The Mike Hosking Breakfast

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 6th of May, free trade negotiations are officially underway in India, and our film industry could be left reeling after Trump announced 100% tariffs on foreign films.  Sir John Key is on to talk business growth in New Zealand, as well as everything else Mike throws at him.  Nick Bryant is an expert in global politics and is on to talk to us about the recent elections around the world and Trumpism.  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.

New Zealand’s livestock numbers are on the decline.   Latest figures from Stats NZ show a 21% drop in sheep numbers over the past 10 years – a total decline of 6.2 million sheep since 2014.   The number of dairy cattle also fell 13% over the same period, coinciding with the increase in land being converted for forestry.  Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard told Mike Hosking he believes the costs around RMA and other rules and regulations are partially responsible.  He says one farmer he visited gave up and converted entirely to forestry as dealing with the wetland rules and requirements were too hard and costly.   Hoggard hopes the work they’re doing around RMA will allow farmers to make smart decisions on their farms as opposed to giving up and planting trees.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sir John Key does not believe US President Donald Trump intends to keep tariffs on most of the world.   The former Prime Minister is speaking at the Ignite 25 Growth Summit business event in Auckland today.   Key, who's supported Trump in the past, says the President is only focused on China in his new trade policies.   He told Mike Hosking the stock, bond, and currency markets are not convinced that Trump is going to leave them where they are.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tourism organisations from across the North Island are working to put a spotlight on it.   Fifteen operators have teamed up and signed a Memorandum of Understanding.  It aims to generate interest from key tourism markets particularly Australia, North America, and China.  Auckland Unlimited Destination Director Annie Dundas told Mike Hosking both islands have different offerings, so tourism shouldn't be merged as one.  She says they're getting back to just being the North, and are acknowledging how well the South Island has done.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The film industry is being asked not to push the panic button.  There's a lot of uncertainty after US President Donald Trump's announcement of a 100% tariff on films produced outside the US.  In a post on Truth Social, he says the US film industry is ‘dying a very fast death’ as countries offer incentives to lure filmmaking away from Hollywood.  Screen Production and Development Association President Irene Gardiner told Mike Hosking his terminology is quite confusing.  She says she doesn't know how Trump will be able to do what he's talking about, but that might become clearer in the next few days.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The state of foreign affairs across the globe could play into New Zealand's hands as it enters free trade negotiations.   A Government delegation has landed in the Indian capital to begin the process of securing an FTA.   Former Trade Minister Tim Groser told Mike Hosking he's never loved our chances, but the odds have changed.   He says the landscape has changed because of Donald Trump's approach to trade - which could make a deal easier to pull off.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is live in studio with Mike Hosking to talk the big issues of the week.  Luxon has confirmed the plan to commit $12 billion to defence, backing the decision for five marine helicopters.  He says the defence plan will make New Zealand well connected to global partners.  The Prime Ministers disagreeing with his soon-to-be Deputy Prime Minister, saying he doesn't think New Zealand has too many ministers.  "It's not about the number of ministers, it's actually about the size of the ministries that are supporting those ministers and more importantly, the effectiveness of them."  Luxon has spoke with re-elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after a hugely successful win for the Labor Party on Saturday. He says despite differing views, the two have a 'great friendship.'  LISTEN ABOVE OR WATCH BELOW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was very sad to hear of the passing of Bob Jones - Sir Robert Jones. The last contact I had with him was last year when he sent me a copy of his latest book. They always came with a personal note. When I say personal, it was a letter that he would have dictated and had typed up and then signed himself. He was from a different era of sorts. I never received an email from him, only letters. The last time I dealt with him in person was in his office in Wellington overlooking the harbour. That too was from an “era”  - beautifully set up, but in a time-and-place kind of way. It was a lot of panelling, a lot of staff, his office was large and on a corner, and he smoked. That became a thing in the Helen Clark days when she was busy making rules around smoking in doors. Bob was having none of it because in his office he was the boss, if not the king. So last time I was in his office we had wine and sat amongst the swirling