The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Justice Minister Kiri Allan says closing an electoral donations loophole will be a relatively simple fix. She's making a change following the New Zealand First Foundation case. A loophole in the law allowed an entity at arms-length from the party to take donations, without disclosing the donors. Allan told Mike Hosking the Electoral Amendment Bill will tidy things up. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.c...

Support for a one-stop-shop approach to recruiting health workers from overseas. National health agency Health New Zealand is setting up an international recruitment service, to make it as easy as possible for workers from other countries to move here and find jobs. It's part of a package to boost the workforce, including a recruitment programme and financial incentives. Accent Health Recruitment...

I am led to believe that today marks the fifth anniversary of Jacinda Ardern  and her arrival as head of the Labour Party. Andrew Little imploded. But, to his credit, he admitted he wasn’t the man and quit. In came this new young leader whose job was to resurrect the Labour fortunes which were at the time sitting at about 24 percent in the polls. Resurrect them she did. On election night they ende...

Corbin Strong has secured New Zealand's sixth track-cycling gold medal at the Commonwealth Games after producing an upset performance in the men's 15km Scratch Race. Strong, whose previous best result on the world stage was a first place in the Points Race at the 2020 Cycling World Champs, launched a bold attack with Scotland's John Archibold and Wales' William Roberts with 43 laps left to run in...

Our serial underfunding of the aged care sector could come back to bite a lot of older New Zealanders. A new NZIER report has found that we often access finance for residential care by selling our homes, but with declining home ownership rates that pathway is looking less likely. We also spend less government money compared to other OECD countries and haven't changed the funding model since the ye...

It is a tough time to be in the construction industry. The annual construction industry survey shows on top of battling the well-known skill and worker shortages and cost escalations, which more and more think will affect future growth, there's also a lack of project certainty and the need for government policy changes to improve productivity and actually allow the sector to deliver on infrastruct...

A spring in the step of tourism businesses today, with New Zealand's border now fully open for the first time in more than two years. All visa categories are open for travellers from anywhere -- and cruise ships can return. Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief Rebecca Ingram says they're not expecting an immediate influx of visitors. But she told Mike Hosking the buzz around the industry is positive. I...

A sugar hit to sweeten up New Zealand's squeezed middle. The first instalment of the Government's Cost of Living payment, which was announced in May's Budget, is being dished out today. Anyone earning $70,000 or less will get $116, with two more equivalent payments in the coming months. Revenue Minister David Parker is urging people to make sure their bank details are up to date with Inland Revenu...

We end the week with a couple of unresolved issues. First, the Green Party leadership. What a complete and utter bust that has been. If you were looking to make a dick of yourself, you could not have done it better than the Greens have this week. They vote to open nominations for co-leader because James Shaw isn't what they like. And what happens next? A media that looks desperate to fill the spac...

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.   The Reserve Bank: 2/10 "The important issue of the week. The facts, now laid bare, show they’ve blown this for us and the economy. The bailout has begun to the tune of $9 billion and counting. What's not to review?"   David Seymour: 6/10 "Most sensible political point of the we...

The Commonwealth Games is officially underway. The opening ceremony has just concluded, with 72 nations being paraded around Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. Our team of 233 athletes is being led by Joelle King and Tom Walsh. Chef de Mission Nigel Avery joined Mike Hosking before the opening ceremony began. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Queensland Government believes it's cracked the code to strawberries that taste like Pina Colada cocktails. Researcher Jodi Neal told Mike Hosking they've spent eight years crossing the seeds of regular strawberries with a wild Chilean plant. She says she's even tried strawberries that taste like red frogs or even bubblegum. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former New Zealand Rugby boss David Moffett has called for the resignation of incumbent Mark Robinson. The demand comes after criticism from former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen who has blamed the test struggles on a split between the governing body and top players. Robinson is yet to comment beyond a statement labelling the performance against Ireland "unacceptable". Moffett has offered some advi...

More young people are absconding electronic bail. ZB newsroom can reveal there were 108 such incidents in the year to June this year, up from 58 the previous year. Youth development worker Aaron Hendry told Mike Hosking officials need to think more about the environments these young people are being placed in. He says in some cases, young people are being placed in emergency hotels, effectively be...

The end of Covid lockdowns means the return of fatal crashes on the country's roads. Latest figures show 320 people died on our roads last year, down more than 11 percent on the road toll in 2018. But the AA says this year's road toll is on track to be 350 to 360 deaths. Ministry of Transport Road to Zero Director Bryan Sherritt told Mike Hosking despite this, the ministry is on track to meet it's...

The tourism sector is bracing for the long-awaited return of international cruise ships. The maritime border re-opens on Monday, with the Pacific Explorer set to be the first to arrive at Auckland's Queens Wharf from Brisbane on August 12. The official cruise season begins in October, with a full roster of arrivals locked in until mid-July next year. Cruise Association chief executive Kevin O'Sull...

Hold the front page, the Government has done something eminently sensible. The changes to the investment visas make some real sense. Buying your way into a country without a proper contribution is an invite to simply have money parked and not necessarily being used for the betterment of New Zealand.   They didn’t actually need to raise the "Category A” up to $15 million. The amount is not always t...

There can be no doubt that UB40 has a special place in music history. Since their formation back in the late 1970s, the band has sold more than 70 million records worldwide and has had more than 50 singles in the UK charts. And of course we know the hits, Red Red Wine, I Got You Babe, and C an't Help Falling in Love. Now the band is celebrating their 45th anniversary with a new album, the official...

A new certification programme has been launched for businesses this morning. Developed by the Restaurant Association, it's called HospoCred and it will reward businesses who meet certain standards in a wide range of areas. Restaurant Association CEO Marisa Bidois joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former top executive at the Government's new mega-polytechnic says it needs a complete reset. The former Deputy Chief Executive, Merran Davis, is breaking her silence following her resignation last year. She's revealed she quit because she no longer has trust and confidence in the organisation and is calling for the board to be replaced with an independent commissioner. Davis told Mike Hosking t...

Dr. Ashley Bloomfield is content with his handling of Covid-19. He's finishing up as Director General of Health tomorrow, after leading New Zealand through its response to the pandemic. In his final interview with Mike Hosking, Bloomfield says aspects of the response became highly politicised. But he says he's always tried to act independently in the decisions he's made and the advice he's given t...

A humbled Tom Walsh was overcome with emotion after he and Joelle King were honoured as New Zealand's flagbearers for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Walsh and King were today formally announced as Ngā Pou Hapai (flagbearers) by Chef de Mission Nigel Avery at a team function held at New Zealand House in Birmingham. Walsh, a defending champion in the shot put, and King, a three-time Commonwealth Games...

An end to the Gib shortage is becoming closer by the day. Twelve importers of plasterboard now have 100 containers of product on their way to the country, including four new importers. MBIE is publishing advice on substitutions and minor variations tomorrow and will issue further technical advice and guidance next week. Naylor Love Chief Executive Rick Herd told Mike Hosking it's going to help. He...

The Government says it’s Clean Car Rebate Scheme remains a constant work in progress. The Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association has pulled its support with the programme, saying it isn't appropriate for its supply dynamic. But Transport Minister Michael Wood says the scheme is actually performing better than expected. He told Mike Hosking issues will continue be ironed out as they're identif...

A National front-bencher doesn't see any parallels between the Green Party's leadership saga and National's leadership to-and-fro. Greens Co-leader James Shaw is seeking re-election after getting the boot at the party's AGM over the weekend, despite there being no challenger for his position. National has faced several leadership races in recent years. But Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking the Green...