The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Splore's announced it'll come to an end next year after hopes of a Government lifeline fell through.  Next year's instalment of the annual boutique music and arts festival at Auckland's Tapapakanga Regional Park will be the last due to low ticket sales in recent years.  Long-time owner John Minty says they weren't considered for the Government's $70 million Major Events Fund.  He told Heather du Plessis-Allan that while ending the festival is potentially premature, the writing is on the wall.  Minty says he could hang on for another year and hope things will get better, but from a financial point of view, he can’t take that risk again.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sydney's terror attack is raising questions about intelligence shortcomings and where security systems could be beefed up.   A 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son allegedly shot dozens of people celebrating the Jewish holiday Hanukkah at Bondi on Sunday evening.  The younger man had been investigated by the country's security agency before and wasn't considered a threat.  A senior lecturer of terrorism and radicalisation told Heather du Plessis-Allan that intelligence services are probably watching dozens of people, forcing them to make decisions as to who is likely to be the most relevant threat at that time.  Australian National University’s Dr Michael Zekulin says the alleged shooter didn’t meet the criteria in this case, which is something that’s been seen time and time again, in other countries as well.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a view that New Zealand's still a while away from being a 'rockstar' economy.  Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update documents are coming out early this afternoon, carrying key economic metrics. Treasury's also releasing a Budget Policy Statement outlining priorities for upcoming spending. Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Heather du Plessis-Allan it was a pretty average year for the economy, and next year looks to be better.  Joyce says getting core spending below 30% of GDP is the goal, but it won’t happen overnight.  He says Bill English spent eight years after the Canterbury quakes and the global financial crisis wrestling to get back into surplus.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Students are still battling to find consistent work leading into the summer break.  Fifty thousand people applied for work through Student Job Search in November – the highest number this year.  Chief Executive of Student Job Search Louise Saviker told Heather du Plessis-Allan while there are more jobs being listed, these are largely one-off or casual roles.  She says this means students need even more jobs.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bondi Beach massacre has propelled the Australian Government to overhaul its already-tough gun laws.   Sixteen people died and dozens were injured when two shooters opened fire on a Jewish gathering on Sunday night in what's been labelled a terror attack.   Now 26 victims remain in hospital, with six fighting for life.   A 24-year-old suspect is also in hospital under police watch while his 50-year-old father, who's also believed responsible, died at the scene.   The older man had been a licensed firearms holder for about a decade and owned six registered firearms.  9News Australia correspondent Charles Croucher told Heather du Plessis-Allan the federal government now wants to cut down the number of guns a person can own and conduct more regular checks on those with licences.   He says it also wants to restrict gun ownership to Australian citizens only.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data shows the service sector has now dipped in activity for six months in a row.  The most recent PSI recorded performance at its lowest since May, at 46.9.   For growth, it needs to sit at 50 or above.  ABC Business Sales CEO Chris Small told Heather du Plessis-Allan the results were a surprise.  He says the data had suggested the low point would be during Winter.  The sector is blaming the weak economic environment for the downturn, Small saying that in comparison, the retail sector saw a boost around Black Friday.  He says this shows things are turning around and services are just the lagging factor.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 15th of December with Heather du Plessis-Allan, we go to Australia to discuss the latest with the antisemitic Bondi terror attack. The Prime Minister drops in for the final time this year and tells us of his contact with Australia PM Anthony Albanese over the Bondi attack and whether this debate between Willis and Richardson is harmful to the Government. Jason Pine and Andrew Saville talk the Black Caps, the cost of the FIFA World Cup and their biggest moments of the year. 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.

