The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Historic Auckland department store Smith and Caughey's is living to fight another day. The 144 year old business announced in May it would close next year, but today revealed measures to let it stay open. It will downsize physical trading to the ground floor of its Queen Street store, cut about 100 staff and close the Newmarket branch, and ramp up online operations. Chair Tony Caughey told Mike Hosking that it won’t be the scale it was before and it won’t be the same sort of retail operation, but they think they can make a go of it. He said they’re shrinking their brick and mortar because they think it’s appropriate for the market, so they’ll see how the balance with online retail plays out. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Age Concern is calling for a better variety of rental options as the age of tenants begins to increase. The office of the Retirement Commission is predicting the number of retirees in rentals will double by 2048 - meaning the sector will fill with more than 600 thousand over 65s. Age Concern Chief Executive Karen Billings-Jensen told Mike Hosking we need to figure out how to balance this increase and providing suitable options for ageing. She says there are lots of new houses being built, but most of the ones she sees in her area are two story homes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Kaipara Mayor says the vote to disestablish the council's Māori ward could go either way. Kaipara District Council could become the first to remove the Te Moananui o Kaipara Māori ward under new legislation. Councillors are meeting in Mangawhai today to vote on the decision, with protests also expected. Mayor Craig Jepson called the meeting just 24 hours after the new law kicked in. Jepson told Mike Hosking he doesn't think there's any need for Māori Wards He says it'll be a democratic process, but he just hopes intimidation doesn't change councillors' votes. Councils have until September 6 to make a decision, with a number of councils leaning towards retention. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Service station operators want the Government to step up to deliver tough-on-crime policies. The Motor Trade Association's released a 10-point wish list of things they want done to clamp down on retail crime. It comes amid a crime wave, with 60 aggravated robberies and 12 thousand theft incidents at service stations this year. MTA Chief Executive Lee Marshall told Mike Hosking things aren't getting any better and the Government needs to listen. He says while they're not crime experts, there are obvious and practical solutions that need to be implemented. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A warning of more tough times and job losses ahead. Latest data due out this morning is expected to show the unemployment rate has reached 4.7%, up from 4.3% in the previous quarter. A higher unemployment rate will give the Reserve Bank more confidence to cut the Official Cash Rate. But Westpac senior economist Michael Gordon told Mike Hosking what is certain is more people will be finding themselves out of work sooner or later. He says whatever today's number is, unemployment is likely to peak at 5.5% in the current cycle. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has selected Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her running mate. The duo will appear together in their first joint rally in Philadelphia later today, before visiting other battleground states this week. US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Mike Hosking Wolz is uniquely normal. He says he has a military background, then was a high school teacher and a football coach - great jobs but not ones usually associated with someone who goes on to become a vice president. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The grand dreams of using the Seine in the Paris Olympics may have been better left as a dream. A massive effort was made to clean up the river, which had bacteria levels above what could safely be swum in, so it could be used in the triathlons as well as the mixed team relay. France Correspondent Catherine Field said that it’s already being seen as a mistake, simply because people now know what it takes to get the Seine clean. She said that France likely wanted the shots of swimmers in the Seine, but are now regretting it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi Charlie Wallace wanted to be successful playing the guitar one way or another and has succeeded in more than one way. Wallace dropped out of school in favour of creating an online guitar lesson website, ‘Guitar Mastery Method’, which kicked off in 2014 and has taught over 1.7 million guitarists over the last decade. The success of GMM allowed Wallace to work towards his other dream: becoming the lead guitarist of a successful rock band. In 2018 Black Smoke Trigger was formed, releasing their first EP in 2019, which grabbed the attention of some major names in the industry. This has all lead to the release of their first album ‘Horizons’, which Wallace told Mike Hosking is putting a stamp into the world of who they are as a band. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can the Warriors build the depth to fill the void left by the retiring Shaun Johnson? The 33-year-old halfback will finish at the end of this NRL season. Johnson has been an integral part of the club since debuting in 2011, helping the side to a grand final appearance that same year. Chief executive Cameron George says they've been preparing for this moment. He told Mike Hosking Johnson’s been thinking about it for a while now, and prefers to make these kinds of decisions while out on the field instead of while he’s off injured. George said that when the phone rang after Saturday’s game, he felt in his stomach that Johnson wasn’t going to press on. