The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Novak Djokovic waited. He waited for Nick Kyrgios to lose focus and lose his way. Waited to find the proper read on his foe's big serves. Waited until his own level rose to the occasion. Djokovic is not bothered by a deficit — in a game, a set, a match. He does not mind problem-solving. And at Wimbledon, for quite some time now, he does not get defeated. Djokovic used his steady brilliance to beat...

Questions are being raised as to whether rugby union is too policed. There are plenty of talking points coming out of the second All Blacks test against Ireland, with the card fest one of them. There were three yellows and a red card to Angus Ta'avao for a head clash, which at one point would have been simply classed as a rugby incident. There was also the debacle around Ardie Savea and whether he...

A former Tertiary Education Minister says the amalgamation of polytechs hasn't worked in New Zealand, just like it hasn't worked overseas. A memo from Tertiary Education Commission deputy chief executive Gillian Dudgeon to Education Minister Chris Hipkins has been leaked to Newstalk ZB. It shows the commission has significant concerns about the financial position of Te Pūkenga, the national polyte...

Our Covid numbers are going back up and the experts are warning of a second wave. Employers are being told to brace for another round of long periods of workers off with sick leave. But with that come responsibilities for an employer, especially around getting someone who's out with Covid to still work - with that possibly leading to long Covid and potential claims. Employment specialist Jennifer...

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.   Boris Johnson” 2/10 "The very thing the Tories knew would undo him has undone him. But it’s the same thing people love about him, until they don't. Ah, the mad world of politics. It almost always ends in tears."   Covid-19: 3/10 "Red light? No red light? Could be a red light? I...

Beware the wisdom of the academic. AUT's David Williamson is weighing into the labour shortage debate with the insight only an academic can give; if you can't pay decent wages, don’t be in business. It dovetails into the Government's view which is broadly the same. But that has been slammed by most because of the arrogance of commentary and law based on no experience whatsoever. If you have “been...

There's a real buzz around the All Blacks after last weekend's thumping of Ireland. Tomorrow night's game is in Dunedin and there's only one new player in the starting 15 - Dalton Papalii in at blindside flanker with Scott Barrett moving to lock for the concussed Sam Whitelock. And you only need to look at yet another sold out stadium to realise this is all good news for the NZR. NZR CEO Mark Robi...

Boris Johnson replaced Theresa May as Prime Minister in 2019, after May was unable to get approval for a Brexit deal with Europe. May's former chief strategist and speech writer, Chris Wilkins, told Mike Hosking getting a Brexit deal over the line was Johnson's only major legacy. “He did do that but not much more than that, the other thing he can point to is the pandemic, people would question som...

Concerns the Government are rolling on through with environmental policy changes without any care that farmers are struggling to keep up. On June 9 we will get the draft of the Indigenous Biodiversity National Policy statement - this is all to do with the SNAs. This is while farmers are also trying to deal with policy changes on water, climate, conservation and the resource management act. So a jo...

There are suggestions we are starting to get a clear crystallisation of the Western World vs China. The US and Australia have recently had issues with China, the UK is speaking up more, even our language is slightly stronger than usual. And now we also have an unprecedented joint FBI and MI5 public appearance where they warn of the immense challenge China poses, calling them the biggest long term...

Some reaction from the UK and around the world after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would step down immediately as Conservative Party leader but remain as prime minister until the party chooses his successor: "The proposal for the prime minister to remain in office – for up to three months – having lost the support of his Cabinet, his government and his parliamentary party is unwise,...

American basketball star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty Thursday to drug possession charges on the second day of her trial in a Russian court in a case that could see her sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. The abrupt guilty plea by the Phoenix Mercury center and two-time Olympic gold medalist came amid a growing chorus of calls for Washington to do more to secure her freedom nearly five months...

A number of potential successors for Boris Johnson. The British Prime Minister is defying calls from several Cabinet Ministers to resign. He's sacked Levelling Up secretary Michael Gove, who had urged him in private, to quit. Meanwhile, the number of resignations from Government since yesterday now totals 42. UK Political Commentator Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking the favourite to take over at the m...

The part I like about the New Zealand Cricket deal for the women is that, in theory, it encourages people to play and hopefully chase a dream. It makes it easier for players to work as well as play. And it may well lead to one day generating this much vaunted idea of pay equity. The part I don't like is the fact that people are paid more for no other reason than gender, especially in a field of li...

A new report suggests a quarter of New Zealand children aged four-and-a-half  have "suboptimal" development health. The Growing Up in New Zealand Study also found children at a social and economic disadvantage,  are more likely to fall into this category. The study also finds that Maori and Pasifika children are most at risk of development health issues. Co-author Cameron Grant told Mike Hosking t...

One of our biggest comedy exports is celebrating a significant milestone. Rhys Darby has been making us laugh for 25 years. And he's having quite the year - with stand up tour around the US and his HBO show Our Flag Means Death being a global hit. But to celebrate further - he's coming back to our shores for shows in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. Rhys Darby joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABO...

There are suggestions it’s time we do away with TV show intros. We have some numbers around the ‘skip intro button’ - ever since Netflix introduced it in 2017 they estimate that it's pressed about 136 million times per day, saving viewers 195 years in cumulative time. However some argue that without an intro you don't get the build up, the music creates a certain atmosphere, you wouldn't have been...

A warning that we're in a constant game of catch-up, with new variants of Covid-19. New Zealand has once again surpassed 10-thousand cases a day. The new BA.5 sub-variant is expected to cause a further surge, and the new BA.2.75 variant has been detected in New Zealand for the first time. Cambridge University virologist Chris Smith told Mike Hosking the virus is constantly evolving to get around v...

Some are proposing an argument to be made for young New Zealanders looking to invest to avoid the housing market and get into their first business. Concerns have been raised around problems with consents for new homes, the volatility of the housing market, combined with a new survey which says 77 percent of people thinking home ownership is unaffordable. Between October last year and January this...

Boris Johnson is digging in his heels. A delegation of Cabinet Ministers have been in to see the Prime Minister in the past hour or so, with many telling him to quit. 38 MPs have resigned from Government since yesterday. UK Correspondent Enda Brady told Mike Hosking Johnson has let it be known that he will not resign. He says they're dealing with a man who has never heard the word "no" in his life...

Consumers shouldn't expect to see savings at the checkout any time soon. Consultation is underway on a draft code between major grocery retailers and their suppliers - the Government will also appoint a Grocery Commissioner later this year. Founder of online grocery retailer Supie, Sarah Balle, told Mike Hosking the code of conduct won't make a big difference for a while. “It’s not going to move t...

In a small example of why this country is the leaderless quagmire it currently finds itself in, look no further than the Christchurch City Council's handling of the stadium. Submissions are now closed on the latest blowout and what to do about it. The fact we are having submissions is an issue in and of itself. Submissions are pointless, unless you are a slave to the delusion that democracy is a w...

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.

One Queenstown hotel thinks the secret to getting more guests is to treat the kids like VIPs. The Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park are doing a 'Very Important Kids' program during the July holidays, a partnership with businesses around the town to offer discounts at a number of attractions. General Manager of the Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park Mathew Simister joined Mike Hosking. L...

The tourism bodies of New Zealand and Australia are collaborating for the first time today, as part of the Prime Minister's trip across the Tasman. The event includes a speech from Jacinda Ardern, and a panel with Minister of Tourism, Stewart Nash, and his Australian counterpart. Tourism Industry Aotearoa Chief Executive, Rebecca Ingram, says told Mike Hosking there'll be a lot of industry leaders...