If you weren’t already feeling confident about 2026, I've got two reasons you should. At least two major retail banks see signs of an economic recovery and we have a new Reserve Bank Governor. No pressure on Anna Breman, but she hasn’t arrived a day too soon given that the old lot were still managing to stuff things up until literally the last chance they had, with Christian Hawkesby saying the wrong thing and sending wholesale market rates, and therefore fixed term interest rates, up by 30 basis points. To be fair to him, he was only the fill in. And if we’re honest with ourselves it's more hope than certainty that the Swedish import will be any better than Hawkesby or Adrian Orr. But then again you could argue it really would be hard to be worse given the last four years. But we’re here for the good news.   The good news is that Anna Breman arriving as the new broom coincides with ASB, and now Kiwibank, all saying it’s on. They’re seeing signs of a recovery for 2026. Kiwibank’s call arguably matters more than the others because they’ve been the gloomiest. They were calling for more rate cuts than the Reserve Bank was prepared for. They were warning it was more grim out there than the Wellington bankers realised. They were right. So here’s hoping they are right again when they say sales are already up, and when sales go up, everything else follows. House prices are up 2-3% next year. The economy is growing 2.4% and then it’s 3% the next year. I don't know about you but that combo - a new person in charge of the central bank and growing consensus that the recovery is now on - is probably the best Christmas present i could wish for. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwibank says it's on with a 2.4% GDP increase for 2026. But the bank has joined the chorus blaming the Reserve Bank for messing up the communications leading to increased fixed-term rates at the major retail banks. Independent Economist Cameron Bagrie told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the economy is slowly stabilising, and because of that interest rates don't need to be as low.  "When you turn the corner, interest rates don't need to be as low." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The crackdown on drug drivers is due to start today. Starting in Wellington first, saliva testing will be used to test the drivers for 4 drugs; cannabis, meth, MDMA and cocaine. Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the drug tests being used are new to police, and a trial period is necessary before a national rollout.  "We will scale it up, but the police have to make sure. It's a new form of testing, so it's important to trial it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An anti-Semitic terror attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach has claimed the lives of 12 people.  Thousands were attending a Hanukkah celebration just before 9 last night our time - when two gunmen dressed in black opened fire on the crowd.  At least 29 people are injured - including two police officers.  Australian Correspondent Murray Olds told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the attack is the worst since the Port Arthur Massacre in 1996 - which left 35 people dead. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The principal of Auckland's Diocesan Girls, School for Girls is stepping down after more than 16 years in the job. Heather McRae is the retiring principal of one of Auckland's biggest schools, and she says she's optimistic about the school's future, and the education of children in New Zealand.  She said she likes the changes that Education Minister Erica Stanford has made to the curriculum, saying a focus on making the curriculum more specific is the right move. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast with Heather du Plessis-Allan Full Show Podcast for Friday the 12th of December, Primary Principals have turned down the latest pay offer from the Government, saying it doesn’t acknowledge their workload.   It’s been revealed that water infrastructure is going to cost $9 billion more than originally expected after every council submitted their plan for Local Water Done Well.  Tim Wilson and Kerre Woodham talked AI, Air NZ, and the Willis v Richardson debate as they Wrapped 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.