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 6th of August, we have a plan to fix our international student sector. It's ambitious but even then, it still won't get us back to where we were pre-Covid. Finn Butcher talks winning the first ever Gold medal for kayak cross at the Olympics. There's a great new story from Charlie Wallace - he's a self-made multi-millionaire who used the money to start his own band which is getting big backing from agents and managers from some of the world's biggest bands. 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.

An infant formula industry voice is grateful for the Government's decision to opt out of a regulation proposal. Rules designed by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand restrict labelling and only let pharmacies and healthcare providers sell specialist formula. Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard says we won't adopt the proposal after Australian officials rejected a bid to review the labelling requirement. Infant Nutrition Council CEO Jonathan Chew says this ensures parents have the information to make informed decisions. He says the industry's commending Hoggard for his personal intervention and for listening to their concerns. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he is prepared to see schools deferring arts and music curriculum to raise achievement in maths and reading. Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking Breakfast, Luxon said unions could complain about the Government all they wanted, but the Government was worried about parents and children. ”We are focused on outcomes: achievement in maths and reading and getting kids to school. “That may well mean we’re going to defer our arts and music curriculum for now. But we’re going to do everything to get those jobs done. “How on earth do you get a four-lane highway from Auckland to Whangarei with future generations that can’t do maths. “How do you become the world leading in agriscience if we don’t have our kids knowing how to do maths and read properly.” Yesterday, the Government announced an “overhaul” of the Education Review Office’s reporting on schools as part of an effort to lift school standards in maths. Schools that need extra help will face intervention from the Ministry of Education “earlier and more often” than currently according to Education Minister Erica Stanford. Stanford announced the change today as part of a blitz of policy announcements, begun at the weekend, aimed at lifting maths achievement. “The Ministry of Education will intervene earlier and more often in schools which need extra support. The ministry will sharpen its approach to intervening in schools when student achievement is at risk, redirecting and targeting resources to schools with inadequate student achievement,” Stanford said. “There will be an overhaul of the Education Review Office’s reporting, so it is focused on progress, achievement and assessment. There will also be clearer reporting to parents on what schools are getting right and what they aren’t,” she said. Over the weekend, Stanford announced a suite of curriculum and workforce changes to lift maths performance. These include introducing a new Years 0-8 maths curriculum a year early, from Term 1 2025, with resources available to support teachers. She said the Teaching Council had agreed to lift maths entry requirements for new teachers and that $20 million had been set aside for professional development in structured maths for teachers. Stanford said data on performance had previously been hidden from parents. She promised clearer reporting for parents. Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said he agreed with many of the changes, some of which were in train under Labour, including the curriculum change. He said data on school performance was “still hidden” because the Government has not “published the data they are referring to”. “Overall in this area, including in the literacy space, there are only a few things they [the Government] are doing things slightly differently... broadly, the direction of travel is the same,” Hipkins said. “Overall, the issues around numeracy are quite complex and longstanding. We’re not talking 10 years, we’re talking 20 or 30 years in the making,” he said. New reporting from the Curriculum Insights and Progress Study published on Monday showed that in maths, just 22% of students at Year 8 were meeting curriculum expectations. This figure was 28% at Year 6, and 20% at Year 3. Curriculum Insights is an update on the National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA). It assessed a nationally representative sample of students at Years 3, 6 and 8 from English-medium state and state-integrated schools in reading and maths. While these figures are concerning the organisation that collates the study said that the Curriculum Insights and Progress Study as well as NMSSA “indicates that at Year 8, there has been no statistically significant change in mathematics achievement scores since at least 2013. On average, students scored about the same in 2013, 2018, 2022, and 2023″. One of the study leads, Dr Charles Darr, said “what we’re seeing in mathematics is a change in curriculum and a new benchmarking process rather than a change in achievement”. “We’ve been tracking student achievement in mathematics at Year 8 for more than 10 years, and in that time, there has been no evidence for improvement or decline. We do have a new draft curriculum however, and the provisional benchmarking exercise we carried out indicates it requires a higher level of proficiency than the 2007 curriculum.” Thomas Coughlan is deputy political editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the Press Gallery since 2018. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Education New Zealand's confirmed new financial targets for our international student market. Its strategy aims to build the sector's economic contribution by $4.4 billion over the next three years. International students here are at 86% of pre-pandemic numbers. Waikato University Deputy Vice Chancellor Alistair Jones told Mike Hosking there are some details to be worked out, but he's glad there's an ambitious target. He says it's good to see sector engagement but acknowledges there's still a long-way to go in recovery, which will span years. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a surreal day for New Zealand's newest Gold Medallist. Finn Butcher has won Gold in the men's kayak cross, telling Mike Hosking he still can't quite believe what's happened. He says he's been flat out since the race, but it feels pretty good. The win sees Butcher become New Zealand’s first ever Olympic champion in the men’s canoe slalom cross event. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent RedBridge polling suggests Victorian voters are gravitating towards the Opposition. According to new data, 31 percent preferred Labor, while 40 percent said they would vote for the Opposition. Australian correspondent Steve Price says the region has been hit hard by debt and increased cuts to healthcare. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to recap the first week of Olympic victories. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One New Zealand based construction company is working on the country's first 3D printed show home. Iconic Construction has broken ground on the project - and the walls have already been made. Director Nick Lane says the company has paired with QOROX to improve on traditional building techniques. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sir John Key says he doesn't support the Government's controversial Treaty Principles Bill. It comes after calls from the former Prime Minster for the temperature to be turned down on race relations. The bill, championed by ACT, seeks to formally define the principals of the Treaty of Waitangi, but has been met with strong opposition. Key says not only has the bill 'wound people up' but he also thinks it wouldn't work. "I actually think philosophically it's bad policy. I'll tell you why I think it's bad - if you write down the principles, if you think they're going to stay like that, you're a dreamer." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's serious concerns political bickering is ballooning the cost of New Zealand's major construction projects. The cost of Auckland's City Rail Link has risen over the past decade from $3.4 billion dollars to almost $5.5 billion. Outgoing chief executive Sean Sweeney told TVNZ the lack of a clear and consistent pipe line, due to political uncertainly, is the biggest factor driving up costs. Infrastructure New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett says we're really bad at pushing go on these projects, and that's driving up efficiencies. "We don't have the guarantee across political cycles and funding cycles to lock them in and get the efficiency that a small country like New Zealand desperately needs." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's charging ahead with plans to shake up maths in primary schools. Prime Minister Chris Luxon revealed data which he says shows four out of five Year 8 students aren't at the expected level. He's bringing forward a new math curriculum to Term 1 next year, assessing twice yearly and a $20 million boost for teachers' professional development. Education Minister Erica Stanford says it's a massive problem. "High school principals tell me when I walk in the door - Erica, the first thing we have to do with our Year 9s - or third formers - is teach them their times tables because they don't know them. Without fail, it's every high school I go into." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's uncertainty over US presidential debates, as the candidates can't agree on a time and place. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are at odds after Trump pulled out of a scheduled ABC debate, instead proposing a Fox News debate. Harris has declined, claiming Trump's trying to back out. US correspondent Mitch McCann says the candidates are now feuding on social media. "He posted on social media - I'll see her on September 4 or I won't see her at all. Kamala Harris has hit back saying - it's interesting how any time, any place becomes one specific place." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 5th of August, Education Minister Erica Stanford talks our shocking maths statistics and the Government's plan to fix it. Sir John Key was at the National Party conference in the weekend so popped on the show and wants the country to tone down the rhetoric on race relations. Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt talk our lack of medals over the weekend and the fact the Warriors season might just be over. 