The Mike Hosking Breakfast

More from our common sense file. 

Resources Minister Shane Jones has had a good week and I'm increasingly falling in love with him. 

He turned on the country's only electric digger. This is a big mother and may well be the future of heavy industrial work. 

He is also going to make it easier to dig for coal. As he points out coal, in terms of extraction, is not dissimilar to extracting...

Warriors CEO Cameron George is trying not to get ahead of himself despite the coup of signing Kiwis captain James Fisher-Harris on a four-year deal. 

The three-time Premiership winning prop has been granted a release from the final two years of his deal with Penrith on compassionate grounds. 

He's a like-for-like replacement for Addin Fonua-Blake, who will join Cronulla at the end of this season.

Fans of the reggae and pop scenes will be very familiar with the works of UB40. 

The English band was formed in the late 1970’s, going through a few iterations as their music finds international success. 

Robin Campbell is a founding member of the band, having stuck with it for 45 years, throughout the drama, court cases, and a revolt. 

They’re popping over to New Zealand with the rel...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 18th of April, we spoke to former Finance Minister Steven Joyce about the good and bad news from the latest inflation number.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell gave his thoughts on what's next after the Police turned down their third and final pay offer.

There's a lot of angst about the public sector job cuts, particularly from Opposition Leader Chis Hipkins. Does he defend...

Some are saying the Government's updated health guidance for children is bringing back the balance from the pandemic. 

The guidelines say children with a mild cough, headache, or runny nose can go to school given they don't have Covid-19 or other symptoms like fever or diarrhoea. 

Auckland Primary Principals' Association's Kyle Brewerton told Mike Hosking that we've had four years of erring on the ...

Chris Hipkins is defending public servants in the firing line. 

Just yesterday, more than a-thousand job cutting proposals were announced at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki combined. 

The Government's suggesting some of the cost savings could be re-invested into frontline services. 

Labour leader Chris Hipkins told Mike Hosking that he doesn't agree the public service ha...

Tread carefully over plans to extend earthquake-strengthening work deadlines.  

The Government's announced it's giving people an extra four years to get unsafe buildings up to scratch. 

It's also bringing forward a review into earthquake-prone buildings. 

AUT construction expert John Tookey told Mike Hosking that four years or beyond kicks the issue into a future governmental cycle or...

A former finance minister says there's nothing to celebrate in the latest inflation figures. 

Inflation has fallen to 4% in the year to March. 

That's well down on the 4.7% recorded in the year to December but above the Reserve Bank's forecast. 

Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking that non-tradable inflation —on things like rents and rates that don't face foreign competition— has only drop...

The Government says the latest pay offer to Police is the best it can do as the country is basically broke.  

Three quarters of officers have voted ‘NO’ and a decision now sits with an impartial arbitrator. 

The Police Association says it's 4% below what teachers have been offered, which is a slap in the face. 

Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking that the package is a quar...

New Zealand’s wool industry is getting a boost in front of an international audience. 

Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting the sector and outlining the Coalition Government’s support for revitalising it. 

Campaign for Wool Trustee Sandra Faulkner told Mike Hosking that it’s fantastic to have a minis...

You can ask a lot of questions about the TV3 deal with Stuff. 

Do Stuff know how to make television? How many people will they actually hire as opposed to re-purposing the staff they already have? Does the programme draw an audience? Will it look anything like what we are used to? 

Most importantly, does it solve a problem for TV, the media, and Warner Bros. Discovery? 

To a degree, n...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 17th of April, we got an economist's thoughts on what we can expect today from our inflation stats, and the former Newshub Head of News Mark Jennings took a look at the TV3/Stuff deal.

Speaking of money, the Reserve Bank is looking at digital wallets and e-commerce for New Zealand, is this our future?

Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell covered everything from the Waitang...

Labour and National are clashing over a potential mega-tunnel underneath Wellington. 

The government's looking at a tunnel connecting The Terrace and Kilbirnie, a distance of around 4km. 

It has been proposed to bring down travel times and reduce congestion on state highways. 

National's Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking that they're going through a business case and analysis. 

...

David Seymour is setting his sights on cutting back safety regulations in early childhood education centres.  

The Associate Education Minister's announced he will scrap requirements for the Education Ministry to sign-off on new centres being established. 

Also binned are changes which had been due to take effect in August, requiring people in supervisory roles to hold a full teaching practice cert...

The Reserve Bank's opened consultation on the possibility of a government-backed digital currency.  

The central bank is currently researching such an option.  

It would be used alongside physical cash.  

Director of Money and Cash Ian Woolford told Mike Hosking their view is that there's not enough innovation and efficiency in the financial system.  

He says they hope a...

Inflation is expected to cool further today, but some predict it falling more than others. 

ANZ's expecting today's figures to show annual inflation dropping to 4%, down from the 4.7% it was in last year's final quarter. 

The forecast is above the Reserve Bank's February expectation of 3.8%.  

ANZ Economist Henry Russell told Mike Hosking that's a little low. 

He says th...

Newshub's former head of news believes it's a waiting game as to whether the salvaged TV bulletin will work.  

Stuff has signed on to produce and provide a daily bulletin on TV3 from July 6, following Newshub's closure.  

Mark Jennings told Mike Hosking it's better than nothing. 

But, he says, it's going to be up to the viewers what they make of this, adding they vote with their remot...

Dozens of prospective jurors in the Donald Trump 'hush money' trial continue to be dismissed as they say they can't be fair.  

It's the second day of the trial, and jury selection continues.  

Trump's charged with falsifying business records over his alleged role in a hush money scheme before the 2016 election.  

He's pleaded not guilty.  

US correspondent Richard Arnold...

Northland businesses are telling Government to commit to a full expressway between Northland and Auckland. 

A NZIER report found a four-lane highway between Auckland and Whangārei would bring millions to the region's economy. 

Northland Corporate Group Co-Chair Andrew McLeod says the evidence for the benefits are clear. 

He told Mike Hosking that the Government just needs to make a decision now, because it's currently hurting No...