The Mike Hosking Breakfast

There seems to be increasing reportage, based around some new research, that our dream of being smokefree is up in smoke. 

2025 is the year when we were aiming to be smokefree. By smokefree, it would have been reduced to 5% left smoking. 

To meet that goal, the research says about 80,000 more people need to quit. They won't.   

As always, the fact they haven't, or won't, is somehow the Government's fault, who ha...

Kiwi Supercars driver Matt Payne has had a dream start to the season. 

He’s been racing under Grove and Penrite, and has already racked up three wins for the season. 

It’s had fans and former drivers raving about his prospects as a future champion and considering he’s currently sitting third on the overall ladder, he’ll be hoping it’s the very near future.  

Two of his wins so far came in the same weekend, on the hom...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 5th of June, we're finally making ground when it comes to clearing the backlog in our courts. And when it comes to competition in the supermarkets, we might have good news too. 

The NZR have their sponsor to replace INEOS - it's Gallagher, an insurance broker out of the US. NZR CEO Mark Robinson discusses the good news. 

Kiwi Supercars driver Matt Payne has had ...

New Zealand Rugby have secured a new sponsor. 

They’ve partnered with American company Gallagher Insurance, who’s logo will appear on both the training and match day shorts of all our national teams. 

It comes two months after Ineos terminated their $21 million a year contract with the union. 

NZR CEO Mark Robinson told Mike Hosking Gallagher’s got a deep connection with the sport, having been involved with World Rug...

The Commerce Commission's making moves to level the playing field in the grocery sector.  

It's found the big supermarket players are shovelling in billions of dollars a year through supplier charges and promotional pricing, which largely isn't reaching consumers.  

It's proposed a simplified grocery code that limits the range of payments supermarkets can charge suppliers.  

Grocery Commissioner Pierre van Heerden to...

The Courts Minister is chuffed at improvements to the backlog in Auckland's criminal district courts.  

The latest Government figures show a 26% reduction over the past year, with an 11% reduction nationally. 

Since April 2023, the number of jury trials awaiting hearings in Auckland has dropped by 8%.  

Minister Nicole McKee told Mike Hosking she's confident they're making good changes for victims and people entering...

Good news for tourism operators in Milford Sound, as the Government rejects plans to ban cruise ships 

More than $15 million has been invested into infrastructure and conservation upgrades in Milford Sound. 

Cruise ships will also be allowed back in the area, rejecting the 2021 master plan advising against their access to the sound. 

Cruise Association Chief Executive Jacqui Lloyd told Mike Hosking Milford Sound is a...

Parliament's picking up where it left off last month, debating proposed sanctions on three Te Pāti Māori MPs.  

The Privileges Committee's suggested Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer be suspended for 21 days, and Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke for seven. 

The three had performed a haka during a vote on the Treaty Principles Bill last year.  

Leader of the House Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking he just wants the debat...

The Insurance Council's highlighting the tough balancing act facing the Government, over the Natural Hazard Commission insurance fund shortfall.  

The Government is signalling a home insurance levy increase to help bolster the Commission's kitty.  

Cabinet is set to decide on the changes in the coming months.  

Insurance Council Chief Executive Kris Faafoi told Mike Hosking it's a tricky task when money is tight. &nb...

Christmas came early for Tiwai Aluminium Smelter. 

They get to do business. In fact, they get to do business in a country where you would have thought doing business is to be encouraged. 

They have been prevented from doing all the business they can because they have a deal with their power company, Meridian, whereby they have to contain themselves if things are a bit tight in the old power department. 

It is indeed ...

Politicians aren’t worrying too much about the latest poll results. 

There were starkly different results in the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll and 1News-Verian poll – with the first showing the left bloc in the lead and the second showing the right bloc well ahead. 

Labour’s Ginny Andersen told Mike Hosking the polls bounce around, so they don’t take them to heart that much. 

She says in general, Labour is gradually ...

Foodstuffs North Island's facial recognition trial might have the tick of approval overall, but there's still work to do.  

The Privacy Commission's ruled the trial was compliant with the Privacy Act and was successful in reducing harmful behaviour.   

But Commissioner Michael Webster told Mike Hosking they're recommending Foodstuffs keep systems updated and review impacts of skin tone on identification accuracy. &nb...

Renewing existing infrastructure rather than investing in new shiny projects is the best way to go, according to a new report co-produced by the Helen Clark Foundation and WSP New Zealand.  

The foundation claims 99% of the infrastructure New Zealand needs, has already been built.  

Foundation Deputy Director Kali Mercier says renewals and repairs are much cheaper. 

She told Mike Hosking one of their recommendations ...

New Zealand Rugby Players Association boss Rob Nichol admits their members have been approached to join a new global breakaway club competition. 

R360 —backed by former England international Mike Tindall— is set to launch in 2026. 

The league plans to mirror the likes of sevens and F1, moving from port to port with events at major cities and stadia around the globe. 

Nichol told Mike Hosking they've been across the p...

Concerns bad investment choices in electricity generation will keep our supply unreliable. 

Tiwai Point aluminium smelter is ramping up production reversing previous restrictions, to ease winter supply concerns. 

Meridian Energy says the hydro storage is looking much healthier this winter.  

Major Electricity Users' Group Chair John Harbord told Mike Hosking restrictions will likely be back in force next winter, with...

Fewer people are behind on debt payments. 

Centrix's May Indicator Report shows consumer arrears fell in April – it was the fourth month in a row where overall arrears were lower than 2024. 

However, the number of consumers who are more than 90 days past due has risen to its highest since July last year. 

Managing Director Keith McLaughlin told Mike Hosking they’re starting to see household budgets become balanced. &...

Tourists are being told New Zealand is open for business. 

A Government survey's found international visitor spending increased by 10% and contributed more than $12 billion to the economy in the year ending March. 

But this is only 86% of pre-Covid visitor numbers and spending.  

Tourism Minister Louise Upston told Mike Hosking it shows there's work to be done, especially targeting key markets like China.  

She ...

The UK is set to spend more on defence. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's unveiled plans to lift the defence spend, signalling it could reach 3% of GDP at the next Parliament. 

He vowed to make Britain "a battle-ready, armour-clad nation”, and Defence Secretary John Healey says they’re in a “new era of threat”, which demands a higher spend.  

UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking that although many understand th...

If the headline is right, and I hope it isn't, the Government are seeking advice on what to do about Run it Straight. 

If the Government is seeking this advice, they have been sucked in. 

Unless of course they are saying they are seeking advice so everyone shuts up for a bit, because the whole thing has got hopelessly out of control. 

We need to break the ongoing grip too many New Zealanders have with Government, or ...