The Mike Hosking Breakfast

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 Move to Orange: 8/10  "At last, a little more normality."     More Foreign Workers Being Allowed In: 6/10  "Not exactly the solution but a sign of light and common sense.  From forestry, to dairy, to the ski slopes we have at last recognised that you actually need people...

The new F1 Race Director has come in looking to stamp his mark - but he's picked some interesting places to try and do that.   Earlier in the week it was reiterated that drivers aren't allowed to wear jewellery or body piercings - a rule immediately defied by Lewis Hamilton who said he'd have to get his ears chopped off to remove his earrings.   Now it's come out that there's a stoush about driver...

This morning's move to Orange means an end to gathering limits for major indoor events like netball games.  Central Pulse Chief Executive Fran Scholey told Mike Hosking while demand for tickets is high, some fans will still be a bit hesitant.  “We’ll have that fear I think sometimes with people and we’ll also have the factor of they don’t have that income at the moment because of the cost of livin...

New Zealand is entering its first day in the new, more relaxed orange traffic light setting of the pandemic response.  The orange mode abolishes capacity limits and seating rules at restaurants and other venues, but face masks must still be used on public transport and in retail.  Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins yesterday said positive signs including a fall in new case numbers meant it w...

The supermarket duopoly is copping blame for the highest food price rise in more than a decade.    Latest figures show food prices jumped 7.6 percent in a year - with fruit and veggie prices rising 18 percent.    The Consumer Affairs Minister says it highlights the grocery sector's role in driving up prices.   Night 'n Day General Manager Matthew Lane told Mike Hosking it's hard for smaller player...

Surprise from some economists at the size of the Official Cash Rate rise.  The Reserve Bank has lifted the rate by half a percent, to 1.5 percent.  NZIER principal economist, Christina Leung, says she thought there was a 50/50 chance of the rise being 50 basis points.  But she told Mike Hosking the central bank is balancing a lot of different factors.  Leung says there's a surge in inflation press...

A big change in the wind for Air New Zealand.  A move to Orange has meant from today domestic travellers will no longer have to be vaccinated or show a negative test to be able to fly.   From May, the same rules will apply to international travellers.   Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran told Mike Hosking it's a step in the right direction for simplifying travel for customers.  He says they're seeing...

The Anthony Albanese gaff over employment and the cash rate, in some respects, is why we end up the way we do.  Adrian Orr today increases our cash rate yet again. He started doing that before just about anyone else in the world. He was in that position because he and his mate Grant Robertson went nuts with the printer.  We are today, yet again, paying the price for an astonishing amount of fiscal...

MPs Megan Woods and Mark Mitchell joined Mike Hosking to discuss the week's political news. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're a frequent sufferer of headaches and migraines then you aren't alone.  New research has found that 52 percent of the global population are affected by headaches each year while 14 percent of those people suffer from migraines.   More women suffer from them than men, especially migraines, and women are more likely to suffer more of them per month as well.   Dr Rosamund Hill is a neurologi...

After years of inaction, or things going in the opposite direction, the Government's first statutory annual report for the child and youth wellbeing strategy apparently says there has been a 25 percent reduction in kids 14 and under living in homes where foods runs out.  There's also apparently been a 30 percent reduction in children aged 17 and under who live in low-income households after housin...

All eyes will be on whether the reserve bank lifts the OCR by 25 or 50 points.   Chief economist at ANZ Sharon Zollner joined Mike Hosking with her predicition.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asbestos fibres are leaching into Christchurch's drinking water supply from ageing underground pipes, according to a University of Otago study.  While the researchers say there is no immediate cause for public health concern, the discovery has prompted calls for better monitoring of asbestos in drinking water to help councils prioritise which pipes to replace.  The researchers sent drinking water...

New emails show the Health Ministry asked Rapid Antigen Test suppliers to prioritise its orders over those of private businesses.  On January 22, staff flagged concerns they only had information on five percent of their January and February orders - just two percent were confirmed for delivery.   By month's end, businesses began reporting their orders were cancelled - because the Government had ta...

New Zealand's border has reopened to Australian citizens and permanent residents with thousands flying into the country today as New Zealanders await the Government's traffic light setting announcement later today.  There were 11,063 new Covid-19 community cases reported yesterday and 622 people in hospital, including 23 in intensive care.  New Zealanders will find out today whether the country is...

Welcome to the new week, New Zealand styles. Do you think Poto Williams might have been over the crime news for the first day of the week yesterday?  One gang shot up another gang's headquarters because one of the gang's mates got shot up at a strip club. So, a lot of gangs and a lot of shootings.  Downtown Auckland, the bit they want the tourists to wander up when the cruise ships return, if they...

Country music continues to grow in this country.   The Mike Hosking Breakfast has interviewed many over the last couple of years - and another who is making her mark joined the show this morning.   Jackie Bristow has just released her fifth studio album Outsider to critical acclaim .   She's mainly been based in Nashville for the past 15 years  - but thanks to Covid has been stuck here - and is cu...

A review into the Black Ferns culture and environment found NZ Rugby hasn't sufficiently supported women's high performance rugby, the management structures within the team don't support the Black Ferns and the structure of the players' group needs work.  It also found some players had received culturally insensitive comments, poor communication and inconsistent feedback, there was allegations of...

Some building companies are fed up with long waiting times for inspections.  There's a seven-week delay to get routine on-site building inspections from the Christchurch City Council.  These are inspections needed in order for builders to move forward in their work.   Home Trends Building director Peter de Gouw says it's not unique to Christchurch but it's particularly bad there.  He told Mike Hos...

There's a call for a broader conversation about New Zealand's growing issue of greenwashing.  It comes from AMP Wealth Management.  Chief executive Blair Vernon told Mike Hosking it's more an issue of gilding the lily.  He says there's a lot of money out there being invested - and the demand from their clients is no matter where it goes, they want it invested responsibly.   Vernon says that's why...

An acknowledgement from the Government it's a challenge to fill job vacancies in rural areas.  It's making it easier for dairy, meat processing and forestry workers to come here from overseas.  An extra 1600 or so workers will be given border exemptions from today.  Agriculture Minister, Damien O'Connor, told Mike Hosking that farmers have made efforts to get young Kiwis into these roles, but not...

New Zealand has again upped support for Ukraine - this time including money for weapons.   A Defence Force Hercules and 50 personnel are being sent to Europe - to assist in transporting and distributing military aid to Ukraine.  As well, more than $13 million is being put forward - more than half to help the UK supply weapons to Ukraine.   Defence Force Commander Joint Forces Rear Admiral James Gi...

Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to talk the Australian Grand Prix, the Masters, the Warrior's golden-point win, lack of Super Rugby crowds at the Blues and Crusaders' victories over the Chiefs and Hurricanes respectively, a tackle on an NRL pitch invader, Mitch Evans and Dan Carter's kick-a-thon. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SpaceX launched three rich businessmen and their astronaut escort to the International Space Station on Friday for more than a week’s stay, as NASA joins Russia in hosting guests at the world’s most expensive tourist destination. It’s SpaceX’s first private charter flight to the orbiting lab after two years of carrying astronauts there for NASA. Arriving at the space station Saturday are an Americ...

There’s crowd trouble going on at Super Rugby. Crowds are allowed back with no limit on outdoor gatherings but people aren’t coming. Around 11,500 were at the Chiefs vs Blues game while the yellow seats of Sky Stadium glaringly stood out at the match between the Hurricanes and Crusaders. Former NZR CEO David Moffett joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...