The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Kiwis are increasingly moving to private healthcare and it is costing health insurance companies. Southern Cross Health Insurance paid out close to $1.5 billion in claims in the last year – equal to $6 million every business day. 2024 results from Southern Cross show the number of claims made is up with 995,000 kiwis now on the books. Southern Cross Health Society Group CEO Nick Astwick tells Heather du Plessis-Allan kiwis are concerned about access to quality healthcare. In a normal year, the insurer finds one third of its members make a claim, but in 2024 nearly half did. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Middle East is on edge after the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel claims to have killed 30 top Hezbollah leaders and despite pressure from the United States to de-escalate the situation, Netanyahu says Israel is at a historic turning point. Israeli journalist and analyst Gideon Levy tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the region is very close to war. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 30th of September with Heather du Plessis-Allan, the Government are looking at building consents to make it more consistent across the country. Just wait until you hear how much just one insurance company is paying out each day for private healthcare and you'll get a sense as to why they are all putting up premiums. Guy and Sav debate whether moving Beauden Barrett to first five was the success that Scott Robertson wanted it to be on the Commentary Box. 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.

The Government has announced a reform of the current Building Consent Authority structure. The proposed reforms aim to streamline and standardise consenting processes, reducing inefficiencies. Master Builders CEO Ankit Sharma tells Heather du Plessis-Allan that there have been reports of different inspectors from within the same consenting authority having different interpretations of a code. 80% of Master Builders report significant delays and costs caused by inconsistencies between neighbouring consenting authorities. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Administrator of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency Deanne Criswell has said she doesn’t believe anyone could be fully prepared for the amount of flooding that has been brought on by Hurricane Helene. In her assessment, Criswell stated the damage was a result of warm waters, which is a result of climate change. The storm was a category four hurricane and has been catastrophic across multiple states. US correspondent Richard Arnold tells Heather du Plessis-Allan close to 500 rescues have been performed, with people lifted off roofs of flooded buildings. Meanwhile, Israel has claimed to have killed 30 top leaders of Hezbollah. The US was not aware of plans to assassinate Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Richard Arnold says “there is no question that the Hezbollah of today is not the Hezbollah that was even just a week ago.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An estimated 35,000 people marched in Dunedin over proposed downgrades to the city’s new hospital project. Protesters were calling on the Government to keep its promise on the build - but the Government says the project is blowing out by billions and overspend would affect infrastructure in other regions. Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop tells Heather du Plessis-Allan “it’s an extremely complex project” and the Government is being as transparent as it can be. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 27th of September, David Seymour has plans to prosecute parents who take their kids out of school too much and limit the number of teacher-only days. In a world first exclusive since signing his contract, Liam Lawson joined the show as a newly minted official F1 driver. Mike got the shock of the week when David Walliams popped into the studio for a surprise interview - and Kate played her role perfectly. 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 Associate Education Minister says the Government, schools, parents and students all have a part to play in attendance. The Government's instructing schools to have Stepped Attendance Response plans by 2026. It comes as students around the country ditch school for the School Strike for Climate today. Associate Minister David Seymour told Mike Hosking schools should mark that as an unjustified absence. He says for people to keep their living standards and emit less, we need a lot of science, and school's a good place to learn that. Schools have also been instructed not to take teacher-only days in term time, unless authorised by the Minister. Seymour told Hosking the Government has a role in introducing more prosecutions and support for schools. He says the point of the STAR system is it sets out that the schools have a role - and they need to take that seriously. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have a look at the report out in Sydney into their new metro line.  This is the $21b behemoth that opened a few weeks ago that was going to transform Sydney's public transport.  It seems, at first report, to be working – and in that is the clue to public transport generally and whether or not it is successful.  The trouble with transport here, and let's be honest, we are really only talking about a couple of cities i.e. Wellington and Auckland that in theory have systems outside of a few random buses.  Wellington is famously hopeless and with Auckland it is hard to tell whether they are far behind, or quite possibly even more useless.  Anyway, the early numbers from Sydney show there has been a large drop in numbers through the busiest of the heavy rail stations.  