The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Prince Andrew wants to be back into the spotlight. He's expected to join other members of the royal family in a Garter Day service at Windsor Castle. The Prince has been out of the public eye after he was accused of sexual assault and details of his friendship with dead sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came to light. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Tim Dower Prince Charles is not keen to h...

A Queensland gang expert says gang laws similar to what National is proposing have worked there. National wants to ban gang patches in public and on social media as well as banning gang members from gathering. Queensland University of Technology's Mark Lauchs told Tim Dower it'd be effective against Australian groups Comancheros and Rebels that have been setting up here. But thinks it may be a dif...

National says more overseas workers will fix the nursing shortage in the short term. However, migrant nurses currently have to work for two years before they become eligible for residency. The line was drawn on advice from the Health Ministry and others in the sector, however those who work in aged care say they were never consulted with. Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford told Tim Dower we a...

More than 300,000 Wellingtonians will converge on Council candidates, demanding a review to lower the cost of playing sport in the region. Five codes have come together for Affordable Sports for Greater Wellington, lobbying ahead of the local body election to reduce facility fees. Campaign chair Lisa Jones says a large portion of players’ subscriptions currently go to council, more than in most ot...

The Government's being told to stick to being a regulator when it comes to freight. The Ministry of Transport has been consulting on New Zealand’s supply chain issues, with Transporting New Zealand providing detailed feedback on behalf of the trucking industry. Transporting NZ says the Government's right to examine it, but it shouldn't intervene. Chief Executive Nick Leggett told Tim Dower it can'...

The Professional Firefighters Union believes there's a staffing crisis in the sector. They start strike action today, calling for better pay and staffing levels. Strike action is largely behind the scenes and won't affect those responding to fires and other emergencies. Union National Secretary Wattie Watson told Tim Dower volunteers and their employers are being too heavily relied on. She says Fi...

The headline says only 60 percent of children are going to school regularly, or put it another way, 40 percent of children aren't going to school regularly. That sounds pretty bad, until you get down to the actual definition of 'going to school regularly'. That means turning up for at least nine school days out of every 10, or if you like, missing one day of school every fortnight. So it's accurat...

A sign on a public toilet in Oamaru has been doing the rounds on social media. The sign explains that the toilet is locked for the evening, and says sorry to anyone who's been locked in for the night. Of course, if you are locked in, you can't read the number to call for help due to it being on the outside. Waitaki District deputy mayor Melanie Tavendale joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystud...

As bad as it gets. This from former Attorney-General Chris Finlayson on the Alan Hall case. Hall has had his conviction for the 1985 killing of Arthur Easton quashed by the Supreme Court. Police have launched an internal inquiry, and the Solicitor-General has hired an independent lawyer to look into all Crown Lawyers involved. Finlayson told Tim Dower we're possibly talking about suppression of ev...

The Government has a new plan to tackle truancy. It's outlined a new attendance and engagement strategy, with 13 actions aimed at getting kids back into the classroom. But some individual schools are already getting on with the job. Glen Innes School has been working with other local schools, businesses and charities on "Operation Attend". Glen Innes School principal Jono Hendricks joined Tim Dowe...

The National Party is planning to put the brakes on new Māori electoral law changes. The Government's proposing rules that would make it easier for Māori to change whether they vote for candidates on the Māori or general roll. However, National argues the option could lead to people gaming the system. The party's justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith told Tim Dower there is good reason to question t...

To build a house, we may have to look foreign. Gib plasterboard is still in very short supply, with reports of it being stockpiled and stolen. Builder Simplicity Living isn't waiting around, bringing in its own certified plasterboard from Thailand, saying it will save 20 percent on the cost of the product made here. Wall and Ceiling Industries National President Daniel Pepperell told Tim Dower the...

A suggestion the latest OECD report is disappointing and doesn't go far enough. The report says the Government needs to do more to assist in the inflation fight, arguing for more targeted spending, which could include delaying some infrastructure plans. Former Finance Minister Sir Roger Douglas told Tim Dower we certainly have short term problems and the OECD's offering some solutions. But he says...

Netflix bosses are said to be dismayed with Harry and Meghan's failure to get photos with senior Royal Family members at the Platinum Jubilee. Harry's biographer had told GB News that the streaming service had wanted pictures with the Queen and Prince William as part of their series. A photo of the Queen with their daughter Lilibet was apparently denied as it was a 'private family event'. UK corre...

Elvis Presley’s legacy is one that continues to live on. The king of rock and roll took over the music world from the 1950s to the 70s before his untimely death in 1977 at the age of 42. But thanks to his ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, his legacy has continued - with the Graceland complex and continued growth in his estate. Now, we have a new biopic simply titled Elvis coming to theatres this month -...

Following the departure of coach Nathan Brown, one question remains: Where to now for the Warriors? New coach, same players, same position on the table and a game this weekend. Warriors owner Mark Robinson joined Mike Hosking to discuss what needs to be done to turn the club around. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The man who led a campaign to prove Alan Hall was innocent says it's unacceptable it's taken so long to clear his name. The Supreme Court has quashed Hall's murder conviction. The Auckland man spent 19 years behind bars over the violent home invasion and killing of 52-year-old Arthur Easton in Papakura in 1985. Investigator Tim McKinnel told Mike Hosking Hall's 36 year wait for justice is extraord...

A call for calm, over the worse than expected performance of the Super Fund. New Treasury figures show the Super Fund has underperformed forecasts, adding $2.2 billion to the Government's net debt in the 10 months to April. The $56 billion fund is still performing well, delivering a 10 percent return this year before tax and after costs. Superannuation expert Jonathan Eriksen told Mike Hosking the...

The debate around how farmers best cut emissions is expected to get heated. A group made up of agricultural sector industry bodies and Māori have come up with an alternative to the Emissions Trading Scheme, in which farmers assess their own liability for levies. They say their plan would lead to methane reduction of between four and 5.5 percent by 2030. Climate Change Minister James Shaw told Mike...

Farmers say they're ahead of the pack when it comes to cutting emissions Their alternative to the Emissions Trading Scheme recommends letting farmers count their emissions and get a discounted levy for making reductions or planting trees. They say their plan would lead to methane reduction of between four and 5.5 percent. Dairy NZ farmer-elected director Jacqueline Rowarth told Mike Hosking they'r...

Thanks very much Nathan Brown. We wish you well. Not one of the club's longer tenures. But the Brown era, if era isn't too grandiose a word to use, is now officially over. Stacey Jones is in for the rest of the season. It's hard to know how these things work. The likes of Sir Alex Fergusson, Phil Jackson, Bill Belichick, Sir Graham Henry, and Lois Muir, were they singularly spectacular? Could they...

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

An international exhibition about Ancient Greece opens this week at the Auckland Museum. The exhibition, titled Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes, is the largest selection of classical world artefacts ever loaned by the British Museum to New Zealand. There are more than 170 objects and is something we've tried to bring to our shores since 2020. Dr Peter Higgs is the curator of the exhi...

The Warriors circus played out the way many thought it would. Coach Nathan Brown is gone and Stacey Jones is the interim head coach for the remainder of the season, the fourth coach in the last three years. Brown said he wouldn't relocate to New Zealand long-term and also promised the Warriors he wouldn't go and become head coach for another team. Questions have been asked for a team like the Warr...

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will travel Thursday to meet new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. This is nothing new; we often meet the new Prime Minister as soon as possible – but questions are being raised as to whether this is just a photo opportunity or will this actually lead to something substantial. Political commentator and associate professor at Massey University Grant Duncan jo...