tobacco smoke coming out of his pipe. The art work was worth the trip alone. He had fantastic taste and a fantastic collection. He also had one of the best brains you will ever encounter. What was often lost by many in the barrage of cantankerous verbiage was the amount of knowledge and wisdom he had gleaned from a lifetime of reading and travel. There wasn’t a place he hadn't been. He had more stories than you ever had time to hear, or he had time to tell. I noted a small irony on Friday night when I watched TV1 and their coverage. They made much of the Rod Vaughn helicopter encounter, the irony being no one these days hires a chopper to go looking for a fisherman. And Three reflected the modern malaise as his passing was the second story behind the weather, even though the weather was the day before's news. It showed a lack of understanding of who Jones was and what he contributed to the country. That’s the problem with modern newsrooms - the institutional knowledge had left the building. From business, to politics, to public discourse, Jones was an invaluable addition to the national psyche. Unafraid, bold, brilliant with the language and fantastically funny because he was fantastically irreverent, even when irreverence was wildly more tolerated than it is these days. It was a great life. And he was a great man.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony Albanese's lead the Australian Labor Party to a back-to-back run in Government.  Peter Dutton has lost his seat as well as losing the election, making him the first federal opposition leader to do so.  Australian Correspondent Steve Price talks all things election with Mike Hosking.  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 5th of May, we're spending $2b on helicopters for the defence force. Is that expensive? Or just the cost of defence these days? The Prime Minister is in to talk whether we have too many portfolios and ministers and if we've gone too skint for the Budget. Andrew Saville and Jason Pine cover the beginning of the latest F1 race, the Warriors and Steven Adams big contribution so far in the NBA playoffs. 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 Government's launching a new tool to give parents greater access to what their children are learning at school.  Education Minister Erica Stanford introduced the 'Parent Portal', yesterday, designed to provide a "clear, easy-to-understand year-by-year guide" to topics in English and maths.  More subjects will be added as the Government continues its curriculum refresh.  Secondary Principals Association president Vaughan Couillault talks to Mike Hosking about the initiative.  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Organised crime groups are using mainstream resale platforms like Facebook Marketplace for the sale of tobacco.  Research shows up to 25 percent of all cigarettes in New Zealand are sourced illegally.  Auckland University Public Health Professor Chris Bullen says he doesn't believe the data is that high, but rather sitting somewhere between five and 10 percent.  He says selling online is an issue, however.  "They're using these platforms now to advertise quite brazenly products, but they're tricky because they keep changing what they're calling them."  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government will spend $12 billion on defence spending. Two billion of that will be allocated to helicopters and deployment. Defence Minister Wayne Mapp talks to Mike Hosking about the budget. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a busy week for politics around the world - with elections taking place in Australia, Singapore and the UK.  Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's lead the Labor Party to a triumphant win, securing a majority Government.  Sky News Correspondent Laura Jayes talks to Mike Hosking about the election, what went wrong for Peter Dutton and how the Greens performed.  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Non-farm payrolls - a monthly statistic released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, shows concerns over the Trump administrations policy blitz.  In April 177,000 jobs were added to the US economy and unemployment rates are stable at 4.2 percent.  But business and consumer surveys are still sending warning signals. Andrew Kelleher of JMI breaks down the data with Mike Hosking.  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A revealing interview has taken place between US President Donald Trump and broadcaster NBC.  He made headlines when talking about contentious issues such as the economy, immigration and the potential of seeing through a third-term.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold talks to Mike Hosking about the interview.  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think I'm encouraged by the numbers of submissions into the Covid inquiry.  This is Covid inquiry part two.  The second part is to try and rectify the stitch up that was Covid part one from the previous Government, who were determined to set criteria that would not expose the true damage they wrought upon most of us.  31,000 have had their say this time. It is pointed out they came from all ages, all locations and were both positive as well as negative.  Given Health NZ submitted on whether Wanaka should have a McDonalds, do not underestimate the establishment's ability to spend an indecent amount of time and money in putting a best-case scenario forward in a butt-covering exercise.  