The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Corrections has a serious staffing problem, with officers now sticking it out for just two years on average compared to 15 in the past. You may have seen the recruiting ads on TV. They're now being criticised by existing staff, saying they don't paint an accurate picture of the job. National Treasurer of the Corrections Association Cliff Hughes joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/l...

New Zealand's red meat industry has released a policy change wish-list with the goal to tackle labour shortages and grow export revenues. They have gone to every Member of Parliament, and various others. Beef and Lamb NZ Chair Andrew Morrison joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson believes inflation is now past its peak. Stats NZ figures show consumer prices have risen 7.2 percent in the year to December, the same increase recorded in the year to September. The price of housing, household utilities and food are driving the historically high inflation rate. But Robertson told Tim Dower with prices increasing 1.4 percent in the December quarte...

It's going to get a little bit cheaper to put fruit and vegetables on the table. The price of fruit and vegetables rose 23 percent last year, one of the main contributors to the 7.2 percent rise in overall consumer prices. Growers expect seasonal produce prices to start dropping, as supplies pick up in the coming weeks. Foodstuffs North Island’s Brigit Corson told Tim Dower how much you save at th...

New Prime Minister Chris Hipkins heads to Auckland today to woo business leaders after spending his first full day in the top job responding to the cost of living crisis. Hipkins is due to attend a roundtable event hosted by the Auckland Business Chamber. “I’ll be there to ask questions of them and to listen to them, in order to accelerate the important relationship that’s needed between business...

Much has been made of the personal criticism—no, that doesn't go far enough, the vicious personal attacks outgoing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern endured, and how much they may have played into her decision to give it away. We could debate whether she invited some of that —albeit unwittingly— by allowing her leadership to become so much about herself, personally. Was Jacindamania Ardern's fault? An...

Primary healthcare is back in the news this morning, with a report putting us fifth from bottom in the OECD for healthcare waiting times. Fifth from last, out of 38 OECD nations. Could there be any more of a fence at the top of the cliff scenario. Look at it this way: if your car starts making funny noises you lift the hood, look for something obvious, and if that doesn't fix it you take it to som...

New data shows almost half of patients are waiting more than a month for specialist treatment and New Zealand now has one of the longest wait times in the OECD. General Practice Owners Association Chair Tim Malloy says the wait for medical care is affecting people's wellbeing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Universities are having to book out plane seats to ensure international students can get here before the start of the academic year. Many students haven't been able to make it to New Zealand due to airline capacity constraints. Universities New Zealand has stepped in, booking 400 seats on an Air New Zealand flight from China. Executive Director Chris Whelan says that international students are an...

The devil could be in the details when it comes to the latest inflation figures. Annual Consumer Price Index data —due out later this morning— will show how much prices increased for the average household in the past 12 months. New Zealand's inflation rate for the year to October was 7.2 percent. ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner told Tim Dower that she's expecting the same inflation rate this ti...

It's the first day on the job for our new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Hipkins will be officially sworn in this morning, before holding his first Cabinet meeting this afternoon. But Senior Political Correspondent, Barry Soper says that Hipkins won't be making any major decisions today. He says Hipkins has shown he's prepared to listen — a point of difference to Jacinda Ardern. LISTEN ABOVE See om...

Tim Dower was joined by British comedian Jimmy Carr to have a chat about his New Zealand tour, and the addition of a few more dates. Please note that in the interview Jimmy mentioned an additional Wellington date by mistake, instead meaning an additional show in Auckland. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Minister is defending the ballooning cost of three Auckland train stations. When funding for two new train stations between Papakura and Pukekohe was announced in 2020, it was expected to cost 247 million dollars. But another station has since been added to the project, and it's now expected to cost about 495 million dollars. Michael Wood says the third station was added after a 2021...

You know, what we've seen over the past couple of days reinforces what we've all known for a long time about politicians. They will say anything, anything , to get into power. And once they're there, it gets even more desperate: they'll say and do anything, anything , to stay there. We're about to see in raw detail just how desperate Labour is to cling on for a third term. Heads, which should have...

Love this idea of a 50-year plan for the roads. It's come out of Road Carriers Association. The incoming Prime Minister has said he wants to focus on the big issues confronting business, and the trucking industry says this is one of them. And they're right. We always seem to be playing catch-up on our roading projects, and right now we need some catch-up on repairs too. Ask anyone who comes here t...

A new artificial intelligence programme that produces essays on demand is sparking concerns at Otago University. Chatbot software ChatGPT can churn out writing requests —including university assessments— using information available on the internet, including academic texts. Any type of plagiarism, including the use of chatbots, is forbidden under university policy. Otago Business School Dean Robin...

The downturn in the housing market isn't over yet. Latest analysis from Core Logic shows the most recent quarterly dip in home values was the smallest decline since May last year. But the pending recession and OCR hikes are continuing to create uncertainty. Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson says that it's not the best time for homeowners, but it's good time for first-home buyers. LISTEN ABO...

Chris Hipkins is under pressure to find the right person to replace him as Police Minister. The incoming Prime Minister has begun preparing for a Cabinet reshuffle ahead of being formally sworn in as Prime Minister tomorrow. He'll need to find other ministers to take on his Police, Education, and Public service portfolios. Police Association President Chris Cahill told Tim Dower that Hipkins needs...

Chris Hipkins is obviously not a man who's afraid of a challenge, and taking on the role of Prime Minister will be his biggest one yet. Quick refresher here: the last OneNews Kantar poll put Labour 5 points behind National, and still sinking with 33 points. The Nats clawed their way another point higher in the December result to 38, add in Act's 11 and you have 49: enough for a secure majority in...

It couldn't have worked out better for Labour... and by the same token, it couldn't have worked out worse for National. Jacinda Ardern's timing in stepping down gives her replacement a full nine months run at the job. And the replacement process —concluded quickly and cleanly— saves Labour the painful process of a leadership contest, a membership vote, and having to win over the unions. There wasn...

The stars in our night sky are vanishing at an alarming rate. New data published in the journal Science —collected by citizen scientists around the world over more than a decade— shows the night sky is continuing to become less starry. That's largely due to light pollution from urban settlements, street lighting, and cars. Astrobiologist Hari Mogosanu says that a clear sky isn't just a nice-to-hav...

Businesses are hoping that the new Prime Minister will change the Government's agenda. Former Business NZ Chief Executive Phil O'Reilly told Tim Dower that he wants to see the new PM focus on the policy changes businesses have been asking for. On the other hand, the Council of Trade Unions is hoping for a smooth transition of power. President Richard Wagstaff says that he wants the Government to c...

New Zealand has bid farewell to the Rugby Sevens World Series. The sporting tournament returned to Hamilton over the weekend after a two-year Covid hiatus, featuring it's usual party atmosphere. But it was the final time the event will have a New Zealand leg. Hamilton Sevens Organiser Dallas Fisher says that turnout was good —with about 21-thousand people turning out— but it wasn't a sell-out. LIS...

National Leader Christopher Luxon says the change of leadership won't solve the Government's underlying shortcomings. He says the Government has failed to address the underlying causes driving inflation, while National has a five-point plan. Luxon believes he still has the clear upper hand heading into the election. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The incoming Prime Minister says his Government will focus on issues most essential to New Zealanders. Chris Hipkins has been unanimously elected to the Labour leadership by the party's caucus. He'll be officially sworn in as Prime Minister on Wednesday. In one of his first interviews since being selected, Hipkins told Tim Dower he'll be running the ruler over the Government's work programme. Hipk...