The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Jimmy Carr is well known for a couple of things, his controversial comedy and distinctive laugh chief among them. And he’s bringing both to Kiwi audiences early next year, travelling right across the country, stopping in 13 different cities.  He’s got a prolific career in standup, as well as being a household name in UK television, not only hosting an array of panel shows, but a regular guest on many of the rest.  Carr has a busy schedule, and he told Mike Hosking that he works as much as he possibly can, as his work is such a joyful thing.  “If I have a night off, what am I doing? I’m sitting at home having my tea,” he said.  “If I come out and do a show, it’s such a joyful thing."  “I also think I do have a propensity to get cancelled once in a while,” Carr confessed, the comedian having seen his fair share of controversies.  “So you never know when your last one’s going to be.”  When it comes to cancel culture, Carr is a big advocate for freedom of speech.  “I’m not for everyone, and edgy jokes, there’s you know, limits of it, sometimes it’s not for everyone,” he told Hosking.  “But the whole cancel culture thing, you go, well, as long as you don’t get cancelled by your own audience, I think you’re golden.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 12th of June, it's good news Thursday as we see good news for wool, good news for our food and fibre exports, and good news for our elective surgery waitlist.  You won't believe how many people are leaving Auckland and the North Island to head to Christchurch and the South Island.   Award-winning comedian Jimmy Carr is heading this way, but before that he's on to talk cancel culture, his love of New Zealand, and his life of the tour.  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.

Christchurch is acting as a magnet for thousands of Kiwis making the move down South.  The latest Stats NZ census data shows 85,000 people moved to the South Island between 2018 and 2023.  Around half of those have gone to the Canterbury region.  ChristchurchNZ Chief Executive Ali Adams told Mike Hosking the Garden City's versatility is being recognized.  She says people are realizing you can have a brilliant career and a great life.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health New Zealand is outsourcing more elective operations to private facilities to ease strain on the system.   The agency aims to deliver more than 10,500 additional elective procedures by the end of June, by partnering with private hospitals to expand surgical capacity.  The target is within reach with more than 8,600 procedures complete since March.     Christchurch colorectal and general surgeon Chris Wakeman told Mike Hosking that although he gets paid less to do public work, this is the future of healthcare.   He says it's so much more efficient and you can do a lot more work.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Todd McClay says surging value and supply is behind the rise in food and fibre export revenue.  The latest forecasts project export earnings of $59.9 billion for the year ending later this month.   It's now on track to reach $65.7 billion by 2029.  Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay told Mike Hosking we're seeing sectors like Horticulture raise exports by 20%.  He says for the first time ever we saw Zespri sell $5 billion worth of kiwifruit around the world.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Italy’s squeezed middle class could be getting a breather.  Tax cuts are at the top of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s agenda, as she says the middle class is the backbone of the Italian production system.  She says they want to make the system fairer.   Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking she’s reduced the tax rate from around 26% to 24% so far.   She says they’re likely going to need to do a lot more, because many are still struggling financially.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says a move to require wool carpets in state housing makes financial sense.  Nicola Willis has announced a change to Kainga Ora's supplier agreement that will see it re-open its previously nylon-only carpet tender process.  From the start of next month, all public entities will also be required to use woollen fibres where practical and appropriate.  Willis told Mike Hosking officials have told her it makes sense for Kainga Ora to make this change.  She says it's cost-neutral, and it performs well across a number of other dimensions.  Nicola Willis says the Reserve Bank should never be exempt from cost-cutting across the public sector.  Newly released documents show Adrian Orr's abrupt resignation as Governor came after he was denied the Budget allocation he was seeking.  The Finance Minister says the central bank still has the funding it requires to do its statutory duties.  She told Hosking the Reserve Bank can't operate as a "gilded palace" – it needs to be fiscally responsible, like all other government departments.  