The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Israel is hopeful of reaching a deal with Hamas to release hostages in the "coming days". Correspondent Haggai Matar told told Mike Hosking that there are lots of rumours going around, but little is known for certain. He says there is some talk about a deal of 50 to 80 people being released, including women, children and migrant workers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the weirdest debates of the modern age, and one that doesn’t seem to want to go away, is this business of pay transparency. It's been back in the headlines once again this week. In some places in America they have rules and if you don’t comply they fine you. Not surprisingly, it's in the more liberal states like California, which I assume gives you an insight of what the whole idea is all about. It's essentially communism - by everyone knowing what everyone earns we are all equal and in being equal life is fair. As part of the push for transparency it is suggested by those in the recruitment game that jobs with advertised salaries attract more applications. It's hardly a surprise, given if you don’t know what you are dealing with, why would you bother? But in reality the way you get around that is salary bands. You advertise a decent size band and that way it is open to negotiation around experience and skill. Some in the recruitment game argue a job should come with a salary, not the "person". How they argue that with a straight face I have no idea. The person who cooked your vindaloo last Friday can cook and is paid to do so, but is he worth the same as Gordon Ramsay? . So is it the job or the person? Income is about talent, although not always. In some cases you would struggle to separate out a bus driver, therefore they are paid the same. Teachers who you can separate out in terms of talent should be paid on talent, but aren't. That is why, in part, our education system is so hopelessly lacking in results. But many many jobs are not just "jobs". They are endeavours driven by skill, experience and talent and that is why you pay some more than others. And because that is, in part, open to interpretation it is madness to have everyone in on the debate. The greatest hurdle of all is the human condition. Of course we would love to know what everyone earns. Who wouldn’t? But, like the card trick, once you know it's ruined. It's ruined because you are furious, or ropeable, or insulted, or devastated, or feel robbed, or elated, or shocked, depending of course on what you have just found out. Is the person next to you, who is a doofus, getting more than you and if they are what sort of scandal is that? And so it goes. The lesson is - be careful what you wish for.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a new twist in the recruitment methods of The Hilton Australia. Instead of a traditional CV, the company is asking for candidates to create a short video demonstrating how they’d go above and beyond for their guests. The video would then be uploaded as a public TikTok. Founder of Role Call, Vanesha Din, told Mike Hosking that while she is concerned about the privacy issues, she does think it is a positive move. She said that there needs to be a change in how companies are engaging with their future workforce as they want to choose work in a different way than what’s currently being offered. Din said as long as this video method is supported by a really good hiring process and still includes other methods of applying, it could be a positive decision. 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. The Government: 4/10 For the third week - what Government? David Seymour: 7/10 Star of the show so far. He's been cordial, collegial and, within constraint, has kept us up to date. Winston Peters: 3/10 Nothing changes. Chris Luxon: 6/10 Could be higher if he delivers. But the pressure and expectation now grows by the day. Ginny Andersen: 4/10 Clearly she is not Snow White, but by the end of the angst and allegations I don’t think the scandal was there that some in the media were hoping for. Congestion charges: 2/10 When you look at London and still want to go ahead you are driven by ideology, not reality or common sense. McDonalds and Crocs: 2/10 You should be ashamed of yourselves. The Beatles: 7/10 New record and a new record, for the record. Another number 1 with a 60 year gap since the last. That's cool. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Breast cancer experts are hopeful after a new study has shed light on how pre-existing medication could be used to prevent the disease. A hormone drug that is currently prescribed to treat cancers in older women has been found to also have preventative qualities when given to those with family history of breast cancer. Adele Gautier from the Breast Cancer Foundation told Mike Hosking that it's promising. She says that unlike quitting smoking or applying sunscreen, breast cancer has, until now, had no obvious preventative measures. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s believed that US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping's relationship still has a way to go. The pair have met in San Francisco around APEC, where they discussed disrupting fentanyl drug production, resuming military communications, and assessing AI risk. Biden has since doubled down on his comments calling Xi a dictator. Otago University international politics expert Nicholas Khoo told Mike Hosking that there's very basic structural problems in the relationship. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Joe Biden is calling talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping constructive and productive. The pair have met in San Francisco, committing to resuming military communications and investigating AI risks. They've also agreed to reduce the flow of precursor chemicals from China to counter the US's fentanyl drug crisis. On China's side, US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Xi criticized what he called America's efforts to contain China's growth. He said that the two are engaging with each other but many of the key issues are still unsettled. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s believed that Auckland's surging rental prices won't stop anytime soon. According to global realtor and research firm Knight Frank, it's among the top three most expensive cities to rent in. The price for prime property has risen 6% in the six months to September, second to Sydney and Singapore. Aspire Property Management Managing Director Mike Atkinson told Mike Hosking that migrant arrivals continue to push prices. He says properties are still renting after about a fortnight on the market, even with raised prices, so rents will probably continue to go higher. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scepticism about the Reserve Bank's plan to add muscle so it can intervene in the currency market. It's buying and borrowing more foreign currency assets to protect the economy from a big shock. Former Westpac Treasurer Jim Reardon says it's an idea that sounds good in theory but would have very little value. He told Mike Hosking that he's not sure the bank has enough resources to affect the market enough. Reardon says history has shown the market will correct itself. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Luxon, Winston Peters, and David Seymour appear to be getting very close to a deal for forming the new government. Talks continued into the night in central Auckland and are set to resume today, Luxon and Peters describing the meetings as professional, but robust. Political Editor Jason Walls told Mike Hosking that having a deal reached by Sunday isn't completely out of the question. He says they're now working on policy specifics and cabinet positions, which are usually left until the end of negotiations. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dolly Parton is a music legend. Her career spans 50 years, 11 Grammys, countless country music awards, and over a hundred-million records sold worldwide. She’s released over seventy albums, and since her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she’s decided to live up to the title and release a rock album. So she joined Newstalk ZB’s Hosking to talk her 49th studio album, Rockstar. It features both original songs as well as covers of iconic hits, and on 27 of the 30 tracks Parton is accompanied by a whole cast of music stars. When it came to building the album, Parton told Mike Hosking that it started with choosing songs she especially loved. “Then you think, well, am I gonna be able to sing this song good and make the rock person that I’m stealing from proud?” She said that she didn’t want to be just another country artist who made a rock album. “If I’m gonna do a rock album, I’ve got to do it well enough to where the rock world will think, ‘Wow. You know, that’s pretty good.’” While she didn’t get to record in person with every artist who features on the album, there were a few. “That was fun,” Parton told the Newstalk ZB Breakfast host. “To actually get to stand there, get to talk to them after, you know, behind the scenes.” It always seems like every famous person knows each other personally, but Parton revealed that wasn’t the case. “I would actually... couldn’t honestly say I knew anybody other than Cheryl Crow and even Lou Harris.” Dolly Parton’s genre of choice is country, so a rock album was a bit of a departure for her in terms of musical style. She told Hosking that Kent Wells, her musical director and guitar player of over thirty years, told her that if she was going to do this, she had to be true to the genre. “He said ‘you really need to kind of be true to the song, as true to the melody as you can be also, and still be yourself.’” “I tried hard to, to try to stay in my lane so to speak,” she said. These days, most modern albums feature between ten to fifteen songs, with twelve being the standard length. Rockstar has thirty. “I always said I didn’t intend to do 30 songs,” Parton confessed to Hosking. “I was just doing all these songs on a demo scale, and then I just kept doing songs that I really liked.” With the completion of this album Parton’s done with the genre, telling Hosking that she’ll never need to do another rock album. Country music has boomed over the years, the genre growing and becoming more successful globally, and in New Zealand. “I’ve loved watching it grow too, and I’m just proud, you know, that people want to have that title: ‘I’m a country singer, I’m in country music,” Parton told Newstalk ZB. With such an extensive career, last month’s release of her autobiography, and the upcoming release of Rockstar, there is one question: where does she go from here? “I’m very passionate and very energetic and I have to focus that on something, but every new dream kind of spurs on another.” “I have all these chances now that I have my “brand,”” Parton joked. “I can sell cake one day and a rock and roll record on the next.” Although she has plenty to look back on, Parton doesn’t dwell on the past, “I’m still looking to the future.” “I’m gonna go just as long as I can and I’m gonna, I’m gonna create as much as I can,” she told Mike Hosking. She plans to leave as much good in this world as she can, feeling that it’s her duty to make the most of herself. “If I don’t, nobodies gonna do it for me.” Rockstar is released on November 17th.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If a problem is, by and large, one of perception, we seem to have very successfully managed to work ourselves into a weird sort of lather over home ownership. The banks have all been announcing profits in the past week or so and there has been plenty of profit to announce. ANZ in Australia decided to tell us that they feared home ownership is becoming the domain of the rich, and upon hearing that the local CEO of the bank, Antonia Watson, entered the debate suggesting she thought the same thing. Yet, we do this against the backdrop of first home buyers being represented by the largest presence in the market ever; 27% of all home sales go to first timers. Are they all rich? That, I guess, is your first question - what is rich? Who decides what rich is? Is it kept simple by defining it by just house ownership? We forget in our modern-day obsession that home ownership has always been hard. It doesn't mean you had to be rich, but it was always hard. Chris Luxon's story in the campaign debate about him and his wife sitting in a furniture-less lounge in their first house painted the picture of many a first home buyer. I was the same at the age of 18. I had a house but that was all. There is some truth in the idea that expectation has changed. Once two or three beds with a bathroom would do, now it's two bathrooms and a good area for schools, or a deck, or some indoor-outdoor flow. Then you've got the banks themselves, or at least the Reserve Bank. Needing 20% for a deposit in a major city is a couple of hundred grand. Now, that is hard. Harder than it needs to be. 5% is plenty. Housing is a very stable commodity in this country and if you are in a town or city where the average cost is $600,000, 5% is $30,000. That’s doable. For better or worse, we obsess about housing. We think it’s a right, which it never was. But that’s part of the angst and that's why we obsess about prices and builds and consents. The simple truth is for some, housing was always a stretch and always will be. But there are too many of us who started with barely anything, sacrificed hard, did our homework, bought smart and started the climb. You want it? You can do it. The 27% number tells you that is still the reality. The rest, the commentary - that’s just rhetoric. You buy into that, you lose before you start. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland councillors are meeting shortly for a discussion about proposed congestion charges. Mayor Wayne Brown wants to have the charges in place as soon as possible, potentially with discounts for Gold Card holders and people on low incomes. Manurewa-Papakura Councillor Angela Dalton told Mike Hosking that she believes the idea has sufficient enough support around the council table to proceed. Waitakere Councillor Shane Henderson says he's open to the idea as long as it's designed right. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calls for New Zealand to develop more specialist children's hospitals around the country. It follows new research that reveals that Kiwi kids are dying from serious trauma injuries at twice the rate of those in the Australian state of Victoria. In Victoria, children under 16 are sent to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. Here, children are sent to a range of hospitals, depending on their location, with varying levels of care. Lead Researcher Doctor Warwick Teague told Mike Hosking that Australia's system may be key a factor in increasing survival rates for New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headwinds are continuing to hurt the regional economy, with warnings of a primary sector slowdown. Infometrics' latest economic monitor for the three months to September shows economic growth slowing compared to earlier in the year. Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Mike Hosking that population growth has supported some areas like Auckland. He says areas like Northland haven't had as many international arrivals, meaning spending growth hasn't been as solid recently. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's economy looks to be at the front of Xi Jinping's mind ahead of his meeting with Joe Biden. The two are due to meet this morning in San Francisco ahead of the APEC summit, the first time they've met in a year. Xi's visit comes as China's economy is plagued by unprecedented housing prices, and record youth unemployment levels. University of Mary Washington Political Science Professor, Elizabeth Larus, told Mike Hosking that Xi is pleading with US businesses to keep investing in China. She says China can't really do due diligence with US investors as US investment has nearly dried up due to a national security law making investors more cautious. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour says a huge number of issues have been worked through in coalition negotiations and remains bullish a deal could be struck in coming days. The ACT Leader met with National's Christopher Luxon and New Zealand First's Winston Peters for their first three-way meeting at an Auckland hotel yesterday. Peters briefly returned last night, seemingly for further talks. Seymour told Mike Hosking that they've narrowed down what areas of disagreement remain but wouldn't be pressed on specifics. He says all three have promised not to disclose what issues remain, but you can see from the election campaigns what priorities each party has. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Caps are set to play their semifinal match against India tonight, aiming for a spot in the finals. India lost their last four knockout matches against the Black Caps, and the team's hoping to maintain that winning streak. Black Cap Tim Southee told Mike Hosking that whoever turns up over the next couple of games walks away with their hands full. He said that you have to believe you have a chance, that anything can happen. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Rugby's community boss Steve Lancaster has highlighted the effect of the Black Ferns World Cup victory last year on the grassroots game. Women's participation in the playing, coaching, and refereeing sectors has increased in the governing body's latest review. Lancaster told Mike Hosking that the Ferns performed really well and were great role models for young women and girls around the country. He also said there’s been significant investment in infrastructure around the country, the upgraded facilities providing more opportunities to play. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National MP Mark Mitchell is defending his party as the clock ticks on coalition talks. Winston Peters didn't turn up to an expected meeting in Wellington yesterday, so both Christopher Luxon and David Seymour have flown up to Auckland for a meeting today. Mitchell told Mike Hosking that he's putting the delay down to the three-week gap in receiving the special votes. But Labour MP Kieran McAnulty told Mike Hosking that this negotiation has taken longer than most, even though it should have been easier. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A group of Southlanders has come together to save their local pub. Six locals have raised funds for a deposit to buy the Waikaka Royal Hotel. The eastern Southland hotel has been a beloved institution for more than a century, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2018. Waikaka Hotel Enhancement Company Director Jason Cleland told Mike Hosking that they're now looking for community support to sell shares in the pub. He says it's an investment to keep the local watering hole open. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A New Zealand First MP's showing sympathy towards David Seymour's position on Te Tiriti o Waitangi. ACT wants a referendum on Treaty principles, and signalled it's a priority in post-election talks. Shane Jones told Radio Waatea the courts have been liberal in their interpretation of the Treaty, and he understands why Seymour wants it tidied up. Former National Party Treaty Minister Chris Finlayson told Mike Hosking that while he is against the referendum, Jones did raise a good point about the Waitangi Tribunal. The Tribunal was formed in 1975 so, he said, a 50-year review of its role is a good idea. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a view that Winston Peters is playing power games as David Seymour and Christopher Luxon prepare for coalition talks in Auckland. Winston Peters failed to make it to an expected three-way meeting in Wellington yesterday. Former New Zealand First MP Andrew Williams told Mike Hosking that Peters is showing his experience. He said that Peters entered Parliament in 1979, when Luxon was only nine and Seymour was yet to be born. I think, Williams said, that Winston is trying to give them a real lesson in politics 101 and calling the shots. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's controversial Golden Mile project could have its day in court. The Wellington City Council says a judicial review application has been lodged over the contentious transport plan from opposition group Guardians of the Golden Mile. Newstalk ZB has revealed the main contract for the policy is still unsigned more than a month after the election. Guardians of the Golden Mile spokesperson Barry Wilson told Mike Hosking the project is a 'question mark' under the new government. He says they have to ask if it's a wise spend. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Anthony Albanese a genius, or has he landed us with a headache we don’t know how to get out of? In signing up Tuvalu the way he has and offering an easy entry into Australia, who is next? Are we expected to do the same, or similar? If we are, what is the criteria? We save a place from climate change? How does that work? What is the trigger point? When they are knee deep instead of ankle deep? If we are offering them free entry to the country, is that everyone and all their families, whether that family lives on an island or not? If we are offering free entry to New Zealand or Australia does that mean we stop the climate related aid in the meantime, given we have already admitted the end point is a relocation of country? Do we offer welfare if they can't get work when they arrive? Is it open to a change of Government? There are a million questions and not quite that many answers. And the bigger, more overarching question - is it really about climate change or is it really about China, in the sense Tuvalu can't do anything strategically without the say so of Australia? If Australia is now the one-stop shop for geo-political decision making in the Pacific, where is it we fit into that model? What happens if we don’t agree? Can the Solomon Islands sign the same deal despite the fact they already have a deal with China? Does it apply to all the Pacific or just the most vulnerable islands? Does it impact arrangements we already have, like the various worker programmes? Do we just have an open door, no barrier, back and forward sort of arrangement from here on in? What about China? In them seeing this do they up the ante and increase the aid and loans and assistance? If they do, do we counter their counter? You might remember one of the first things the Government here of 2017 did, at the behest of Winston Peters, was to hand a billion dollars to the Pacific to help stabilise the relationship and offset the influence of countries like China. Where has that got us? It seems, whether because of the weather or foreign interest, the Pacific has become a marketplace and the bidding is hot. The implications for us are enormous and I'm not even sure we are paying attention. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Cameron has been named the UK's new Foreign Secretary. It comes seven years after he quit as PM over the outcome of his Brexit referendum. King Charles has approved giving Cameron a seat in Britain's House of Lords, allowing him to return to government as a minister despite no longer being an elected MP. France Correspondent, Catherine Field, told Mike Hosking that there is relief in various places in Europe that the new Foreign Secretary is a moderate. She said that they’re pleased that it’s someone they know, and someone who is going to speak their language. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liam Lawson will fill a key role for both Red Bull teams as his wait for a Formula One seat continues. He recorded a best placing of ninth, filling in at Alpha Tauri for five races in his debut year. Director of both Red Bull Racing and Alpha Tauri, Helmut Marko, told Mike Hosking that the 21-year-old still has room for growth. Marko says Lawson will need to be patient in pursuit of a fulltime drive, with incumbents contracted until the end of next year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A UK political commentator says appointing David Cameron to the Foreign Secretary role is like pulling a dead rabbit out of a hat. The former British PM has been appointed as part of a major cabinet reshuffle, sparked by the removal of Home Secretary Suella Braverman. It was after she wrote an op-ed accusing the police of double standards in handling protests. UK Political Commentator Rod Liddle says Cameron's Brexit stance will alienate some Conservative Party voters. He told Mike Hosking that firing Braverman could come back to haunt Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Liddle says that while she was fiery, she echoed the views of many voters. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The early reopening of State Highway 25A is being called a 'game-changer' for the Coromandel Peninsula economy. The route between Kōpū and Hikuai was severed in Cyclone Gabrielle. A new 124-metre bridge that now spans the resulting abyss will open by December 20, three months earlier than expected. The tourism-reliant area suffered a severe economic downturn as a result of the extra effort required to get there. Thames-Coromandel Mayor, Len Salt, told Mike Hosking that some of their hospitality operations have already booked out for this year's holiday period and are taking bookings for next year. He said that the official date gives both businesses and visitors certainty. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tolerance of Israel's actions from the international community is running thin. The Gaza Health Ministry says more than 11,000 people have been killed in the territory since October 7th. Geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller says there's probably two or three weeks before calls for a ceasefire will become too strong for the Israeli operation to continue. Miller told Mike Hosking that western allies are running out of patience. He says French President Emmanuel Macron has called for ceasefire and US representatives are also expressing concerns. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A criminal defence lawyer thinks common sense has prevailed as deportations from Australia plummet. New Zealand Police data shows an average of 18 people a month have been deported to New Zealand in the past year. It's a decrease from a high of just under 44 in mid 2018. Lawyer Marie Dyhrberg told Mike Hosking that it's had a dreadful impact on a lot of people. She says people can be considered as having socially undesirable connections to a group, even without a criminal record. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Objection to the foreign buyers tax could create a tough financial situation for the incoming Government. Newstalk ZB understands coalition negotiations are being held up by disagreements over tax. It's understood New Zealand First has problems with the foreign buyers tax, along with the proposal to redirect the Climate Emergency Response fund. Independent tax expert Geof Nightingale told Mike Hosking that getting rid of that would leave them with few options for raising revenue. He said that without the tax, the Government may look to the public service for savings. Nightingale said that because they campaigned on fiscal prudence borrowing isn't an option, so they will most likely look to make further cuts to spending. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shreyas Iyer and Lokesh Rahul scored attacking hundreds to help India make it nine wins in nine games with a 160-run victory over the Netherlands in the final group-stage match at the Cricket World Cup today. Iyer hit his first World Cup century, scoring 128 not out off 94 balls, while Rahul smashed the fastest Indian hundred at a World Cup, as India piled on the runs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The pair put on 208 runs off 21 overs for the fourth wicket. Rahul scored 100 off 62 balls, beating Rohit Sharma’s 63-ball record against Afghanistan in Delhi earlier in this tournament. In all, the two-time champions had five batters scoring 50-plus in their innings, and finished at 410-4, the fifth highest World Cup total. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gil put on 100 for the first wicket. Virat Kohli was out for 51 but will likely remember this match for claiming his first ODI wicket in almost a decade. Jasprit Bumrah (2-33) and Mohammed Siraj (2-29) shared four wickets as the Dutch were dismissed for 250 in 47.5 overs. India advanced to the semifinals with a perfect 18 points from nine wins. They will play fourth-place New Zealand in the first semifinal at Mumbai on Wednesday. Second-place South Africa will play third-place Australia in the second semifinal at Kolkata the following day. The Netherlands finished 10th in the standings, despite their two upset wins against South Africa and Bangladesh. India made a fast start after Sharma won the toss. Sharma made 61 off 54 balls, including eight fours and two sixes. Gill scored 51 off 32 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes. Gill was first out, holing to square leg off Paul van Meekeren. It brought Kohli to the crease with a loud cheer from the anticipating crowd. Kohli struggled to time the ball properly before finding his rhythm and hitting 51 off 56, including five fours and a six. He went atop the most runs’ standings – 594 in nine matches, ahead of South Africa’s Quinton de Kock (591 runs in nine matches). At the other end, Sharma was out caught at long on as India was down to 129-2 after a fast start. Iyer and Kohli then put on 71 off 66 for the third wicket. Just as Kohli had found his rhythm, Roelof van der Merwe stunned the partisan Indian crowd in the 29th over. He bowled the star batter, who was searching for a record 50th ODI hundred. The score read 200-3 at that time and the Iyer-Rahul stand wasn’t then broken till the final over. Iyer scored his first 50 off 48 balls, and then accelerated to score the next 50 off 36 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes in this part. He scored another 28 off the last 10 balls faced. Rahul was even more impressive in his acceleration. He got to 50 off 40 balls, and then to 100 off another 22 balls – in all, he hit 11 fours and four sixes. India scored 126 runs for one wicket in the final 10 overs to finish with the tournament’s second-highest total. It was also India’s second-highest total in World Cups after 413-5 against Bermuda in 2007. In reply, Netherlands gave a good account but their batting lacked the firepower needed to seriously challenge India’s score. Sybrand Engelbrecht scored 45 off 80, including four fours. He also finished as the Netherlands’ top run-scorer in the tournament with 300 runs in eight games, including two half-centuries. Max O’Dowd (30) and Collin Ackermann (35) put on 61 runs for the second wicket, the highest partnership of the Dutch innings. Their biggest highlight was when Kohli came on to bowl and dismissed Scott Edwards for 17, caught behind down leg side. It was Kohli’s first ODI wicket since January 2014. Sharma wasn’t too far behind, also picking up a wicket. Teja Nidamanuru holed out to long on after scoring 54 off 39 balls, including six sixes. Mohammed Shami went wicketless in his six overs, after picking up 16 wickets in the previous four games. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav (2-41) and Ravindra Jadeja (2-49) made their presence felt.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a world, where increasingly the battle for renewables is being dented if not lost, how wise is it to find a solar farm idea near Lake Tekapo has been rejected because of the environment? You want to 'save the environment' but you can't because of the environment? As Rishi Sunak opens more oil fields because renewables can't cover the gaps, as EV manufacturers pull back investment because demand falls, as many countries don’t know what to do about the increased power demand if more people do buy EVs, as the Australians increasingly worry about what they will actually do about power production, given they don’t have hydro like we do and as we still haven't answered whether we want to spend $16 billion-plus on Onslow as a bucket for dry years, it seems increasingly pointless coming up with ideas that may work at scale and yet they are turned down to protect the very thing we are trying to protect. The Tekapo idea was an 88-megawatt plan over 113 hectares. It would have serviced about 13,000 homes. Now, it may be this project specifically was a bridge too far and in general, it could have worked, but so much of this is open to interpretation and dare we suggest an astonishingly large amount of nimbyism. The problem, according to Environment Canterbury, was the risk of "permanent and irreversible loss of threatened land environments". What does that actually mean? It would also "potentially impact indigenous flora and fauna". Potentially? Well, would it or would it not have? Isn't there "potentially" indigenous flora and fauna everywhere you go in this country? Just what bit of New Zealand are we looking for? The toxic waste dump where nothing has grown for 1,000 years? The renewables game is fraught. On one hand, you have the Government looking at Onslow, a project so big it scares off investors in other ideas, and when investors do have other ideas the authorities look for reasons not to do it. We don't like nuclear. Solar, at scale, needs to avoid mountain, daisies and snails apparently. Wind is a partial solution but is far from the sole answer. And we are a mile behind in offshore wave generation. So shall we stick with Indonesian coal? We either want to sort this or we want to find excuses. How many times do the folks behind the Tekapo solar project and ideas like it, need to be rejected before they say "why would we bother?" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pro-Palestine protests in Melbourne on Friday night were a display of “anti-Semitic, thuggish behaviour” and an attempt to assert primacy over Jewish Australians, the Coalition has claimed. The opposition’s defence spokesman Andrew Hastie made the claims on Sunday morning, as Defence Minister Richard Marles called for “careful language”. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian supporters entered Caulfield, the heart of Melbourne’s Jewish community, on Friday night to demonstrate after a Palestinian-owned burger shop in the suburb was destroyed by fire the night prior. Hash Tayeh, who owns the Burgertory store, has previously attended pro-Palestine rallies, but had also spoken about his recognition of the plight of Israeli people in the wake of Hamas’ October 7 attacks. In an Instagram post on Friday, Mr Tayeh said the incident would “not deter me”. “I am not a coward. My commitment to raising my voice for a ceasefire and peace remains unshaken,” he wrote. While police had said they were “very confident” the blaze had not been racially or politically motivated, pro-Palestine supporters alleged it was a hate crime and called for supporters to gather on Friday night. A clash was sparked after a nearby synagogue was evacuated and Jewish Australians began to counter protest. It escalated into violence and the police had to break up the groups. Organisers of the protest have apologised and claimed they did not realise there was a synagogue in close proximity. Mr Hastie said Friday night had been “an assertion of one group over another for primacy in the public space”, and added it had undermined public safety and public order. “The government has to lead, and they have to give clarity to the Australian people about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable behaviour,” he told Sky News. “We can’t be mealy mouthed about this. We have to be direct and clear. “And for protesters to go into a suburb of Melbourne where we have a lot of Jewish Australians living and to impose themselves upon that group, and to do it in such an anti-social and thuggish way, is just unacceptable.” Mr Marles said Jewish Australians had “never felt less safe” in Australia but welcomed the apology from the Free Palestine group who had organised the protest. “What matters for those of us in positions of leadership is that we are using our voices to turn the temperature down, and that’s actually how we get social cohesion and how we ensure that peace is maintained here in Australia,” he told Sky News. “Jewish Australians have a right to feel safe, be safe in their own country – no ifs and no buts – and that standard applies to every Australian.” Mr Marles said Australians had a right to demonstrate against what was happening in the Middle East and to put pressure on the government, but “social cohesion has to be paramount”. “We do have to look after each other and acknowledge that other Australians are not the focus of the protest,” he said. He said the damage caused to a Melbourne war memorial, coinciding with Remembrance Day on Saturday, was also “unacceptable”. “People have a right to protest the issues that have been raised, and … we live in a country where there is freedom of expression … but people need to take responsibility for the way in which that is occurring,” he said. “Defacing a war memorial does nothing to advance the cause of what’s happening in Gaza. It does nothing to advance the cause of the humanitarian situation … but what it does do is add enormous stress to people seeking to commemorate a very sacred moment in our country’s history.” He said the government was remaining steadfast in its bid to “turn the temperature down”, alluding to growing calls for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza as the death toll in the Palestinian territory continues to climb. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said the government had called for humanitarian pauses as a necessary first step. “We need steps towards a ceasefire because we know that it cannot be one sided,” she told ABC’s Insiders. “Israel should do everything it can to observe international humanitarian law. “We have seen a harrowing number of civilians, including children, killed. This has to end, and we are particularly concerned with what is happening with medical facilities.” Mr Hastie meanwhile threw unequivocal support behind Israel. “Hamas must be destroyed completely,” he said. “I think Israel has shown great restraint … They’ve had people from across the globe calling on them for restraint and they’ve sent warnings to millions of people living in Gaza to evacuate … They’ve given the opportunity to get out of the danger zone. “For people who say that Israel should show more restraint is I think ignoring the problem, which is that Hamas are using civilians as human shields.” - by Ellen Ransley, news.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After nearly 2 years in the making, a Kiwi filmmaker has created a motorsport documentary surrounding racing champion Liam Lawson. The film follows Lawson on his journey to become the fastest-ever racer at both the Highlands and Ruapuna Race Circuits in the Rodin Fzed. Filmmaker Ryan McDonald from MoMac joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humanitarian concerns about the situation in Gaza continue to worsen. CNN reports the healthcare crisis is deepening, with health officials saying Al-Shifa hospital is in a catastrophic situation. Israel says it's ready to evacuate babies from the hospital. The Palestine Red Crescent Society says the second-largest hospital is also out of service. US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking there's increasing concerns in Washington about the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He says Secretary of State Antony Blinken says far too many Palestinians have been killed in the fighting. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time in nearly two years, grocery supplier cost increases have eased. Infometrics data shows the annual rate of growth in October was at 5.4 percent, down from 6.1 percent the month before. Vegetables NZ Chair John Murphy told Mike Hosking the drop shows the momentum is starting to shift. “Right now, our growers are actually saying that they’re sending market to product right around cost price, so it’s a little bit of a dicey one there but really good for consumers.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says coalition talks with NZ First and Act could take up to a week to complete and he’s unlikely to make it to Apec. Luxon had stated his desire to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Leaders’ Summit in the United States this week, which would require a deal to be finalised ahead of a flight on Wednesday evening. Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking, the incoming Prime Minister said that was now not likely. An “awful lot of ground” had been covered in discussions with NZ First and Act, covering the manifestos and full policy positions of all three parties line by line. Discussing every single policy was a huge amount of work, he said. ”We’re very aligned on the big goals but [we have] different policy mechanisms for how we deliver those goals.” Discussions were now into areas that were “a bit crunchier” and discussions about Cabinet posts were underway. But they hadn’t really talked in terms of bottom lines, he said. ”It’s been a bottom-up build of ‘Take us through your manifesto, we’ll take you through ours’.” Speaking to both Hosking and TVNZ’s Breakfast, Luxon repeatedly refused to commit to delivering a foreign buyers’ property tax - claiming the confidentiality of negotiations. He said what voters cared about was the outcome of tax relief to lower and middle-income New Zealanders, and he was absolutely committed to that happening. It comes after various meetings took place over the weekend as National, Act and New Zealand First continued with talks in Auckland after spending time in Wellington last week. It’s understood Christopher Luxon, David Seymour and Winston Peters are yet to meet all together but could have the opportunity to in the coming days with both Seymour and Peters indicating to the Herald on Friday they would return to Wellington at some stage this week. Seymour yesterday was predicting the next government could be formed in time for Luxon to head to Apec on Wednesday. He said representatives of the three parties had worked hard over the weekend but more work was still to be done. “We’re narrowing the range of issues and that gets us closer to an agreement, but it would also be fair to say that we’re not there yet.” Despite the progress made over the weekend, Seymour believed it wasn’t guaranteed Luxon would make it in time for Apec. “Just the sheer amount of administrative stuff that has to happen, checking and cross-checking, makes it a really tight timeline.” However, he was optimistic Kiwis could have their next government decided in a matter of days. “I think there’s every prospect of having a government by the end of the week, but like I say, [government formation] only happens once every three years, every time is different.” It has been speculated one aspect the parties were still working through was National’s $14.6 billion plan to provide tax relief. To achieve that, National campaigned on partially removing the current ban on foreign buyers in the housing market so they could be taxed. Luxon intended to allow homes worth more than $2 million to be bought by foreigners but they would be taxed at 15 per cent. Council of Trade Unions economist Craig Renney said it was possible removing the ban could be a sticking point in negotiations. “I can’t see a universe in which New Zealand First decides it wants to restart selling New Zealand houses to overseas purchasers. “I think one of the key reasons that New Zealand First possibly chose Labour in 2017 was because Labour had proposed a foreign buyers ban, so to do a complete 180 on that in that period of time would seem to be a bit of a stretch and it kind of runs completely counter to the economic philosophy of New Zealand First.” Renney, also a former staffer of Labour finance spokesman Grant Robertson, said some compromise could be found concerning overseas investment in new builds. However, Renney believed that was “pretty well covered” in current legislation. Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eddie Jones has given the strongest indication yet he's keen to take on the Japan rugby coaching job for a second time, admitting he's "definitely interested". Jones departed the Australian post only nine months into his five-year deal after overseeing the Wallabies' shambolic World Cup campaign. Now in Japan on holidays with his wife, Jones has told local media he would jump at the chance to again coach the Brave Blossoms. Former Wallaby, Peter Fitzsimmons, told Mike Hosking that it’s been the most extraordinary saga. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federated Farmers says Fonterra's climate reduction plan is doable but extremely ambitious. Fonterra is aiming to reduce farm emissions 30% by 2030. It will do this through a combination of new technologies, using new and existing vegetation to remove carbon and on farm practices. Federated Farmers President Wayne Langford told Mike Hosking that they’re on track to meet the target already. He said that farmers have been doing a lot of the work already, and some of Fonterra’s numbers show that. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is the Electoral Commission the most useless Government department going? The counting for three weeks, to be fair, is required by law. But when it's done problems have now been found in 15 different places and, unlike the revelation on the first three places, National's vote has been materially affected and has now gone up. What else? There was the issues over voting papers being unavailable on the day as well. There's a growing sense over the past month, remember it is four weeks tomorrow since we voted and to be frank it appears far from being settled, but a growing sense we cocked this up. Recounts, and there are three, aren't the fault of the commission. But given the reputation of the commission they better pray the numbers come back the same, or else there will be more questions. But the most egregious bit from yesterday was the revelation that the Māori seat in Auckland had a voting booth at the marae where the Māori Party candidate is the CEO. So, a candidate and the boss of the place where the polling booth is at. As someone in the Labour party asked -how does that work? Not a bad question. Then we get to the allegation where food was handed out. Food being handed out on a marae is common. But food being handed out at a polling booth raises questions. Not helping the case is the fact the electorate is one of the three involved in a recount. The difference is four votes. Another aspect of it was on the night, election night, the difference was 495 votes to the other side. That's quite the swing on specials. When you take all this and look at it in totality you can see why in places like America the more conspiratorially minded can take one and one and come up with 17. I don’t think we have skullduggery here. But we have a lot of unprofessionalism, we have sloppiness, we have incompetence, and we still don’t have enough answers. Whether by law, rule or just plain common sense, setting up a polling booth at a place where the candidate and CEO works is beyond belief. Yet here we have it. What happens if the recount numbers are different, given one of the reasons for such a long time to count is to allow those counting to get it right? This is a shabby, unholy mess. We have no Government, we have no final count and rules are about to be timed out around ministers carrying on post the election. They expire tomorrow. Do we look second, or third rate? How confident are you that those in charge have any real clue as to what they are supposed to be doing? 