The Mike Hosking Breakfast

A concert promoter is frustrated at the lack of support for the sector.  Several events have already been cancelled this year due to the Omicron outbreak.  The latest includes Wellington's Homegrown Music Festival and New Plymouth's Womad.  Capital C Concerts Owner Phil Sprey told Mike Hosking it's devastating to see more concerts being pulled for another year.  “We’ve actually to the Government,...

Protestors at Parliament are being told they need to pack up and go away.  Anti-mandate demonstrators are camped out on the grounds in central Wellington, for what would be a third day.  Mayor Andy Foster told Mike Hosking he wants people in Wellington to be able to get back to their normal business.  “So from my perspective, the protesters have made their point.”  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com...

At 10am Hipkins and Verrall are setting out "the plan to support key businesses and supply chains" so businesses can make some money during phases two and three of our response.   What they really want to hear is what is going to happen with the Rapid Antigen Tests and how they will be distributed.   Employers and Manufacturers Association chief executive Brett O'Riley joined Mike Hosking.  LISTEN...

A group of anti-mandate protesters camped out on Parliament grounds are ignoring the call to move on.  Speaker Trevor Mallard has threatened to trespass the group, who have camped there overnight.  They're among thousands of people who descended on Parliament and the Wellington CBD yesterday, bringing the city centre to a standstill.  National MP Mark Mitchell and Cabinet Minister Stuart Nash told...

New South Wales are preparing to say goodbye to the traditional school hours.   Premier Dominic Perrottet is set to trial a pilot program across the state proposing alternatives outside the standard 9am-3pm, saying the hours no longer work for schools.    Questions are being raised as to whether it could it work back here and are NSW on to something?   Tim O'Connor is the Auckland Grammar School h...

Another cheque has been thrown in the Government's Covid coffers.   This time Damien O'Connor is handing out $400,000, for farmers who might get the virus.  It's all part of a contingency plan and wrap around support for the sector should they get an outbreak.  Federated Farmers vice president Andrew Hoggard joined Mike Hosking.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unflattering scenes broadcast during Beijing's Winter Olympics has left some viewers questioning whether organisers chose an appropriate location for the Games' big air events.  Surrounding the Games' monster ski jump is four huge concrete towers that many have speculated to be connected to some kind of "nuclear power plant wasteland".  Critics have taken issue with the jarring scene's obvious geo...

Sky high construction costs are taking a toll on builders' mental health.   CoreLogic Cordell Construction Cost Index for the last quarter of 2021 shows a 6.2 percent increase.  And there's a warning that figure could hit double digits.   It comes as a recent study from Mates in Construction has shown the impact it's having on builders' mental health.   Registered Master Builders' Association chie...

People are still buying the same amount of fuel, despite prices edging closer to $3 a litre.  The Prime Minister says the rising cost is a supplier issue, while National's Chris Luxon is calling for the removal of Auckland's Regional Fuel Tax in order to give customers some respite.  Gull New Zealand Chief Executive Dave Bodger told Mike Hosking regardless of the tax, people are buying the same am...

The Health Minister won't put a date on when Covid restrictions might end and quarantine-free international travel might resume.  All of New Zealand remains at the Red Level of the traffic light setting.  The Government is moving to reopen the border to New Zealanders coming back from overseas, but with home isolation requirements in place.  Andrew Little told Mike Hosking the Government isn't mak...

Jason Pine and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to talk Winter Olympics, Super Rugby, Justin Langer and whether Reece Walsh will jump ship from the Warriors. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are hopes the most expensive bottle of wine to ever go to auction in New Zealand will be consumed, rather than invested.   Liquid gold is on the market today, with a 1996 bottle of Romanée-Conti going under the hammer.   The pinot noir from Burgundy is expected to sell at The Wine Auction Room's rare and fine wine event for between $65,000 - $85,000.  Co-founder Reece Warren told Mike Hoskin...