Willis says any idea that the Reserve Bank doesn't need to abide by the same funding constraints as other Government agencies is wrong.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unrest is spreading in the US over immigrant deportations.  Donald Trump is sending hundreds of US Marines and has ordered 2000 more National Guard troops to go to LA's immigration protests.  California Governor Gavin Newsom's called the US President's orders deranged and has filed a lawsuit.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking of the 2000 National Guard troops deployed, only 315 were mission assigned, the other 1700 having no particular responsibility.  He says that 100 arrests have been made, but no charges have been laid.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, the great rates upset has begun to unfold.  Auckland this week got its long-awaited council valuations.  Why people get excited about them, I have no idea.  It's a rough guesstimate by a council. It takes into account the broadest of criteria, but people seem to live and die by them.  The upset of course has come from the fact that the value of a lot of properties has dropped, while the rates bill is going up. So we get the cost-plus-accounting scandal that is council economic policy exposed.  This is happening all over the country and it's a specific and broad-based problem. It's broad-based because it's inflationary and it's specific because depending on where you are depends on how bad the scandal is.  Auckland properties are down 9% while rates are up over 7%.  In Wellington values are down 24% and rates are up 16%.  Nelson values are down 9% and rates are up 6%, so this whole idea that rates are linked to value is of course complete crap and always has been.  In short, councils are inept and will spend forever, will waste your money forever, will plead poverty forever and will always find something that is critical and needs doing now.  For example, Christchurch got shafted last week by Chris Bishop, when the council rejected the Government's intensification plan.  The council didn’t like it, spent three years and millions of dollars to go back and forward and to achieve what? Nothing. That's council for you.  As Auckland mayor Wayne Brown said, "it is what it is". He's right because he knows a couple of home truths; no one is turning up for local body elections, so very few people will be held to account, and he also knows a lot of people will moan but ultimately do nothing about it.  If ever there was a reason to get exercised over the way we are being played, this is it.  Your asset has dropped but the bill is up. The bill, in theory, is based on the asset value. Nowhere else in life is this scam played and gotten away with, apart from local body politics.  We have too many councils, too much representation, too many boards, too much incompetence, and every year the bill for it rises.  Democracy only works if you take part.  What better reason can there be this year than to get your voting paper, look at the value of your property, look at your rate rise, put a name to the con and vote them out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new rideshare option is skidding into the New Zealand market.   Bolt, hailing from Europe, is promising better deals for both drivers and customers, while challenging the duopoly that currently dominates.   They’re first launching in Auckland, aiming to bring a breath of fresh air to the market.  General Manager Adam Muirson told Mike Hosking that for the last couple of years, the competition has been stagnant at best, leading to increasing prices, limited choice, and decreasing service levels.  He says that there was a growing sense of frustration among drivers at that lack of competition, and the sheer number of applications they’ve received leading up to the launch has reinforced that.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s unlikely New Zealand will be in for a repeat of last year’s power shortage.  Our winter stocks are in better shape thanks to improved lake levels, extra gas supplies, and an enlarged coal stockpile has added security to the system.   And although customers are still battling high energy prices, a major government review is expected in the coming weeks.  Meridian CEO Mike Roan told Mike Hosking that they’re deep into investing in the sector so they can overcome the challenge represented by lost gas supplies.  He says they’re currently stabilising the impact, and in the long term, they’re in good shape.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 11th of June, we've got a new mental health report that shows the $1.9 billion spent has seemingly been wasted, and we talk all things energy with Meridian.    Fieldays begins today and is sure to be successful, considering how well the rural sector has been doing of late.   Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell talk the new stalking laws, the regulatory standards bill, and solar power 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.

