The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The UK Prime Minister's proposed mandatory national service is being called a misstep. If re-elected on July 4, the Conservative Party will make 18-year-olds participate for 12 months in a military placement or one weekend a month of community service. Former New Zealand Defence Minister Wayne Mapp told Mike Hosking the roughly $5 billion plan is the wrong approach. He doubts it will be a vote winner, and says they should focus on incentives to volunteer for service. The Tories haven't said what they'll do if the compulsory service is not completed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A union hopes Thursday's Budget will fix longstanding issues with St John's resourcing. A Coroner suggests the ambulance service lobby the Government for more funding after an Auckland man watched his wife die despite calling 111 five times. First Union national organiser Faye McCann told Mike Hosking the crucial service should be fully funded by the Government — and not have to be a charity. “Year on year we seem to find ourselves in the same situation where St John makes the agreement with the Government as to exactly what they’re going to receive with the funding, and then we’re in a situation where we’re in financial strife again.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Minister says there needs to be more aspiring teachers training in the classroom. The Government's made a pre-Budget announcement of $53 million to train and recruit 1500 teachers over four years. It includes 1200 places for aspiring teachers to learn on the job and funding to recruit overseas. Education Minister Erica Stanford told Mike Hosking she's also doing a bigger piece of work on initial teacher education. She says this announcement gives a flavour of where they're heading -- which is young people training in the classroom, seeing great behaviour modelled. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tornado season is off to a wild start in the American Midwest. Multiple towns in Iowa have been devastated by storms, the small town of Greenfield basically flattened overnight. At least 35 are injured and five dead. Across the border in Mexico, a political rally was hit by a freak wind, killing nine and injuring 54 when the stage collapsed. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the tornado in Greenfield was travelling speeds of up to 265kph, but in Mexico, they’re barely calling it a storm. He said that it’s tragic and bizarre. 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. David MacLeod: 2/10 Aaah paperwork aye? How to cock it up when you are barely out of the blocks. Shane Jones: 7/10 Living his best life on the West Coast, bringing back life to the coast with mining. Adrian Orr: 4/10 I reckon he is stuck. I reckon he doesn’t have enough tools. I reckon he went too hard, too early and he doesn’t know how to get back and threats don’t work. The Warriors: 9/10 That was as good as it gets, and we are back home this weekend for a frolic with the dolphins. Scott McLaughlin: 9/10 He's living the dream on the front row of one of motor racing's great days. Rob Penney: 5/10 Grace under pressure is a saying for a reason. Dairy: 8/10 Come on the farmers! A good auction, big numbers and decent hope. We need all the help we can get. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite the cost-of-living crisis, one industry seemingly not hit is that of the pollster. There are new numbers out this week on AI. AI is changing the world, upending the world, taking your job, re-organising your life... or it might do none of that. But according to PWC's first global AI jobs survey it will solve our productivity problem. This is good because this country is hopeless, and productivity has had any number of debates over the years about how to rev it up and all of them have failed. 84% of the CEOs think it will increase efficiency, which by the way isn't exactly productivity. 70% think it will significantly change the way their companies create and deliver value. There is a 25% uplift in AI skill demand and 69% think most of their workforce need to develop new skills. In these results is the clue as to why despite all the change we have seen these past few decades, the big picture hasn’t really changed. Yes, in certain industries tech has changed life. But we still can't educate our kids properly, planes plummet in increasing turbulence, wars are still waged, and rage and we can still only find two old farts to run for the US presidency. For a group of global citizens on the cusp of so much, so much doesn’t really seem to have changed. In fact, a lot of it has gotten worse. As each tech chapter starts to unfold, whether it’s the internet, or Google, or the ability to face time your granny, the predictions at the start of it are always bold. We tend to take one of our stickier problems, in this case productivity, and connect it to the new invention and tell a pollster it will all be sorted. Here is what we know for a fact about AI; Governments, apart from the EU, this week haven't done a thing about it. They let social media go nuts and look how that turned out. It uses more power than we literally have. So how productive can you actually be when the thing that will change everything can't even be run because the lights don’t work? That’s before you get to the other predictions about it eating us all and life as we know it is over. In the 0-100 game we tend to play we still seem to be suckered into believing everything new is 100, when in fact even the good stuff might, might, end up at about 60-ish. Come back to me in five years and let's see where we are. My bet is where we are won't be an awful lot different to where