The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Forget switching on the TV, this weekend TikTok will have your rugby fix. The Women’s Super Rugby Aupiki Final is kicking off this Saturday and due to a partnership between 2Degrees, Sky, and Tiktok, the social media app will be broadcasting it live. The game between the Blues and Chiefs Manawa will be shot vertically by Sky and have its own presenters and commentary team. Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, one of the commentators for the game, told Mike Hosking that it’s set up an amazing opportunity for rugby and women’s rugby to be accessible across not only New Zealand, but the entire world. She said that if they can get the big dogs doing this sort of stuff, it will be an amazing development for the sport. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With all the issues stemming from online learning, research has found a benefit. Charles Darwin University has found that online learning can increase a student’s short and long-term memory by improving their cognitive capability. They surveyed 482 students studying an accountancy degree between 2020 and 2021, and found students faced difficulties learning, overwhelming students and increasing their cognitive load. Dr Nina Hood, founder of the Education Hub, told Mike Hosking that the situation isn’t cut and dry, and there are a few reasons to be sceptical about this study. She said that while there definitely are benefits to online learning, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be the same quality as in person learning, and it also depends on the subject being taught. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 12th of April we looked at Winston Peter's bi-lateral meeting with the U.S' Anthony Blinken and got a university professor’s opinion on what we should do with puberty blockers following the UK’s report. How well have the Government performed this week? What about the media? Mike marked the week. Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson wrapped the week and tried to stop Mike from telling stories he shouldn't. 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.

Tim Wilson and Kate Hawkesby are back to help Mike Hosking wrap the week that was and stop him from telling stories he shouldn’t. They cover Tim’s holiday in Nelson, The Country’s 30th anniversary, Scrabble going ‘woke’ and the popularity of Vampire Weekend. 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 eclipse: 8/10 For no other reason than it seems to get people fizzing …despite the fact i cant for the life of me work out why you would travel miles and spend thousands to do it The Climate Commission: 4/10 Worthy but wacky, we will not be banning petrol cars by 2040. Saying weird stuff doesn’t help, but watch them as 2050 gets closer. The media: 2/10 Tough week. Job losses: 4/10 No fun for anyone but it's what you get when a previous Government spends what they don’t have and creates jobs that don’t really exist. Winston Peters: 6/10 Looks good on the international stage. He looks experienced and serious, which is a different league to our last representative. Immigration: 7/10 Not a moment too soon. No one loves more people than me, but they've got to be the right people who can do more than just cook stir fry or make flat whites. Britain's transgender report: 8/10 Hopefully the turning of a dangerously progressive tide where madness and vibes trump common sense and facts and, ultimately, cause untold damage. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Housing Minister says new tenancy changes will ensure there's a better balance between landlords and tenants. A bill that’s being introduced to Parliament next month will make it easier for landlords to evict tenants. Changes include re-instating 90-day no-cause terminations —removed by Labour last term— and requiring just 42 days notice when a landlord wants to move into their property. Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking that Labour's 'war on landlords' has ended. He says landlords aren't the enemy, and sensible laws are needed to balance the rights of landlords and tenants. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Health is expected to release an evidence brief on the use of puberty blockers in treating gender dysphoria. The UK has banned the prescription of the hormone medication, which delays the onset of puberty, to children. Weak evidence has yet been found for their use, with uncertainty about the potential psychological effects. UOA Professor Dr Paul Hofman told Mike Hosking that the blockers reduce self-harm and suicidal ideation in some patients. But he says there's hasn't been any strong follow up studies looking at quality of life and the impacts, nor any issues around safety. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's decision to strengthen its ties with the United States won't be without risk. Foreign Minister Winston Peters and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have recommitted to our bilateral relationship, during a meeting in Washington DC. They've issued a joint statement saying New Zealand and the US will work more closely with each other and key allies like Australia, including around defence and intelligence. Otago University international relations expert Robert Patman told Mike Hosking that could affect our relationship with both China, and our Pacific neighbours. He says China will be looking at the joint statement with concern, and Pacific countries don't see themselves as pawns in a strategic game. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 1995 murder trial of OJ Simpson was so gripping, it divided a nation. Simpson has died from prostate cancer surrounded by family aged 76. The former NFL star and actor was cleared by a Los Angeles jury in what the media called the trial of the century. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that he was represented by a group called the “dream team”. He says it was made up of DNA experts and Robert Kardashian, who became famous for his Simpson connection, and later his children for their reality TV show. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Has it been, and its only Thursday, a bit of a come to Jesus week for this country? Ola are leaving, they’ve been here five years, and they clearly can’t make it work, gone. Kate Sylvester, a doyenne of her industry, announced she is done. Done in an industry not so many years ago we sort of got fizzy about each year at fashion week, as no shortage or names like Trelise, and Karen, and Adrian, and Kate lined up their wares to the queue of overseas buyers who flocked to the country to wax lyrical about our creativity. Newshub finally confirmed they are closing, so we are down to one television version of a news bulletin. We could of course talk about all the downsizing, but at least with downsizing there is room to grow another day, as opposed to the lights getting turned out as the last one leaves. Which brings us to the question: is this the new us? We have had the debate in airlines. Essentially, we aren't big enough for two of them, so we have about one and a half, and moan a lot about them. We are clearly not big enough for two television news channels and is it important to have a local fashion industry, it is? Or does any old tat in from Vietnam suffice? Do we care? Spada, the people who make television shows, called yesterday after the Newshub news for the Government to save local production. Is a local tv show any more important than a local frock? How much of this is a nice to have versus something of cultural or patriotic significance? And how much of what we are seeing is economic? In other words, if we weren't in the mess we are, these places would be fine. The television side is simple: not enough people watched. So that’s on them and us, and Meta came along and nicked the money because we like short videos. We clearly like H&M more than Kate’s stuff, so that’s life, isn't it? Or is it? The French are very good at the patriotic equation, they protect a lot of their local production. But do we want to be like the French? Does every job have to be taxpayer supported? Is that what we are down to? How much weight do we place on the simple economic truth that if you make or produce something of value you will be fine. If you don’t? Well, that’s life. And for all those closing, what about those who aren't? How come they make it work while others don’t? Is there not a lesson in that for us all? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How good are you at dealing with your anger? Japanese scientists have proven that writing angry notes and shredding them up can make you feel better. Nagoya University found that out of two groups of students, those who binned or shredded their paper were in a calmer state than those who didn’t. Psychologist Gary Hermansson told Mike Hosking that the findings are in line with the standard beliefs about moving on and the rituals used to do so. He said that it fits with the idea that if we hold on to emotions, they can become a reminder or a trigger for that emotional reaction. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank has left the Official Cash Rate where it was as inflation remains higher than target levels. The OCR remains on hold at 5.5%. Michael Reddell, a former Reserve Bank economist, told Mike Hosking that there’s pretty good reason to think inflation will be coming down pretty sharply this year. He said that the Reserve Bank itself said they expect to be within the 1-3% range this year, they just want to be certain before making any cuts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 11th of April, Paddy Gower joined us to talk the closure of Newshub, and Broadcasting Minister Melissa Lee dug into the the future of the media industry. "Get stuffed" got a number of people riled up. David Dastmalchian of Dune, Oppenheimer, and superhero flicks fame popped in to talk his new film Late Night with the Devil. 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.

Well known for his roles in some of the biggest films of the last decade, David Dastmalchian is a familiar face on the screen. Dune Part One, Oppenheimer, The Dark Knight, and Bird Box are just some of the films on his filmography, not to mention his involvement in superhero films The Suicide Squad and Ant-Man. His latest work is Late Night with the Devil, a film he’s not only starring in but produced as well, with a rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. Growing up in Kansas, Dastmalchian was quite the talented American football player, and whilst he loved theatre he was expecting his university experience to start feature college football, until a teacher convinced him otherwise. “She said, 'David, you have something special,'” he recounted to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking. She told him to at least try auditioning for a training program at an acting conservatory, to which he was not only accepted, but was granted a full scholarship. “It completely changed my life.” Dastmalchian is used to playing the antagonist; bad guys, villains, henchmen, and psychopaths, and was initially unsure that he could pull off the leading role in Late Night with the Devil. He fell in love with the story in the initial reading of the script, but the first thing he said to directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes was that they had the wrong guy. “There’s no way that me, David Dastmalchian, could be compelling, or, or captivating, or even convincing as a late-night talk show. That’s just not wheelhouse.” The Cairnes convinced him to give it a shot, so despite his fears he packed up and shot the film. “I’m so proud of myself,” he told Hosking. “That might sound like a dumb thing to say, but I’m proud I overcame my fear to go do this film because I’m really proud of this movie and I’m really happy that I made it.