The select committee process has proven useful in substantially strengthening anti-stalking laws.  Originally proposals on making it an offence had a maximum penalty of five years in prison, capturing three specified acts within one-year.   But it'll now be triggered after two acts within two years.  Labour's Police spokesperson Ginny Anderson told Mike Hosking it's an example of why the process is an important part of our democracy.  She says it's been great to work collaboratively, to listen to submissions, to understand what Police can do and to make the changes to strengthen the law.  Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Hosking that police take these things extremely seriously, and they now have the tools to be able to give a meaningful response.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fieldays kicks off at Mystery Creek today.  The rural sector’s somewhat bullish from its record profits across dairy and red meat, and pundits are expecting farmers to be “speaking with their wallets”.  Big crowds are expected, with many looking to take advantage of the new tax rebate on the big ticket items.  CEO of National Fieldays Richard Lindroos told Mike Hosking it’s the largest agribusiness event in the southern hemisphere, with over 100,000 going through the gates over the four days.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts say specialist addiction and mental health services need rapid improvement.   New research from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission has found three New Zealanders die every week due to accidental and preventable drug overdose, with fatalities up 88% from 2016 to 2023.  At the same time, despite growing demands, fewer people are seeking specialist help.  Commission CEO Karen Orsborn told Mike Hosking the biggest concern is the falling access to mental health and addiction services.  She says they’re seeing high vacancy rates, particularly for specialist staff and psychiatrists, and that has a big impact on the system.  Orsborn says that’s where they want to see some faster action.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's $47.2 billion franchise sector is being celebrated.  Today marks the first World Franchise Day.  The model first took shape in New Zealand in the 1970s – with now almost 550 franchised brands including in accommodation, hospitality, education, childcare and retail.  Franchise Association Chair Brad Jones told Mike Hosking they’ve had some great growth in the sector over the last few years.   He says they’re 11% of New Zealand’s GDP, and if motor vehicle sales and retail fuel are included, that brings them to over $73 billion – 17% of GDP.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Assurance stronger anti-stalking laws are the right move to protect victims.  Originally proposals on making it an offence had a maximum penalty of five years in prison, capturing three specified acts within one-year.   But following the Select Committee process it'll now be triggered after two acts within two years.  Chief Victims' Adviser to the Government Ruth Money told Mike Hosking the change allows greater prevention and targets the pattern stalking follows.  She says it's not about charging the moping boyfriend, who's sent a non-harmful text and is feeling a bit sad.  Money says it’s important earlier intervention can be taken, and police need the powers because stalking behaviour can escalate into violence and death.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We got the press release recently from the Restaurant Association where they said there were flat sales, cost pressures and regional divergence was the theme. I have changed my mind a bit on hospitality. More broadly, I wonder whether there are too many vested interests in this country who get in the way of real progress. The hospitality story has been a long, arduous and well told one. We hear hospitality is shot, hospitality is a disaster, no one makes money and no one wants to work in hospitality. Yet my increasing observation is that is not true. If you take a very large industry as a whole and average everything out, you might well be able to find some dour times. But what is increasingly obvious, not just from personal experience but a lot of anecdotal expert opinions as well, is a lot of hospitality is not only fine, it's actually going quite well. The thing about hospitality is it is malleable. You are not a log exporter reliant on a single market to either buy, or not buy, your tree. In hospitality you can vary what it is you are offering and what I see is a lot of people doing really good things and, as a result, they are doing very nicely thank you. It took us over a week to get the last table for lunch the other day at a local that, in our experience, has changed hands and boosted their product and offering and as a result has gone from a quiet, regional operator to a booming tourism business rushed off its feet. Same place, same name, new product - whole different result. The other thing about hospitality is it doesn’t require any skill to enter. Anyone can buy a café, and a lot do, and I have seen them, often immigrants, as it's an easy entry point. They take over a going concern and wreck it, change a menu, employ the family, kill the service and they're dead in a week. We are over supplied of course. So in your area where you have a choice of a dozen places, only two have to be good before they boom and the others wilt. So the Restaurant Association telling us things aren't flash is not the real story. Bits aren't flash, but then if you are not up to much in the first place - they never will be.