The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The Australian senate's passed world-first laws preventing under 16s from using social media.   The ban will come into force at the end of next year, and social media companies will face fines if they fail to take reasonable steps to keep children off.   The ABC reports the late vote last night came as the government rammed through most of its legislative agenda on the final sitting day of the year.   Australia correspondent Murray Olds told Mike Hosking that messaging apps will be exempt.   He says the onus will be on companies to check the ages of users, and he questions what's stopping a 14-year-old saying they're older.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the end of the week, and Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was.  They chatted about star jumps, spending habits, and whether Mike is a snob for buying a $600 bottle of wine.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retailers are hoping for bumper Black Friday sales today.    Retail NZ says Black Friday and Boxing Day are the biggest shopping days of the year.  It comes at a time when retailers are struggling, with 70% not meeting their sales targets in the September quarter according to the Retail Trade Survey.   Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young says it would be good to see Black Friday generate more foot traffic down the line.  She told Mike Hosking that retailers are considering shorter sale periods next year, to concentrate the number of people who come in during that time.  Young says there’s a mixed appetite for spending at the moment, but Black Friday is a good time for people to be thinking about Christmas shopping.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister says gangs are showing a high level of compliance with the new laws.   Police are expecting large numbers of Mongrel Mob Barbarians in Nelson over the weekend, and will be deploying officers from Tasman and Canterbury to check for breaches.   Yesterday, six people were arrested for allegedly breaching the patch ban at a Tauranga tangi.  Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking that leaders of the gangs in particular are trying to respond, and fundamentally don't seem to want to draw attention to themselves.   He says there will probably be some younger members who won't comply because they're not thinking about it, but police will respond to that.  Mitchell says that typically those respectfully attending a funeral won't have any contact with police.   But he says if people are taking over public roads, intimidating people, and carrying illegal weapons, then police will respond to make sure the public is safe.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Minister says councils have other options to increase revenue, not just through higher fares.   NZTA's ordering councils take a higher revenue share and agree to new targets by December 19th.  Public transport authorities have requested an urgent meeting, saying the targets would see bus, train, and ferry prices surge.   But Simeon Brown told Mike Hosking it's a lazy approach to just increase fares.    He says councils have a range of tools including increased advertising, sponsorships, corporate fare schemes, and renting out space at train stations.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Workers earning over $180,000 will lose the right to raise unjustified dismissal claims under a new policy. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden said the change allows more flexible dismissal processes for high-income employees. The policy aims to enhance labour market flexibility and will be introduced through the Employment Relations Amendment Bill next year. Workers making over $180,000 a year will no longer be able to raise an unjustified dismissal claim if they lose their job once a new Government policy takes effect. The upcoming change to the Employment Relations Act “will enable employers to ensure they have the right fit for their high-impact leadership and specialist roles”, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden said. The policy, described as a “more flexible dismissal process for high-income employees”, delivers on the Act-National coalition agreement to set an income threshold above which personal grievances cannot be pursued. “This policy is about offering workers and employers more choice when negotiating contracts. “Employers and employees are free to opt back into unjustified dismissal protection if they choose to or negotiate their own dismissal procedures that work for them,” van Velden said. She said the policy was “paving the way for the next generation of leadership” when she spoke to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB. “One of the classic cases of grievance from businesses is you want to take a chance on someone, but you’re too afraid if something goes wrong, how on earth will it work out.” “You’ve got someone in the workforce who is maybe quite skilled, got a good attitude, but if you push them up to that next leadership level into management, you know, if it doesn’t work out and they aren’t a good fit, this allows you to move them on.” Van Velden said many people would have worked with a manager “who has led to poor productivity, low morale, and the boss and the workers are just sitting there and waiting for this person for years and years to want to move on”. The change would provide greater labour market flexibility and would benefit employers and workers, she said. “This policy allows employers to give workers a go in these high-impact positions without having to risk a costly and disruptive dismissal process if things don’t work out.” The income threshold of $180,000 will cover about 3.4% of the workforce. The threshold will be adjusted annually to match increases in average weekly earnings. “The change will be progressed through the Employment Relations Amendment Bill, which I aim to introduce in 2025,” van Velden said. The income threshold refers to a regular base salary and excludes other income such as incentive payments and benefits like vehicle use. Employees earning over $180,000 will still be able to raise other types of personal grievances. Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald focusing on crime and breaking news. Lyth began working under the NZ Herald masthead in 2021 as a reporter for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A business think tank is critical of the first part of New Zealand's Covid-19 review, believing it's not comprehensive enough.  Phase 1 of the pandemic response report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry brings 39 recommendations.  They include planning for quarantine measures, allowing movement of public sector capability during a pandemic, and assigning a minister to lead implementation.   New Zealand Initiative Senior Fellow, Murray Horn told Mike Hosking the report misses some areas.  He says it doesn't explore whether damage to the economy and people's faith in government was more serious than needed.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I am more knowledgeable about the Pike River tragedy than Tony Gibson's Auckland Port court case.  But out of Pike River came the law that got Gibson, as former boss of the Port of Auckland, over the death of a worker.  He has been found guilty. He may appeal.  You would imagine if the verdict stands and a penalty is imposed, it would have a severe chilling effect in the world of CEOs.  Just where is the line for a boss in looking after the safety of the staff, beyond the broad-based and widely understood rules?  Do court cases like this now reset those boundaries as to what you must, or might do, in regards safety in a large workplace?  Some workplaces are inherently dangerous because of their nature.  Rules will be in place, but how tight do those rules need to be? And it's out of that sort of expectation that life in general can sometimes be brought to a sort-of standstill by the “just in case” mentality.  Work and safety is driven by good intention but is stifling in the real world.  In taking the very specific responsibility right up the chain to the corner office for a person falling off, or falling over, or into something, that's a tremendous amount of very specific expectation – especially in a large company when the numerical gap between the boss and a bloke on the floor, or the machine, might well be large. It's an interesting concept, to judicially skip any number of people between the victim and the CEO. What I know about Pike River was it was a top-down mess. If you were looking for blame, there was no shortage of it to spread around. A lot of people wanted Peter Whittall to pay, but that was more predicated on him being an easy target, not because he, and he alone, was responsible. How much of the new law came out of the same mentality?  "Don't worry about the detail or fairness, let's just look to have someone pay". And if that is what drove it, is that good law? Or is it a lot of potential trouble and a reason not to be the boss?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 28th of November, we get reaction from the Reserve Bank and Steven Joyce after our last OCR cut of the year.  Phase 1 of the Covid inquiry is complete, and inquiry chair Professor Tony Blakely has some surprising comments about vaccine mandates and lockdowns.  Mike couldn't believe Mitch James was quitting music, so had to get a friend of the show on for one last time as a musician.  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 Black Caps are riding the increased wave of support from the public as they head into the opening test against England in Christchurch, starting this morning.  Day three on Saturday is sold out, while minimal tickets remain to today's opening day.  Black Caps all-rounder Rachin Ravindra told Mike Hosking the team's historic whitewash in India has helped the cause.  He says that there’s a lot more people congratulating them for their efforts in India as they’re walking around.  “That’s what we want right? We want the public to be behind us, and hopefully we can keep inspiring people to keep playing the game.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mitch James’ eleven year career is set to come to an end.  His beginnings were humble, busking on the streets of London and performances at open mic nights that lead to world tours and over a decade of music.   James’ final single ‘Beautiful Stranger’ came out last month and his final album is imminent, with only a few remaining bits of admin to complete before the album’s release.  He told Mike Hosking that it’s been a crazy journey but he’s come to the end of his tether with the entertainment industry.  “It’s a very messed up, and at times evil, industry, that yeah, I think I’ve got nothing more to prove.”  “You’re looking at the guitar in the morning and it’s not looking as, as beautiful as it used to,” James said.  “I felt like I needed to step away to sort of preserve that core love for the music.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank remains concerned about domestic inflation as it points to more OCR cuts next year following the latest 50 basis point cut.  