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mounting pressure on the Broadcasting Minister to act as turmoil wages on the media industry. Newshub has confirmed that it’s closing on July 5th, while TVNZ is cutting four of its major programmes. Melissa Lee says yesterday was a shocking day for media, and she feels for the people who are losing their jobs. She told Mike Hosking that the Broadcasting Act was designed well before the internet and doesn't account for how news consumption has changed. Lee says news is 24/7 but regulations haven't kept up with modern technology, so they need to be brought up to speed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ikea is promising a beautiful vision as it enters the New Zealand market. The Swedish furniture giant is looking for a "people and culture manager" who will oversee the hiring of 400 staff for its store at Auckland's Sylvia Park. Construction is underway at the megastore, which will be opened at the end of next year. Ikea New Zealand market manager Johanna Cederlöf told Mike Hosking they want to create better everyday lives, and not just through their products. She says this also extends to their partners, the wider community, and all store workers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paddy Gower has slammed “keyboard warriors” claiming the media is getting what it deserves for going “woke” amid mass job losses. TV3 journalist and TV host Patrick Gower spoke to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking this morning following yesterday’s Newshub meeting where the closure of Newshub was confirmed. Hosking asked Gower what he would say to those who say “you go woke, you go broke” and claim the media was bribed by the former Labour government. “Get stuffed, and actually go away and, to use the term they use, do your own research,” Gower fired back. Gower agreed the Public Interest Journalism fund had “branding issues” for media organisations because the public didn’t understand where the money was going. “But at the end of the day, I’m not going to sit here and listen to sort of people like that say that kind of thing after I’ve slaved away my bloody life alongside my colleagues, 25 years in my case, putting damn good news out there. “While we’ve got a trust problem, we need to address it and explain things that we’re doing properly. “When it comes to the sort of Facebook keyboard warriors, I ain’t got no time for that, Mike. “I’m about the 250 people who lost a job yesterday and actually the millions of other Kiwis that I know that trust me and trust my colleagues.” Patrick Gower and colleagues on their way to learn Newshub's fate. Photo / Alex Burton Gower told Hosking he didn’t know how many of the up to 300 people losing their jobs would remain in media. “Who knows? “I mean, even for myself, I’ve got no bloody idea what I’ll do next.” Gower said he hoped a lot of his colleagues would remain in the field, but recognised it was a difficult time for the industry in New Zealand. “It’s that simple, mate, not everybody can survive. “But we’ve got to be optimistic, we can’t kind of give in. “I can say for myself, I’m determined to get back out there.” Hosking asked Gower how many of the employees likely saw the closure coming. “It was always a possibility when we came in under the big company, particularly Warner Brothers Discovery when they’d merged ... some sort of shutdown was always possible. “I’ve survived a couple myself in the last 14 years or we’ve been very, very close. “So it was always on the cards.” The state of the economy and the recession have had a huge impact on the media industry, Gower admitted. “We often talk about the big structural problems that are behind all of this, but, hey, let’s face it, the economy has absolutely tanked, every single dollar virtually has dropped out of the advertising market. “People are really struggling, [advertising] is the first thing that goes when a business is struggling, everybody knows that. “That has just put insane pressure on all media companies.” Gower said he hadn’t seen “anything” broadcasting minister Melissa Lee had done so far for the industry. “I haven’t seen anything they’ve done, but at the same time, the media doesn’t need a bailout. “So if anyone’s talking about some sort of cash bailout, we don’t need that. “The media does need to be able to survive commercially. There are ways that we can do that.” Gower said there are issues that both Governments, current and former, have not addressed that could have helped the media. “There are massive structural problems out there that I just don’t think the Government’s got their head around. “Paying these Kordia fees, television companies, paying fees to another government organisation for something that we don’t really need anymore is just plain nuts. “It is crazy, that is literally jobs going out the door every time they pay those fees.” Gower confirmed his show Paddy Gower Has Issues was not funded by NZ on Air, so wouldn’t be funded by TV3′s new model. “There’s got to be other ways to do television programmes ... we’ve got to find commercially successful ways of doing this stuff. Stuff where things get paid for by viewers again. We’ve got to find a way back to that.