The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Donald Trump is set to host Israel's Prime Minister at the White House as the US pushes for a ceasefire in Gaza.  The BBC reports Israel and Hamas resumed indirect talks in Qatar but ended after three hours without a breakthrough.  Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton told Heather Du Plessis-Allan there's no compromising between the two sides.  He says Hamas' objectives are to get Israel out of Gaza, while Israel's is to destroy Hamas as a military and political force.  Discussions to strike a permanent deal with Iran in the wake of recent airstrikes on its nuclear facilities are expected to also be on the table.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian mushroom murder trial could end up in the appeals court.  Erin Patterson's been found guilty of murdering her estranged husband's parents and aunt, and attempting to kill his uncle with a beef wellington containing death cap mushrooms.  Newstalk ZB's Lesley Yeomans is in Victoria, following developments.  She told Heather du Plessis-Allan that Patterson's legal team now has 28 days to decide whether they'll appeal the verdict.  Yeomans says we’ll have to wait for the next month or so to see if they’ll do so, but you would assume it’s likely.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doubts over the amount of admin needed for families to get the FamilyBoost scheme.  The Government's announced changes, which mean eligible families can now get 40% early childhood education fee rebates, up from 25%.  The threshold household income has risen to $229 thousand.  Early Childhood NZ chief executive Kathy Wolfe told Heather du Plessis-Allan ECE providers have to help families access the scheme, which creates more admin for services.  She says it would better for providers to have more control, and help families afford the fees.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iwi-owned commercial entities have outperformed some of New Zealand’s largest listed companies.  ANZ’s annual Te Tirohanga Whanui report shows the entities emerged from the economic downturn in good shape, faring better on a return on assets basis.  Waikato-Tainui’s among the strong performers, having a balance sheet of $1.9 billion.  Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka told Heather Du Plessis-Allan there are some reasons behind the uplift.  He says many iwi and Māori businesses are land and people based, they have low debt levels, and are often generational players.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday 7 July. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Acting Prime Minister says judges need to hear the message when it comes to tougher sentencing. The Government's increasing maximum sentences for several offences and isn't ruling out more minimum, or mandatory, sentences in the future. David Seymour told Heather du Plessis-Allan judges need to think outside their position of privilege. He says someone who has been attacked, or has had their car or property stolen, wants the perpetrator to be punished.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Education Ministry data shows three and a half thousand kids have been missing from the education system for more than a year since 2022.  Lead Principal of the Manurewa Attendance Service Cathy Chalmers told Heather du Plessis-Allan having to find these kids is part of the problem.  She says a multi-agency approach is needed, as there are normally other issues that contribute to disenrollment or low attendance.  The Government says it's putting information-sharing agreements in place, between agencies like Kainga Ora and the Health Ministry See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A law expert says the court system can be fixed by understanding facts - not mandatory sentences.  Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith hasn't ruled out the policy which would see a minimum standard set for various crimes.  Judges currently have discretion to give discounts based on aggravating or mitigating circumstances.  Former High Court judge Sir Ron Young says New Zealand has a lot of people in prison as it is.  He told Heather du Plessis-Allan the courts are already on the heavy end of sentencing, with people serving up to 20 years for murder compared to just ten, 30 years ago.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second phase of the Covid Inquiry starts today, with vaccine mandates proving to be a hot topic.   The hearings will be held in Auckland, available to watch online and will be chaired by KC Grant Illingworth.   Phase two is focused on aspects of the Covid response like vaccine mandates, the approval process and vaccine safety.  Illingworth told Heather du Plessis Allan that there are 31-thousand submissions, with a fair chunk focused on the mandates.  He says there's a number of people who think the mandates protected them, and many others who have an opposite view. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There appears to be a feeling we don't like the fact that banks make money.  Inland Revenue's digging into the tax settings being applied to banks at the Government's request - as it seeks to ensure they're paying their fair share.   But Massey University banking expert Claire Matthews told Heather du Plessis-Allen she believes it's motivated by a general bad attitude towards banks.   She claims the Government's looking to take more money off them, as they're perceived as big organizations that make a lot of money.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What we need is an "are we sure we know what we are doing before we rush into this" catalogue or guide.  The EV story might turn out to be one of the world's, and certainly the transportation industry's, biggest headaches as company after company admit they leapt in way too quick to electric, bought into all the Government-led madness on climate and invested, God-knows how much to transfer to a mode of movement the world wasn’t ready for, or wanted.  EVs were sold as way more than they ever were.  Now even the scientists are waking up. There's a good piece of reading from Dr Caroline Shaw published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, whereby they do what we really should have done at the start and look at the EV in totality.  