The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says his Associate Minister of Justice (Firearms) Nicole McKee is not a liar and is doing a good job as minister.  “She still holds the position that high-capacity magazines need restrictions on them,” Luxon told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking Breakfast.  “The Arms Act is 40 years old, so it does need some reviewing," he said.  “It’s entirely appropriate we revisit the Arms Act and make sure it’s fit for purpose.  On  Associate Minister of Health Casey Costello, Luxon said “she is really fixated on lowering smoking rates”.  Pressed on whether he believed giving tax cuts to tobacco companies was a smart move, Luxon said Costello was trying to find alternatives for people to use in an effort to quit smoking.  Luxon said, “Nicole McKee is very focused on gun safety and Casey Costello is very focused on reducing smoking rates”.  He said they were being targeted by Opposition criticism.  “They are good ministers who are focused on what I’ve asked them to do,” he said.  On Dunedin Hospital, Luxon dodged repeated questions about where he got the $3 billion construction estimate from.  “We’re not making it up,” he said.  Luxon said a replacement of HMNZS Manawanui would depend on funding priorities.  “Now, with an unanticipated loss, we’ll have to consider that.”  Speaking on the healthcare budget, Luxon said Health NZ commissioner Dr Lester Levy had been “sorting it out”.  Luxon said any flood-risk-home buyouts was a responsibility for landowners, councils and central government.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour is looking forward to discussing his Treaty Principles Bill with a Ngati Toa leader tonight.  Helmut Modlik will debate Seymour two months after Modlik called him out.  A draft of Seymour's Bill will be ready for public release and discussion next month, but National says it will support the bill only to its first reading.  The ACT leader told Mike Hosking the debate is needed, because people think others can't have an opinion on something they're not an expert on.  He says New Zealand needs to mature and let ordinary people have an opinion on the country's constitutional future.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to discuss Ryan Fox in Mississippi, the Penrith Panthers beating the Melbourne Storm 14-6 to win their fourth-straight NRL premiership, Team New Zealand's America's Cup opponents confirmed and Jimmy Spithill's retirement, ongoing issues at NZR and the All Blacks' end of year tour, and Mike's new 77-inch TV. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Possibly my favourite stat from the Census was that home ownership is up. Who would have thought? Well, those of us that follow facts would. But the commentary around housing, sadly, is dictated to us by pressure groups whose best interest is served by telling us how broke we all are, and abetted by a media who sadly don’t ask a lot of questions any more and more often than not simply parrot whatever the press release of the day says. So, the message is portrayed as one of being unable to participate. "We can't afford a house" or "housing is too expensive" or "owning a home is increasingly a cruel dream". Well, it simply isn't true. The other stat I often mention is first home buyers. Throughout the past few years as housing costs have risen and access to money from banks has become problematic, how many times have we heard that so-called young people have been locked out of the market. Once again I am happy to report that it's simply not true. The percentage has remained amazingly static at about 26-27%. Over a quarter of all sales are to first timers and now the Census tells us the ownership rate in this country is rising. It's important for a couple of reasons: 1) Because hopefully it will, in part, silence the naysayers and, 2) In silencing them remind us all of the role housing plays in this country’s psyche. We love houses, rightly or wrongly. Most of us aspire to own them, they are a shelter, they are a place of pride and joy and they are a mechanism for savings. What the new stats remind us of is the truth that for more and more of us the dream can be real. The narrative is often wrong and driven by the wrong attitude. Owning a house early has always been a battle and so it should be. That way you value it. But getting there is real and the numbers prove it. The numbers show more and more of us are part of the dream. It is not, nor has it ever been, as bad as the wowsers would make it out to be.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trans-fats are somewhat of a silent killer. 645,000 people died globally because of high TFA diets in 2019. New University of Auckland analysis says many foods here have them, but don’t disclose them. It might not be long until they’re banned altogether. University of Auckland population health senior research fellow Dr Kathryn Bradbury joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suppliers to supermarkets appear to be charging more, more often. Which comes with a warning it could be the new norm. Foodstuffs has commissioned a report by Infometrics tracking the prices of 60,000 products — which has found they appear to keep gradually rising by 2.3 percent a year. Infometrics CEO and principal economist Brad Olsen joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's signalling the first list of projects to be fast-tracked won't be the last. 149 projects are being lined up to receive the fast-track treatment. It would see the building of up to 55,000 new homes, 180 kilometres of roads, and 11 mining projects. Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking the advisory group recommended 342 projects to go through to the next stage - but they didn't have capacity for all. “We’ve gone for the highest quality applications. Not to say the ones that missed out are not worthy projects — many of them are — and they’ll be other opportunities for those projects to be fast tracked.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former media boss says Google's threat to blow up New Zealand news agreements should be taken seriously. The search engine says it will remove any ability to find New Zealand news on its platform — if the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill passes later this year. The legislation would force global tech giants to negotiate with media companies and pay for news content. Former head of Warner Bros Discovery Glen Kyne told Mike Hosking local news would struggle without Google. “The risk is that are media companies able to survive and keep revenue flowing? I suspect the industry would take an enormous hit and that means also job losses would go with it.”  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A raft of questions in the wake of the sinking of our first naval ship in peacetime. The HMNZS Manawanui went down off the coast of Samoa yesterday, after hitting a reef off the island of Upolu the night before. The $100 million vessel had been surveying the area. All 75 people onboard were rescued before the vessel went down.  Defence Minister Judith Collins told Mike Hosking large quantities of oil were onboard, so they can't be left there. “We’ve got to find out exactly the depth of the water that it’s in. Divers had been sent out last night, and they’ll be having a look but it’s going to be quite a big job, I think.” She says we need to get to the bottom of what happened. “Defence has got its own divers going out to sea, they’ll be other people involved in that, and they have to work as well through the Samoan government.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federal Prosecutor Jack Smith laid out his most extensive case to date against former President Donald Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 election in a legal brief that was unsealed Wednesday. A new report, which lands weeks before the US presidential-election, brings new information about Trump’s attempt to lean on state officials and paint a narrative of widespread fraud that prosecutors say Trump knew were false. US correspondent Richard Arnold says the outcome of the election will decide the fate of Trump's case.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know what's more boring than talking about a capital gains tax? It’s talking about superannuation, and yet here we are again.   We're talking about it again, and how we need to take the Super off the 65 year olds because of what happened yesterday.   Now what happened yesterday was that for a brief minute, the two major political parties almost found consensus on the Super, but it only lasted a few hours.   So Nicola from National said to Barbara from Labour, we should have a chat, and Barbara said okay we should have a chat. Then Barbara thought about it over the next few hours and she's like, nah, we'll have a chat, but I actually don't really agree with that idea.   Which I think is a wise move from Barbara to be honest, because taking super off 65 year olds is unpopular. And it's probably always going to be unpopular as long as we keep running a welfare system that's so generous in this country that people are pretty much expected to spend an average of 13 years on the dole.   It is very, very hard to convince hard working taxpayers that when they get to their golden years, they should give up that little bonus that they get at the end of their lives. They should give that up because we need to save money, and then they look down the road and they see some of them taking the Mickey in the sunshine forever on the dole.   I think it's a hard one to push.   And by the way, while we're on consensus politics, I do not rate this idea. I don't care whether it's in Super, or housing, or transport, I hate it.   I think voters deserve choices. I think you should be able to decide if you want a cycle lane or if you want a road. You might want a cycle lane, you should have that choice. I might want a road, I should have that choice.   I think we should decide if we want to have three storey houses pop up next to us on the property next door without any consent. I think we should decide if we want Super taken away from us or not.   I don't want the politicians getting between themselves, stitching up a little deal and then leaving us no choice. Saying deals made, we've reached a consensus, just going to have to have it this way. That's not what I want.   It's counter to the very idea of democracy, which is that you have ideas running against each other and you, as the voter, get to choose which one of the ideas you like. So frankly, good call from Babs.   