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The problem with committing to things that may well come back to haunt you, is down the track, at some point, the mistake starts to hit you in the face a bit and some hard decisions are required.  My sense of it is we have become too reliant on pine trees to meet the Paris climate target.  The sheep farmers have worked that out as the protests around land conversion have once again been reignited, with posters put up by the Meat and Wool folk with the line: "I am not the problem".  Since 1982 we have gone from 70 million sheep to 25 million.  In the last seven years a quarter of a million hectares has been swapped from sheep to trees.  This of course was always going to happen. What's the easiest way to meet a target on carbon? Trees.  Cutting and slashing, whether its farm production or the economy, in general was never going to be palatable. So trees were easy.  But you might have noticed a couple of major things have happened;  1) Paris looks increasingly shaky in terms of people meeting targets, or indeed people even being interested in meeting targets.  2) Stuff grown on the land with legs is fetching very good money all over the world and as far as us earning a living goes, we have never made more from farming.  Carbon offsetting, which is what planting trees is called, has restrictions in other countries. But I bet you anything you want that other countries aren't as reliant on sheep and cows as we are.  We used to have tourism back us up. But last week's numbers tell the sad story - dairy is worth $20 billion, while tourism is at $12 billion. Even offal comes in at $9 billion.  Tourism used to vie for first place, hence the Government threw another $13 million at it yesterday to try and attract another 70,000 or so new visitors.  Trees also kill communities. Farming is life. A forest isn't.  As laudable as Paris was all those years ago, if we had thought about it, if we had been less evangelical, we might have stopped to think just what it was we were asking of a small economy.  And the simple truth is we were asking so much, a quick shortcut like trees was always going to be adopted with alacrity.  Saving the planet, as people get tossed off the land, is not an equation we should be proud of. As the protest poster with the photo of the sheep says, I am not the problem. And it's right.  The zealots are.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warriors legend Shaun Johnson will be back on our screens – this time, without a rugby ball in hand.  He’s supercharging his fledgling media career, fronting a new weekly TV show dedicated to the analysis of rugby league.  Johnson signed a new deal with Sky TV for ‘League Lounge’, which launches Wednesday, and will broadcast on Sky and Sky Sport Now, with delayed release on Sky Open and YouTube.   He told Mike Hosking he wants to speak to what the audience might be feeling and seeing from the game and help educate them.  Johnson says that if he can offer a bit of perspective as to what may be going on with players’ performances, it might buy a bit of time to start seeing better results.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 10th of June, it's good news Tuesday, so we have good news on our teaching numbers, business sales, and tourism.  But there’s bad news regarding corruption – we are way too complacent, and a new report suggests organised crime is corrupting our officials at a lot of different levels.  Warriors legend Shaun Johnson has a new midweek league show coming out, so we talk to him about League Lounge and life after professional sport.    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.

Now is the time to sell your business.  According to ABC Business Sales, the number of buyers enquiring about purchases is up 30%.  Demand is currently outstripping supply, as new listings are down 10% on last year.  CEO Chris Small told Mike Hosking much of the interest is led by migrants, and hospitality, services, and construction are the three sectors people are primarily looking to buy in.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Solar energy company Lodestone is expanding to the South Island.  It's constructing a solar farm in Canterbury's Clandeboye, with first generation expected next year.  It will generate 43 gigawatt hours of renewable electricity annually, similar to the company's sites in the Upper North Island.  