The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Auckland's Mayor is confident the public —and councillors— will back his preferred budget plan. Councillors will vote today on seeking public feedback on rising rates by about 38%, 20%, or 13% over three years. The 38% option would fund new infrastructure, while the 13% would see assets age and deteriorate. Mayor Wayne Brown told Mike Hosking that he's backing the 20% option, involving annual rates rises of 7.5%, 3.5%, and 8%. He says it's a sensible approach. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he has spoken to a lot of Work and Income frontline caseworkers who say their biggest frustration was people abusing the beneficiary system. “They don’t feel that they can apply the sanctions when they need to be applied, people who are wilfully and knowingly abusing the system and not taking their situation seriously,” Luxon told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking. He was unsure how many people the sanctions would put back into the workforce. ”Look, there are these rules that exist already today, previous National governments used them, Labour sent out a message to not worry about them too much,” Luxon said. ”And we just sent a message to the CEO of [Ministry of Social Development] to say hey listen, in the spirit of people holding up their end of the bargain, we expect those sanctions to be applied. ”A big growth in jobseeker numbers in a time of low employment and lots of [worker] shortages, and then we have also had a drop in people being sanctioned.” Luxon is looking to make good on a promise he made in his State of the Nation speech on Sunday that the “free ride” was over for beneficiaries who were taking advantage of the welfare system. Luxon and Social Development Minister Louise Upston yesterday announced a return to a more strict regime of sanctions for those on the unemployment benefit. A sanction means someone’s benefit gets reduced or cut if they don’t comply with certain expectations such as attending job interviews or completing training. “In 2017, 60,588 sanctions were applied to beneficiaries who did not comply with their obligations to prepare and look for work. That nosedived to 25,329 in 2023,” Upston said. “Over that time, people on jobseeker benefits increased by about 70,000 and about 40,000 more people have been receiving this support for a year or more.” Luxon told the AM Show he doesn’t think they will need more staff to carry out benefit checks. ”What we need to do is have job checks, and one of the things we can do is have one too many talking about job obligations and checking in to make sure people are compliant.” He said having a parent in work was good for children. ”Children in benefit homes don’t do as well and don’t have the same opportunities as those that have one or both parents working. ”Let’s be clear, we’re not talking about supported living and we’re not talking about sole parents ... we’re just talking about those deemed capable and able to work.” Attacking former Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni, Upston said the “previous minister set the tone for a lighter touch to benefit sanctions by saying they needed to be used ‘sparingly’ and as a ‘last resort’, dampening their effectiveness as an incentive to fulfil work obligations”. Upston said she had written to the chief executive of the Ministry of Social Development “to make this Government’s view clear that we want to see all obligations and sanctions applied. If jobseekers fail to attend job interviews, to complete their pre-employment tasks, or to take work that is available, then there needs to be consequences”. She also announced that from June, the ministry will “begin work check-ins for jobseekers who have been on benefit for six months, particularly young people”. Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston is defending the change in use of benefit sanctions. Photo / Mark Mitchell Under the existing sanctions, if a person did not meet work preparation obligations without a “good and sufficient reason”, their benefit would be reduced by 50 per cent for four weeks. After a second breach, that would be extended to 13 weeks for someone with dependent children, or suspended altogether if they did not have children. ‘Politics of cruelty’ — Opposition responds to welfare changes Sepuloni, Labour’s social development spokeswoman, claimed yesterday’s announcement was unfair and out of touch as she criticised Luxon for speaking down to beneficiaries by assuming jobseekers didn’t want to work. “People deserve to be supported into meaningful, long-term employment, and sanctions will not do this.” Green Party social development spokesman Ricardo Menendez March said the Government was quickly building a legacy of cruelty. “Instead of supporting people to provide for themselves and their whānau, this Government has actively sought to push people further and further into poverty. “Now, today, we have yet another measure to penalise the poorest people. It is a symptom of the politics of cruelty that is driving this coalition’s policies and steering New Zealand backwards.” -NZ Herald LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