The trick here is the “build it and they will come” scenario, which is the one that they will claim they use in this country but has never really turned out to be reality.  The buses famously in Wellington went up the wrong streets, ran out of gas and never turned up in the first place. They will claim they have fixed that, but the trains are still famous for problems.   Auckland buses have been hit and miss forever and they didn’t have drivers for a while. But they too will claim they have fixed that. Our kids eventually refused to go for the simple reason they literally would not have got to school on time.  The trains are permanently cancelled for the never-ending schedule of maintenance.  So the theory has never met the reality.  In Sydney, where it is working, the question they will need to ask is, is having a new metro taking people off heavy rail actually solving anything?  And if people are leaving cars at home and taking the metro, how many of them are there? If you are merely shifting one commuter from a train to another train that doesn’t strike me as a big time solution. If you're moving them out of cars you might be onto something.  It's still early days, but four weeks in the falls in train numbers are as high as 40%.  But then, their system works. And in that consistency and ensuing reputation for reliability is the real answer to the public transport conundrum. 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.    Voting: 8/10  Democracy is a wonderful thing, and we have seen this week a new president for Sri Lanka and the first vote in America.    Tory Whanau: 4/10  Four times she opened her mouth and four times the hole got bigger.    Fonterra: 7/10  What they are doing for farmers and, by connection, the rest of the country at a time of real strife is not to be underestimated.    Working from home: 6/10  From the amount of whinging I have heard, you would have thought we had been doing it since Victorian times and we've got no idea how to turn up at the office like, you know, each workday.    David Seymour: 6/10  Most effective politician of the week. He got charter schools into law and cracked down on teacher only days.    Liam Lawson: 9/10  In one of the biggest global sports going there is a top 20, and a Kiwi is once again right up there.  #dreamscometrue    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health NZ will be weighing up the two options for the new Dunedin Hospital. An independent review has found the current plan for Dunedin Hospital, is 'probably not achievable' within its current budget of $1.88 billion. The Government has said it either needs to scale back the project's main building or swap it out in favour of a "staged development" on the old site to keep it within the budget. Health NZ Head of Infrastructure Delivery Blake Lepper old Mike Hosking costs have been creeping up for some time. He says after construction began on the main outpatients building, the real costs emerged and they realised they had a problem. Lepper says this is the problem with greenfields projects, when they were trying to do something a bit different and aspirational. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global fashion designers and local artists alike are descending on the capital as this year's World of Wearable Art kicks off.  The show's been running for more than 35 years, displaying creativity and a bit of unique glitz and glam to Wellington with the theme 'Dream Awake'.  World of Wearable Art Chief Executive Meg Williams told Mike Hosking it's a perfect balance of artists, with a vibrant team.  She says there's headline talent alongside young New Zealand artists.  Williams said they had an amazing preview show last night, and every year they set themselves a challenge to raise the bar.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a sad day for Timaru, with hundreds of meatwork jobs potentially on the line.  Alliance Group has called everyone at its Smithfield meatworks to an all-staff meeting at 11am.  Locals fear the plant will be mothballed this season, with production being moved to Invercargill, and up to 1200 people left out of work.  Nathan Guy from the Meat Industry Association told Mike Hosking any job losses will be most unfortunate.  But he says meat companies are very agile and make changes as they see fit, and today is about making the right decision for the company's future.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking might just be David Walliams’ biggest fan — and he couldn’t believe it when the comedian surprised him in the studio this morning.  Walliams, who is in Auckland for his An Audience with David Walliams tour, sneaked into the Newstalk ZB studio on Friday before his first show, catching Hosking unawares while singing (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing.  When he spotted Walliams, the broadcaster was gobsmacked. “No fricking way, how exciting is that! This is magnificent.”  “Hello mate, I’ve missed you. I worry about you in those tight jeans, a man of your age,” Walliams joked.  Walliams met Hosking and his wife, Kate Hawkesby, in London last year, joking with the radio host, “I remember Kate, but not you ... still married?”  He revealed the surprise had been in the works for some time “because you have a really huge crush on me, and it would be exciting for you”.  “Yes, I do,” Hosking confirmed.  When asked how the tour was going so far, Walliams said his shows in Australia had been “fantastic”.  “I’ve been so popular in Auckland that we added this show tonight,” he said.  David Walliams paid a surprise visit to the Newstalk ZB studio. Photo / Michael Craig “I’ve got my funny stories that I’ve thought about what they are and I’m telling them ... but at the same time, the audiences have been so great in Australia, and I’m sure they’ll be even better in New Zealand, they sort of give you permission to kind of push it further and further and just be spontaneous,” the comedian told Hosking.  “It’s really restored my faith in performing comedy. Like, oh yeah, when we all get together in a room, what we really want is a laugh and it’s spontaneous, I’ve been saying some pretty rude things.”  Hosking confessed spontaneity was Hawkesby’s worry because she didn’t want to be embarrassed from their front-row seats.  Walliams jokingly replied that shouldn’t be an issue for the radio host. “You look like the kind of man that’d like attention.”  “No, I don’t want to be part of it, I just want to enjoy your talent,” Hosking responded.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a year of waiting, Formula One’s worst-kept secret has been confirmed: Liam Lawson will finish the rest of this season driving for Racing Bulls. The 22-year-old has been locked in to drive for the subsidiary team of Red Bull at the expense of Australian Daniel Ricciardo for the final six races of the season, after which he’s expected to secure the spot for the 2025 season. The move means Lawson will step into the Racing Bulls cockpit for Formula One’s next Grand Prix in Austin, Texas on October 21 (NZT). He becomes the first New Zealander to secure a fulltime seat in Formula One since Brendon Hartley in 2018. In a world exclusive interview with Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking, Lawson said that it finally feels real. “Obviously I had, I knew about it for the last sort of... probably two weeks, but until it’s out there to the world, it’s, it obviously doesn’t ever really feel set in stone.” “It’s a very cool feeling.” Lawson told Hosking that he hasn’t had time to celebrate yet, as the news has come in at a very challenging point. “Obviously, you know, all these guys have done three quarters of a season now, so I have to try and compete with that now, at tracks that I haven't done as well. So it's gonna be challenging.” “it's very, very special, but we don't have much time to, to really let it sink in,” he said. “We're getting straight to work.” LISTEN ABOVE OR WATCH BELOW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two New Zealand restaurants have been named among the world’s best. The Grove in Auckland and Queenstown’s Nest Bar + Kitchen made it onto Trip Advisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best list for 2024, a milestone fewer than 1% of the 8 million listings achieve. The Grove came in 9th in the fine dining category, and owner Michael Dearth says to get something like this is fantastic. He says that when a lot of people leave the restaurant, they’re just gushing with compliments. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I can't help but think the Transpower report into the pylon falling over is one of those reports that has to find things to say because the real reason for the report was obvious. Nevertheless, there are 26 recommendations. To recap, the company that Transpower hires to maintain the pylons hired a couple of clowns and didn’t train them. They undid a lot of bolts, and the pylon fell over. The report suggests that ultimately is Transpower's fault. I don’t see how. If you hire a painter and he paints your house the wrong colour, your wife tells you you’re are an idiot for hiring that painter. As long as Transpower had checked that Omexom was a proper company, what is it they are supposed to be doing? Are they supposed to vet the company every time they do any work? Do they run through the CV of everyone who touches a bolt? Or is that the contractor's job, the way it’s the contractor's job for everyone you hire in life to do anything for you? Certainly the issue raised in 2021, when an engineer for Transpower told them maintenance issues were a thing, is on Transpower? They were alerted and yet they did nothing. That, I suspect, goes in some way to the fact Transpower are a monopoly and monopolies tend to be a bit lax. The report recommends Transpower improve processes for maintenance work on base plates. What does that mean? Do you need to hire a rocket scientist to unscrew some bolts and have a laminated sign on every tower saying "only undo one bolt at a time"? Surely this is getting all a bit forensic and smacks of a report author making stuff up for the sake of it? The simple truth, the beginning, the middle and the end of it, is Omexom are at fault. They are the ones that didn’t do their job. The original report told us this. None of this is complicated. They weren't building the Hadron Collider. They were cleaning a tower. Omexom hired fools, didn’t train them and untrained fools made mistakes. Omexom should be sacked. They should be sued or made to pay for the damage. The report says anywhere between $37-80 million, and that should be that. Transpower are not devoid of responsibility, given pylons are on them. But the reason a CEO doesn’t clean the building, do the correspondence and make all the boxes is it's not possible and not reasonable and that’s why you hire people to do the stuff you can't. At some point in the hiring process the level of responsibility transfers from the hirer to the hiree? End of report. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s plenty of self help books on the shelves, but one in particular has cut through the nonsense for millions of people. Mark Manson is the author behind ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck’, which has sold more than 20 million copies since its publication in 2016. Manson is making his way to New Zealand in November as part of his ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Tour’, where he talks about what made the book a success and offers more “no-BS” live advice. He told Mike Hosking the book stemmed from his disillusionment with the self help material he’d consumed when he was young. “I thought a lot of it was very... just BS, and Pollyanna,” Manson said. “So in the early 2010s, I started asking myself like, okay, what would actually like, if there was a form of self help that was just very honest about how difficult life's problems can be and how difficult the solutions to life's problems can be, what would that look like?” Although he was optimistic the book would do well upon its release, the sheer extent of it’s success was a surprise to Manson. “It's the extent of it that was just so mind blowing and, and still to this day, it is kind of surprising to me." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Future thinking sits at the core of our infrastructure planning. The Infrastructure Commission's new paper —released this morning— outlines its considerations developing the National Infrastructure Plan, which is to be released next year. It highlights population growth, decarbonising the economy, and natural hazard resilience as drivers of our needs. Acting Strategy General Manager Peter Nunns told Mike Hosking that we need to recognize the challenges that we’ve got and work on a plan to get better. He said that we know we have issues in terms of cost and delivery time frames getting away from us, so we need to tighten up practices a bit. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 26th of September, the Government has found some new, old money for the education rollout and we have a record speed free trade agreement with the UAE to announce. We got the Transpower Northland pylon report and it was as bad as you thought, so their executive general manager tries to explain why they won't be giving compensation. If you need some non-BS life advice, Mark Manson, the author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, is on his way to New Zealand and joined Mike for a chat about his tour. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch believes it's gaining VIP status when it comes to events. The Wellington Phoenix have joined the Warriors in signing a three-year deal which will see fixtures played at the new Te Kaha Stadium. Construction of the facility is still underway, with plans to open in April 2026. Venues Otautahi CEO Caroline Harvie-Teare told Mike Hosking it makes sense for the city to be the home of new teams. She says the city has a wonderful portfolio of infrastructure and is setting itself up to be the events capital of New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transpower says contractor Omexom is working through its own recommendations after the June pylon topple that caused a power outage in Northland. An Electricity Authority report found bad practice that caused the Transpower tower to topple had probably happened before. Unsupervised, inexperienced maintenance crews from contractor Omexom unfastened three legs at once. Transpower Executive General Manager Mark Ryall told Mike Hosking you do need to be able to train people on the job, otherwise they'll never become competent. But he says a trainee needs to be under direct supervision, and in this case they weren't adequately supervised. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lucrative free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates could be signed into action today. Trade Minister Todd McClay is meeting with his Emirati counterpart as part of his three-day visit to Wellington. Negotiations for the FTA began in May, meaning it would be less than 100 days to get it over the line. Former trade negotiator Charles Finny told Mike Hosking there's huge potential for growth. He says we're looking at 5% tariffs on some dairy products and frozen meats, and taking that off would be really, really useful. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's re-prioritising funding from an unaccredited te reo programme for teachers into new maths curriculum resources and teacher guidance. The Education Minister says there's no evidence the te reo programme directly helped student achievement, and it's more than double the cost of similar courses. Primary teachers can select resources this year for delivery in term 1. Erica Stanford told Mike Hosking they always knew they had to provide high-quality resources like lesson plans and workbooks for the new maths curriculum. She says many schools who can afford them already buy them, they're now making them free of charge for every child in every school. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So for what I think is the fourth time in a week, we hear from Tory Whanau. This is a problem in itself because in the third interview, or possibly her fourth she has given, she reveals that originally she thought mayors flew below the radar. So in her ongoing quest not to fly below the radar she also reveals, in her third or possibly fourth interview, that the advice she has been getting about all the trouble she has found herself in has come from her friends, many of whom worked for —are you ready for it— Jacinda Ardern. Say. No. More. The original interview was with Newstalk ZB. That was her "I sold my car" interview. Her next interview was the Stuff interview, with Stuff claiming it was an exclusive despite the fact it wasn’t, and we knew it wasn’t because they asked about her car and they couldn’t have known about the car without the ZB interview, which as far as I can tell wasn’t an exclusive either because she does a fairly regular slot on ZB in Wellington. The third interview was on Q&A where she confessed the sold car story was in fact made up, but taken out of context, despite the fact she had raised it herself. Having done the TV interview she seems to have wandered off and done a podcast, which is where she raised the fact she had done the TV interview, but it hadn't gone so well. The podcast, and the TV interview by the way, were at no times claimed to be exclusives. But she did raise the bit where she seems to get her advice from