Managing Director Gary Holden told Mike Hosking there are six more consented sites in their portfolio.  He says they're trying to build a solar farm in every area they can, to follow the populations.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Outgoing New Zealand Rugby boss Mark Robinson believes he's leaving the game in a better place than he found it.  He's confirmed he will leave the job at the end of the year, bringing to an end a six-year tenure that started just before the Covid-19 pandemic.  Robinson says he's proud of what's been achieved during a turbulent period.  He told Mike Hosking that the next six months are critical for their role both domestically and internationally, with both their involvement in the establishment of international calendars and competitions as well as the opportunity they have to reset the financial model for the New Zealand game.   Robinson likes to think those would both be signed off by the end of the year, and that in conjunction with his family moving over to Australia, makes him feel it’s time to move on.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tick of approval for the Government's new tourism funding boost, aiming to generate an extra $300 million in spending.  Minister Louise Upston's announced a $13.5 million injection into Tourism New Zealand, targeting markets in Australia, the US and China.  It's hoping to bring an extra 72 thousand visitors over coming years.   Tourism Holdings CEO Grant Webster told Mike Hosking it'll provide recovery from the post-Covid hangover.   He says this is the most ambitious Government from a tourism perspective in around eight years, and looks forward to helping the economy grow.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's heading down a precarious road of corruption, with organised crime networks targeting our institutions and borders.   An independent advisory panel on Transnational Crime says we need to take urgent action.   It says police officers, immigration officials, and private sector employees are facilitating corruption.   Group chair Steve Symon told Mike Hosking they talked to senior officials in enforcement agencies, former gang members, and frontline staff.   He says the problem with organised crime is it's everywhere you look, and it's seeping into all areas of business which deal with potential for drugs coming into the country.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Minister says several factors are at play in making teaching an increasingly attractive career option.  New figures released to Newstalk ZB show the teaching workforce increased 2.5% last year – the largest annual increase since records began back in 2009.  First-time enrolments in teaching courses are also up, 6.3%.  Erica Stanford told Mike Hosking the Government's doing several things to attract and retain teachers.  She says that includes good resources, world-leading professional learning and development, on-site training programmes, and paying teacher fees.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government will allow a 'Parent Boost' visa from September.  It will grant parents of citizens multi-entry access for five years, with the opportunity for renewal once - meaning they could hold the visa for 10 years.  Applicants will also need to meet specific health, income, and insurance requirements.  NZ Immigration Principal Consultant Katy Armstrong says New Zealand's not always just a skip across the ditch. For some people its a 24-hour journey or more, so the visa's a significant move.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve Price and Mike Hosking discuss the impacts of Scott Morrison’s COVID policies and support for Australian citizens. Morrison provided relief money for countless Australians during COVID to keep families afloat during the pandemic. A move he now says has led Australians to lean on the government. Price also discussed the use of Amazon to order machetes and large knives into Australia, and if the machete ban will work as the government intended. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are plenty of questions after an Australian naval ship accidentally blocked internet and radio services across parts of the country. It's understood the radar of the HMAS Canberra accidentally interfered with one of the shared spectrum bands that anyone can use free of charge. Intelligence expert Paul Buchanan saysoperational security was lacking. He wants to know why the Canberra was on a commercial band, given it's the most important ship in the Australian navy LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 9th of June, the Government is making changes to parent visas so will this actually change anything? Will it help bring in the people we need?   The Prime Minister is in for a chat about our ferries, our gas (or lack of it) and when some of the changes they've promised will actually come into effect.   Andrew Saville and Jason Pine cover off the Super Rugby playoffs, the Warriors' big win and the French Open final.   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.

