The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Nazi salutes are set to become illegal in Australia after a spike in racism. It comes after a letter was signed by more than 600 prominent Australians denouncing anti-Semitism and racism. But Massey University Sociologist Paul Spoonley warns that the law change may have unintended consequences. He says there should be more public dialogue and education before legislation is introduced. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Official Cash Rate is expected to remain steady. The Reserve Bank is tipped to keep it unchanged at 5.5% at its next review at 2pm today. Economists and commentators remain divided on whether there will be further hikes in the current cycle. Investment Strategist and Economist at Jarden, John Carran, told Mike Hosking that inflation has been a bit weaker than expected. He said that the labour markets have started to cool quite materially. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former senior National Party Minister is weighing in on the stir caused by new the Deputy Prime Minister at the first Cabinet meeting. Winston Peters called the $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund provided during Covid a "bribe". He told reporters to "tell the public what they had to sign to get the money". Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking that it's a bit of 'Winston being Winston', although some people do have genuine concerns. He says the media put itself in this position by taking the money in the first place, which wouldn't have happened in his time. NZME's funding agreement included acknowledgement of absolute editorial independence. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oz Clarke is one of the world's leading wine experts. Clarke has been writing about wine since the 80's, starting as Britain's Sunday Express' first wine writer, and then moving over to become the Daily Telegraph's first Wine Correspondent. He's written over forty books on the topic, recently releasing another: 'Oz Clarke’s Story of Wine: 8000 Years, 100 Bottles.' Clarke has been wandering New Zealand, reacquainting himself with the best the industry has to offer, speaking at two inaugural winegrowers events as he does so. He was last here in 2016, and told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking that since his last visit he's seen confidence come back into Chardonnay. "It's about time," he said. "New Zealand makes fantastic Chardonnay, a lot of the best Chardonnay in the world." Clarke says it comes down to the fruit New Zealand winemakers have available to them. "I often say to winemakers, 'don't be frightened of it.'" "People would love to have the fruit that you have in New Zealand." He placed an emphasis on New Zealand wines being different to those produced elsewhere, admitting to Hosking that he's "full of excitement." "So my general feeling is that, that the place is in a pretty good, good state." New Zealand is known for its Sauvignon Blancs, and while there is an idea that the popularity can't last, Clarke doesn't necessarily agree. "The Sauvignon Blanc is not going to fade away, so long as you go on making it well." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's three little things I am enjoying about the new Government so far. The first is the media imploding about the use of Māori language. Winston Peters didn’t help with his claim at Government House yesterday that the media were bribed by the previous Government. That is categorically not true. But a lot of what Winston says has the seeds of some sense about them. What he is commenting on is the media's shocking performance around neutrality these past six years and especially the first three years and their lovefest over Jacinda Ardern. The $55 million broadcasting fund he refers to did not buy favour. But it went into an industry that already favoured the people who gave them the money so you can see how those who want to see what they want to see, get to think Winston has a point. The second is the tertiary fees deals. It hasn't got a lot of coverage, given a lot has happened. But handing out a year for free at the end of the study was what we all collectively said when Labour, for reasons best known to themselves, decided to make it the first year. “Next year's on me,” said Ardern. Do you remember that vacuous nonsense? Most of us questioned why you would give it out year one when people get to try university for nothing, then walk away when it's not for them, leaving us stuck with the bill. Why not make it an incentive? Six years on there's a touch of good, old common sense. The third thing is wool. Government departments must prioritise wool, which the Education Department didn’t last year because they bought American and artificial to essentially save themselves money. In a true centre-right Government the market would win, efficiency would win and cheap would win. But there are times in life you want the influence to pick winners. New Zealand is about farming. It's about sheep and it's about wool. We have the best wool in the world. Can it beat plastic when it comes to the price for flooring? No. But neither can Savile Row beat Marks & Spencer. But, sometimes backing quality for quality's sake is worth the price and wool, like farmers, has had a hell of a time. But merino has shown there is money to be made and Italy is interested, so the rest of the wool sector can be lifted by a Government backing something profoundly local and of the best quality. See, it's only Tuesday and already things look brighter. And we haven't even had our first Cabinet meeting yet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six French teenagers are going on trial, accused of complicity in the murder of a teacher who showed students cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a class about freedom of expression. They were between 13 and 15 years old when teacher Samuel Paty was stabbed and beheaded in 2020 by a Chechen refugee. They're accused of slander and pointing the teacher out to the killer at the school. If found guilty, they could face up to two and a half years behind bars. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tauranga City Council is listening to frustrated residents, hitting the brakes on changes to bus lanes and parking. Commission Chair Anne Tolley told Mike Hosking that a pause is necessary, and the council won't rush ahead with the Cameron Road roll out of part-time bus lanes. She says that although transitioning to public transport is important, it's not the right time to go ahead with the works. Anne Tolley says the council need to have the community on side. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new $200 million development in Otago's Arrowtown is aiming to put the region on the map as a global food destination. The Ayrburn project is taking shape on a 60-hectare farm, with the first stage opening next Friday. It includes four hospitality venues and an outdoor events space. Project Developer, Chris Meehan, told Mike Hosking that he believes it's one of the area's most important tourism infrastructure developments in 30 years. He believes it's a destination spot for Queenstown visitors, and somewhere people will visit multiple times throughout their trip. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new Health Minister is vowing not to undertake major structural change to the health system, with the exception of disestablishing the Māori Health Authority. The health system reforms, including the scrapping of the 20 DHBs and replacing them with Te Whatu Ora, was widely criticised by National in Opposition. Shane Reti told Mike Hosking that the sector is tired. He says the College of GPs have told him if he makes major changes, they'll fight him, so there'll be a period where they stabilise things and provide a clear direction of travel. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Early childhood centres are stretched as they deal with more children with learning and behavioural challenges. The Educational Institute says the increase has meant waiting lists for specialist support are far too long. It's thought there could be a connection between the issue and children experiencing Covid lockdowns early in life. Speech and language therapist Conor Fraser told Mike Hosking that the services have been stretched for a long time. She says this year, there's been a 20% vacancy in special education roles. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's had a record number of international students. Numbers hit a record 725,000 this year, a 31% increase on the year before. Australia's government is facing pressure to cap the number as the country deals with high inflation and a housing crisis. Universities New Zealand Director Chris Whelan told Mike Hosking that New Zealand isn't at Australia's figures, but interest in coming here is up. He says compared with the UK or Canada that never closed their borders over Covid, they hit their growth targets 18 months into the pandemic. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon is heading to his first Cabinet meeting today with a pledge to reduce the public service headcount and redirect resources to the new government's agenda. The Prime Minister says he wants to find savings of 6.5% from the public sector. JMI Wealth Director Andrew Kelleher told Mike Hosking that that's likely to push up unemployment and ease pressure on the tight labour market. He says unemployment was already lifting before the election, but the change of government could contribute to that trend. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First says the new Regional Infrastructure Fund won't be a slush fund. National was critical of the similar Provincial Growth Fund under the previous government, with Deputy Leader Nicola Willis saying it was like spraying a money hose around. New Zealand First MP Shane Jones told Mike Hosking the new 1.2 billion dollar fund will be controlled. He says it will have specific criteria to improve resilience in the regions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Luxon admits many people will be angry with National for giving up, on lifting the foreign buyer ban. He told Mike Hosking it's a concession he needed to make in coalition negotiations, and it won't stop the new government from cutting taxes. Luxon says all three parties have committed to tax relief for low and middle income earners. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour says he will be cutting red tape from farming to finance in his new role as Minister for Regulation. He'll take on the newly created portfolio alongside Associate Minister roles in Health and Education. Seymour told Mike Hosking he will be looking over new regulations to check if they have a solid cost-benefit analysis behind them. LISTEN ABOVESee 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. The deal: 7/10 About time. Although in saying that; The deal in the grand scheme of things: 8/10 18 days post votes counted, for a first time three way Government, complete with egos and early aggro. Come on, that’s pretty good. Top Gear: 3/10 There is little enough great telly left these days, killing off the stuff so many watched has got to be painful. Joe Biden: 81 It's not the number, it's what it looks like. That’s his problem, when he is 82 and it's election year. Las Vegas: 6/10 They got saved by the race, but F1 is too big and too important to have that sort of shambles on display at an elite level. Auckland Transport: 1/10 $470,000 for a pedestrian crossing tells you how mad it's all become, how out of control it all is and how unaccountable too many people are. Israel: 6/10 It seems wrong to mark a war, but a pause and a deal is better than what we have seen. Pies: 5/10 Debate of the week in some respects. Is a free pie a nice gesture, or hundreds of thousands of dollars we don’t have of waste? Kate Hawkesby: any number you want/10 A sad day for Newstalk ZB and listeners, as one of the industry's very best talents walks away. I am hoping it's only for a while. Believe me, this industry is shockingly short of great personalities and her exit hasn’t helped. I am working hard on a return. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So it turned out OK. Well, this part at least. A deal is done, the pens and papers getting rolled out today and we have a Government. You have to say, 20 days on from the final vote is not bad going. There is a lot of weird democracy going on in the world. If you look at Argentina or Spain or Holland in just the past couple of weeks alone, the fact that some got exercised over 20 days in a free and fair election reminds us we don’t know how lucky we are. As it has been pointed out, three parties in Government is a first in Cabinet, bound together by what I assume is a moderately detailed document. You have to commend, firstly, Chris Luxon. The media gave him a ridiculous serve over his mergers and acquisition claims. Even if you suggest, and I probably do, that he shouldn’t have spruiked his credentials 20 days shows, details pending, he delivered. But that is the Luxon story so far isn't it? The media, who have been shockingly exposed these past six years over their bias, decided Luxon was a clown, couldn't connect, didn’t know politics and was set for a fall. Yet, look at the proof. He fixed National, won the election and stitched together a three party deal in less than three weeks. You also have to commend David Seymour and Winston Peters. There were no leaks, plenty of professionalism and Seymour, as I have said, gets extra kudos for being pretty available to tell us, within constraint, what was going on. The potential here is huge. MMP has been ropey. Too many deals have not been delivered, too many people have fallen out and too many parties have been punished, even vanished, as part of deals. This one might end up the same. But my gut says it's got a better-than-even chance of actually being a hit. There is genuine good will and genuine common purpose, with people who have a combination of real world experience, political experience and plain, old zeal to get this country, this once great country currently battered and hobbled, back on its feet and firing. There are details, jobs, policies and compromises to come. But at this stage - let's get into it, let's sort some stuff and let's wish them well. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Niagara Falls' Rainbow Bridge is set to reopen tomorrow after the car explosion on the US-Canada border. Two people were killed when their car sped up and flew into a security checkpoint from crashing into a pylon. Authorities were initially on high alert with terror-related fears due to the mass travel ahead of Thanksgiving. US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that they have since determined it wasn't terror related. He says the two victims, a New York couple, were heading to a KISS concert. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wellington Phoenix look ready to put up a fight to hold onto their Auckland fan base. The club's A-League double header at Mount Smart Stadium tomorrow is likely the Phoenix's last venture to Auckland in the near future, as the Super City prepares to house its own franchise from next year. Phoenix GM David Dome told Mike Hosking that despite their absence further north, they're not ready to relinquish their followers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tens of thousands of shoppers are expected to hit the malls for Black Friday sales today and over the weekend. Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young told Mike Hosking that sales and card spending has been down in 2023. She says Black Friday will be a much-needed cash injection for struggling businesses. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Whatu Ora is standing by its $100 million consultant spend. Former boss Rob Campbell says the $102 million spent on consultants in the year to July is excessively high. This is despite it dropping from $139 million the year prior. Chief People Officer Andrew Slater told Mike Hosking that they've tightened where they're using contractors and consultants and are focusing on making sure they have the appropriate expertise. He says it doesn't make sense to have some of these skills in house all the time. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The finer details of the incoming government will be revealed today - including who becomes Deputy Prime Minister. The leaders of National, ACT, and New Zealand First have been hashing out the details of the partnership. Political Editor Jason Walls told Mike Hosking that he doesn't expect the incoming Government to split the role of Deputy Prime Minister between David Seymour and Winston Peters. He says they talked to Peters yesterday, who said that's never been done before in New Zealand history. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police cybercrime unit is investigating the origin of threatening emails. Schools and hospitals around the country received the emails yesterday. Police are confident they pose no threat. Police Association president Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking that these things always need to be taken seriously, and there has to be a thorough threat assessment. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The outgoing Trade Minister is adamant that the country's new FTA with the EU is necessary. The agreement has been passed by the European Parliament and is expected to come into force early next year. However, meat and dairy farmers have criticised the limited gains we've secured, which saw Australia pull out of a deal last month. But Damien O'Connor told Mike Hosking the reality is that we can't just shut up shop to free trade. He says if we don't have it it'll cost us all a lot more money, make us less efficient, and lead to poor use of our resources. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in 2008 two kiwis created Invivo with the intention of bringing New Zealand wine to the world. Sarah Jessica Parker joined the team back in 2019, and their wine collaboration is now wildly successful, their Sauvignon Blanc the fastest growing Premium Sauv currently available in the United States. A third wine for the collection is releasing soon, this time a Pinot Noir. Parker told Mike Hosking that when it comes to her business endeavours, she prefers to be directly involved. “It allows me to be enthusiastic about what I’m doing and talking about it,” she told the Newstalk ZB host. “It also just simply allows me to know about the business of fragrance, the business of wine.” Parker said she’s directly involved with the creating the blends, the marketing strategies, the meetings with distributers. “It’s just, for me, better for business.” She said she prefers to be in a position where she knows about her products and can keep learning. “I have friends that, initially, have known far more about wine than I did.” Parker confessed. “They would be the type of people at dinner where I would, if a server came with a wine menu, I would be turning the menu over to them.” She told Hosking that these friends were much more well-versed in wine than she was, but since her collaboration with Invivo they’ve been coming to her for bottles. "’Bring some Rosé,’ or ‘bring the Sauvignon Blanc,’ and hopefully soon they’ll be saying ‘bring the Pinot Noir.’” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allbirds co-founder Tim Brown remains bullish he can steady the ship. The company's shares dived to a new low of US-80 cents in post-market trading earlier this month, a long way from its $26.03 high after its debut two years ago. It also forecasts its Christmas revenue will be around 15 to 22% percent lower than the same time last year. But Brown told Mike Hosking that their idea has been resilient for so long, and it will soon pay dividends. He says their focus on sustainability and natural materials is part of where the world's going, and there's some extraordinary opportunities to come. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a threat of legal action in Auckland. It involves a group called 'Save Queen Street Society' and the council. The council is selling a parking building and with it, its almost 2000 car parks. The society has what they think is a better plan and one that will net the council a better return and save some car parks. They are potentially suing under a rule that says councils must consider all options when making decisions. The frustration is driven by the zealousness of most major councils in urban New Zealand to get cars out of cities, despite the fact we mainly love cars and have not, and will not, give them up. All that has unfolded over the years, as it has become increasingly hard to enter the CBD, is we go to the local mall where parking is plentiful, it's undercover and often free when you shop. Mall owners deal in the real world. Councils deal in ideology. To say downtown Auckland is a mess is to understate the matter in fairly spectacular fashion. We see it in Wellington with the farcical 'Let's Get Wellington Moving' and the ongoing destruction of the Golden Mile, a project still going ahead because the council knows best, even though 'Let's Get Wellington Moving' is dead. They all want us to look like some sophisticated European city, with our e-scooters and trams to enjoy croissants and pedestrian walking spaces. The fact public transport is as shambolic as their thought process doesn’t seem to matter. Those who have to try and make a living in the centre of our cities are dying. As Viv Beck of Heart of the City wrote the other day in yet another of her exasperated articles, there are 25% fewer people in the city. Why do you reckon that is? Wellington is a ghost town because the civil servants never came back and those who did got sick of the trains breaking down, and the buses getting cancelled, and there being nowhere to park. Christchurch, yet again, might be an exception. Maybe they can make it work. But the arrogance of councils is born of our lack of interest. We don’t vote, we don’t care and that’s on us, and councils know it. Look at Lower Hutt this week and their astonishing Petone vote. What a bunch of condescending tossers. They thumb their noses at us. They do as they please because they can, and in doing it, they wreck places. Watch this space on the downtown carpark. Hopefully the 'Save Queen Street Society' actually get to save Queen Street. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamilton-based aeronautical engineers have developed a new multi-million dollar aircraft to help fight the impacts of climate change. The new 750 XL SuperPac, which can take off without a sealed runway, has been designed to assist in controlling wildfires and offer humanitarian aid. NZAero CEO Stephen Burrows says the plane has taken seven years to develop at a cost of $10 million He told Mike Hosking that they’re one of only nine turboprop manufacturers in the entire world. Burrows said their aircraft is lighter, more agile, climbs better, and its tricycle undercarriage makes it easier to land and manuever on the ground than its competitors. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost a half of over 50s are worried about how little they have to leave to their loved ones. The NZ Seniors Legacy Report shows 41% of Kiwis are concerned about not leaving behind as much wealth as they'd like when they die. It also found 37% of those surveyed are transferring their wealth before they die, as opposed to leaving it as an inheritance. Family lawyer Vicki Ammundsen says people are feeling guilty if the figure in their will isn't large. She says while on one hand people want to be remembered for more than just money, when it came to executing that, it got put back in monetary terms. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More squeeze on tenants as rents around the country surge over by an average of 6%. The latest CoreLogic housing stats show rental growth's running at historically high levels, rising 6.1% in the year to October. It's roughly double the average growth rate over that same period, which is 3.2%. Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson says high levels of migration is one of the main drivers. He says wages have risen and the supply side has been tight as investors haven't been adding more to their stock of rental properties. Davidson says this rise in rents is mainly driven by demand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A political commentator thinks the incoming government could have a 'standoff mentality,' based on coalition talks. Christopher Luxon and David Seymour are back in the capital, and it's thought that Winston Peters will join them today. The role of Deputy Prime Minister has not yet been announced but Nicola Willis has ruled herself out. Political Commentator and former United Future leader Peter Dunne told Mike Hosking that we're getting an insight into how the government might function when it's finally formed. He says if it's seen to be a cumbersome, awkward arrangement, that's a long-term problem for the government. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some Israeli hostages will soon be released, as well as Palestinian prisoners. Israel's cabinet has agreed to a four day pause in fighting in exchange for the release of 50 women and children hostages taken by Hamas. The agreement includes Israel releasing 150 Palestinian prisoners. CBS correspondent Linda Gradstein told Mike Hosking that Israel's said it is open to extending the truce, but only a little bit. She says Israeli officials, including the Prime Minister, have repeatedly stressed that Israel intends to go back to the fighting after. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's Mark Mitchell says he has a flavour of what's coming in terms of law and order policy in the next Government. National, ACT, and New Zealand First have struck policy deals and are now discussing ministerial positions. But Mitchell told Mike Hosking he's staying tight-lipped on the detail. He says the respective teams have worked together to make sure the policies are aligned, and there's agreement in the different spokesperson's areas. Labour’s Megan Woods told Hosking that when it comes to who will get the role of Deputy Prime Minister, they just have to wait and see. She said that Labour is ready to hand over the keys, and who takes what ministerial role will be revealed when they do. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The deputy Prime Minister debate has begun to occupy the bored. Who will it be? David Seymour, Winston Peters or Nicola Willis? As the jobs at the highest level get divvied up there are some jobs to pay attention to and deputy Prime Minister isn't one of them. Firstly, the job issue is partly resolved by the size of the Cabinet, and the beauty of the size of Cabinet is it can pretty much be whatever size you want. Previous Governments set a precedent of sorts. You don’t want to make it look like you’ve invented portfolios, but the number of ministers in the high 20's seems to be a fair, old guess. Then you have the inside/outside Cabinet jobs, the Minister of whatever outside Cabinet and deputy ministers. By the time you have added all those jobs together that’s a lot of jobs to go around and, more importantly in an MMP deal of three parties, plenty of baubles to assuage the angsty. As regards deputy Prime Minister, the Carmel Sepuloni/Kelvin Davis deal sort of shows that it doesn’t matter. We spent the last three years completely confused over who was deputy leader of a party vs deputy leader of a country. There is no point getting too exercised about who gets what from what party because in many cases whoever gets whatever they get will be a vast improvement on what we had. I think Nanaia Mahuta in foreign affairs was surely the most bizarre and shockingly thought through appointment of the modern political age. I am also looking for rough proportion. 