Consensus Politics can take a hike, and good luck pushing that stupid Super debate again. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police in New South Wales have settled for a pro-Palestinian vigil set to take place this week, after earlier attempts with the state’s top court to ban two pro-Palestinian rallies fell through. Next Monday marks the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s attacks on Israel and the start of the conflict in Gaza - and police hoped to stop any rally taking place on that date. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says police have to compromise for a pro-Palestinian vigil instead, following the supreme court's ruling. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland’s final round robin NPC clash will look a little bit different this week.  They’re saying goodbye to Eden Park and hello to the field at Auckland Grammar, taking the game back to the grassroots.  Auckland Rugby CEO Jarrod Bear told Heather du Plessis-Allan that it’s an opportunity to get out to different corners of Auckland, they’ve had great feedback.  He said that Auckland Grammar has a fantastic connection to the game, not only with their participation opportunities, but also in the number of All Blacks and Auckland players they’ve produced over the years.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 4th of October, Health NZ are facing a near $1 billion deficit, and Margie Apa isn't confident we will have a surplus next year either.    In a study of over 200 countries, New Zealand was the only country in the world where acne rates were dropping. So, what are we doing right?  Kerre Woodham and Tim Wilson wrap the week and talk MPs’ expenses, the PM's capital gains tax drama, and where the coolest place in the country is.  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.

With Mike Hosking away from the studio this week, Heather du Plessis-Allan was joined by Kerre Woodham and Tim Wilson to Wrap the Week that was.   They discussed the spending habits of MPs, the drama surrounding the Prime Minister’s capital gains, and debated what the coolest place in the country is.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Association says it's pleasantly surprised at the surge in new recruits.  Recruitment numbers have soared in the past year, with five and a half thousand applications in the first eight months of the year.  President Chris Cahill says one reason behind it is the state of the economy, and policing is seen as a place of stable employment.  He told Heather du Plessis-Allan some rule changes for recruitment have also helped, such as only needing a full license by the time they reach police college, instead of upon applying.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An education leader says there needs to be a long-term plan for school property.   The Government's expected to respond to the Ministerial Inquiry into School Property today.   The inquiry was launched in February to address the issue of planned works being unrealistic and unaffordable.   Principals Federation president Leanne Otene told Heather du Plessis-Allan there are issues with existing school property - like ventilation and mould.  She says old stock needs to be addressed, and planning for future roll growth.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's scepticism over our decreasing acne rates.  New research in the British Journal of Dermatology has singled out New Zealand as the only country with decreasing rates, but only by a small amount.  Germany had the highest rates of reported acne, while the rate in the UK had increased to almost 15% from 1990.  Dermatologist Louise Reiche told Heather du Plessis-Allan the research is based on people who went to doctors for it.  She wonders if it's down to not having as much acne, or maybe people aren't as bothered to see their doctor about it.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Health New Zealand leader says their cost growth has plateaued.   Its report for the June quarter shows the preliminary result for the financial year is a $934 million deficit.   Earlier, in quarter three, a $299 million surplus was forecast.   Chief Executive Margie Apa told Heather du Plessis-Allan they've stopped their cost growth and have stabilised in the past quarter.   She says they need to take out costs and balance that with delivering on targets, using the core workforce they have.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour’s going to have to sort itself out over this Middle East situation.  This is about Damien O'Connor's tweet. I was really surprised yesterday when I was listening to Carmel Sepuloni being interviewed on this, as the deputy leader of the Labour Party.  She was asked if he should apologise for his tweet and instead of saying yes, which is the only answer to give, she made excuses for him, saying he feels strongly about the situation as if that makes it OK.  Let me just remind you what he tweeted - "Palestinians have every right to do whatever they did on October 7th".  And I'll remind you what Hamas did that day. They raped and murdered innocent people.  It really doesn’t matter where you stand on this conflict. You can never, especially as a senior politician, say or think it’s okay for terrorists to kill teenagers out at a dance party just because you feel strongly about what the state of Israel is doing.  