The Mike Hosking Breakfast

An economist says removing tax from fuel and basic foods to combat rising costs might not be the way to go. The AA is warning petrol could hit $4 a litre, while Stats NZ figures show food prices in February were up 6.8 per cent from the same time last year. ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner told Mike Hosking simplicity is a hallmark of our tax system, but making it apply to some foods and not oth...

A gang expert says several factors are contributing to the rise in violence on our streets. Police are investigating a serious assault by a convoy of gang members on motorbikes on the Waikato Expressway that's left a motorist critically injured. Canterbury University's Jarrod Gilbert says gangs have been growing consistently since 2010. He told Mike Hosking many of the new members are younger peop...

Taupo District Council is going against expert advice and scrapping vaccine passes. From this morning, people will no longer need proof of vaccination to get into council offices, public pools, museums or public toilets. Public health expert Michael Baker says it's far too early to scrap vaccine passes. But Taupo Mayor David Trewavas told Mike Hosking he hopes other councils will follow their lead...

Mike Hosking was joined by Tim Wilson and Kate Hawkesby to wrap the week in news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This time last week I wrote about my optimism for Ukraine. We had seen the most astonishing global response to their plight. And for the first time in my lifetime a real coordinated, one hoped, tangibly successful series of responses designed to bring Russia if not to their senses, then to their knees.  Parts of this week brought more hope with the US ban on oil. The UK and EU sort of joined in, t...

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.     Supermarkets: 8/10  "Big win for them.  No upheaval, a bit of tinkering, and a lot of frustrated operators who were hoping for more."     The Commerce Commission: 3/10  "Either they need to harden up and produce reports that produce genuine reform.  Or they need to admit too...

Lending laws should protect vulnerable people - not unnecessarily hinder them.   Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act reforms were introduced at the end of last year to prevent predatory lending.  But they've had unintended consequences.   The Government's revealed this morning, what it intends to do about them.  The proposed changes include removing savings and investments as examples of out...

The Warriors’ year officially kicks off tomorrow.   The Warriors play the Dragons at 7:30pm tomorrow night in round of the 2022 NRL season.   It's a bit of a new look side with no Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Shaun Johnson is back, captain Tohu Harris out with injury and Reece Walsh suspended.   Warriors coach Nathan Brown joined Mike Hosking.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

An employment lawyer says the Ministry of Social Development's decision to start sacking unvaccinated staff is a risky move.  The ministry began sacking up to 220 unvaccinated staff this week.  That's despite advice from the Public Service Commission telling public agencies to pause the process.  Nearly two weeks ago the High Court ruled vaccine mandates for police and defence force were unlawful....

National has pulled ahead of Labour in the latest 1News-Kantar poll for the first time in more than two years, and could form a Government with Act if Te Pāti Māori fails to win an electorate seat and gets knocked out of Parliament.  National has surged 7 points to 39 per cent to take the lead in the latest poll - the first since January.  Labour has dropped 3 points to 37 per cent. It is the firs...

Concern is growing about escalating violence in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.   British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he's concerned the Russians will use chemical weapons.   Meanwhile, the bombing of a maternity hospital in Southern Ukraine has sparked international outrage and has been labelled 'proof of genocide' by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.   Journalist Neil Hauer told Mike Hosking it...

The Broadcasting Minister wants a diverse media environment.   The TVNZ-RNZ merger is due to be open for business in July next year.    Kris Faafoi, himself a former TVNZ journalist, says the new entity will have editorial independence and a public media focus.   He told Mike Hosking he doesn't want the merger to completely dominate the market.  “Having that number of media companies in New Zealan...

Time to catch up with one of our favourite acting exports.   Most will know Kim Crossman from her Shortland Street days - and she's gone on to be a major success.  She has turned her attention back towards New Zealand - starring in local comedies and reality shows over the past couple of years.   Now she's releasing the third season of her podcast, Pretty Depressed, which boasts Kevin Connolly fro...

Meal prepping has become fairly commonplace these days.  A woman has gone viral on TikTok after she revealed that she made 90 meals for her family of five - enough to last a month.   It was things like beef fajitas, chicken satay and turkey chilli, all put in snap lock bags and chucked in the freezer.   Now we know things don't taste as good when you get them out of the freezer and put them in the...

The Auckland Business Chamber says isolation rules for household contacts are a waste of human capital.  From midnight Friday, Covid-19 cases and their household contacts will only need to isolate for seven days.  But Chamber chief executive Michael Barnett says he'd like businesses to be able to treat all workers as critical - let them test every day before going to work.  He told Mike Hosking ha...

There are predictions petrol will hit $4 a litre, as the invasion of Ukraine and sanctions against Russia push up commodity prices across the board.  Z Energy Chief Executive Mike Bennetts told Mike Hosking it would imply crude oil would be more than $USD200 a barrel, which we've never seen before in the world's history.  He says it's not impossible, but would certainly be out there.  Bennetts say...

Employers may need to reevaluate their thinking around vaccine mandates.   The Public Service Commission is advising government departments and agencies to ‘pause’ the dismissals of unvaccinated staff.   Fonterra has now opted to scrap its vaccine mandate, as long as employees commit to a daily testing programme.  Employment law expert Alastair Espie told Mike Hosking businesses need to think abou...

The Government's being told to be stricter on its state housing tenants.  When Labour came to power in 2017, Kāinga Ora households owed nearly $750,000 dollars.  But figures obtained by our newsroom under the Official Information Act show it soared to nearly $9 million last year.  National's Housing spokesperson Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking the "no-evictions" policy is just letting people get a...

Chris Hipkins will be among the first people affected by the latest shortening of Covid isolation periods.  The Covid Response Minister is isolating after one of his children tested positive overnight.  He received the news hours after he announced a shortening of the isolation period for Covid-19 cases and household contacts, from 10 days to seven, from midnight Friday.  Hipkins told Mike Hosking...

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

Some say it’s sacrilege to mess with some original recipes.  You may remember last year we tackled the southern cheese roll getting deep fried - which annoyed and delighted people in equal measure.   Now there's issues with the infamous hot cross bun after New World and Pic's peanut butter have teamed up to create the gooey peanut butter chocolate cross buns for Easter.   Kevin Gilbert is the mast...

The Government is set to consider proposed improvements to the Three Waters reform.  An independent group of council and iwi representatives has recommended councils own all shares in the four new entities, that will take control of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services.  It's also recommended councils unanimously agree before privatising any of the entities' assets.  Central Otago Ma...

The little guy is using leverage on one of the largest public companies in the world.   UK company Unilever has agreed to publish more rigorous data on fat, sugar and salt in their products after a minor shareholder forced a resolution.   Shareaction, a Ginger Group charity, got enough shareholder backing to force the changes after a review found that only 17% of Unilever's food and drink sales we...

Thumbs up from the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine to the new working arrangements for health staff with Covid.   After five days of isolation, staff can return to work as long as they return two negative tests and are working in non-Covid-19 areas.   Those who are working on Covid wards can continue, possibly without a stand-down period, as long as they’re asymptomatic.   College Pres...

A would-be supplier says we've missed an opportunity for the supermarket industry.  The Commerce Commission concludes competition is not working well in the sector and recommends a mandatory code of conduct for suppliers.  But it stops short of requiring the industry to be broken up, as it hinted in its draft report.  Wānaka-based Bloomsberry Chocolate Company tried to get its products into superm...