The Mike Hosking Breakfast

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...

One of our more iconic musical acts is making a comeback, of sorts. Eddie Rayner was of initial Split Enz fame, he then went on to star in Crowded House, Orb and Space Waltz. He’s now teamed up with Tim Finn and formed a new band Forenzics  - and they're using the lesser-known Split Enz songs for inspiration and their album is out tomorrow. And Eddie Rayner joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See om...

Science is edging us ever closer to a shark proof wetsuit. New South Wales inventor Haydon Burford has designed the Shark Stop suit. He started designing it five years ago, after talking about a spate of recent shark attacks and now it's ready to go to market. It's designed to reduce the number of holes, the size of the bite marks and the depth of the puncture wounds, considering the loss of blood...

We know the theories from the Government as to why we were locked down and currently in the Red setting - to reduce the number of hospitalisations and deaths. There is some new research that suggests it may not have been effective. New research from the Washington Times on lockdowns in Europe and the US found lockdowns had little to no impact at reducing Covid 19 deaths during the early phase of t...

A helping hand is being proposed for both hospitality and people trying to get into the job market. Hospitality platform Barcats has teamed up with the Ministry of Social Development to create a free job-ready employment program for beneficiaries. The pilot involves two five-day training courses, set to be held later this month. Barcats chief Jeffrey Williams told Mike Hosking it will benefit the...

Flight Centre Managing Director David Coombes says the Government's border announcement will be good news for those wanting to get home. But he told Mike Hosking the Government needs to be looking at fully reopening the border, and removing isolation requirements. “If you’re vaccinated and you’ve been tested and you’re coming into the country, you’re less of a risk than a whole bunch of Kiwis wand...

Today's major border announcement from the Government will be too little, too late for many. Newstalk ZB understands the Government will reopen the border to New Zealanders returning from Australia, on February 27th. New Zealanders from other countries will be able come back from mid-March. Rachel Das, a New Zealander in Australia, told Mike Hosking she's awaiting the announcement with cautious op...

Pregnant Kiwi journalist Charlotte Bellis will return to New Zealand at the end of this month after surviving the "circus" of her battle with the Government over an MIQ spot.  "It's definitely up there," she told Newstalk ZB today after being asked about the experience and her battle to get home from Afghanistan.  Stuart Nash and Mark Mitchell joined Mike Hosking to discuss this and the day's poli...

Music industry data from Britain and the US show the younger generations are listening to the golden oldies, rather than the modern artists, more and more on streaming sites.   Old records from the likes of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen accounted for 70% of album listening in America last year - and that was at the same time as we got releases from the likes of Adele and Ed Sheeran. And, for the...

The Government's being criticised again for its slowness in acquiring rapid antigen tests.  It's ordered another 36 million RATs, meaning the country will have access to 55 million over the next two months.  It's reckoned about nine million will be used every week, once Omicron peaks.  Rako Science executive director, Leon Grice, told Mike Hosking he's been talking to the Ministry of Health about...

A music group says the government hasn't properly acknowledged calls to support the arts sector.   The Government has announced a $120 million boost for the arts.   It includes $70 million for the event support scheme, and $35.5 million for the Cultural Sector Emergency Relief fund.   Electric duo Sachi's Will Thomas told Mike Hosking the Government response to them hasn't been good enough.   Thom...

Invercargill and Queenstown appear to be the biggest benefactors to the inevitable changes for the 2022 Super Rugby season.   Rugby bosses have been meeting this week, and will continue those meetings this morning as they make last minute changes to fixtures.  Because of the scenario where teams would have to isolate for 10 days, one or two venues for all 24 NZ based games is the expected signoff....

Charlotte Bellis isn't sure her story has made much difference for other New Zealanders, stranded overseas.   The pregnant New Zealander has now been offered an emergency MIQ spot.   But it's based on the risks of Bellis and her partner being in Afghanistan - not the need for time-critical scheduled treatment.   Bellis told Mike Hosking it's great for her - but it hasn't moved the dial for other p...

Time is running out to save the biggest harvest of the year from going to waste.   There's just a two-week window for the Government to allow 200 skilled machinery operators in for the autumn harvest, following a promise made in December.   Farmers say if the workers don't arrive soon, crops will go to waste.   Blue Glass Contracting director Brook Nettleton told Mike Hosking they've faced the sam...

Lee Child and the Jack Reacher book series have fans across the globe.   It, of course, got a life on the big screen - with Tom Cruise taking the role for two movies in 2012 and 2016.  And now it's getting a go on the small screen - with Reacher coming to Amazon Prime this Friday.  Actor Alan Ritchson is leading the charge as the title character.   Ritchson joined Mike Hosking.  LISTEN ABOVE  See...

Supermarkets are continuing to make plans to deal with disruption, as the Omicron variant spreads.   Foodstuffs North Island says demand is relatively normal again, after a buying rush when the country moved into red last week.   It's holding about 29 percent more stock this summer than previous years.   CEO Chris Quin told Mike Hosking preparations are also being made in case a lot of workers hav...

A new Kiwi tech company is staking it's claim in the multi-billion-dollar headphones market.   earSHOTS have launched a new wireless earphone specifically aimed at those doing sporting activities.   The twist? These earphones utilise magnets to clip them to your ears so they don't fall off and the magnetic design has now been successfully patented in the United States.  earSHOTS founder James Bell...

It's hoped Charlotte Bellis' story will bring a government u-turn on returnees self-isolating.   The pregnant journalist's story of trying to come home from Afghanistan has garnered international attention, and brought calls for border policy change.   Grounded Kiwis spokesperson Alexandra Birt told Mike Hosking many are in similar situations, and New Zealand is one of only a few countries still o...

The Government is playing down reports of unintended consequences from its new lending requirements.  It's brought forward a review of the legislation, after reports of people being rejected for mortgages due to spending on things like takeaways or domestic travel.  Commerce Minister David Clark told Mike Hosking they also want to look at whether there are wider factors at play.  He was asked abou...

Employers can ask their staff not to travel under the Red Traffic Light setting -- but they can't set it in stone.  Newstalk ZB has learned some employers are encouraging their staff to "lock down" and discouraging them from moving around the country.  That's despite the current restrictions having no limits on regional travel.  Lawyer Mai Chen says told Mike Hosking there's a big difference betwe...