The Mike Hosking Breakfast

An international geopolitical analyst says New Zealand's review of funding to the UN's aid agency in Gaza is appropriate - but should be done quickly. Several western countries have suspended funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency - following allegations its staff were involved in the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. Australia, the US, the UK and Canada are among them. Analyst Geoffrey Miller...

David Seymour wants New Zealand to recover from what he calls two lost decades. In his state of the nation address over the weekend, he claimed not much progress was made under the Ardern, Key and Clark governments. He pointed to the housing crisis, lagging education standards and productivity problems. Seymour told Tim Dower infrastructure is a key part of the turnaround. He says we need to refor...

Councils are getting the push from scientists to create their own risk maps for deadly landslides. Landslides are responsible for more deaths in New Zealand than earthquakes and volcano's combined. The calls are especially applicable in Nelson, where for hundreds of years the town has built on the unstable Tahunanui Slump. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith told Tim Dower the information will be useful in pr...

Councils are getting the push from scientists to create their own risk maps for deadly landslides. Landslides are responsible for more deaths in New Zealand than earthquakes and volcano's combined. The calls are especially applicable in Nelson, where for hundreds of years the town has built on the unstable Tahunanui Slump. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith told Tim Dower the information will be useful in pr...

If you were after tickets to New Zealand and Australia’s next cricket clash, you’re out of luck.   Despite the test still being a month out, tickets have officially sold out.   Black Cap Neil Wagner told Tim Dower that it’s good to see everybody who’s excited, and hopefully they can put on a good show.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Cathedral Cove tourism operator believes the Department of Conservation's latest track update is just another delaying tactic.   The track has been closed for almost a year after damage from severe weather.   DOC says it'll know in coming months if the track is feasible, or if other options need to be considered.   It has commissioned further land stability monitoring.    Cathedral Cove Scenic C...

What the heck is the Associate Health Minister doing floating the idea of a freeze on cigarette tax increases?   We know the ongoing hikes in tobacco excise duty have done the job, smoking is right down and only about 8% of us are now daily smokers.   Tax has essentially priced us out of smoking, they're a couple of dollars a pop these days.   Now, the coalition dropped a shocker on us with respec...

Today marks 236 years since Britain's First Fleet landed in Sydney Harbour.   Protestors have marked it by vandalising statues of Captain James Cook and Queen Victoria in Melbourne.    But Australian correspondent Murray Olds told Tim Dower that despite the visible opposition to Australia Day celebrations, a recent poll says otherwise.   He says it shows almost 70% of Australians say they must kee...

Florida's legislators have passed a bill to ban social media for children under 16.   It will affect any site that tracks user activity, allows for online interaction, and uses features designed to cause excessive use.   Both Democrats and Republicans support it, arguing social media can cause mental health issues and addiction in children.   US correspondent Richard Arnold told Tim Dower that Flo...

A win for our local tourism operators as inbound travel bookings to New Zealand surge.   Flight Centre data shows they've increased 65% in the last three months.   General Manager, Heidi Walker, told Tim Dower that a close to home destination is leading the pack for bookings.   She says 57% of soon-to-be travellers are from Australia, as well as solid numbers from the UK and Canada.   LISTEN ABOVE...

A Cabinet Minister wants the Government to be more careful around sensitive information.   An MBIE investigation’s found a confidential cabinet paper, sent to Oranga Tamariki and 19 other agencies was leaked, regarding repealing Fair Pay Agreements.   It was sent to a union representative from an Oranga Tamariki worker, and then leaked to media.   Workplace Relations and Internal Affairs Minister...

People have been left shocked and disappointed by Oranga Tamaraki's data issues around children's healthcare.   An Independent Children’s Monitor report has revealed gaps in information about whether children in state care are receiving medical and dental checkups.   Whanau Ora Commissioning Chair, Merepeka Raukawa-Tait, told Tim Dower that these standards of care have been required since 2019.  ...

There are hopes that the increase in breath tests will be a turning point for reducing deaths and injuries from drunk driving.   Provisional figures show Police took more than three million tests last year, up from 2.4 million in 2022.   It's the first time it's surpassed three million tests since 2014.   AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen told Tim Dower that it's testament to the huge effo...