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big changes could be in store for the way we do the Census. Stats NZ says the Census is becoming more expensive and difficult to conduct. It's signalling a new direction for 2028. Statistics Minister Andrew Bayley told Mike Hosking that the agency could move away from boots on the ground data collection, instead doing smaller surveys and using pre-existing data. He says the Census is essential, but changes are needed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a first case of its kind, the parents of a US school shooter have been sentenced over their child's attack. Ethan Crumbley killed four students when he opened fire at a Michigan high school in 2021 and was sentenced to life without parole. His parents James and Jennifer Crumbley were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for their failure to secure the gun used in the shooting and have been sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison respectively. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the case was intensely emotional. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Productivity is dipping, remaining below pre-pandemic levels. Data from Xero shows that in the three years prior to the pandemic productivity sat at around the $100-$110/hour mark, but it fell again in December of last year to $99.30/hour. The figure is based on data from 240,000 small businesses and is calculated by comparing a business’ sales with the total hours worked. Xero Country Manager Bridget Snelling told Mike Hosking that New Zealand currently sits in 30th out of the 38 countries in the OECD’s most recent productivity rankings. She said that while we want New Zealand to be competing on the world stage in terms of being an advanced digital economy, we’re just not there. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food companies may be misleading consumers into believing products are vegetarian. The Vegetarian Society's urging consumers to look for vegetarian approved and vegan certified trademarks. Marketing manager Ina Babic told Mike Hosking that this could be a case of greenwashing. She says they've been seeing a lot of products on the market claiming to be plant-based, but there's no law at the moment ensuring those claims are actually true. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I listened to Rod Carr yesterday, post the release of his Climate Commission's advice to the Government 2036-2040. He is unfailingly polite. When it was put to him that the Government, who have launched their own inquiry into methane might be cutting across his work, he was having none of it, despite the fact that is exactly what the Government are doing. Every time I have asked him whether he gets sick of Governments ignoring or amending what he advises, his answer is always the same. He says they are set up to give the best knowledge currently available and it's up to the Government of the day to do what they will with it. It’s a weird old business, mainly because I couldn’t do a job where I knew what I was saying was going to get messed about with for political reasons or ignored. Anyway, he made two critical points. The first is that if we miss our target, which we may well do, we can get there by buying our way out of it. Like the carbon credit market for business, we will simply purchase credits from someone else who has done better than us. That's a big unknown as we speak because we don’t know if we won't make it. We most likely won't, but how far short will we be and what it will cost to buy credits to solve the problem, and from who? But it will be billions. The second and bigger point is there is no one to pay the penalty to. In other words, we signed an agreement but there is no head office and no one to write the cheque to. All that happens is we are in breach of an international agreement. If a lot of other people are in breach, and my bet is they will be, then no one will care. If we stand alone globally as the only country that didn’t make it, then we are a pariah of sorts. Rod made the point that we like international agreements because they are what makes the world go round, we sign a lot of them, and it allows us to do things like trade. But it brings us back to a cold, hard reality. We can almost certainly state many countries won't make it; therefore, we won't save the world. Should that be a reason for us not to try. I'd say no. I'd say let's do what we can. But that’s your next reality. The Commission advice is bordering now on nutty. No petrol cars to be imported is now a real policy. A renewable energy base that we don’t stand a hope in hell of achieving, given we can't build a thing in this country to budget or time and no one wants a wind farm in their backyard? That's not a real policy. The advantage of this is as we draw closer to 2050 the advice will get weirder, and the outcomes will become clearer. In other words, they will be increasingly obvious as to how undoable they all are. Then what? That’s your next big question And how alarmist do the ideologues become before their heads explode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 10th of April, we previewed the RBNZ cash rate announcement coming later today, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis joined to discuss the public sector job cuts. The morning was filled with the guests, and Mike, coming up with wacky similes for the issues facing the country. Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell called in for Politics Wednesday for a chat about MP's pay and whether they think the Government's plan for truancy will work. 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.

