The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Today on Politics Wednesday Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen delve into the proposal to scrap regional councils, replacing them with boards made up of local Mayors.  They also cover off Labour's seat selections, with MP Greg O’Connor missing out on the selection for a new seat, and former Labour MP Michael Wood's move to re-enter politics.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Thousands of cases of amputation and vision loss could be prevented thanks to diabetes monitoring technology.  Continuous Glucose Monitors, or CGMs, have been funded for Type 1 diabetes since last October.  New data from CGM producer Dexcom finds lifetime use of the devices could prevent up to 70 thousand diabetes-related complications and save the country $50 thousand a day.  Diabe...

European nations are eyeing New Zealand’s education overhaul as a model for their own reforms.  Education Minister Erica Stanford's implemented new curriculums, scrapped NCEA, increased learning support funding and put a sharper focus on teaching the basics this year.  Estonia’s Education Minister Kristina Kallas is here meeting Stanford, and says her country and others are considering s...

The Reserve Bank's set to slash the Official Cash rate today but the big question is whether today's cut will be the last.  The final OCR decision of the year is set down for 2pm.  Most economists expect the cash rate to be cut 25 basis points – from 2.5% to 2.25%.  Kiwibank Chief Economist Jarrod Kerr told Mike Hosking the main message seems to be that we’re getting pretty close to...

Red tape continues to tie up New Zealand's agriculture and horticultural sectors.  Animal and Plant Health NZ's annual survey finds nearly half its members feel regulatory performance has worsened, despite recommendations put forward by the Ministry for Regulation earlier this year.  Chief executive Liz Shackleton told Mike Hosking despite reassurance from regulators, the day-to-day proc...

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says regional councils add layers of confusion, as he looks to scrap them.  Consultation's open on the proposal which would see the councils abolished and replaced with boards made up of local Mayors.  Boards would be required to put plans in place around re-organising services and infrastructure, which will be checked over and ticked off for financial su...

Regular listeners will be aware of my ongoing angst over banks and whether or not they are legit players in our marketplace.  The Reserve Bank this week, in one final stab this year, will most likely cut the cash rate, again, which will leave it at 2.25%.  The Co-operative Bank last week claimed they are the only ones who have fully passed on the cash rate cuts so far.  In fact, as...

Counter-proposals to the US-peace plan for Russia's invasion of Ukraine are emerging as European, US, and Ukrainian officials hash out discussions in Switzerland.  Russia's backing the 28-point plan that'd include Ukraine ceding territory and ditching efforts to join NATO.  European leaders have criticised the plan, which is widely considered favourable to Russia.  France Correspond...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 25th of November, the Government is introducing mandatory building warranties , and we have news on the job numbers from Seek .   Covid Inquiry Chair Grant Illingworth KC attempts to explain why there’s been multiple high-profile resignations from the Commission, and whether the inquiry is still on track.   And we reveal that up...

One young Kiwi racer is living his dream.   18-year-old Tom Bewley competed for the first time in the Porsche GT3 Sprint Challenge Series in Australia, finishing third with four season wins and a couple of lap records.  As a result, he’s won the Porsche scholarship to take the next step and will compete in the Carrera Cup next year.  “It was an up and down year, definitely,” Bewley...

Kiwis are now spending a reported $1.8 billion a year on their pets.  Insurance, food, grooming, and daycare make up the bulk of the spending, with luxuries and niche businesses playing a part as well.   Dog Zen founder and animal behaviourist Mark Vette told Mike Hosking over time the relationship between pets and their owners has become more like that of a surrogate parent-child relati...

The head of Phase Two of New Zealand's Covid Inquiry says turnover is 'perfectly natural' as it loses two of its high-ranking officials.  Executive Director Andrew Sweet is stepping down just months before the second phase is due to end in February.  His predecessor, Helen Potiki, similarly lasted five months before walking away.  Inquiry Chair Grant Illingworth KC told Mike Hosking...