we are right now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s tech industry continues to grow. It’s the second fastest growing industry in the country, the tech industry being a quickly growing industry across the world. Pat Kenealy, former Global CEO of IDG and Partner at Ridge Ventures, is a venture capitalist. A venture capitalist takes capital from institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies and invests that money into what they consider to be the most interesting or fastest growing opportunities in order to make a return. He told Mike Hosking that some VCs invest in ideas, some in financial progression, and some in individuals, but in the end all are looking for financial return. However, Kenealy said, the difficulty comes in sifting through the hundreds of ideas to find the few winners among them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 24th of May, former Finance Minister Steven Joyce discussed the bullishness of the Government's speeches ahead of the Budget now that they have the money for tax cuts. Mike has found an unusual candidate for the Tauranga mayoralty in the form of Chudleigh Haggett. Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson Wrapped the Week and survey results for this number one show, and how Mike has tanked Kate's Early Edition. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike Hosking to go through the week that was. Today they discussed the radio survey results. Newstalk ZB and Mike Hosking are still on top, but Kate thinks Early Edition has dipped since Mike took over... LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alarm bells continue to be raised over the high number of vape stores within the community. Canterbury University research shows there are far more specialist vape shops situated in our most deprived neighbourhoods than anywhere else. Researcher Matt Hobbs told Mike Hosking that 30% are also within 400-metres of a school, and just over 70% are within 800-metres. He says vape-stores are far more prominent than things like liquor stores and gambling venues. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a view it's not all teachers' fault for low pass rates in high school. New research has found a quarter of new primary school teachers failed maths and more than half failed science at NCEA Level One. More than half who pursued Level Two maths also failed. The Teaching Council's calling for more investment and widespread changes to how teachers are prepared for the classroom. Chief Executive Lesley Hoskin told Mike Hosking that teachers have been let down by the structure and resources given to them while training. She says we have to stop blaming teachers for the system we created, as this is a systemic failure over decades. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No one is likely to be completely satisfied with next week's Budget. The public sector cutbacks have been continuing in the past 24 hours, with MSD confirming it's now cutting more than 700 roles and DOC confirming it will have more than 120 fewer staff. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says more spending cuts will be necessary due to the ongoing structural deficit. Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking that Willis is in a very tight position, with very little room to move. He says the people arguing for major cutbacks to public expenditure won't think it’s going far enough, those wanting more funding for public services won't be satisfied, and many households won't get the tax cuts they were hoping for. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The energy sector's viewing Shane Jones' vision for New Zealand's minerals as a common-sense approach. The Resources Minister's announced a draft strategy which would see a critical minerals list for the country produced, and a detailed stock-take made of the country's known mineral potential. He wants to double export value within a decade from $1 billion to $2 billion. Energy Resources Aotearoa Chief Executive John Carnegie told Mike Hosking that we have to stay abreast with the rest of the world. He says it's hardly unusual for New Zealand to want to pursue its mineral wealth, with Australia and Canada both making strategies within recent years. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Owning a car is getting more and more expensive. Online Insurance Platform Quashed reported a 40% increase in average comprehensive and third-party quotes over the last year. Stats NZ is reporting a 22.6% overall. Consumer NZ CEO John Duffy told Mike Hosking that there’s a lot of causes behind this, but a big one is unforeseen weather events such as Cyclone Gabrielle. He said that insurers are seeing that that kind of event could happen again, and are updating their pricing accordingly. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed a general election will take place July 4th. It comes as the ruling Conservative party trails Labour by 20 points in the polls. UK political commentator Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking that despite that, Labour's not in a good position with its deputy being investigated by police and split views over Gaza. He says they're also in trouble in that no one really knows what they stand for, but that might not matter as the polls show everyone's had enough of the Tories. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An industry in reportage appears to have sprouted. Never before have I seen such coverage of what the Government is being told about their new polices and how said polices are no good. What might be a bit misleading about all this reportage, apart from its increasing volume, is none of it is news. Everything from the Oranga Tamariki 7AA repeal, to the fast-track law, to the Waitangi Tribunal and ACT's Treaty bill, to charter schools, and to school lunches. Everyone who has a say has that say increasingly splashed into the media. The mischievous thing about this is advice like this is run of the mill. Everyone gives it. It's one of the outworkings of a Government department or a lobby group. But when the media was more compliant under the early days of the previous Government the fascination in advice didn’t seem to be as prevalent. Case in point is the so-called fast-track law. The Ministry for the Environment has given some advice. What do you think will say? Think about it - a fast-track bill that will build more big projects, more ministerial power, less court time, will do more and we'll talk less. Take a guess what you think their advice on this is going to be. They don't like it. "Ministry for the Environment warns of fast track bills significant risks" is the headline. What are their concerns? Diminishing local voices, it violates Treaty commitments, impacts human and environmental health, opens legal risks to ministers, is an unprecedented backdoor for prohibited projects and erodes the value of conservation land. They said everything you would expect them to say and nothing you couldn’t think of yourself. You will note the backdoor bit to prohibited projects. A project is only prohibited if it's against the law. If you change the law, it's not prohibited, is it. Anyway, most department could, and presumably do, roll out the same stuff. But the key question is, does the way we do it now work well? Do we build big projects well, on time and on budget? Is there a massive infrastructural deficit? Yes. So why are we working overtime to defend what doesn’t work? Is defending the unworkable more waste? Do we want to get on with it or not? Do we want this country off its knees and running, or not? So how about less noise, less angst, fewer papers, fewer alarmist headlines and more action. Imagine if we just actually got on with it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 23rd of May, Finance Minister Nicola Willis reacted to the Reserve Bank's updated forecast. Speaking of, Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr explained his position and whether the option of raising rates was just a threat or a realistic move. IndyCar star Scott McLaughlin was on after getting pole for the Indy 500 for a chat with Mike about how he's preparing for the race. 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.

Scott McLaughlin is in the best possible position for the upcoming Indy 500. The Kiwi driver is sitting in pole position, first on the starting grid with a record-setting time. With the race set for Monday morning New Zealand time, McLaughlin has been spending the week preparing for what’s set to be an intense race. The Indy 500 has a unique qualifying system, with the fastest 12 drivers contesting a session to define who goes through to the Fast Six, who then race to determine who’s awarded pole. “It’s a pressure-packed situation,” he told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking. “To put the laps up that we did, and you know, win the pole by sort 0.3 of a mile an hour, which is pretty big in oval racing terms over here in America is super special.” McLaughlin is the second Kiwi to start the Indy 500 from pole position, Scott Dixon being the first. “I’m really proud of that and yeah, trying to replicate my hero in some way.” Much like any sport, racing takes an immense amount of mental energy, with drivers having to think and react while travelling at incredibly high speeds. “You’re travelling at, you know, three or four rugby fields a second,” McLaughlin explained. “There’s so many things happening that you’ve gotta be ahead of, you’ve gotta understand, you know, because if you make a mistake at one point, the mistake doesn’t catch up with you until, you know, two or three hundred meters, four hundred meters down the track.” McLaughlin averaged just over 234mph (377kph) in his final qualifier, and although those are insane speeds for any normal person, he said that it begins to feel normal when out among the other cars. “It’s not until you’re either trying to pit, come into pit lane or something goes wrong where you realise, oh wow, we actually... we’re actually ticking along here.” “It’s an incredible feeling for sure,” he laughed. “it’s probably the closest I’ll ever feel to being a superhero.” McLaughlin competed in the Supercars Championships up until 2020, making the switch to IndyCar for the 2021 season. He told Hosking that the two types of racing are different worlds and encouraged any sports race fan in Australia and New Zealand who’s never been to the Indy 500 to give it a try. “It’s an incredible spectacle,” McLaughlin said. “They call it ‘the greatest spectacle in racing’ for a reason.” Thousands of people show up to the race, and the 108-year history of the Indy 500 has resulted in quite the experience. “It's a typical American experience, big and loud and but it's very cool to be a part of and, and yeah, it, it's, it's definitely the big leagues for sure.” The sheer extent of the race would leave anyone nervous and excited in equal measure, but McLaughlin told Mike Hosking that you can’t let the pressure get to you. “You’ve gotta act like it’s another race, unfortunately,” “But it is, it is a lot more on offer.” “I’m just really excited for the opportunity and hopefully we can deliver when it comes to, you know, race day.