Large-scale protests have erupted in Los Angeles in response to ICE deportations set up by President Trump to crack down on illegal immigrants.  The National Guard has now been deployed to LA by The President to assist the local police and riot squads in stopping the protests.  A third of the people living in Los Angeles were born outside of the USA, with many hailing from Central and South America.  President Trump has insisted that these deportation raids only target “hardened criminals.”   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Little guidance around how money is spent on principals' wellbeing,  is being seen as a key cause for excessive state-school spending.  A report from the Office of the Auditor-General - as reported in the Post - has discovered 54 schools were questioned for “sensitive” spending with no apparent educational benefit. In 2022, the Ministry of Education paid $6.3 million dollars to 524 schools, with principals able to access up to $6,000 dollars each for wellbeing. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Mike Hosking that there was little guidance on the money, which he says gave principals freedom to do as they see fit. He says there weren't many rules about how the money should be used at the start. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Hoskings and Prime Minister Chris Luxon sat down in the studio this morning for a discussion on electricity and gas in New Zealand. “The oil and gas ban was one of the dumbest, most insanest moves I’ve seen happen.” said the PM this morning. According to Luxon, New Zealand must steer back away from coal in favour of gas as a source of energy. “We’re the only country I’m aware of in the world that’s actually transitioning from gas to coal.” Which Luxon said is “twice as bad as gas.”  The PM says his plan for future-proofing New Zealand’s energy grid is essential for supporting planned datacenters and other high-energy usage projects.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The polling industry, whose only answer to fairly obvious questions seems to be “this is just a snapshot in time”, may have trouble explaining the past week of polling in this country.  There was one on Tuesday night and one on Wednesday morning. They have completely different results.  One has Luxon as the most popular leader.  One has Hipkins as the most popular leader.  One has National leading Labour.  One has Labour leading National.  One has the current Government as the current Government.  One has a new Government, with the current Government out.  It doesn’t get a lot more contrasting than that.  Even if you accept a lot of the numbers are tightish, some of the numbers aren't even within the margin of error.  It's almost as though the polls aren't accurate.  It's almost as though you could ring up 1000 people and get one answer, then ring up another set of 1000 people and get a completely different answer.  If you can do that, why would you pay money to people who will tell you these things mean anything?  At least TVNZ use commercial money to pay for this stuff.  Radio New Zealand, who seem to have taken over from TV3, use our money. And given they have just had a budget cut and given they are losing their audience at a rate of knots, I'm not sure this can be classed as quality expenditure.  I went to their website yesterday. The headline was "What the polls are telling us in 7 charts".  And there they were. There was lots of colour, lots of lines up and down, and squiggles.  But I already knew, given I had seen the charts from the night before, that either their charts meant nothing, or if they did mean something, then the other guy's charts weren't up to much.  Or quite possibly if we did this charade for a third time, they would both be exposed as having shonky numbers.  But remember: "they are only a snapshot in time". Except given they were done at the same time, they aren't, are they?  So what are they, other than a very large waste of time and money? 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.    David Seymour: 7/10  In Britain, debating as we speak. But last weekend he ascended to Deputy Prime Minister and gave an excellent speech about what our country can be. It was uplifting, and uplifting is good.    Chris Bishop: 7/10  Was at the music awards and expressed an opinion. People of the left didn’t appear to like opinions. That's not as uplifting.    Mitch Barnett: 3/10  Professionals get injured, but a season ender is a cruel blow, especially given this is our year.    The Waiuku raised crossing: 2/10  Because it's bollocks, but at least it's on hold.    Polls: 1/10  Joke of the week. Buy a dartboard and pretend it means something.    Six million: 7/10  Our population prediction by 2040. I like more people because more people brings growth. I've always thought we are way too small.    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've struggled with a couple of authors this week – Jacinda Ardern and Jake Tapper.  What I struggle with is one of them is making money out of the fact they made an astonishing hash of their job, quit, bailed out of the country and is now collecting money for retelling what happened in a way that would suggest no carnage was left behind.  The other is making money by exposing what he watched unfold in front of his eyes for four years and really did nothing about.  I'm not sure who the bigger fraud is.  The Ardern book is widely traversed and has been marketed very well internationally. My wife showed me a snippet from Oprah.  