The Mike Hosking Breakfast

A political commentator thinks the incoming government could have a 'standoff mentality,' based on coalition talks.   Christopher Luxon and David Seymour are back in the capital, and it's thought that Winston Peters will join them today.   The role of Deputy Prime Minister has not yet been announced but Nicola Willis has ruled herself out.   Political Commentator and former United Future leader Pe...

Some Israeli hostages will soon be released, as well as Palestinian prisoners.   Israel's cabinet has agreed to a four day pause in fighting in exchange for the release of 50 women and children hostages taken by Hamas.   The agreement includes Israel releasing 150 Palestinian prisoners.   CBS correspondent Linda Gradstein told Mike Hosking that Israel's said it is open to extending the truce, but...

National's Mark Mitchell says he has a flavour of what's coming in terms of law and order policy in the next Government.   National, ACT, and New Zealand First have struck policy deals and are now discussing ministerial positions.   But Mitchell told Mike Hosking he's staying tight-lipped on the detail.   He says the respective teams have worked together to make sure the policies are aligned, and...

The deputy Prime Minister debate has begun to occupy the bored. Who will it be? David Seymour, Winston Peters or Nicola Willis? As the jobs at the highest level get divvied up there are some jobs to pay attention to and deputy Prime Minister isn't one of them. Firstly, the job issue is partly resolved by the size of the Cabinet, and the beauty of the size of Cabinet is it can pretty much be whatev...

Some nurses are giving up in frustration at being overworked.   Nurses Organisation Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says around 75,000 nurses have annual practising certificates.   But up to 5% are either not working in the sector or aren't in the country.   Nuku told Mike Hosking that a nurse goes to work to deliver safe, quality care.   She says whenever that's compromised, the nurses become more press...

Lower Hutt City Council has voted unanimously to correct the historic misspelling of Petone to Pito-one.   Mayor Campbell Barry told Mike Hosking that decision-makers will need to get the public on-board with the update.   He says that while he acknowledges that there hasn't been widespread engagement with the council, the decision is now in the hands of the New Zealand Geographic Board.   LISTEN...

David Seymour says the three parties working to form the next government are still negotiating over jobs.   National, ACT, and New Zealand First have struck policy deals and are now discussing ministerial positions.   The ACT Leader told Mike Hosking that he thinks they'll get it done ASAP.   He says they know where the bus is going, it's just a matter of making sure the right people are sitting i...

There are signs our annual trade deficit is closing, but not closing enough.   Stats NZ data for October shows it reduced to around $14.8 billion from more than $15 billion in September.   Exports have also fallen by more than 500 million dollars on last year, while imports were down by $1.2 billion.   ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner told Mike Hosking that the gap is narrower, but still signifi...

Good news at Wellington Airport, where a backlog of disrupted flights is being cleared.   Airport Operations Duty Manager Tim Ferguson told Mike Hosking that he's glad they're able to resume service but warns passengers should still expect some disruption after this week's fog.   He says the backlog should clear in a couple of days.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

An increase in Transpower's transmission charges looks to be on the cards.   The state-owned enterprise has submitted its proposed spending to the Commerce Commission for the five years starting April 2025.   The charges would rise from 8% to 10% of the average household electricity bill, or about $7 a month.   Chief Executive Alison Andrew told Mike Hosking that it would help pay for the near $5...

Dara Ó Briain is bring his comedy back to kiwis.   The Irish comedian has shows in both Auckland and Wellington this weekend as part of his ‘So... Where were we?’ tour.   Ó Briain told Mike Hosking the key to live comedy is making every show different from the last.   He says comedy shows need to draw from the audience, rather than just follow a set script.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/list...

Does stepping down have a gender component to it? Who would know.   But you could argue, especially in this day and age, that the resignation of Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, the CEO of Optus, is a very clear sign of the buck stopping at the top.   Female leaders are leading the way when it comes to responsibility for their actions, and it comes at the same time we didn’t get a resignation from a man. It...

