The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Scottish actor Graham McTavish has been calling New Zealand home for over a decade now, moving over back in 2011.   He’s well known for his roles in Outlander, the Witcher, House of the Dragon, and of course, playing Dwalin in the Hobbit series.   However, McTavish doesn’t limit himself to fiction as he and Sam Heughan return for a second season of Men in Kilts.   This time instead of their native...

Off the back of the PISA results last week into maths, science, and reading, comes the OECD's disciplinary climate index.   It won't surprise you to learn we aren't doing very well in that either.   There are just four countries in the OECD where students do not report a favourable disciplinary climate. They are Finland, Canada, Australia, and —you guessed it— us. What an indictment.   The Austral...

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under pressure as his flagship migrant deportation bill is set to be voted on this week.   The proposed law would see illegal immigrants who arrive in the UK sent to Rwanda.   But the bill's courted controversy, with the latest being some conservative Tory MPs questioning its effectiveness.   UK correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking that lawyers have also...

A Hawke’s Bay iwi leader has blocked vehicles from a local beach, placing limestone boulders over access points.   Debate's been rife in the community for months over whether four-wheel drive vehicles should be allowed on popular Waimārama Beach, east of Hastings.   Ngati Kahungunu leader Bayden Barber told Mike Hosking that he's had to take the matter into his own hands.   He says it's been a lon...

Expect stone fruit supply to stay tight this summer.   The supply from Hawke's Bay peach, nectarine, apricot, and cherry trees continues to be hampered by damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. However, Summerfruit New Zealand Chief Executive Kate Hellstrom told Mike Hosking that things are looking up despite a wet winter.   She says the El Niño weather pattern will help dry the fruit trees out.   LI...

Retail crime's already spiking in the lead up to Christmas.   It's 26% higher than quarter four last year, even though we're only near the start of December.   Just 10% of people are causing 60% of the impact.   Auror CEO Phil Thomson told Mike Hosking that this is organised retail crime.   He says a lot of people will think it's down to the cost of living, but there are people out there stealing...

It's thought an energy shortfall could be around the corner, with gas demand forecast to outstrip supply by 2025.   The Gas Industry Company research shows renewable supply options are on the horizon but will still take time and investment to develop.   Ernst and Young Hydrogen and Energy Transition Director, Angela Ogier told Mike Hosking that we have to look at it in the context of climate chang...

A former National Minister's urging the Government to back down on any idea of a referendum on the Treaty.   ACT Leader David Seymour says debate about a referendum on the Treaty of Waitangi Principles Bill being introduced to Parliament could be deferred until later in the legislative process.   He says it’s helpful if the content of the bill and the referendum are dealt with separately.   Former...

The Workplace Relations Minister says they want to ensure employment law is as flexible as possible.   The new government is extending 90-day work trials to all employers, which were previously restricted to small businesses.   A bill to make the change will be passed under urgency by Christmas.   Fair Pay agreement legislation has also been repealed.   Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Veld...

The famous Ritz hotel in Paris has been embroiled in a controversy over a missing diamond ring.   The ring, worth over a million dollars, disappeared from a guest's room while she was out shopping.   But security staff at the hotel got lucky, finally finding the ring in a vacuum cleaner bag after police got involved.   Europe Correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking that the discovery was a...

Vaping rates among young people appear to be trending in the right direction. Next week, disposable vapes must have removable batteries, child safety features and a maximum nicotine strength of 20-milligrams per millilitre. A survey also shows the number of Year 10 students who regularly vape has fallen for a second year in a row. Action on Smoking and Health chair Robert Beaglehole told Mike Hosk...

The Prime Minister claims the previous Labour government mismanaged the economy abysmally. The half yearly economic and fiscal update will be released next week. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has also promised a mini budget before Christmas. Chris Luxon told Mike Hosking over the last week they've discovered Labour's left fiscal cliffs and holes. He says there's unfunded commitments, time limited...

