The Mike Hosking Breakfast

New Zealand's coffee capital has been left off the top ranking coffee destinations. Coffee company Tambia has released a list of the world's top 50 coffee spots which include cafés in Melbourne, New York and Toronto. But notably Wellington is nowhere to be seen on it. Wellington café owner Aydan Apiata told Tim Dower he's surprised by the news, given the other locations on the list. He says that's...

Bad news for the economy and bad news for those holding out hope for lower interest rates. Economic consultancy Infometrics says while the economy has probably been in recession since late last year, there's very little evidence inflationary pressures are starting to ease. It's now forecasting the Reserve Bank will need to lift the Official Cash Rate to 5.75 percent. Chief Forecaster Gareth Kierna...

The minister responsible for water reforms says recent changes are more than just window dressing.  The four mega entities have been changed for 10 local groups. Local Government Minister Kieran McAnulty says the groups will be a combination of local Māori   and Mayors. He told Tim Dower changing from four groups to ten is a significant change, enabling every mayor to sit on the regional represent...

A tobacco researcher thinks New Zealand is lagging behind to help people quit smoking. The UK's NHS is giving away free vape kits in the hopes it will help people quit tobacco products. The policy is expected to affect up to one million smokers. New Zealand currently offers either subsidised or free nicotine gum and patches. Tobacco researcher Dr. Marewa Glover told Tim Dower the Government has mo...

A new name isn't making water reforms easier to swallow for some officials. Three Waters has been renamed Affordable Water Reforms and the four mega entities have been changed into 10 regional groups. Waimakariri and Timaru District Councils are continuing legal action over the ownership of their assets. Timaru District Mayor Nigel Bowen told Tim Bower he thinks the changes are a bid to win votes....

Hollywood actress Alexandra Daddario got her start in the Percy Jackson films in 2010. From there, she won more high profile projects including True Detective , the remake of costume drama Baywatch and lately the TV show White Lotus , which yielded an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Now she's starring in a new series Mayfair Witches, based on the Anne Rice novels. Alexandra Dad...

Despite a few setbacks, the tiny apple brand Rockit is on track for its biggest season yet. The company was facing a difficult season even before the cyclone, thanks to record early season rain, but now it's anticipating record export volumes. CEO of Rockit Global Mark O'Donnell joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The review of the Auckland Council's flood response makes for some uncomfortable reading. It says there was a system failure, communications failures and a lack of visible leadership. It gives 17 recommendations like a separate review of Auckland Emergency Management's prevention, a better IT communications system and better outreach to community groups. Maungakiekie-Tāmaki ward councillor Josephi...

Local body leaders are doing what they can to stop spats around the country's council tables. Local Government New Zealand is looking to establish a service to resolve disputes within councils. It comes after the latest series of problems at the Gore District Council between the Mayor and Chief Executive. Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry told Tim Dower each council will face issues from time to tim...

There are fears the teacher shortage could worsen as relief teachers leave the profession. New Ministry of Education figures show around 3,000 relief teachers have left the profession in the last decade. The primary teachers' union, the NZEI, has called for a complete review of the sector. Auckland Primary Principals' Association vice-president Kyle Brewerton told Tim Dower due to salary caps, the...

The country's councils are standing by to hear the Government's latest plan for Three Waters reforms. Newstalk ZB understands the plan will be revealed later this morning. Porirua Mayor Anita Baker told Tim Dower without the reforms, councils like hers face steep rates rises. Multiple sources have told BusinessDesk that the Government is now looking to amalgamate water services into ten regional e...

The repercussions of dairy farm intensification could be coming home to roost. A new report from the  Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ has found 45 percent of the rivers around the country are too polluted to swim in. Otago University Public Health Researcher Marine Prickett told Tim Dower farming has had a big impact. She says the intensification of agriculture has ramped up, which has p...

More questions than answers, for me, on the residency carrot finally being dangled in a desperate attempt to plug gaps in the health sector. Winter's looming, we're worried about another wave of Covid and all the other seasonal sniffles and the health system is already crying out for staff. So, from now, another 32 job roles go on the green list. If you've got a qualification, you're in. Have we l...

There is hope for a smoother sailing for passengers looking to cross Cook Strait over the coming months. Interislander's Kaitaki ferry is returning to service today after being out for more than a month due to a gearbox issue. Both the Bluebridge and Interislander companies have suffered mechanical breakdowns in recent months, leading to hundreds of passenger bookings being canned. Executive Gener...

99 days now until the FIFA Women's World Cup here and in Australia. Around 150,000 tickets have already been sold to 29 matches and at least 20,000 people will be at the opening ceremony and first fixture at Eden Park. Jane Patterson is New Zealand's Chief Operating Officer running the show and she joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The country's Health and Disability Commissioner is keeping a close eye on cancer treatment delays in the Southern District. A critical report by Morag McDowell has looked into concerns at Southern District Health Board, now Te Whatu Ora Southern. It reveals significant delays in delivering non-surgical cancer care between 2016 and 2022, harmed patients and breached their rights. McDowell told Tim...

Covid restrictions still feel like a handbrake for the hospitality industry. The Government is not changing the seven day isolation requirement for cases for at least two months. It's also asked for more work on whether testing to return to work for mild or asymptomatic cases, would be safe. Hospitality New Zealand Chief Executive Julie White told Tim Dower people need to be able to get back to wo...

The Immigration Minister is expecting thousands of people to arrive on our shores as a result of immigration changes in the healthcare sector. 32 new health jobs have been added to the Straight to Residency pathway on the Green List. They include dentists, paramedics, optometrists and pharmacists. Michael Wood told Tim Dower in the past year more than 4,000 healthcare workers have been approved un...

A law expert says it will look bad if New Zealand is a no show at the latest NATO meeting. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says he's yet to make a decision on whether he will attend the summit in Lithuania in July. Waikato University's Al Gillespie says the location is significant as it shares a border with Russia and feels at risk. He told Tim Dower it's important to show up, and would deepen our re...

A 16-day swim, bike, run and kayak relay raising money for I Am Hope starts this morning, travelling the length of the North Island. Delayed by Cyclone Gabrielle a swag of legends from our sporting past are setting off from the very top of the country this morning. Former All Black Sir Ian Jones is one of them and he joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

There’s a good piece in BusinessDesk on where we're going now with Three Waters. For clarity, I've been against Three Waters from the start. Where I live, we saw it as a straight-out asset grab. It was good facilities built up and paid for by ratepayers over decades being subsumed into a massive body, effectively subsidising Auckland, and patching over decades of incompetent management there. Now,...

Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Tim Dower to wrap a hectic sporting weekend. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Charles' coronation is getting closer, May 6th and the Mike Hosking Breakfast will be there in the week leading up to it. It's not as lavish as some previous events with only three crowns, two carriages and a shorter route to Westminster Abbey. There is also a bespoke emoji to reflect the first coronation of the social media era. Royal correspondent Dickie Arbiter joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABO...

Truck drivers say they are sick and tired of driving on dangerous roads. Newstalk ZB can reveal Waka Kotahi fixed 54,000 potholes on the state highway network during 2022.  The National Road Carriers Association says members often complain about shoddy roads with poor maintenance. Chief Executive Justin Tighe-Umbers says roading repair efforts continue to be hampered. He says recent weather has me...

Chris Hipkins says the Government will be making a "carefully balanced decision" on whether to continue to scrap the mandatory seven-day isolation period for people who test for Covid. Cabinet will review Covid rules today, with an announcement expected some time this week. Ministers will be basing their decision on the latest public health advice, and the state of the health system heading into w...