Lower inflation is thought to be responsible for ASB reducing interest rates on its three, four, and five-year home loans.   The Official Cash Rate's predicted to peak early this year before falling, and inflation is lower than previously predicted.   Squirrel Mortgages Chief Executive David Cunningham told Tim Dower that he believes the Reserve Bank would like to see retail banks continue to lowe...

2023 is well on the green for kiwi golfer Steve Alker.   He took the opening tournament of the 2024 PGA Tour Championships by four strokes, making this his eighth Championship victory.   This follows on from his second-place win in the 2023 Charles Schwab Cup.   Alker told Tim Dower that you never quite know what you’ve got game wise coming into the new year.   His win is attributed in part to a l...

American politics is pretty baffling, isn't it?   In arguably the most powerful nation on earth, with a population of well over 300 million and both the main candidates for President look pretty shabby, don't they.   The way things are looking now, the country will be led by either a doddery old fart with some dodgy offspring, or a raving egomaniac with a dodgy business track record and his own do...

A night at the theatre is back on the table.   The Pop-Up Globe returns next month, bringing well-loved classics to life for the first time since 2020.   Audiences will be able to enjoy Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet in comfort, the company taking to the stage of SkyCity Theatre.   David Lawrence, the Artistic Director for the Globe, told Tim Dower that the shows feature a lot of returning act...

Baby boomers are back in the business of selling their businesses.   Professional services network PwC says it’s seen an uptick in enquiries from owners looking to exit successful firms.   ABC Business Sales Managing Director Chris Small told Tim Dower that they list approximately 800 businesses for sale each year, about half of which belong to baby boomers.   He said that uptick began at the back...

The Finance Minister says the Government still has work to do in reducing inflation.   The Consumers Price Index rose 4.7% in the year to December, a two year low.   Nicola Willis says they want that into the 1-3% percent range.   Rents were one section of the economy which bucked the trend by increasing.   Willis told Tim Dower that the Government is working to make it easier to build more houses...

New Zealand is considering giving lethal aid to Ukraine in a proposed new round of assistance.   Most of Aotearoa's support to the nation, under siege from Russia, has been in the form of humanitarian aid.   Massey University international security expert John Battersby told Tim Dower that they're considering it.   But he believes New Zealand's more likely to go where our strengths are; in trainin...

David Seymour is remaining defiant in the face of a lack of enthusiasm for his treaty plans from his boss.   The Prime Minister is making it clear that National has no interest in meddling with the Treaty of Waitangi.   Christopher Luxon's party has promised to support ACT's proposed bill on treaty principles to first reading, but no further.   But Seymour told Tim Dower that public opinion might...

Six Defence Force specialists are off to the hot zone in the Middle East.   Judith Collins has been at pains to stress they won't be in combat roles, and won't be going into Yemen itself, where the Houthis are launching their attacks on shipping from.   The job is defined as helping to protect shipping routes and playing a part in bombing targets in those parts of Yemen under Houthi control.   We'...

New Zealand wool is finding its feet in the US market.   New research from the Campaign for Wool reveals that at least three in four purchasers would buy again, and when it comes to insulation 88% percent of customers would use wool in future.   The Campaign’s chair, Ryan Cosgrove, told Tim Dower that this study is empirical evidence that global attitudes towards wool are shifting.   He said that...

All signs are pointing to a much-needed easing in inflation.   Consumer Price Index data for the December quarter will be released later today.   The Reserve Bank has forecast annual inflation to come in at 5%, while ASB thinks 4.7%, and KiwiBank 4.6%.   Jarden Economist John Carran told Tim Dower that they’ve seen clear signs that components of the CPI are coming down, with things like food, petr...

Electricity prices are continuing to bite as kiwis deal with a scorcher of a summer.   Genesis Energy is raising its prices for the second time in the span of eight months, increasing rates for 11% of their customers.   Inflation is being blamed.   Genesis’ Chief Retail Officer Stephen England-Hall told Tim Dower that the cost of energy is growing with demand, as kiwis seek to decarbonize their li...