The Mike Hosking Breakfast

It hasn’t been a good week for the planet has it? We have found out we are making more single use plastic than ever before. We have found out oil companies are making more money than ever before. If you are a realist, as opposed to an idealist, none of this will have come as a surprise. What drives most of us is convenience. It's why you should never trust polls on matters where the question invol...

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.   NZ Rugby: 4/10 There is something that isn't quite right about the way that place operates. There's too many leaks, too much speculation and too much indecision.   Waitangi Poll: 8/10   A good reminder of the massive disconnect between the luvvies and the rest of us. 9 percent...

A technology innovation company are taking ram raid protection into their own hands by 3D printing concrete planter boxes, outdoor furniture and seating. The custom street furniture sits in front of retail stores presenting a hard and solid barrier to deter potential ram raiders. QOROX business development manager Nick Lane joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

It has been a huge turn around season for the Breakers. After being on the road for the last few years, the team have secured a home advantage for the semi-finals on Sunday at Spark Arena. One factor that this season’s success can be put down to is their new coach, who in his first season with the team has taken them from last place to second. Breakers coach Mody Maor joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN A...

Some Ed Sheeran fans are up in arms, claiming their seats for this weekend's concerts at Auckland's Eden Park have been changed without their permission. Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy told Mike Hosking ticket companies are protected by their terms and conditions. He says if they argue the new seats are actually better, they might not need to compensate people. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio...

Once again the farmers are saving us. In 2022, New Zealand exported $11.4 billion worth of red meat but the meat industry’s global markets started easing from the end of last year. The largest drop was in the Chinese market, with December exports down by 21 percent and UK exports dropped by 53 percent. Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva joined Mike Hosking to discuss what we...

Rotorua's Mayor is pushing back on suggestions she's sneaking policy through to give the council more powers. The Rotorua Lakes Council has voted to progress a policy to remove public submissions if they're deemed offensive, discriminatory or irrelevant. The Free Speech Union says it's a clear violation of speech rights, and a breach of the Bill of Rights Act. Mayor Tania Tapsell told Mike Hosking...

It's onwards and upwards for New Zealand's hotel sector. 2023 is off to a good start, with strong-forward bookings and high demand for the rest of the year. The Tourism Export Council forecasts international visitor levels rebounding to around 2.1 million by the end of May and could approach pre-Covid levels mid 2025. Colliers National Director Dean Humphries told Mike Hosking it's a welcome sign...

Make no mistake about it, the dumping of the TVNZ/RNZ merger is the dumping of a dumb idea. I told the then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern that, as she sat in this very studio some years back. I said if you listen to nothing else I say, take it from a person who has been in this game for 40 years - it’s a dumb idea. It will achieve nothing, damage a lot more than it will address and is driven by a...

Personally, the best bit of ‘Backdown Wednesday’ was the dumping of the egregious social insurance. It wasn't just another tax from a government that said no new taxes, but a compulsory tax that didn’t serve everyone. Most people didn’t want it and it would have sent all the wrong signals to the job market. If you want insurance to protect income you can get it and you always have been able to. If...

Christchurch residents could soon face a fine of up to $20,000 for posting junk mail or littering in charity donation boxes. Under the new waste management and minimisation bylaw, the offence of depositing junk mail in any letterbox marked no circulars, could result in the fine. Measures under the bylaw also include the non-collection of kerbside bins if the contents don't comply. Councillor Aaron...

Iconic actress, Pamela Anderson, told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking ahead of the release of her memoir Love, Pamela and her documentary Pamela, a Love Story that was a “relief” to be able to tell her side of a story that has been told by many others over the years. Anderson catapulted onto our screens with Baywatch and Home Improvement and her career has featured more than 25 movies, dozens of TV sho...

Lebron James has taken the crown of NBA’s all-time highest point scorer. With 38,388 total points he has now surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record of 38,387 that he held for nearly four decades. Once again, James has made basketball history. NBA insider and reporter Brett Siegel joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"It's getting rid of dumb stuff." That's how National Leader Christopher Luxon has described the Government's policy bonfire. He told Mike Hosking it's stuff that shouldn't have happened in the first place. Luxon says it's a stupendous waste of money, time and resources, and he's questioning what the past six years have been about. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

A sociologist says the Law Commission is better placed to work on hate speech legislation, than the Government. The legislation has been thrown on its policy bonfire and is punting the work to the commission instead. Massey University's Paul Spoonley told Mike Hosking some aspect of what was going to Parliament does need another look. But he says this has been on the books for about four years. "T...

There are concerns the hike to minimum wage could be devastating for businesses. The Government has announced the minimum wage will rise by $1.50 to $22.70 from April. Business New Zealand CEO Kirk Hope told Mike Hosking the ability for businesses to pass this cost on is very low. He says if a business has no capital left effectively to pay this, and can't increase prices because then they'll face...

Authorities aren't going into detail about exactly how they managed to intercept half a billion dollars worth of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean. The 3.2 tonne discovery is New Zealand's largest ever find by some margin. It's expected to land a major financial blow to the international illicit drug market, with the drug likely being destined for Australia. Police Commissioner Andrew Coster told Mike...

If and when the new Prime Minister gets around to his bread and butter reset, the work he has to do on Three Waters is going to be something to behold. That’s a genuinely complex issue that either most of us don’t get, or don’t want to - or a combination of the two. And it’s the co-governance aspect of it that kills it. Co-governance is not the way forward in this country, or indeed any country. T...

After not going ahead last year, the Burt Munro Challenge is set to commence today. Running for 16 years, the annual motorcycle challenge sees bikers compete in a range of racing challenges across Southland. This year they are expecting large crowds of supporters and entrants, along with a higher police presence to monitor gang members at the events. Burt Munro Challenge chair, Craig Hyde joined M...

There has been Opposition outrage at the Government's response to surging retail crime. Police received a record 10,000 incident reports in October last year, while the average in the year to November has almost doubled compared to 2018. National claims the Government's solutions aren't working, suggesting the crime prevention fund has had low business uptake. The party's Police Spokesperson Mark...

David Seymour is promising he can form a working Government with National, despite doubting it is much different from Labour. The Act Leader delivered a 'Road to real change' speech in Auckland on Tuesday, claiming there are few differences between the two Chrises vying to be Prime Minister. National is Act's likely coalition partner to form a Government and Seymour says a contingent of Act MPs ar...

Relief is on the way to Turkey and Syria after two devastating 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes. More than 6,300 people have died, with the World Health Organisation fearing the death toll could reach 20,000. The US is one of the 70 countries supplying aid, with President Joe Biden promising an immediate response. US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking a specialist team from Los Angele...

Something concrete is on its way about the Government's policy shake-up. It comes after a newly reshuffled Cabinet was asked to take another look at its priorities, in a bid to get back to political basics. The Prime Minister promised a government that’s focused on bread and butter issues. Chris Hipkins told Mike Hosking there will be some specifics later today. He says they'll be having conversat...

Japanese rugby is set to reap the benefits from this year's All Blacks World Cup exodus. 114-capped Aaron Smith and 112-capped Beauden Barrett will head for the Toyota Verblitz club at the end of the season, where Sir Steve Hansen is the director of rugby. Former All Blacks coach Laurie Mains has explained who gains most on the Mike Hosking Breakfast. “They’re both very talented, very knowledgeabl...

Police are standing by their approach to retail crime in the wake of surging incident reports. They received a record 10,000 reports of retail crime in the month of October last year, and the average in the year to November has almost doubled compared to 2018. But Police say numbers are probably up because they've made it easier for businesses to report incidents. Police Assistant Commissioner Jev...