The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon says that she plans to step down after more than eight years in office, amid criticism of her drive to expand transgender rights and her strategy for achieving independence from the United Kingdom. Sturgeon made the announcement during a news conference today at her official residence in Edinburgh, Bute House, saying the decision wasn’t a response to the “latest per...

Dr Libby Weaver helps a lot of people with the key and magic to a great life in the form of energy, nutrition, stress and general wellbeing. Her latest programme is S hake off Sugar and Dr Libby Weaver joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the damage the cyclone has caused, it's clear something needs to be done about our infrastructure. But despite the incoming repair bill of cyclone damages, National are still set on tax cuts. Questions have been asked as to how will we repair and recover if the Government has less revenue coming in. National Party leader Christopher Luxon joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/...

A Southland District Councillor is blaming central Government for the steep 13 percent rates rise being proposed by the council this year. Derek Chamberlain told Mike Hosking the council is being kept busy dealing with central Government problems. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before insurance companies were able to get a grasp on the first crazy weather event of the year, we had another one knocking on the door. Cyclone Gabrielle has definitely left her mark and AA Insurance has received more than 2,140 storm related claims so far, with many more expected. AA Insurance spokesperson Simon Hobbs joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

The Warehouse's introduction of fresh fruit and vegetables to some stores from today is being described as a game-changer. Consumer NZ Chief Executive Jon Duffy told Mike Hosking it will allow the chain to compete against big players in the supermarket industry. “They’ve got stores with large enough capacity to really expand properly into grocery without having to secure sites and build buildings....

Authorities are working to restore connections across Hawke's Bay today. The region is grappling with evacuations, widespread power outages, patchy cellphone coverage, numerous road closures and an ongoing water shortage. State Highway 51 between Napier and Hastings has reopened overnight. Emergency Management Group Controller Iain Maxwell told Mike Hosking a flight is on its way to Wairoa with te...

Little did I know when I raised the Christopher Luxon issue the other day how quickly the critics would strike. I suggested that Luxon has a few months yet to sort things out in terms of his own personal numbers in the polls before the chatter would start. Because once the chatter starts, it becomes a conversation and once it becomes a conversation it may well become the narrative and once it beco...

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.

New research has found that a single dose temporary male contraceptive is showing success in mice. By temporarily immobilizing mice sperm it was found to be 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy after two hours and 91 percent affective after the first three. After 24 hours, the mice were returning to normal fertility levels without any negative effects. Study lead Dr. Melanie Balbach joine...

An economist is warning that the repair of Cyclone Gabrielle could cost our economy tens of billions of dollars. The flow on effect of repairing damage, along with the country's loss of productivity and further supply chain issues will take it's toll on the economy, putting even more pressure on inflation. Massey University professor in Innovation and Economics Christoph Schumacher joined Mike Hos...

By 2026 public cloud services could add $21 billion to the New Zealand economy, along with creating 134,000 jobs. Spending on public cloud services is expected to double in the next five years as businesses realise the technology can cut costs and support growth. Microsoft National Technology Officer Russell Craig joined Mike Hosking to discuss what public cloud services are and why they are expec...

225,000 people are currently without power across New Zealand and the widespread damage looks as if it could take a few days to repair. Energy companies are warning people to prepare for significant time without power. Transpower Chief Executive Alison Andrews told Mike Hosking their national network has held up reasonably well, but local networks are more difficult to fix. LISTEN ABOVE See omnyst...

Cyclone Gabrielle is moving offshore, but the danger isn't over in many parts of the North Island. About 25,000 people have now been forced from their homes and about 225,000 are without power and communications. Two people have been confirmed dead in Hawke's Bay and a volunteer firefighter is still missing and another remains in a critical condition in Auckland. More than 200 military personnel a...

Eagle-eared listeners might have picked up yesterday the non-answer from Chris Hipkins over truancy. Yes, an announcement is coming this week, maybe even today, and it’s the return of the truancy officer. Not that we want to call them that, they'll be called something woke. But what he wouldn’t answer was the very simple question - why now? He seems to have discovered since becoming our nation's l...

Lyttleton residents are complaining the amount of cruise ships coming in are overwhelming the area, with fears of a Starbucks or trinket shop opening in the future. Resident have taken their concerns to the Christchurch City Council’s Banks Peninsula Community Board. Banks Peninsula Community Board member Rueben Davidson joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

Auckland businesses are wondering when they're going to get a break. Aucklanders are being advised to evacuate if necessary and to expect widespread power cuts today, with the city still expecting to be battered by wind and rain. It comes as the Government announces a $11.5 million funding package aimed at helping those affected by the summer floods. Auckland Business Chamber Chief Executive Simon...

Well it's a combination of the not so perfect storm for avocado growers. Between the fruit getting blown off trees in the wind and the fact that avocado trees do not hold up well in rain, it's not looking good for next years avocado crops. Some growers are saying they expect less than 40 percent of produce to be able to be exported this year. Director of Avos to Go Steve Badger joined Mike Hosking...

According to Contact Energy, it is looking as if Rio Tinto are ready to make a deal with Tiwai Point. Rio Tinto had previously said the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter's energy costs made it too expensive to run. Contact Energy CEO Mike Fuge joined Mike Hosking to discuss what may have changed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cyclone Gabrielle's impact in the Thames Coromandel region's being described as carnage. District Council Chief Executive, Aileen Lawrie told Mike Hosking there are widespread power outages to about a third of the district. She says there are also mass road closures, with unconfirmed slips on those still open. There are also wide-spread power outages in the Bay of Plenty, with Civil Defence warnin...

Officials are considering declaring a national state of emergency -- as Cyclone Gabrielle continues to cause severe weather across the North Island and upper South. In Auckland, a volunteer firefighter is missing and another is in a critical condition in hospital, after an early morning emergency evacuation in Muriwai. In Northland, homes have been evacuated in low-lying parts of Dargaville, follo...

There are concerns that China could be trying to test America's military reflexes by sending surveillance balloons over North America. US fighter jets have taken down a cylindrical object that stopped over Canada. It follows the recent downing of two other objects off the coast of Alaska and the coast of South Carolina. Otago University international relations expert Robert Patman told Mike Hoskin...

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is urging people not to be complacent when it comes to Cyclone Gabrielle. He says we have to take the red weather warnings seriously. The Government is also preparing to make an announcement about how it plans to tackle a rise in school truancy. Attendance rates have trended down since 2015, but the trend has been accelerating during the pandemic. About 40-percent of p...

The cyclone could have different effects on different regions. Auckland Emergency Management Duty Controller Rachel Kelleher told Mike Hosking that it's an evolving situation. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All domestic flights and most international flights through Auckland Airport are cancelled. Air New Zealand Chief Executive Greg Foran says that the decision isn't an over-reaction, and was based off official advice and forecasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.