Farmers are being urged to look at how they can reduce the risk of quad bike accidents. There has been four quad bike fatalities in the last nine days, with the latest on Saturday night. Chair of Safer Farms Lindy Nelson told Mike Hosking a common factor is the lack of safety features. She says unlike a car, a quad bike does not have the ability to fail safely.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/li...

Now that we actually have things underway, this Government had a good week.   Taking almost two months after voting to open things is ludicrous, the three weeks of counting that is now under investigation anyway given they cocked it up, the swearing in and speech from the throne on two separate days when it could have been done in one - but at least after all that they have promised a shortened su...

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.     The Government: 7/10     Underway at last and a very solid start. A lot of intent, a lot of promises and a lot of energy.     Parliament: 6/10   Underway at last, almost two months since voting day. Politics moves about as fast as justice.     James Meager: 8/10   Universally...

SYNTHONY is looking to become New Zealand’s largest music export.   They’re taking their blend of the Metropolitan Orchestra, electronic music, and immersive lighting and visuals to the steps of the Sydney Opera House tomorrow.   Duco Events Founder and Director, David Higgins, told Mike Hosking that they’re recording every show they do with near-cinematographer level videographers and posting the...

Our Government's issued a call to end the violence in the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Hamas rages on.   All parties in the House have supported a motion urging those involved to 'take urgent steps towards establishing a cease-fire'.   Auckland University international relations expert, Stephen Hoadley, told Mike Hosking that actions like this are to prove that New Zealand's awar...

There are hopes the end of the polytech amalgamation can happen smoothly.   The Government has halted the plan which would consolidate 16 polytechnics and nine workplace training providers.   Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds —herself a former chief executive of the Southern Institute of Technology— says they're looking at having eight to ten providers total.   She told Mike Ho...

Best efforts are being made in the dairy sector.   Fonterra's lifted its Farmgate Milk Price midpoint for the 2023/24 season by 25 cents, to $7.50 per kilogram of milksolids.   The company's had an 85% lift in profit, which bought them to $392 million in the first quarter of the financial year.   Lincoln University adjunct professor Jacqueline Rowarth told Mike Hosking that projections for farmers...

Passion in Parliament from all sides around potentially calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.   Political Editor Jason Walls says the Greens were not happy about the motion to support moves towards a ceasefire, rather than calling for it outright.   But, he told Mike Hosking, Foreign Minister Winston Peters believes we can only work towards a ceasefire if all parties agree to it, which is extremely unl...

Australia's proving to be an attractive proposition for Kiwi nurses.   Almost 8,000 have jumped the Tasman in the past year.   They're part of the more than 9,000 health workers approved to work in Australia under the trans-Tasman legislation in 2022/23.   College of Nurses Executive Director, Kate Weston, told Mike Hosking that they're increasingly seeing New Zealand nursing registration open doo...

Several things out of the PISA results in our schools that didn’t get covered properly yesterday.   Firstly, the most eye-opening headline that sums it all up: ‘NZ records worst ever PISA international test results, amid global decline’.   Worst ever... think about that and what it tells you.   Then, turns out, our results were most likely higher than they actually are because our participation ra...

While a lot of attention may have been on Liam Lawson this year, he’s not the only kiwi making waves overseas.   Twenty-year-old Callum Hedge is New Zealand’s most successful driver of 2023, winning both the Carrera Cup Porche Championship and the Formula Regional America’s Cup Championship in the US.   Next year Hedge is competing in the Indy NXT series, the feeder series into the IndyCar big lea...

It's being suggested there aren't as many vegetarians in our midst as first thought.   New research from Auckland University's School of Population Health shows the number of New Zealanders who follow a strictly vegetarian diet is just 2%, and vegan is even lower at 1%. Previously, market research suggested the number of vegetarians was around 20%. Lead Author Dr Kathryn Bradbury told Mike Hosking...

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is keen to progress the implementation of his ten year budget.   The ten year budget will go out for a month of consultation in February.   Brown says central government has crushed local government for too long, and imposed consultation on them when they hardly do it themselves.    He told Mike Hosking that there are also councillors standing in the way of proposals lik...