Fears the Government's new construction requirements will unintentionally create a monopoly. The Government's announced mandatory warranties for new homes three storeys or less, and all renos worth at least $100,000.  Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says it's intended to protect homeowners from cowboys.   Combined Building Supplies Chief Executive Carl Taylor told Mike Hosk...

The job market remains in a tough spot despite modest improvements.   The latest Seek NZ Employment Report finds job ad volumes have risen 1% for the fourth consecutive month and 7% year-on-year.  The growth is seen across most regions and industries.  Country manager Rob Clark says we're heading in the right direction.  He told Mike Hosking that hospitality and tourism is impo...

There’s confidence the Social Investment Fund is assisting organisations that will effectively help at-risk youth.  It's allocating $50 million into programmes for children with parents in prison, those who’ve grown up in care, and under-13s suspended from school.  Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking they're taking a different approach to previous governments, whic...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 24th of November, National have their first 2026 election policy of increased Kiwi contributions. Is it a bottom line? And what do their coalition partners think of it? Prime Minister Chris Luxon says whether the coup rumours are real and what to do to boost our dollar. Jason Pine and Andrew Saville talk the All Blacks final game of th...

The overarching view of the British Covid inquiry is that lockdown did not need to happen. Their inquiry is different to our two For a start, the key players turned up. Boris Johnson and co got grilled. Ardern and Hipkins and co never did because they refused. It still seems to me an astonishing act of arrogance that the same people who made such profound decisions on our lives refused to particip...

Jason Pine and Andrew Saville join Mike Hosking this morning to discuss the weekend's sports. On the table today: Auckland FC were not at their best as they struggled to a draw against Brisbane Roar. The All Blacks have ended their northern tour on a positive after defeating Wales, but failed to secure their 'grand slam tour'. And both McLaren's were disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix as t...

Christchurch has been added to the list of cities hosting games for next year's Rugby League World Cup.  The city joins Australia and Papua New Guinea as hosts for the event, and although the addition is a surprise for fans, it has been in the works for a while.  New Zealand Rugby League CEO Greg Peters told Mike Hosking that, 'it's been on the cards for a little while now, obviously, wi...

Chris Luxon says he is confident that he will lead National in next year's general election.  A hit in the polls raised questions about his leadership last week, and rumours spread that he would be replaced come next election.  The Prime Minister has denied these rumours. He told Mike Hosking that, 'It's quite hard to take this seriously because I've read all of this before the whole 4 y...

There are calls for shoppers to choose smaller businesses this black Friday, and holiday season. Data from accounting service - Xero -  reveals shifting just 10% of consumer spending from big to small retailers, could bring $11billion into independent businesses. That excludes spending like utilities, and transport. Xero Country Manager Bridget Snelling says consumers must consider shopping l...

A promise to increase Kiwisaver rates is being described as a fundamentally good move - even if there's more to do.  National says it will lift default contributions to six percent by 2032 - matching Australia's 12-percent superannuation rate.  Employer contributions would increase by half a percent each year - but not until 2029. Milford Asset Management's KiwiSaver Head Murray Harris t...

A push for NZTA to be given the same powers as Police - to impound unsafe trucks. The trucking industry wants tougher rules, after an Auckland operator was jailed for manslaughter last year. Ashik Ali kept his truck on the road despite it being banned, and its failed brakes caused it to roll away and fatally hit a road worker last year. National Road Carriers Association chief executive Justin Tig...

There is a growing idea in economic circles in America that young people might never own anything.  It's based on the recent news that a new car average price cracked $50,000 for the first time.  It was added to by Trump's idea that we have 50-year mortgages.  In the US, 30 years is pretty standard, and they have the fixed interest rate that lasts decades.  Here it's completely...

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.    Uber: 3/10  The Supreme Court may have read the law, which means the law needs changing, because what the four drivers wanted and won is not what the gig economy is all about.    Ferries: 6/10  Two ships, a big saving, and an improvement on what w...