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 is sticking to its current timeline for suspending the establishment of Significant Natural Areas. It's set to legislate on its pre-election promise to do so in the coming months. Grey District Mayor Tania Gibson is trying to delay a costly re-mapping process on the West Coast that could restrict land use for up to 90 percent of the region - until the legislation has passed. Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard says in the meantime, the West Coast Regional Policy Statement will have to follow the previous Government's policy. "And I'll just re-emphasise that we are intending to make changes to that NPS, that work's going to be done very shortly." LISTEN ABOVE 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. The Olympics: 5/10 Is it just me? I'm not feeling it. It could be the timezone or it could be the medal count, but I am hoping week two supplies a bit more success and a bit more drama. The Greens: 2/10 Months of procrastination, only to culminate in more procrastination with yet another letter. Imagine if they had to actually make a decision. The Warriors: 8/10 Yes they won and they are still in the hunt, but selling out your entire season and being the first and only NRL club ever to do so tells you about support, fandom and love. Andrew Coster: 5/10 Read the room and got the memo. Māori wards law: 8/10 Simeon Brown is the minister who drove it through. He got it in one. A good day for democracy. Kamala Harris: 7/10 Since the ascendency she doesn't seem to have done a thing wrong. Money is flowing and the polls are moving. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many new builds are opting for hardwood or synthetic carpets, ignoring the homegrown options. Bremworth launched a $2 million marketing campaign this week, aiming to remind Kiwis of the high-quality woollen options we have in this country. CEO Greg Smith told Mike Hosking that they’ve seen in their research that both hardwood and wool considerations are at a four year high, which may indicate that people are moving towards more natural options. He said that they need to make sure people are aware of the natural performance benefits of New Zealand wool. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We end the week with a bit of good health news. We have been weighed down this week with the scrap over 14 layers of management, no doctors in Dargaville at certain times of the day, four new CEOs in four regional operations that will allegedly sort the mess out, former board members snapping back at criticism from the Prime Minister, and a myopic media trying their best to out Shane Reti on what may or may not be some sort of semi-scandal around his interpretation of the need to sack boards. But there is good news. It's the removal, or the cancellation, of the ethnic diversity equity adjustor. You'll remember it. It was a massive scrap under the last Government, who tried desperately to explain that using race was a good way to work out who to put at the front of the non-urgent surgery line. Five indicators were used, things like age and location. But race was the one that got most of us upset, given we thought we lived in a fair and open country where race was not an issue when it comes to publicly funded services. It was predicated on the idea that Māori are not well served by health, and in some respects that is true. But poor, old Chris Hipkins got himself woefully tied up in knots over an example of a person who lived rurally, many of them Māori, and how because you were rural you didn’t have the same access to doctors as you would in a city, which is true. But then neither do you if you live rurally but aren't Māori. That particular piece of logic seemed to elude him. When faced with the example of the two people with the same conditions and the same need fronting, except one was Māori and one wasn’t, why was it fair that race then made the difference? They couldn’t quite offer an explanation that made sense. Ironically, some in the health service who reviewed it defended it. But people also seem to be able to defend Māori seats, Māori wards, Māori funding and services and entitlements that are purely race-based. No wonder they are so angsty about David Seymour's Treaty bill. When the scales are tipped that far your way an injection of balance and fairness and open democracy must be a bit worrying. So in health the race equity adjustor is going. A reason, if not to celebrate, at least to be relieved about. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was raining rowing medals in Paris overnight. New Zealand’s medal tally has been brought up to five with the addition of a Gold in the women’s double sculls, Silver in the men’s four, and Bronze in the women’s four. But while the Kiwis are succeeding, not everything at the Games has been smooth sailing. 1News Olympic Reporter Guy Heveldt joined Mike Hosking to give an update on some of the bigger stories coming out of the Games. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was. They talked the Olympics, the Transpower pylon debacle, and supporting local businesses. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 2nd of August, we got our second gold medal overnight! Double sculls rower Brooke Francis is on the show as the medal hangs around her neck. The report into the Transpower pylon came back exactly as we expected it to - idiots, who were too inexperienced to do the work, removed all the bolts. So, what happens with compensation? Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson talk the Olympics and supporting local businesses 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.