Time Magazine has just named its Person of the Year for 2025.  And it’s not a single person. It is "the architects" of AI.  The magazine says "no one" had as great an impact this year than the people “who imagined, designed, and built AI".  This was the year that we stopped talking about how clunky AI is and instead started sprinting to deploy it as fast as possible. And now the risk-averse are no longer in the driver's seat.  Which may be true, but the risk averse are still a really big proportion of us, aren't they?  I think there are broadly three categories of people when it comes to AI;  1) The ones using it,  2) The ones apathetic about it and waiting to be convinced that they need it,  3) The ones terrified of it.  It's the terrified ones that fascinate me.  They're the unions convinced AI will take jobs. They're the 47% of Kiwis who don’t trust companies to use AI ethically. They're the rule-lovers who want the Government to set up more rules for AI.  They're the artists and musicians who are pretending that they can stop AI learning from (they call it stealing) their ideas. They're the people complaining that AI photos and videos and songs are somehow evil and misleading.  Resisting AI is not a strategy. It's happening and it’s not going away.  Resisting it is like a repeat of the resistance towards the computer decades ago, which even Time magazine called a fad at the end.  The way to deal with AI is to accept it's going to fundamentally change everything and then figure out how to make that work for you.  A case in point is Disney today giving OpenAI permission to use its characters, like Star Wars characters, to make videos.  Like Mark Cuban said on the show yesterday, AI is going to be big, and we have no idea how big yet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US has escalated tensions with Venezuela and seized a tanker off its coast, described by Donald Trump as the largest ever seized.   He's otherwise keeping tight lipped, saying it was done for 'a very good reason'.   CNN reports it intensifies Trump's pressure campaign aimed at forcing the leader Nicolas Maduro out of power.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Heather du Plessis-Allan that while US officials are saying the seizure does not signal a broad scale war, Trump doesn’t want to rule an American ground invasion in or out.  He says the US has now carried out 22 attacks on Venezuelan drug boats, Trump saying that every drug boat leads to the deaths of some 25,000 Americans, but it’s unknown where he pulled that figure from.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday has come and Heather du Plessis-Allan was joined by Kerre Woodham and Tim Wilson to Wrap the Week that Was.  They discussed Air New Zealand’s new safety video, the Willis v Richardson debate, the quote of the year, and artificial intelligence.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The capital is on track for a star-studded Saturday with the premiere of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’.  Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, and Jemaine Clement are all set to hit the red carpet in Wellington.  The 13th and 14th are set to be a huge boost for the local economy, hospitality, and screen sectors, the City Council says – the franchise now bringing $1.1 billion into New Zealand’s economy.   NZ Film Commission’s Head of International Attraction and Marketing, Philippa Mossman told Heather du Plessis-Allan the premiere is a really important and exciting occasion for the country.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cost of water infrastructure projects have been rising as councils learn more details about what's required.  Every council has now submitted their plan under Local Water Done Well programme.  As Newstalk ZB first revealed last week, the final bill is now expected to reach almost $48 billion – about $9 billion more than first thought.  Local Government New Zealand Vice-President and Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz told Heather du Plessis Allan they've taken a more detailed look into costings over the whole ten years than they previously had.  She says we're comparing a ten-year plan which wasn't as in depth, to the current very detailed plan.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s relief as the Government loosens rules on growing hemp, despite law enforcement concerns.  Cabinet's agreed to remove licensing requirements for industrial growing and handling crops, although growers must now notify Police and MPI before starting up.  A Regulatory Impact Statement shows Customs and Police warned of risks from illegal cannabis growers.  Hemp Industries Association Chair Richard Barge told Heather du Plessis-Allan its good news for the growers and the people who will produce the raw materials.  He says the supply chain will be well enhanced, and the next step now is to get the value chain established.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Upper Hutt primary school principal says their workloads are comparable with secondary school principals, and they deserve a better pay offer.  Principals who belong to the NZEI union have rejected the Government's latest collective agreement proposal.  They say it fails to acknowledge their work.  Birchville School Principal Robyn Brown told Heather du Plessis-Allan unlike secondary principals, they weren't offered a curriculum change allowance, and the pay rise amounts to a cut.  