He should absolutely apologise for that.  I know that this is a conflict that is making people feel very upset and it’s scrambling people’s better judgment.  Just this week in Australia we had the case of a young reporter questioning why Australia doesn’t ban the Israeli flag like it bans the Hezbollah flag.  They’re not the same.  There is no equivalence between a state and a terrorist organisation, no matter how much you don't like what a state is doing.  But that’s exactly why Damien should apologise.  Because right now, when people are as angry and confused about what's going on, what we need is our major and serious political parties and our MPs, especially the senior ones holding senior portfolios like Associate Foreign Affairs spokesperson, to set an example for how to behave with decency.  Not the opposite. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While he’s well-known for fronting Kiwi rock band Shihad, Jon Toogood is striking out with his biggest solo project yet.  His first ever solo album, Last of the Lonely Gods, drops next week, and to celebrate Toogood is embarking on a 19 date tour around New Zealand.  The album is a ten-track acoustic collection, showcasing themes of loss, resilience, and healing, and showcasing his artistic evolution.  Toogood told Heather du Plessis-Allan that performing solo is thrilling in the same way early Shihad gigs were.  “I don’t quite know what I’m doing,” he said.  “There’s nothing to hide behind. No big PA, no big light show, no other members of the band, it’s just me and my guitar.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 3rd of October, as Air NZ make further reductions on regional routes, they come on to answer whether there is more to come.  It's the annual Mood of the Boardroom today so Heather looks at who the business community thinks is doing well within the Government - and what Cabinet Minister has been a flop.  Shihad frontman Jon Toogood is going solo and has his first ever solo album out very soon, so he popped into the studio for a chat.    Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch's Business Association is calling out the food truck plans of the city's Arts Centre.   The centre's applied for licences for 33 trucks to operate 12 hours a day, seven days a week.  But the Christchurch Business Association believes this is unfair, with chair Annabel Turley saying city businesses are subsidising the Arts Centre.  She told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the centre is getting $5.5 million over the next decade, and the rate differential for commercial compared to residential is a lot higher.    Turley says food trucks would also cheapen the site.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior business leaders are rating Christopher Luxon well on keeping his Cabinet focused on delivery, and Education Minister Erica Stanford well on performance.  More than 100 CEOs and board chairs have been quizzed for today's Mood of the Boardroom survey.  They've identified energy prices as their biggest concern, followed by the cost of living.  Dame Joan Withers, Chairperson for the Warehouse Group, told Heather du Plessis-Allan that they’ve one incredibly well, and have addressed key issues up front, or tried to do as much as they can.  She said that business people are in consensus that we need to pivot and start maximising New Zealand’s opportunities both domestically and also in terms of our place in the world.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An investigator says it was obvious Gail Maney didn't murder Auckland man Deane Fuller-Sandys in 1989. Maney and Steven Stone's murder convictions have been quashed, and a re-trial's been ordered for Stone. Colin Maney and Mark Henriksen have also had their accessory to murder convictions quashed. The Crown's accepting the police failed to disclose important information, which caused a miscarriage of justice. Private Investigator Tim McKinnel told Heather du Plessis-Allan that work is underway towards gaining compensation. He says it became clear the Crown case was an absurdity, and those who looked at the case knew fairly quickly there'd been a miscarriage. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s fiery opposition to the Government's charter schools move by the teacher's union.  Associate Education Minister David Seymour's championing a move to convert 35 state schools to charter schools, allowing $153 million for the initiative.  It's caused the PPTA to change its constitution to allow members who teach at charter schools to be members, despite its stance against the schools.  PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's not a backtrack, and they're still opposed.  He says the Government's forcing the conversion of schools against the teacher's will.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown is confident in delivering Auckland's City Rail Link on time with no network issues.  KiwiRail has assured the $5.5 billion project will cut delays down to a maximum of 1 minute 20 seconds when it opens in 2026.  Official papers show Brown and Auckland mayor Wayne Brown are working to improve confidence in the wide rail network.  Simeon Brown told Heather du Plessis-Allan he's also aware of the rail fatigue among Aucklanders.  