The Government's consulting on a new model to replace Te Pukenga. The mega-polytech has been running at a large deficit and enrolments have declined. They’re proposing institutes with a pathway to financial sustainability that will stand alone while others will be grouped together in a federation, supported by Open Polytechnic. Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds told Mike Hosking a lot of what they're looking at is advice the previous minister was given. She says that was not to go wholesale into a big change, but to address problem areas, and let the others get on with running their polytechnics. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Northland's MP wants Transpower to write the region a cheque after a pylon toppled north of Helensville, cutting power to much of the north. It's found contractor Omexom's team leader was distracted sandblasting as unsupervised inexperienced workers removed the bolts from three legs at once. Transpower says it can't compensate businesses but says residents can contact their retailer. Grant McCallum told Mike Hosking he's sat down with Transpower to discuss some kind of donation, but they were very far apart. He says about 10 times the figure they offered would be more relevant. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A call for action, with urgency, to keep New Zealand children safe. The Independent Children's Monitor says tamariki are no safer today than when Tauranga five-year-old Malachi Subecz died in 2021. He was murdered by his carer in 2021, and a damning review recommended sweeping changes, but they are still yet to been implemented. Children's Commissioner Claire Achmad told Mike Hosking we still lose one child every five weeks, on average, to homicide. She says it has to galvanise New Zealand to real action, because we can't afford to keep leaving New Zealand children in environments where they can potentially be harmed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's hoped Government funding for 132 regional events will aid tourism outside our main cities. The cash is going towards things like Central Otago's Goldrush Multisport Event, Taupo's Classic Disc Golf Tournament, and the New Zealand Cider Festival in Nelson. Applicants were selected on their ability to encourage domestic visitors to explore beyond the main centres. Regional Tourism New Zealand Chair David Perks told Mike Hosking it's about getting Kiwis out and about. He says it's aimed to support the regions which normally miss out on the tourism limelight. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's had its best day yet at the Paris Olympics with our rowers taking home three medals. The women's coxless four winning bronze, the men's coxless four winning silver, and, in the double sculls, Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors taking home the gold. Francis told Mike Hosking she's only taken her gold medal off once to shower, describing it as a good-looking medal emblazoned with a picture of the Eiffel Tower. Our newest gold medallists are also hoping to blaze a trail for other mothers to follow. Both women have been balancing motherhood and rowing since having children in 2022. Francis says they both believed in themselves, and they want other mothers to pursue great careers while also being great mothers. New Zealand has now won five medals at the Games: one bronze, two silver, and two gold. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A UK community continues to grieve after this week’s fatal stabbings. Three children died and five more are critically injured in the Merseyside city of Southport. A 17-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Hundreds of protesters clashed with police outside a mosque yesterday, after false claims circulated. UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking there were rumours circulating on social media that the main suspect was an illegal immigrant. He said that far right extremists then went to a mosque in Southport and began to throw bricks at it, despite being told the incident had nothing to do with that mosque, nor a terrorist attack. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to All Black legacies, Sam Whitelock has left one like few others. A two-time World Cup winner, World Rugby Player of the Year, All Blacks Captain, as well as the record holder for the most ever caps by an All Black: 153. This year he called it quits on his two year contract early, playing his final match for the French Club Pau against Fiji in June. Whitelock managed to find time during his final season to write his autobiography: “View from the Second Row”. Whitelock told Mike Hosking that he wasn't too keen on writing the book initially, but Wayne Smith won him over. “He said to me, “What are you gonna give to your grandkids when, you know, your story fades a little bit, but you can give them this hardcopy and say, hey, this is what Grandad did.”” Rugby runs in his family, and the book reflects that. “It’s not only my story, it’s the family story.