The Mike Hosking Breakfast

New research has found people who have to pay prescription fees are more likely to end up in hospital. A year-long study involving more than 1,000 people shows for every 100 receiving free prescriptions, 33 were admitted to hospital and stayed 208 days. But for every 100 people still paying the charge, 41 were admitted to hospital and stayed 326 days. Pharmacist Din Redzepagic told Mike Hosking if...

One of the things that may be revealed out of the weather mess is the fact we are woefully underinsured as a country. It's these sorts of things that mark you as first world, or otherwise. One of the most insightful comments made over the summer was from David Seymour who expressed his profound concern that we are dangerously close to losing our first world status. He is right, but sadly it won't...

Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined the Mike Hosking Breakfast to wrap the weekend's sporting news. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Latest data shows the tourism sector could be short 80,000 staff, an increase of 13,000 more than last year, with some concerned we may be going backwards. National have their own ideas of how we could fix the sector including scrapping the median wage and replacing it with an industry average, making sure key tourism roles have a pathway to residence, and processing work visas faster. But what do...

Despite government efforts to reduce single use plastics, we are producing record amounts of plastic waste worldwide. In 2021, we produced 139 million metric tons, 6 million metric tons more than 2019. You may find it hard to get a plastic straw and we all use reusable bags at the supermarket, but some are suggesting efforts are futile without everyone getting on board. Plastics NZ CEO Rachel Bark...

Calls for New Zealand to join in Australia in a major shakeup for local film and television production. From mid-2024, streaming services like Netflix, Disney and Amazon will be forced to reinvest 20 percent of their revenue back into the local market. This in turn could also see the companies produce a certain quota of domestic content. Directors and Editors Guild executive director Tui Ruwhiu to...

National is concerned rising court delays aren't being taken seriously by the Government. Data from October shows family court applications older than two years, have more-than doubled since 2017. Opposition Courts spokesperson Chris Penk told Mike Hosking it hasn't been a priority, according to the ministerial diary of former Courts Minister Aupito William Sio. He says in three months, he spent l...

501 deportees will be a hot topic when Chris Hipkins visits Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese. Today's one day trip to Canberra will be his first trip overseas as Prime Minister, the two have already spoken over the phone. There have been notable changes to 501s under Albanese, with time spent living in Australia now a big factor when cancelling a visa. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Wal...

So Wayne Brown took some heat this week. Wayne is Auckland's mayor and Wayne wasn’t up to much, apparently, when he should have been last Friday. He has since apologised, called a review and rung the Herald to tell them not to “f “ him over. My observation of the week is a lot of people didn’t really perform the way they should have. But as I have said several times this week, I wasn’t expecting t...

Tim Wilson and Kate Hawkesby joined Mike Hosking to wrap the week that was. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.   Auckland Transport: 2/10   In a week in which a lot of people looked exceedingly ordinary Auckland Transport was as good as it got with its "Drive to Elton" campaign.   Wayne "Drongo" Brown: 4/10 I don’t think anyone, not even Wayne, thinks it went well this week.   The media's...

Queen Elizabeth’s face will no longer appear on Australia’s $5 note and will not be replaced by King Charles'. The new bill will feature an Indigenous Australian design and was the last note that had any sign of monarchy. Head of the Australian Republican Movement Peter Fitzsimons joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Light rail may be set to join the list of incomplete Labour party projects. Right next to the abandoned Harbour Bridge cycle way, the axed four lane highways and Kiwibuild. $72 million has already been spent on light rail, but as part of the Government's refocus, the project is under review. National Party spokesperson for Transport Simeon Brown joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.c...

Greens' co-leader James Shaw is planning to put his time into New Zealand's climate change response, not the Wellington Central electorate seat. He's decided not to contest the seat that he's run in since 2011. Instead he's nominated Wellington City Councillor Tamatha Paul for the role. Shaw told Mike Hosking he still wants to continue as climate change minister. He says the flooding in Auckland s...

An unclear picture is being painted of the level of need in our health system. An editorial in the latest Medical Journal raises questions about why we're not appropriately measuring Unmet Secondary Elective Healthcare Need, otherwise known as non-urgent hospital treatment. Otago Business School Dean, Professor Robin Gauld told Mike Hosking they've done some work towards what officials would find...

An economic consultancy group says a recession is inevitable. That's despite Finance Minister Grant Robertson saying it isn't a foregone conclusion. Infometrics says while recent GDP growth was higher than expected,  it probably won't continue as sectors like construction slow down. Chief Forecaster Gareth Kiernan says it will also lead to job losses.  He expects the unemployment rate to hit 4.3 p...

A new report from Westpac shows tough times ahead for the building industry. The figures show construction demand will fall due to cheaper house prices and rising interest rates. The slowdown has already started in the North Island, where new stats show a decline in building consents being issued Naylor Love Chief Executive Rick Herd told Mike Hosking Westpac might have even been a little optimist...

Let me pose this one for Labour party fans. So far this week we have a poll bounce, let's assume it's real. Let's assume it sticks, which means the race is on and it's tight. Also this week we have the IMF who have increased the global forecast. So the end times are not coming. In fact, a recession will be avoided. Europe won't go into recession as a bloc and Germany says they individually are not...

British trade unions have come out in force for the country's biggest strike since 2011. An estimated half a million workers including teachers, university staff and train drivers went on pay strike yesterday as the UK battles a cost of living crisis. Union bosses argue proposed Government pay rise offers don't keep up with inflation, which is at its highest in 40 years. UK correspondent Rod Liddl...

The proof in the pudding that if you hand out free stuff people become addicted, is to be found in the already alarming concerns being expressed as to how life will continue at the end of this month, and then again, at the end of March when the fuel subsidies come off. The warning is already out from the transport people over the price of everything that’s transported, which is, well, basically ev...

Time now for a song and a chat with one of our favourite musicians in the country. When we last spoke to country pop singer Kaylee Bell she was about to release her new album S ilver Linings. She's been the most streamed female country artist in Australasia for the last four years, she was on The Voice Australia where she performed her song Keith to Keith Urban and she's performing award-winning s...

This year’s Women's FIFA Football World Cup has reports of a Saudi Arabian sponsorship. Saudi Arabia has a well publicised history of oppression of woman, so the desire to sponsor a women's football competition has come as a bit of a shock to some. University of Auckland senior lecturer of Sports Marketing Marilyn Giroux joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

Unemployment remains at a record low of 3.4 percent and wages are continuing to rise. In the December quarter all salary and wage rates increased 4.1 percent, and in the private sector wages rose 4.3 percent. The labour market seems to remain tight, with low employment and high wages adding to cost pressures. Investment strategist and economist at Jarden, John Carran, joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN A...

Finance Minister Grant Robertson is defending the decision to extend the fuel tax subsidy. Chris Hipkins has announced the 25 cent fuel tax cuts, and half-price public transport will now run until the end of June. Robertson said in December running it past the original March date wasn't sustainable, but that changed with Hipkins' succession. He told Mike Hosking Hipkins wanting the cost of living...

Wellington's local economy looks to be the big winners from Ed Sheeran's concert tonight. The pop superstar is playing to a crowd of 48,000 at Sky Stadium, the largest single day event for the venue. He's also playing two shows at Auckland's Eden Park next week. Wellington NZ General Manager Warrick Dent told Mike Hosking 35 percent of the people coming to the show are from outside of the capital....