The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The chief economist of our largest bank says there's no reason our economy can't bounce right back if the Iran peace deal lasts.  GDP data due to today is expected to show the economy grew between 0.7% and 1% in the March quarter.  A contraction is possible in the June quarter.  But ANZ's Sharon Zollner told Mike Hosking things should hopefully pick up again, straight away.  Sh...

The Social Development Minister's standing by her changes to the welfare system.  Louise Upston wants to slash the number of people on Jobseeker to 140 thousand by 2030.  Labour claims they're on track to miss the target by more than 60 thousand people and their current approach isn't creating the right conditions to help people into work.  But Upston told Mike Hosking she's serious...

Winston Peters says MBIE's size is an issue as he calls for the officials involved in the latest scandal to be jailed.  Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says she was misled about cost increases for a project to upgrade border biometric systems, wasting more than $30 million.  The Public Service Commission is investigating officials’ behaviour.  The New Zealand First Leader told M...

For those of you who were super keen to hear from the Labour Party in an election year as to what they might have in mind for policy, my question to you is: now that they have started handing out the ideas, does the size of the cock-up make you wish they hadn’t?  Or can you believe the incompetence of past years hasn’t been addressed?  The bus idea that isn’t $65 million, but, according...

Key details of the US-Iran deal remain under wraps, with Donald Trump promising to release the full text within days.  The US President's at the G7 Summit in France and has already met with Arab leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.  The deal's been signed electronically by both sides, and a formal ceremony is planned for the end of the week.  US Correspondent Richard...

A major win for New Zealand apple growers in China.   Rockit Global has won a court case against an unlicensed operation that was found to be growing and selling its miniature apple variety without permission.  The win reinforces intellectual property protections in one of their biggest markets.   Their General Counsel and Commercial Director Tom Lane told Mike Hosking the money is...

The All Whites started the FIFA World Cup off strong, but their challenges are only just beginning.   They drew 2-all with Iran in Los Angeles yesterday, putting them at the top of the table after Belgium and Egypt ended their match with a 1-all draw.   Elijah Just scored both New Zealand goals, becoming the first All Whites player to score twice in a World Cup match.  Former All Wh...

Things are heating up in the political sphere, so Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking to dig into the biggest stories of the week thus far.  They discussed Labour’s policy agenda, the scandal with MBIE, and the state of New Zealand’s economy.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 17th of June, MBIE's Chief Executive fronts over Immigration's handling over the biometrics upgrade project.  We have cross-party support for our long-term infrastructure plan , but Mike asks whether that will turn into practical action.  Former All White Fred de Jong reviews the All Whites' 2-2 draw with Iran and whether we h...

It seems the war in the Middle East hasn’t impacted our food prices as much as feared.  The latest Food Price Index shows an increase of 1% for May – 3.2% higher than a year ago.  Milk was the biggest driver, up 10.3% annually, fruit and vegetables rose 2.5% for the month, and meat, poultry, and fish rose 0.9%.   Foodstuffs North Island CEO Chris Quin told Mike Hosking across their...

ACT is promising to curtail political activism at regulators like the teaching and medical councils.   The party would require them to remain neutral on political issues.   ACT public service spokesperson Todd Stephenson says the Teaching Council spent its money making political submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill, then pursued a teacher who publicly disagreed.  He told Mike H...

The Government's vowing to take a hard look at how transport infrastructure is funded.  It's agreeing to all recommendations and priorities in the Infrastructure Commission's 30-year National Plan, with Opposition backing.  It includes a review of the Land Transport Fund and requires Crown entities to publish long-term investment plans.   Infrastructure Commission Chief Executive Ge...

A failure in checks and balances is being highlighted as a reason for the breakdown in trust between the Immigration Minister and officials.   Erica Stanford says MBIE staff misled her about cost increases for a project to upgrade border biometric systems – with nothing to show for the millions spent.  The Public Service Commission is undertaking an investigation while MBIE does a stock-...

So, we got there. We have a deal. Iran is over – back to normality.  Like most wars, you can spin it any way you want.  In this case, the part relief plays is not to be underestimated.  This came out of nowhere on a Saturday morning, when apparently Netanyahu and Rupert Murdoch said, “You will never get a better chance, Donald. All the heavyweights are meeting in one place — go get...

The UK Government is backing a social media ban for under 16s.  Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says they aim to have it in force by early next year.  It'll prevent under-16s accessing apps like Snapchat, YouTube and Instagram, but won't cover messaging platforms like WhatsApp.  Starmer says they know teenagers will have ways of getting around a ban, but that doesn't mean they shoul...

What does it take to be a winner?  Neurologist Kerry Spackman has spent decades researching the cognitive element to success. He’s worked with the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Jackie Stewart, as well as the All Blacks and New Zealand’s Olympic teams.   And now Spackman has distilled his research into a book, ‘The Winner’s Formula’, detailing exactly what happens in the brain when someone...

The CEO of NZ Football believes the All Whites have a chance in their first FIFA World Cup clash.  They’re going up against Iran at Los Angeles’ Sofi Stadium – returning to the tournament for the first time since 2010.  In terms of global rankings, the All Whites are currently ranked 85th, while Iran is ranked 20th.  But Andrew Pragnell told Mike Hosking that anything is possible.&n...

Improvement is staggered across the mental health system, with some groups still being left behind.  The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission's latest report highlights widening gaps in access and outcomes.   Young people face barriers despite rising mental distress, and Māori services aren't keeping pace with people's needs.    Chief Executive Karen Orsborn told Mike Hosking...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 16th of June, International Security Expert Matthew Schmidt unpacks the reported peace deal between the US and Iran.   Finance Minister Nicola Willis discusses the impact the deal could have on New Zealand’s economy.  The All Whites are set to play their first match of the FIFA World Cup against Iran this afternoon – Football NZ...

A pickup in retail spending shows some consumers aren't too phased about a tough economic climate. Stats NZ data shows core retail spending in May was up 2.8% annually – not including volatile sectors like fuel. Furniture, electronics, and hardware spending is up 4.8%, while hospitality spending is up 3.2%. Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young told Mike Hosking that March and April were really...

Another streaming service has entered the New Zealand market.  HBO Max has officially launched, with plans starting from $10.99 a month.   The site features recent blockbusters like Wuthering Heights and well-known franchises Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings.   Warner Brothers Discovery Managing Director Michael Brooks told Mike Hosking they're feeling confident despite the co...

The Finance Minister says it's still too early to say whether we're seeing the beginning of the end of the fuel crisis.  Prices have already fallen significantly since the US-Iran peace deal was announced.  Traders on prediction market Kalshi are now picking the Strait of Hormuz to reopen and be fully back to normal by August.  But Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking while the deal is c...

Donald Trump is claiming victory and says the full details of his peace deal with Iran will be made public shortly.  The arrangement —to halt all military operations— will be formally signed in Switzerland at the end of the week.   Speaking at the G7 summit in France, the US President says they had to negotiate with changing groups of Iranian leaders.  He says the first and second g...

We sat in London last Wednesday night at a place called Bocconcino in Berkeley Square. We were celebrating our daughter’s birthday. Her partner had picked the place. It’s flash. It’s in a beautiful building. It’s Italian. The food was very good. The service, however, was rubbish. I only mention that to remind ourselves that we moan a lot in this country about service, or the lack of it. And we hav...

Andrew Saville and Jason Pine join Mike Hosking to review the Weekend's sport.  On the table today: Lewis Hamilton wins his first Grand Prix with Ferrari.  The World Cup is underway, and already upsets are flying in.  And the Knicks have won the NBA Championship, New York is on fire with celebrations.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.