The Mike Hosking Breakfast

A war of words between the banking sector and its regulator over how much New Zealanders want cash.   The Reserve Bank's proposing opening more branches and hubs to provide cash services, costing the sector $104 million a year.   It says cash continues to play an essential role for small businesses and communities.   But Banking Association Chief Executive Roger Beaumont told Mike Hosking customers are moving towards digital payment methods.   He says they're using apps or online banking, rather than going to punch in a pin at an ATM to buy an icecream from the dairy.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marilyn Waring. Remember her?  Once an activist always an activist.  Marilyn took it upon herself to form her own select committee and she and a bunch of other MPs and interested parties opened their doors for submissions on pay equity and the changes the Government made that they didn’t like.  When doors like that get opened, people of like minds tend to wander through, and they sit around all agreeing with each other about how bad things are.  The ensuing report, which has just been released, tells you exactly what you would think it would.  The problem with pay equity is it's an unsolvable problem, unless you take on a North Korea/Cuba type view of the world and simply get the Government to make all the rules.  The simple truth of it is different jobs have different values.  Another truth is some women choose work that doesn’t pay as much as other work. Men do as well, but not as much.  Some of the work that doesn't pay as much is predominantly done by women.  The most famous case involved a woman called Kristine Bartlett and the aged care sector. Rightly or wrongly jobs of compassion and care tend to be done by females. I would argue that’s largely because they tend to be nicer people overall but that would probably lead to a charge of me being sexist, which I'm not.  What I am is a realist and you can see the issue. Should age care workers be paid more? Probably.  But if they were, who would foot the bill? The people paying the age care bills of course.  Could we artificially boost their pay? Well, that is where we got into dreadful trouble. They ended up comparing age care workers with mechanics and got a massive pay rise.  Trouble is it was always false. Mechanics are not age care workers any more than air stewards are. You can look for commonalities, twist logic all you want, but you either artificially mess with it, or you let the market be the market.  Most jobs have a rationale as to why they pay what they do and at all times, all jobs are open to all people, depending on desire and skill.  So essentially Marilyn and her mates have wasted their time.  Logic wins. The market wins. If you want more money, do a job that pays more of it, male or female. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s Prime Minister was evacuated from his official Canberra residence on Tuesday.  Anthony Albanese was moved from The Lodge to another location around 6pm, as the police investigated a bomb threat.  He was able to return once a search has been concluded, after 9pm.  Australia Correspondent Steve Price told Mike Hosking information is currently limited, but he’s never heard of an Australian Prime Minister being evacuated from an official residence.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Kiwi start-up's labours are bearing fruit.  ‘Forever Harvest’ has raised $1.2 million to grow fruit and nuts in a lab, all year round.  The project uses cellular agriculture, removing the need for orchards or soil and making production climate resistant.   Co-Founder Mick Riley told Mike Hosking they’re not looking to replace things like bulk cherries or bulk nectarines, but rather they’re creating a whole new kind of high value ingredient.  The products would be for commercial use, he says, as they’re not looking to compete in the consumer market.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Politics Wednesday, it’s a verbal brawl between Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen over the new move on orders for rough sleepers and beggars.   They discussed how effective such measures would be, whether or not they have anywhere else to go, and whether the wider public agrees with the orders.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 25th of February, MediMap’s Director explains what’s happening with the hack of their platform, plus we look at what would need to happen for Andrew to be removed from the line of succession.   Warriors CEO Cameron George speaks on co-captain Mitch Barnett’s departure at the end of the year and whether or not the Warriors are just seen as a stepping stone team.  Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen bicker and argue about move on orders on Politics Wednesday.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legal cases against Lord Mandelson and former Prince Andrew are in the works as officials tread carefully to avoid prejudicing the proceedings.  The UK Government is hoping to release files on why former UK Ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were appointed to their high-profile roles despite ties to Jeffrey Epstein.  Royal Correspondent Robert Hardman told Mike Hosking because of the ongoing legal case, no one wants to prejudice it.  