This part of the inquiry looks into masks and mandates, vaccines and lockdowns, and 31,000 submissions tells me we are still very much exercised about the historic nature of the event and our keenness to try and come up with something that sees nothing like a repeat of the last exercise.  I note the other day poor, old Chris Hipkins still tries to walk that very fine line between admitting they were in charge of a balls up and pretending it went mostly well.  He is in an unwinnable place. As the last sap left standing, given Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson are long gone, he has the sorry task of defending what really were some astonishingly poor decisions.  But that doesn’t mean the inquiry will come up with answers.  Answers such as will a pandemic be the same, or similar, or not similar at all? What sort of Government will be in? Will that Government be competent or experienced? What roll will the public service play?  Will epidemiologists become household names again?  Will New Zealanders sink into a myopic funk again waiting for a leader to tell them what sort of stuffed animal to put in the window?  What made last time so bad was the control, and out of the control, followed the anger and fear.  I'm not sure an inquiry can dictate answers or solutions around emotion.  But 31,000 submissions tells you the emotion is still very, very real.  At least in putting the second part of the inquiry on, we attempt to recognise how profound those dark and troubled days really were. 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.    Tory Whanau: 9/10  She scored it herself and why wouldn’t you, shouldn't you, when you are as brilliant as her? God, she deserves a holiday.    Donald Trump: 7/10  For the sheer madness, calamity and unbelievable amount of bullshit he has spouted in 100 days. You will never see the likes again, unless of course he runs for a third and fourth term.    Auckland FC: 8/10  You can't argue with that execution of success. Have a dream, get a team and win the competition. That's brilliant!    Canada: 7/10  Election of the year so far and will almost certainly beat tomorrow's in Australia, unless Dutton does a Morrison. And I'm not running odds on that.    Toyota: 7/10  The All Blacks deal is a nice fit. How good will Tamaiti Williams look in a Yaris?    James Meager: 3/10  For saying random stuff like he's looking into helping Air New Zealand into the regions and getting fares down. He's also looking to get butter under $4 a block.    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three prizes for three good calls this week by the Government.  1) Financial literacy coming to a school near you in 2027, and not a day too soon. In many respects it’s the more valuable end of the education spectrum. It's education you can actually use.  2) Nicola Willis and her cutting of the operating allowance from $2.4b to $1.3b. The $2.4b number already had headlines for being skinny, or unrealistic. $1.3b is rabbit out of a hat material.  I assume she is telling the truth when she says she has found billions in savings, because you can't run a country on thin air.  3) David Seymour, with more reality check reminders that we have too much Government. In his speech he alerted us to just how much - 82 portfolios, 41 departments and 28 ministers.  If ever you wanted an example of bloat, there it is.  The portfolio joke is about appeasing people. There isn't an issue or pressure group you can't appease by inventing a label.  The real issue is ministers. The good news currently, as Audrey Young in the Herald pointed out this week in her famous marking of ministers annual outing, is most of them are getting good scores and most of them are decent operators.  But it is not always the case and too often, with the last Government being your classic example, portfolios are used and/or invented to reward loyalty and/or give people pay rises. Whether you can do the job is secondary.  Good governments are run by a handful of talent. In David Lange's day it was the Prime Minister, Roger Douglas, Richard Prebble and David Caygill.  With Helen Clark it was the Prime Minister, Michael Cullen, Phil Goff and Annette King.  With John Key it was Key, Bill English and Steven Joyce.  This time its Christopher Luxon, Chris Bishop, Nicola Willis and Simeon Brown - multiple portfolios at the heavyweight end of the index.  Unlike the real world, you will note Cabinet and Government never downsize. The public service can be downsized, but the Government never is.  Sadly for Seymour, unlike the other two ideas this week, his isn't real.  Financial literacy will materially improve our kids’ future.  Willis and her austerity will materially improve our economy.  If Seymour somehow trims a single minister or ministry, it won't be an idea - it will be a miracle.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 2nd of May, Health Minister Simeon Brown is forcing doctors back to the negotiating table via the ERA.  Just what is happening with the Indian Panthers basketball team? The team was suspended and the CEO is on to tell us their plans to fix it.  Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson discuss Mushroomgate, Suzanne Vega, and a new whisky infused manuka honey 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.