It said don’t get all hyped and hooked up on emissions. Yes, emissions in an EV vs petrol debate do drop. But what about the rest of it? They looked at all sorts of things like the extra weight, therefore the extra wear and tear, the weight and therefore the potential for injury, the cheapness of driving, therefore you drive more, therefore our fitness drops as we drive and don’t walk.  They looked at a myriad of things that should have been thought about and scoped out on day one and weighed up.  Because here is the end result: when you add all that stuff up, the good, the bad and the ugly, electrifying cars would lie somewhere between harmful and neutral.  Are you serious?  Going electric could be harmful? Would it have not been useful to crunch a few of those ideas to understand this at the start of the obsession that drove the thinking?  Or, like so much ideology, do the details not matter as long as we can leap on the old bandwagon, take a small piece of the bigger picture and then milk it for all its worth, knowing that we can leave the reality and the clean-up for another day?  This by the way is not anti-EV.  It’s the realisation that like most things, what was the answer, and the obsession, and the next new thing, actually turns out to be just another piece in a way bigger, more complex, picture than the obsessives ever care to learn about.  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.    July 1st: 7/10  A lot of cool stuff started, including higher speed limits on roads where higher speed limits make sense and increase efficiency.    Helipads: 8/10  Amazing for so many reasons; well-known rich people, a ridiculous number of submissions, a massive waste of energy and, finally, they won.    Offensive to girls: 3/10  The fuss over the Warehouse and the backpack is pathetic. It was a joke. It was light-hearted.    The All Blacks: 7/10  A new season, new hope, new excitement and an easy opener.    Wegovy: 7/10  That was a lot of publicity in the news for a product next to no one can afford.    School lunches: 7/10  Because with the new stats, the new meals, and the new feedback, that is a good example of a problem solved. Now, are the media going to give the same amount of coverage to the answer as they did to the problem?    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Republicans are celebrating after US President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful" bill crossed the line.  Trump is expected to sign his sweeping domestic policy bill tomorrow as he celebrates the Fourth of July at the White House.  House Speaker Mike Johnson claims everything was a disaster under the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris administration.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking there was a lot of drama throughout the entire process, but eventually, Trump bullied the vast majority of House Republicans into signing onto the bill.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was a survey out last week that broadly supported the Government’s moves around KiwiSaver, as in the 3% and 3% going to 4% and 4%.  But they wanted the Government to do something about the cut in contribution from the state.  Small hint – if you rely on the Government for any consistency around long term projects, forget it.  From the very beginning of KiwiSaver, the Government were always going to be the weak link.  When it comes to big picture stuff, dedication and focus from a government is a casualty of the three year political cycle. They were never going to be our friend on retirement savings.  The best advice I offer anyone, including our kids, is do it yourself. It's your life, your decision and your future, so do it yourself.  To show you how hopeless we are at saving in this country, figures released last week in America showed their KiwiSaver, what they call their 401k, hit a record high at 14.3%.  So while we are mucking around on 3-4% they are up to over 14%.  Here is the kicker – the industry says it really should 15% if you want to be comfortable.  A psychological step change is required and I'm not sure we will ever get there.  Whether its employer contributions that get offered instead of more pay, or whether it’s the Australian style compulsion, a lot of countries do it a lot of different ways and most of them have dealt with the age of retirement as well.  We basically are stuck with 65-years-old, and angst around even a debate about changing it, and far too many people who get to retirement and are stuck with a state-funded payout that has never been good and will not serve you well, if it's all you have to live off.  There is of course no reason for this to even be a problem. Lee Kuan Yew many years ago in Singapore took a third world country, told them to save, forced them to save, and now they are rich.  The answers are all there. Australia has it sorted, the Norway fund is famous, and even the Americans at 14.3% seem to have it solved.  We need to look and learn and then get our act together and apply a bit of basic discipline to our long-term futures that don’t rely on a government. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was.  The historic Cardrona Hotel has been put up for sale – is Mike personable enough to run a hotel?  Tim and Kate offer up some programming advice, and the three delve into various athletics and racquet sports.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Central Otago's iconic Cardrona Hotel is up for sale through private negotiation.  The 162-year-old building sits between Wanaka and Queenstown.  It's on the market for the first time in more than a decade.  Co-owner Cade Thornton told Mike Hosking they'll be selling privately, with no real estate agents involved.  He says there's been expressions of interest throughout their ownership, from overseas parties and nationwide.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 4th of July, we cap off a week of crime announcements with some new trespass laws.  Codie Taylor joins the show ahead of the first All Blacks test of the year against France.  Tim and Katie give some programming advice and debate whether Mike would be any good as a police recruit wing patron 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.