St John's move to pull some ambulances off the road has shone a light on our public health system. The service is aiming to rein in costs for when a worker is sick or on leave. Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Executive Director Sarah Dalton told Mike Hosking that she doesn't understand why a core health service isn't publicly funded. She says ambulances are critical, and as a country we don't fund the service but instead we've made it charitable with a government top up. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Work and Income boss is applauding the Government's benefits policy, saying there's no future for someone on welfare. From mid-2024 there will be a ramp up of check-ins for jobseekers and sanctions for those who don't meet their obligations, particularly for young people. Former WINZ boss Christine Rankin told Mike Hosking that people rot on the benefit. She says it's a responsible and courageous policy because for recipients of the main Jobseeker payment to be on it for 13 years is an absolute disgrace. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Japanese satellite launched into orbit by Rocket Lab will collect data on space junk. It's currently travelling about 27-thousand kilometres per hour, orbiting earth roughly every 90 minutes. It will rendezvous with an aging piece of space junk to see if it can be removed in the future. Rocket Lab spokeswoman Morgan Bailey told Mike Hosking that they're pretty close to that becoming a reality. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lack of surprise over Alexei Navalny's death. The 47-year-old Russian opposition leader died at the weekend, after collapsing following a walk in his Arctic prison. In the wake of the announcement of his death, more than 400 people have been arrested across Russia, as local police crackdown on memorials across 36 cities. Auckland University international relations expert Stephen Hoadley told Mike Hosking the past two decades under Vladimir Putin show some stark reading. He says there have been 14 assassinations of political opponents, various exiles, and more than 600 opponents have been imprisoned. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fast tracking the opening of State Highway 25A proved to be a boost to the Coromandel's local economy. The road, which was closed due to storm damage last year, was opened three months early. It's said to have increased the region's GDP by 85-million dollars. Infrastructure New Zealand Chief Executive Nick Leggett told Mike Hosking that there needs to be a lesson here for the Government. He says if we are going to get the value the Government needs, we need to do this more often. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says it's time to get real about what it will take to get a country with the modern infrastructure we need. Prime Minister Chris Luxon used his state of the nation speech yesterday, to describe the country as being in a fragile state. Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking that there are areas where things need to be done more efficiently. She says not every road needs a cycle lane clipped onto it, and we need to be open to using other forms of funding to deliver roads, whether it's time-of-use charging or tolls. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all. New Auckland stadium: 7/10 More accurately, the Auckland stadium “drawing”. What a quality piece of work. But, any money and any odds you want say it'll never be built. Superbowl: 9/10 The most watched event in TV history. That's how you sell a sport. The Joe Biden report: 1/10 His troubles, both mental and chronological, officially recorded in the most damning of ways. Trump and NATO: 6/10 Because although it came with bombast he is actually correct and, here is the irony, Stoltenberg yesterday agreed. Three Waters: 7/10 Because it's buried. Fining parents: 7/10 Not the specific act, but between Luxon and Seymour they are clearly as shocked as most of the rest of us at the abysmal state of school attendance and its flow-on effects and are, thank God, looking to get serious. Auckland Rail: 2/10 Farcical. Auckland: 3/10 Not a lot better. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Callum Hedge has had an interesting start to the year. The 19-year-old motorsport driver started 2024 with some health issues, but is back with a bang This weekend he’ll be competing in the New Zealand Grand Prix at Highlands, touching down from Finland at 5am, on the track by 10am. Hedge told Mike Hosking that this weekend is pretty important, to get out on the track and make sure everything feels right. He said it’ll be good to go back to a track he knows and is comfortable with. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The odd stat of the week was the 50,000 people who claim superannuation but also earn over $100,000 a year. That doesn't mean anything. But as a result of that odd stat, yet again off we went down a bit of a rabbit hole debating superannuation and its many and various outworkings. 1) We are not changing super. Every time someone suggests it, the political unpalatability becomes fairly obvious, fairly fast. This new Government are your current example. Some would up the age but the ones who wouldn’t won the day, so we aren't. 2) The 50,000 earning the $100,000 is merely a reminder of how poor we are as a country. 50,000 is not a lot of people. 3) Superannuation is an entitlement. We decided that decades ago. Its trigger is age, not wealth. That would make it a benefit and it's not a benefit. 4) I'm so over that tired old line of "we deserve it because we paid our taxes". The sad truth about being a poor country is that not many people get paid a lot of money, hence only 50,000 earn over $100,000 in old age. Our tax system is horrifically skewed and the so-called wealthy, who aren't actually wealthy at all, pay a disproportionately high amount. There are many, many people who pay their taxes, but it doesn’t cover the amount of state support they actually use. Where the hell do you think the money comes from to support the average job seeker recipient for 13 long years? It's the high-income earner. So, if you're running that line, you could actually argue only high-income earners should get NZ Super because they actually did pay their taxes, and many other people as well. 5) We should welcome and admire those 50,000 on over $100,000 because although some of them will have