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank governor says the Monetary Policy Committee spent considerable time discussing the possibility of hiking the Official Cash Rate. It has again held the Official Cash Rate at 5.5%, where it's been for a year. Inflation has fallen to 4%, but is still above the target of a 1-3% band. Adrian Orr told Mike Hosking that the talk about hiking the OCR is real. "The disappointing part is how stubborn domestic inflation remains. "We don't determine productivity we just deal with the product we've got." Orr said "inflation for large parts of the economy has fallen" but we are now at the "stubborn tail, which is not surprising." Hosking said councils are crazy and out of control, and Orr said he wouldn't comment on councils. "The biggest risk we run is not getting inflation low and stable," Orr said. "We have to use the tools we have... we run monetary policy, we don't run councils." Hosking said Orr has "hit the end of the road," saying that there’s little more the Reserve Bank can do except completely stuff the economy by raising rates. Orr’s response was: "that is a statement." He told Hosking that they’re very confident we’ll be in very low and stable inflation at 2%. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new bill that would allow consumers to share their data with companies hopes to give people more power. The Consumer and Product Data Bill has been introduced to Parliament. It aims to prevent scams and encourage competition in banking, insurance, and telecommunications companies. Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly told Mike Hosking that it would be the start of open banking in New Zealand. He says over time it will drive competition and lower prices for people. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says the economy is in a very painful spot for many people. The Reserve Bank has again held the OCR at 5.5%, where it's been for a year. It means interest rates may have to stay higher for longer. Minister Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking that the Government's made it clear Adrian Orr needs to get inflation back into the target band. She says the Government has to do its bit to make sure its policies are more friend to him than foe, so he doesn't have to go as hard as he may otherwise. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are claims extracting our own minerals can build the country's resilience from geopolitical vulnerabilities. Resources Minister Shane Jones's launching a draft strategy for the mineral sector today and will be announced in the West Coast's coal-mining district. He says it'll highlight critical and rare earth minerals, such as titanium and antinomy. Jones told Mike Hosking that with the rising geopolitical tensions we need to be able to rely on our own resources. He says unless we use them, we will continue to depend on other countries' natural resources, which aren't as stable as New Zealand's. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even our sports are being impacted by the rising costs and turbulent economy. South Canterbury Rugby Union have had to pull out of the Ranfurly Shield as they can’t afford to play. CEO Tim Hyde-Smith told Mike Hosking that it would cost them about $50,000 to get up to Hawke’s Bay to challenge the Magpies for the shield, of which they only managed to raise 30%. He said that they’d been very privileged to challenge the last two years, but sponsorship and grant money wasn’t forthcoming this year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One NZ’s earnings are up, but it’s outlook for 2025 isn't as positive. The teleco’s operating earnings jumped 13% to $600 million in the year to March 31st, 2024. However, they’ve predicted flat earnings for 2025, somewhere between $580 million and $620 million. One NZ CEO Jason Paris told Mike Hosking that they’re calling it flat for next year as they think the economy will continue to be a bit challenging. He said they’re lucky that they’re an essential service, but they will be tightening their own belts and ensuring they’re running as efficiently as possible to mitigate the impact of any future economic strain. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here are a couple of things I know about education. The first is that we aren't that good at it and our results, whether PISA scores, or kids leaving school without proper qualifications, or even turning up in the first place, speak loud and clear on this. The second is that although the unions argue more money is the answer, it is, and it isn't. In New South Wales at the moment, they are handing out $30,000 dollar bonuses for teachers in tricky-to-fill subjects. They still aren't filling them. I think teachers should earn more, in some cases a lot more. But not just for the sake of it. In a way, they are two different subjects. Does paying a teacher more make a kid show up more? No. And that's where charter schools fit in. We had a crack at them a while back and, generally, they seemed to make a difference. But Labour got picked by New Zealand First in 2017 and ideology ruled the day and that was that. Ideology is one of the greatest problems of all. It should not rule education. The same way we need a long-term pipeline for major infrastructure that transcends governments, we need the same for education. But when charter schools are raised the unions don’t like them because charter schools aren't necessarily pro-union. We also have Cabinet papers released Friday that suggest funding might be an issue, depending on the size of the school. In other words, each pupil is allocated a base level of money and that funding travels with the student. The long-argued point by critics is charter schools get better funded. What charter schools do is offer choice, and choice in education, as in life, is no bad thing. The idea that a broad-based, state-funded mass model that results, stats and observations show without a shadow of a doubt doesn’t work, is somehow the only way to do things is short sighted to say the least. For many of us it worked fine. We went to the local, hated a lot of it, put up with the rest, the odd one had fun and we passed our exams and moved on. But life isn't like that anymore. We know we are failing, it's indisputable. So instead of embracing change or something new, we want to spend more time bitching over ideology. If you hate the charter school idea, show me the one you love. Finding a paper, or a critic, or a unionist isn't hard. Getting kids well educated apparently is. So how about we change it up a bit? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump has decided not to take the stand amid his hush money trial. The former president faces charges of falsifying documents to cover up payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. The trial's defence has now wrapped up as jurors prepare for deliberations. US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Trump declined to speak, despite his claims throughout the case he's been silenced. He says it's not uncommon for criminal defendants to not take the stand, as it opens them up to cross examination. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell joined Mike Hosking to dive into the biggest political stories from the week so far. Erica Stanford has been gifted a bed, what gifts have they received and had to register? Plus, the bill repealing section 7AA passed its first reading in Parliament yesterday, and Ginny Andersen is pretty strongly opposed. It doesn’t achieve anything, she told Mike Hosking. On the other hand, Mark Mitchell has been surprised at how vehemently opposed people are to the fast track legislation, and the push back it’s received. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 22nd of May, we looked at the bad news the Reserve Bank may give us today, and how serious is the threat from the Rugby Players Association to split from the NZR? In the midst of the bizarre news that Erica Stanford declared a gift of a bed, Mike revealed he was also "gifted" a bed, which turned into a big drama! Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell told us what gifts they've been given and what Mark is doing for his birthday 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.

New Zealand’s rugby provinces have been warned by the professional players association to brace for a civil war if they vote to approve their own governance change proposal at next week’s special general meeting. In an explosive move, the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association (NZRPA) has told the unions it is ready to break away to form a new and separate entity to manage the professional game. The NZRPA says that if the provinces vote in favour of what is known as Proposal 2 – a new governance structure that the provinces have developed themselves and one that differs significantly to an alternative blueprint that aligns with the findings of an independent review – it will withdraw, via its collective employment agreement, the right for New Zealand Rugby (NZR) to govern the game. It leaves rugby in an even more uncomfortable position than before, with the game to be divided even further if the NZRPA decides it will no longer allow its players’ image rights to be used by NZR. Former All Black Sir John Kirwan told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking that the situation should never have reached this point and that he fears a repeat of the early days of professionalism, where players were split between signing up for official and rebel financial offers. “That will happen again, there will be an absolute split. That’s why I don’t think threatening to leave is the right answer. I understand Rob’s [Nichol, chair of NZRPA] frustration because he has seen this governance review done and now they’re trying to change it, I understand that frustration,” Kirwan said. NZRPA boss Rob Nichol. Photo / Dean Purcell He said that while rugby faces pressure for participation from other codes like football, there should be a united front among the leaders of the game rather than division. Kirwan told Hosking that those with the power to make change are digging in their heels and refusing to relinquish power, despite a review that cost millions telling them that was what was best for rugby. “Some of these chairmen, they’re just holding the game a wee bit to ransom. Some of these guys that are fighting, their unions lost $800,000 to a million dollars last year. It’s a broken system at the moment, we need to get back to what’s best for our game,” he said. “You spent millions of dollars on a governance review, that governance review’s come out and now you’re trying to change it. So the problem is power. “The interesting thing for the public is the NPC sides really at the end of the day have a vote, all of them, that can change the direction of the game. What we’re trying to do is speed that up, what the governance review said is we need to have a look at our game, we need to change it we need a different structure.” The 63-time All Black said he fears the New Zealand rugby-loving public are growing weary of the continued debate and that it will drive fans away from the game. “The trouble is, with me, I don’t like threats of people leaving and that sort of stuff but our game continues to be split. The saddest thing for me is people don’t give a s*** any more, because they’re just sick of it. “Rather than having an opinion and being passionate about it, if you just stop caring that’s when our game is in real danger.