The Mike Hosking Breakfast

It’s Friday once more, but Mike Hosking’s panel for Wrapping the Week looks a little different. 

Tim Wilson is off on holiday, so a special guest was brought in to replace him – Sir John Key.  

It took a while for Kate to guess the "rando" calling in, but once she did they got stuck in discussing clothing, wine, and whether or not Sir John can join Kate’s pickleball league. 

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The All Blacks have named a predictable side for their Rugby Championship opener against Argentina in Cordoba. 

Captain Scott Barrett is returning to the side, with Beauden Barrett returning to No. 10 and Cortez Ratima starting at halfback. 

There are no new faces on the team for the first time in 2025. 

Will Jordan is playing at No. 15, and told Mike Hosking that Argentina seems to be primed and ready to go for a co...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 15th of August, all eyes will be on Trump and Putin in Alaska tomorrow – what will likely come of it? 

The Rugby Championship is upon us, so Will Jordan tells us by how much the All Blacks will beat Argentina in the first match. 

Kate Hawkesby and mystery guest Sir John Key Wrap the Week - listen to Kate's description of John as she tries to guess the guest. 

Robotic surgeries are taking off, bringing positive outcomes for the health sector. 

Evolution Healthcare says it's more than doubled the number of robotic surgeries in the past two years at Wellington's Wakefield Hospital. 

It says it's on target to complete more than 300 this year, up from 243 last year. 

Evolution CEO Michael Quirke told Mike Hosking efficiencies are increasingly being found as the technology deve...

There’s little sign of recovery soon for the country's sheep numbers as they continue to drop. 

Beef + Lamb NZ shows breeding ewe numbers are down nearly 2% on last year, with this season's lamb crop forecast to be down nearly 120 thousand lambs. 

However, beef cattle numbers are showing positive signs, rising 4%. 

Beef + Lamb NZ Chair Kate Acland told Mike Hosking the lower numbers are driven by the continued affore...

Donald Trump estimates his high-stakes diplomatic talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin have a 25% chance of failure. 

The two presidents will meet in Alaska tomorrow to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine.  

Trump's previewed the summit as setting the table for a second meeting, inviting in Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky.  

New Haven University international affairs expert Matthew Schmidt told Mike Hosking public opinio...

There are fears limited information sharing is hindering authorities efforts to tackle transnational crime. 

A report from a Ministerial Advisory Group focused on organised crime says there's sparse coordination between agencies, technological limitations, and people are fearful of sharing what could be useful information. 

It's recommending a new sharing framework and tweaks to the Privacy Act to make it easier. 

Ch...

I'm assuming the instigators of the second Covid Inquiry are deeply disappointed in what is unfolding, in terms of accountability. 

Inquiry Part 1 was a Labour Government stitch up. It was an exercise in smoke and mirrors. 

Inquiry Part 2 is a coalition deal driven by ACT and NZ First, and was designed to look into areas not touched on in Part 1: access to vaccines, lock downs, economic damage, and so on. 

I have arg...

The US has accused the UK of backsliding on human rights over the past year, claiming it’s not a free country. 

The US State Department says the UK’s Labour government ‘repeatedly intervened to chill speech’, their annual assessment also highlighting laws limiting free speech around abortion clinics. 

UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking it’s something that both Trump and Vance have said before, and it has a cert...

For years, the All Blacks were praised for their mental fortitude. 

When it came down to the wire, fans could expect the team to handle the pressure, trained and prepared for all scenarios. 

Much of that fortitude can be attributed to Gilbert Enoka – our national team’s mental skills coach for 23 years. 

He retired at the end of 2023, and has now written a book that covers his mentality and philosophy during his tenu...

There's a belief many farmers will be feeling disappointed and betrayed after a report to Parliament on the ban of carbon forestry. 

The Environment Select Committee’s recommendations show carbon farms across productive farmland, won't be coming to a stop. 

Currently under the Emission Trading Scheme there's a ban on whole-farm conversions for land that's not used for beef and sheep farming. 

Federated Farmers forest...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 14th of August, then-Covid Minister Chris Hipkins defends his decision not to appear publicly for the Covid-19 Inquiry.  

Public Service Minister Judith Collins responds to the latest strike action from both nurses and secondary school teachers.   

All Blacks mental skills expert Gilbert Enoka imparts his wisdom and philosophy from his 23-year career with o...

New Zealand exporters are remaining upbeat. 

The latest Export New Zealand DHL Export Barometer shows about four in five have maintained or increased export volumes over the past year. 

Exporters say it's been getting cheaper to do business, but they're getting more worried about trade wars. 

NZ International Business Forum Executive Director Felicity Roxburgh told Mike Hosking the impact of tariffs will take some ti...

The Government is blasting the secondary teachers union for calling a strike. 

Post Primary Teachers' Association members will put down the tools next Wednesday, rejecting a three-percent pay increase over three years.

Tens of thousands of healthcare workers are also preparing to walk off the job on two separate days next month.

Public Service Minister Judith Collins told Mike Hosking it seems the union spent more time on its ...

The Education Minister says our NCEA achievement results are ticking up as we climb out of Covid. 

Last year Level 1 achievement dropped slightly to its lowest level in a decade, and Māori fell further behind. 

There were improvements though in NCEA Levels 2, 3, and University Entrance for the first time in five years.  

Erica Stanford told Mike Hosking these students also came through after she became Minister. ...

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says he's already answered the Covid Inquiry Commissioner's questions, negating any need for him to appear publicly. 

Hipkins and former Ministers Dame Jacinda Ardern, Grant Robertson, and Ayesha Verrall declined open hearings, leading the second part of the inquiry to be called off. 

Hipkins says lawyers raised several issues around them appearing, including setting a precedent and possible ab...

Chris Hipkins came undone yesterday, twice. 

You would hope, given there is literally no pressure on him right now and he basically gets to spend his days bagging the Government, he might want to sharpen up, given next year is a whole different kettle of fish. 

Mistake number 1: He attempted to gain points on Palestine by suggesting David Seymour was holding the Government to some sort of ransom and if it wasn’t for the v...

The cost of New Zealand’s homes are beginning to fall. 

The latest QV Quarterly data reveals that average prices have fallen by 0.5% over the three months to July. 

Auckland is down by 1.2%, while Queenstown and Invercargill continue to rise by 2.4% and 1.2% respectively. 

The average price is now 13.1% cheaper than the artificial Covid peak in 2021. 

Brad Olsen, Infometrics’ Principal Economist, told Mike Hoski...

Much has happened in the political realm since last Wednesday, so Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell are back to cover it on Politics Wednesday. 

The military-style boot camps have seen mixed results – is it still a success with a 80% reoffending rate?  

And what’s happening with Willow-Jean Prime? Is there any excuse for her ignoring the briefing invitation for the NCEA changes? 

Plus, Mike offers up some advice regar...