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back today to Wrap the Week that was.  They discussed the latest to come out of Mushroomgate, Suzanne Vega, and a new whiskey-infused manuka honey the show’s producers received.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One day out from the Australian Election and Labor seems to have it in the bag.  If the polling stacks up, Anthony Albanese will remain Prime Minister and Peter Dutton will once again be relegated to opposition.   There’s been criticism across the ditch that the coalition’s campaign has been full of U-turns and back tracks – undermining their credibility.  Australian Political Commentator Bruce Hawker told Mike Hosking Dutton presented a risky persona, with many of his policies and comments quite Trumpish in their attitude.  He says people likely started to think they’d prefer having the devil they know.   The state of Dutton’s policies were also a concern, Hawker says, with many feeling underdone.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An unshakable insistence from Indian Panthers boss Parveen Batish that their indefinite ban from the National Basketball League won't be permanent.  The first year team were handed an immediate ban mid-season following serious allegations of payment issues and player unrest.  The Panthers can return to the NBL if they meet various conditions set by the league's commission.  When asked if has been asked if their catalogue of off court issues have been sorted, Batish told Mike Hosking they’re 100% sorted.  He says when they come back they’re going to be much stronger, as the positivity around what they can do and deliver is enormous.  Newstalk ZB understands the other 11 NBL teams were unanimous in revoking the Panthers league license.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Declining stats for Auckland's Eden Park, as the number of major events coming to this country reduce.  Revenue fell from $44.3 million in 2023 to $29.7 million in 2024 and major event attendance fell from 881 thousand to 540 thousand.  Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner told Mike Hosking one of the factors to blame is the lack of seed funding.  He says there’s been limited funds available from Auckland Unlimited and the central government, and they’ve missed out on a number of events over the last 12 months.  Sautner says Eden Park went through a 125 year journey to get concerts, and now we’re in a situation where artists are bypassing New Zealand.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour's calling for fat to be cut from multiple areas of government.  The Act Party leader wants a limit on the number of ministers – with no ministers outside of Cabinet, and no associate ministers other than in Finance.  He wants 30 total government agencies, down from 41.  Executive Director of business think tank New Zealand Initiative, Oliver Hartwich told Mike Hosking the current model doesn't make sense.  He says there's a Minister of Housing but also a Minister of Building and Construction, as if they have nothing to do with each other.  Hartwich also says the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is a prime example of a bloated cabinet.  He says there are 16 ministers in charge of MBIE, and Ireland has 15 in its entire cabinet.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Drug Foundation says the country barely invests anything into helping and supporting people with meth-addiction.   Discharges from public hospitals suggest meth-use has increased four-fold over the past decade.  Wastewater testing last year showed a doubling in meth use.   Drug Foundation Chief Executive Sarah Helm told Mike Hosking a lot more could be done, especially with knowledge from new research.   She says about half of people using illicit substances have ADHD, which could help prevent drug-use if treated.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Health Minister is standing by the current pay offer to senior doctors.  Thousands of planned procedures have been delayed following yesterday's strike action, while Health New Zealand is applying to the Employment Relations Authority for urgent facilitation.  Union members have told Newstalk ZB their pay rates aren't keeping up with the private sector or with Australia.  But Simeon Brown told Mike Hosking the pay offer is "credible" given Health New Zealand only has so much money to go around.  He says the health budget has to cover hospital services, GPs, aged care, and a range of other things, and there's pressure across the board.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elite sports are not a cheap field to enter.  19-year-old Liam Sceats is on a journey to make it as a professional motorsport driver, aiming to achieve his dream of competing in IndyCar.   He’s currently competition in Indy NXT with HMD Motorsports – and it’ll cost him $1.2 million USD to compete in all 12 rounds.  Sceats currently has a three event deal, but will need to secure more funding to take it all the way to the end.   However, obtaining funding is not as easy as simply doing well in the races.  He told Mike Hosking that support certainly comes easier if you’re a winner, but for him it largely comes from hustling and doing the groundwork.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regulars will know school and I were never really that close.  It was a means to an end, and the end couldn’t come soon enough. The means was the skills required to get out into the world and get on with it.  One of the things it did help with was economics. I found it genuinely interesting and did quite well in it.  They taught me compounding interest. If you don’t know about compounding interest, you don’t know about life.  Economics is life and its lack of understanding is why so many people have so many difficulties with money.  As of 2027 financial education, it has been announced, will be compulsory in school in Years 1-10. I'd make it Years 1-13 but praise the Lord.  This is education you can use.  Geography, Latin, and physics are about career pathways and ideas you may, or may not, find interesting. As a result, you may, or may not, ever use them.  But finance is about life, about success and about navigating the world.  People who know what money, currency, interest, dividends, investment and returns are, do better in the world than those who don’t.  It raises the question as to what education is about. Is it about a pathway to university, to skills, or to understanding, or the power and value of learning, or the basics of life?  They used to do home economics, still do under different names. Is that a pathway to work with Alain Ducasse, or to make some scones on a rainy Sunday?  I figure if nothing else school should be useful. A lot of people don’t use a lot of what we got at school. Things like nomadic tribes of Africa in geography didn’t serve me all that well, but compound interest has.  Economics opened a door for me – a useful, beneficial and financially fruitful door.  The idea that all kids will get that going forward is no bad thing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

House prices are set to rise as businesses report less confidence   With two further cuts expected to the OCR, ANZ is now expecting a 4.5% lift as opposed to 6%.  Business confidence has also taken a tumble, with just 49% expecting improvements in the year ahead – down 9 points.   ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner told Mike Hosking the data was taken amid tariffs hitting the markets, impacting business confidence, investment, and employment.   She says there may be a hint of a knee-jerk reaction that may not last, but only time will tell.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 1st of May, the Aratere ferry is being retired – the only rail-enabled ferry in KiwiRail’s fleet.   Financial literacy will now be taught at schools in Years 1-10.   And Indy NXT driver Liam Sceats details just what young drivers have to go through to get the funding for a single season of driving at the top level.  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.