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank is walking a tight rope when it comes to interest rates. The OCR is expected to remain unchanged at 5.5% when the bank releases its quarterly Monetary Policy Statement this afternoon. It's signalled a rate cut may not come for another year. ANZ's Chief Economist Sharon Zollner told Mike Hosking that their view is that a cut is more likely to come next year, as inflation is coming down quite slowly. On the other hand, she said, the economy has come down quite quickly, so it’ll depend on how they weigh up those two factors. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two MPs are facing electoral commission investigation after electoral paperwork blunders. The Greens have referred suspended MP Darleen Tana to the Electoral Commission for failing to put a promoter statement on a magazine article about herself. At the same time, National MP David MacLeod has lost his Select Committee positions after he failed to declare almost $200 thousand in donations. Constitutional law expert Graeme Edgeler told Mike Hosking that the commission —and most likely the Police— will be investigating MacLeod. Edgeler says the New Plymouth MP could be liable under the illegal practice charge for not taking enough care. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are pleas for the Government not to scrap the first-home buyers grant. Newshub is reporting the Government plans to redirect the $60 million allocated to help first-home buyers and put the money into social housing. The scheme gives buyers between $5,000 and $10,000 towards their first home if they earn under a certain threshold, and property experts say dissolving it would be a bad move. Whitestone Group Director Shaneel Singh told Mike Hosking that many of his clients need the grant. He says a number first home buyers wouldn't be able to get on the property ladder without it. In the year to February 2024, nearly 25,000 first homes were purchased. In that time, 10,500 first-home grants were paid out, meaning that 42% of first-home buyers did so with the help of the grant. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a sad, old business when part of your market update is the cost of the violent crime you are having to deal with. Michael Hill this week talked of the sort of things businesses talk of; the downturn, the mood, the spend and the consumer. All of it's bad right now for obvious reasons. What is interesting is they said of the various countries they operate in that New Zealand is the worst in terms of sentiment. I wonder why. But they talked too of the cost of security and the cost of crime, the cost of closing one of their shops because of crime. They are not the first of course. We have previously heard from Briscoes and the millions they have to put aside each year to offset the carnage that takes place at their outlets. Last week One NZ closed one of their shops because of damage and crime. They told the stories of the fear of staff, all the security issues and training required and the manager who was held by the scruff of the neck for ten minutes over a returned product. Who needs it? That’s before you get to the astonishing footage of the petrol station attendant, who got the life beaten out of him by some thug who literally laid into him and wouldn’t stop. He now awaits surgery on an eye, among other injuries. So, the question is - when does it stop? When do things change? How many videos do we need to watch before the much hyped and promised crackdown happens? The 18-year-old from the petrol station has been arrested and charged. How many years does he go to prison for? Does he go to prison? Does he have a sob story? When do major New Zealand retailers stop having to regale the sharemarket with their profit-sapping stories of jungle behaviour and frightened staff? No Government can solve this sort of malaise instantly, or overnight, or perhaps even quickly. But my word, the pressure is on. When you watch that petrol station video, and we all should, we look third world, and we look lawless. My fear is the treatment of such behaviour still leans towards forgiveness, as opposed to what should actually be happening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a day of shame after an inquiry into Britain's infected blood scandal suggests a cover up. More than 30,000 people received infected blood and products in the 1970s and 80s from the state-funded National Health Service. 3000 people died and thousands more contracted hepatitis or HIV. The inquiry's found the government hid the truth to save face and expense. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is pledging financial compensation for those impacted. He says they'll pay whatever the scheme costs, with details laid out tomorrow. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new model is being proposed to give more local councils more control. Local Government New Zealand's calling on the government to adopt city and regional deals, a system that would see local and central government team up for local projects. It's hoped the arrangement would allow for more decentralisation. Local Government New Zealand President Sam Broughton told Mike Hosking that it's been a success in places such as the UK, Australia, and the Netherlands, but New Zealand must figure out its own solution. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 21st of May, Housing Minister Chris Bishop outlined the absolute shambles that is Kainga Ora and how it's going to be fixed. The Greens finally got back to us about how much the Darleen Tana investigation is costing. Mike revealed the full details. Robert Patrick of Terminator fame is soon going to be in the country, so we had to get him on the show to hear how his Harley Davidson business is going and what cigars he's smoking. 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.