He says he gets the frustration about more maintenance and renewals and is determined to ensure they get as much done as possible.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air New Zealand won't say if the latest cuts to its domestic routes will be the last.  The airline's reducing flights between Christchurch and New Plymouth and running smaller planes between Christchurch and Queenstown, and Wellington and Dunedin.  On Monday it also scrapped direct flights between Wellington and Invercargill from early next year.  Domestic manager Scott Carr told Heather du Plessis-Allan they're strongly committed to their domestic fleet, but these are trying times.   He says if that continues indefinitely there may be more changes, but if it bounces back they can get more planes in the air.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m loathe to keep talking about this, but I think Chris Luxon is being treated really unfairly on the sale of his apartment.  And because he’s being treated so unfairly, it’s hard to avoid saying something.  The latest instalment on this is a series of articles pointing out that Chris Luxon would’ve paid up to $70 thousand in tax on the sale of his apartment if it wasn’t for his government changing the bright-line test rules.  He bought the apartment in 2020 when the bright-line test was five years and because he sold it within five years, it should’ve been subject to the 5 year bright-line test and he should’ve paid a capital gains tax on it.  But his government cut the bright-line test back to 2 years, effective July this year, so he didn’t have to pay the tax.  The implication being that either by design or luck, he managed to dodge a tax he should've paid.  Honestly, give me a break.  The only reason Luxon is selling the apartment is because we’ve pressured him into moving into Premier House.  He didn’t want to move there, that was obvious, and why would he? The place is famously cold and drafty, and given that this guy’s been earning mega bucks for at least a couple of decades, he probably hasn’t lived in a house as cold as a student flat for a couple of decades.  But we gave him grief for not living there and taking the accommodation allowance instead, so he caved and said he’d move into Premier House.  And now that he’s doing that, we’re not happy either because he’s making money off his apartment.  Come on. What do we want here?  He isn’t costing the taxpayer on the accommodation allowance any more, he didn’t change the bright-line test so he could avoid tax – that was an election promise made last year when he clearly still intended to keep owning his property.  The absence of fairness in this ongoing drama suggest that this is exactly what he says this is, which is politics of envy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Politics Wednesday Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to discuss the biggest stories of the week so far.  They discussed the conflict in the Middle East, Damien O’Connor’s ill-advised tweet, and point the finger as to who’s to blame for the Dunedin Hospital mess.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 2nd of October, we speak to our Middle East correspondent as Iran launches ballistic missile strikes on Israel.  Big day in the US as JD Vance and Tim Walz prepare to go head-to-head in the Vice Presidential debate.  Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell put the blame on each other for the Dunedin Hospital mess and discuss Damien O'Connor's ill-advised tweet 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’s optimism from within Athletics New Zealand that hosting the World Indoor Athletics Championships isn't beyond the realms of possibility.  The sport's governing body, with support of the government, are working on a bid to bring the event to our shores in March 2028, prior to the Los Angeles Olympics.  The biennial event has never been held in Oceania since its inception in 1985.  Athletics NZ CEO Cam Mitchell told Heather du Plessis-Allan that they’re quietly confident.  He said that it’s something they have as an aspiration, and there’s also a massive novelty factor they think people would get behind and support.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s believed US voters will be more concerned about records than personalities heading into today's vice-presidential debate.  JD Vance and Tim Walz will meet for their only debate in New York today, getting underway at 2pm NZ time.  Key issues expected to be on the agenda include the economy, cost of living, and border security.  Republican strategist Matt Terrill told Heather du Plessis-Allan if Vance focuses on those, he'll have a much better night than Walz.  He says many voters will be questioning if they're better off today than they were four years ago. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dogs are on their way to sniffing out early signs of bowel and ovarian cancers.  K9 Medical Detection New Zealand has had a 100% success rate in recent trials.  The four-legged workers are trained to detect specific odours connected to bowel and ovarian cancers.  CEO Pauline Blomfield told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the dogs are clearly detecting the odour released from cancer, but they’re not replacing any tests.  