wants to achieve its infrastructure goals.   Officials have warned Minister Chris Bishop he'll need to significantly boost the civil engineering and construction workforce by more than 50%.   It's also warning the Government hasn't funded $200 billion worth of its transport promises.   Fraser May of Civil Contractors New Zealand told Mike Hoski...

It's only when you read the full detail in the latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll that you start to get a feel for where the Government currently sits.   Firstly, the poll is for corporate clients and reportage is usually limited to a few basic numbers, i.e. National up or down a point and added together that means “x” number of seats in the house.   The full report has the gold and everyone in co...

Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has pleaded not guilty to a list of sex trafficking charges.   The 54-year-old was arrested in Manhattan by federal agents yesterday, following a year in which his career was derailed by several lawsuits accusing him of physical and sexual abuse.   New York Attorney Damien Williams alleges Combs created and ran a "criminal enterprise” through his business empire.   H...

Justice is set to be served to nearly every member of the Comancheros motorcycle gang, but that won't be the end of New Zealand's drug trade.   A three year police operation has resulted in 137 charges being laid.   Canterbury University sociology professor Jarrod Gilbert says it's decimated the Comancheros, and sends a message that any high profile organised crime group has a large target on thei...

There’s an increasing demand for growers in Canterbury.   A reliable water supply and cheaper land than Marlborough and Hawke's Bay are attracting horticulture suppliers to the region.   Vegetables NZ chair John Murphy says it's great to see things like Rockit apples grown in South Canterbury.   He told Mike Hosking it will help achieve the goal of doubling export values, and new opportunities mea...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 18th of September, the police have dealt a huge, potentially fatal, blow to the Comancheros gang.   Our kids aren't anywhere near as resilient as they used to be. So how do we fix it?   Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen join for Politics Wednesday and discuss whether Nicole McKee is a thorn in the side for the Government.   Get the Mike...

There’s support from across the political aisle over a Police crackdown on the Comancheros gang.   Nearly every member of the gang is facing criminal charges, showing the scale of operation to take out the Comancheros.   Speaking to Mike Hosking, Police Minister Mark Mitchell is applauding Police efforts, and says it's outstanding Policing.   Labour's Police spokesperson Ginny Andersen says they'r...

There are concerns over young New Zealanders' ability to handle adversity.   New figures show more than 21% of 15 to 24 year olds face psychological struggles.   It's prompted calls for more to be done to build resilience in children, starting at early childhood centres through to high schools.   Dr Felicia Low is behind the report and told Mike Hosking the numbers are deeply troubling.   She says...

New Zealand doesn’t seem to be the only country with a looming shortage of teachers.   The Teaching Council's highlighting data that shows the number of students graduating as teachers has dropped by more than a third.   Half as many people are signing up to become teachers as there were in 2010.   Secondary Principals Association President Vaughan Couillault told Mike Hosking he's been hearing si...

Synlait could be going from the cream of the crop to skimming the edge of survival.   Shareholders of the dairy processor are gathering at its Dunsandel site today to vote on a proposed $218 million capital raise.   Board chair George Adams told Mike Hosking his confidence is high, and it would allow Synlait to move forward from the de-leveraging.   He says they'll then focus on drawing their farm...

The most telling part of the release of the draft of our critical minerals list is that we have never as a country developed a comprehensive picture of our mineral needs and weaknesses.   The obvious question is: why not?   Part of a strong resilient economy is when you do things yourself. As a small country we can't do everything because we don’t have domestic heft. We don’t have a natural domest...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 17th of September, the Government’s crime targets of 2030 are going backwards, but some tougher sentences hope to make up for that.   Mike has uncovered a scandal at AUT, and he puts it to the Prime Minister as part of the weekly catch-up.   Ryan Fox talks the year on the PGA Tour and if he's going back next year, provided he qualifies.  ...

Questions are arising over the BBC's handling of disgraced broadcaster Huw Edwards' child abuse images case.   The former news anchor has been given a suspended six-month sentence for soliciting indecent images of children.   UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking the BBC still paid Edwards his salary after being arrested and has now asked for it to be paid back.   He says there's a view th...

You don’t have to be a professional golfer to know it’s an expensive sport.   New Zealand’s highest-ranked men’s golfer, Ryan Fox, has lifted the lid on the pressures he’s faced this year  dealing with a hip injury  while working to retain his PGA Tour card for 2025. Despite the financial challenges, Fox emphasises that money isn’t the be-all and end-all of his career.   It’s been a tough year for...

A dismal picture is being painted of our tamariki's health, with more being hospitalised for preventable diseases.   A new Cure Kids report reveals unacceptably high hospitalisation rates for respiratory, skin and rheumatic conditions, mental health issues, and dental diseases.   It finds Māori and Pasifika children and those from lower income households are disproportionately affected.   Chief ex...

The Prime Minister is making no apologies for curtailing the civil rights of gang members.   Documents show Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith initially rejected a police request to ban gang patches in the homes of repeat offenders, but then changed his mind.   That's despite objections from his own ministry, Te Puni Kokiri, and the Privacy Commissioner.   Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking he's not...

The first quarterly report on public service targets shows rates of people victimised have risen by 30 thousand people to the end of June.   The government's goal is to reduce that by 20 thousand within the next six years.   It's bringing sentencing law reforms to Parliament this week to reduce discounts and add aggravating factors.   Crime Prevention Group President Sunny Kaushal told Mike Hoskin...

Auckland Airport says it's had no shortage of interest in its $1.4 billion capital raise.   It will use the money to drive down debt and upgrade the airport, runway, and other infrastructure dating back to the 1960s.   The upgrade is expected to take about five years to complete.   Auckland Airport Chief Executive Carrie Hurihanganui told Mike Hosking the capital raise had been signalled to the ma...

When a Government has to issue an email directive the way they did on Friday over race, there is something profoundly wrong with the country. Essentially it says the public service, whether on health, education, justice, welfare etc. - can not act on race. It says they can't see race as an individual entitlement that allows services, or money, or support to be a determining criteria. This is part...

There's growing concern from educational experts as more teachers are leaving Australian schools. Over in New South Wales, PE and science teachers have been called in to plug the gaps left behind by maths teachers. Australia correspondent Murray Olds says many educators feel like 'cannon fodder' amid poor pay and lack of respect from students and parents. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to discuss the Formula One results, the changes to Super Rugby and David Nyika's upcoming fight. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A win for Waikato, with international flights set to return from next year. Jetstar's launching new routes from Hamilton to Sydney and the Gold Coast in June. The city's been without trans-Tasman flights since 2012. Hamilton Airport CEO Mark Morgan says the announcement's significant for the region's future. "It places some credibility back into the mighty Waikato - and just positions us for oppor...

The Government's proposing new criteria to define who's a contractor and who's an employee. 'Contractors' will need to have signed a contract, stating they're an independent contractor. They must be able to subcontract out any set hours, they can't be prevented from working for other people, and they can't be fired for not taking on extra tasks. Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden says...

The New Zealand electric vehicle market has run out of charge. New Motor Industry Association data shows just one in eleven new vehicle sales are electric, compared to last year where it was one in every four. Imported Motor Vehicle Industry chief executive Greig Epps says it's left many importers with excess stock. However, he says hybrid sales, on the other hand, continue to stay strong. "43 to...

Auckland police believe the extra exposure in the city centre is making a difference. New data shows a 22 percent drop in in serious assaults in the CBD in the first seven months of the year, compared to the same time last year. Police Minister Mark Mitchell's putting it down to a collaborative approach between officers and agencies to get people the support they need. Police Association spokesper...