He says generally the view is, regardless of the outcome of the legal process, Andrew has behaved so appallingly they don't want him anywhere near the throne.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another Australian is leaving the Warriors on compassionate grounds.  Co-captain Mitch Barnett is departing after the upcoming NRL season – a year ahead of his contract expiring.  Barnett has a child that requires medical support and he wants to be closer to family.  Warriors CEO Cameron George told Mike Hosking it’s unfortunate because he’s been such a great leader for the club.   He says the situation only come to light in the last month or so, and they’d even had some discussions about possibly extending his contract before this.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's Mayor is considering taking the city's bus lanes back to the drawing board.  People driving in bus lanes are Wellington City Council's biggest money grabber, raking in around $6 million in fines.  A new bus lane on Cambridge Terrace caught tens of thousands of people exceeding the 50 metre maximum, worth a penalty fee of $150.  Andrew Little told Mike Hosking he doesn't want bus lane cameras to be seen as a source of revenue for the council.  He says there's a genuine question on whether they need to be designated bus lanes for 12 hours a day seven days a week.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MediMap's Director says they've traced a breach to the platform back to a profile, which has likely been compromised.   The platform's widely used across the country, especially in aged care, disability, hospice, and community health.  Director Geoffrey Sayer says there've been unauthorised changes to some demographic records.  Sayer told Mike Hosking the person hasn't used brute force to infiltrate the system, they've somehow gained access.  He says there's no reason to believe this is a cyber-attack, they've simply used credentials of an existing user to cause harm.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Primary teachers are the last on the list in the education sector, still to strike a pay deal with the Government.   Primary principals have accepted a cumulative 2.5% immediate pay rise and another 2.1% next year.  It introduces a $15 thousand curriculum-change allowance, recognising their work implementing reforms.  Education Minister Erica Stanford told Mike Hosking teachers want the Treaty of Waitangi acknowledged and increased learning support.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's in the numbers?  Well-known economist Shamubeel Eaqub has crunched a few figures. It turns out if you want to see it, being a student at university is a miserable experience.  And boy does the media love a story of misery. Being a student is pricier than ever, they tell us. "Does it pay off?" was your headline.  The answer, and this isn't from the story, it's from me, is yes.  Yes, if you have a plan. Yes, if you are careful. Yes, if you are driven in a specific direction professionally.  Our most recent graduate at our house is fully immersed in her first job and loving it. She owes a shed load of dough, but wouldn’t for a minute have it any other way.  But back to the numbers. All we really learn, when you compare the cost of stuff from Shamubeel 20 years ago versus the cost of stuff now, is the cost of stuff has gone up. That's got little to do with university and a lot to do with life because all our bills have gone up.  Student support has gone up 86% but essentials have gone up 220%. In 2005 the allowance was $160 while essentials were $140 and you had $20 left over.  These days you're in the red to the tune of eight bucks, which I wouldn’t actually have thought was that bad.  University fees have gone up 113%. You might want to ask why.  But here is a reality check: the story tells us 35,000 students received some form of assistance. That number on the last quarter is up 5%.  But the amount they get is down 3%. So more get money, but not as much. Surely that’s good?  But here is the real number: how many students are there? ChatGPT tells me almost 400,000, so less than 10% get any assistance at all. 90% don’t need help. Isn't that the real story?  Too many stories and too many headlines are about what's wrong, not what's right, who is doing badly, not who is doing fine.  You can play with numbers forever. Palmerston North rents have gone up more than Auckland rents, so it's not as cheap to be at Massey as it once was, and so it goes.  But the big picture, the real story, surely is what you got out of university. What did the qualification do for you?  If it changed your life, set you on a path, set you up, got you a career and opened the doors then the bill is immaterial.  Like life, university is how you see it. Like life, the choices are yours.  So does it pay off? Guess what, if you want it to, you are already there. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A major moment in British politics as Peter Mandelson is arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.  It relates to his alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein.  The former UK ambassador to the US and Labour minister has been accused of passing on information to the sex offender when he was business secretary.  UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking while this might deflect heat off Keir Starmer in the short term, it’ll likely come back around to him in the end.  He says that Mandelson was a Labour appointment, and it wouldn’t surprise him if he himself was almost directly responsible for appointing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as Trade Envoy in 2001.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Though he was never seen, Andy Wilman was an inextricable part of the success of Top Gear.  He’s the co-creator and executive producer of the show, which has been seen by over 350 million people around the world.   And when Top Gear came to a close, he was in charge of The Grand Tour, the show that picked up right where its predecessor left off, and now Wilman is running Amazon’s record-breaking show Clarkson’s Farm.   More than two decades later, he’s written a book about how it all came to be, looking behind the scenes in ‘Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure’.  While it may have started out as an ordinary TV show, Top Gear quickly became a phenomenon, and Wilman told Mike Hosking there were dozens of tiny moments that made them realise it.  “Richard [Hammond’s] crash, obviously, we were, I think we were already big by then, but Richard’s crash stunned us at how we were part of the nation’s TV watching fabric.”  “I think the, the things, the elements that were inevitable were because we were making things up as we went along, because we had no plan,” he explained.  “So you surprise yourself ... those moments in turn generate new material, which keeps you fresh.”   But as the viewership grew, so did the pressure, and the combination of a smaller crew size, ideological differences within the BBC, and the team getting “too big for their boots” started to cause problems.  “Those three elements were the perfect storm that led to our demise.”  A little further down the line is Clarkson’s Farm, which despite being a smaller production, Wilman says is more rewarding.  “[It’s] a far more challenging and rewarding show to make, simply because they shoot all the time.”  Since Clarkson is at work from the moment he steps out his front door, the filming has to cover everything.  “We just shoot and shoot and shoot and then we’ll see what sticks to the wall.”  And a large part of the show’s appeal is its supporting cast, which Wilman says was like catching lightning in a bottle for the second time.   “A bit like Jeremy, Richard, and James – you couldn’t plan that.”  “Magic happened.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 24th of February, Finance Minister Nicola Willis explains why the Government has bought $200 million in Genesis shares.   The EU Ambassador to NZ Lawrence Meredith speaks on the 4th anniversary of the Ukraine war and what it will take for it to end.  Andy Wilman, the creator of Top Gear, Grand Tour, and Clarkson's Farm, joined to discuss the decades he’s spent behind the scenes and what it’s like to be the right hand man of his best friend, Jeremy Clarkson.   Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s some concern about our air traffic controllers being poached.   Airways New Zealand has raised the issue during an address before a Parliamentary Select Committee, warning that there’s a global shortage of controllers.  General Manager of Commercial James Evans told Mike Hosking that New Zealand is currently positioned very well to cope with tight numbers.  But, he says, there’s definitely a problem globally, and they are having overseas Air Navigation Service Providers approach New Zealand controllers.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today marks the fourth anniversary of Russian forces mounting a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.   Peace efforts to date have yielded little results, with casualties climbing day after day.   EU Ambassador to New Zealand Lawrence Meredith told Mike Hosking Europe's recognising it needs to do more in terms of defence.   He says the Ukrainians are not just fighting for their own peace and freedom, but for that of the free world.   Meredith says this is a global conflict and it's important the right side wins.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A battle for front door delivery as Bunnings joins Uber Eats in Australia and New Zealand.   More than 30 thousand tools, garden, and household items will be available on the delivery service sometime this year, claiming to be at your door within 60 minutes.   Takeaways, groceries, and pharmacy items are among the products currently available  Gorilla Technology Chief Executive Paul Spain told Mike Hosking it's a move to compete with Amazon.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says there's no mandate to reduce the state's shareholding in Genesis Energy.  The Crown's directing $200 million towards new shares to retain a 51% shareholding in the company, following a $400 million capital raise.   Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking if we don't take part in this raise, we'd be breaching the law requiring the state to maintain majority ownership – something the coalition's committed to.   She says we don't want to be a barrier to these energy companies growing in the way New Zealanders need to secure electricity supply.