She said that they’re currently working with scientists to identify the markers dogs are picking up on, because they don’t currently know what exactly the dogs are smelling.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Minister says she has a great relationship with the teachers’ union, despite some disagreement.  A PPTA survey shows a majority of teachers are unhappy with the NCEA level one roll out.  It comes as the organisation has its conference this week, with Minister Erica Stanford speaking yesterday, defending the controversial move to remove te reo funding for teachers.  She told Heather du Plessis-Allan most of teachers' concerns are with NCEA changes, which are the previous Government's fault, and she agrees.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Casey Costello's hit back at health advocates over criticism of her heated tobacco tax cut.  The Associate Health Minister cut the tax by 50% in an effort to encourage use of the products instead of smoking.  Costello has faced a tense reception regarding the move.  But she told Heather du Plessis Allan she's working hard to reduce smoking rates, despite what she calls "the noise".  She says the Health Coalition became fixated on the tobacco industry, not Costello's plans to reduce smoking rates.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Conservatives annual conference in Birmingham – essentially one big job interview. By Wednesday afternoon the Conservatives should be a lot closer to knowing who their next leader will be. The selected candidates are Robert Jenrick, James Cleverly, Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat with Rishi Sunak as the leader. Tens of thousands of council homes sit empty as the waitlist grows. Rod Little told Heather du Plessis-Allan that today it was Tugendhat who seems to be one of the outsiders. Liddle states the general thinking is that this will come down to a final between Badenoch from the right and Jenrick from the centre left. Liddle believes that it's looking more like the conservative MPs will try to get rid of Badenoch before it gets to the final. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've got a fascination with prime ministers and their money, it turns out.   Last night 1News did the calculation that Christopher Luxon stands to make $480,000 off the sale of his apartment in Wellington —he's moving out because he's going over to Premier House— and also a rental property that he's selling in South Auckland.   Now the implication of the story was that Christopher Luxon's making too much money off these properties, and he should be taxed.   Over the weekend, a newspaper in Wellington also reported that Jacinda Ardern is earning $316,000 per appearance every time she speaks on the international speaking circuit, and the implication there was —certainly in commentary afterwards— that it's unethical for her to be doing that. It's damaging her reputation by showing that she really does love money over doing good after all. And if prime ministers keep on doing stuff like this, how do we know that they're actually making the right decisions when they are in power and not thinking about what kind of money they're gonna earn afterwards?   Now, look, I don't mind the fascination with prime ministers and former prime ministers' earnings. I think it's completely human nature to be into it. We're fascinated by what our colleagues earn, right? So why wouldn't we be fascinated by what Luxon and Ardern earn? However, that is where I think it should stop – at fascination.   There's nothing wrong with Jacinda Ardern earning that much money off the speaking circuit. Frankly, if we're honest about it, talking was about the only thing she was actually good at, and she'd be a fool not to take that kind of money if it's on offer.   Same goes for Luxon. He was a well-paid businessman before politics. You would expect him to have plenty of money, you would expect him to put some of that money into property. And unless things have gone very bad for him in his calculations, you would expect him to make money off a property, especially one that he has apparently renovated. Nothing wrong here.   To suggest that Luxon's capital gain on his property is evidence that we need a capital gains tax and to suggest that Jacinda's speaking circuit means that we need to put some sort of restraint of trade on future prime ministers is just taking it a bit far, isn't it?   It's fine to be fascinated, just leave it at that. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A French far-right politician is on trial, accused of misappropriating EU funds.  Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally Party, along with the party itself and 24 others, are accused of using money destined for work at the European Parliament to pay staff working for their party.  Le Pen denies the charges, and is confident she would be able to prove she did nothing wrong.   France Correspondent Catherine Field told Heather du Plessis-Allan that they’re accused of diverting around $5.5 million New Zealand.  She said they’ve paid back about a quarter of that sum, but the party did say it doesn’t mean they’re guilty.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For eleven years Mitch James has been releasing music and touring the world.  He’s opened for Callum Scott, supported Ed Sheeran, and toured with Six60, not to mention his own tours.  