Inflation is now at 2.2%, with weak global demand pushing tradeable inflation down to -1.6%.  But non-tradeable inflation —things like insurance, rates, power and rents— remains at 4.9%.  Reserve Bank Assistant Governor Karen Silk told Mike Hosking that needs to be brought down to just under 3%, which is where it's historically sat.  She says this type of inflation, which is less responsive to monetary policy, remains persistent.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The outgoing head of the Covid inquiry has found vaccine mandates caused huge pain to a "substantial minority” during the pandemic.  Tony Blakely says the Government should look at whether their benefits outweighed the harm they caused.  Blakely will deliver the report from the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry to Internal Affairs Minister Brook van Velden today, but the Government may not release it until next year.  He says New Zealand did well, although mistakes were made.  Blakely describes the response as a game of two halves, with New Zealand doing well in the first year, and less so after that – which isn't surprising given the length of the pandemic.  He says there’s still work to be done after their comprehensive investigations.   Blakely told Mike Hosking they've done about 80% of the work, with incoming Chair Grant Illingworth's team coming in to do the next 20%.   He says they may uncover new findings on topics they look at more in depth, such as mandates and vaccine harm.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a tale of two economies, for now.  The Reserve Bank is forecasting more OCR cuts next year, sooner than previously expected, after yesterday's 50-basis point cut to 4.25%.  But Governor Adrian Orr says growth remains weak globally.  Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking there are green shoots in the economy, but they're confined to specific sectors like commercial property, dairy, kiwifruit, and the tech sector.  He says big-employing industries like service and retail have been flat as a pancake, alongside residential property and construction.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s been a change in approach in a bid to secure Smoke-Free 2025.  Minister-in-Charge, Casey Costello's unveiled a refreshed Health New Zealand action plan.  It includes no new funding or programmes, with the existing $24 million budget being reallocated to the frontline.   Costello told Mike Hosking the Government's tried to pare back the programme to practical applications and tools for those wanting to quit.  She says it's about informing and leading people to available services, rather than the previous prohibitionist approach.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New polling shows Australians are losing hope in their Labour led government ahead of an election middle of next year. The Redbridge Poll found half of all voters think the country is headed in the wrong direction, with less than a third seeing it as on track. Australian Correspondent Steve Price says this is very bad news for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Price says voters are concerned about the government’s focus and 6% of Australians agree strongly that the government is focused on the right issues. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US President-elect is pledging to hit Canada and Mexico with large taxes.  Donald Trump says of many first executive orders, one will be charging the neighbouring countries 25% goods tariffs. He says they'll continue until they clamp down on illegal border crossings of drugs and migrants.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the last time Trump played the tariff game it was with China, which resulted in Trump having to give US farmers bailouts worth $23 billion.  He says economists are speculating that the tariffs taking shape in the way Trump is illuding could add up to $2,600 extra a year for consumers.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's being accused of having no vision for the struggling health sector.  The Health Minister's announced $20 million dollars to hire 50 senior doctors, and $10 million for senior specialist nurses and allied health professionals.  The Nurses Organisation says the funding is only a 0.2% increase in investment for nurses.  Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Executive Director Sarah Dalton told Mike Hosking she doesn’t want to rain on the parade, but she doesn’t think it achieves anything.  She says it’s disappointing, given the report released last year that states New Zealand is short by 1,700 doctors and GPs.   Dalton says nothing that has happened since has referred to that data or tried to address it in any concrete or tangible way.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 27th of November, the Reserve Bank has their final OCR call today, so will we see relief from that cut?  Did you know it's illegal to serve any kind of drink when you are at the hairdressers? A bill has been added to the ballot to remove the law that is baffling hairdressers.  Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen talk about the life and legacy of Nikki Kaye, and whether we should have four year terms 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.

