The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Good times seem to be ahead for kiwifruit lovers.   Zespri expects to ship around 193 million trays of the fruit to markets across the globe, a significant increase on last year’s 133 million.   The quality issues that were seen last season have been vastly improved, Zespri CEO Dan Mathieson telling Mike Hosking that there’s been an industry-wide effort to get things under control.   He said that...

It’s a slow post-Covid recovery for tourism, despite last year's surge in overseas arrivals.   Stats NZ reports that 2.96 million people visited in the year to December, more than 1.5 million up from 2022.   However, it still falls short of 2019's 3.89 million arrivals.   Tourism Industry Aotearoa’s CEO Rebecca Ingram told Mike Hosking that these numbers aren’t surprising, as they expected to be a...

Airports around the country will be filled with eager Swifties heading off to Melbourne this weekend.   Taylor Swift left a 'Blank Space' in Kiwi hearts, skipping New Zealand in her The Eras Tour line up.   Melbourne-based Herald Sun reporter Kaitlyn Smith told Mike Hosking that the city's buzzing.   Swift's performing three shows in Melbourne, starting tonight, before heading to Sydney next weeke...

Worried have been sparked that Israel's Prime Minister is ignoring pleas from other countries to not continue with a ground offensive into Rafah.   New Zealand, Australia, and Canada have issued a joint statement warning that a humanitarian ceasefire is urgently needed.   Former Prime Minister Helen Clark told Mike Hosking that Netanyahu isn't listening.   She said that even countries extremely cl...

Public sector agencies have been directed to find cost savings ranging from 6.5-7.5% on average.   Public Service Minister Nicola Willis told a separate hearing about the public service yesterday that organisations like Police are very much not exempt.   She expects Police to put forward options that don't compromise service delivery.   Police Commissioner Andrew Coster told Mike Hosking that it c...

As the United States Presidential race continues picks up pace, so does its intensity.   It’s an interesting year for the US, as the court cases and trials create the backdrop for what’s looking to be a rehash of the last election, Trump facing off against Biden.   Nick Bryant, former correspondent and author, knows that world intimately, joining Mike Hosking to discuss what’s sure to come during...

By now you will have seen the drawings of the new stadium in Auckland.   It has come with the usual bullish talk of doability and vision, the way all these sort of concept drawings do.   The old stadium debate didn’t start this past weekend and if you go back through all the drawings and visions and debates, the one thing you will find at the end of it all is we still don’t have a new stadium, or...

Another hit to the already fragile view of the education system.   A new report from the Education Review Office has found that less than half of year eight students are meeting expectation in maths.   It’s also found that nearly a quarter of new primary school teachers feel unqualified to teach the subject.   Ruth Shinoda, Head of the Education Evaluation Centre, told Mike Hosking that the countr...

Moving up the ladder seems to be less of a priority for workers these days.   Randstad’s Workmonitor report revealed that 61% of workers say that they’re not currently focused on career progression.   It also revealed that 50% of respondents would consider quitting if asked to spend more time in the office.   Country Director for Randstad NZ, Richard Kennedy, told Mike Hosking that people are cont...

David Seymour's getting ready to throw the book at the parents of chronically absent kids.   As the Associate Education Minister, Seymour's been tasked with tackling increasing levels of absenteeism in schools across the country.   According to Education NZ, just 46% of students met the criteria for regular school attendance in term 3 last year, more than 90% in a term.   Seymour told Mike Hosking...

The Government's promising to tackle construction costs with proposed building consent reforms.   The cost of building a house has increased significantly in recent years, which the Government says makes it harder for people to buy their first home.   Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk wants costs to go down but doesn't have a prediction for where it'll go.   He's vowing to streamline t...

Christchurch is in for a scorcher today, with 28 degrees and wind from mid-morning as the Port Hills fire continues to burn.   More than 130 firefighters, two helicopters and two fixed wing aircraft are on the scene this morning, replacing overnight crews.   Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger told Mike Hosking that eighty properties in the area had been evacuated.   He said that all the emergency serv...

