The Mike Hosking Breakfast

National is downplaying the cost of their tax cuts, amid calls for the party to front up. The Council of Trade Unions is picking the policy will cost up to $8.2 billion over four years. But National's finance spokesperson Nicola Willis says next year, the Government will collect $48 billion more in tax than it did in 2017. She told Mike Hosking that means the $8.2 billion number the CTU has used r...

What first started out as a report into sexual misbehaviour in the law industry, has now become a proposal from the New Zealand Law Society to introduce a new statutory duty for lawyers - including discharging their duties in accordance with the principles of the Treaty. The meaning of the principles are uncertain, but if not followed could result in disciplinary action to be taken against lawyers...

He's one of the Hollywood stars that started out his career just across the ditch. Guy Pearce got his start in Neighbours before he was destined for the bright lights - and is since recognised for roles in The Hurt Locker, The King's Speech and Momento . His latest show is called The Clearing - based on the very famous book I n the Clearing by J. P. Pomare - and Guy Pearce joined Mike Hosking. LIS...

There was a headline, my despair and a crime committed all in one story. So what was the headline? "Want free tickets to the Warriors in Napier? Fill out your uncompleted census forms." It's a nice ad for the Government's $150,000 giveaway to dead beats, the lazy, the unengaged and general freeloaders. The first crime is it's yet another sign of how the Government panders to people who can't be bo...

Privacy concerns are behind a €1.2 billion fine against Meta, the operators of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. The European Union has slapped the fine on the social media giant, after an inquiry into transferring overseas data. Europe Correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking the EU believes this concerns millions of users. She says it's believed Meta hadn't done enough to protect data be...

The Prime Minister is standing by government spending, despite the part it may be playing in driving up inflation and interest rates. Economists are now firmly divided on whether the Reserve Bank should keep the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 5.25 percent tomorrow, or raise it by a further 25 or 50 basis points. But most economists now expect the OCR to peak higher than expected, due to the infla...

Between 12:30pm and 7:30pm on Saturday, the Auckland Harbour Bridge was closed five times. After the bridge was damaged by a truck in 2020, Waka Kotahi lowered their threshold for closing all lanes of the bridge. Devonport-Takapuna local board member George Wood says the continuous closures after the introduction of the new policy is causing mayhem and Waka Kotahi need to review their procedures f...

Over two years, Labour's measles catch-up campaign has come with a $32 million price tag. And with only reaching 7 per cent of the targeted recipients, that works out to $1,300 per person, per injection. National Party Health Spokesperson Dr. Shane Reti joined Mike Hosking to discuss the figures. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wage growth has meant some families are being pushed past the level they can receive Working For Families tax credits. The Government lifted the abatement threshold in 2017, from a little more than $36,000 to $42,700. Adjusted for wage inflation, the threshold would be just shy of $52,000. Child Poverty Action Group convenor Alan Johnson told Mike Hosking inflation has eroded settings around vario...

Auckland’s $5.5 billion  City Rail Link (CRL)  will not open until sometime in 2026 or later, the  Herald  can reveal. This is at least 18 months longer than what was forecasted only a few months ago when the cost of the project blew out by $1.1b to $5.5b and the completion date moved from late 2024 to November 2025. In an exclusive interview during a tour of the mega-project, City Rail Link chief...

Racer Ronan Murphy took his first win on Australian soil as part of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series, climbing another rung on the ladder to the Carrera Cup Championships. Murphy said that the win meant a lot and was quite emotional for everyone involved, including his father: motorsport legend Greg Murphy. The track was fairly small —only 2.4km long— so there was a fight for space, bu...

Job ads have fallen for the first time this year. SEEK NZ's Employment Report for April shows the number of job ads have dropped one percent month on month, and are 16 percent lower than the previous year. The national decline was driven by Auckland and Canterbury. Country Manager Rob Clark says despite the drop there's plenty of demand for workers. He says comparisons to last year were bound to b...

