The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Scott Morrison says he and Josh Frydenberg have “done their homework”, and will present a budget that will ease cost-of-living burdens on Australian families. With an election due to be called at any moment following Tuesday’s budget, the government is under pressure to throw everything they can to ensure all Australians benefit from the suite of packages. Both the Prime Minister and the Treasurer...

One of two things is going on inside the government. One, they know they are in trouble and likely to lose the next election so they're going hell for leather and getting as much of their agenda in place as they can. Or are they literally are completely removed from the real world and don’t have a clue? How else do you explain today's activity at Cabinet that involves them moving forward on Māori...

Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to talk Super Rugby - including Moana Pasfika's golden-point victory over the Hurricanes, hosting of the America's Cup, Ash Barty, Shane van Gisbergen, and the Warriors' first win of the season. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We know how good we are with dairy, but apparently, we excel when it comes to all kinds of milk in this country. Hawkes Bay’s Kabocha Milk Company has won two Global Awards at the World Food Innovations in London for their Kabochamilk. It’s milk made from pumpkin or squash. They won the Best Health and Wellness Drink and the Best Plant-Based Beverage. Nick Siu, one of the founders of Kabocha Milk...

How much of an impact will the Government’s plans for maths and literacy actually have? There will be different training for teachers, more support for them and a new system of tests to measure kids’ ability levels. But not everyone is happy with it and one group that isn’t is Lifting Literacy Aotearoa. Lifting Literacy Aotearoa Chair Alice Wilson joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.c...

At nearly the same moment President Joe Biden declared him a "butcher," Vladimir Putin's missiles began falling in Lviv, Ukraine. Sending black smoke and flames billowing into the air, and injuring at least five people, the strikes on a fuel depot pierced what had been relative calm in the western hub city that had seen relatively little of the war that has engulfed the nation. The target hardly s...

Dame Jane Campion's Netflix film, Power of the Dog, is up for 12 awards at this afternoon's Oscar ceremony. One of the New Zealanders nominated along with her is Grant Major, who’s up for Best Production Design. He told Mike Hosking there are still some Covid precautions in place for this year's awards. “There is still a lot of mask-wearing, and we do have to do a lot of protocol, believe me, just...

Are we getting value for money within our prison system? Research from Newstalk ZB shows that it’s cost us an extra $140 million since 2018/19 — up from $1.1 to $1.3 billion. It also costs more per prisoner — each person behind bars costs about $150,000 per year, a 20 per cent increase. All of this while the prison population has decreased by 25 per cent in the same time period. Corrections Associ...

Non-Maori are being urged not to fear co-governance arrangements. It comes as the Government's set to consider the next steps in developing a plan around Maori self-determination. Cabinet is due to be handed feedback from Maori on the UN's declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples. Consultation included talks around the He Puapua document, which suggests co-governance and Maori-run arrangeme...

The Government's forging ahead with a plan to force petrol retailers to blend biofuels into conventional fuel. It's expected to push petrol and diesel prices up by 5 to 10 cents a litre by 2025. Gull General Manager Dave Bodger says the company has put ten per cent ethanol into its premium petrol for nearly 15 years. He told Mike Hosking it means the internal combustion engine keeps running and we...

Have a look at the new bridge in Turkey that opened this week. It's the world's longest suspension bridge and it's spectacular.  They claim it will generate twice what it cost in economic returns. It produced 118,000 jobs.  What stands out about it for me is not just the fact it's spectacular, but the fact that Turkey did it. They're not really one of the planet's great economic powerhouses.  And...

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.     Moving On from Covid: 7/10  "Far from perfect, but we will take it.  There's a sense that the light is not just at the end of the tunnel, it's actually quite close now."     The Stuff New Zealand Isn't Good at: 3/10  "Bit of a wakeup call this week. We had the infrastructure...

A male contraceptive pill could be on the horizon.   Researchers have run clinical trials which have come up with a non-hormonal solution that was 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy in mice.  Science Educator Michelle Dickinson says human trials are scheduled for the end of this year. She told Mike Hosking the fact that's it's non-hormonal is a big breakthrough.   Dickinson says previous...

