The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation wants urgent action on inequities in asthma care. The Foundation's latest report shows Māori are almost three times more likely to be hospitalised because of asthma than other New Zealanders. Pacific people are 3.2 times more likely. Asthma mortality rates are three times higher for Māori, 2.7 times higher for Pacific people and 2.3 times higher for those livi...

Complications in performing resuscitation while wearing Covid PPE,  is being blamed for fewer people surviving cardiac arrests. A two-percent decrease was seen from mid-2020 to mid-2021, with just 25 percent of those treated for Cardiac Arrest in the community surviving. St John Clinical Director Dr Tony Smith told Mike Hosking it's a timely reminder that what people do at the scene - can save a l...

The gaping hole in New Zealand's infrastructure may never be filled. A new report from the Infrastructure Commission has found we'd need about $31 billion annually to build our way out of our current infrastructure challenges. Commission Chief Executive Ross Copland accepts that kind of spending simply isn't viable. He told Mike Hosking we need to look at other solutions, including trying to reduc...

I assume you didn’t miss the latest Three Waters announcement that was made on a Friday. It's an old trick, but this lot appear to love it. Trouble with the new deal is it sort of changes things but then actually changes nothing. The Government's argument is that they have listened to the committee that made various recommendations, they have accepted them, therefore that’s that. Trouble is, it is...

Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to talk Dame Lisa Carrington vs Aimee Fisher, Australia’s Super Rugby fight back, the Warrior’s second golden point this season, Silver Lake, Shane van Gisbergen shaking off his Perth bogey, and Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Judd Trump in the World Snooker Championship. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the weekend, British MP Neil Parish was forced to resign after he was caught watching porn in the House of Commons. He explained that he was looking at tractors over the weekend and ended up on a website with a similar name, describing it as a moment of madness. But just how big of an issue is watching porn in the workplace? Employment lawyer Catherine Stewart joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOV...

Trade training is booming. But the question is what happens next given the Government's $390 million Apprenticeship Boost scheme expires in August. Employers and industry leaders desperate for staff want to know if the Government will consider extending it. Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation director Jason Hungerford joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listen...

The Liberal Party is bracing for the Reserve Bank’s decision on interest rates this Tuesday as two new opinion polls suggest time is running out for Scott Morrison to secure another miracle election victory. According to the latest Newspoll, Labor has maintained a two-party-preferred vote lead of 53-47. If replicated on election day this would see Labor swept to government with a majority and Scot...

A youth aid agency says funding to address poor school attendance rates will go a long way. The Government has announced a $40 million package ahead of the Budget to tackle truancy issues. It includes roughly $15 million to scale up support for at-risk young people to reengage in school. Te Ora Hou Otautahi General Manager Jono Campbell says told Mike Hosking they have been vastly under-resourced...

Important information for people living on our coastlines. New data from a programme comprising dozens of scientists called NZ SeaRise shows the sea level is rising twice as fast as previously thought in some parts of New Zealand. It combines data about where land is sinking, with the latest international sea-level rise projections. Victoria University climate expert Dr Judy Lawrence told Mike Hos...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made an unannounced trip to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Saturday, becoming the most senior US official to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the war broke out more than two months ago. Pelosi's office said Sunday that the speaker had led an official congressional delegation to Ukraine -- the first since Russian invasion of the country began on February 24...

A big question over how the war in Ukraine will finally end. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pledging to help Ukraine "stand up to bullies", after paying a surprise visit to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Western countries are now talking up the chances of a Ukrainian "victory" in the conflict. But Keir Giles, a senior expert at London's Chatham House, told Mike Hosking it's unc...

After more than two long years, international tourists are once again allowed into New Zealand. From this morning visitors from around 60 visa-waiver countries, like Australians already, can now travel here without isolation if they are vaccinated and do a pre-departure and arrival test for Covid-19. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash said thousands of passengers were expected to arrive on about 25 flig...

National says we shouldn't be changing our voting laws willy nilly.  A controversial Rotorua District Council Bill has been put on pause, after a report from the Attorney-General warned it breaches the Bill of Rights. Labour MP Tamati Coffey, who sponsored the local bill, now says the party won't back it in its current form. National justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith told Mike Hosking all New Ze...

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.   Ram Raids: 0/10   "The real frustration here is the Government refuse to accept responsibility that being soft of crime gets you into this sort of mess. And the cops refuse to tell the truth about resources and a legal system that doesn’t handle kids properly."   Grounded Kiwis...

The most common home loan these days is one that lasts for 30 years. Think about it, chances are it's longer than you have been alive, given many of them go to first home buyers. If you're later in life, it could be longer than you have left on Earth. That’s a lot of time owing a lot of money. 57 percent of mortgages this year so far are for 30 years. 66 percent of them in are Auckland, which shoo...

Rocket Lab will attempt a mid-air capture of one of its Electron rockets for the first time during its next mission tomorrow. As the first stage of the Electron falls back to Earth, a customised twin-engined Sikorsky S-92 helicopter will try to capture its parachute line with a hook as it falls at a speed of 10 metres a second. All going well, the mid-air snatch will place about 150 nautical miles...

New Zealand Rugby had its first profitable year since 2017, despite the challenges of Covid-19. The rugby governing body today announced a $5.5 million net profit for the 2021 financial year at its 130th annual general meeting, which highlighted rugby's recent challenges and future opportunities. NZR's positive financial result came despite the postponement of the 2021 women's Rugby World Cup, bor...

Covid is leaving a high level of truancy in its wake. Glen Innes School Principal Jono Hendricks says attendance at his school was 90 percent before Covid but was 70 percent last term. That's despite intense work to allay fears about safety in the classroom. He told Mike Hosking some parents are still concerned about whether school is safe for their young ones. Hendricks says others condone absent...

The growing underbelly of society is thought to be behind a rise in youth crime. Young people have been involved in a string of shopping mall break-ins between Bay of Plenty and Auckland. The latest, involved four children aged between seven and 12. Neuroscience educator Nathan Wallis told Mike Hosking there's a small group of hard core people who commit the crimes. “There’s normally a lack of par...

I admire the Grounded Kiwis and I am thrilled for their win in the High Court. But, and it’s a big but, what effect will this have? I note the previous win over vaccine mandates by the Police and Defence Force has led to nothing in the sense that Defence is continuing mandates. You'll remember a Māori authority took the Ministry of Health to court over access to information and won. But then the M...

Female football players in Italy will finally be able to turn professional next season after years of amateur-only status that limited their salaries. The Italian football Federation's executive board approved new regulations on Tuesday that open the way for a women's professional era starting July 1 — in time for the next Serie A season. "Today is a big day," federation president Gabriele Gravina...

One of Vladimir Putin's most vocal international critics says most Russians support him, because they don't know what's really going on. Financier Bill Browder was once the largest foreign portfolio investor in Russia. He's since become one of Putin's greatest enemies due to his human rights activism, and convinced the US to pass a law to punish Russian human rights abusers. Browder told Mike Hosk...

An intriguing race awaits to decide New Zealand's K1 500 berth at August's World Canoe Racing Championships. Aimee Fisher and Olympic champ Lisa Carrington have split their two trials and have a decider on Lake Karapiro at 10 tomorrow morning. Canoe Racing NZ boss Tom Ashley told Mike Hosking says all is in readiness. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fonterra is happy to comply with government conditions on its capital rejig. The Dairy Industry Restructuring Act needs to be changed but the Government wants one more minister on the Milk Price Panel for more transparency. Fonterra would need to contract a financial institution for the farmer-only share trading market - and do independent analysis of the share price performance for farmer-owners....