Another big win for New Zealand Rugby in the wake of the messy end to a major sponsorship agreement.  Vehicle manufacturer Toyota has reportedly signed a multi-million dollar agreement to put its name on the All Blacks training kit – partly replacing INEOS.  The agreement is also believed to include the provision of vehicles for players and management who don’t have existing contracts with previous vehicle partner, Ford.  Former NZ Rugby CEO David Moffett told Mike Hosking it’s good news.  He says it’s very similar to the Ford deal that they had back in 1995.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another Government curriculum refresh is aiming to give school kids more grasp of money management.  The Education Minister's making financial literacy a compulsory topic for Years 1 to 10.  The Government's teaming up with financial organisations, banks, and charities for lessons on investment and taxes.  Banqer CEO Simon Brown told Mike Hosking that on an international level, we don’t stack up too badly, but there’s a wide variety in the level of financial education given by schools.   He says that some schools do a great job delivering to all students, but in others financial education is completely lacking, and as a result, student preparedness is left up to chance.   Brown believes a lot of people appreciate the importance and value of financial education, so to see this plan come to fruition is an exciting step.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ruapehu District could be in for an economic boom with new skifield ownership.  The Department of Conservation's approved a 10 year concession for Whakapapa Holdings to operate the Whakapapa side of Mount Ruapehu.  An agreement for the Turoa side was struck last year, following a lengthy bidding war, with numerous Government bailouts.  Mayor Weston Kirton told Mike Hosking it’s a critical milestone in securing the future of skiing in Mount Ruapehu.  He says it gives confidence to the wider tourism sector, and provides a huge amount of income to the community and region – to the tune of around $100 million.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KiwiRail admits it may be helping out its competition by reducing its Interislander fleet to two.   Aratere will be retired when demolition begins on its decaying dock in Picton late this year or early next, to add infrastructure for new ships.  Two new ferries are due in 2029.  KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy told Mike Hosking some passengers may opt now to travel with Bluebridge.   He says capacity is spread between the companies when one faces an issue.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over 4000 medical procedures are on hold today while 5000 senior doctors strike for better working conditions.  This comes after eight months of failed negotiations with Health New Zealand.  The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists says it's not going to fill workforce gaps without major improvements to pay and conditions.  Health NZ Chief Clinical Officer Doctor Richard Sullivan told Mike Hosking waitlist times for procedures will now stretch out further.  He says the more than 4000 procedures which have been delayed will impact on getting people earlier access to care.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In her seemingly never-ending ability to surprise, Tory Whanau fronts on the local Newstalk ZB morning show in her beleaguered capital yesterday and scores herself a 9/10.  If she had come from comedy I could have seen the joke she was making.  But she doesn’t come from comedy, which is not to say her reign hasn’t been comedic.  She is the Meghan Markle of local body politics - so self-absorbed and she doesn’t appear cognisant as to just how destructive and useless she is.  I wasn’t going to even comment on Whanau given it’s a local issue, she has announced she's off, and the sooner the Whanau era of terror ends the better.  But fly in the ointment: she is still standing for a seat and bringing potentially all her 9/10 madness with her.  Now the guard rails on this part of her future are of course in the hands of the public of the capital. You don’t have to have more of it. You can in fact vote for someone else.  As such she is free to take her record, put it in front of you and test it.  But it takes a special sort of narcissist to think of herself so highly, having just been bundled out of the big race because she knows she can't win.  If she is a 9/10, she should be bolting home. But that’s the problem with narcissists, isn't it? They continue to bluster even when they know the game is up.  She is also a wider problem by remaining as part of the wider picture. She puts people off.  Local body politics is crying out for decent, hardworking, competent contributors, but who in their right mind is interested in sitting round a table with buffoons?  A bunch of do-gooding lifers, who as often as not, are not actually able to get work in the normal world.  Not all of Wellington's many, many problems are on Tory. But she led the team that wrought the havoc and the stuff she inherited, she didn’t help.  Her advice to poor, old Nick Mills, who had to listen to this tripe, was every time you see a road cone, you see progress.  It's that sort of fairytale, fanciful nonsense most of us realise isn't remotely true.  Maybe that’s her ultimate problem. Maybe she lives in her head  In her head Wellington is a riviera and Tory is the queen of that riviera. The pipes didn’t burst, the city boomed, and Tory oversaw a renaissance.  Maybe that's how all narcissists delude themselves. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 30th of April, Mark Carney is the new Canadian Prime Minister, and the Government is reversing Labour's 2020 decision allowing prisoners to vote.  Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce is on to discuss how Nicola could deliver a Budget with everything we need, while cutting over a billion dollars from the operating allowance.  Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell talk Mark's rating from Audrey, the Budget cut, and crime 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.