38% for National vs 8% for Act and 6% for NZ First. So, on those numbers, well under half the portfolios should go to Act and NZ First. You need common sense in some jobs. Mark Mitchell as Police Minister, for obvious reasons. We already know Nicola Willis will be Finance Minister. Is there a Treasurer? If there is, does that look like an invented role like it did last time? Foreign affairs is important. Education and health are important. With massive turnarounds required, they need to be handed to professionals, not look like negotiated favours. But Minister of statistics, racing, internal affairs, local Government, Auckland (if they keep that), commerce and tech are not so much. Although everyone in that sector would argue their importance, they don't make or break Governments. Deputy Prime Minister fits that category as well. It's the fill-in when Christopher Luxon is away, its ceremonial, it's a title. And as we will find out, some are more interested in titles than others. If you know what I mean.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some nurses are giving up in frustration at being overworked. Nurses Organisation Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says around 75,000 nurses have annual practising certificates. But up to 5% are either not working in the sector or aren't in the country. Nuku told Mike Hosking that a nurse goes to work to deliver safe, quality care. She says whenever that's compromised, the nurses become more pressured and decide to leave. Nuku says that's especially the case when it's attractive to go to another job without that pressure or responsibility. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lower Hutt City Council has voted unanimously to correct the historic misspelling of Petone to Pito-one. Mayor Campbell Barry told Mike Hosking that decision-makers will need to get the public on-board with the update. He says that while he acknowledges that there hasn't been widespread engagement with the council, the decision is now in the hands of the New Zealand Geographic Board. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour says the three parties working to form the next government are still negotiating over jobs. National, ACT, and New Zealand First have struck policy deals and are now discussing ministerial positions. The ACT Leader told Mike Hosking that he thinks they'll get it done ASAP. He says they know where the bus is going, it's just a matter of making sure the right people are sitting in the right seats so their skills are used properly. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are signs our annual trade deficit is closing, but not closing enough. Stats NZ data for October shows it reduced to around $14.8 billion from more than $15 billion in September. Exports have also fallen by more than 500 million dollars on last year, while imports were down by $1.2 billion. ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner told Mike Hosking that the gap is narrower, but still significant. She says we've had an overheated economy with a lot of imports, and we're also working through what's been stocked up from shipping disruptions. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good news at Wellington Airport, where a backlog of disrupted flights is being cleared. Airport Operations Duty Manager Tim Ferguson told Mike Hosking that he's glad they're able to resume service but warns passengers should still expect some disruption after this week's fog. He says the backlog should clear in a couple of days. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An increase in Transpower's transmission charges looks to be on the cards. The state-owned enterprise has submitted its proposed spending to the Commerce Commission for the five years starting April 2025. The charges would rise from 8% to 10% of the average household electricity bill, or about $7 a month. Chief Executive Alison Andrew told Mike Hosking that it would help pay for the near $5 billion costs ahead for the national power grid. She says it will pay for upgrades to ageing assets nearing the end of their life, which would ensure the safe and reliable performance of the grid. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dara Ó Briain is bring his comedy back to kiwis. The Irish comedian has shows in both Auckland and Wellington this weekend as part of his ‘So... Where were we?’ tour. Ó Briain told Mike Hosking the key to live comedy is making every show different from the last. He says comedy shows need to draw from the audience, rather than just follow a set script. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does stepping down have a gender component to it? Who would know. But you could argue, especially in this day and age, that the resignation of Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, the CEO of Optus, is a very clear sign of the buck stopping at the top. Female leaders are leading the way when it comes to responsibility for their actions, and it comes at the same time we didn’t get a resignation from a man. It took a rolling of Hamish McLennan from Australian rugby. Both made horrific errors, both were in charge of catastrophic cock-ups, and both had most of Australia calling for their heads. But only one did the right thing. It's often the case. We are very quick to criticise those at the top. It looks easy being the boss of stuff, you get big money, big power and, most of the time, nothing catastrophic happens. Your success or otherwise is dealt with behind closed doors, by boards who hold you accountable for KPI's and goals and various other bits and pieces that the wider world never really sees, nor cares much about. But in these two exceedingly high-profile cases what is, or should never be forgotten, is the cold, hard truth that you are only one mistake away from calamity. Sport is important to countries like Australia and New Zealand and being able to use your phone and internet is kind of up there as well. No one would have been able to name the head of Optus, the same way most of us don’t know who heads Spark, or the chair of the NZ Rugby board. But in Australia you become a