James has just released a new single and has a new EP coming out next month, but the release comes with a caveat.  The Kiwi musician is stepping away from the trade, James telling Heather du Plessis-Allan that the industry has become an environment that was just too difficult to overcome.   “I’ve got this music coming out now that I believe is my most complete, most mature, advanced work as a songwriter and an artist, and coupled with the fact that this industry had sort of turned against me in a lot of ways, I just thought, you know. I’m sick of this.”  “I just wanna hang my hat on something that I can look back on in twenty years’ time and go like, this is my finest work, and something that I can be very proud of.”  It’s a bittersweet feeling, he said.  For eleven years Mitch James has been releasing music and touring the world. He’s opened for Callum Scott, supported Ed Sheeran, and toured with Six60, not to mention his own tours. James has just released a new single and has a new EP coming out next month, but the release comes with a caveat. The Kiwi musician is stepping away from the trade, James telling Heather du Plessis-Allan that the industry has become an environment that was just too difficult to overcome. “I’ve got this music coming out now that I believe is my most complete, most mature, advanced work as a songwriter and an artist, and coupled with the fact that this industry had sort of turned against me in a lot of ways, I just thought, you know. I’m sick of this.” “I just wanna hang my hat on something that I can look back on in twenty years’ time and go like, this is my finest work, and something that I can be very proud of.” It’s a bittersweet feeling, he said. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday 1st of October, the Government has announced their Q4 plan with a focus on infrastructure. We get Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett’s thoughts on the plan.   Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is in studio with Heather to talk Dunedin Hospital, the working from home backlash and the obsession with his capital gains.   Kiwi singer Mitch James is in studio to play his newest, and final, single and hinting about what he's doing after announcing he's stepping away from music.  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.

Many Kiwis will be feeling relief today as new Pharmac funded drugs officially become available.   Continuous Glucose Monitors are now being funded alongside widened access to insulin pumps and consumables.  Cancer drug Keytruda is also now more accessible.  Cancer Society Chief Executive Nicola Coom told Heather du Plessis Allan that Keytruda will make a massive difference for those who've re-mortgaged their homes and travelled overseas for treatment.    She said that its absolutely life changing.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local councils want to clip the ticket on the Government's increased tourism fee. The International Visitor Levy has been bumped from $35 to $100 as of today. Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell says local councils pay for tourism amenities, so the Government should share the profits. She told Heather du Plessis Allan while the Government may not want to share a cut of the increased fee, it's worth asking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's released its fourth quarter action plan, which largely focuses on infrastructure.   Its 43 actions include passing the Fast-track Approvals Bill, RMA reform, and looking at more road tolls.   It also includes establishing a National Infrastructure Agency.   Infrastructure New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett told Heather du Plessis-Allan the Fast-track approvals bill will help speed up infrastructure projects.   He says the National Infrastructure Agency will be a shop front for foreign direct investment, and funding and financing tools to build more housing are also important.  Leggett also says we need to change our mindset on tolling.  He says if people want things, there isn't a magical money fairy to come and deliver them, as we're in a tight fiscal position.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the Dunedin Hospital project is frustrating.  “We are very committed to building a hospital in Dunedin, don’t get me wrong. But we have got to do it within the $1.9 billion fiscal envelope, otherwise that means that we can’t do Whangarei, Tauranga, Palmerston North, Nelson and other regional hospitals,” Luxon told Newstalk ZB's Heather du Plessis-Allan.  Luxon said the government was receiving advice on how to proceed, with an option to scale back the construction or staging the project.  “We’ve seen cost creep, scope creep from the Labour Government - whether it’s been ferries, school buildings, and now the hospital.”  Pressed on the Government’s spending priorities, Luxon said, “we have put almost $30 billion into health, so there’s plenty of money in health”.  He said the Government needed to get better at spending on infrastructure.  Pressed again on the Government’s proposal to spend several billion dollars on a single road in Wellington and whether spending had been appropriately prioritised, Luxon said “you just can’t have a project [the hospital] go from $1.2b when it started and heading out to $3b”.  