Politicians could be seeing a pay rise. The Remuneration Authority is considering whether it’s time to bump their salaries, for the first time in six and a half years. National’s Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking that for most, money isn’t the driving factor in choosing to enter politics. He said that when he took a pay cut when he entered politics but did so because he wanted to be back in the service of his country. Labour’s Ginny Andersen agreed. She said that while not everybody would've taken a pay cut, as some got an increase when they became an MP, if you’re wanting a financially successful job, politics isn’t that. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economists don't expect the Official Cash Rate to be cut today, but they do expect it to be cut this year. The Reserve Bank is reviewing the cash rate at 2pm today. It's remained unchanged at 5.5% since May last year, up from a record low 0.25% in August 2021. ASB’s Chief Economist Nick Tuffley told Mike Hosking that they see a cut coming in November. He said that by that point, there’s been three quarters worth of data surrounding inflation, wages, and unemployment, so a cut is more likely. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Associate Minister David Seymour's perspective on dealing with school attendance has found some support from a leader in secondary education. The Government's announced a list of initiatives to address what it's calling a truancy crisis, including illness guidelines and attendance data monitoring and publishing. Secondary Principals' Association President Vaughan Couillault told Mike Hosking that the issue isn't due to school being boring, but is more systemic, and it's good to see this recognised by the Minister and Prime Minister. He says they acknowledge attendance is complicated and there are social and economic issues that contribute. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis says job losses in the public sector aren't the end of the world. Her comments come as agencies and departments announce cost savings measures, including slashing jobs. The Finance Minister told Mike Hosking that there's too much focus on job cuts in the public service. She claims journalists in Wellington who flat with public servants are partly to blame for a high level of coverage. She also concedes that some public sector agencies may not reach their cost cutting targets. But, Willis told Hosking, she's confident that overall the Government will still receive the full savings. She says it's because in some cases agencies have been able to exceed expectations. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Both money and staffing issues appear to be behind a new surgical centre sitting empty at Auckland's North Shore Hospital. It was originally set to open this month but is now slated to begin a phased opening from mid-year. Health NZ says when it took over it was unclear if it'd be ready, so they opted to continuing delivering planned care elsewhere to ensure they meet targets. Nurses' Society National Director David Wills told Mike Hosking that the change in government hasn't helped in securing funding. He says you obviously have to have the money finalised in order to be able to then commission and recruit. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the key questions out of the annual Trust in News survey is, did Covid kill trust in New Zealand's media? There are several notable numbers and trends and also a couple of problems. What is trust, is another question. Your trust is not my trust and what you use to form trust is not covered in this. For example, Newstalk ZB is a mix of news and commentary. Do you trust the news and not the commentary? Or both? Or the opposite? Does the fact Radio New Zealand fell mean you listened to Jim Mora once too often, or they don’t provide a straight bat in their bulletins anymore? Does the fact Simon Dallow opens the 6pm news with what seems like an increasingly long Māori version of "good evening" affect your outlook on the bulletin that follows? The upshot is that in the last handful of years our trust in news in this country has plummeted, and badly. In 2020 it was 53%, now it is 33%. Where did the trust go? And does the collapse in trust get sheeted back to Covid, the one o'clock lectures from the pulpit of truth and the Government's millions to newsrooms to help them through the period? The biggest individual falls year on year are with TVNZ and Newshub? Not far behind was Radio New Zealand. For what it's worth, as a punter, this feels like my story because my trust is way down. I can also argue, to a degree given I work in the trade, that I have a bit of insight and there is not a shadow of a doubt in my mind that the media and wider New Zealand do not, and have not, connected particularly well for a number of years. In my professional opinion gleaned over four decades and counting, it's largely because social media has given a smallish group licence to go nuts with conspiracies, it's because a lot of journalists are very young and very inexperienced with next to no institutional knowledge and as a result they parrot press releases as opposed to asking questions, and it's because they also tend to be left-leaners who were more than open to the Ardern leadership of the day, which they fell for hook, line and sinker. And so, the rot began. In other words, they have dug their own grave. Here's the sad bit - these stats come at a time when bits of the media are on their knees. That, in part, explains why the TVNZ open letter petition at last glance got 12,100 signatures, which hardly a cavalcade of support for what those trying to save their jobs would argue is vital work that we will sorely miss when it's gone. My question - will we? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The French GDP has taken a bit of a hit. The country’s annualised debt for the year is sitting at 5.5%, higher than the 4.9% they were aiming for. France Correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking that the French Finance Minister has started to tell the country that they have to save around €10 billion, approximately $18 billion NZD. GDP growth is now predicted to only be around 1%, she said, and people are not feeling very confident about the economy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 9th of April, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined to dig into the Government's new targets for health, crime, education, and the Jobseeker benefit. Mike took a look at the latest trust in media survey, and it doesn't paint a pretty picture. Kiwi singer Greg Johnson popped into the studio to talk about the success of his New Zealand tour and give a special live performance. 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.

