The Mike Hosking Breakfast

A couple of fun facts that weren't covered in the Government's transport plan, given we all got exercised about registrations and fuel taxes. The Road to Zero has been dumped as part of it. And the Te Huia train is under review. You can add these two projects to the Labour Government's litany of shambles that, essentially, came to nothing. The poverty figures that went backwards, the Fees Free programme that got no one they wanted into university and now Road to Zero, surely the stupidest of titles, finally put out of its misery. In fact, is Road to Zero as stupid as Let's Get Wellington Moving? It's a close-run thing. But like Road to Zero, Let's Get Wellington Moving didn’t work either. You’ve never seen such a lavish array of hot air and thought bubbles getting enacted at such a price. Te Huia is a classic New Zealand story. At its heart, on a piece of paper, the concept of shuffling people between Hamilton and Auckland is not the end of the world. But in typical fashion, at the start it didn’t stop in Auckland, it stopped out of Auckland. Then you had to change trains or get a bus. Then it ran red lights and got pulled. Then no one used it, and when they used it a bit, it turned out they used it on weekends. So it turned into a touristy "let's visit Auckland on a Saturday" sort of thing. All the while it was losing money hand over fist. Last time we talked about it they were expanding the number of services. Normally you expand the number of services because of demand, but not Te Huia. No, they just expanded it for the sake of it. $90 per person per trip is what we all pay for this folly. As for the Road to Zero, it isn't at zero and it's not close to zero. It will never be at zero and as the agency who oversees this stuff announced just this week, they are now looking at recidivist behaviour to see if it’s a hard core who are causing all the trouble on the roads. Small hint - it is. It's like crime, it's a handful of troublemakers causing the issues, so all that advertising about seatbelts and speed and drinking never hit the mark, because the mark doesn't care. The big question is the longer-term issue. By the time this Government undoes all the nutty stuff, will there be anything left at all of the Labour Government of 2017-23? And if there isn't, how bad in the annals of history does that make them? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden will be trying to woo undecided voters in his annual State of the Union speech this afternoon. The US President is expected to focus on hot-button issues like the flow of migrants across the Mexico-US border. He's expected to lash Republicans for pulling out of a border reform plan that they helped draft, after Donald Trump said he wanted to keep the border as a hot election issue. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that we can expect some fireworks. He said that in the past the opposition would remain seated while supporters show their enthusiasm, but lately it’s been getting more and more raucous. Biden is due to speak about 3pm New Zealand time. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve been missing the farmers market, this week has you covered. Back for its 6th annual event, National Farmers Markets Week is kicking off this Saturday. There are approximately 25 farmers markets across the country, making up over a thousand small food businesses with an estimated 50,000 customers supporting them each week. Jono Walker, Chair of Famers Markets NZ, told Mike Hosking that farmers markets are more than just a place to do your weekly shop, it’s a community hub. He said that the number of farmers markets is currently fairly stable, but they’d love to see more cropping up. For that, Walker said, they need a lot more people growing, particularly vegetables. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The preseason has come to an end and the Warriors are officially back in action with their 2024 season. They’re facing the Cronulla Sharks tonight at home, naming their strongest possible side to open their NRL campaign. Kiwis Coach and Warriors legend Stacey Jones told Mike Hosking that while there were a couple of shaky moments in the trials, it allowed them to mix and match combinations and give players new opportunities. He said that it's important to get off to a good start, and playing at home plays a major part in that. Jones said that they'll need the crowd to really get behind the team at tonight's match LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air New Zealand is starting to take a closer look at people's carry on luggage. The airline allows bags of up to 7 kg and 118 centimetres in length into an aircraft's cabin. If it's bigger than that passengers will be told to check it in, and if necessary, pay for the privilege. General Manager of Airports Kate Boyer says told Mike Hosking that they have noticed more people pushing the limits. She says it slows down passengers and impacts space on board. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government’s first 100 days is just about up. Today is the final day of their 100 day action plan, almost all of their 49 tasks having been ticked off the list. Last on the list is setting major targets for the health system, which is due to be crossed off this afternoon. Christopher Luxon denied that the plan was simply announcements without actions, telling Mike Hosking that the education adjustments and fixing up security for emergency departments are common sense things. He said that the important thing was that the plan was focused, containing things that the cabinet, ministers, and the coalition government were interested in. Luxon said that these were the must dos as opposed to the nice to dos, and importantly it’s focused on the public service. Five healthcare targets are to be announced today, covering things like immunisation for under twos, cancer treatments, and first surgeries. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The energy sector says the Government fast tracking consent legislation is a welcome breath of fresh air. The coalition's introduced its replacement for the Resource Management Act, which gives ministers the final say on new infrastructure initiatives. Energy Resources Aotearoa says this will strike the balance between encouraging investment, while maintaining checks to protect iwi and the environment. Chief executive John Carnegie told Mike Hosking that this will them help grow the economy and create jobs. He says this will smooth the way for much-needed investment for reliable energy for all. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Italian Parliament has approved their involvement in three new international missions. Italy has received support from across their political spectrum for these missions in the Red Sea, Ukraine, and Gaza. Italian Correspondent Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking that this involvement includes military presence in the Red Sea, further aid and weapons for Ukraine, and more aid for Gaza. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can argue a lot about what the Government has announced this week, the school lunches, the military-style boot camps, and yesterday's housing shake up. But they have one critical advantage. What they are addressing, indisputably, has not worked under the other Government's view of the world. The school lunch programme is hundreds of millions of dollars of waste. The crime rate got hopelessly out of control, especially among young people and the poverty figures did not improve, in fact they went backwards. It is a demonstrable failure in a variety of areas, which is why in part we have a new Government, and a new Government gets to have a crack at these issues and do it their way. Emergency housing is arguably the biggest disgrace of all. One million dollars a day spent, places like Rotorua ruined by reputational damage - and after years of it are we any better off? No. So, we've got a new way and the critical part, and the bit that gives this lot the best chance of success, is getting the private sector involved. If ideology was on display at its most inept, it was this idea that the Labour Government had that they are the ones who could build all the houses and meet all the demand. They couldn’t and they didn’t. The rigour went by the wayside years ago and the expectation on the tenants was long forgotten. Behaviour fell, issues arose, contributions that were supposed to be made never were by way of rent, no one got evicted and nearly no one got held to account. It is a shocking, embarrassing, cataclysmic disgrace. So, a change. Put the worst to the top of the list. Bring in accountability. Have you made an effort? Have you avoided paying your share? Have you caused trouble? It's not onerous by way of expectation I wouldn’t have thought. The private sector is being called in to do what they do best - supply. Is it a magic bullet? Of course not But it's hard to believe it isn't going to be a marked and impressive improvement on the social stain Labour called a policy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A friend of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny maintains his death was an assassination. American financier Bill Browder was the biggest foreign investor in Russia, and was deported in 2005 for opposing Kremlin-backed companies He told Mike Hosking this isn't the first attempt to kill Navalny, and says Putin tried to poison him with a banned Soviet-era chemical in 2020. Browder says there's no doubt he was assassinated and those who believe the official version he died of natural causes aren't looking at the facts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The appetite for interesting and odd food combinations seems to be growing. A developmental test kitchen in Wellington is playing with ingredients, dishes like offal ice cream and blood-sauced steak on offer. Chefs Elliot Shepherd and Dale Bowie are pushing boundaries, combining science with cooking and aiming to add to the “lacking” line-up of kiwi cuisine. Bowie told Mike Hosking that they key is understanding food at its molecular level, and once you’ve got that, the sky is the limit. The kitchen sells their products commercially, aiming to change the flavour profile of the country’s cuisine. He said that they want to make sure the world knows that we’re not just a footnote in global cuisine, and that New Zealand has some of the best produce in the world. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Increasing dementia rates are seeing more advocacy for older people in the health system. A new Aged Care Commissioner report highlights areas where healthcare falls short for older people, and where action is needed. It calls for improvements to access and investment, as well as a sustainable workforce that can respond to complex health needs. Commissioner Carolyn Cooper says a key area for action is in preventing and detecting dementia early, such as by providing free hearing aids. She says preventions are important and older people need the health system to work together in reducing the risk and improving their quality of life. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite a record number of children leaving home schooling, numbers are still higher than pre-pandemic levels. Education Ministry figures show 2,286 children exited home schooling last year. More than half of those leaving had been learning from home for less than a year. Total homeschool numbers remain above 10,000. Education Hub founder Dr Nina Hood told Mike Hosking there's probably a combination of factors, including children wanting to go back to school. She says some of it is also likely about families and parents realising teaching their own children is challenging. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Act party leader David Seymour says there’s “no question” there will be a reduction in the number of public servants under the coalition Government’s watch. Seymour spoke with Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB this morning following criticism of the government’s proposed public sector cuts. Ministries are on a mission to cut spending by 6.5 to 7.5 per cent before the Budget in May. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has asked all departments to look for savings to “restore discipline” to taxpayer spending. Correspondence from 11 ministries about their cost-cutting plans has been released to NZME under the Official Information Act. One idea put forward at the Ministry of Transport was for staff to stay with friends rather than in hotels when travelling for work. When asked specifically about that proposal by Hosking, Seymour said “it’s not a bad idea”. He said despite increases in spending, public services have not improved. “Ten billion dollars, five million people... how did we get there is your question. The Reserve Bank and Adrian Orr and their infinite wisdom kept interest rates very low, and Grant Robertson turned the tap on.” “There’s no question there will be a reduction on a number of people,” Seymour said when asked of job losses. The comments come during a week where Seymour has faced criticism for Government efforts to reign in public spending. He’s also found himself embroiled in a social media spat with the head of a publicly funded anti-extremism centre over cutbacks. Professor Joanna Kidman, a director of the Centre of Research Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, lashed out at the Government on Tuesday night. Kidman wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that she could “only assume that this Government hates children, most of whom will be poor and brown”. “There is so much evidence that military-style youth boot camps don’t work and are expensive,” she wrote. Kidman also added that the Government “wants to snatch children’s lunches” in response to Associate Education Minister and Act leader David Seymour describing free school lunches as “wasteful” public spending and arguing that the Government should cut them. “Is this a government or a death cult?” Kidman wrote. Seymour replied on X: “Some interesting views from a Jacinda Ardern and Labour appointee”. Kidman has since made her X account private. It is the second social media spat involving Seymour after earlier this week, he and Health Coalition Aotearoa co-chair Professor Lisa Te Morenga exchanged personal barbs over the Government’s free school lunches programme. Professor Joanna Kidman, director of the Centre of Research Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, He Whenua Taurikura. Speaking to the Herald, Seymour said it was “really strange” for Kidman’s comments to come from an organisation funded to bring people together. “If people want to have arguments about the merits of the school lunch programme or the Government’s boot camps for prisoners, there’s lots of arguments they can make if they’d like to without getting into these kinds of personal attacks. Once you start doing that you’re actually promoting division and extremism,” he said. He said he believed in freedom of speech and the Government “should never lock someone up for their opinion”, but if someone entered a private contract, they took on obligations in terms of behaviour. He said people who took government funding were allowed to criticise the Government. Kidman has not responded to multiple requests for comment from the Herald. Act Party leader David Seymour speaking at Waitangi. Photo / Michael Cunningham -Jaime Lyth, Raphael Franks, and Benjamin Plummer LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite expectations of a rapidly growing sector, it's now a bleak look for goat and sheep dairy farmers. A 2020 government-backed report indicated there would be increasing demand for non-bovine dairy alternatives. However, last week sheep milk company Maui Milk told it's Waikato farmers to stop milking due to a lack of demand, and now the goat milk industry is facing similar woes. Federated Farmers Goats Chair Michael Woodward told Mike Hosking that the slow response to changes in China is hurting both industries. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Housing Minister's making a stark claim on the state of the country's emergency housing. The Government's announced families with children living in emergency housing for more than 12 weeks, will go to the top of the social housing waitlist. The verification process, eligibility settings, and obligations will also be strengthened for those entering emergency housing. Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking he's calling it the biggest public policy failure in recent New Zealand history. He says six years ago there were a handful of families in motels, now there's three-thousand and it's costing a million-dollars a day. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Along with the honesty from Toyota around the value, or lack of it, in the second-hand EV market here, we got February's figures for new car sales. January was a bust, February was barely any better and the industry is expecting March to be slow as well. The EV story is revealing its next chapter and its one many purchasers and early adopters will not like. What drove the fizz was a couple of things - hype and free money. Governments have decided EV's were a climate answer and got on board with rules and regulations around emissions that basically forced the industry into electric, whether they wanted it or not. When the consumer didn’t join in, they handed out incentives. The uptake improved but in most countries, it still didn’t really take off. America has them but they haven't worked, Australia has little, if any, appetite for them and New Zealand got a bit enthused but that’s all over with the change of Government. So, there were regulations and bribes, and they still couldn't do it and now if you look all over the world Governments and industries are backing away. Everyone from Jaguar Land Rover to Ford are focusing on plug-in hybrids. Britain has backed away from banning combustion engines and Ford in America are re-investing in new engine factories and capacity. People lost their sense of objectivity and Toyota here has highlighted that this week with their warning over used values. What is a used EV worth? We don’t really know yet because the market hasn’t been established. And in that is the fear. Markets are driven by demand. You can create demand artificially, the way we did with subsidies, or you can create demand by value, or performance, or sometimes hype. The EV is plagued today with what it has always been plagued with; range, anxiety, price, re-charging issues and the unknown. When you compare an EV with a petrol car, the petrol still stacks up. Not in running costs but in convenience, distance, reparability and resale value. All of this might, might change with solid state batteries or charging stations on every corner. But what we are fast learning is we jumped the gun, Government's jumped the gun, the industry jumped the gun, and the enthusiasts jumped the gun. Sales don’t lie and worse - if the re-sale story turns out to be a dog, you watch the love affair with internal combustion go to a whole new level. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Super Tuesday in the United States, as people in 15 states and American Samoa vote for their preferred presidential candidates. Republican strategist Matt Terrill told Mike Hosking that Donald Trump is expected to pick up most, if not all, of the Republican primaries. This would all but guarantee him the Republican nomination. He said that the writing is on the wall that Trump will be having a big night tonight. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's police spokesperson says wider issues with youth offenders' families need to be addressed. The Government's announced military academies for youth offenders. Oranga Tamariki's been put in charge of leading a pilot programme from the middle of this year. Labour's Ginny Andersen told Mike Hosking that if the young person goes back to a dysfunctional home, the same issues happen over and over. She says just taking them out and putting them through anything —whether it's boot camps or counselling— if they go back into the same family unit where things aren't fixed at home, the same things will happen again. On the other side of the divide, National’s Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking that the support doesn’t stop when they finish the 12-month course. He said that they will continue to receive support to lessen the impact of their environments and keep them on the straight and narrow. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tipping culture could be becoming more popular here. Numbers from the financial information site, Banked, suggest 60% of Kiwis sometimes or often leave a tip. Almost 47% of New Zealanders think tipping is a good thing, while 34% say the opposite. Banked Head of Publishing Kevin McHugh told Mike Hosking that tipping culture here has primarily been affected by the United States and as a result has become more popular. He said that the cost-of-living crisis does play into it, and those who tend to tip are the ones who have higher salaries. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hurricanes boss has expressed disappointment with the rugby team's HQ over the women's side's controversial anti-government haka. The team amended the words to use the phrase “karetao o te Kā-wana kaki-whero” or “puppets of this redneck Government”. The Hurricanes plan to apologise. Hurricanes Chief Executive Avan Lee told Mike Hosking that he's disappointed with the process and the words that were used. He says he wasn't aware of anything in the pipeline, and there was no discussion or consultation. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The removal of 30% of public bins across Auckland has locals fuming. As part of the Auckland Council's budget plan last year, the ' bin optimisation' project is expected to save ratepayers at least $9 million. But many are taking to social media to complain about the litter, dumped bait bags and dog poo left behind in local neighbourhoods. Auckland Councillor Shane Henderson told Mike Hosking that many councillors disagree with the project. He says $9 million is significant, but it shouldn't stop council delivering public services. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Defence Minister's facing a balancing act with the country's Defence Force planes. Christopher Luxon's Boeing 757 never left the ground yesterday due to a technical fault, meaning the Prime Minister had to fly commercially to Melbourne for ASEAN talks. It's the latest instance of old Defence Force planes disrupting diplomatic travel plans. Judith Collins told Mike Hosking that we need better and more reliable equipment, but we also need to be able to afford it. She says we're in a cost-of-living crunch and people won't want them to spend hundreds of millions on some planes when people are struggling to pay their mortgages. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A youth charity leader says there needs to be wrap-around support for young offenders after they attend military academies. The Government's announced Oranga Tamariki will lead the programme, with a pilot starting mid this year. The academies will have a military-style component, as well as rehabilitative and trauma-informed care. Blue Light Chief Operating Officer Brendon Crompton told Mike Hosking that there's persistent youth offenders who need more intensive support. He says they need time away from either negative parenting involvement, who may be involved in crime or gangs themselves, or more commonly, parental non-involvement. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new health fad has come onto the scene. Endorsed by the likes of Kourtney Kardashian, Beyonce, and Gwyneth Paltrow, a new TikTok trend has people drinking olive oil. While olive oil does have health benefits, Nutritionist Nikki Hart isn’t sure about doing it as a shot. She told Mike Hosking that medically, there isn’t a difference between consuming 30mils over the course of a day or in a single shot, and the monounsaturated fat it contains is good for heart health. However, Hart said, they don’t want people thinking that a single shot of oil a day will cancel out the impact of a highly processed diet full of saturated fats, when it's just adding to their fat intake. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Screen time could be getting in the way of toddlers' language development. New research supports the concept of "technoference", where screens limit talking and interacting of young children in their homes. Toddlers hear fewer words, make fewer vocalisations, and have fewer conversations for every minute of screen time. Crimson Global Academy’s Pene Barton told Mike Hosking that the study looks at family screentime, and she’d hazard a guess that it’s not just the child’s use of the technology, but how the family interacts with the child as they use it. She said that there’s also studies that show a positive link between childhood technology usage and later academic performance, as well as self-confidence and emotional social skills. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twenty years after disbanding, Zed is back for good. Hailing from Christchurch, the kiwi band was created in 1996, their 2000 album ‘Silencer’ going triple platinum. They released another album after that before disbanding in 2004, lead vocalist Nathan King going solo while Ben Campbell and Andrew Lynch formed Atlas, which would then disband in late 2008. The group reunited for a few live gigs over the years, including a national tour in 2019 to celebrate Silencer’s 20th anniversary. They announced their comeback in 2023, releasing a live video of ‘Renegade Fighter’ online, along with a new single: ‘Future You.’ With a twenty-year gap in the band’s history, there is some regret from Nathan King. “It was a sort of wondering of like, what could have been if we’d sort of just, dug a bit deeper and managed to pull through some of those hard times,” he told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking. However, despite that, Andrew Lynch sees a positive in the disbanding: “We still really like each other because we weren’t stuck in a room for an extra fifteen years.” “We may have killed each other if we tried to stay together,” King agreed. The split can be attributed, at least in part, to proximity and age. While they’re touring or performing, bands tend to be living in each other's pockets and for young hotheads with bottomless bravado, tempers can flare and boil over. Coming back together after two decades, Lynch says that everyone is a bit more chill and understanding of other people. “We know ourselves better,” King agreed. “You can cope and adapt to it.” Zed’s return was sparked by their 2017 performance for the All Blacks game against the Lions, which had them in front of a packed Eden Park. “We we’re like, ‘that was a lot of fun, we should do that again.’” Their latest album is releasing in July, and is, according to King, a slight evolution from their previous sound. “It’s kicked the can forward.” It’s all fresh material, the album catering both to previous fans and those who have never heard them before. “There’s enough of us wanting to be our 20-year-old selves again but then at the same time going, oh, we’ve learned a thing or two over the last twenty years,” King told Hosking. “Always a student, of life and music,” Lynch added. Musicians don’t necessarily expect their music to go platinum, but they do quietly hope for it, both for the accolades that come with and the opportunities. “You just want as many people to hear your music as possible,” said King. “It just creates something you can really sink your teeth into.” Picking up where they left off twenty years ago, Zed has no plans to stop any time soon. “Everyone’s on the same page there.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's aiming to start work on fast-tracking consenting. A bill's expected to be introduced this week to speed up resource approvals for major infrastructure projects. Government representatives believe the process, through the RMA, costs too much and takes too long. Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking that they're worried growth's being constrained. She says the consenting system ties people up in court, adding costs and uncertainty to major projects. When it comes to building projects, doing up Premier House is not at the top of the Government's to do list. The Prime Minister won't live at his official residence due to the condition of the building, which is very old in some places. Willis told Hosking that the Government has to focus on priorities like transport, housing, hospitals, and classrooms. She says Premier House repairs are pretty low down the list. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Increasing concerns around an excess of electric vehicles supply. EVs have fallen from one in four new vehicles bought in 2023, to one in 26 in January this year after the Government scrapped the clean car rebate. Brands are now having to rethink —and discount— EV stock they ordered when demand was at an all-time high. Toyota NZ chief executive Neeraj Lala told Mike Hosking that they order their cars a year in advance. He says even if they can foresee a government change, there's only about six to eight weeks’ notice, and the market can't respond quickly enough. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Minister's backing his future fuel tax increase. The Government's $21 billion draft transport plan features 15 Roads of National Significance and a half billion-dollar pothole prevention fund. A $50 increase in vehicle registration fees over the next two years will help pay for it. Fuel taxes will increase by 22 cents a litre over the next term of Parliament. Simeon Brown told Mike Hosking that the first hike will come in 2027. He says by that stage there won't have been an increase in fuel excise for six years, and the reality is funding's needed to pay for the infrastructure we need. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Growing Up in NZ Longitudinal Study has a sample of over 6000 young people who represent the ethnic and socio-economic diversity of all young people today. Data from the study shows high levels of interest in sport and cultural participation, with 97% of participants taking part in extracurricular activities outside of school. Researcher Dr Rebecca Evans says the high figure shows that young people are really engaged with arts, culture and recreation. Listen above. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Data shows that many GPs are moving their non-contact clinical work into the evenings or weekends in order to find time to complete it. President Royal NZ College of GPs Samantha Murton tells Mike Hosking that a doctor’s work is not just the time spent in front of patients, and this needs to be factored into how GPs are renumerated. Listen above. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The full extent of work needing to be done on Premier House is estimated to cost $30 million. The building dates back to 1843 and has been the home of the Prime Minister since 1865. Chief Executive of Heritage New Zealand Andrew Coleman says the building's age, along with the fact that it is a multi-functional property, suggests factors contributing to the maintenance cost may include security upgrades and water management. Listen above. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new Government has taken the first steps to ensure prisoners on remand can access rehab and reintegration support, promised as part of it’s 100 day plan. Corrections Association President Floyd Du Plessis tells Mike Hosking the current system doesn’t work and the demand for rehabilitation will be big. Currently, Corrections are delivering up to 100 different types of programmes. Du Plessis wants to see better consideration around vocational training and says an increase in or change of resources is needed. Listen above. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tensions are growing over a review into the school lunches programme as a coalition of health charities has requested an urgent meeting with David Seymour to discuss it’s fate. David Seymour tells Mike Hosking the programme can not continue at it’s current cost of $350 million per year. Seymour says the review will find ways the programme can be made more efficient and reduce its 25 percent waste rate. Listen above. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2023 Fee Survey by the New Zealand Dental Association shows dentist prices have risen 23% over the past few years. NZ Dental Association CEO Dr Mo Asmo tells Mike Hosking that the cost of delivering healthcare is going up generally and a significant portion of the country is unable to afford healthcare. Dr Asmo says the rise in dentistry cost is really just cumulative inflation over the past three years. Listen above.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump may have avoided trouble once more. The Supreme Court has intervened in Trump’s trial regarding the January 6th insurrection, which was supposed to begin on March 4th. This would ensure that the outcome would be decided before the Presidential elections in November. The Supreme Court has now said that they will consider whether a former President has absolute immunity from any crime, a claim made by Trump’s lawyers. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that by their own admission, they want to delay the case until after the election. If Trump wins, he said, this will allow him to either pardon himself or cancel the federal lawsuits he is facing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you want to laugh, have a look at the shambles that unfolded this week in Australia as a result of the new law that makes companies publish their gender pay gaps. It turns out there is one, in some industries it's worse than others and it proves what those of us who have argued against such measures were right all along. If you know what the other person earns, in some way, shape or form, your head is going to explode. It is of course, and this is the real story, based on a falsehood. There is no such thing as a gender pay gap in the sense wages are not handed out for gender. They are handed out for a job and/or experience and/or skill, sometimes also age. Wages also vary depending on the business, specifically, and the industry, generally. Where you get the so-called gender gap is by comparing apples with spanners and thinking it makes sense. Women often choose careers and jobs and hours for different reasons than men. That’s not right or wrong, nor is it black or white. What it is, is individual and everyone is allowed to choose what they want for themselves. Some examples this week; they went to town on fashion brands where there was a pay gap and where management was largely male, and sales were largely female. This was presented as a problem. What they failed to ask, as they always fail to ask, is why were there men in management? Had they deliberately rejected all females because they were females, or was the male who happened to be in the job the best person who applied? A gender pay issue is only an issue if you overtly because of gender deny a person a job. That, most of the time in this day and age, does not happen. They have taken a nuanced and complex problem and the Government, for reasons best known to themselves, most likely woke, decided to make a law that will cause needless angst and solve nothing. Good for headlines though and water cooler chat, which is what Australia has busied itself with this week. 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. Adrian Orr: 6/10 The cash rate holds and he is nowhere near as hawkish as they thought. All of that is good. He just needs to be right. Trump: 6/10 Won South Carolina, won Michigan and the Supreme Court will hear his immunity case. Ginny Andersen: 6/10 Apologised on this station twice and both times I judged with genuine sincerity. An apology puts a lot of stuff right. Newshub: 3/10 A mixture of sadness tinged with writing on the wall. It wasn’t the surprise some made it out to be. NCEA: 2/10 More results of more people failing and that's a massive social and moral stain on this country and its future. The Māori Health Authority: 6/10 Gone and good riddance. Race-based policy is racist, divisive and destructive. Gang patches: 6/10 A simple and demonstrative part of an overall approach that is six years overdue. Stuart Nash: 8/10 Truth bomber of the week. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Immigration Minister is looking to push forward with urgent changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme. It follows the Public Service Commission review which found Immigration NZ had insufficient checks and balances to prevent migrant exploitation. Erica Stanford told Mike Hosking that her Government can fix it, starting with urgent alterations to the work visa scheme itself. She says they'll then take a long hard look at the process through an upcoming review. But, Stanford adds, in the meantime she's taking a paper to Cabinet to bring back the teeth they used to have. She adds the current high trust model means she can't push or pull immigration numbers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forestry operators are hopeful that an independent review of the Emissions Trading Scheme will reduce the costs on the sector. The Government's announced a review into the forestry component of the ETS. Forestry Minister Todd McClay says it's about delivering on an election promise. Forest Owners Association President Grant Dodson told Mike Hosking that he hopes it results in lower costs. He says they're happy to pay their share, but it must be balanced across all sectors. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s more work to do to draw more international visitors to our shores. Stats NZ data for the year to the end of March 2023 shows total tourism spend of $37.7 billion, up $10.7 billion from the year before. That's about $4 billion shy of pre-covid levels. Tourism Minister Matt Doocey told Mike Hosking that Australia, USA, and the UK all have similar market share compared with 2019. He says the real difference is China —pre-covid it was about 10% market share, but in 2023 it's about 5%— so there's a lot to do in that market. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a symbolic gesture to our military allies, New Zealand is following suit in designating Hamas a terrorist entity. The Government says it can no longer distinguish between the organisation's military and political wings. Former Defence Minister Wayne Mapp told Mike Hosking that Australia and Canada have also designated Hamas a terrorist entity, and the three have issued a joint statement. He says it's clear there's a consistent stance on the Gaza war and part of that is calling for an immediate ceasefire. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

House prices are predicted to soar back to post-covid highs sooner rather than later. OneRoof-Valocity research predicts average property values will return to February 2022 highs of just under $1.1 million in the third quarter of 2025. It shows Auckland and Wellington regions will have to wait a little longer. OneRoof editor Owen Vaughan told Mike Hosking that the research shows that recovery is going to be gradual and steady. He said that the Reserve Bank saying that interest rates would remain higher for longer provided certainty to the market. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Wood has had quite the journey. Coming into public knowledge in 2015 on the Australian version of the Bachelor, Wood was already established as a personal trailer. Since then he has gone on to write several award-winning books, ‘28 by Sam Wood’ and ‘7 Minutes to Better Health’. He owns Australia’s largest personal training studio, has exclusive supermarket deals, and is now launching a new programme to make Kiwis healthier. Wood told Mike Hosking that it doesn’t take much to fall on the wrong side of obesity statistics. He said that in a fast-paced world of convenience, clever marketing, and highly processed foods, a sedentary lifestyle can quickly result in weight gain. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air New Zealand says travellers will benefit from the latest extension to its joint venture with Singapore Airlines. The airlines have received approval to extend their partnership by another five years. The partnership has already been underway for a decade, with seat capacity growing by 50% in that time. Air New Zealand Chief Transformation and Alliances Officer Mike Williams told Mike Hosking that it allows them to provide more flying options. He says more seats will be available, which means lower prices. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While fully accepting these are difficult days for the media in this country, it is important to put the Newshub news into a little bit of context. You can still be successful in this country, and to take one sad case and lump it in with everybody else is to fail to understand the nuance of the landscape. For a start, this country, as Adrian Orr pointed out yesterday, has massive economic troubles. The media, or the commercial, non-taxpayer funded media are at the sharp end of that, always have been. Also worth remembering, the story is being played out all over the world at the moment, everyone from Time Magazine to Vogue to the LA Times is laying people off, and that's before you get to the Disneys and Paramount and BBCs. The Newshub story of yesterday is, in many respects, the TV3 story of the past several decades. They have never really been loved. Owners have come and gone. Owners have owned them for the wrong reasons. Owners have tried to sell them unsuccessfully. Ask yourself why. The company was split recently after they couldn't sell it as a combined going concern, hence it became Discovery and MediaWorks, the radio arm, went their own way. Discovery has issues or Warner Brothers Discovery has issues for themselves all over the world, see, a tiny player at the bottom of the Earth would not have been high on their old ‘let's bail them out scale.’ The politicians weighing in largely had it right, I thought, National said there was basically nothing they could do. Hipkins was also right when he said it's problematic that the linear TV landscape now is solely, or the news division anyway, solely operated by TVNZ. The last thing TVNZ needs, I can tell you, is the laziness that inevitably ensues when you have the place to yourself. Which is why radio remains as robust as it ever has. There's plenty of competition, and competition keeps you sharp. If we're to be a little bit blunt, you might want to look at some of the decisions MediaWorks, TV3, Clear Channel, the equity companies, all the various owners have made over the years. It's been a bumpy old ride, basically for three long decades. TV3 news, in many respects, never really got a hold of the New Zealand psyche, it was never really that successful. TV1 killed and kills them every night by some margin. Yes, they did some innovative things, but at the end of the day, numbers count. Numbers in audience and numbers in revenue. This company, for example, NZME is profitable, I'm told the years got off to a good start. Sky TV is profitable, their results came out last week, they look more than solid. TVNZ is losing money, and if Seymour gets his way, we'll have to pay some sort of dividend to level the field, that's no bad thing. Lord knows what's happening to Stuff and what they're up to, if you've seen their new website, but they're private, so we don't know. Minor players like the Spinoff and Newsroom still seem to keep their head above the water, magazines still seem to be available to read. So, it's not the end of the world, and it's not the end of the media. It's how you do it, that's clearly the difference. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interest rates may not be going up or down much any time soon. The Reserve Bank is keeping the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 5.5%, in line with most economists' expectations. Vittoria Shortt, ASB’s CEO, told Mike Hosking that both personal customers and businesses are coping with the higher rates, but are making big sacrifices to do so. She said that across the board, their business clients are doing well but not without making trade-offs or sacrifices. Some industries, Shortt said, are experiencing more stress, some are coming out of that stress, and some that are really keen to grow. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retirement village operators have come under fire from the Commerce Commission for their contract terms. A dozen retirement operators —including Ryman and Arvida— have been put on notice because their conduct risks breaching the Fair Trading Act. They run a total of 180 villages across the country. Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy told Mike Hosking that there's an imbalance of power between facility operators and residents. He says there are concerns around the advertising that lures people into a village, and unfair clauses in the residents' contracts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank believes inflation is tracking downwards, despite many economists expecting the OCR to stay steady for some time. Adrian Orr told Mike Hosking that they expect it fall below 3% by mid-year, sitting within the target range of 1-3%. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.