People are being urged not to over-estimate their swimming ability.  The latest Beach and Coastal Safety Report shows we have a 44 percent higher ten-year average beach and coastal fatal drowning rate, per capita, than Australia.   About a third of New Zealanders cannot swim or float in the ocean for more than a few minutes.  Water Safety ambassador Rob Hewitt told Mike Hosking no one wants to be...

Australia's tourism sector is all on board with a move to reopen the country's border later this month.  The Australian Government has confirmed it will lift border restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers in two weeks on February 21st.  However, some state and territory quarantine requirements may remain in place.  South Australian Tourism Commission Chief Executive Rodney Harrex told Mike Ho...

National has hit out at the requisitioning of Rapid Antigen Tests from businesses.   When news broke that the Ministry of Health was requisitioning the tests, Dr Ashley Bloomfield said they were from "forward orders" from overseas - not tests already in the country.   But the Ministry's now acknowledged it took the full February allocation from one manufacturer and it's stock on hand in the countr...

Act reckons Labour's popularity is down to fear tactics.  Act's support has halved to eight percent on the Newshub-Reid Research poll.  Labour's up by nearly two percent to 44 percent, National's up by four points to 31 percent, and the Greens have risen by over two percent, to nearly 10 percent.  Act leader David Seymour told Mike Hosking the Government has used fear throughout this pandemic resp...

Unleaded 95 is above $3 per litre at different places around the country while experts predict the same isn't far off for 91.  It hits the regular punter hard, because evidence shows we still use our cars just as much during price hikes, but spare a thought for the transport companies as well.   Managing director of OnRoad Transport Ltd Don Wilson joined Mike Hosking.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio....

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.   The Border Announcement: 6/10  "Because broadly it’s the right thing to do. It's marked down because, like always, it’s a mile too late and way too slow."   Inflation: 5.9/10  "A shocking number. And despite what the Government will tell you, is way worse than most countries. W...

The leader of the violent Islamic State group was killed Thursday, blowing himself up along with members of his family during an overnight raid carried out by U.S. special operations forces in northwestern Syria, President Joe Biden said.  The raid targeted Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who took over as head of the militant group on Oct. 31, 2019, just days after leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi...

The demand for quality meat has meant a boost for homekill and retail butcher services.   There's been a surge in home kill trade since 2020 - believed to be from people using the service to avoid contacts with others at supermarkets.   Plus, if you have the animal available, it's significantly cheaper.   Founder of Meatworx butchery Brad Walters joined Mike Hosking.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.c...

A change of scenery for Kiwi F2 driver Marcus Armstrong this year.  The 21-year-old is leaving French team Mads, as well as the Ferrari driver academy, to join British outfit Hitech Grand Prix.   It will be Marcus' third season of F2, having gained his first ever win in December last year.  Marcus joined Mike Hosking.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's athletes are preparing to get on the piste in Beijing.  Some events are underway, but the official opening ceremony is overnight with free skier Finn Bilous and alpine skier Alice Robinson brandishing the flag.  2018 free ski half pipe bronze medallist Nico Porteous won his second X-Games gold medal in Aspen last month, and shapes as a candidate to secure the country's first winter O...

Chris Hipkins isn't sure what needs to happen before the country can drop self-isolation requirements.  A phased reopening of the border will begin from February 28, replacing MIQ with self-isolation.  Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told Mike Hosking at the moment, it would be crystal ball gazing to decide when to allow completely free movement over the border.  “You can have models, but...

Tackling inequality is the key to preventing more cancer deaths, according to a Cancer Control Agency report. The Cancer Prevention Report lists the main risk factors for the disease as tobacco, alcohol, nutrition, sun exposure, physical activity and chronic infections.   And it says there are inequities for Maori, Pasifika and other groups.   Report Lead and Public Health Physician Nisha Nair say...

From our rock and a hard place file comes the revelations, if that’s not too strong a word, over the tax price you pay if you help your kid out buying a house. National's Andrew Bayly has been making the headlines with this one and he is onto something many hadn't thought about or thought through. It doesn't help that the government already look greedy this week with the revelation, and that’s not...