The first All Blacks test of 2025 is upon us.  Saturday night will see a new team tackle an understrength French side in Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium.  There were plenty of surprises in the team announcement, with four debutants in the 23 and some unexpected faces in the reserve line up.  Codie Taylor is playing hooker, and told Mike Hosking that although the French side is understrength, they have to respect and acknowledge their opposition.  However, he said, their main focus is on making sure they get things right, since this is their first crack playing as a team.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says it’s letting shop owners take back control.  It's proposing legislation to double maximum trespassing fines and allow trespassing people for three years, from multiple sites.  Hospitality NZ’s Steve Armitage told Mike Hosking the law’s been outdated for some time.  He says that when it was introduced back in 1980, a $1000 fine was much more material than it is 45 years later – according to the World Bank, the purchasing power of $1000 in 1980 equates to about $50,000 today.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a clever new marketing ploy from a Wanaka fashion designer.  ‘The Precious Collaborative’ are selling $10,000 coats in order to subsidise New Zealand wool products in their store.  The profits of the coats are able to discount a once $700 item to under $200 – the aim to put quality NZ wool items within the average person’s reach.  Founder Claire O’Connell told Mike Hosking that by purchasing the coat, people are supporting so much within the country – from the strong wool industry right through to local production.  So far two people have bought the $10,000 coat, and O’Connell says that since then they’ve sold almost 100 garments, of which 85% were bought at the discounted price.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Talks about a major update to a 15 year old agreement between Taupō’s council and the region's largest landowners have sparked controversy.   The 2009 Joint Management Agreement between the district council and Ngāti Tūwharetoa is being workshopped, and a draft agreement has been presented to the public.  Critics argue that no public mandate has been issued, and that ‘Treaty principles’ are embedding ‘co-governance’ directly into council operations.   Mayor David Trewavas told Mike Hosking the agreement has absolutely nothing to do with co-governance, and is instead about protecting Lake Taupō.  He says that when people actually look at and understand the deal, they’ll understand it’s about protecting the lake and ensuring it remains one of the cleanest in the world.  “It’s just all about the lake, nothing to do with co-governance at all.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support for the Government's move to change rigid insulation standards.  It's expected building code insulation requirements will be relaxed by year's end in a bid to cut construction costs.  The Government's called the changes "common sense", with building costs rising more than 40% since 2019.  Building Industry Federation CEO Julien Leys told Mike Hosking the current 'one size fits all' approach isn't working.  He says the rules force people to use an exact amount of insulation, meaning it's expensive and over the top.  The Government's also looking to make the Far North a separate 'climate zone', stating the region’s warmer climate allows for a more tailored approach.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I feel there should be a rule, and the rule is around balance.  Part of the media's demise is its unfairness in coverage, the latest example of which is the school lunch programme.  We have a smattering of coverage. When I say smattering, I have found two things.  One is by Radio NZ, who have the same stats as story number two by the Herald.  Radio NZ, once they produced the stats, clearly couldn't help themselves, given it was good news, so they went and found a miserable principal to moan some more about the lunch programme.  Their moan was, given the previous moaning didn’t work and things aren't going back to the way they were, they must have given up.  By the way these are the numbers: 99%+ delivered each day, complaints down by 92% and students positive feedback through the roof.  The Herald's story contained the term 3 testing news: new meals, with students in the trial posting 73% positive feedback.  By any standards these numbers are a success story. Where there was trouble at the start, the trouble has been fixed.  So, to fairness. Very little the Government did this year got more media spotlight than school lunches. The TV news in particular went to town on it, night after night, after night, melting plastic, burnt kids, shots of mush, finger pointing, union representatives and delivery delays. It was a feeding frenzy, and the media were in, boots and all.  