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Signs of a turnaround in the retail sector as sales rise.  Stats NZ data shows sales jumped by $239 million in December, compared to the September quarter – up nearly one percent.  The growth was driven by pharmaceuticals and other store-based retailers, as well as electronic goods and hardware supplies.  First Retail Group Managing Director Chris Wilkinson told Mike Hosking some of this is discretionary spending which is a great sign.  He says potential interest rate rises could have an impact in future, but they're hoping the momentum will continue.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns using vaping as a tool to quit smoking contradicts the rest of the world. Health New Zealand's free vape programme has given out more than seven thousand devices to smokers, despite Newstalk ZB revealing last year's trial had a success rate of less than half. Now, a half-million-dollar contract has been signed to provide the devices through New Zealand-owned company, Alt. Auckland University vaping researcher Kelly Burrowes told Mike Hosking it isn't recommended as a quitting tool, due to the risk associated. She says that's why other countries aren't doing this. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 23rd of February, Trade Minister Todd McClay responds to Trump's latest tariff threat and whether it's real and can be enforced. The Prime Minister comments on the tariffs, the surcharges bill and the public sector vs what the Government want to achieve. Jason Pine and Andrew Saville cover off the sport and concerts over the weekend. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's taken a while but we got there at last. Move-on orders. Clear lines of responsibility and delineation for police to actually fix a problem that has existed for too long in our central city areas. As the debate bounces back and forward this week have a look at those who ask "where do they go?" They ask that because it’s the easy question to ask. It’s the point-scoring question to ask. It’s the question you ask when you don’t actually have to deal with the problem. The previous Government, who will be one of the people asking that very question, stuck them in motels and ruined entire towns like Rotorua. They stuck them in social housing and ruined entire neighbourhoods, as the agency responsible evicted exactly zero people despite antisocial, and often criminal, behaviour. In other words they gave greater priority to troubled menaces than they did to wider society that simply wanted to get on with life. Downtowns, whether Wellington, Christchurch or Auckland, need help and have needed help for years. We were at lunch a couple of weeks ago in the central city for a birthday. The drugged-out woman screaming her head off on the bench outside was doing her best to ruin everyone's Saturday. The music in the restaurant had to be turned up to a level that you could no longer hear each other talk. But what was the proprietor supposed to do? What is any business supposed to do when you have to step over the down and out, the drugged out and the violent, simply to unlock your door? The apologists paint these people as harmless. They are not. They paint them as lost and wayward. They are not. They are law breakers who cause a disproportionate amount of trouble to people who don't deserve it. As a result of an apologist mentality no one has known what to do, like retail crime and Yaris' through windows a few years back. Toughen up the laws and you'll be amazed how quickly the problem gets solved. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was drama on and off the pitch for Wellington Phoenix this weekend. Following a 5-0 loss to Auckland FC, coach Giancarlo Italiano resigned from his role as coach. The team still faces eight games before the playoffs, with the team currently placed 10th in the A-League.  Former Wellington Phoenix and All Whites coach Ricki Herbert told Mike Hosking that time will tell if this is the right decision.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister says visitors should be able to enjoy new investments in our city-centres - without feeling intimidated. The Government's introducing "move-on" orders - allowing Police to order people begging and sleeping rough,  to leave a public space for up to 24 hours.  They'll be slapped with a $2000 fine or up to three months’ imprisonment if they refuse. Chris Luxon told Mike Hosking that in Auckland alone, the City Rail Link will be up and running later this year - and the International Convention Centre's already bringing in visitors. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Association has concerns around newly announced "move-on" orders - to deal with disorderly behaviour and homelessness. The Government is moving to give Police the power, to order someone sleeping rough, or begging, to leave a public space for up to 24 hours.  They could face fines of up to two thousand dollars or spend three months in jail if they refuse. President Steve Watt told Mike Hosking that they know there's a problem there - but Police will have a lot of other call-outs. He says they don't have the staff to deal with this issue - as this is yet another job they'll have to do with already stretched resources. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's relentless push for tariffs has thrown yet another spanner in the works of global trade - but New Zealand exporters might fare okay.  The President's introducing temporary 15% tariffs to replace those enacted last year, after the Supreme Court outlawed them.  It's unclear if the mechanism he's using to justify the new levies stacks up, as it applies when the US faces a balance of payments deficit. Trade Minister Todd McClay told Mike Hosking that we were facing mostly 15% tariffs already, so not much has changed for our exporters.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business appears to be booming in most parts of the country. ABC's quarterly market report shows business sales are up 28 percent on this time last year, with average prices up three percent. It finds 507 completed sales over a 12 month period - a new historical high. ABS Business Managing Director Chris Small told Mike Hosking that there's a link between sales and the current state of the economy across the country. He says in line with the economy, the South Island is up 70 percent year on year in business sales, while Wellington is down 10 percent.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2500 job applications. That’s got clickbait written all over it, doesn’t it?  One job supposedly had 2500 applications. One headline added that the company boss was shocked.  Oppo is your company and in the story of their job they are looking to fill is some good news. Mainly, that the job is here and not long ago it wasn’t.  It’s a call centre job and the call centre has been relocated back to New Zealand, which is one of those weird job things.  I thought we went through this years ago when it was broadly accepted that call centres offshore did save you money, but language and actual help on the phone generally was so bad they gave up.  Anyway, they must have advertised the job globally through international sites because only 44% of the applicants were actually from New Zealand, so 2500 becomes a pretty misleading number.  44% is still a lot of applicants. But here is the other thing you will have learned in this tight job market of late.  A lot of people apply for literally everything, whether they want it, can do it, or not, they apply. They waste people's time, are not genuine applicants and are a nightmare for HR.    Just for the record, this is not to say jobs aren't tight because we all know they are.  But the inference in these stories is that times are desperate, and they are not. Jobs are available if you're determined.  Which is the next point – those who have dealt with call centres, and that is most of us, don’t get what you would loosely call a world class experience.  Like a lot of jobs that are front facing, they are filled with —how do we put it nicely— gormless people, people who have bad attitudes, don’t want to help, don’t know how to help, don’t know what you're asking, don’t have answers and are not empowered to basically do anything.  A lot of useless people have work. It’s a frightening fact. Are all the people without work better than the useless ones with work? Or are they even worse?  Also, tragically, that many applications for a low skill job tells you the decay of our economy; too many people with too little to offer.  Answering a phone is not a career path.  So 2500 people and shock. Like too many stories, it's not the real story.   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.    Red meat: 9/10  It's so good, so record breaking, you honestly start to wonder just where is the ceiling?    Dairy: 9/10  Ditto. Four auctions, four runs batted in. We are rolling.    Warriors: 6/10  Early days, good crowd in the Bay, bad injury already, but the seeds of success are there.    India: 3/10  This is the stuff that ankle taps us. Between Labour and Winston, doofuses and xenophobes, we are a two step forward, one step back country.    F1: 8/10  The fact testing is being covered on New Zealand TV tells you how far that sport has come.    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was the fish that summed it up for me.  The Infrastructure Commission report was profound in its nature this week.  Chris Bishop was dead right on this programme when he talked of its importance and, yet, its dryness.  Big picture, infrastructure building and planning and funding isn't sexy. It never has been and that in some respects is why we are where we are.  And what a place that place is.  We, in parts, are a broken down, tragic, second-hand little nation that has let ourselves go.  We were fighting fit once. We paid our way, had cash in pocket, did the job properly and had big dreams.  In 2026 we are in hock up to our eyeballs, bitching, moaning and complaining, wanting everyone else to wipe our bums and solve our problems.  But the fish is your real clue.  The fish is in Rakaia and it's the town's mascot. It was in the news this week for being defaced and yet, in another irony, that wasn’t actually the story, or it shouldn’t have been.  The other problem with small-minded, myopic New Zealand is a defaced town mascot is what passes for news these days, when the real story was the fish that was defaced had just had a $200,000 renovation job.  $200,000 thousand dollars to polish up a fish?!  