Politicians from across the political spectrum are remembering former National MP Nikki Kaye. Kaye died aged 44 on Saturday after a cancer battle.   National's Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking she was an amazing lady.  He said that she was in the midst of her treatment when he was wanting to become a Minister, and she was sending him a full strategy on what he needed to do.  Kaye served as the Auckland Central MP from 2008 until 2020, a seat Mitchell said she won through hard work and guts – a combination she lived her life by.   Labour's Ginny Andersen told Hosking she will remember her energy.  She said it was amazing to see a young woman who was so passionate and driven, but who wasn’t afraid to laugh at herself.   Andersen said she’ll always be thankful for the stance she took on mining on Great Barrier Island, saying she has huge admiration for that strength.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are fears big Wellington City Council budget cuts don't go far enough.  The council yesterday voted in a mammoth meeting to make hundreds of millions of dollars of savings by slashing projects like cycleway spending, and demolishing Begonia House in the Botanic Gardens.  Councillor Tony Randle told Mike Hosking the projects Mayor Tory Whanau managed to save, like the Golden Mile redevelopment and climate initiatives, should have been cut too.  He claims they add more spending to the budget and says they now won't be able to make enough savings.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a push to alter New Zealand's laws to allow people to indulge in a tea or coffee while at the hairdressers.  It's an offence to serve a drink in a salon's service area – deemed unsafe under health regulations.  National MP Dana Kirkpatrick has added a bill to the ballot to remove the law.  Rodney Wayne Chief Executive Julie Evans told Mike Hosking the offence is news to them, as their salons have long served tea and coffee to clients.  She's unsure why it was never brought to their attention when the council conducted checks of salon dishwashers, to ensure they worked to legal standards.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A friend of Nikki Kaye has described her as an incredibly determined person.   The 44-year-old former National MP died on Saturday after battling cancer.   Her family says a private cremation service was held on Monday.   Kaye served as Auckland Central MP from 2008 until 2020.   Friend David Farrar told Mike Hosking that he and others in the National party told her she wouldn't win the nomination or seat for Auckland Central.   He says Kaye had a belief in herself and thought she could win it, she knocked on every door in the electorate, and did win.  Farrar says she did a lot of cross-party work.   He says she was very much a National MP, but never thought all goodness came from one party and worked across the political spectrum to achieve things.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Reserve Bank economist says there's a case for the Reserve Bank cutting the Official Cash Rate by 75 basis points.   The Reserve Bank will release its latest decision today.   It's widely expected to cut the rate by 50-basis points from 4.75% to 4.25%.   Former reserve bank economist Michael Reddell told Mike Hosking the Reserve Bank's view of an OCR of 2.5-3% as being neutral is the best guess.   He says we genuinely won't know until after we've got there and seen the inflationary consequences, but he thinks we will be at that figure by next August.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are calls for more discussion around genetic modification.   An Institute of Economic Research report, commissioned by Organics Aotearoa New Zealand, reveals genetic modification could reduce the value of primary sector exports by up to $20 billion a year.   It estimates GMO-free branding adds an extra 59% on the value of our exports.   Organics NZ chief executive Tiffany Tompkins told Mike Hosking there's a range of opinion on the subject.  She says the Government should slow down, open up the conversation and include farmers more proactively so we can understand the cost-benefit analysis.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Grisham is no stranger to success, having written 50 consecutive number one best sellers.   When he’s not writing, he works for the Innocence Project and Centurion Ministries, helping get innocent people released from prison.  A majority of his work are legal thrillers, but this time he’s taking a step into a realm he’s less familiar with: nonfiction.  ‘Framed’ is Grisham’s second nonfiction book, detailing the true accounts of ten people who were wrongfully convicted.  He told Mike Hosking that he and Centurion Ministries founder Jim McCloskey have been considering writing this book for a number of years.  “The stories are so, they’re so terrible, but they’re also very compelling, and really gripping stories.”  Grisham says that he’s trying to make a change with this novel, and raise awareness for the issues within the criminal justice system in the United States.  “Trying to raise awareness, trying to raise a few bucks for the innocents, for advocates in the country,” he said.  “There’s a purpose behind it.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 26th of November, a new 24/7 police station is opening in Auckland CBD – Police Commissioner Richard Chambers joined the show to discuss.   The Prime Minister joined Mike live in studio for a chat about the economy, Waikato Hospital, and when we will get details of the new ferry deal.  Arguably one of the greatest ever authors, John Grisham has a new book out and specifically requested to talk to Mike about it - so how do we turn that offer down?  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.