So where are they now?  Apart from two stories, where are they now? We have stats and detail, we have a fix, we have happy kids and, do remember, the reason for it all in the first place, we have money saved and a lot of it.  And not just money saved, but more kids actually getting fed.  So as an exercise we are doing more with less and the recipients are happy.  So where are the stories? Where is the balance? Where is the fairness?  The rule should be minute for minute, column inch for column inch. If you loved the pile on, you have to be back to present the end result.  You have to do the right thing. You have to provide the other side, the balance and the outcome. If you don’t then the charge of bias sticks.  You look like an attention seeking, clickbait warrior and your pleas for the value of journalism fall flat. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The scorching heatwave sweeping Europe has claimed lives.  Six people have died as temperatures top 40C, with three deaths in Italy, two in Spain, and one in France.  In parts of Italy, admissions to emergency units has risen by 15-20%, with a majority of patients being elderly.  Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking that the government is issuing alerts saying that those working in construction or working outdoors should be out of the sun between 12:30 and 4pm.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s property values are ticking back up again.  New data from Cotality has revealed a 0.2% national increase in June, reversing the 0.1% falls that came in April and May.  The medium house price remains around the $815,000 mark, with Tauranga and Christchurch both increasing by 0.6%.  Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson told Mike Hosking property values are fairly flat when averaged out over a few months.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There won’t be many in the world who would argue that Jason Aldean’s not a country music superstar.  He moved up to Nashville at age 21, and after signing and being dropped by a couple of agencies, he got picked up by Broken Bow Records, launching his debut single and album in 2005.  From there the rest is history – 30 number 1 country singles, almost 20 billion streams, 20 million albums sold, multiple platinum records, as well as being named ACM’s Artist of the Decade, among other things.  It’s all culminated in his ‘Full Throttle Tour’ going international, and Aldean will be making his way to our shores early next year.  He told Mike Hosking the music industry is a tough business to break into.  “We’ve been around for twenty years, so it’s been a good ride, but it’s definitely a tough business,” Aldean said.  “Not for the faint of heart, for sure.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 3rd of July, ACT and NZ First have shut down the proposal for a publicly funded body to cost election policies.  Remember when the previous Government gave Proceeds of Crime funds back to the Mongrel Mob for a meth program? This Government is changing it so that can never happen again.    Country music superstar Jason Aldean is heading to our shores and with Mike’s love of the genre, we had to get him on for a chat.   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 Government hopes to further separate itself from its predecessor with new changes to the Proceeds of Crime Fund.    The latest round of funding has granted three programmes a collective $5 million to address youth offending and meth harm.    Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says recent changes mean there's a clear and consistent assessment for new initiatives.    She told Mike Hosking they want to ensure the projects are workable as opposed to throwing taxpayer money at the sky and hoping for results.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A nine-year fight to create a publicly funded election policy-costing unit has come to an end.  Act and New Zealand First have shot down Finance Minister Nicola Willis's proposal to create one.  Metiria Turei, then-Green Party co-leader, first proposed the idea in 2016.  Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking Willis's proposal was different from those that have come before.  He says to cost individual policies at the request of parties would have dealt with a problem that happens when you're in Opposition.  Joyce says that's when you don't have access to the information.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A clear message from the Government: New Zealand can't succeed if Auckland doesn't succeed.  The Government's agreed to negotiate with Auckland Council on a 10-year deal to boost housing, infrastructure, and economic growth in our largest city.  It's also agreed to negotiate similar deals with Western Bay of Plenty and Central Otago.  Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking the deal will align local and central government on up-zoning, rapid transit, and innovation precincts.  He says Auckland is New Zealand's main international city and is a big driver of economic growth around the country.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A watchful eye is on the $41 million allocated to upskill staff working in youth care homes.  Minister for Children Karen Chhour has announced the boost, which aims to improve support to kids in care.  It follows a review of Oranga Tamariki in 2023 that found parts of the workforce relatively unskilled.  Chief Children's Commissioner Claire Achmad told Mike Hosking she'll be watching how the money's used to ensure good outcomes for young people.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's only the start of Wednesday so let's be honest we've only had two days of news, and we already have two stories around power.  The first was Transpower saying we need to find more avenues of power generation and we need to do that quickly, because until all the promised transition stuff comes online, we are going to be short of capacity.  No kidding.  They said we have a lot of promises on renewables, but the delivery isn't happening all that quickly.  No kidding.  The second was Genesis saying they are looking at what they call a fast-start generation plant at Huntly.  Hasn’t Huntly become quite the “thing”? A while back Huntly was the ugly girlfriend of the power generation family.  Poor, old, ugly, fat Huntly. That was when promises around wind and sun were flying and the future was renewable, and we would all save the planet.  What a gargantuan cock-up that turned out to be. Now for at least the third winter in a row the industry is falling over itself to tell us what's not right, what's not delivered and drumming up new ideas that, dare I suggest, should have been drummed up a long time ago.  As regards Huntly gas and coal, could I ask why is it now that they are dreaming up these ideas?  The coal pile, by the way, has never been larger, but gas and coal take 12 hours to get going. In short, fast start, it says what it does, and you turn it on like a light.  Can I ask why is it now that all the power companies are cooperating around Huntly to keep it going for years to come?  Why is it we wait until we are broken to actually find a few solutions?  When Jacinda made her captain's call to kill the gas industry, why did no one in power go “hold on, we aren't ready"?  Why are so few proactive? Why is so little preventative planning done?  Why do we have winters of angst around rainfall and businesses cutting production and Methanex selling their power to others?  Why is it we wait until we don’t have it to think of what to do about getting it back?  NZ Inc, eh? Very 1986.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US President is facing questions over health coverage cuts in his tax and spending bill, which just passed the Senate  The casting vote of Vice-President JD Vance was needed, but it still needs House approval before it can be signed by Donald Trump by July 4th.  The Congressional Budget Office says 11.8 million people could lose health coverage if it becomes law.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Trump originally said they wouldn’t touch Medicaid, which has turned out to be a lie.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Kiwi start up has been going gangbusters across the ditch.  Medsalv remanufactures single-use medical products, cleaning and disinfecting them so they can be safely reused.  After eight years in business, their products have been approved by Pharmac for use in New Zealand.  CEO Oliver Hunt told Mike Hosking it's been done in America for a while, but they’re really bringing it to the rest of the world, Australia and New Zealand in particular, now.   The range of products they can remanufacture is pretty substantial, he says, and they can clean products up to 14 times at a significantly lower cost than the original products.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime is at the forefront this Politics Wednesday, with multiple new measures and harsher punishments being announced.  Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking to discuss the new developments, along with the other major stories of the week thus far.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 2nd of July, we've got the retail crime crackdown promised at the start of the week. Will it work, or does it look better on paper?  Jaffas have been 86'd, along with the likes of snifters, tangy fruits, and smarties. Could someone else come onboard and save our iconic sweet?  Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell debate whether youth MPs are being repressed, the various crime announcements, and whether Mike should be a patron for a police college wing on Politics Wednesday.  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.