Now, if Rakaia has perfect water and footpaths of gold and record low rates and a spare few hundred grand lying about looking to do luxury jobs, no problem. But guess what? It doesn’t.  It will be like a lot of small-town New Zealand; in the hole with big picture issues that have been ignored for years.  Yet a group of people who clearly aren't up for the real work thought it was appropriate to rejuvenate a fish.  Did they have the dough? No.  Was there a shed load of proper work to be done? Yes.  But all that can wait because doing a fish up is easy, it’s a headline and you can bang on about civic pride.  Until of course it gets defaced, at which point the media can't get hold of it fast enough and you can complain some more about crime and the irony that you now need even more money to fix the fish up again.  When fish are the news the country's real issues don’t stand a chance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Friday, which means Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that Was.  They discussed intermittent fasting, after a global review found it might not be the magic bullet it’s said to be, the earlier chat with Angela Strange about Te Huia, and how much you spend when given an unlimited restaurant voucher.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A big weekend in Central Otago, as Arrowtown hosts the Ayrburn Classic.  Hundreds of vehicles will be on display, from vintage to luxury, plus the new additions of motorbikes and boats.  They’re also hosting New Zealand’s largest live car auction, adding a bit of serious money and competition into the mix.  Director of Sunday Drive, Taylor Campbell told Mike Hosking the event is now in its second year, and has grown about three times the size.   He says it’s almost sold out to capacity, and the stunning setting, the hospitality, and the cars make for a great mix.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 20th of February, the Government has watered down it’s housing intensification plan for Auckland, and is halting the requirement that Army leaders know waiata and karakia from memory.   Te Huia is getting another year of funding to prove itself and Angela Strange tries, and fails dismally, to defend it.  Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson talk intermittent fasting, the Angela Strange interview, and how much you spend when you get given an unlimited restaurant voucher as they Wrap the Week.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Supercars season is officially underway this weekend.  Chaz Mostert is defending his title in the Sydney 500, now in the new Toyota GR Supra.  Ryan Wood and Matt Payne are leading the Kiwi charge, with five rookies also entering the fray.  Kiwi motorsport legend Greg Murphy told Mike Hosking that last season was competitive and very, very close, and no doubt it will be the same this year.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Te Huia train service is hoping it can prove its critics wrong as its existence is extended for another year.   The service, which connects Auckland and Hamilton will run at least until June next year, with NZTA picking up 60% of the bill.   It's been criticised in the past for low passenger numbers and revenue.  Waikato Regional Council Transport Committee Chair Angela Strange told Mike Hosking that in terms of farebox recovery, the service is actually doing really well when compared to other public transport in New Zealand.  She says they’re sitting at close to 16%, and it’s closer per kilometre than the metro trains and ferries in Auckland.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A positive outlook for Chinese tourism as a new visa pathway delivers results.  The trial allows Chinese and Pacific travellers with a valid Australian visa to enter New Zealand for up to three months.  Arrivals have nearly tripled since December, with Chinese tourists injecting about $210 million into Kiwi businesses.  Tourism Holdings Limited Chief Executive Grant Webster told Mike Hosking the trial is absolutely working and New Zealand's responding faster to growing demand from Chinese visitors.  He says this just gives more options for these travellers, adding we're fortunate to have this system as it doesn't work the other way around.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An urban planning specialist is advising the Government to be careful changing a development plan he believes was already working. The Government's revising the city's housing capacity number in its new plan from just over two million to 1.6 million. It is focusing more on building in the city and by transport hubs, rather than suburbs. Mt Hobson Group Director Hamish Firth told Mike Hosking you're creating fear from something that people don't get. He says you create paper capacity, but also community backlash, land value distortion and probably not any extra homes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Defence Minister says possible requirements for Army leaders having to know waiata and karakia from memory is unacceptable.  Act MP Todd Stephenson wrote to Judith Collins about the cultural skills framework with concerns it went beyond normal expectations of the Public Service.  She says the force hadn't raised it with her, but after speaking with army leaders they had decided to pause implementation.   