One of the greatest villain actors of all time, Robert Patrick is stopping by New Zealand. He’s most well known for playing the T-1000 terminator in the second film of the Terminator series, and for his roles in Reacher, Peacemaker, and the Yellowstone prequel 1923. Patrick is coming to New Zealand next month, popping up at panels and signings at Auckland’s Wintergeddon Armageddon Expo. He told Mike Hosking that fans don’t normally get the chance to meet their favourite actors in person, so it’s neat that they can have a chance to meet him. “It’s neat to have people tell you how much they love your work,” he said. “How they saw your film, and where they saw it, and they watched it with their dad, and you know.” “It’s neat to see the impact you, you’ve been able to have on some people’s lives.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government looks set to devolve large parts of the delivery of public housing to community housing and other social providers after a damning report into Kāinga Ora raised questions about its financial competence, showing it was staring down the barrel of a $700 million annual deficit. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking that the results of the review were worse than they thought. “We had known from opposition that it was being abysmally managed,” he said. “It is the biggest landlord in the country, a $45 billion enterprise and has a huge responsibility to Kiwis to deliver state housing and it has done a terrible job.” Luxon said the responsibility sits with the board and the previous administration, which allowed it to run up $10 billion in debt. “It had no plan to stop it getting to $29 billion in 10 years' time.” He said the government is moving quickly to implement some of the report’s recommendations such as refreshing the board and getting a turnaround in place. Luxon said he was shocked when the board did not have a statement of financial position. “When the board doesn’t know to ask for that, that’s a big problem. Clearly, the financial literacy was poor.” When asked if the government would use community providers to build state housing, Luxon said organisations like the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, and Māori and iwi providers can do it at a lower cost. “They also provide better pastoral care in those communities as well,” he said. “I’m interested in providing more social housing, whether that comes from state houses via KO or community housing providers - the mix will be determined. “Ultimately, there is a bigger role to play for community housing providers.” Luxon said the government is still waiting for France’s go-ahead before sending an NZDF plane into New Caledonia. “We are waiting for the French authorities to deem that it is safe,” he said. “The roading out to the airport in the past 48 hours has had issues in terms of security and unrest. It has to be safe when we move. “All I can reassure you is we are ready to go. We can deploy NZDF assets, we have also explored other options such as commercial charters. We have been working incredibly well with the Australians. Luxon said Foreign Minister Winston Peters is doing a brilliant job at pushing the French system in New Caledonia and Paris. When asked whether the French are days away from giving the go-ahead, Luxon said it could well be, but the government, alongside the Australians, are pushing them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Housing Minister says change is well and truly afoot at Kainga Ora as a critical independent review finds it's under-performing. The inquiry's also found the public housing agency needs significant savings to become financially viable. Chris Bishop has ruled out a mass sale of state homes, but indicated a total refresh of the board. He told Mike Hosking that Kainga Ora's debt levels simply aren't sustainable. Kainga Ora is a $45 billion enterprise for delivering Kiwis state-housing, he said, and it’s done a terrible job. Bishop says the responsibility sits with the previous board and the Labour Government who allowed it to increase debt by $10 billion. He said that it sat around $2 billion in 2018 and is forecast to hit $23 billion in 2028. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's largest supply chain collaboration has signed another deal with an international shipping giant. Kotahi has entered a second decade partnership with Maersk, which will allow for $160 billion worth of cargo to be exported on a reliable supply chain. Kotahi chief executive David Ross told Mike Hosking that it offers needed certainty to some of New Zealand's largest exporters. He says it's an exciting agreement which gives 10 years of international shipping reliability. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders stranded in New Caledonia may have to endure a few more days of riots and civil unrest. The main international airport in Nouméa remains closed with all commercial flights suspended. The French president has called another meeting with defence and security council to discuss what to do next. Europe correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking that the government's made it clear the airport won't reopen before Thursday. She says more than 60 barricades on the road to the airport have been cleared, but protesters are warning they'll put up more. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s still no word on when Defence Force aircraft will be sent to retrieve tourists stuck in New Caledonia. Commercial flights remain cancelled due to the unrest in Noumea; 231 Kiwis are registered as being there. Defence Minister Judith Collins told Mike Hosking “The issue is that Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has to work with the French government.” Collins said “Stay in your own home, don’t go out unnecessarily and understand that help is coming.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six people have been arrested after pro-Israel and pro-Palestine demonstrators clashed in Melbourne's CBD on Sunday afternoon. After a week of Melbourne-wide protests – Police confirmed around 7,000 people were in attendance. This follows a pro-Palestinian demonstration that stormed a Labor Party conference on Saturday. Australia Correspondent Steve Price told Mike Hosking “The Premier and Deputy Premier had to be locked in a conference room.” Price said “The Premier has stated ‘this is a federal problem, not a state problem. Australia must speak with one voice on the world stage.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

McDonalds is expected to face more community opposition as it launches a second bid to build a restaurant in Auckland's Orakei. A previous application to build on Kepa Road was withdrawn, after community concerns around traffic, anti-social behaviour and litter. Orakei board member Troy Churton told Mike Hosking “the community’s said they don’t want a proliferation of fast food businesses in Orakei.” Churton says “There is a degree of brand ill-will against McDonalds.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Green Party is tight-lipped on the cost of an investigation into suspended MP Darleen Tana. The MP has been stood down since March 14, while an investigation takes place into her involvement into allegations of migrant exploitation at her husband's business. Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick told Mike Hosking “Every political party has funding that they can use at their discretion.” Swarbrick said “Obviously we would prefer that we weren't doing this investigation” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist Mahe Drysdale is hoping to deliver a prosperous "post-commissioner" future for Tauranga. The Olympian has put his name in the ring for the election on July 20, with nominations closing on Friday. Mahe Drysdale told Mike Hosking “I’m pretty central – I just want what’s best for the country.” Drysdale said “I will form an opinion of what the community wants - I'm very focused on making Tauranga New Zealand's best small city.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thick fog and limited daylight is hampering efforts to find Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi and other officials. The convoy of three helicopters was on its way back to Tehran, and one was forced to make a "hard landing" due to the bad weather and fog near the border with Azerbaijan. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking “They still haven't found the crash site.” Arnold said “Raisi is known as the ‘Butcher of Tehran’, he brought in the execution of thousands of political dissidents in the late 80s.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 20th of May, we try and get some info as to how we will get the Kiwis home from New Caledonia from Defence Minister Judith Collins. Green Party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick gave her "State of the Climate" speech and answered questions about the Darleen Tana interview. What a win for the Warriors! Season saver! Guy Heveldt and Andrew Saville join Mike in the Commentary Box to talk that, the rugby and Sid Going. 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.

Hopes that business can be kept separate from geopolitics arise at today's China Business Summit in Auckland. Key issues on the card include the Government's goal to double exports by value within 10 years, and the implications of expanding into other markets alongside China. China Business Summit co-chair Simon Bridges told Mike Hosking “In China, it’s very interesting times.” Bridges said “With China’s economy – critics say it’s in trouble, and supporters say it’s robust.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Top defence lawyers have called for changes to our courtrooms, arguing that it's biased in favour of the prosecution. In a letter, the Defence Lawyers Association has outlined how it believes they're automatically disadvantaged. Defence Lawyer Steve Cullen told Mike Hosking that there are some aspects worth looking into. Cullen said “If you have the prosecutor sitting in front of the judge, and defence lawyer behind them – some people may think that gives priority. But jurors don’t know.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.