The Mike Hosking Breakfast

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.

If you've been in and around Auckland this past week you've probably seen the huge amount of Samoan flags being paraded about. It comes as Samoa are set to take on Australia in the Rugby League World Cup final this weekend. Because of that, a fan zone is being set up in south Auckland as part of a last minute festival to create what they call a family-friendly event for fans. Auckland councillor A...

Hopes changes to New Zealand's resource management system will cut red tape for building homes. The Government will today unveil what it describes as simplified, modernised legislation to replace the 1991 Resource Management Act. A construction management expert wants to see the process for issuing consents, standardised. Auckland University of Technology's John Tookey says it would allow for pref...

A sociologist says migration loss is a concern. Stats NZ data shows in September there was an estimated migration gain of 2,176 people. But for the year ending September, there's still a provisional net migration loss of 8,400. Sociologist Paul Spoonley says there's been an uptick in immigrants, but it's a long way to reach pre-Covid levels. He says we've tended to operate a brain exchange where t...

The Act Party is claiming the Government is putting its head in the sand, when it comes to health worker shortages. A leaked document from the Ministry of Health to Andrew Little shows it sent a list of 30 professions it thinks should be on the immigration green list. Nurses, paramedics, physios and dentists were all included. Act Party Deputy Leader, Brooke van Velden told Mike Hosking the Health...

Up to a quarter of homes could soon be selling for a loss, if mortgages rates keep on rising. New figures from Core Logic show almost three-percent of homes sold at a loss in the three months to September. That's up from less than one percent in the three months of December. Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson told Mike Hosking we could reach the point where up to 25 percent of home sales are...

Mat Rogers is simply an Australian sporting legend. The dual code international played more than 200 NRL matches for Cronulla and Gold Ccoast - but also represented the Wallabies in 45 tests. It was a career that spanned nearly 20 years - from 1994 to 2011. Now he's telling his story - including his battle with addiction and losing his father, Steve Rogers, to suicide back in 2006. The book is cal...

I wonder as James Shaw sits in Egypt watching yet another COP gabfest go nowhere, whether he has worked out the $20 million our country has offered for loss and damage is essentially the same mistake they have made with the farmers in their He Waka Eke Noa response. We are one of just three countries, as I understand it, which has offered any money at all. Loss and damage is this year's pet theme....

Wellington's leaders are backing a parade to mark the Black Ferns' Rugby World Cup win - saying the capital is the perfect location. Tory Whanau, Mayor of Wellington City, says she's liaising with Parliament to see what can be done in the coming weeks. Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy supports such an event as the win was extremely significant. And Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry agrees, saying an eve...

High praise for New Zealand's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Our Government is sending more Defence Force personnel to train Ukrainian troops, as well as extending the deployment of others in intelligence and liaison roles. It's also providing more funding for equipment and supplies and to help global food security. Commander of Joint Forces Rear Admiral James Gilmour told Mike Hosking...

Supply chain issues should start to ease as we head into 2023. Freedom Furniture and Farmers have told customers they may have to wait up to five months for their purchases to be delivered due to production backlogs, staff shortages and shipping challenges. Cargo Owners Council executive member Simon Beale says some companies are bringing more containers into New Zealand,  ready for the peak expor...

Waka Kotahi's defending its proposal for sweeping speed limit decreases on state highways across the country. It says key areas include those where there are unprecedented road deaths and injuries, as well as a focus around schools and marae. Road to Zero Portfolio Manager, Tara Macmillan told Mike Hosking setting safe and appropriate speeds is recognised globally as essential for all users. She s...

There's no easy way down for New Zealand's economy, as high inflation poses a persistent problem. Westpac's latest economic overview predicts the Official Cash Rate will rise further and peak at five percent next year. Its acting chief economist says despite hikes this year, monetary policy takes time to have a full effect on the economy. Michael Gordon says many borrowers will be rolling on to hi...

The resource management and consenting system is in for a shake-up. The Government will today unveil what it says will be simplified, modernised legislation to replace the Resource Management Act. Acting Prime Minister Grant Robertson says the changes will deliver a faster, cheaper, better framework. But Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Allan Pollard told Mike Hosking the cost reducti...

According to the Sporting Shooters Association, Police spend a million dollars a week regulating licenses and ownership. President of the Sporting Shooters Association Neville Dodd says that it’s “total overkill.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fact Saturday was the highlight of Wayne Smith's coaching career tells you something. It's not like Smith hasn't been around a while and done a bunch of cool stuff. I do worry for the side given Smith and Sir Graham Henry are off to retirement and that’s a lot of brilliance leaving the building. And you cannot deny that what they did transformed the team. The performance in the northern hemisp...

New Zealand Rugby is celebrating for multiple reasons. The Black Ferns have drummed up huge support during their World Cup campaign, which ended in victory at a sold out Eden Park on Saturday night. New Zealand Rugby Chief Executive Mark Robinson says they haven't seen a game with this much public support and interest, since the pandemic. He says it's time they made the most of increased support a...

The Democrats in the US could be creeping towards a victory in the House of Representatives. They've retained control of the Senate after the crucial race in Nevada was announced in their favour. The results amount to the best midterm performance for a sitting party in 20 years. US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the House is still up for grabs, and things are not going the way...

The latest idea to help solve the nursing crisis is paying students for their placements while they're training. The Health Minister says it was put on the table earlier this year, with officials actively considering significant reforms. Students currently have to complete 11-hundred hours of unpaid placements in ‘real’ clinical settings, but not all of that is in hospitals specifically. Health Mi...

It's time to get on with Auckland's next Waitemata Harbour crossing. The Government plans to decide by mid next year what kind of bridge or tunnel will be built, and break ground on the project by 2030. Waka Kotahi's holding community engagement events to hear the public's thoughts, with consultation closing at the end of January. Auckland Business Chamber Chief Executive Simon Bridges says a tunn...

The US midterms have thrown the market into some uncertainty. The Republicans appear to be heading towards taking control of the House of Representatives. But things are less certain in the Senate. The state of Georgia is going to a runoff vote, which is only adding to the uncertainty. But CNN's Richard Quest told Mike Hosking that the gridlock is actually a good thing. He says markets like the id...

Sarah and Rob, you might have seen their story. They are a couple of specialists, as in doctors. They came here during Covid under a critical work visa,  now they are thinking of heading back to the  UK because of, you guessed it, immigration delays. They don't get to be on the green list. Ah, the magic green list. The list that gets you residency. It's called fast track residency. But fast track...

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.   Labour's Poll Result: 2/10 "These numbers are getting uglier and uglier. At some point, they either have to pivot in terms of some policy or prepare their CVs after November next year."   National and ACT's Polls Result: 7/10 "Not home yet, and probably wise to keep saying it'l...

Retailers are less than keen on the idea of extending gift card expiry dates. The minimum expiry date could be extended to three years under Melissa Lee's Fair Trading Amendment Bill. The National MP says the legislation gives the recipient a more reasonable period to redeem the card’s full value. But Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford says it could have negative impacts on business owners. He...

A rise in the number of couples opting for friends to officiate their wedding, is leaving professional independent celebrants out in the cold. Numbers have spiked, with more than 4,500 independent marriage and civil union celebrants in New Zealand. Prior to 2013, there were only around 2,000, but there's been a steady influx since the registration process was relaxed in 2013. The Celebrant School...