The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Here are a couple of things I know about education. 

The first is that we aren't that good at it and our results, whether PISA scores, or kids leaving school without proper qualifications, or even turning up in the first place, speak loud and clear on this. 

The second is that although the unions argue more money is the answer, it is, and it isn't. 

In New South Wales at the moment, t...

Donald Trump has decided not to take the stand amid his hush money trial. 

The former president faces charges of falsifying documents to cover up payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. 

The trial's defence has now wrapped up as jurors prepare for deliberations. 

US correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Trump declined to speak, despite his claims throughout the case he's b...

Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell joined Mike Hosking to dive into the biggest political stories from the week so far. 

Erica Stanford has been gifted a bed, what gifts have they received and had to register? 

Plus, the bill repealing section 7AA passed its first reading in Parliament yesterday, and Ginny Andersen is pretty strongly opposed. 

It doesn’t achieve anything, she told Mike ...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 22nd of May, we looked at the bad news the Reserve Bank may give us today, and how serious is the threat from the Rugby Players Association to split from the NZR? 

In the midst of the bizarre news that Erica Stanford declared a gift of a bed, Mike revealed he was also "gifted" a bed, which turned into a big drama! 

Ginny Andersen and Mar...

New Zealand’s rugby provinces have been warned by the professional players association to brace for a civil war if they vote to approve their own governance change proposal at next week’s special general meeting.  

In an explosive move, the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association (NZRPA) has told the unions it is ready to break away to form a new and separate entity to manage the professional game. 

The Reserve Bank is walking a tight rope when it comes to interest rates. 

The OCR is expected to remain unchanged at 5.5% when the bank releases its quarterly Monetary Policy Statement this afternoon. 

It's signalled a rate cut may not come for another year. 

ANZ's Chief Economist Sharon Zollner told Mike Hosking that their view is that a cut is more likely to come next year, as infl...

Two MPs are facing electoral commission investigation after electoral paperwork blunders. 

The Greens have referred suspended MP Darleen Tana to the Electoral Commission for failing to put a promoter statement on a magazine article about herself. 

At the same time, National MP David MacLeod has lost his Select Committee positions after he failed to declare almost $200 thousand in donations. 

There are pleas for the Government not to scrap the first-home buyers grant. 

Newshub is reporting the Government plans to redirect the $60 million allocated to help first-home buyers and put the money into social housing. 

The scheme gives buyers between $5,000 and $10,000 towards their first home if they earn under a certain threshold, and property experts say dissolving it would be a bad move.

It’s a sad, old business when part of your market update is the cost of the violent crime you are having to deal with. 

Michael Hill this week talked of the sort of things businesses talk of; the downturn, the mood, the spend and the consumer. All of it's bad right now for obvious reasons. 

What is interesting is they said of the various countries they operate in that New Zealand is the worst in te...

It's a day of shame after an inquiry into Britain's infected blood scandal suggests a cover up. 

More than 30,000 people received infected blood and products in the 1970s and 80s from the state-funded National Health Service. 

3000 people died and thousands more contracted hepatitis or HIV. 

The inquiry's found the government hid the truth to save face and expense. 

Brit...

A new model is being proposed to give more local councils more control. 

Local Government New Zealand's calling on the government to adopt city and regional deals, a system that would see local and central government team up for local projects. 

It's hoped the arrangement would allow for more decentralisation. 

Local Government New Zealand President Sam Broughton told Mike Hosking tha...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 21st of May, Housing Minister Chris Bishop outlined the absolute shambles that is Kainga Ora and how it's going to be fixed. 

The Greens finally got back to us about how much the Darleen Tana investigation is costing. Mike revealed the full details. 

Robert Patrick of Terminator fame is soon...

One of the greatest villain actors of all time, Robert Patrick is stopping by New Zealand. 

He’s most well known for playing the T-1000 terminator in the second film of the Terminator series, and for his roles in Reacher, Peacemaker, and the Yellowstone prequel 1923. 

Patrick is coming to New Zealand next month, popping up at panels and signings at Auckland’s Wintergeddon Armageddon Expo. 

...

The Government looks set to devolve large parts of the delivery of public housing to community housing and other social providers after a damning report into Kāinga Ora raised questions about its financial competence, showing it was staring down the barrel of a $700 million annual deficit. 

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking that the results of the review were worse than they thought. 

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The Housing Minister says change is well and truly afoot at Kainga Ora as a critical independent review finds it's under-performing. 

The inquiry's also found the public housing agency needs significant savings to become financially viable. 

Chris Bishop has ruled out a mass sale of state homes, but indicated a total refresh of the board. 

He told Mike Hosking that Kainga Ora's debt l...

New Zealand's largest supply chain collaboration has signed another deal with an international shipping giant. 

Kotahi has entered a second decade partnership with Maersk, which will allow for $160 billion worth of cargo to be exported on a reliable supply chain. 

Kotahi chief executive David Ross told Mike Hosking that it offers needed certainty to some of New Zealand's largest exporters. 

New Zealanders stranded in New Caledonia may have to endure a few more days of riots and civil unrest. 

The main international airport in Nouméa remains closed with all commercial flights suspended. 

The French president has called another meeting with defence and security council to discuss what to do next.  

Europe correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking that the government'...

There’s still no word on when Defence Force aircraft will be sent to retrieve tourists stuck in New Caledonia. 

Commercial flights remain cancelled due to the unrest in Noumea; 231 Kiwis are registered as being there. 

Defence Minister Judith Collins told Mike Hosking “The issue is that Ministry of Forei...

Six people have been arrested after pro-Israel and pro-Palestine demonstrators clashed in Melbourne's CBD on Sunday afternoon. 

After a week of Melbourne-wide protests – Police confirmed around 7,000 people were in attendance.  

This follows a pro-Palestinian demonstration that stormed a Labor Party conf...