Let's be frank: post WeightWatchers and Ozempic Oprah is not exactly reputationally untouched herself. She's fascinated with Ardern, and it appears to be around kindness. I bet you anything you want Oprah doesn’t have the slightest idea about how the country was wrecked under Ardern.  She sees what Ardern wants you to see: fragile, huggy people who run things with good vibes.  In the meantime, at CNN, I have no idea what Jake Tapper was watching between 2020-24 because we all watched the same thing. Except CNN wasn’t spending a lot of time saying "hey, have you noticed the old guy is getting worse by the day?".  Given that was CNN's job is it any wonder they rate the way they do? But for Tapper to then go out and monetise what he was already, allegedly, being paid to do, seems a new low of sorts to me.  But back with Ardern. In one review former Labour Party leader David Cunliffe runs the classic line of "I have a different recollection”. That's in response to Ardern's attack on him whereby she essentially calls him a fraud and how she couldn’t understand how he got the top job and not her mate Grant.  You had to, she said (probably in tears), question his authenticity.  Are you serious? Authenticity? From Jacinda Markle? The only bit of marketing that seems to have been missed along with the hand-wringing interviews on Radio New Zealand and TVNZ is some Ardern jam or cake recipes.  If she had just been useless, it might have been alright. Hopeless, but didn’t break the china.  But she wasn’t. She was dangerous, she was the pulpit of truth, she was a control freak, and she was a narcissist dressed up in Kate Sylvester pretending she wrote back to all the kids.  She wrecked the joint then collected the dough in Boston.  Tapper and Ardern made money for failing to do their job.  There should be a law against it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The public breakdown between the Donald Trump and Elon Musk is snowballing - as the Tesla CEO calls for the US President's impeachment.  Musk criticised Donald Trump's spending bill days after his departure from the President's administration.   Trump says he's very disappointed, as Musk knew every aspect of the bill and never had a problem until he left.   Musk's hit back, sharing a post saying Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice-President JD Vance.   He also claimed Trump appears in unreleased Epstein files.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Hakesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike Hosking once more to Wrap the Week that was.  Newstalk ZB won big at last night’s Radio and Podcast Awards, claiming Station of the Year for the fifth straight year.  The Mike Hosking Breakfast also has reason to celebrate, winning two awards of their own.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Super Rugby Pacific playoffs are upon us.  The three-week series kicks off tonight, and the Chiefs are currently sitting in the top spot on the table.   They’ll clash with the Blues tomorrow night in the only Kiwi derby in the qualifying finals.  CEO Simon Graafhuis told Mike Hosking a good game can always be expected between the two teams.  However, when it comes to the finals, he’s expecting the Chiefs will be facing off against the Crusaders or Hurricanes, as both teams are tracking well.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 6th of June, the farce in Parliament over the Te Pati Māori MPs is over and we can finally get back to fixing our country.   The Super Rugby playoffs begin this weekend, so we need to catch up with the table topping Chiefs ahead of the only Kiwi derby in this round.  Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson celebrate Newstalk ZB’s and the Mike Hosking Breakfast’s success at the NZ Radio Awards.    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.

Positive news from the manufacturing sector.  Data from inventory management software company Unleashed shows that both revenue and profitability is up.  In the first quarter of the year, revenue across the sector was up 7.5%, and profitability was up 30% compared to the same time last year.  Food, beverage, and the building industry are the big winners.  Alan McDonald, EMA Head of Advocacy, Finance and Strategy, told Mike Hosking this latest survey just reinforces the trend we’re seeing about growing confidence in the sector.  He says all signs indicate things are looking much better down the track.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Researchers say the Vape industry and regulators needs to show they're taking consumer safety seriously.  A study in today's Medical Journal shows more than half of vape juices have incorrectly labelled how much nicotine they contain.  Most of the mislabelled products had significantly less nicotine than advertised – some by over 50%.  Otago University Senior Research Fellow Jude Ball told Mike Hosking this is suggestive of widespread issues in manufacturing quality.   She says New Zealand has strong regulations about what can and can't be in vape products, so the fact nicotine levels are way off raises concerns.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inland Revenue's cracking down on unpaid tax bills.  It's been allocated an extra $35 million in Budget 25 to boost its tax compliance and collection activities.  The tax department expects to return an additional $4 for every dollar in the first year, and $8 in year two.  IRD Commissioner Peter Mersi told Mike Hosking it's hard to estimate how much tax is owed across the board.  He says they don't really know the size of the gap, but believes it's around $9 billion.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A focus on boosting our gas supply in the short-term from the Resources Minister.  