Nine years after the offer was made, New Zealand will receive 150 refugees per year who are currently detained off shore in Australia.   That deal will be in place for the next three years, and the refugees will come from the detention centre on Nauru.  Managing director at Queen City law Marcus Beveridge joined Mike Hosking.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Rotorua pub owner says what's happening to the city is awful.  Housing Minister Megan Woods has visited to launch a housing hub, a one-stop shop to provide support for people in Government-contracted motels.  She concedes there's frustration in Rotorua as the Government tries to address homelessness.  Pub owner Reg Hennessy told Mike Hosking if Woods' plan goes ahead, he can only see Rotorua bec...

A call for caution in pay transparency legislation.   The Government is looking at a policy which would make it mandatory for companies to report their gender pay disparity.   Genesis Energy has been doing just that for, voluntarily, for two years.   CEO Marc England says the right measurement needs to be made, and simply comparing all salaries as one gives an inaccurate picture.   He told Mike Ho...

The MP for Auckland Central has won the backing of the Auckland Council in her bid to have alcohol advertisements pulled from elite sport.  The council has unanimously passed a motion calling on all MPs to support a Member's Bill put forward by Chlöe Swarbrick.  It seeks to end alcohol sponsorship of broadcast sport and remove the appeals process from Local Alcohol Policies.  Alcohol Healthwatch E...

A show of force from NATO, in the face of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.  At an emergency summit in Brussels, NATO leaders have agreed to send 40,000 more troops to Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania.  It comes as Ukrainians continue their fight, pushing back Russian forces from the capital Kyiv and destroying a large Russian landing support ship in the Black Sea.  Former NATO Assistan...

As the door creaks ever so slightly open to normality and the world, the one thing the Prime Minister didn’t drop yesterday was fear.  That is now up to us. The pain suffered by far too many in this country is being driven by our fear.  It's not that you can't go out for dinner, it's that you have needed Ashley Bloomfield to tell you it's okay. The limits and numbers haven't actually been the issu...

Those who follow Australian politics will know the name Kevin Rudd.   He was, of course, the Australian prime minister from 2007 until 2010 and then had another short stint in 2013.    Since leaving office, he's become an expert on China and Chinese relations with the West.   His new book ‘The Avoidable War’ discusses that very subject.   Kevin Rudd joined Mike Hosking.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudi...

The UK seem to be on the health buzz, with a new poll out showing that Brits no longer want the full  breakfast fry up with extra bacon.  They'd rather the vege sausage, the smashed avocado and the free range eggs on top.   It raises the question whether or not we are changing our habits enough back home? Or are we still a sucker for a fry up?   Celebrity chef Simon Gault joined Mike Hosking.  LIS...

Big news for long-suffering rugby league fans.  The Warriors’ homecoming in July is set to be at full capacity with fans allowed back for the first time in two and half years.   The team last played in front of a home crowd at Mt Smart against South Sydney on August 30th 2019.   Cameron George is the Warriors CEO and joined Mike Hosking.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

The news no one expected, world number one tennis star Ash Barty has retired at just age 25.  Calling time on a glistening career which included winning this year's Australian Open Ater a 44-year local title drought.  Barty has signalled chasing 'other dreams' as her reason for hanging up the racket.   Someone who hass watched her career along the way is tennis correspondent Craig Gabriel who join...

The pressure's on New Zealand households.  Finance Minister Grant Robertson is signalling another 2.5 percent rise in inflation if Russia's invasion of Ukraine lasts a year.  Inflation's already at a three-decade high and ASB says households are forking out an extra $150 a week.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says that figure rings true.  He told Mike Hosking households are watching c...

A university researcher believes the country is not divided as restrictions begin to ease.  Vaccine passes will be scrapped from April 5, with vaccine mandates being removed for a number of workforces.  Gathering limit changes will also come into effect at midnight tomorrow.  Victoria University Institute for Governance and Policy Studies senior associate Max Rashbrooke told Mike Hosking he doubts...