She says primary school principals have far fewer people to implement curriculum change.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi consumers could finally see butter prices fall, thanks to increased global dairy production.   New research from Rabobank shows EU, UK, and US production has been surging, pushing down global prices.  Fonterra's already forecasting a lower farmgate payout than last season.  Fonterra Co-operative Council Chair John Stevenson told Heather du Plessis-Allan the change could be good news for supermarket shoppers.  He says if the surge continues, there'll be an impact on our store shelves.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, to the Nicola Willis v Ruth Richardson debate.  Here’s a challenge to Nicola Willis: do it this year. Do it next week.  I’m hearing that having challenged Ruth Richardson to the debate, Willis’ office would prefer to do it next year.  I can understand why. By next year the momentum will be gone and we’ll all have moved on to other things and it, probably, won't get as big of an audience.  Next week though is a big week.  The Government is opening its books. It sounds like Nicola might be pushing out surplus, again, for the second time in two years.  Then we’ve got the GDP number and that’s coming off the back of the Taxpayer’s Union campaign calling her out for her big spending, which kicks off today.  So next week there’s much more energy around a debate. If it’s pushed out to next year, I would read it as the first sign of losing courage.  And if I was cynical, it's the first sign of them hoping this will fizzle and die because frankly, it was a political mistake to challenge Ruth Richardson to a debate.  Regardless of what you think of her, Ruth can article all the problems with Nicola's big spending budgets and debt gathering in a way that most members of the media can’t, which is to say she will mount a case that Nicola is spending too much and taking us down exactly the same path of economic trouble that Grant started us on.  And I suspect that will convince a lot of voters that we have a problem here.  And we do. We have a problem when we have a government that promised to cut spending and yet spends more than Grant and will, by mid next year, have taken on $45 billion more in debt, which will by then account for almost a quarter of our total debt.  This is an important debate, because what is more important for a government to do well than run the country’s books?  So, next week? How about it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast with Heather du Plessis-Allan Full Show Podcast for Thursday 11th of December, as Australia bans social media for under 16s, what does our interim report say we should do?   David Seymour responds to the findings of the investigation into the mouldy lunches at a Christchurch school.   US billionaire Mark Cuban talks the All Blacks, being an NBA owner, the state of US politics, and AI.  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.

Mark Cuban has his hands in all sorts of pies.  The US billionaire businessman is involved with tech, media, health insurance, the NBA, and more recently, politics.  He got his first major start with the media company Broadcast.com, which he sold to Yahoo in 1999 for US$5.7 billion worth of stock.   The next year he got into the NBA, buying the Dallas Mavericks for US$280 million, selling a majority stake of the team in late 2023 for $3.5 billion.   Cuban has become something of an authority on sports, and while he’s not familiar with the economics of rugby in New Zealand, he does have a few ideas on it could be saved.  “You’ve got to make it more fun,” he told Heather du Plessis-Allan.  “Not so much on the pitch, right, but in the stands."  There’s a difference, Cuban explained, between the quality of the sport being played on the field or court, and the experience people attending the game have.  “When I got to the Mavs, the people that were at the NBA thought it was all about basketball ... but I was like, you don’t even remember the score of the last game you went to.”  Instead, he says, what you remember is the people you went to the game with – the first date or the buddy that got drunk.   “And I think rugby is fun, but it’s not, it’s not as much a spectacle."  “You’ve got to make it different, otherwise you just get the purists that have been going for 50 years that don’t want to see it changed.”   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A brand new kiwifruit is about to hit the market.  Zespri has approved the commercialisation of a new red variety, Red80, following the success of Red19.  The fruit has been naturally bred through Zespri’s Kiwifruit Breeding Centre in partnership with Plant & Food Research.  CEO Jason Te Brake told Heather du Plessis-Allan Red80 has a later harvest than Red19, which extends the time RubyRed will be available for consumers.  He says the fruit likely won’t be sold until 2028, as they’re releasing the licence to growers next year, and it will likely be a couple years after that before the first crop is available.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tourists continue to flock across the ditch to New Zealand.  Stats NZ figures show more than 260 thousand overseas travellers visited in October, 22 thousand up on the year before.  More than 120 thousand came from Australia – a record October high.  