Consents keep dropping but the energy in the building sector may be beginning to turn.  Stats NZ figures show new home consents fell 3.8% in the year to May and plunged 8.6% for multi-unit dwellings.  Stats NZ says it's levelling off, but NZIER's latest Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion shows only 3% of building firms expect conditions to improve, down from 6% three months ago.  But Combined Building Supplies Co-Op CEO Carl Taylor told Mike Hosking that building consent data is only a small part of the industry, and as a whole, it’s starting to feel better across the board.  He says that some stats are normally three or four months behind, and instead they track what their members are spending across their merchants, which has seen a 10% increase on the previous month.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A slew of justice announcements this week.   The Government's rolling out harsher punishments for theft and new fines for shoplifting – including a proposed infringement fee of up to $1000, based on item value.  Maximum penalties for shoplifting less than $2000 will be one year behind bars, and seven if worth more than that.  They also made coward punching a specific offence, which could carry a life sentence if fatal.  Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith told Mike Hosking all of their measures are to send the clear message that if you commit a crime, there will be consequences.  He says their primary goal is to reduce the number of victims of crime, which they’re making good progress on.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The end of an era for one of our most iconic sweets.  Levin confectioner RJ's has discontinued production of Jaffas, due to poor sales.  The orange-coated balls of chocolate were previously produced by Cadbury in Dunedin and have been on our shelves for almost a century.  Mike Hutcheson, former Managing Director of Saatchi & Saatchi, told Mike Hosking that a competitor would pick up Jaffas in a heartbeat.  He says it’s not just a sweet, it’s a symbol, and it’s possible to turn it around and make Jaffas a brand that means something.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The company overseeing the new infrastructure and ferries for Cook Strait is confident it can deliver by 2029.  Winston Peters has announced agreements to build and modernise ports in Wellington and Picton for the arrival of new Interislander ferries.  Ferry Holdings Chair Chris Mackenzie says there will be robust discussions between KiwiRail, Ferry Holdings, and ports on delivering the project.  He's feeling positive, despite New Zealand's track record with infrastructure.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The shakeup to shoplifting laws continues to be seen as a good first step among retailers, but the boss of Briscoes and Rebel Sport believes the devil will be in the detail.   Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith's unveiled the latest crackdown proposals, including speeding ticket-like infringements, and up to seven years prison time for theft more than $2000.      Briscoe Group Managing Director Rod Duke told Mike Hosking it's a terrific start and guesses there will be enforcement guidance to come.   He's hoping there will be consequences embedded in the legislation but given it could be a year in the making, they will have to wait to see what happens.  Duke also believes they’ll need to be strengthened down the line - the latest proposals may only deter some, as he says there are very experienced thieves around.  He says losing the money is catastrophic, but the bigger issue is the fact staff are abused, injured, and threatened in these situations.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Records have been set in Spain and Portugal as extreme heat continues to roast Europe.   Temperatures at or above 38C are expected through the week, rolling eastward to encompass France, Italy, and eventually portions of Eastern Europe.   A record number of heat alerts are in place across France, with 16 regions on red alert, and 68 others on orange alert.  Europe Correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking while heatwaves aren’t uncommon in summer, there’s never been temperatures this high, this early.  She says Monday was the hottest June day in France ever, and it’s only going to get worse by Tuesday lunchtime.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Helicopters are such an Auckland issue.  I love helicopters. I have flown in a lot of helicopters.  Our place is on a flight path north. People who go to the Bay of Islands and to the flash golf courses north of Auckland fly over our place.  On a sunny Saturday they start 6.30am-ish in summer. On a still day you hear them coming maybe 30 seconds before you might see them.  Because I like them, I have never understood the Waiheke moaners who can't stand them and want them banned on their island.  To me a helicopter is full of people going places, i.e. tourists and golfers. These are people we like and want.  If you haven't followed the story, Ali Williams, once an All Black, and Anna Mowbray, part of the Zuru clan, are a couple and they have a house in Westmere, which is an inner-city suburb in Auckland. They applied to land their chopper at their place.  Cue the horror.  Far too much money and time has been spent on this – over 1400 submissions. That’s right, 1400. And what was mad about it was a number of submissions submitted that they had no view.  You can't make this up. The number of people who are clearly bored out of their minds is unreal.  