Collins told Mike Hosking a soldier's ability to serve their country has nothing to do with their ability to recite waiata.  She says it would be nice for people to do it, but as evidenced in her visit to the Munich Security Conference there's more pressing concerns, like ending up speaking Russian.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This time around the Brooke van Velden-led employment law changes have been described as a shake-up, even a major shake-up.  But as someone who well remembers the Employment Contracts Act and Bill Birch, what is being offered is merely a righting of a badly out of whack employment market.  The usual whining from unions has ensued. In a nutshell, there is a limit on personal grievance procedures. It defines what a contractor is, as opposed to an employee, and the 30-day trial rule is gone.  If you earn a lot i.e. over $200,000 you can't go to an employer for wrongful dismissal.  I have experience in this area. I was effectively sacked by TVNZ about 25 years ago and I was on over $200,000. Under this new law I couldn’t have gone after them.  But guess what? I didn’t go after them anyway. Why? Because who wants to work for people that treat you that way?  And in that is a lot of what the workplace is about.  There are bad employers and good employers and a lot of employers in between. Rules are based on worse-case scenarios.  It has never been a better time to be a worker in this country. Yes, jobs are tight as of late. But if you're good and determined you can get work, because good people are hideously hard to find, and you can succeed quickly.  Most people, and I cite 45 years in the workplace here, at the very least mean well. Many are actually quite good.  Work should be about enjoyment and learning and development of skills and the climbing of ladders. If you are bogged down in worse-case scenarios, you go nowhere.  Equally as an employer, how do you grow your business when you are ankle tapped by a mindset that infers you are bad news, so all sorts of guard rails need to be enacted in law?  Bill Birch's law was not the end of the world. Brooke van Velden's won't be either.  The workplace recipe should not be complex; if you work hard, you do well.  If you're slack and entitled, you need to be sacked. If you're young and inexperienced you don’t get to be the boss in your second week. Not all your personal problems are your employers' problems, and not all employers are out to get you.  By and large unions are trouble, negative, and potentially ruinous and I have yet to see one that has the country's best interests at heart.  We're all in this together. Too much employment law pits us against each other, and no one wins.  Brooke van Velden's laws are fine. No one is going to die. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another country star on the rise.   Jason Aldean is performing at Spark Arena tonight, and he’s bringing with him Corey Kent – the latest Red Dirt star, according to Rolling Stone.   Despite having been performing since he was a kid, it was a bumpy road to reach this point, complete with a happenstance performance with Willie Nelson, a change in jobs, and a lot of dedication.   Kent’s since gone triple platinum, released four albums, and had over a billion streams.  He joined Mike Hosking for a chat about his career to date, and regaled him with stories of country legends Willie Nelson and Paul Simon.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 19th of February, we cover the OCR, yet another report reinforcing our inability to protect our most vulnerable children, and the rising use of hard drugs.   Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman explains her OCR call and whether she or the economists got it right.    Country music star Corey Kent is in the country with Jason Aldean, and popped in to regale us with stories of Willie Nelson and Paul Simon.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank's kept the OCR unchanged at 2.25% and isn't forecasting any change until the end of the year.  Governor Anna Breman says inflation should be back within target this quarter.  She says the economy fundamentals are consistent with inflation falling to, and remaining at, 2% over the medium term.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Mike Hosking the Governor is playing with a pretty straight bat.  He says it’s a tricky balance, as the economy doesn’t quite feel like it has recovery momentum, and they don’t want to cut that off at the knees by spooking anyone, but they do have to be focused on inflation.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Independent Children's Monitor says it's clear our child protection system is under immense stress.  Its review shows carers killed 24 children between December 2021 and June 2025.  It finds no improvement, despite recommendations in a review of the murder of five-year-old Malachi Subecz in 2021.  Children's Monitor CEO Arran Jones told Mike Hosking that while there are deep-seated issues that go beyond what the agencies can respond to, there are certainly things that can be improved.   He says the lack of progress up to this point is an issue of prioritisation, and it’s about making sure the problem is front of mine not only for Oranga Tamariki, but for all the agencies that have a role to play.