Now, you can pick your word - but having done a lot of reading over the weekend around the banks and financial market's reviews of the Budget, the words I'd choose range from concern, to alarm. The bond rates jumped - that’s a bit dry for a lot of us, but believe me when I say it's bad. What it ultimately means is interest rates go up, and anyone with mortgage money pays more, and floating money i...

There are hopes that decarbonisation efforts at New Zealand Steel can be extended to other industries. The company will be given 140-million dollars to help them switch half of their coal to electricity at their Glenbrook site. Climate Change Minister James Shaw says there are talks with other firms for investment to get emissions down. He told Mike Hosking that the Government is committed to the...

The Police Association says there's no doubt there's been an increase in crime. Reports of thefts and acts intended to cause injury have risen sharply and serious assaults have more than doubled in the past five years. Ginny Andersen told TVNZ that reports have significantly increased since it became easier to report through a new app. Vice President Paul Ormerod told Mike Hosking that crime has b...

A free trade agreement with India could be beneficial, but it wouldn't be enough to end our reliance on China. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is in Papua New Guinea for meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as leaders from across the Pacific. National is calling on Hipkins to get talks restarted on an FTA with the world's most populous country. Auckland University international...

Government investment is being touted as a vital measure to encourage companies to decarbonise. New Zealand Steel will be given 140-million dollars to help replace half of the coal at its Glenbrook site with electricity. Chief Executive Robin Davies says there's no direct financial benefit for the company, only an investment in reducing carbon. He told Mike Hosking that without the Government's he...

The United States President and House Speaker are scrambling to come to an agreement on debt. The country has less than two weeks until it potentially runs out of money. President Joe Biden says he's willing to cut spending if necessary, and has cancelled overseas visits so he can discuss the issue. Devon Funds Management Head of Retail Greg Smith told Mike Hosking that the Democrats and Republica...

The real value of the Budget for me is not the so-called lolly scramble people seem to expect each year. A bus trip here, a prescription there and a handful of EV chargers - that's rats and mice. The real value of a Budget is the big picture and the big picture is a disaster. For what it's worth, the gaming deal is not bad. But then again, it's classic Labour. Yes, we give rebates for film, but no...

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.   Our kid's ability to read: 2/10 This to me was the disappointment of the week. Not just because the score dropped again, but because no one seemed to care. And if we don’t care about our kids, what hope do we have?   Violence: 2/10   We look more like South Africa every day and...

The Budget came with a somewhat surprising investment into the gaming sector. Including a 20 percent rebate for video game developers and an allocation of $160 million. Along with $27 million for a digital skills package with apprenticeship like pilot programmes. Although it doesn't quite match what Australia has to offer it could help keep gaming in New Zealand. John O'Reilly, founder and creativ...

What a start it's been to the British F4 season for 16-year-old Kiwi Louis Sharp. He sits atop the leaderboard after the first few races with a couple of wins, including a win at Donnington Park in a reverse grid race, starting from 20th. He's all geared up for Snetterton this weekend and Louis Sharp joined the Mike Hosking Breakfast. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

The closure of Southland's retailer H&J Smith is raising questions over how local retailers can compete against international players. It comes as one of our biggest retailers 'Briscoe Group' has announced a record full year profit, with revenue up at $785.9 million. Briscoes Group Managing Director Rod Duke told Mike Hosking with the likes of Ikea heading to New Zealand, local companies will...

Questions for the Government this morning, over whether its Budget could make the Government's balance sheet even worse. The Budget includes removal of $5 prescription fees, the introduction of 20 hours free early childcare for two-year-olds, and public transport discounts for under 25s. Finance Minister Grant Robertson is branding it a "back to basics" budget. But JMI Wealth Director Andrew Kelle...

The Finance Minister says the Government is spending more than it planned to in the Budget, because of Cyclone Gabrielle. Under the so-called "back to basics" budget, the $5 prescription fees will be abolished from July, and two-year-olds will be eligible for 20 hours free early childcare from next March. Public transport will be made free for under 13s, and half price public transport will contin...