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you ever want an example of why the new fast track legislation is not only a good idea, but badly needed, I give you Northport. Northport want to expand. Why? To grow. We need to grow because what we do is sell stuff to the world and for that we need ports. Northport has been denied resource consents. Independent commissioners looked at the application, as sent to the local councils, and turned it all down. They are now off to the Environment Court. One of the owners of Northport is Tauranga Port. They too have been in the Environment Court because they too wanted to expand, and they too were tied up by locals in a seemingly never-ending series of red tape and obfuscation. The Tauranga case has been going on for years. Both examples would provide jobs, and income, and tax, and growth and yet as a country currently on its knees economically, we still can't seem to find the wherewithal to give ourselves the uppercut required to get our act together. Enter the Fast-track Approvals Bill. Northport has applied to be one of the cases. It would go to a group of experts and then if they tick it off it heads directly to the minister, who makes the decision. Remarkably, we have opposition from some who argue about democracy and having our say. What they mean is there are nitpickers in councils and single-issue zealots who hire lawyers to tie things up in courts. In other words, we have the current model, it doesn’t work, it's inefficient, it's slow, it's expensive, it's anti-growth - and yet they defend it. Just like the military academies, the health service, like the sanctions on Jobseeker, it's about trying to fix failed systems that are defended for no other reason than bloody mindedness. When a business can't do business because of rules and bureaucrats the system is broken. When a country, through rules, stymies growth you've got to wonder about the future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A common yellow flower could be the secret to cutting methane emissions. AgrizeroNZ is partnering with Welsh company Agroceutical Products, trialling the use of daffodil extract to cut the methane emissions from livestock. AgriZeroNZ CEO Wayne McNee told Mike Hosking that it’s early stages still, but they’re excited about the potential of it. He said that it’s been proven to work in a lab to reduce emissions of ruminant animals, and the work they’re funding is to see if the product will work in the New Zealand farming system. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A health commentator isn't expecting new appointments at Health New Zealand to change much. The Government's appointed four Deputy Chief Executives to run different regions from next month. Ian Powell says if they come along with a change in culture, it could make a difference. He says there are bigger problems at Health NZ which need to be tackled. Powell says the leadership culture at the organisation is too top down when it comes to decision making. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A foreign affairs journalist says Iran will have to respond to the assassination of a Hamas' leader. Iran's vowing to avenge the killing of Ismail Haniyeh after his reported death in an air strike in Tehran. Hamas and Iran are blaming Israel, which has so far made no comment. It follows an Israeli strike in Lebanon, that killed a top Hezbollah commander. The Spectator foreign affairs columnist Paul Wood told Mike Hosking the Iranian Supreme Leader has made it known through various officials' comments that there will be a response. He says from their point of view, they have to restore their credibility in their allies' eyes, as this is a humiliation for them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 1st of August, the Hamas leader has been assassinated in Iran and now the world waits for the retaliation. Hayden Wilde had a brilliant race in the Olympic triathlon, claiming the silver medal, and joined Mike in amidst the celebrations. The most capped All Black Samuel Whitelock joins Mike Hosking in an exclusive chat about his new autobiography 'View from the Second Row'. 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 has gained its second medal as Hayden Wilde takes the silver in the men’s triathlon. Wilde was overtaken by Brit Alex Yee around 300 metres from the finish line, cinching the gold. Wilde sat down to embrace his long-term rival on the finish line and immediately paid tribute to the efforts of teammate Dylan McCullough in helping earn him a silver medal. McCullough —who finished 19th— dropped back during the bike leg to help his compatriot rejoin the leaders after he came out of the swim more than a minute off the pace. Wilde told Mike Hosking that he did everything he could out there. He said he can’t thank McCullough enough, saying that he deserves the keys to New Zealand for helping him get the medal. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A bitter stand off has erupted between the ACT Party and the Speaker of the House. The party is slamming Gerry Brownlee for allowing opposition MPs to propose removing ACT MP Laura Trask as Chair during select committee hearings on changes to Oranga Tamariki. MPs reportedly suggested the more experienced Carmel Sepuloni should step in as chair, saying that a Māori or Pasifika chair would be better due to the number of Māori and Pasifika submitters. ACT MP Karen Chhour broke down in front of cameras yesterday, saying that she’s been the target of personal attacks relating to her race. Seymour told Mike Hosking ACT is becoming increasingly frustrated. He said that if people want to argue the policy, he’s and Chhour are all for it, but the personalised attacks about her race, background, and upbringing are just unacceptable. Seymour said that they rely on the Speaker to uphold the rules and uphold the standards, and they just don’t feel they’re getting a response when they raise issues. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Consumers finances look to be recovering, but the relief has yet to pass on to businesses. The Centrix July Credit Indicator says arrears are easing slightly, with the cost of living also coming down. It shows 465,000 New Zealanders are behind on their payments, down 9,000 month-on-month. However, retail energy arrears rose 30% because of the winter months and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Centrix’s Managing Director Keith McLaughlin told Mike Hosking that the downwards trend in arrears indicates that households are getting back in control of their budgets and managing their money a lot better. Meanwhile, businesses are doing it tough, with company liquidations up 20% in 12 months. However, McLaughlin said, that’s not taking into account the hidden damage to businesses, in which around 50,000 businesses in the last month have just closed the door and walked away. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Momentum is on Kamala Harris' side as the Democrats eat away at Donald Trump's lead in the polls. Her campaign says they've raised more than NZ$330 million in the first week since Joe Biden's exit. A new poll by the Wall Street Journal also found Harris has erased Trump's six-point lead to just two points. US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Mike Hosking the Democrats say that 60% of the funds were raised from first time donors. He said there’s been different groups gathering on Zoom to fundraise, Black Women for Kamala, Black Men, South Asian-Americans, and last night saw 60,000 ‘White Dudes for Harris’ raise $4 million to prove that Donald Trump doesn’t own the votes of white men. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A world leading battery electrochemist is on New Zealand’s shores. Dr Euan McTurk will be speaking at a function put on by Drive Electric, aiming to provide an international perspective on the availability of raw materials for EV batteries. Discussions will also be had about the current technology, and where it’s heading. McTurk told Mike Hosking that there’s quite a lot of interesting development at the moment. He said that there’s a great diversification of chemistries and materials being used for batteries, beyond the standard lithium-ion batteries. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will the men's triathlon face the amputation of one leg due to pollution of the River Seine at the Paris Olympics? The race was due to take place last night, before the filth from water quality tests forced a postponement to 8.45pm tonight. Triathlon New Zealand boss Pete de Wet told Mike Hosking hope springs eternal. He said that on some level this was expected but considering the amount they invested into improving the water quality in the Seine, they were hopeful it would sort itself out. “We’re just trying to focus on what we can control.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to tax cut day. It's been a while since we've been able to say that. The tax cuts arrive to an uncertain debate as to what exactly they do. Do they add to inflation? Do they change lives to the extent that they are material to most people? Did they get lost a bit in what has been a tsunami of change and upheaval since the new Government arrived? Nicola Willis is very bullish about it all and tells Question Time most days that well over half a million people have gone to the tax calculator to work out what the numbers mean to them. The bit for me that counts is the message. If we have learned anything over the past few years, it is the simple truth that there is no amount of money a government can spend to quell demand. You can take gargantuan amounts of cash, whether in real terms, or borrowed, or printed, and throw them all over the place and still you will find more hands with more needs. It's a dangerous and slippery slope that we went down, and we sit here this morning still paying the price for it all. What Governments should do is take as little as possible from you and me and whatever they do get they spend wisely and frugally. We are not a bank and yet we have been treated as such. The debate over the so-called "wealthy" not needing money is pointless. The debate around those in need still being in need is pointless. That's because it's predicated on the idea that Governments can solve all problems and a finite amount of money does that, when neither are true. What is true is workers need to keep as much of their income as possible and that is a rule that is too often forgotten and broken. The top tax rate in this country is 39%. Add 15% for GST and you are paying well in excess of half of every dollar you earn to the Government and that’s before you get to tax on tax and road user and ACC and all the other money grabs. So tax cut day counts because it’s a small win for those of us who graft and pay this country's bills. The net contributors, as opposed to the net debtors. Plus, the wins are few. So therefore, the wins are important. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking to dig into the biggest political stories of the week so far. On the agenda: Police Commissioner Andrew Coster will be gone by April - not seeking a second term in the role. And what’s happening with the layers of health management? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 31st of July, democracy for Māori wards is back and our prettiest city's house prices just topped $2 million on average. Just what is happening with the triathlon in the Olympics? And will it become a duathlon? Triathlon NZ CEO Pete De Wet with the latest. Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell discussed Andrew Coster being on his way out and all the layers of health management 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.