There will be further cuts to Government agency spending, to be diverted into priority areas.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis confirmed a $1.3 billion operating allowance – plummeting from the $2.4 billion estimate.  Willis says they've reviewed funding line-by-line.  National’s Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking they have to cut spending as the reality is the country went from $58 billion of debt in 2017 to $175 billion in 2024.  He says we went from paying $3.6 billion in interest a year to $8.9 billion, and we cannot afford that.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Garden City's reaping the benefits of this year's Electric Avenue festival.  The event produced $10.5 million in visitor spend after 75 thousand people attended in February.  It's believed to be the largest since the 1974 Commonwealth Games.  Loren Aberhart, ChristchurchNZ General Manager of Destination and Attraction, told Mike Hosking they’re looking at options for growth, as the festival had the city bursting at the seams.  They’re undertaking accommodation research, she says, and planning ahead for the opening of the One NZ Stadium to ensure the city has the capacity to cope with events.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A question mark over how Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carney, will perform.   The Liberal Party won the country's election yesterday, beating the Conservative party, and locking down a fourth term.  The win means Carney will keep hold of the top job he took over from Justin Trudeau six weeks ago.   Globe and Mail Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife told Mike Hosking he has no experience in retail policy, but headed the banks of Canada and England.  He says given these credentials, he should do okay, but there's been no real opportunity to see him perform as Prime Minister.  There’s also doubts Carney will be able to secure a majority government, as he’s currently sitting at 169 seats of the 172 needed.  Fife doesn't think he'll get up to this number, but may reach 170.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Finance Minister says cutbacks to public spending need to be seen in context.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed a drastic cut to the operating allowance in next month's Budget, from $2.4 billion to $1.3 billion.  There will be no new funding for most Government departments, with the focus being on priority areas and paying off debt.  Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking there's still scope to reduce spending.  He says Government spending has doubled in the past eight years while inflation has only gone up about 30% in the same time.   Joyce is also saying there's growing public appetite for more public sector restraint.  The Government's ruling out giving most departments any additional funding in the next Budget, but Joyce says reaching that target will depend a lot on the international economy.  However, he told Hosking there are still lots of changes that can be made to bring down government spending.  Joyce says making those changes requires a bit of work and requires ministers having a good political radar and knowing what can't be cut.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Children's Minister says good progress is being made on reports coming into Oranga Tamariki.   The Ministry for Children estimates it's seen a 45% increase in reports of concern in the year to April.  Karen Chhour says the number of children in unsafe households is alarming but it's positive seeing more people reporting them.   She told Mike Hosking the urgency of each report can vary, with several potentially applying to the same child.   Chhour says not all reports need Oranga Tamariki intervention, with lower urgency cases better dealt with by community resources.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Justice Minister says reinstating a total ban on prisoner voting is not likely to change the outcome of elections.   The proposal would reverse changes introduced in 2020 allowing prisoners serving sentences of less than three years to vote.  People detained on remand or serving sentences of home detention will still be able to vote.   Paul Goldsmith told Mike Hosking the number of votes coming out of prisons is not enough to sway a result.   He says it's about sending a signal to people who breach the rights and responsibilities of living in society.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 90-thousand solar panels are now generating power for near 13-thousand homes in Canterbury.  New Zealand's largest solar farm has opened at Lauriston on the Canterbury Plains.  The 93 hectare plant is a joint venture between Genesis Energy and FRV Australia.  Genesis Energy Chief Executive Malcolm Johns told Mike Hosking New Zealand will still need a coal reserve in the future.  He says there will be periods of time where the wind isn't blowing or the rain hasn't come, and we will need to lean on thermal generation.