got lucky, most will have actually worked hard and saved hard and set an example for their kids and hopefully the rest of us. 6) The world is a busy, troubled, complicated place right now. Personally, I would like a trade surplus, a more broad-based economy, most kids in school, most kids in school actually getting skills for the future, less stress in the pacific from China, normal people running for the U.S presidency, something a bit longer term in the Middle East and fewer rats in supermarkets. A superannuation debate is not really befitting the troubled times in which we exist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good times seem to be ahead for kiwifruit lovers. Zespri expects to ship around 193 million trays of the fruit to markets across the globe, a significant increase on last year’s 133 million. The quality issues that were seen last season have been vastly improved, Zespri CEO Dan Mathieson telling Mike Hosking that there’s been an industry-wide effort to get things under control. He said that there’s been a strong demand across the Asia Pacific, China, and Europe, customers excited for that first shipment to arrive. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a slow post-Covid recovery for tourism, despite last year's surge in overseas arrivals. Stats NZ reports that 2.96 million people visited in the year to December, more than 1.5 million up from 2022. However, it still falls short of 2019's 3.89 million arrivals. Tourism Industry Aotearoa’s CEO Rebecca Ingram told Mike Hosking that these numbers aren’t surprising, as they expected to be at about 80%. While the numbers themselves are important, another factor they look at is value. Ingram said that the industry is happy with how the summer is going, and visitors seem to be spending more than before. In the year to September 2023, $11.1 billion was spent on travel services, well up from $4.4 billion the year before. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Airports around the country will be filled with eager Swifties heading off to Melbourne this weekend. Taylor Swift left a 'Blank Space' in Kiwi hearts, skipping New Zealand in her The Eras Tour line up. Melbourne-based Herald Sun reporter Kaitlyn Smith told Mike Hosking that the city's buzzing. Swift's performing three shows in Melbourne, starting tonight, before heading to Sydney next weekend. Her visit and the subsequent revenue its generating couldn’t come at a better time, Smith said, especially after the Commonwealth Games “debacle”. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Worried have been sparked that Israel's Prime Minister is ignoring pleas from other countries to not continue with a ground offensive into Rafah. New Zealand, Australia, and Canada have issued a joint statement warning that a humanitarian ceasefire is urgently needed. Former Prime Minister Helen Clark told Mike Hosking that Netanyahu isn't listening. She said that even countries extremely close to Israel, such as the USA, are saying not to do this, but Netanyahu continues to say he is preparing the ground. Around 1.5-million Palestinian refugees are sheltering there with nowhere else to go. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Public sector agencies have been directed to find cost savings ranging from 6.5-7.5% on average. Public Service Minister Nicola Willis told a separate hearing about the public service yesterday that organisations like Police are very much not exempt. She expects Police to put forward options that don't compromise service delivery. Police Commissioner Andrew Coster told Mike Hosking that it comes alongside successive Governments have been keen to see Police headcount grow. He says that has the effect of driving all other costs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the United States Presidential race continues picks up pace, so does its intensity. It’s an interesting year for the US, as the court cases and trials create the backdrop for what’s looking to be a rehash of the last election, Trump facing off against Biden. Nick Bryant, former correspondent and author, knows that world intimately, joining Mike Hosking to discuss what’s sure to come during the campaign. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By now you will have seen the drawings of the new stadium in Auckland. It has come with the usual bullish talk of doability and vision, the way all these sort of concept drawings do. The old stadium debate didn’t start this past weekend and if you go back through all the drawings and visions and debates, the one thing you will find at the end of it all is we still don’t have a new stadium, or indeed anything close to it. The Auckland Council, in a fit of what I can only assume was overt bullishness (or they had been drinking), called for expressions of interest. That’s always the easy bit. Have a meeting, talk big and call for ideas. Well, this latest idea, or drawing of an idea, is superb. It's as good a concept as I have seen. It's on the waterfront where I think most sensible people have concluded it should be. Its modern and maybe even futuristic. The claim is it could be our Sydney Opera house, and they may be right. But this is Auckland and if you haven't seen Auckland lately, she's not a pretty sight. She is increasingly a dishevelled, disorganised dump of a sight. The council is close to broke and arguing about rates, the beaches close when it rains, there are massive holes in the ground, people still haven't been sorted out since the storms a year ago, it costs $300,000 to build a speed hump, $600,000 for a pedestrian crossing, the rail project is billions over budget and years overdue and homelessness and violence riddle the central city. This is not a city capable of a lot and certainly not a visionary, intergenerational, recreation monument to creative thinking. The drawing is more for Abu Dhabi, or Dubai, or even Las Vegas where the private sector and the size of the domestic market could make it pay. Singapore, a small country the size of ours population wise, could do it because they have their act together. Christchurch could tell you a thing or two about building facilities for sport, and theirs isn't finished, isn't close to being finished, or anywhere near as grand as the Auckland drawing. What the plan really shows is just how far short of what we want to be and where we really are. It's only value, sadly, is it’s a quality project, a bold vision. But they have presented to people not even close to being capable of making it a reality. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another hit to the already fragile view of the education system. A new report from the Education Review Office has found that less than half of year eight students are meeting expectation in maths. It’s also found that nearly a quarter of new primary school teachers feel unqualified to teach the subject. Ruth Shinoda, Head of the Education Evaluation Centre, told Mike Hosking that the country’s maths level has been on the decline for the last twenty years. She said that the report captures and shares the good teaching practices as well as the bad, so they can be implemented by more educators. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moving up the ladder seems to be less of a priority for workers these days. Randstad’s Workmonitor report revealed that 61% of workers say that they’re not currently focused on career progression. It also revealed that 50% of respondents would consider quitting if asked to spend more time in the office. Country Director for Randstad NZ, Richard Kennedy, told Mike Hosking that people are continuing to seek a work-life balance, prioritising mental health, learning, and flexibility. He said that ambitions are changing, and while workers are still interested in progressing their career, it’s not in the same way as before. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour's getting ready to throw the book at the parents of chronically absent kids. As the Associate Education Minister, Seymour's been tasked with tackling increasing levels of absenteeism in schools across the country. According to Education NZ, just 46% of students met the criteria for regular school attendance in term 3 last year, more than 90% in a term. Seymour told Mike Hosking that this is attendance levels are a responsibility that people can be held accountable for. He said that there will be sensitivity around those for who a fine won't make much difference beyond causing trouble, but ultimately the point is to hold people accountable. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's promising to tackle construction costs with proposed building consent reforms. The cost of building a house has increased significantly in recent years, which the Government says makes it harder for people to buy their first home. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk wants costs to go down but doesn't have a prediction for where it'll go. He's vowing to streamline the consenting process, saying the little guys have been shut out because of red tape. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch is in for a scorcher today, with 28 degrees and wind from mid-morning as the Port Hills fire continues to burn. More than 130 firefighters, two helicopters and two fixed wing aircraft are on the scene this morning, replacing overnight crews. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger told Mike Hosking that eighty properties in the area had been evacuated. He said that all the emergency services are together at the Justice Precinct Centre, calling it an “extremely good asset. The fire looks worse at night time, Mauger told Hosking, as the darkness accentuates the flames burning. The fire is happening in the same area as the last blaze which happened almost seven years ago to the day. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a view that the entire Fletcher Building board should go as the company's Chief Executive and Chair call it quits. The company's half-year financial result was announced alongside the two resignations, a first-half loss of $120-million. Shares have plummeted. Simplicity Founder Sam Stubbs told Mike Hosking that he believes the board would struggle to tell shareholders why they should stay. He claims the company's been a 'trainwreck' for some time now. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travellers take note: Airbnb’s may no longer the budget option. Auckland has been revealed to be one of 25 cities across the globe where the average hotel room is now cheaper than a private rental by 19%. Auckland ranks twelfth on the list, with London, Amsterdam, and Singapore taking the top three spots. Stefan Nikolic, Managing Director of Zodiak, told Mike Hosking that the cost of Airbnbs haven't gone up too significantly over the past year. He said that the properties they manage within some Auckland hotels are, on average, $50 cheaper per night. Nikolic said that these figures may be the result of the cities being major cities and major tourist destinations. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Both the former and current Police Ministers maintain that while the emergency call setup needs updating, it is currently stable. Official Police documents claim the system's outdated, causing preventable deaths and injuries. Labour’s Ginny Andersen said that there is funding in place to keep the current system working until 2025. She told Mike Hosking that instead of putting the money into updating the system, they instead financed a new secure digital network Andersen maintained that the system does work, the primary issue is that it doesn’t have digital capabilities. Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking that he's seeking advice about the system, but can't give a timeline for the upgrades. He says there's still work to be done to figure out how much the work will cost. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The thing you ask when we heard about the University of Waikato and the Ministry of Health signing a memorandum of understanding for a third medical school is, why have we had to wait this long? During Covid it became astonishingly clear how short of doctors we were; when the waiting lists once again got the heat of public anger, when the number of students dropped away both locally and internationally because of the closed borders, when the stats around the GP's showing how many are about to retire were published, how more and more of us couldn’t get to a GP because their books are closed and where just this week we have heard yet again from GP's and the crisis they are in. With all of that mounting up, all that clear and present danger, and the seeming mass agreement we were short of talent, why the hell haven't we been training more doctors? Is joining dots really that complex an art? Why the hell have we only got two medical schools? So, an announcement within the promised first 100 days. It's some common sense, something a bit practical that looks like it's at least in part addressing a very obvious problem. We have 300 New Zealanders a year training in Australia. Surely we can keep them at home. We have students who graduate leaving the country. Surely we can work harder to keep some at home. Surely we have more candidates than there are places. Surely a third school helps address that. And so the business case will be made. In time, I assume, they will actually get something underway with some real courses teaching real students, who will pop out and do some much-needed real doctoring in a country, like most Western countries these days, who operate a public health care system barely holding it together at best. Good Government is about common sense, practical ideas and solid solutions. You would not have thought a third medical school was really that difficult and yet it took until this week. But at least the wheels, at last, actually turn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A growing line of countries is heaping pressure on Israel to stop its ground offensive in southern Gaza. More than 1.5 million Palestinians are currently sheltering in the small border town of Rafah. It comes as ceasefire talks continue in Cairo between the CIA, Israel, and Qatar, in exchange for more hostages. Israel journalist Haggai Matar told Mike Hosking that Israel fully intends going ahead with the attack in Rafah. He says it's hoped it's part of the negotiation to put pressure on Hamas and mediators to reach an agreement on a hostage release, but it's looking very serious. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fletcher Building's chief executive and chairman are standing down after a worse than expected half year result. The country's largest construction company has announced a $120-million net loss after tax in its interim result. Ross Taylor and Bruce Hassall have confirmed they'll leave the company later this year. Fletcher had been in a trading halt since Monday afternoon, pending the results. Mark Lister from Craigs Investment Partners told Mike Hosking that unfortunately, this isn't the first time Fletcher has been in trouble. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Health Minister says they're adding places to existing medical schools as well as building a third. The Health Ministry's signing a memorandum of understanding with Waikato University for a third medical school. It was one of the Government's points in its 100 Day Plan. Minister Shane Reti told Mike Hosking that there's always been a struggle between boosting existing supply versus what a third medical school could do. He says if the same ratios as Australia were used, they'd be talking about a fifth medical school today, not a third. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland's being described as a bit of a shambles after transport issues this week. Auckland Transport says up to one-in-three train services will be cancelled every day, and some days will be worse than others. KiwiRail says it's because of heat that causes the steel in rail lines to move if the trains pass over them too quickly. Mayor Wayne Brown told Mike Hosking that KiwiRail, AT, and Auckland One Rail blame each other for issues. He says heads of the three agencies are meeting with him tomorrow and they'll get a good bollocking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says that fixing our 111-emergency call system is a priority but can't commit to doing so before 2026. Official Police documents claim the outdated system has been causing preventable deaths and injuries. The Police Minister's seeking advice but won't say if upgrades will come in this term of government. Deputy Police Commissioner, Jevon McSkimming told Mike Hosking that reports that the system is dangerous, old, and slow, are not entirely accurate. He said that it's a 20-year-old system designed around voice and needs to be updated to leverage digital capabilities as society moves in that direction. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Riding high on the success of their 2023 season, it’s almost time for the Warriors to return for 2024. The team has been back into their training for five weeks now after their two-week Christmas break, and Coach Andrew Webster says they’re looking good. He told Mike Hosking that the team is fast and strong, they just have to make sure they know how to play football. “We’ve done plenty of practice, but you don’t really know until you actually get to do it against someone else, rather than each other.” Webster said that they’re consistent in the way they look at things, only looking ahead to give clarity to what the next month looks like, before going back to looking at how to win their next game. “If you don't do that and you focus on the end goal constantly, you don’t get better.