There’s some good news for kiwis in need of a doctor.   The Royal College of General Practitioners will see their highest intake of specialist GPs next year.   239 graduates are starting their program, making a 25% increase.   College President Samantha Murton told Mike Hosking that while it’s an enormous boost to the overall numbers, they still need lots more people to come in.   She said they ne...

Body cameras and fog cannons have been introduced to Woolworths stores as part of new security measures.   The supermarket giant is reporting a 131% rise in physical assaults on staff in the past six months, compared to the same time last year.   Fog cannons have been rolled out in stores which have seen multiple break ins, while body cameras are being trialled in ten stores.   Spokesperson Denva...

Calls for more sensible spending on road safety in Auckland.   Auckland Transport is spending an average of $470 thousand for each of the 27 new signalised pedestrian crossings as part of its road safety scheme.   Spokesperson Mark Lambert says despite the high cost, they're necessary in areas of high safety risk like schools.   But Auckland City Councillor Maurice Williamson told Mike Hosking tha...

The manner of talks to form a government could be a sign for the next term.   National, ACT, and New Zealand First have remained tight-lipped on the policy details as they continue to work towards finalising a governing deal.   Former National Party Deputy Leader Paula Bennett told Mike Hosking that that suggests they're working respectfully together.   She thinks that holds true for what they're...

Advocates are warning about the prevalence of online gambling among high school students.   An investigation by Newstalk ZB has found young people are betting on sport and online casino sites during the school day.   Problem Gambling Foundation spokesperson Andree Froude told Mike Hosking that gambling at school is becoming increasingly common.   She says gambling has become normalised among these...

Tour bus access to one of the best views in the country is being restricted due to safety concerns.   Signs stating 'no coaches' were placed in the Lake Clearwater hut settlement by the Ashburton District Council in June.   It's been amended to ban coaches over 20 seats following a hearing.   Ashburton Mayor, Neil Brown, told Mike Hosking that it's been problematic for Bach owners.   He says the r...

Details remain scarce on how far along coalition negotiations are. Incoming Prime Minister Chris Luxon says National, Act and New Zealand First have about three issues to settle. The trio have been meeting in Auckland since Wednesday, where Luxon now believes they'll stay for the next few days. Act Leader David Seymour told AM a deal could be struck 'any day now'. Although, Newstalk ZB Political E...

New Zealanders with ADHD, are being forced to switch medication, after supply chain issues have meant that a popular drug is no longer available. Four thousand people no longer have access to Teva [tee va] , a popular stimulant drug used to treat ADHD, and have been left scrambling to adjust to alternative medication. ADHD New Zealand's Darrin Bull told Mike Hosking the issue isn't going away anyt...

Israel is hopeful of reaching a deal with Hamas to release hostages in the "coming days". Correspondent Haggai Matar told told Mike Hosking that there are lots of rumours going around, but little is known for certain. He says there is some talk about a deal of 50 to 80 people being released, including women, children and migrant workers.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

One of the weirdest debates of the modern age, and one that doesn’t seem to want to go away, is this business of pay transparency. It's been back in the headlines once again this week. In some places in America they have rules and if you don’t comply they fine you. Not surprisingly, it's in the more liberal states like California, which I assume gives you an insight of what the whole idea is all a...

There’s a new twist in the recruitment methods of The Hilton Australia.   Instead of a traditional CV, the company is asking for candidates to create a short video demonstrating how they’d go above and beyond for their guests.   The video would then be uploaded as a public TikTok.   Founder of Role Call, Vanesha Din, told Mike Hosking that while she is concerned about the privacy issues, she does...

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: 4/10 For the third week - what Government?   David Seymour: 7/10 Star of the show so far. He's been cordial, collegial and, within constraint, has kept us up to date.   Winston Peters: 3/10 Nothing changes.   Chris Luxon: 6/10 Could be higher if he delivers. But...

Breast cancer experts are hopeful after a new study has shed light on how pre-existing medication could be used to prevent the disease.   A hormone drug that is currently prescribed to treat cancers in older women has been found to also have preventative qualities when given to those with family history of breast cancer.   Adele Gautier from the Breast Cancer Foundation told Mike Hosking that it's...