Luxon said he was aware of Treasury’s warning of a structural deficit: “We’ve got to get back to financial discipline. We’ve got to make sure we then set up for growth.”  He said it was possible to “do more with less”.  He also said his Government’s spending cuts were being done “in a sensible, balanced kind of way - we’re not throwing the country into austerity”.  On his push for civil servants to return to the office, Luxon said he was not surprised at the level of flak from the workforce.  “We want everyone in the office. It’s not an entitlement that you get to work from home.”  He said he had moved into Premier House over the weekend.  “We finally managed to get new paint, new curtains and new carpet.”  Responding to a question about whether it was a cold house, Luxon said: “Well, I’ve got a jumper”.  Regarding the capital gains on his apartment and media attention on it, Luxon said he had come to expect it.  “If we’re going to criticise people for being successful, let’s be clear - I’m wealthy, I’m sorted.”  WATCH ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a belief from the Minister that reopening oil and gas exploration won't make a dent in New Zealand's climate impacts.  The public have until tonight to submit on the Government's bill, reversing the previous Governments ban on exploration off the coast.  MBIE figures show it will result in millions of tonnes of additional emissions.  But Shane Jones told Heather du Plessis-Allan New Zealand needs energy.  He says those opposed are simply "woke" in thinking it is a mortal threat, a claim he's rubbishing.  Jones says protestors are entitled to their views, and he’s happy to engage with those who disagree with him.   He says kiwis want to hear someone put an alternative view to these frog-loving and lizard-obsessed environmentalists.  The Government's own advice on repealing the oil and gas exploration ban, released under the Official Information Act and obtained by RNZ, says no new gas fields are likely to be discovered and developed in the next 10 years.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to the Dunedin hospital scale back, the Government's in trouble on this. That protest over the weekend was big. 35,000 people is more than a quarter of Dunedin's population. If you assume they came from all over the region, which is probably true given the hospital would service the Otago region, it’s still big. It’s 14% of the population. There are very few issues that would drive that kind of frustration, but health is one of them. It's because we want to know that there are the medical facilities to save our kid's lives, or our parent's lives. Or our life. But this is the reality - we are broke. New Zealand can’t afford a $3b hospital, and $3b dollar ferries and 64,000 public servants and any number of other things we may want. We are running an operating deficit every single year. That's basically the household equivalent of spending more every year than you make and just running it on the credit card forever. You can’t do it. If you want to know how broke we are listen to the Treasury warning last week.  Dominick Stephens, the Chief Economist there, warned that for us to get back to surplus the Government would have to cut so much spending, and so fast, it would be unprecedented in recent history in New Zealand. Our debt is out of control, largely thanks to what Grant and Jacinda did during Covid. Treasury's been warning about our debt levels since 2006. But back then they thought we were heading for net Crown debt of 13% of GDP. We are now 3 times that. So, we’re broke. I don’t want to see projects like a hospital scaled back. I don’t want to be sailing on tinpot ferries I’m not sure will make it to the other side. But you need money to buy and build and we don’t’ have any. And we need to wake up to that. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of Australians have collectively rallied in a National Day of Action in protest of conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. This comes following Israeli strikes into Lebanon, which killed 30 Hezbollah leaders including Hassan Nasrallah. Australian correspondent Steve Price tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the turnout was the strongest Australia has seen in a long time. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand wool carpet company Bremworth is claiming to have made the country’s first TV commercial using Artificial Intelligence (AI). Bremworth Chief Brand and Product Officer Rochelle Flint tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the AI advert is an innovative way to showcase and elevate the wool industry. The use of AI is estimated to have reduced advertising spend by 60%. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is potential for 67 building consent authorities to be replaced as the Government considers major reform of the system. Despite there being just one building code, different regional interpretations are creating inconsistencies across the country. Reform would see the process streamlined to reduce inconsistencies, costs, and delays. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk tells Heather du Plessis-Allan when considering the changes, the Government is considering how to avoid lowering quality. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.