Tourism Holdings CEO Grant Webster told Heather du Plessis-Allan that New Zealand is currently a cheap destination for Australian tourists when compared to places like the United States.   He says there’s also been strong marketing from Tourism New Zealand, which has been paying off.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just because something's hard to do, doesn't mean it shouldn't be done.  Parliament's education committee is recommending New Zealand consider following Australia in banning under 16s from social media.  It's found the platforms are exposing young people to a wide range of harm.  Acting Committee Chair Carl Bates told Heather du Plessis-Allan teens will get around a social media age limit like they get around the drinking age limit, but that isn't a reason not to try.  He says this is about a cultural shift, and the majority of the committee believe we need to step up and ensure the internet is safe for children.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“A week of drama” could have been avoided had the principal of a school with mouldy lunches waited for the investigation rather than going public, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says.  New Zealand Food Safety said yesterday the mouldy lunches served at the Haeata Community Campus were most likely caused by an error at the school.  Seymour told Newstalk ZB’s Heather du Plessis-Allan the school should have “kept an open mind” so he did not have to spend a week talking about “what happened to 20 lunches”.  “I guess people might start to ask themselves, ‘Look, this whole saga, it was unreasonable to have a principal who was out in the media for a week, when in reality, Food Safety New Zealand completed the assessment within 10 days, which is lightning speed for most things that happen in government’.  “And if they were just open about what might have been the possibility, we could have waited till now, we could have saved a week of drama.”  One of the lunches given to students at Haeata Community Campus  He also said he had been told by Food Safety that the school had a policy of leaving school lunches in the cafeteria so students could have extras if they wanted, and the mouldy lunches came from there.  He had been told by Food Safety that the school had a policy of leaving school lunches in the cafeteria so students could have extras if they wanted, and the mouldy lunches came from there.  He said the same lunch was served on Thursday, so this seems like the most “plausible” answer.  Seymour said Food Safety NZ had been all over the school and Compass “like a rash” and was confident in the result revealed yesterday.  Haeata Community Campus principal Peggy Burrows did not wish to respond to Seymour’s comments this morning.  She previously told the Herald the findings of the school’s internal investigation were with the board and the school’s lawyers and were due to be released on Friday.  Haeata Community Campus principal Dr Peggy Burrows. Photo / Supplied  Vincent Arbuckle, deputy director-general of New Zealand Food Safety, said an investigation into the incident found that the mouldy lunches were not part of a wider food safety issue with the School Lunch Collective.  “We know the issue caused a lot of concern among parents and students at the school, so we considered it important to provide accurate and independent information about the likely cause,” Arbuckle said.  “After carefully examining all the possible causes, we are able to reassure parents that there is not a wider, or ongoing, food safety risk with the School Lunch Collective.  “The most plausible explanation is that lunches intended to be served to students the previous week were accidentally mixed in with that day’s lunches.”  Burrows earlier maintained that none of its “robust” systems failed between Thursday and Monday, when the food was served.  The lunches served at Haeata Community Campus were covered in a thick layer of mould.  Arbuckle said New Zealand Food Safety’s food compliance officers considered the possibility that the error was made by the distributor.  They found it was unlikely that the distributor delivered lunches from the previous week because several other schools received the same lunch on the same day with no reported issues.  Arbuckle said another reason was that the Compass Christchurch Kitchen (Central Production Kitchen) only receives the number of meals required for the following school day because of the minimal capacity of available chillers.  A food poisoning warning was issued last week after several children from Haeata Community Campus ate school lunches covered in thick mould.  The meals, provided as part of the Government’s school lunch programme, were eaten before a teacher intervened.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns our health system isn't keeping pace with our accelerating cancer rates.  The Cancer Control Agency's latest State of Cancer Report has found more New Zealanders are being diagnosed with cancer, but they're surviving cancer for longer.  It's projecting diagnoses will increase by 50% over the next two decades.  Otago University Medical Oncologist Dr Chris Jackson told Heather du Plessis-Allan this means fewer people getting scans, surgeries, and procedures.  He says funding is increasing, but outcomes aren't improving at the same rate.