The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Infometrics has revised its expectations for economic growth next year upwards.   It now predicts year-end growth at 0.9%.   Inflation data out this week also shows inflationary pressures were easing more than had been expected.   Chief forecaster Gareth Kiernan told Mike Hosking that they’re looking at a soft landing.   He said that growth is holding up and inflation is slowing in line with what...

The All Blacks have their eyes on the prize as they go into the semifinals tomorrow.   Former All Black Sean Fitzpatrick told Mike Hosking that while the fans are more relaxed than last week, the team itself is focused and driven.   He said that the teams previous experience in 2019 is helping keep apathy and complacence from setting in.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

A step towards increasing the availability of CBD products.   CBD is a compound found in marijuana but has little to no psychoactive effects.   Medsafe has reclassified CBD from prescription only to a restricted medicine, meaning low-dose CBD medicines can be sold by pharmacists.   But Pharmacy Guild Chief Executive Andrew Gaudin told Mike Hosking that there are currently no low-dose products appr...

A Wellington City Councillor says the mayor's ignoring the wishes of the incoming government by pushing ahead with the Golden Mile redevelopment.   Tory Whanau says the final contract is days away from being signed despite National opposing it.   It would see cycling and pedestrian improvements and get rid of cars between Lambton Quay and Courtenay Place.   Diane Calvert was asked by Mike Hosking...

A construction boss is allaying fears of flooding of development sites.   Neighbours are raising concerns about a new housing development on land which flooded during Auckland's January downpours.   Mayor Wayne Brown says he's not aware of the specific situation, but he has concerns there are plots of land with resource consent that have recently flooded.   Naylor Love Chief Executive Rick Herd to...

Belgium and France remain on high alert despite a potential terror suspect being shot dead by police.   The Tunisian gunman —believed to have shot dead two Swedish football fans yesterday— has been killed by authorities in a Brussels cafe.   The 45-year-old identified himself as a member of Islamic State and claimed responsibility.   Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking that the gunman...

The Blues have found their home for the next two years.   Eden Park has been confirmed as the Blues’ home venue for the 2024 and 2025 Super Rugby seasons.   Eden Park CEO, Nick Sautner, told Mike Hosking that they’re confident the contract will be extended in the future.   He said that sport and entertainment are evolving, and fans’ experience is critical on game day.   Sautner said that they’ve i...

New Zealand is falling behind in terms of digital competitiveness.   A new report has revealed that the country’s manufacturing sector is the weakest performer in terms of productivity over the past 20 years.   The annual growth rate of labour productivity and manufacturing is only 0.92% over the last decade, sitting below the New Zealand average of 1.17%.   Employers and Manufacturers Association...

One of the ironies of MMP and the fact this year's election marked its 30th birthday, if birthday is the right word to use, was that a recommendation had been made years earlier over some sort of electoral reform, but nothing had been done about it.   But in a debate with Jim Bolger, David Lange promised that he would look to hold a vote on it if returned to power.   Sort of like David Cameron pro...

X —formally Twitter— is creating a $1 annual fee for new, unverified users, starting with a trial in New Zealand and the Philippines.   The company says it's a bid to combat bots and scammers.   Gorilla Technology CEO, Paul Spain, said it has the potential to make a difference.   He said that while this may drive some people to move away, it doesn’t impact any existing users in a negative way and...

One of the world's most popular authors is going back to where it started in his new book.   John Grisham is releasing a sequel to the book which launched his career: ‘The Firm.’   The legal thriller, which was released in 1991, was adapted into a film starring Tom Cruise.   It's sequel ‘The Exchange’ picks up 15 years later with the same characters.   Grisham told Mike Hosking that the book sees...

Z Energy's Chief Executive is raising concerns over government monitoring of fuel profits.   The Ministry of Business and Innovation releases weekly data that shows the margin retained on a litre of petrol.   It shows on regular 91, the margin made by fuel importers has risen from 33 cents to 52.4 cents a litre in the past three weeks.   But Lindis Jones told Mike Hosking that it's not reflective...