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a while there being a tough guy was good for your credibility.  Look at Victor Orban, Javier Milei and Nayib Bukele. They all revelled, and succeeded, at the polls with their macho, Trump-esque persona.  The world was moving away from "Me Too" and progressivism. There has been a very distinct move to conservatism, especially in parts of Europe.  Being like Trump was, more often than not, good for your political aspirations.  Peter Dutton had a touch of that, but sadly in the length of an Australian campaign it's all changed. The more he has looked like Trump, talked about Trump, and promised policy that sounded like Trump, the worse it has got.  Chances are by Saturday night, he will be a loser.  In the meantime, in Canada, who are voting now, the reason Mark Carney is in the lead is twofold.  1) The bloke who ran the place before him was a progressive sap and was a victim of the movement against the left. But he also had been there a decade, and his clock had run out.  2) His replacement has made much ground in the new-found vein of political success of looking not at all like Trump, but being tough enough to stand up to him.  Mark Carney will most likely win today and if he does, the fortunes of his Liberal Party will be one for the ages.  The same anger, frustration and impatience that led Trump to victory over a hapless socialist, should have played out the same way —and was going to play out the same way— north of the border.  Yet in the space of a couple of months, the entire scenario has been tipped on its head.  Looking like Trump, like Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives do, is no longer currency. It's bad news.  They have tried desperately to direct the campaign towards the issues that had Canadians so upset for the past ten years; cost of living, cost of housing, and jobs.  But the tariffs and Trump and his insults have fired them up and off into a new direction, which is hating on America. Carney and the Liberals have seen it, grabbed it and run with it.  The last polls have a 3%-ish point gap to them. The Liberals have come back from 20 points down, it's astonishing.  Let's do the counting. But if they win, what's it say about the distaste for Trump? What's it say about a single-issue campaign?  And will there have ever been a bigger victory snatched from the jaws of defeat? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been 100 days since Donald Trump was sworn in as US President.  His campaign was filled with promises of dramatic change, and he’s certainly followed through, with a record-breaking number of orders filed in the first three months.  The most dramatic of which is his sweeping global tariffs.  Quest Means Business host Richard Quest told Mike Hosking it goes against the orthodoxy of economics that has always been taught – that tariffs can be a benefit if targeted and used for a specific purpose.  He says using widespread tariffs to reshape global trading structures has not been done before, but it’s something Trump has always wanted to do.  Quest believes with the tariff headwinds pushing against the global economy, major economies are facing recessions, and the slowdown in economic growth will feel pretty awful for people as the year continues.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 29th of April, Tory Whanau has decided to drop her bid for re-election – this must be the news Wellington wanted.   Shane Jones is rejecting the co-governance plan for the Waitakere Ranges, and we look at the latest fruit market to go gangbusters – persimmons!  Quest Means Business host on CNN, Richard Quest joins to talk Trump's first 100 days and the global effects of the tariff debacle.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a growing appetite for New Zealand’s rarest and most unusual fruit.  Persimmons have had a 20% rise in exports in the last year, and demand has never been higher.  Persimmon Industry Council Manager Ian Turk told Mike Hosking it's thanks to recent sunny weather in Gisborne, where the vast majority of the fruit is grown.  He says after a rough five years for the industry —with impacts from the likes of Cyclone Gabrielle— growers are looking forward to a good season ahead.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of Kāinga Ora tenancy terminations is being described as a far cry from what's needed.   Newstalk ZB can reveal the agency terminated 299 tenancies in the year to March – more than double the 134 in the year before.  Much of the increase is from Kāinga Ora taking a stronger line on disruptive tenants and rent arrears.  Litigation lawyer Adina Thorn told Mike Hosking Kāinga Ora needs to evict 1,000 to 1,500 tenants by her own calculations.   She says nobody wants to live in public housing when they're next people described as the worst of the worst.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.