Universities are seeing increasing interest from students wanting to study courses in artificial intelligence.   Multiple universities now run Masters of Artificial Intelligence degrees, with many other courses and related papers at various levels also available.   Victoria University launched a masters in 2021 and last year began an undergraduate major in AI.   Senior lecturer Andrew Lensen told Mike Hosking there’s certainly a big change in society when it comes to AI, and students are onto that and want to study it.  He says that that although developments in the AI space are unfolding quite rapidly, there are a lot of core fundamentals that have been around for the last few decades.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A capital gains tax is a no-brainer, according to a former Labour Party leader.  The topic is understood to be on the agenda at the party's conference in Christchurch this weekend, with members deciding whether to continue work on the proposal.  David Cunliffe told Mike Hosking he believes most in the party would be keen on the tax.  When it comes to voters, he says that capital gains taxes have actually polled really well in the last couple of elections, and one could say that its polled better than the Labour Party.  Cunliffe says that it’s unlikely to be a net vote loser.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new top cop says Aucklanders will be feeling better about a police station in the city's centre.   Police plan to have the new Federal Street base open to the public by the middle of next year.  It will sit close to Aotea Square and the new CRL station, making it easier to deploy officers right across the central city.   Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told Mike Hosking that soon we'll have 51 beats working 24/7 around the community, increasing visibility and safety.   He says it's back to basics policing, with officers walking the beat and getting to know the people around town.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the “more tax, more borrowing” of the last Labour Government hadn’t worked.  “The decision for New Zealand is really about getting this country growing,” he told Mike Hosking.  One of the areas they’ve been focusing on in order to do so has been education.  Luxon said he was unaware of schools not getting necessary maths resources, and disagrees with the teachers unions, who say the Government has rushed the new curriculum through.  “We got a set of results that said four out of five of our kids going into high school are not where they need to be. I’m sorry, we can sit around having consultation and kumbaya all year, but we actually need to make an intervention. We did that within a week.  “[Education Minister] Erica Stanford has done an exceptionally good job to make sure they’ve got the [resources] they need to teachers.”  He touched on how “abysmal” NCEA is, saying that whether you’re a parent or an employer or a teacher, it’s not working.   “And it’s no surprise when kids show up for third form and four out of five aren’t at the standard they need to be in maths,” Luxon said.  When it comes to the economy, he says there’s still “a lot of turbulence” to navigate before it gets better. He pointed to reductions in inflation as achievements.  “I think every quarter you’ll start to see growth improve. We’re still not out of the woods. The last thing that gets sorted is employment, and there’s a lag effect.  “We did it pretty tough. We had monetary policy where we were printing a lot of cash.”  Luxon confirmed there would be an announcement on the Cook Strait ferries by the end of the year.  “We’ve made a commitment; we’ll talk about the ferries by the end of the year. We’re going to get a solution in place.  “There’s always ongoing conversations. You’ll know [the details] when you know.  “It’ll be rail compatible, as it is today. I can tell you it’ll be done a lot cheaper than $3.2 billion.”  He said there was no stoush between himself and David Seymour over the Waikato medical school plans.  “All respect, David’s not the Minister of Health, he’s the Minister for Regulation. He needs to focus on that,” he said.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More schools are dropping NCEA Level 1.   An Education Review Office review has found it's not a fair or reliable measure of knowledge and skills, and needs substantial change.   Less than three-quarters of schools plan to offer NCEA Level 1 next year.  ERO's Ruth Shinoda told Mike Hosking that in more affluent communities, it's less than half.   She says three quarters of school leaders say the credits students receive don't reflect an equal amount of work or degree of difficulty.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian police arrested 170 climate activists over the weekend after their floating blockade briefly disrupted activity at one of the world’s largest coal ports. The fleet of kayaks, paddle boards and inflatable boats blocked the entrance to the Port of Newcastle, which exports millions of tonnes of coal each year. Police said on Sunday evening 156 adults and 14 youths had been arrested and charged with offences including 'disruption of a major facility'. Australian correspondent Steve Price says shipping was temporarily paused as the group blocked at least one major vessel from entering the port.  "The Greens leader was there, looking like a fool, they were called 'numbskulls', and it was dangerous - really, really dangerous. We'll wait and see what happens in court." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Surely the TJ Perenara performance is a sign of the times? How far back (small clue, not far) do you need to go to think that this sort of extra curricular activity would never have even been close to being countenanced by an All Black squad? Not long ago, essentially, sport was sport. It got political in the Springbok apartheid era, but that was politics from the outside in, not the other way around. It was Perenara's last time in the jersey, so why not leave with a message? I think that would be the argument for many but, what sort of message? If one of the blokes from rural New Zealand decided to slip in some support in the post match interview for the current gun reform, or the gang patch laws, how do you think that would go down? David Seymour, who quite sensibly asked in response to the Perenara views just what bit of equal rights do you not support, is kind of on a hiding to nothing. We have entrenched camps on this one. No one is in the middle. You either believe in the idea that we are all equal, or you don’t. Perhaps more worryingly Perenara's performance was spoken about with management and supported by them, so credit to him that it wasn’t some mad, spur-of-the-moment outburst. For the record, when he says it's important to him, no one doubts him. But lots of things are important to lots of people. But within all our lives are constraints. One of the constraints around being an All Black is you represent the country as an elite athlete, not a politician or an activist. As we saw in a much lesser way last week, the woman who may well head up content and news for the state-owned TV station took leave to go on the Treaty protest. Quite rightly, many asked whether that was wise. We can ask the same question of Perenara and, given he had All Black mangement blessing, we can ask that question of them too. If the criteria for protest as an All Black is passion, then we are asking for trouble. What we want in All Blacks are sports people of integrity, professionalism and, preferably, an ability to win a lot. The rest of it risks damaging the brand, insulting fans and distracting us from the main point of the outing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 25th of November, our NCEA Level 3 and UE entries are at their lowest point in a decade and Covid is being blamed. We get the Maori All Blacks cultural adviser on to discuss TJ Perenara's political message in the haka before the All Blacks game. Guy and Sav talk the haka, the Phoenix and the All Blacks brand. 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.

Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to discuss Guy’s weekend of team golfing, TJ Perenara’s haka before the All Blacks’ 29-11 victory over Italy and the last test outings for Perenara and Sam Cane, the Wellington Phoenix’s and Auckland FC’s latest A-League outings, and Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies contract. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liam Lawson wasn't the only Kiwi ripping it up at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Synthony - an orchestra which reimagines some of the biggest dance hits of all time - was there as well. The group stems from New Zealand and is increasingly going global. Singer-songwriter Ilan Kidron – who’s teamed up with Synthony – joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's filling out his Cabinet - with some unconventional picks in the mix. The President-elect's selections are raising questions over whether some people are up to the job. It's thought locking in Trump's defence pick Pete Hesgeth and intelligence pick Tulsi Gabbard - both of Fox News - could prove difficult. Meanwhile, US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking Pam Bondi has been put forward for Attorney General – after first pick Matt Gaetz withdrew after a slew of sexual assault accusations. “This means that if they’re all confirmed, the top 3 officials at the Justice Department will all be people who work for Trump’s legal defence.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions over whether New Zealand's regional airport security measures are up to scratch. Stuff reports gangs are travelling between our smaller centres to traffic drugs around the country, where there's little risk of having their bags scanned. Current security settings mean flights with fewer than 90 passengers are unlikely to go through screenings. Former Detective Inspector Lance Burdett told Mike Hosking it's an unusual arrangement. “It just concerns me. I was taught perhaps it was to do with the fuel or perhaps the hijacking of the plane or whatever, but it makes no real sense. We either have security or we don’t.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A climate academic says the COP climate conferences have achieved little in actually cutting emissions. It comes as COP29 takes place in Azerbaijan, with a new deal forged which will see developing countries supported to the tune of $500 billion to manage climate impacts. But Victoria University's Adrian Macey told Mike Hosking more must be done, and thinks the conferences have become unproductive. “We go into each COP saying: ‘this is the last chance to save the planet and if we fail here, there’ll be dire consequences’, and we go ahead and fail.” He says we need more transformational change. "Yep, it's useful to have that, but in terms of the planet, it isn't a game changer in actual reduction of emissions." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Youth vaping rates in New Zealand have dropped more than 50 per cent over the past three years, but one headmaster's calling for stronger regulation. An annual youth vaping survey's found a promising drop in secondary school aged children vaping. It's consistent with what Auckland Grammar's Tim O'Connor's been seeing. But he told Mike Hosking it remains a significant issue for young people. “I still think there’s something that needs to be done about the ready access of vapes – these vape stores that look like they’re selling iPhones to teenagers.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cultural advisor for the Māori All Blacks says he's completely comfortable with TJ Perenara's haka. The All Black halfback referenced the Toitū Te Tiriti movement ahead of yesterday's match against Italy. The team also posed with the Tino Rangatiratanga flag. Lawyer and consultant Te Wehi Wright told Mike Hosking context and the appropriateness of any political stance will always be debated regardless of the stage. “I do think there is still a huge responsibility on us as citizens of New Zealand to keep pushing where we can the notion of unity.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NCEA achievement levels have dropped since the Covid-19 pandemic. More students are leaving school with Level 3 pre-pandemic – but now achievement levels have dropped to where they were a decade ago. The number leaving before their 17th birthday without Level 3 or university entrance is a major factor. There have been steeper drops in Levels 1 and 2. Education Hub founder Dr Nina Hood told Mike Hosking during Covid, children missed out on a lot of schooling and didn't have as much teaching. “The result of that is that they didn’t build all of the foundational knowledge and skills that they needed. Those students are now coming through and sitting their Level 2 and Level 3 NCEA exams.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.     Basketball: 7/10  The most popular school sport in the country. Who doesn’t love a pick-up game and a lay-up?    The gang laws: 7/10  Because they represent a turning of the tide, a restoration of some common sense and some realisation of just how shabby this place had become.    World War III: 3/10  Let's keep our powder dry, shall we? A missile does not an escalation make. You might remember we are still waiting for Iran to respond in the other war and that was an age ago.    