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. Vote counting: 2/10 They've told us for years reading and writing and math is an issue in our schools. Did the people who struggled end up at the Electoral Commission? Mt Albert: 3/10 The election review leak whining about everyone except yourself is an insight into what a mess Labour is. Chris Hipkins: 7/10 A good week. He holds the job and, given the hospital pass he got from Ardern, deserves a crack on his own terms. His own terms: 2/10 First thing he does is raise tax talk. Read. The. Room. Chloe Swarbrick: 1/10 Buffoon. Willie Jackson: 1/10 Double buffoon. The new Government: 3/10 What new Government? Christchurch: 7/10 According to this week's survey it's the 10th most popular city in the world to move to. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hollywood's set to burst into life following the end of the actors' strike. The actors' union has reached a tentative agreement with Hollywood studios. The 118-day strike was sparked by demands for increased minimum salaries, a share of streaming service revenue, and protection from being replaced by digital replicas generated by AI. US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that this was the longest strike in the union's history. He says this is a billion-dollar bonus for the actors, with more money to be paid by streaming services, and more control over the use of AI material. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi country music singer Kaylee Bell has won big on the country music world stage. Bell took out the Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award in Tennessee last night, recognising outstanding achievements by a country music artist signed outside the US. She told Mike Hosking that she's living the dream. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour has finally met face-to-face to Winston Peters, but admits it could still be a while before a coalition deal can be struck between National, ACT, and New Zealand First. The ACT Leader told Mike Hosking that there are still some substantive issues of disagreement. He says while a lot of work has been done, the last stage of negotiations could take a bit longer as the three parties need to get down to "brass tacks". LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s shock from National over the latest revelations from the Electoral Commission. It's investigating concerns about a voting place at Manurewa Marae, where Te Pāti Māori candidate Takutai Tarsh Kemp is chief executive. The commission's also confirmed that 15 voting places have been found to have data entry errors and a box of votes from the East Coast was forgotten about entirely. National Campaign Chair Chris Bishop says told Mike Hosking that while the issues don't change who won the election, they're still astounding. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

School attendance is again in decline, with less than half of students regularly attending. Education Ministry data shows 47% were regularly going to school in term two, down from 59.5% in term one. It's an increase on just 40% in term two last year. Secondary Principals Association President Vaughan Couillault told Mike Hosking that you can only compare like for like. He says term one in anyone's life has less cold and flu than term two and three due to the winter effect. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to longevity, there are few musical careers that equal Graham Nash. The British-American singer-songwriter was a founding member of the Hollies, and folk-rock supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. He has a variety of nominations and awards under his belt, and almost six decades into his career is visiting New Zealand’s shores on his worldwide solo tour. Nash told Mike Hosking that he’s still passionate about performing, and that music as a form of communication is incredibly important to him. He said that he and his audiences are enjoying these shows, and he hopes that kiwi audiences will enjoy them just as much. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think part of the comfort we should take around the so-called "rabid outbreak" of free speech this week is that words don’t automatically lead to anything. You've got your two prime examples: Chloe Swarbrick and her outburst on Palestine, and Willie Jackson and his outburst on a potential vote over the Treaty. The difference is one has an implied threat and the other doesn’t. Swarbrick should never have said what she said, it's inflammatory. You have a responsibility as an elected member of Parliament to try and be at least a little bit moderate. But the upset is about her comments specifically, not what might come out of them because little, if anything, will come out of them. You could argue she adds to the fear that Jews may be feeling right now. So yes, it's highly irresponsible and the fact she doesn’t apologise, or get it, makes it worse. But can I ask - what else do you expect? But with Willie, and might I add that Debbie Ngarewa-Packer of Maori Party and Marama Davidson of the Greens might have suggested something similar, they are talking action. "Civil disobedience five or ten times worse than the Springbok tour". Now, the trouble with that is that is a straight up-and-down threat. There is no disguising what that is. What we are actually talking about here is a vote, a referendum. A question for the people of this country as to how we deal with the Treaty. The Treaty has been interpreted in a way by the previous Government that many don’t like. You could actually argue their treatment of the Treaty may well lead to the sort of result they fear, if it ever got put to a vote. But that is the insidious thing, isn't it? It never got put to a vote. Things like He Puapua were secret, so have they dug their own grave. Could it be different if they had been more inclusive? Either way the threat is against democracy. They don’t like democracy. These are people to be feared. Not because they may hit the streets, but because they don’t want the rest of us to have a say and they hope before they hit the street they can scare us into submission. Democracy thrives in sunlight free speech and the exchange of ideas, not anger, bitterness and fear. But that is what they are selling. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.