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A major New Zealand apple grower is pulling the pin on exporting to the US due to Donald Trump's tariffs.   Export tariffs for New Zealand increased to 15% in August.  New Zealand's $70 million of apple exports were excluded from exemptions last month.  Yummy Fruit Company General Manager Paul Paynter told Heather du Plessis-Allan turning away from the US has been an easy decision.  He says if the US wants to charge tariffs and Yummy Fruit can sell its apples elsewhere, that's what they'll do.  Paynter says apple exports to the US have fallen about 30% in the past two years.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cast your mind back a couple of weeks to what the boss of Auckland Port Roger Gray said.  He told us New Zealand is a country that says 'no' so often, Miami cruise bosses he spoke to had taken to calling us 'No Zealand'.  Yesterday the Government unveiled its plan for how we stop that, which is a rewrite of the RMA because the RMA is part of the problem.  It has turned 'no' into an art form in this country. No to your new deck, no to that road, no to you putting a door on the side of the house rather than the front of the house.  We are a country the size of Japan geographically, yet we have 1200 planning zones each with its own unique, bespoke set of rules, while Japan has 13 zones.  Chris Bishop’s proposal is to take that 1200 and drop it down to 17. It's still more than Japan, but about a 98.5% reduction, which can’t be sniffed at.  So prolific and ridiculous are the stories that we can all tell about our encounters with the RMA that I think you’d struggle to find anyone who opposes change.  The trouble has always been agreeing on what change looks like and that is no different this time around.  This RMA reform is welcome, overdue, brave, and almost certainly going to help the country grow.  But mark my words: it will create all kinds of political problems.  Just look at the case of Auckland and Wellington. Both cities need to build more houses but the minute the rules change to make that a reality, the nimbys start complaining.  And that will happen with the RMA. Because sure, your property rights are being strengthened so you can do what you want on your property.  But it's the same for your neighbour, which means if he wants to build that big whatever you have to look at, you might not be able to say no.  None of us want to lose our views, have a road running right next to us or want the infrastructure development to kill the precious, indigenous snail.  And those things might happen because we are all losing some of our ability to say no.  Now, I think that’s a good thing. There’s been too much 'no', clearly, otherwise we wouldn't be 'No Zealand'.  But saying yes will take some getting used to. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump has waded into the battle to buy Warner Bros. Discovery.   Paramount Skydance has launched a hostile bid for company in a last ditch effort to outbid Netflix.  The offer would be worth about NZ$188 billion compared to the $125 billion Netflix has been offering.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Heather du Plessis-Allan that this level of presidential involvement is new, with Trump saying he’ll look at both proposals.  He says Trump has said that neither company are particularly great friends of his, so it’s unknown as to what his approval will hinge on.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast with Heather du Plessis-Allan Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 10th of December, the Contact Energy CEO responds to Chris Bishop's RMA reform and Chris Bishop responds to the industry.  Is there a New Zealander who hasn't skipped a stone? If you think you're pretty good at it, we've got the first ever NZ Stone Skimming Champs coming next year.   Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen discuss the RMA reforms and whether Sunny Kaushal and the Ministerial Advisory Group for retail crime are taking the mickey with how much they're charging for their services 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.

Today on Politics Wednesday, Labour’s Ginny Andersen and National’s Mark Mitchell joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to discuss the week thus far.  They discussed the newly-announced RMA reforms – how does Labour feel about the new acts?   There's been another development in the McSkimming saga, with Andrew Coster claiming he briefed both Chris Hipkins and Mark Mitchell on the situation previously – something neither of them recall.  And is the Ministerial Advisory Group for Retail Crime taking the mickey with how much they’re charging for their services?  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A classic pastime is getting its own national championship.  The Stone Skimming Nationals will be held next May at Lake Hāwea, with the winners heading on to the World Championship in Scotland.  Around 150 people are expected to compete, with more than 100 spectating the event.   Lake Hāwea Station’s Tourism Manager Richie Lang told Heather du Plessis-Allan originally there wasn’t a huge amount of interest in hosting the event, but then a cheating scandal at the World Stone Skimming Championships came around and put the sport on the world map.   After that, he said, they thought it was time to strike.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s an assurance RMA changes won't clog the courts.   