There’s a view that the entire Fletcher Building board should go as the company's Chief Executive and Chair call it quits.   The company's half-year financial result was announced alongside the two resignations, a first-half loss of $120-million.   Shares have plummeted.   Simplicity Founder Sam Stubbs told Mike Hosking that he believes the board would struggle to tell shareholders why they should...

Travellers take note: Airbnb’s may no longer the budget option.   Auckland has been revealed to be one of 25 cities across the globe where the average hotel room is now cheaper than a private rental by 19%.   Auckland ranks twelfth on the list, with London, Amsterdam, and Singapore taking the top three spots.   Stefan Nikolic, Managing Director of Zodiak, told Mike Hosking that the cost of Airbnbs...

Both the former and current Police Ministers maintain that while the emergency call setup needs updating, it is currently stable.   Official Police documents claim the system's outdated, causing preventable deaths and injuries.   Labour’s Ginny Andersen said that there is funding in place to keep the current system working until 2025.   She told Mike Hosking that instead of putting the money into...

The thing you ask when we heard about the University of Waikato and the Ministry of Health signing a memorandum of understanding for a third medical school is, why have we had to wait this long?   During Covid it became astonishingly clear how short of doctors we were; when the waiting lists once again got the heat of public anger, when the number of students dropped away both locally and internat...

A growing line of countries is heaping pressure on Israel to stop its ground offensive in southern Gaza.   More than 1.5 million Palestinians are currently sheltering in the small border town of Rafah.   It comes as ceasefire talks continue in Cairo between the CIA, Israel, and Qatar, in exchange for more hostages.   Israel journalist Haggai Matar told Mike Hosking that Israel fully intends going...

Fletcher Building's chief executive and chairman are standing down after a worse than expected half year result.   The country's largest construction company has announced a $120-million net loss after tax in its interim result.   Ross Taylor and Bruce Hassall have confirmed they'll leave the company later this year.   Fletcher had been in a trading halt since Monday afternoon, pending the results...

The Health Minister says they're adding places to existing medical schools as well as building a third.   The Health Ministry's signing a memorandum of understanding with Waikato University for a third medical school.   It was one of the Government's points in its 100 Day Plan.   Minister Shane Reti told Mike Hosking that there's always been a struggle between boosting existing supply versus what...

Auckland's being described as a bit of a shambles after transport issues this week.   Auckland Transport says up to one-in-three train services will be cancelled every day, and some days will be worse than others.   KiwiRail says it's because of heat that causes the steel in rail lines to move if the trains pass over them too quickly.   Mayor Wayne Brown told Mike Hosking that KiwiRail, AT, and Au...

The Government says that fixing our 111-emergency call system is a priority but can't commit to doing so before 2026.   Official Police documents claim the outdated system has been causing preventable deaths and injuries.   The Police Minister's seeking advice but won't say if upgrades will come in this term of government.   Deputy Police Commissioner, Jevon McSkimming told Mike Hosking that repor...

Riding high on the success of their 2023 season, it’s almost time for the Warriors to return for 2024.   The team has been back into their training for five weeks now after their two-week Christmas break, and Coach Andrew Webster says they’re looking good.   He told Mike Hosking that the team is fast and strong, they just have to make sure they know how to play football.   “We’ve done plenty of pr...

Wouldn’t it be nice to think that rent-to-build could break the cultural and psychological barrier it needs to so that you can have a large building of renters co-existing happily with the sort of pride and joy you get in neighbourhoods where the bulk of people own their homes?   The build-to-rent story and its desire for the Government to change some rules to make it more attractive, came on the...

The Prime Minister believes re-structuring water delivery will provide consistency for councils.   The clock is ticking as the Government has set itself 10 days to pass a Bill repealing Labour's water reforms, which the Government sees as divisive and unpopular.   It will then aim to make it easier to set up council-controlled water organisations.   The Prime Minister sees Wellington Water as too...

Conflict in the Red Sea is playing into Kiwi dairy farmers' back pockets.   Yemen's Houthi rebels have been targeting ships travelling through the Suez Canal, meaning freight's being rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.   Fonterra Chief Executive Miles Hurrell says it's causing a rise in demand for our dairy exports from Africa and the Middle East.   He told Mike Hosking that it's made...