Dairy: 9/10  If we hit $10, that's a record. What a year, and what a time to have a year.    Glastonbury: 8/10  Sold out in 35 minutes, costs $700 and you got no idea who's on stage.    Taylor Swift: 3/10  With an education system like ours in the state it's in, is it really wise to spruik a Taylor Swift course? Is that really your calling card?    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I am trying to work out which I like least – Elon Musk or Disney.  Elon bought Twitter and turned it into 'X'. He paid $44 billion, and they say it's worth about $10 billion now, but he doesn’t care.  It's worth $10 billion because a lot of corporates bailed because of its ugliness.  He argues it's free speech, but it's free speech at the lowest level, so it's ugly. He still defends it, and it makes life for a libertarian like me hard because I like the idea of truly free speech and, as a result of that belief, I have nothing to do with 'X' because I have standards.  But it's also apparent that as good a concept as free speech may be, when left to its own devices it's an ugly place and vulnerable people get hurt.  So that’s Elon.  Disney were one of those who bailed on 'X' because they didn’t like what they saw. But the Financial Times suggests they are heading back to 'X' now that Trump has won, and Trump likes Elon, and Elon might spend a lot of time at the White House, so Disney wants “in” on the action and the influence.  If that’s true, and it's not just Disney but also a bunch of corporates, that makes them hypocrites of the worst sort.  High and mighty – but only when it suits.  Full of principal, as long as they end up on the right side, whatever the current right side is.  They went hopelessly woke in their movies, until Bob Iger came back and said the reason he was back was because Disney was losing money, and they were losing money because they're woke.  Once upon a time having principles was quite the thing. It was expected and it was common, until it wasn’t.  These days corporates too often don’t know who they are so they end up in a moral blancmange. We saw it here during Covid – furious at the Government in private, pussy cats in public.  You would hope there is a lesson there somewhere they might want to learn and do something about.  Elon is at least reasonably consistent. You don’t have to like it, but he is true to his word.  It's cost him $35 billion in 'X'. But then he found Donald and the balance has been more than rectified, so what does he care?  Which I guess ultimately means, it's Disney. I like Disney less than I like Elon.  And that's saying something. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders can now make contactless payments entirely on iPhones.  Any retailer with a supported iPhone can accept payments from cards or digital wallets.  It's paid via an app from one of Apple's payments service partners including Stripe, Worldline, Windcave, and ANZ.  Ben Hanna, Head of New Zealand at Stripe, told Mike Hosking that it cuts down on the costs of running a traditional Eftpos machine.  He says it cuts down on hardware costs, deployment time, and administration.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday has come once again and Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was. This week they discussed the Coldplay concerts, famous people's guitars (including one signed by Donald Trump), and how much they'd be willing to pay for a scoop of chips from the fish and chips shop. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 22nd of November, is the Government's desire for a third medical school at Waikato at risk after David Seymour raised concerns about the cost?    All Blacks' captain Scott Barrett pops in for a word ahead of their clash against Italy – the final game in the end of year international tour.  Tim Wilson and Kate Hawkesby talk Coldplay, Trump guitars, and the price of fish and chips 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.

New Zealand's relationship with the incoming Trump administration will be the main topic at a US Business Summit in Auckland today.   It will feature speeches from the Prime Minister, Trade Minister Todd McClay, US Ambassador Tom Udall, and a variety of business voices.   Auckland Chamber of Commerce CEO Simon Bridges says it will be a great chance to get the Government's perspective on the American relationship.   He told Mike Hosking that Trump’s win is hugely consequential, and it’s not enough for the Government to simply say they’ll wait and see.  Bridges believes there can be some optimism though, as New Zealand is generally good at riding the waves and trade with the US flourished after Trump ripped up the CPTPP during his last term.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After being clouded in sexual misconduct allegations, Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration to become Donald Trumps' attorney general.  The former Republican congressman says he felt he was becoming a distraction, and didn't want to waste time on a "scuffle".  US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking Gaetz had faced intense scrutiny over a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use.  He says this is the first loss from Team Trump, who has been issuing threats to keep Senators in line.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.