The Government's confirmed it's replacing current Resource Management Act laws with two new pieces of legislation, one for the environment and one for planning.   It's expected to save about $13 billion in consenting costs.  RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop told Heather du Plessis-Allan there's too much Environmental Court litigation at the moment.  He says it’s inevitable there will be cases, but the aim is to reduce the amount of litigation and debate about things like the definition of “sustainable management”, which has been a topic of debate for around 30 years.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A mortgage broker is saying not to panic about rising mortgage rates.   Westpac has announced a 30 basis point increase to its 2-5 year fixed rates.  They claim the move reflects rising wholesale rates and higher costs for long-term funding.   Sue Tierney told Heather du Plessis-Allan that people do have the opportunity to negotiate rates.  She says the bank has an advertised rate, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept it.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Covid-type outbreak of common sense.  That's how Contact Energy's describing the Government's Resource Management Act reforms, which will see current rules replaced with two new pieces of legislation.   One will be for planning, and the other for the environment.  Contact Energy Chief Executive Mike Fuge told Heather du Plessis-Allan he likes what he sees.   He says it will liberate the country from the burden of bureaucracy and complication.  Fuge says the changes should provide much needed pace to infrastructure development.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A monumental change for people caring for severely disabled family members. A landmark Supreme Court ruling yesterday means those providing full-time care for severely disabled family members are entitled to pay. It was brought by two parents, Christine Fleming and Peter Humphreys, who care for severely disabled adult children. Disability Advocate Jane Carrigan told Heather du Plessis-Allan getting minimum wage is the bare minimum for these families. She says this will impact roughly 10 thousand families. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So tomorrow's the big day, isn't it? And it is, I think, not an overstatement to say that the eyes of the world, well, at least politicians around the world, are going to be on Australia and whether the social media ban will actually work. And that is still a live question, isn't it? We're less than 24 hours from the thing taking effect and none of us can totally say for sure that we know it's going to work.  For two reasons: one, it's the internet, so there's always a workaround out there. And two, it involves kids, and if there's a workaround, kids will find the workaround. I'm going to call it for you now: it's not going to work, if your definition of working is that 100% of children under 16 get kicked off and stay off until they're 16.   But I think it is possible that it is going to work if your definition is a little bit more flexible, which is that most kids get kicked off and stay off because their parents force them to do it. And I think that is the key thing here, like it always is, parents getting involved.   Talking about whether it works or not, actually I think kind of misses the point here, which is that this gives parents something that they haven't had yet, which is permission to keep their kids off social media. Because what parents have been finding is it's very hard to keep 14 year old Susie off social media, off Facebook, off Instagram, off TikTok, off Snapchat, because all Susie's friends are on it. And if Susie's not on it, then she becomes the weird kid, and nobody wants their kid to be the weird kid, right? So you relent and you let Susie on it.   This has the potential to flip all of that pressure around. Now everyone's off. Now the kid that's on it, little Johnny's on it, Susie comes home and says, oh Johnny's on TikTok, can I go on TikTok? You go, no, Johnny's a naughty kid from a family that has no rules, no boundaries, no discipline. Susie, you've got boundaries and discipline your parents care about, you stay off. It gives permission for the parents to be able to do that kind of thing.   And if you're a parent, you know peer pressure is massive, isn't it? Especially in the teenage years. The Aussie government's doing its bit by bringing us to this point. The tech companies are being dragged into doing their bit and ultimately this will live or die in Australia based on whether Australian parents do their bit and actually step up to the plate and parent properly. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Working Class Man is back.  Celebrating the 40th anniversary of his landmark album, For The Working Class Man, Jimmy Barnes is bringing his most famous songs to our shores early next year.  The most successful artist in Australian chart history has long loved New Zealand because we showed his band, Cold Chisel, love right from the very beginning.  Cold Chisel headlined a Summer Concert Tour earlier this year, but 2026’s tour will be a solo venture for Barnes, as he plays the iconic album from start to finish, with a few additions from his chart-topping catalogue.  “It was such a, a record that was so pivotal in my life and career,” Barnes told Heather du Plessis-Allan.   “The songs on this record changed my life forever.”   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast with Heather du Plessis-Allan Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 9th of December, what will the RMA reform, set to be announced this afternoon, look like? And why are Chinese warships shadowing our Naval vessels?   Investor Malcolm Gillies has bought Wellington Rugby's 50% stake in the Hurricanes as he looks to turn the franchise around and stop them leaking money.  Aussie singer Jimmy Barnes joined for a chat about visiting New Zealand on his next tour, and Working Class Man turning 40.   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 debate over out long summer break is heating up.  An op-ed from businessman Toss Grimley claims New Zealand’s extended shutdown hurts productivity, a stance backed up by Auckland Business Chamber CEO Simon Bridges.  Bridges says there’s a real perception the country “shuts down until March”, and that we’re seen more as “lifestylers” than serious businesspeople.   Massey University Professor of Innovation and Economics, Christoph Schumacher told Heather du Plessis-Allan that while our summer break is long compared to the rest of the world, the question shouldn’t be if it’s too long, but rather if we can afford it.  He says people do deserve breaks, but it needs to be structured a smarter way to keep productivity high.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A significant milestone for the country's wool sector, with an export deal signed.  Wool Source has had its first commercial export order confirmed.  The Wool Research Organisation company's signed a deal with a Japanese company, for eight tonnes of Kiwi products.  Chair Andrew Morrison told Heather du Plessis-Allan they’ve spent about seven years deconstructing strong wool down to a molecular level and finding applications for it.  He says this is the first shipment going into the personal care market, but they’re also looking into fire retardanty, packaging, and pigments.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new Hurricanes board chair is determined to turn around the books of the struggling Super Rugby franchise.  Developer Malcolm Gillies has acquired the 50% stake in the club, offloaded by the Wellington Rugby Union to balance its own books.  The franchise has collectively lost $4 million in the past three seasons.  Gillies told Heather du Plessis Allan it's a good investment.  He says there’s a lot of untapped potential, but there’s certainly a lot of things to do.  Tony Philp, who recently departed as the club's general manager of rugby, will assume the interim CEO role.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auditors are calling out schools for questionable spending on overseas trips and travel.  The Auditor-General’s latest report flagged concerns with more than 170 school boards last year, many involving how principals used coaching and wellbeing funds.  Around a third were tied to travel.  Sector Manager for Schools, Jane Rogers told Heather du Plessis-Allan some boards allowed personal travel to be added onto work trips.  She says spending public money has to have a justifiable purpose, so they wouldn't expect it to be spent on personal travel.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A New Zealand navy ship's been shadowed by seven Chinese warships in East Asian waters.   HMNZS Aotearoa was carrying out surveillance and deterrence activities last month to enforce the UN's sanctions against North Korea.    The Defence Force has confirmed the warships kept a safe distance throughout.  Otago University international relations professor Robert Patman told Heather du Plessis-Allan it indicates China firmly believes in its sovereignty over the Taiwan Strait.  He says a growing consciousness of military might means China's less tolerant of infringements on what it sees as its sovereign claim.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Contractors want one thing from the Government’s RMA overhaul: a simpler system.  Ministers are today announcing significant changes to consenting as part of a shake-up to the Resource Management Act.  It's expected to cut the need for consents in 46% of cases that currently need them.  Civil Contractors NZ CEO Alan Pollard told Heather du Plessis-Allan RMA is the biggest barrier to getting projects off the ground quickly.  He says the act is complicated, vague, and creates significant costs.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian Correspondent Steve Price joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to chat about a recent poll showing 70% of Australian parents are in support of this weeks social media ban. But, only 35% are confident that the platforms will effectively block children. And, Sports Minister Anika Wells is in more hot water after charging taxpayers more than $4000 in flights so her husband could join her at three cricket events. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth will not confirm whether the video footage of a strike on a Venezuelan boat will be released. Critics have called the strike a war crime.  President Donald Trump is reportedly considering the replacement of long-time ally and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. And, self driving car company Waymo has recalled software after its cars repeatedly failed to stop for school buses. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.