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wouldn’t it be nice to think that rent-to-build could break the cultural and psychological barrier it needs to so that you can have a large building of renters co-existing happily with the sort of pride and joy you get in neighbourhoods where the bulk of people own their homes? The build-to-rent story and its desire for the Government to change some rules to make it more attractive, came on the same day we got some numbers that made real the hurdle the Reserve Bank is about to put in front of many of the same people when it comes to borrowing and buying with their debt-to-income measures. At six times your income you need an income beyond what most people have and that’s after the 20% you need to stump up for a deposit. That dovetails into the survey that shows an increasing number of young people don’t see owning a home as part of their future. On that last part I have some current experience. Our eldest kids think that way, that the concept of ownership is currently beyond them. But what they don’t know, because they are too young and inexperienced, is that their view will change. One of them worries about her student debt. It seems to her monumental, but it isn't, not given what she will earn. But what has changed since I bought my first house is attitude. I bought my first house with zero deposit. I borrowed every cent, and I borrowed it at 22%. What's changed is the Reserve Bank is actively looking to keep people out of the market and that is a social crime. What we know about housing in this country is the value roughly doubles every 10 years. Rightly or wrongly that’s the figure. On an annual basis it can go down, as it has over Covid, but not by a lot and certainly not by more than what it goes up by. Housing is what we do in this country for identity, for pride, for savings and for living. What the Reserve Bank is doing is increasingly ruinous for no good reason. You don’t need 20% deposit and you don’t need an income ratio because that’s what banks do anyway. They don’t lend to people who can't pay. Yes, first homes might need to be in poor areas or small towns. I bought in Port Chalmers when Port Chalmers was the boondocks and, although I liked it, a lot of people didn’t. But it got me on the ladder. People owning their own homes is important. Renting for life for some may be a solution but that solution should be a choice, not forced on you. No, not everyone will own a home. But the Reserve Bank and its policies now make it way harder than it needs to sensibly be. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister believes re-structuring water delivery will provide consistency for councils. The clock is ticking as the Government has set itself 10 days to pass a Bill repealing Labour's water reforms, which the Government sees as divisive and unpopular. It will then aim to make it easier to set up council-controlled water organisations. The Prime Minister sees Wellington Water as too local and Labour's plan as too central. Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking that two guardrails will be put in place around water standards and economic management. He says the correct structure provides consistency around rate increases in an efficient way. He also told Hosking that Auckland's public transport issues are suboptimal. Trains were cancelled yesterday, including at peak time, due to the heat. Kiwi Rail, which owns the tracks, put speed restrictions in place as tracks reached 48 degrees in some places. It says there's underlying weakness in the section of track, necessitating the restrictions. Luxon says that Transport Minister Simeon Brown called the agencies in last night to understand what's happening. He says some of the excuses we've heard about hot tracks and miscommunication aren't acceptable. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conflict in the Red Sea is playing into Kiwi dairy farmers' back pockets. Yemen's Houthi rebels have been targeting ships travelling through the Suez Canal, meaning freight's being rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa. Fonterra Chief Executive Miles Hurrell says it's causing a rise in demand for our dairy exports from Africa and the Middle East. He told Mike Hosking that it's made up for China's slowdown, and has seen their forecast Farmgate Milk Price rise to a midpoint of $7.80 per kilo of milk solids. Hurrell says it helps us in the Middle East in particular, as we head straight up there and don't have to go through the Suez. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new Local Government Minister is confident in his replacement to three waters. The government's looking to introduce legislation attempting to make it easier for councils to make council-controlled water entities. Labour's Local Government Spokesperson Kieran McAnulty fears smaller councils with high debts will be left in the dark. But Minister Simeon Brown told Mike Hosking that plans put forward by councils are expected to be financially sustainable. He says they're going to have economic regulation to make sure they're not gold-plating the infrastructure, and that it's cost effective. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KiwiRail appears to be stating the obvious by saying there's an underlying fragility in Auckland's Rail Network. Some Auckland train services were cancelled through yesterday afternoon and evening, including at peak hour. Kiwi Rail, which owns the tracks, blames the high temperatures which reached 48 degrees in some places. That's despite the air temperature yesterday going no higher than 25 degrees. Auckland Transport's called the terminations 'enormously frustrating'. KiwiRail's David Gordon told Mike Hosking that it wasn't a "stop running trains" order, instead they put a speed restriction over four kilometres of rail. But he concedes that impacts the timetable. Gordon estimates six minutes per train, which has a compounding effect and makes it necessary to cancel trains. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New programs have been launched to help get New Zealand's backyard business ideas off the ground. Entrepreneurs can apply to get free coaching services, upskilling and training and start up support services. Head of programs for the Ministry of Awesome Zach Warder-Gabaldon joined Mike Hosking to talk about why he was doing this and what it means for New Zealanders. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week I said that I think Act are onto something. It was referencing the angst we saw at Waitangi and how those who gather at such places and those who cover such places have no real connection to middle New Zealand and the real world. What Act are trying to do with the Treaty is have a conversation. They argue that the intent was we are all equal and you don't get excluded because of race and you don’t get special treatment because of race. That has been turned by those who fear all this into a shambles of a campaign where it is claimed that the Treaty is being destroyed, or rewritten, or Maori rights are being stripped. This is not the first time some good, old fashioned open debate has been skewed and screwed into a partisan mess Then there were the numbers. The Curia poll out over the weekend tells you where middle New Zealand is. Parties at this stage of the political cycle don't rise or fall the way Act have without something tangible happening. For this poll, what has happened is a growing number of New Zealanders have tuned into what Act are trying to do and have decided they are on board. They have waded through the noise and the BS and they have worked out that quite a lot of us actually like the idea that we should all be treated equally. It's also why the Greens have tanked. When a leader quits and a member is in court, that tends to see support drift. The downside for Act and their campaign is twofold. They are battling the large party in the coalition and that large party also went up in the poll. That is as a result of a growing number seeing the Government move and re-introduce a series of practical sensible decisions and laws so many have been crying out for, for years. The fuel tax and light rail and cultural reports, these decisions have come thick and fast and middle New Zealand likes that stuff. Big picture, the Government are enjoying some fruits of a busy 100 days. Act are on the right side of the big race debate and it lends weight to Seymour's argument that by the time they write the draft bill, get it in front of a committee and let us have a say, it might just well turn out that we have a groundswell of support National can't afford to ignore.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Supermarket costs may be moving in the right direction. The latest Infometrics Foodstuffs Grocery Supplier Index has found supplier costs increased 4.3 percent in the year to January. It's much lower than the prior double digit increase. Vegetables New Zealand Chair John Murphy told Mike Hosking that more people are keen to work in the sector which is a good sign. He says there are some great opportunities in food production. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel looks set to proceed with its ground offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza, despite a lack of support from western allies. Correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking the US wants Israel to come up with a plan for protecting the safety of the civilian population, before the military advance begins. Foreign Minister Winston Peters says our government is "extremely concerned" about the potential humanitarian consequences. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Las Vegas is in Super Bowl mode today as thousands are in town for the big game. The NFL match between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will kick off at 12:30 this afternoon. Sirius XM host Ben Harlum is there, and told Mike Hosking that the streets are packed, security's been increased and the Swifties are in full force. He says he's been to Vegas many times but has never seen it like this. Harlum says the noise is insane and he's had to leave the casino just to get some peace and quiet. Taylor Swift is seeing Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Emergency Management Minister says additional money for Cyclone Gabrielle recovery will help Hawke's Bay reach silt removal targets. The Government's announced $63-million for sediment and debris removal. Hawke's Bay Regional Council will get 40-million, three million of that is for removing debris in Wairoa. Gisborne District Council will receive 23-million. Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking he hopes the money solves the problem. He says the additional $40-million will help Hawke's Bay get to its target of 20 percent of silt and debris removed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all. The short week: 7/10 Who doesn’t love a day off during the week? Ask the folk at Perpetual Guardian. Shane Jones: 7/10 My political hero of the week. Read his piece in the NZ Herald over Waitangi and overreach and rewriting history. He speaks for many of us with the advantage he can actually do something about it. In the Wings: 7/10 New documentary on Liam Lawson. Have a watch and see what hard work and dedication and talent can get you and a reminder than we have among us many a great, young talent. The benefit modelling: 1/10 Shock of the week. I can't honestly be the only one who didn’t have a clue. The average jobseeker time is 13 years. What sort of life is that and what sort of country allows it? Crime: 7/10 Good week for regular Kiwis. Cultural reports gone and discounting of sentences limited. Any day a policy is driven by common sense is a good day. Te Huia: 3/10 Turns out that's another misrepresentation. The new journeys are not demand driven, but merely yet more cost on a train that is haemorrhaging money and where tickets cover 3% of the actual cost and the ratepayers pony up the rest. The Superbowl: 8/10 Forget the fact I love the NFL - the people who run rugby here should look at what the NFL do and work out why the NFL is enjoying such growth and rugby isn't. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Supreme Court has heard oral arguments in an attempt to rid the Colorado ballot of Donald Trump. Voters claim he participated in an insurrection during the 2021 Capitol attack on January 6, and therefore should be disqualified. US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the outcome could take away power from voters, and both sides of the political game don't want the Court to lay down a broad ruling. He says Americans don't rate the court highly at the moment, with approval sitting at just 41%. A decision on Trump's fate is expected next month. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Great news for sports fans as another dose of free sports is on its way to screens. Friday Night Footy will see 25 NRL matches shown live on Sky Open this season, seven of which being the Warriors, plus additional matches for Anzac Day, Magic Round, and State of Origin I. Super Saturday Rugby fans aren’t being left out either, with 19 Super Rugby Pacific matches airing, kicking off with the Highlanders v Moana Pasifika on February 24th. Sky CEO Sophie Moloney told Mike Hosking that they want to meet New Zealanders where they are, and this is a great way to share some premium sport. There is a total of 213 league matches in the season and 91 rugby matches, Moloney said, so the small number that’s being aired for free is unlikely to upset those paying for a subscription. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The use of so-called well-known people in scams, I would argue, is now so common that a couple of things should be happening. The first question: is there anyone left who is moderately well known that hasn’t been used in some sort of scam? Given virtually everyone you have ever heard of has been used in a scam, surely the penny is dropping that, well, it’s a scam. Yesterday it was Wendy Petrie. I didn’t bother to look at what it was she was allegedly pedalling, the same way we don't respond to all the people who still believe I am into cryptocurrency. There was a scam over the holidays that had a photo of me injured. I don't know what it was they were selling or what they wanted you to do. There was even a new gossip website out of Ghana that had me as a lead story. Surely the bit where they say they are a new gossip website out of Ghana is about all the heads up you need to know you are being played. I asked a media executive the other day, at what point does the media stop covering these endless scams, given at some point they must be so voluminous you can't possibly cover them all? I asked that question the day the Ashley Bloomfield scam was in the news. Ashley was pedalling some blood pills. I asked the media executive at what point do we start taking responsibility for our own actions? What moron believes Ashley Bloomfield is in the business of dodgy pills? At which point, I was told the problem was that a major media outlet had in fact fallen for it and run it as a bona fide story. So, maybe my faith in common sense has a way to go. But I apply the same approach to AI. Nothing in terms of imaging and voice I have seen from AI yet has come close to being what you would suggest is so real as to sucker me in. Somewhere in here there has to be room for common sense, for a bit of logic. Have we collectively lost the ability to step back and ask a few basic questions, like, is this real? What are the odds of this being real? How legit does this look or sound? Is Mike really the crypto king? Is Ashley likely to be the blood pill peddler of the Western world? Or maybe this is a form of Darwinism? Maybe those who are that gullible deserve it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Building activity may be easing as new numbers show demand returning to pre-Covid levels. Recent years have seen a strain on the sector, with record demand after lockdowns. An MBIE report shows consent numbers steadying. But the Ministry's Combined Building Supplies Co-op Chairperson Carl Taylor told Mike Hosking that demand is affecting parts of the sector differently. He says some large companies are struggling with sales, but smaller building operators are doing well. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s hope change is on the horizon for the GP funding model. Clinics are hiking prices as government funding fails to keep up with rising costs. The funding problem isn't new, with successive governments carrying out reviews. Rural GP Network Chairperson Fiona Bolden told Mike Hosking that there's good evidence about what can be done. She says they are starting to see some recognition of this being a problem. Bolden says Te Whatu Ora is about to carry out a review of 24 hour and primary care in rural areas, which is a huge issue. Health Minister Shane Reti agrees and says he's looking forward to receiving advice on a sustainable solution. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.