The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The Revenue Minister is accepting criticism of the cost of living payment. The Auditor-General says it should have been rolled out more carefully. New screening measures are being launched ahead of the second $116 payment on Thursday. Minister David Parker says 31,000 people won't get the second payment until they confirm they're in New Zealand. He told Mike Hosking the Auditor-General's criticism...

The statistic that should send a chill through every one of us was the one you might have seen over the weekend from a construction company. They hired 52 people, but lost 54 to poaching. It's that fundamentally destructive aspect of the economy that has seen us almost certainly in a recession in the first half of this year, and quite possibly another one in the latter part of this year and into n...

Accountability is one of the most important attributes of leadership. If you have a mandate to make decisions, then they must be defended and the decision maker must be held to account. This Government doesn’t want to be held to account. The Aged Care Association wrote to the Health Minister. Their warning was that the industry was on the verge of collapse. The job gaps are so great it’s now dange...

Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to wrap an action-packed weekend of sport. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders may have to cut back on the Friday night fish and chips. The country's favourite takeaway has been unable to escape the grip of inflation, as businesses face rising costs. Bluff fish and chip shop Galley Takeaways has been hit and the business has been forced to put prices up. Owner Diane Williamson says a Blue cod fillet is going for $12.50 this week, plus the scoop on top. She tol...

A weekend to savour at Spa for Liam Lawson. The Kiwi driver has finished third in the Formula 2 feature race at the Belgian Grand Prix. It comes after winning the sprint race and enjoying a practice session behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car with Alpha Tauri. Liam Lawson joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland authorities are yet to complete any investigations into vape retailers selling to underage people since the vaping regulatory authority was set up in late 2020. Nationwide, just 11 infringement notices have been issued, each carrying a fine of $500. Asthma Foundation chief executive Letitia Harding joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a push to end an unfair pay gap within the nursing industry. Rallies will be held nationwide today; as primary healthcare nurses demand Te Whatu Ora pay them the same as their hospital counterparts. Currently primary health care nurses are paid up to 15 percent less, but in some cases the gap is wider. Nurses Organisation Co-President Kerri Nuku told Mike Hosking the unfair way this is ha...

Former All Blacks halfback Justin Marshall believes the current players need to take just as much responsibility as coach Ian Foster as the side sinks to a historic low. Saturday's 25-18 loss to Argentina in Christchurch was the All Blacks third straight defeat at home. They've now lost six of their last eight tests. Marshall told Mike Hosking there's only so much Foster can control. “The players...

National continues to slam our justice process for youth-offenders. The party is calling for tougher penalties for young people who commit robberies and ram raids. It says while there's been a halving of prosecutions of young people since 2017 – ram raids have increased 518 percent under Labour's watch. Party Leader Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking there's a range of escalating tools in the jus...

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.   Waka Kotahi: 7/10 "For shutting down, hopefully once and for all, the talk of a cycle lane on the harbour bridge."   Spending: 4/10 Down in the June quarter, another nail for those who argue there was no recession.   Baristas: 7/10 $30 an hour is all that’s good, and all that’s...

One team's top of the Rugby Championship table, the other is the All Blacks. Argentina have one of their best opportunities to secure a maiden win in New Zealand when test matches resume at Christchurch tomorrow night for the first time in six years. All Blacks coach Ian Foster says there is respect for the visitors, especially after their win over the Wallabies. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/li...

It's potentially been a good week for democracy. The Brian Tamaki march -come-party launch gave us one more option to vote for next year. I personally don’t think it will go anywhere. On day one, one of the parties that allegedly signed up said they didn’t sign up, so if that’s the opening shot they have trouble. But in an MMP environment choice is always good, even if the choice won’t appeal to m...

Economic signs are pointing towards a greater chance of a recession. Stats NZ data shows sales slumped 2.3 percent over the last quarter, for a second consecutive quarterly drop. ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith says declining sales combined with interest rate increases and low population growth are all contributing. He told Mike Hosking labour market conditions aren't helping lower the risk. Smith...

Air New Zealand is hoping for a better year ahead. The airline made a net loss of $591 million in the year to June, up from a loss of $292 million in the previous financial year. But revenue has increased by nine percent, to $2.7 billion. Chief Executive Greg Foran told Mike Hosking they're off to a good start, with much depending on what happens with the cost of fuel. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio....

Concerns about a lack of certainty over the delivery of infrastructure projects. Waka Kotahi is warning the Government's $8.7 billion NZ Upgrade transport package is flashing red, with monthly reports showing more delays and increasing costs. Construction Industry Council Executive Director Graham Burke says it's likely due to the cost pressures we're all facing. But he told Mike Hosking processes...

Chris Hipkins admits he's very concerned about the latest spike in crime. The Police Minister has revealed there's been 129 ramraids since May, with 84 taking place in Auckland. So far, 38 of the offenders have been identified or arrested and the median age of those caught is just 15-years-old. Hipkins told Mike Hosking it's a serious problem, which Police are taking seriously. LISTEN ABOVE See om...

Ainslie Allen is another taking advantage of the country music renaissance in this country. She, like so many, first started getting attention from the Smokefree Rockquest and appearing in the McDonald’s young entertainers show when she was 16. Allen released her debut EP in 2013 - and has gone on to win NZ Country Music Entertainer of the year and was a seven-time finalist for the Gold Guitar awa...

Communism has finally arrived and it's lobbed into Countdown. Or New World or Pak'nSave. Anyway, your can of beans will now be priced by David Clark. I am assuming suppliers will be happy. Under the Government's threat yesterday, and that’s all you can call it, supermarkets have to cut a deal with anyone and everyone at commercial rates. What's a commercial rate? Well, once upon a time in a free a...

A big day for rally fans in New Zealand, with the official opening of the Jack’s Ridge Haunui stage in Whitford, Auckland. It's a significant milestone to have even got this far, as the rally returns to country for the first time in 10 years this September. Peter Johnston is the chair of Rally NZ and joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New fears that the Government's cost cutting on recruiting staff for public sector could lead to an already hopeless and unstaffed workforce. The Government is requiring a further 3,423 staff to fulfil their budget commitments, but now want to charge recruiters the same price for filling a low-skilled position as a high-skilled position. Jon Ives is the CEO at OneStaff and Chairperson of the RCSA...

Putting kids in state care appears to be, in many cases, setting them on a pathway to crime. A Royal Commission of Inquiry report has found a third of children in institutions between 1950 and 1999 served a prison sentence later on in life. Māori children and young people were even more likely to end up in prison, at 42 percent. Criminal justice advocate Sir Kim Workman told Mike Hosking if the St...

Stacks of cash will be required to create competition against the supermarket duopoly. The Government is requiring Countdown and Foodstuffs to provide competitors with fair access to their products on wholesale terms. Supie online supermarket founder, Sarah Balle, says meaningful competition will only happen when other supermarket players get bigger. She told Mike Hosking for this to occur, consum...

The Kiwi soldier killed in Ukraine has been described by a fellow soldier as "strong, hardcore and handsome" - but "anything but scenery". The Herald understands the fallen soldier is Dominic Abelen, who was based at Burnham Military Camp in Christchurch with the Royal NZ Infantry Regiment's 2/1 Battalion. Abelen, who was on a period of leave without pay at the time, was not on active duty with th...

Doubts are being raised over whether Trevor Mallard's past behaviour warrants a diplomatic posting. National's Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking he's unsure Mallard's record makes him a good representative of the country. He says there are a lot of people working for MFAT who would make extraordinary ambassadors for New Zealand that have never hit someone or falsely accused an employee of rape. But...