The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Tim Wilson and Kate Hawkesby joined Mike Hosking to wrap the week that was. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.   Auckland Transport: 2/10   In a week in which a lot of people looked exceedingly ordinary Auckland Transport was as good as it got with its "Drive to Elton" campaign.   Wayne "Drongo" Brown: 4/10 I don’t think anyone, not even Wayne, thinks it went well this week.   The media's...

Queen Elizabeth’s face will no longer appear on Australia’s $5 note and will not be replaced by King Charles'. The new bill will feature an Indigenous Australian design and was the last note that had any sign of monarchy. Head of the Australian Republican Movement Peter Fitzsimons joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Light rail may be set to join the list of incomplete Labour party projects. Right next to the abandoned Harbour Bridge cycle way, the axed four lane highways and Kiwibuild. $72 million has already been spent on light rail, but as part of the Government's refocus, the project is under review. National Party spokesperson for Transport Simeon Brown joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.c...

Greens' co-leader James Shaw is planning to put his time into New Zealand's climate change response, not the Wellington Central electorate seat. He's decided not to contest the seat that he's run in since 2011. Instead he's nominated Wellington City Councillor Tamatha Paul for the role. Shaw told Mike Hosking he still wants to continue as climate change minister. He says the flooding in Auckland s...

An unclear picture is being painted of the level of need in our health system. An editorial in the latest Medical Journal raises questions about why we're not appropriately measuring Unmet Secondary Elective Healthcare Need, otherwise known as non-urgent hospital treatment. Otago Business School Dean, Professor Robin Gauld told Mike Hosking they've done some work towards what officials would find...

An economic consultancy group says a recession is inevitable. That's despite Finance Minister Grant Robertson saying it isn't a foregone conclusion. Infometrics says while recent GDP growth was higher than expected,  it probably won't continue as sectors like construction slow down. Chief Forecaster Gareth Kiernan says it will also lead to job losses.  He expects the unemployment rate to hit 4.3 p...

A new report from Westpac shows tough times ahead for the building industry. The figures show construction demand will fall due to cheaper house prices and rising interest rates. The slowdown has already started in the North Island, where new stats show a decline in building consents being issued Naylor Love Chief Executive Rick Herd told Mike Hosking Westpac might have even been a little optimist...

Let me pose this one for Labour party fans. So far this week we have a poll bounce, let's assume it's real. Let's assume it sticks, which means the race is on and it's tight. Also this week we have the IMF who have increased the global forecast. So the end times are not coming. In fact, a recession will be avoided. Europe won't go into recession as a bloc and Germany says they individually are not...

British trade unions have come out in force for the country's biggest strike since 2011. An estimated half a million workers including teachers, university staff and train drivers went on pay strike yesterday as the UK battles a cost of living crisis. Union bosses argue proposed Government pay rise offers don't keep up with inflation, which is at its highest in 40 years. UK correspondent Rod Liddl...

The proof in the pudding that if you hand out free stuff people become addicted, is to be found in the already alarming concerns being expressed as to how life will continue at the end of this month, and then again, at the end of March when the fuel subsidies come off. The warning is already out from the transport people over the price of everything that’s transported, which is, well, basically ev...

Time now for a song and a chat with one of our favourite musicians in the country. When we last spoke to country pop singer Kaylee Bell she was about to release her new album S ilver Linings. She's been the most streamed female country artist in Australasia for the last four years, she was on The Voice Australia where she performed her song Keith to Keith Urban and she's performing award-winning s...

This year’s Women's FIFA Football World Cup has reports of a Saudi Arabian sponsorship. Saudi Arabia has a well publicised history of oppression of woman, so the desire to sponsor a women's football competition has come as a bit of a shock to some. University of Auckland senior lecturer of Sports Marketing Marilyn Giroux joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

Unemployment remains at a record low of 3.4 percent and wages are continuing to rise. In the December quarter all salary and wage rates increased 4.1 percent, and in the private sector wages rose 4.3 percent. The labour market seems to remain tight, with low employment and high wages adding to cost pressures. Investment strategist and economist at Jarden, John Carran, joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN A...

Finance Minister Grant Robertson is defending the decision to extend the fuel tax subsidy. Chris Hipkins has announced the 25 cent fuel tax cuts, and half-price public transport will now run until the end of June. Robertson said in December running it past the original March date wasn't sustainable, but that changed with Hipkins' succession. He told Mike Hosking Hipkins wanting the cost of living...

Wellington's local economy looks to be the big winners from Ed Sheeran's concert tonight. The pop superstar is playing to a crowd of 48,000 at Sky Stadium, the largest single day event for the venue. He's also playing two shows at Auckland's Eden Park next week. Wellington NZ General Manager Warrick Dent told Mike Hosking 35 percent of the people coming to the show are from outside of the capital....

The fuel tax subsidy extension has alleviated fears from the trucking sector. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins yesterday announced the fuel price subsidy, and half-priced public transport fares will be extended until the end of June. The extension, originally due to end in March, is estimated to cost $718 million. Prior to the extension, trucking groups said that had it ended in March, consumers would...

New figures are laying bare the failings of Oranga Tamariki. The Independent Children's Monitor has found the agency is placing a third of children into care, before completing caregiver assessments. Social workers are only making 29 percent of their planned visits to children in care. Executive Director Arran Jones told Mike Hosking these children come into care because their home life is unstabl...

If you are looking for work, there is still one job left at the highest level of the Three Waters structure. They have announced they have appointed three of the four chief executives to lead what they have gloriously called Entity A, Entity B and you can guess the rest. Here are several questions for you: Who in their right mind would want to work for Three Waters? In signing on now, do you even...

Simon Bridges is calling on the new Minister of Auckland, to listen to the concerns of businesses in our largest city. Mount Roskill MP Michael Wood is taking on the new portfolio. The senior minister was previously an Auckland Council local board member, and is the husband of an Auckland councillor. Auckland Business Chamber Chief Executive and former National Leader Simon Bridges told Mike Hoski...

Principals are welcoming the appointment of one of their own, to the role of Minister of Education. Jan Tinnetti is replacing Chris Hipkins in the portfolio. The former Associate Education Minister has decades of experience as a teacher and principal in Tauranga. Principals' Federation President Leanne Otene told Mike Hosking she's a great appointment. She says Tinetti has a deep understanding of...

Airlines will working to clear the backlog at Auckland Airport as quickly as possible. Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty told Mike Hosking the national carrier is making good progress. “What we have moved to now is actually the second layer of the response which is to bring people forward onto new flights.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

Aucklanders are being warned to remain alert for ongoing dangers, as this morning's heavy rain starts to ease. Red and Orange Heavy Rain Warnings remain in effect for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, the Coromandel Peninsula, the Bay of Plenty, and the northern Gisborne District. Auckland and Northland remain in a state of emergency, with emergency services receiving dozens of calls for assistance....

The new Minister of Health is keen to reduce hospital waiting lists. Ayesha Verrall is taking over the portfolio previously held by Andrew Little. Latest figures from the national health agency, Te Whatu Ora, show about 30,000 people were overdue elective surgery at the end of October. Verrall told Mike Hosking she'll be going back to the taskforce Little set up to investigate the issue. She says...

Brace for turn-around in the labour market. Stats NZ is due reveal announce the latest official unemployment rate later this morning. Some economists expect it remain unchanged, while some expect to it drop to a new record low. But ANZ Economist Finn Robinson told Mike Hosking it won't necessarily reflect what will happen over the coming year. He says there will likely be a softening of the labour...