Growth rates for the country's construction costs are the lowest in almost eight years. The quarterly Cordell Construction Cost Index is a division of CoreLogic. The latest results report an annual growth of 2.3%, down from the 10.4% peak recorded in Q4 2022. Chief property economist Kelvin Davidson says although there's still pressure on the sector, the normalised supply chains make pricing easier. He told Mike Hosking that it’s not necessarily getting cheaper, the rate of growth is just slowing so those hoping new builds will get cheaper might be slightly disappointed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters' has been praised for starting his speech at the UN by condemning Hamas. The Foreign Affairs Minister used his speech at the General Assembly to reiterate New Zealand's call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as well as a two-state solution. He expressed grave concerns for any Israeli military offensive but also called for Hamas to release the remaining hostages. Geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller told Mike Hosking that around 134 hostages are still unaccounted for in Gaza. He says Israel estimates around 100 are probably alive and it's important to remember this is how this crisis all started. However, Peters may have lost an opportunity. He also called out the UN Security Council for failing to act decisively due to some members' repeated use of the veto. But Miller said that he wasn't willing to talk firmly about the US repeated vetoes. He says we're trying to align our foreign policy with the US in other ways, but the US has huge leverage over Israel through its weapon supplies. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi singer-songwriter Greg Johnson's been back in New Zealand with his 1000 Miles Tour, bringing his latest album to kiwi audiences. Johnson is based out in LA for the most part, and joined Mike Hosking for a chat about what it's like to be back in New Zealand, the influences living in America has had on his music, and even gave a special performance. "It's sort of a cliché, I guess, but it's, it is my heart, I guess, you know, and, and soul to a large degree." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A push for clarity around the effects of New Zealand's soon to be updated climate goals. The Climate Commission has released a draft emissions budget, which recommends limiting greenhouse gas by 134-million tonnes between 2036 and 2040. Federated Farmers President Wayne Langford told Mike Hosking that at the moment they're just numbers, without much economic modelling around them. He says it's needed so people know that if we get rid of petrol cars what this is going to look like and how the economy is shaped up to handle this. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the public service has responded “fairly well” to the new government. Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking asked him this morning whether officials were giving the Government some “pushback” - pointing to changes to disability support funding and a proposal to shutter the Suicide Prevention Office, both of which appeared to blindside government ministers. Luxon said ministers had been inadequately briefed but it had been cleared up. He said to be fair to the public service, they had been “very poorly led” for the past six years. ”Then they go off and do stuff, and often they do the wrong things because they get busy and they do lots of things but the things don’t add up. ”That was the reason for bringing in the nine public service targets - because they were things that mattered to him, and to Kiwis - such as healthcare and education. ”The bit that I can control is I’ve got to make sure that my ministers are being crystal clear about their priorities with those agencies.” Luxon said job layoffs, where many people would be getting voluntary redundancy, were a “perfectly reasonable approach” for CEOs to find the savings the Government is asking for. Luxon yesterday announced nine new public service targets that the Coalition Government has set. Surgery wait times, student achievement, less crime and big reductions in welfare and emergency housing numbers are all part of Luxon’s new public service targets to be delivered by 2030. The Prime Minister released them yesterday during his post-Cabinet press conference, saying they will require the public sector to think differently and do deep dives into the root causes of key issues. “These targets are not going to be easy to achieve,” Luxon said yesterday. “But we’re not here to do what is easy - we’re here to do what is needed to reduce crime, shorten healthcare wait times and improve educational achievement, no matter how difficult.” The nine targets are: -Shorter stays in emergency departments: 95 per cent of patients to be admitted, discharged, or transferred from an emergency department within six hours. This was almost at target level in early 2015, when 93 per cent patients were seen within six hours. -Shorter wait times for (elective) treatment: 95 per cent of people wait less than four months for elective treatment. This was at target target level in 2015 and 2016. -Reduced child and youth offending: 15 per cent reduction in the total number of children and young people with serious and persistent offending behaviour. This would see the number fall from its current level of about 1100 to about 900 children and young people. -Reduced violent crime: 20,000 fewer people who are victims of an assault, robbery, or sexual assault. This will be measured in the New Zealand Crime and Victims’ Survey, and would be an 11 per cent drop from 2023 levels. -Fewer people on the Jobseeker Support Benefit: 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support Benefit. This would see the number fall by more than a quarter, from about 190,000 in December last year. -Increased student attendance: 80 per cent of students are present for more than 90 per cent of the term. This coincides with the Government releasing its plan to reduce truancy, expected later this week. -More students at expected curriculum levels: 80 per cent of Year 8 students at or above the expected curriculum level for their age in reading, writing and maths by December 2030. Only one cohort is at the target levels, which currently are: maths (82 per cent in Year 4 and 42 per cent in Year 8), writing (63 per cent and 35 per cent) and reading (63 per cent and 56 per cent). -Fewer people in emergency housing: 75 per cent reduction of households in emergency housing. This would reduce the number of households using emergency housing to early 2018 levels. The number had ballooned in December 2023 to 3100 households and 3186 children in emergency housing; 60 per cent had been there for over 12 weeks. -Reduced net greenhouse gas emissions: On track to meet New Zealand’s 2050 net zero climate change targets, with total net emissions of no more than 290 megatonnes from 2022 to 2025 and 305 megatonnes from 2026 to 2030. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks to media at the weekly post-Cabinet press conference at Parliament in Wellington. April 8, 2024. Photo / Mark Mitchell Luxon said he had scrapped former PM Jacinda Ardern’s Implementation Unit in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and would instead set up a delivery unit, which would keep a tight eye on the nine goals. That would include assessing whether various programmes were actually working, and pulling the pin on them if they were not. He referenced comments about his CEO approach to the Prime Minister’s job: “I make no apologies for that, because it hasn’t worked for us having the career politicians for the last six years.” Asked where those who would no longer be in emergency housing would go, Luxon said yesterday there would b

The Government's goal to reduce the almost 190,000 Kiwis on the jobseeker benefit is finding support. Christopher Luxon's unveiled nine Government targets for delivery by 2030. One is having 50,000 fewer people on the Jobseeker Support Benefit. Former WINZ boss Christine Rankin told Mike Hosking that it can be done way under that timeframe. She says the Government understands leadership and that you have to tell people what you want them to do, and that's what they're doing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cathedral in Christchurch is what happens when you get bogged down in procrastination. Of all the good Christchurch has done, and there is so much to be proud of, there remains well over a dozen years later some glaring holes, probably the biggest of which is smack in the middle of town. A simple question to start - if we hadn't waited 12-plus years to not make a decision, would the bill be what it is today? No. Another question - is all the angst and upset and fighting and bitching worth the end result, which so far is nothing? No. So, what have we achieved? We have worn ourselves out with arguing and lawyers and protest and back and forward, and how much further on are we here in 2024? Not much. So, what has been the point? My sense of it was it was always going to be a slightly contentious sort of debate. Religion, money and a city all mangled up in an argument was fraught. But I never in my wildest dreams thought we would take so long to do so little. There is no excuse. It's everything that happens when you get a committee involved. You become paralysed. Three options always gave you the predictable road to nowhere; rebuild it new and different, build something a bit new and a bit like the old one, or do it right and build what got damaged. That, of course, was the correct thing to do. But in this day and age, with associated lack of labour and skills and money, going to get done. As we sit here now with the story of a mothballing I think most of us would accept anything is better than a 12-year scrap that led no place. One argument, and I am increasingly heading towards it, is flag it. Christchurch is big enough, new enough, bold enough and vibrant enough not to need a cathedral in the centre of it. It’s a nice nod to history and its origins, but if the guardians can't get out of their own way then flag it and move on. And in 100 years no one will know the difference, nor will they care. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2023, almost 60 percent of cases reported to police were abandoned. In total, police received 962,521 emergency calls and reports – 572,037 were abandoned and nearly 180,000 were closed without any investigation at all. Police Minister Mark Mitchell tells Mike Hosking the numbers reflect the growing demand for police support and services but that a lot of what is reported is not actually deemed as police work. Mitchell says police should be focused on their core role. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Costs from grocery suppliers to supermarkets slowed again in March, increasing 3.2 percent since last year. The pace has been slowing for 13 months after it peaked at 10.6 percent in December 2022. Infometrics Chief Executive and Principal Economist Brad Olsen tells Mike Hosking the increase is a persistent trend and can’t be pinpointed to just one grocery category. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social Development Minister Louise Upston is questioning the fairness and sustainability of the state helping 364,000 tenants and mortgage-holders at a cost of $2.34 billion in accommodation supplements. Otago University Professor and co-leader of the Kāinga Oranga Housing and Health Research Programme Nevil Pearse tells Mike Hosking rising housing costs encourage a need for the supplements. However, the supplement could not be defended in 100 percent of cases. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday 8th April 2024, Mike discusses to the changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa rules with Immigration Minister, Erica Stanford. He also delves into the numbers showing police abandoned 60 percent of cases reported to them last last year. We've got a dishwasher story to end all dishwater stories for you! Andrew Saville and Guy Heveldt are on the commentary box to cover the Warriors, Sam Whitelock, Noeline Taurua and the future of rugby in this country. 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.