Jacinda's mates. Of course, much earlier than this she should have stopped digging and basically tried to get back down below the radar because I'm not sure if Jacinda's friends have told her this yet, but she is making a spectacular dick of herself and dragging the city's reputation down with her. It is a very, very good lesson in why some people are simply not suited for public life and leadership. Without being too unkind, it would appear she struggles to run her own life, far less a whole city's issues. She also has suspect skill in choosing her friends. So, four interviews down we know more about Tory than anyone would have ever wanted. I'm not sure even Stuff would now want a follow up and call it another exclusive, and if we have learned anything it's that it's not hard to see why the capital is in the state it is. It's not hard to sympathise with her fellow councillors. It must be a nightmare. If the central Government woke up today and decided Diane Calvert was right and an administrator might be a good idea, I don’t know many would be left objecting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concern for wider conflict in the Middle East as Israel and Hezbollah trade strikes. Israel's Defence Force says its mission is to stop the Iranian-backed Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel's north, and to push it back from the border. Lebanon's health ministry says around 500 people have been killed in air strikes. Journalist and analyst Gideon Levy told Mike Hosking there's no incentive, mediator or leadership in stopping it. He said that Israel insists on its own conditions, Hezbollah seems to be ready to sacrifice, and we are stuck in another bloodbath. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Facial Recognition technology will stay in 25 supermarkets, as Foodstuffs North Island deems its trial a success. The company, which owns Pak'n'Save and New World, installed the technology in the stores for a six-month test. Early results suggest it prevented about 130 serious incidents and was able to identify repeat offenders more than 1,700 times. Company Secretary, Julian Benefield, told Mike Hosking the trial was focused on repeat offenders, which 38% of offences were caused by in the last quarter. He says it's one of the most proactive technologies they could find, as offenders are less aggressive when approached earlier on in the store journey. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 25th of September, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster is done and moving on in November, six months early. So how did he find his time in the job? What have the results been from Foodstuffs facial recognition trial and will it be brought out all around the country? And on Politics Wednesday, things get a bit tetchy between Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen when it comes to Coster and how much is achieved in the first year of a new Government. 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 current Police Minister's standing by his criticism of the Police Commissioner while in opposition, and believes things have changed. Andrew Coster will lead the new Social Investment Agency, exiting the role of Commissioner earlier than anticipated. During the last Labour Government, National's Mark Mitchell slammed Coster's approach to policing, once suggesting it was like having cups of tea with gang members. Coster's acknowledged there's a view he was 'soft'. Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking the Commissioner has to serve the Government of the day. He says in opposition he didn't agree with the Government's policy direction. Labour’s Ginny Andersen believes he went above and beyond to do everything he could do while in the job. She said that he did a great job in the role and had some really challenging things to deal with. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwis are drinking increasingly less cow's milk. Around 1.2 million fewer glasses are consumed every year, fuelling health concerns. There's been a 17 % decline in the last two decades. ABC Nutrition's Angela Berrill told Mike Hosking it's largely due to the rapid rise of plant-based alternatives. She said it could be concerning if people reduce their dairy and milk intake but don't get calcium from other sources, as there may be an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures when the younger generations become adults. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmers could be about to get a new technological tool to help count stock. Farm suppliers PGG Wrightson have teamed up with Inde Technology to use drones and AI to make the process faster and easier. It works by having drones fly across the paddocks and the resulting footage is run through an AI scanner to count the stock. PGG Wrightson CEO Stephen Guerin told Mike Hosking it's getting up to about 97% accuracy in the first runs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel and militant group Hezbollah are continuing to trade strikes. Israel's Defence Force says its mission is to stop the Iranian-backed Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel's north, and to push it back from the border. Lebanon's health ministry says more than 500 people have been killed in air strikes. US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that President Biden has called for a ceasefire in the Middle East, speaking at the UN General Assembly. He says his comments focused on Israeli and American hostages who remain alive after the Hamas raid last October. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Outgoing Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has accepted there'll be a range of views on whether he's been tough enough on crime. The top cop, whose been in the role since early 2020, is leaving the role earlier than signalled. He's stepping down as commissioner in November to lead the new Social Investment Agency. Coster copped criticism from current Police Minister Mark Mitchell, while he was in opposition. Andrew Coster told Mike Hosking it seems Police have been more 'in the thick' of politics. He says they got drawn in to a really law and order focused election. When it comes to his new job, Coster sees it as the ambulance at the top of the cliff, rather than the bottom. He told Hosking there's about $70 billion dollars of social services spending per year - something he says he wants to understand to get better results. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a belief that cracking down on abuse against public transport workers will help address a wider societal issue. The Government is set to make it an aggravating factor in court after noting a worrying increase in abuse to staff and passengers. Local authorities will soon be able to apply for funding to make safety improvements, including safety screens and real-time CCTV monitoring. Bus and Coach Association chief executive Delaney Myers told Mike Hosking it's unacceptable. She says the ramifications on them are significant and they need more help to keep people safe. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Italy’s Prime Minister is set to receive a prestigious award. Elon Musk is set to present Giorgia Meloni with the Atlantic Council’s Global Citizen Award in New York, an award presented to key global citizens seeking to improve the state of the world. Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking that she’s making all the right noises about working on a multilateral level, talking about needing to work for peace and fight climate change at the UN Summit of the Future in New York. She said that she’s been talking about crises presenting opportunities, a sentiment McKenna says many Italians probably would not be sharing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A couple of things interested me with the Government's back-to-work edict: 1) We need a back-to-work edict and the fact we haven't had one until now. 2) Sadly, the admission no one knows what the hell is going on, who is where, what percentage of time people aren't there, how many aren't there, when they are or are not there compared with any other piece of the public service, etc. It's Mickey Mouse stuff. The Australians have crunched the numbers and found the savings for individuals in terms of money not spent commuting is in the tens of billions of dollars per year, for each state. Of course, they have had return to work notices for a while, although New South Wales only did it for their public workers a few weeks back. Saving money by not dealing with traffic is probably an upside to working from home, and I have always thought this business of teamwork and camaraderie is a bit overstated and, if not overstated, certainly hard to prove. You can prove what you save not going to work. It's a bit harder to show what outworkings have been achieved by all hanging around the kitchen together. The other odd thing has been my naivety. I honestly thought we had it sorted ages back. I assumed we had policy in place. Obviously Wellington is a mess, but working from home is only part of the equation. The clowns who run the city are more responsible, surely, with their determination to destroy any signs of liveability. Also, don’t forget that for every coffee that isn't bought in Lambton Quay there is one purchased in Eastbourne. Anyway, the skiving is over. Another of those lenient, take the mickey out of the Covid years ideas has been brought to an end, or will be shortly. But you've got to wonder about the Government, don’t you? All the private businesses had this sorted an age ago. But good, old, dum dee doo Wellington has no policy and no decisions. Everyone was at home for a good, long weekend all pretending it was business as usual. Well the jig is up. On balance, as hard as a park might be to find or a bus to catch, I think we are better off in general at work than at home pretending it's normal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Geothermal emissions of methane and CO2 could soon be put to good use. Work is underway in Rotorua to create livestock feed from the gasses in world-first research that could net the country $500 million by 2045. The feed would be created from protein rich biomass, produced when microorganisms feed off greenhouse gas emissions captured from geothermal power stations. Upflow Business and Innovation Director Andy Blair told Mike Hosking that they’re testing if the system is scalable, to see how they can make it economically viable and sustainable for the commercial market. The feed is unlikely to be bulk food, he said, but additives instead, since it’s not a cheap thing to produce. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 24th of September, we delve into the Polkinghorne verdict and the Government's edict telling public service workers to get back to the office. Is a 4-year Government term actually realistic? The Prime Minister has the answer. Sir Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney are two of NZ's great architectural geniuses and we have a new doco about them called 'Maurice and I'. We spoke to the director Rick Harvie. 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 friendship of two celebrated Kiwi architects is uncovered in a new documentary. 'Maurice and I' looks at the partnership between Sir Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney and how they refurbished the Christchurch Town Hill after the quakes. Director Rick Harvie told Mike Hosking he always wanted to make a documentary about the Town Hall, but didn't think it would be a feature-length film. He says they treated the building as a character, showcasing its creation to it almost losing its life. Harvie says it was important for him to drill down into the details of the restoration, as it’s a Christchurch story, but also a big part of New Zealand's history. The documentary's currently in cinemas. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwifruit exports are winning gold this year. Exports were valued at $3.1 billion in the year to August - the highest value point ever. It's a 20% increase from 2023, and $524 million jump. Kiwifruit Growers CEO Colin Bond told Mike Hosking the top destination for green kiwifruit is Europe, while China's the top market for gold. He says Europeans have always recognised the health benefits of green, and China has no shortage of green fruit, so are more keen on new varieties. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister claims productivity is behind the new guidance around working from home. The trend of public servants relying on working from home may soon be coming to an end. Guidance is being updated as the Government says working from home is not an entitlement, and agencies have to monitor working from home agreements and report back. Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking working from home was introduced as a temporary measure. He says many organisations and Governments say it does not help build culture or team development, and does not improve team performance. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s hopes a new Government directive will actually bring public servants back to the office. Agency chief executives are being required to report on how often their public servants are working from home. Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says working from home is not an entitlement. Wellington Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Manager Conor Whitten told Mike Hosking for many, working from home's become the default. He says it's been a hard time for businesses, and working from home trends are a big part of that. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A criminal defence lawyer says the Polkinghorne trial is an example of the criminal justice system working. A jury has found eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne not guilty of the murder or manslaughter of his wife Pauline Hanna at their Remuera home in April 2021. The verdict —given at the High Court in Auckland yesterday— followed 10 hours of deliberations over two days. Criminal defence lawyer Elizabeth Hall told Mike Hosking what we’ve seen play out is justice working. She says both the Crown and defence have worked very hard, the verdict is what it is, and New Zealanders need to see that it's justice working. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s Labour party has fallen to its lowest level since the election in the latest poll. Meanwhile, migrant intake has blown forecasts, set to exceed 400,000. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has condemned Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for failing to manage population growth during a housing crisis. Australia correspondent Murray Olds tells Mike Hosking this has added to the government’s markdown in opinion polls. Plus, the Greens have gone feral in a push to force the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt join Mike Hosking to discuss the Bledisloe Cup, Argentina’s victory over South Africa, Black Caps v Sri Lanka, AFL and making baseball history. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A growing trend of cocktail kegs has made its way to New Zealand. Some in the hospitality industry say mass batches of drinks such as martinis, margaritas and mojitos are speeding up service. Norma Taps co-owner Luke Jones says he set up the business to prove kegs as a viable option to minimise waste and operate efficiently. Jones tells Mike Hosking the cocktail kegs use fresh ingredients and are pressurised to maintain a long shelf life. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Advice to the Government around child poverty has been made public. According to Treasury, the target set by the previous government is ‘no longer realistically achievable’. Top officials say is would cost three billion dollars to get back on track. Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston tells Mike Hosking the current government are “going to do something different”. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s influence as a nation is on the decline, according to the Lowy Institute’s annual Asia Power Index. NZ is one of only three countries to go backwards, alongside Russia and Myanmar. A traceable drop in diplomacy since 2018 is partly to blame. Lowy Institute’s SouthEast Asia Program Director Susannah Patton tells Mike Hosking the index looks at a range of things including economy, economic relationships and diplomacy. Patton says China’s power is described as plateauing due to long-term challenges. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More collaboration is being proposed within the university sector. Students could soon be picking up courses from multiple institutes simultaneously. Universities NZ CEO Chris Whelan tells Mike Hosking the collaboration applies to subjects which need to grow. Whelan says it makes sense for universities to work together on the infrastructure needed for certain courses and allows for those subjects to be scaled more successfully. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 23rd of September, more good news around getting people out of emergency housing. But more bad news around our reputation as a country. Mike is flummoxed by the newest trend in the hospitality industry - cocktails in a keg. Guy and Sav break down where the All Blacks went wrong in the second half of the first Bledisloe test and Lydia Ko winning her 30th LPGA Tour event. 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.