Many a submission against their use of a chopper in suburbia came from people who don’t even live in Auckland. Not only were they not close to the landing pad, but they're not even in the same city, i.e. it's got nothing to do with you.  Lawyers, council staff, submissions, hearings, and Lord knows how many hours and dollars and, as you will have heard, Williams and Mowbray win. They can land at their place two times a day for no more than 10 times a month.  There is nothing, said the Commissioners, untoward, unacceptable, or significantly out of character with helicopter noise, which I think is fair enough.  But two questions;  1) How many got exercised out of petty jealousy, i.e. rich folks doing stuff we don’t like?  2) How unpopular does it make them? And do they care?  There is of course the precedent now. Suburbia and choppers are no big deal.  Very Auckland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been a dream couple of months for Ryan Fox.  In May, the Kiwi golfer won the Myrtle Beach Classic, claiming his first PGA Tour win.   From there he made the cut for the PGA Championship, won his second Tour event at the Canadian Open, before making the cut for the US Open.   He’ll soon be heading to the UK for the Scottish Open and Open Championship, taking a week’s break ahead of the tournament.  “It’s been a crazy couple of months,” Fox told Mike Hosking.  “Going from trying to figure out where we’re gonna play gold, or where I was going to play golf next year, where we’re going to live as a family, to, yeah, being on the PGA Tour for a few more years now, and having a couple of wins and playing my way into the big events.”   He says he’s still trying to come to terms with it all, but it’s what he’s always dreamed of doing.  “It’s pretty cool.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 1st of July, we've got a new police college opening in Auckland today – is it a case of build it and they will come?  What is it about helicopters that gets us so exercised? Mike has some thoughts on Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray's helipad getting approval.  We haven't caught up with Ryan Fox since his success on the PGA Tour, so we catch him before he jets off to the UK for the Open Championship.    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.

A new start up that could drastically reduce your power bill will soon be available in homes.  Designed to replace the current switchboards, Basis Smart Panels aim to provide Kiwis with greater control over their electricity consumption.  With over 7,500 orders already contracted, the company plans to install 50,000 panels in the next 24 months.  Co-Founder Danny Purcell told Mike Hosking the panel provides full visibility as to how electricity is consumed in your house, which customers can use save money and make their homes safer.  He says the panel pays for itself fairly quickly, and they expect the payback period to be around 15-18 months for the average customer.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Action to attract crucial international investment.  Invest New Zealand is up and running, a government organisation that'll work with global investors to create jobs, boost innovation, and lift productivity.  It's been given $85 million over four years to cement itself.  Auckland Business Chamber CEO Simon Bridges told Mike Hosking that our settings were suboptimal, and we’re now getting better ones.  He says that they’re not world leading, but they are being made with impeccable timing, as they’re being made as the world’s increasingly turning to custard.  Bridges says there’s real enthusiasm for this in New Zealand, as new residents investing in businesses and startups will have a real flow on effect on the economy.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Deputy Prime Minister believes the Government would be better off with the part-privatisation of Interislander ferries.  A Treasury paper presented to Cabinet by the Minister for Rail, Winston Peters, says the Government can consider private investment to reduce costs.  David Seymour agrees with the idea and says the Government has been far too relaxed with capital.  He told Mike Hosking the Government is not a good operator of commercial enterprises, and there's no shortage of evidence for that.  Seymour says you have to balance the books, and at the moment the Government owns too many underperforming assets.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A charitable trust is commending tougher sentences for people throwing coward punches.  The Government's new specific offence for striking a distracted victim could carry a sentence of life imprisonment if fatal.   Walk Without Fear has been pushing for changes after MMA fighter Liufau Vake was killed by a single coward punch in 2021.   Board Member Mike Angove told Mike Hosking the charges need to be in conjunction with education that starts at a school level.  He says that no one argues against the lethality of attacking someone with a knife or a gun, but people are unaware that hitting someone who’s unaware can result in permanent damage or a lethal outcome.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Positive signs when it comes to consumer arrears, but some businesses are still doing it tough.  The latest Centrix data for June shows the number of people behind on payments is down on last year, for the fifth consecutive month in a row.  At the same time company liquidations have risen 27% year-on-year.  Chief Operating Officer Monika Lacey says that's partly due to increased enforcement, after a softer approach from credit providers during Covid.  She says Inland Revenue is among those businesses which is now taking a normal approach again, and that's having an impact.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.