Immediate changes to Accredited Employer Work Visa come into effect today to address migrant exploitation and unsustainable net migration. Changes include an English language requirement for low skilled jobs and a minimum skills threshold. An extra 20,000 people went on the job seeker benefit in 2023, while 52,000 very low skilled workers were brought into the country. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford tells Mike Hosking the numbers don’t add up. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mayor of Auckland, Wayne Brown has injected $570,000 into improving safety in the city. The money will go towards additional CCTV operators, a safety coordinator for the CBD and investment in outreach to help people secure housing. Heart of the City CEO Viv Beck tells Mike Hosking the boost will complement strong local efforts across a number of initiatives. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first call between Israel’s Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden since the Israeli air strike was tense. President Biden is friends with chef José Andrés who runs the food aid effort that has provided more than 43 million meals to people in Gaza, and is said to be outraged and heartbroken. Just hours before the air strike the sale of 2000 bombs for Israel was authorized by the US, and Senator Elizabeth Warren is calling for a suspension of arms sales to the country. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that a weapons suspension is unlikely, especially in the throes of the election campaign. He said that there are also calls for Biden to surge medical supplies to Gaza. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a week in which the Government launched another action plan, the action that counts most for many is the announcement the Prime Minister told us was coming this week and arrived yesterday. Local councils and Māori seats. A lot of the overlay around this Government, involving all three parties, is about the Māorification of this country. It has been shockingly destructive, and councils have led, and been allowed to lead the way when it comes to simple racism. Policies based on race are racist. Polices that advance one race over another are racist. Despite that, they have not only gone ahead, but been encouraged to go ahead. The law that let the community hold a vote on Māori seats was disbanded. That alone was undemocratic, but it was disbanded because the results were always the same. When a vote was held no one wanted race-based seats. Why? Because New Zealanders are inherently fair. This was all predicated on the idea that in a democracy somehow Māori were denied the right to stand, when in fact no such restriction was ever in place. Like everyone else, Māori can stand for boards and councils and committees and Parliament. Top to bottom, democracy is an open field in this country and that is what needs to be treasured, nurtured, encouraged and preserved. What made yesterday's announcement even more effective is councils will be made to hold votes on recent seats that they didn’t hold votes on, and if they don’t want to hold a vote the seat gets scrapped. Brilliant. That was a step I suspect many didn’t think would be coming. Some councils will gnash their teeth but what councils forget is they represent their community, and, on this issue, they have been wildly out of step. To get where we have got to democracy has been gerrymandered, the way it is gerrymandered in countries we hold great suspicions about. We are better than that. And yet the previous Government, in cahoots with ideologues on councils with more important things to deal with, held us to ransom and shoved it down your throats. When a Government restores democracy, driven by common sense, that’s a Government on the right track. 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. Action plans: 7/10 You can't say the Government isn't announcing and doing. EV's: 3/10 As they say in the markets, this is a bubble. Stuff is worth what it is worth. Mess with that simple concept at your peril. Rich folks: 6/10 The world grew more billionaires and millionaires and as fashionable as it is to bag them and poo poo them, rich people make stuff, sell stuff, change lives and improve places, which is kind of what we are keen on. Easter trading: 2/10 Yet another year of dumb rules, dumb fines and no sign of legislative modernity. Easter Tuesday: 4/10 When education is in the state it is, you do wonder whether invented holidays help the cause. The Warriors: 7/10 Two on the trot. A broken leg for Luke Metcalf, which isn't brilliant, but this week is the Rabbitohs and they're not up to much. So yes, this is our year. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 5th of April, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown joined to discuss the u-turn the Government is making around Māori wards. There’s some good news for Air NZ and some bad news when it comes to Koru Club. Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined to wrap everything from the week, including ACC, sleep methods, and what business Mike and Glenn are looking to buy into. 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.

Former Silver Fern Margaret Foster's hopeful Dame Noeline Taurua can rediscover her mojo in a new chapter for the national side. Newstalk ZB understands Taurua will be re-appointed as coach this afternoon after Netball New Zealand opened up the position for applications. The Silver Ferns won the 2019 World Cup under Taurua but failed to make the podium during last year's defence. Foster told Mike Hosking that Taurua is probably heads and shoulders above everyone else who applied, as long as she comes back with a new idea of what she wants to achieve. She doesn’t think Taurua would’ve returned if she knew she didn’t have the energy or passion to be able to make a real difference. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson have once again joined Mike Hosking to wrap the week. On this docket today is ACC, sleep methods, and the new business venture Glenn and Mike are thinking of buying into. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.