New Zealand's gas reserves have dropped by 27% over the past year.   Last month, the Government committed $200 million to new gas projects following removal of a ban on offshore oil and gas exploration last year.   Shane Jones told Mike Hosking there's a lot of interest in the South Island, but new projects need to be well-thought out.  He says so if people make a commitment, their investment is protected from the return of unicorn, fairy-head ideas.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Satisfaction the Privileges Committee stood its ground over Te Pati Māori's viral haka in Parliament.   The harshest sanctions in Parliament's history have been handed down, with co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi suspended for 21 days.    Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke's been suspended for seven.   Privileges Committee Chair Judith Collins told Mike Hosking the committee was almost universally appalled by the demonstration and six months’ worth of hearings.  She says the committee's work was worth it, and it's about time Parliament realised the public is appalled by the antics. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Keir Starmer has signalled a potential U-turn regarding the winter energy payments.  Back in March, the UK government changed the rules for the Winter Fuel Payment, so that from winter 2024/25, it was only available to households that received the Pension Credit or certain other means-tested benefits.  This made it so that only 1.5 million pensioners received the payment, down from 10.8 million.   UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking reinstating them looks like a defeat for Starmer, as it was his government that axed the payments in the first place.  He says the Prime Minister’s in a difficult position.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There seems to be increasing reportage, based around some new research, that our dream of being smokefree is up in smoke.  2025 is the year when we were aiming to be smokefree. By smokefree, it would have been reduced to 5% left smoking.  To meet that goal, the research says about 80,000 more people need to quit. They won't.    As always, the fact they haven't, or won't, is somehow the Government's fault, who haven't done enough. Or worse, this particular Government, who they say have been shocking, led by New Zealand First and Casey Costello who is a devil and in the pocket of the tobacco companies – or some such gibberish those like the Labour Party spend a lot of time trying to suggest.  Where it went wrong was twofold.  The first was the belief, and this was classic Labour under Helen Clark, that you could force people to do something they didn’t want to, and there were always going to be people who didn’t want to.  Where it worked, and we can be grateful, was in the public space part of it. No longer are you forced to inhale if you don’t want to, or smell like a smoker, or stand in a group, or be trapped by it.  But beyond that, once the hardcores were on the footpath, some were never giving up.  The second thing that went wrong was vaping, a shocking miscalculation that it was a cessation tool, when what it really was a gateway for kids. A whole new generation got easy access, and the slippery slope was never going to get stopped.  Governments could have nipped it in the bud but didn’t. They could have made vapes script only like Australia, but didn’t.  The Labour Party under Ayesha Verrall, a medical professional from the party who invented smokefree, hurled their best wet bus ticket at the vaping market. So nothing happened.  History will show they were out of the gates, Clark-style, with gusto. There was early progress on public spaces and a general change in attitude to the habit, followed by the predictable malaise and hardcore resistance, leaving us 25 years on with a change in society but well short of what was envisioned.  Good crack, failed on the follow through.  I'd give it 7 out of 10. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi Supercars driver Matt Payne has had a dream start to the season.  He’s been racing under Grove and Penrite, and has already racked up three wins for the season.  It’s had fans and former drivers raving about his prospects as a future champion and considering he’s currently sitting third on the overall ladder, he’ll be hoping it’s the very near future.   Two of his wins so far came in the same weekend, on the home track at Taupo.  “I think that was a pretty special weekend for, for all of us,” Payne told Hosking.  “Y’know, two wins in one weekend is pretty cool, and I think for me, winning at home, especially in front of the New Zealand crowd, it couldn’t have been any better.”  His other win came in Tasmania, Payne moving from his starting position in 10th to claim the victory.  “That was a pretty special race,” he said.  “Just how everything played out, as the tyres were going away, and just how close it was at the end... it definitely stayed with me for a while.”  “Pretty awesome race.”   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 5th of June, we're finally making ground when it comes to clearing the backlog in our courts. And when it comes to competition in the supermarkets, we might have good news too.  The NZR have their sponsor to replace INEOS - it's Gallagher, an insurance broker out of the US. NZR CEO Mark Robinson discusses the good news.  Kiwi Supercars driver Matt Payne has had a stellar start to the year, and joins ahead of the next race weekend in Perth.  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.