Joe Biden's walking a diplomatic tightrope as he does his part to ease tensions in the Middle East.   Israeli and Palestinian officials are trading accusations over who's to blame for a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital.   The latest death toll has 471 dead.   The US President has spoken from Tel Aviv, saying he's outraged and saddened, while urging Israel not to be consumed by rage.   New Haven...

Those who failed to fill out the 2023 census will not be prosecuted, due to an error by Stats NZ.   The agency says it generally prosecutes up to 60 people for refusing to take part, encouraging others to do the same, or threatening census staff.   Deputy Government Statistician Simon Mason told Mike Hosking that they're following legal advice after realising they hadn't met all the requirements o...

There's no small irony yesterday in watching Sam Neill's lovely interview on the ABC about his diagnosis and ongoing battle with blood cancer. His family featured some of his background and his arrival from Ireland. I didn’t know he was called Nigel, but hated being called Nigel so changed it to Sam. It looked at his life in Australia and his passion project in Central Otago with that pinot noir t...

Labour's Ginny Andersen and National's Mark Mitchell joined Mike Hosking to take a look at the election result and how the next few weeks will play out. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The death toll in Gaza is well past 3000, with Israel seeing at least 1400 casualties.   US President Joe Biden will arrive in Israel tomorrow, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is also understood to be going.   Biden is hoping to avoid a wider regional war breaking out with Iran's warning it may get involved if Hezbollah steps in.   International Geopolitical Analyst, Geoffrey Miller, told Mike H...

Performing surgeries on the weekend is being described as a short-term answer to a long-term problem.   Hospitals are increasingly running surgical lists on weekends to reduce the huge wait times which built up during the Covid pandemic.   While that's helped cut some of the worst waiting lists, medical staff claim it's also contributed to a rise in surgery cancellations as nursing rosters are run...

Chris Hipkins is still mulling over his future as Labour Leader after what he admits was a "pretty rough" meeting with his Caucus yesterday.   Tempers flared at the meeting, with Damien O'Connor swearing at a journalist stationed outside the caucus room.   Under the party's rules, Labour MPs must vote on the party leadership within three months of a lost election.   Hipkins told Mike Hosking that...

A former Reserve Bank economist says while inflation is falling, it's still terrible.   CPI rose 5.6% in the year to September, down from 6% in the year to June.   Michael Reddell says he hasn't seen anything which would give him confidence the Reserve Bank is trending towards the 2% target.   He told Mike Hosking that the Reserve Bank shouldn't put a pause on OCR hikes.   Reddell says they should...

There are signs the Government may have been asleep at the wheel while fuel profits crept up over the election period.   Weekly monitoring data shows the margin made on a litre of regular 91 petrol by fuel companies has risen from 33 cents to 52.4 cents a litre in the past three weeks.   AA Principal Policy Advisor, Terry Collins, told Mike Hosking that there's been action from the Government when...

Dairy prices are continuing their upward trend.   Overall prices are up a further 4.3% at the latest Global Dairy Trade auction overnight, with the all-important Whole Milk Powder price up 4.2%.   It's the fourth consecutive rise, with prices now 17% higher than they were back in August.   Prices are 38% lower than the record high reached last year, but JMI Wealth Director Andrew Kelleher told Mik...

The founders of 42 Below Vodka, Justine and Geoff Ross are a controversial pair within the farming world.   In 2017, the pair sold their company and bought a farm, aiming to change the model and confront the climate crisis, establishing Australasia’s only climate positive farm.   Geoff told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking that despite the controversy, most of what they saw and felt was positive.   “We...

As the Labour party, still technically the Government of course, gather in Wellington to do that time-honoured thing of all losers, which is some soul searching, the trick is not to say you are doing it, but to actually do it. The trouble, as we have discovered these past three years, is they don’t actually do anything except talk. To search one's soul, one has to accept what has happened to you a...

Auckland Airport is considering an offer of fixed rate bonds maturing in November of 2029.   The bonds would be offered to retail and institutional investors.   Board of Airline Representatives New Zealand Executive Director, Cath O’Brien, told Mike Hosking that it makes sense that they would need to raise some capital.   Their plan requires $2.5 billion to 2027 and then another $3.4 billion to 20...