The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Mel Parsons is quickly becoming a mainstay of Kiwi music. The folk/country artist burst onto the scene back in 2009 - and has released four studio albums since then. And she's enjoyed plenty of success including winning Best Folk Artist at the 2020 New Zealand Music Awards. Now - she's back with her fifth studio album, S low Burn which is out tomorrow. And of course, we've got the obligatory tour....

New evidence from think tank Koi Tu has found at least 15 percent of Kiwi women are affected by mental distress during the perinatal period. That number rises to 33 percent for Maori, Asian, and Pacific women. Koi Tu Director Sir Peter Gluckman told Mike Hosking the research shows the consequences of a stressed mother for both them and their babies are serious. He says unless we identify stress ea...

An unprecedented queue for an unprecedented moment in history. Thousands of people are lining up to see Her Majesty's coffin, which is now lying in state at Westminster Hall, after being transported from Buckingham Palace in a silent procession. The queue has got a bit shorter as night starts to set in, but it still stretches for kilometres. The Daily Mirror Royal Editor Russell Myers told Mike Ho...

Confidence our GDP will grow, but disagreement about by how much. Economists from multiple banks are predicting around a 1 percent growth for the second quarter Westpac acting Chief economist Michael Gordon says he's more confident with a 1.6 percent prediction. He told Mike Hosking there's good reason to feel bullish. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Secondary principals say we need to be more competitive if we're going to address teacher shortages. The Government has announced $24 million in funding for recruitment initiatives. It's hoped to attract one thousand more teachers into the profession, mostly from overseas. Secondary Principals' Association President Vaughan Couillault told Mike Hosking we have to make sure our onboarding of people...

A potential solution has been raised for some of our labour shortage problems - but NZ businesses are reluctant. We know that 20 percent of all roles can now be done remotely, especially in the likes of the IT sector. And of those overseas there's a good chunk who would be keen to work for a New Zealand-based business. Problem is, businesses here don't want to hire from overseas, even if they are...

Newcastle utility Caitlin Moran has been banned by the NRL following an investigation by the integrity unit after an offensive social media post referencing the Queen's death. Moran, a former Jillaroos representative and Indigenous All Star, has since been forced to delete the Instagram post, which featured a picture of Queen Elizabeth II. "Todays a good fkn day, uncle Luke announces his tour, and...

Right, panic over, democracy wins. Philip Arps is not going to be on the school board in my old hood of Linwood in Christchurch. Hopefully for all those getting exercised about the fringe players in the upcoming local bodies can sit back a bit and realise democracy, by and large, works. Not perfectly, and not to our satisfaction a lot of the time, but it’s a hell of a lot better than most of the a...

MPs Megan Woods and Mark Mitchell joined Mike Hosking to wrap the week's political news. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch councillors have given what they describe as the proverbial finger to the Government over housing intensification plans. They've voted against the Government's directive for new standards which would allow up to three homes of three storeys each on most sections in the city. The issue they now have, while sending a strong message, is the Government can bowl through with it anyway by a...

Smaller councils are fearing the loss of big employers under the Three Waters reform. Longstanding discount deals to allow big industries to discharge into council wastewater networks will be ended by the Government's reform programme. About 50 percent of Timaru's water use is commercial. Mayor Nigel Bowen told Mike Hosking there are concerns about the harm the local economy will face if it loses...

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa says it's an honour to be attending Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. She'll be part of the delegation attending Monday's event. The famed soprano told Mike Hosking the new King and Princess Royal have been doing a fantastic job. She says it's amazing they can take over while in the grip of such grief. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s terrible record when it comes to diagnosing prostate cancer is causing those who receive the diagnosis to lose hundreds of millions in earnings. Research between the NZIER and Prostate Cancer Foundation found that on average, men who get a late diagnosis lose out on about $12,000 over four years. While it might not seem like a huge amount, when you realise that almost 60 percent of c...

Rising supplier costs are being blamed for food prices. Annual food prices have shot up to the highest rate in 13 years. Stats New Zealand data shows food cost 8.3 percent more this August than the last. Tomatoes NZ Chair Barry O'Neill told Mike Hosking there are some local structural issues in the industry. “One being the heating costs have got so high that a number of growers can’t afford to hea...

We will eventually get to the old republic debate. Australia has already started their debate; I note the Prime Minister there has said there will be no vote this term, which I think is wise. Firstly, because we have enough on our plate at the moment without putting things to the vote. Perhaps we could get past Covid, the cost-of-living crisis, and the war? And a republic debate is one for the gen...

Nurses' Society Director David Willis joined Mike Hosking to discuss the dropping of vaccine mandates for health workers and how it will affect the industry. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time to catch up with one this country's most successful bands. Since their debut album in 2017 – L.A.B have topped the charts in this country with their albums and singles. In fact, their single In the Air was the bestselling Kiwi single of 2020. Now, they're off on a summer tour around the regions. The band's frontman Joel Shadbolt joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

The masks are gone for all but a few sectors, but where do they all go? A new free recycling initiative is being launched by our biggest mask manufacturer to try and make sure our masks don't all end up in landfill. It's being done by Meo and co-founder Kenneth Leong joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mixed feelings about a one off public holiday to mark Queen Elizabeth II's death. Monday, September 26 will be a public holiday, with a state memorial service held on the same day in Wellington. Hospitality New Zealand CEO Julie White told Mike Hosking businesses will carry the cost, but the Queen's reign has to be recognised. She says the Queen gave 70 years of service to the people and at the he...

Huge crowds have gathered in Edinburgh to see off Her Majesty. The Queen's coffin is lying in state at Edinburgh's Saint Giles' Cathedral. King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward have stood guard around the coffin in the traditional Vigil of the Princes. Correspondent Anna Burns-Francis told Mike Hosking vast numbers of people have turned out to pay their respects. “It’s a ten...

New Zealand's superannuation value has tumbled by $3.3 billion. The value has dropped by nearly seven percent in the year to June, as sharemarkets around the world tumbled amid rising inflation and recession fears. It had returned about 9.7 percent per annum since it was launched in 2003. Super Fund Chief Executive Matt Whineray says told Mike Hosking it's a sharp downturn. He says the first six m...

The Tourism Minister says any remaining restrictions won't keep people from visiting. Vaccine requirements for international travellers and the need to wear a mask in most places are gone. Despite the easing of restrictions, travellers still have to fill out a travel declaration form. Stuart Nash told Mike Hosking it's not a big deal. He says it's something which happens around the world and isn't...

A couple of observations from the weekend around the passing of the Queen. Piers Morgan came up with the best explanation of what she meant to the British. Look it up, it's thoughtful, insightful, and moving. That’s observation number one. In a world of vacuous comment, more people than not these past few days have come to the party with their thoughts in an eloquent and kind fashion. The energy a...

Australia have wrapped up a 3-0 series whitewash over New Zealand in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy after defeating the Black Caps by 25 runs in Cairns. The Black Caps once again struggled with the bat attempting to chase down 268 for victory, with no batsman able to pass the half-century mark against the Australian bowling attack. In fact, New Zealand leave Australian shores with no half-centuries fr...

What a weekend to celebrate motorsport for the final time at the home of the sport in this country. Pukekohe Park had it all - a huge crowd, legends of the sport, great racing and two incredible wins from a hometown hero in Shane van Gisbergen. Managing director of Pukekohe Motorsport Gary Stirling joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.