household name overnight when you're in charge of the mess. McLennan looked like a prat. He made a captain's call on Eddie Jones, not unlike NZ made a call on Scott Robertson over Ian Foster. That is yet to play out fully. For Eddie, we all know what happened, but someone left behind had to pay for that. McLennan, despite it being his call, didn’t want to go so he got rolled, and rightly so, and looks like the miserable sod he is. To Rosmarin's credit she owned it, fronted the Senate committee last week and quit yesterday. She didn’t pull the plug or mess up the software, but she ran the company that looked for about 10 hours a week or so back, like a third-world shambles. At the time she didn’t front and when she did, she was shocking, the Government bailed her out and the public wanted her gone. She did the right thing The lesson is leadership comes in all shapes and sizes and all forms. You lead on good days and bad. Knowing when to quit and how to act honourably is a skill. Both are gone. But only one did it the right way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s some good news for kiwis in need of a doctor. The Royal College of General Practitioners will see their highest intake of specialist GPs next year. 239 graduates are starting their program, making a 25% increase. College President Samantha Murton told Mike Hosking that while it’s an enormous boost to the overall numbers, they still need lots more people to come in. She said they need 317 people a year to ensure everyone can get appointments when needed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Body cameras and fog cannons have been introduced to Woolworths stores as part of new security measures. The supermarket giant is reporting a 131% rise in physical assaults on staff in the past six months, compared to the same time last year. Fog cannons have been rolled out in stores which have seen multiple break ins, while body cameras are being trialled in ten stores. Spokesperson Denva Wren told Mike Hosking that they're used as a deterrent and have so far been used for minor events. However, she says, they're seeing behavioural changes from aggressive customers when they have been activated. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calls for more sensible spending on road safety in Auckland. Auckland Transport is spending an average of $470 thousand for each of the 27 new signalised pedestrian crossings as part of its road safety scheme. Spokesperson Mark Lambert says despite the high cost, they're necessary in areas of high safety risk like schools. But Auckland City Councillor Maurice Williamson told Mike Hosking that his time as Transport Minister shows it can be done for much cheaper. He says they spent nowhere near that amount of money on the photo driver's licence, and he claims the road toll came down every year as a direct result. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The manner of talks to form a government could be a sign for the next term. National, ACT, and New Zealand First have remained tight-lipped on the policy details as they continue to work towards finalising a governing deal. Former National Party Deputy Leader Paula Bennett told Mike Hosking that that suggests they're working respectfully together. She thinks that holds true for what they're going to try to do over the next three years: have the conversations among themselves, and then come out strongly in agreement. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Advocates are warning about the prevalence of online gambling among high school students. An investigation by Newstalk ZB has found young people are betting on sport and online casino sites during the school day. Problem Gambling Foundation spokesperson Andree Froude told Mike Hosking that gambling at school is becoming increasingly common. She says gambling has become normalised among these groups. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tour bus access to one of the best views in the country is being restricted due to safety concerns. Signs stating 'no coaches' were placed in the Lake Clearwater hut settlement by the Ashburton District Council in June. It's been amended to ban coaches over 20 seats following a hearing. Ashburton Mayor, Neil Brown, told Mike Hosking that it's been problematic for Bach owners. He says the road is unsealed and the buses create dust, making it a safety issue. Brown says the buses now park at the main road and passengers walk 300 metres to the lake's edge. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Details remain scarce on how far along coalition negotiations are. Incoming Prime Minister Chris Luxon says National, Act and New Zealand First have about three issues to settle. The trio have been meeting in Auckland since Wednesday, where Luxon now believes they'll stay for the next few days. Act Leader David Seymour told AM a deal could be struck 'any day now'. Although, Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls told Mike Hosking it appears progress stalled over the weekend. He says it's been the Peters-Luxon show the entire team, with the pair going in and out of meetings saying how close a deal is every time, but giving nothing further. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders with ADHD, are being forced to switch medication, after supply chain issues have meant that a popular drug is no longer available. Four thousand people no longer have access to Teva [tee va] , a popular stimulant drug used to treat ADHD, and have been left scrambling to adjust to alternative medication. ADHD New Zealand's Darrin Bull told Mike Hosking the issue isn't going away anytime soon. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.