The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The Northern Infrastructure Forum says key highway projects will deliver game-changing perks.   Its data shows the proposed Warkworth to Wellsford and Cambridge to Piarere routes would each add up to $500 million annually to our GDP once operational.   That's $6 billion over 20 years.   It would be generated through improved supply chain efficiency, resilience, and business productivity.   Forum C...

My policy of the week, and this may or may not become a thing for the next couple of weeks depending on the quality of what we see, goes to Act and their productivity ideas.   That’s not to say a tunnel in Wellington isn't a solid idea, but it's not hard to announce a tunnel.   Productivity is one of the great handbrakes on allowing this country to be great. We have talked about it for years and f...

An unlikely pair are creating a buzz on Stewart Island.   Baywatch star David Hasselhoff is spending a few days filming a TV show on Rakiura with New Zealand comedian Rhys Darby.   The duo participated in a special South Sea Hotel quiz night and filmed a segment with the island's only police officer.   Constable Stuart Newton told Mike Hosking that Hasselhoff was very down to earth, taking him up...

One of New Zealand's smallest fuel companies is pointing to competition as an explanation for price disparities.   The Commerce Commission has asked fuel companies to explain why significant differences exist within cities and between regions.   Waitomo Group Owner Jimmy Ormsby says some pricing in the market is hard to justify.   He told Mike Hosking that he doesn't expect the disparity to last l...

More trouble for the carbon credit scheme that Labour wants to use to fund climate initiatives, and National wants to use to pay for tax cuts.   The government has now tried —and failed— for a third time to auction off credits which would give businesses the right to emit carbon dioxide.   That means the Government is short of almost a billion dollars it expected to have, as it heads into next Tue...

The Government's books are taking a short-time hit after its carbon credit auction failed for a third consecutive time.   Businesses have again passed up the opportunity to buy credits allowing them to emit carbon dioxide, with the credits being put back on sale at the next auction in December.   Labour wants to use the proceeds of credit sales to fund climate initiatives, while National wants to...

With the Rugby World Cup in France fast approaching, two former All Blacks took it upon themselves to give kiwis a taste of what the host country has to offer. ‘Izzy and Beaver’s French Connection’ follows Israel Dagg and Stephen Donald on an action-packed tour through France, taking in the sights and scenery, meeting new people, and, of course, causing a bit of mischief. The French have a bit of...

Labour's defending its plan to grow the economy, saying it's about capitalising on strengths rather than playing the same old tune.   The five point plan includes growing an export-led country, boosting renewable energy, enhancing tourism, and focusing on sustainable agriculture technology.   Labour Finance spokesperson Grant Robertson told Mike Hosking that New Zealand's always been an export nat...

As much as things change, the more they stay the same   We have already witnessed one of the election's major lessons - Government's lose the vote, Opposition's don’t win them.   We vote on the vibe, on a mood and the specifics are wasted on the engaged and the wonks.   Labour and their mates have worked very hard since last week to try and undo National's tax policy, but they have failed. The evi...

New Zealand’s rising crime rates have begun to catch international attention.   The US Overseas Security Advisory Council has released a report warning Americans who plan to travel to New Zealand about things like ram raids.   Haka Tourism Group General Manager Eve Lawrence told Mike Hosking that while New Zealand still scores highly across a variety of safety indexes, the rise in vehicle thefts,...

MPs Megan Woods and Mark Mitchell joined the Mike Hosking Breakfast to wrap the week's political news. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme is under scrutiny again.   Immigration NZ is already facing criticism over speculation that appropriate migrant visa checks aren't being conducted, while migrant exploitation rates increase.     Recruitment marketing agency Talent Propeller’s Managing Director Sharon Davies told Mike Hosking that the programme is a mess, with smaller business unable to acce...

Officials are warning that the Government risks trade retaliation from other countries if it forges ahead with a Digital Services Tax.   The tax would target offshore tech companies whose arrangements often mean they pay little tax in jurisdictions like ours.   The Government is part of an OECD process to create a global framework but has reserved the right to implement the tax if these efforts fa...

Dairy farmers won't have much reason to celebrate the latest slight rise in dairy prices.   Overall prices have risen 2.7% at this morning's Global Dairy Trade auction, the first rise in four months.   The crucial Whole Milk Powder price is up 5.3%.   JMI Wealth Director Andrew Kelleher told Mike Hosking that the rise won't change Fonterra's Farmgate Milk Price, which has plummeted from a midpoint...

The Police Association says a targeted approach to youth crime is a good move.   The Government's launched a programme which will see New Zealand's 60 worst young offenders assigned an incentive support social worker, who'll tailor their work to them.   Police Association President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking it's worth a shot.   He says Police in Christchurch are dealing with a horrific youth...

Kiwi film-maker Simon Mark-Brown has been directing for nearly thirty years, his documentaries and films having successful runs in film festivals both nationally and worldwide.   His recent work ‘Brown vs. Brown’ is a love letter to his father, late architect Peter Mark-Brown, and takes viewers on a tour of New Zealand’s mid-century architecture.   Simon told Mike Hosking that he initially started...

One of the reasons the Grocery Commissioner will largely amount to nothing is that they battle with ideas, as opposed to specifics.   And ideas can't be regulated.   As part of the Commerce Commission's review into supermarkets they found some of them bought land and prevented competitors opening near them. That is a 'specific' and you can change those rules, and they did.   You can also change th...

Preparations for the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup are underway in France.   However, France is currently in the middle of a heatwave.   France Correspondent Catherine Field said that it’s looking like it's going to be around 28-29C for kickoff, with clear sunny skies.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ticket demand for the Warriors playoffs is through the roof.   As a result, fans will be able to purchase presale access for $49, a perk usually reserved for those with full season memberships.   Warriors CEO Cameron George said that while it doesn’t guarantee they get a ticket, the presale access provides the best opportunity to get tickets.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

New tourism numbers show the sector is slowly climbing back.   Before Covid it was our largest export, and it's now our third largest, with visitors spending 2.1 billion dollars in the last quarter - Australians being the biggest contributors.   Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive René de Monchy told Mike Hosking that it's been a phased response from different parts of the world.   He says China o...

Chris Hipkins is defending the Government's debt levels heading into the election.   The Prime Minister and Labour Leader told Mike Hosking that the Labour Government has had to borrow more due to the Covid pandemic, and due to what he says is previous under-spending on infrastructure.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a raft of reasons behind senior doctors and dentists walking off the job today.   Members of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists will strike for two hours from midday after rejecting the latest offer from Te Whatu Ora.   Former Executive Director Ian Powell told Mike Hosking that there are staffing shortages, stress, and burnout, along with a pay freeze and seeing the value of...

The Yes campaign have a steep mountain to climb ahead of the October 14 referendum, as a new poll shows the No vote is now in the majority.   The latest Newspoll for The Australian reveals support for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament has fallen to 38 per cent, while those intending to vote No has risen to 53 per cent.   With just under six weeks to go until Australians head to the polls for the...

I suppose, officially, it's all underway.   Parliament has finished and the two major parties have kicked off their campaigns.   So far it is sooo depressing.   New Zealand First over the weekend promised, in a “made it up on the spot” sort of way, to compensate the vaccine injured and the vaccine mandated. How they would do that, I don’t know.   It will never come to pass because they need to get...

It's being suggested forcing children to participate in mandatory school sports can have serious long-term impacts on mental health.   They also believe in some cases, it can destroy their relationship with exercise.   But Engage Training child psychologist Kathryn Berkett told Mike Hosking science shows most people need to be pushed into uncomfortable positions.   “If we don’t stretch into a tole...