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New workplace testing results reveal cocaine detections have sharply risen across the country.  The Drug Detection Agency's results for the three months to December show cocaine was present in 3.7% of positive tests – more than double the amount from last quarter.  Bay of Plenty, Auckland West, and Waikato were identified as the regions with the sharpest rises.  Chief Executive Glenn Dobson told Mike Hosking that New Zealand already has a strong use base of methamphetamine, and now they’re starting to see a real increase in cocaine usage, which is a real concern for them.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Signs the job market is on the up.   New Seek data shows job ads have grown by 1.5% since October and are now 11.7% higher year on year.   Gisborne's led monthly growth with an almost 4% increase, while Marlborough's the only region with a record annual decline in ads, at -6%.   However Seek Country Manager Rob Clark says the fact growth stretches across regions and industries is a marked improvement on this year.  He told Mike Hosking they’re hopeful the growth will continue.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our new Reserve Bank Governor says she has full confidence in the people making OCR decisions.  The Monetary Policy Committee, chaired by Anna Breman, has decided to keep the OCR unchanged at 2.25% for now.  It says while inflation is above the target band, the economy still needs some time to recover.  Breman told Mike Hosking the committee will make the best decisions it can, based on the data and forecasts it has access to at the time.  She says something might look obvious in retrospect, but they're dealing with lots of global shocks constantly hitting the New Zealand economy.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As I watch Chris Hipkins, presumably gleefully, mess about with the India Free Trade deal, I'm reminded this is not the Labour Party that did the FTA with China.  Hipkins is no Helen Clark and in that is a great sadness.  For all those who occasionally contact me and ask of the possibility of a so-called “grand coalition” —a relationship between the Labour and National parties— before you ask, next time look at the way Hipkins plays these games and there is your answer.  Even in areas of broad agreement, they still can't act like grownups.  It's also a lesson in name vs substance.  The Labour Party of the past few years is nothing like Labour of the late 90's and early 2000's. That was a centrist version.  Yes, they still handed out free money to people like students to bribe them in election year. But the rest of the time they actually ran the economy in growth. Compared to Barbara Edmonds, Michael Cullen was a conservative.  In the early parts of 1984 Labour, with David Lange, was similar, and here is your irony that Hipkins fails to recognise: when Labour are, broadly speaking, middle of the road they are actually popular.  Ask Bob Hawke or Paul Keating or Tony Blair – centrist Labour is successful Labour.  By the time you take modern Labour with Hipkins and Sepuloni, and add the Greens in the mix, you are seeing the left wing “group think” that not only keeps them out of office, but leads to the sort of game playing we have with an FTA.  Yes, the Government probably shouldn’t have to rely on them and for all the games Labour plays, New Zealand First is just as bad with their xenophobic nonsense. But Labour once had a global view.  It's not like the Chinese weren't thought of with great suspicion prior to 2008. But the bigger picture was at play. The realisation that large countries and their economies could be good for everyone was a driving force.  What Labour would do well to do is put this country first. Not score points, not look like children, and not pretend they actually had anything to do with negotiating this thing at all.  FTAs are big picture, not a three-year electoral cycle game.   I don’t think I'm alone in wishing there were more adults in the room. Labour 1999-2008 put the current lot to shame. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson is being remembered as a leader who served the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world.  The famed US civil rights campaigner has died aged 84.   In a statement posted to social media his family say he died peacefully surrounded by family.  After being mentored by Martin Luther King Junior he went on to become one of the most influential African-American leaders.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking Jackson was a singularly powerful speaker.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi company OpenStar Technologies has taken a serious step forward in the global race towards nuclear fusion.  Backed by $35 million in government funding, they’ve successfully levitated a half tonne superconducting magnet, confining a cloud of ultra-hot plasma.   It’s a key milestone in recreating the same process that powers the sun – ultimately producing carbon-free energy.  CEO Dr Ratu Mataira told Mike Hosking now they’ve proven the engineering can be done, it’s time to push for performance and see just how hot they can get the plasma.  He believes they’ll definitely be able to reach nuclear fusion within his lifetime.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.