The Mike Hosking Breakfast

If Grant Robertson thinks the Covid inquiry is a "show trial", then what is about to unfold at the High Court as of the end of this month can't be far behind. 

A bunch of unions are taking the Government to court over pay equity. 

They are having several stabs at it – the Bill of Rights is in play and the democratic process is up for debate. 

One of the things the unions claim may happen if they win, is a select comm...

It’s been an incredible rise for Kiwi Supercars driver Ryan Wood. 

Racing for Walkinshaw Andretti United last year, he helped the team to 3rd in the Teams Championship —their highest finish since 2016— and was widely considered the best rookie on the grid. 

This year has already seen him claim a win in race 14, with multiple podium appearances under his belt, as well as a host of Top 10 finishes.  

Wood told Mike Hos...

Times are challenging for the global honey sector.  

Oversupply, inflated prices, and global volatility continue to drive sector woes.  

Apiculture NZ CEO Karin Kos told Mike Hosking both domestic and export factors are contributing. 

In 2019, New Zealand had a record 1 million hives and 10,000 beekeepers, but now there’s under 500,000 hives and 7,600 beekeepers, she says.  

At the same time, Kos told Hosking, t...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 19th of August, eyes are on the White House as Zelenskyy and EU leaders meet for peace talks. Our White House Correspondent is on the scene. 

Contact Energy CEO Mike Fuge defends their big profit rise while the country faces rising energy costs. 

Kiwi Supercars driver Ryan Wood is having a stellar second season so far, so we catch up with him during the mini brea...

One of the country’s major electricity companies is defending their increased profits amid rising energy prices.  

Contact Energy’s full year net profit is up 41%, with revenue up 20%. 

Their underlying profit also climbed 17%, bolstered by a strong lift in geothermal generation as well as improved sales and customer numbers. 

CEO Mike Fuge told Mike Hosking the profits are the result of their investment in major pro...

The chef at the country's best restaurant says they're always improving to stay top of the game.  

From more than 300 contestants, Queenstown's fine dining hotspot Amisfield has once again been crowned 'Restaurant of the Year' at the Cuisine Good Food Awards. 

Executive Chef, Vaughan Mabee told Mike Hosking being in Central Otago helps them in many ways.  

He says the combination of their team and the area's amazing ...

Donald Trump's focussing on a peace deal rather than a ceasefire as talks with Ukraine's President get underway. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the White House for talks with Trump and several European leaders today.  

Trump also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday and says he'll have a phone call with him after today's talks.  

Channel 9 US Correspondent Lauren Tomasi told Mike Hosking the meeting...

Taking some of the pressure off councils is expected to make them more willing to consent buildings.  

The Government will shift liability for building defects based on responsibility.  

Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says councils will still have responsibility for their consenting.  

He told Mike Hosking liability will be decided by the courts.  

Penk says we could see some cases where the vario...

Financial results are coming in thick and fast. 

a2 Milk is reporting a 21% rise in profit alongside announcing it has bought the Yashili  plant in Pokeno. 

It's also sold its majority stake in the Mataura Valley plant in Gore to Open Country Dairy. 

Contact Energy's profit is up 13% after a surge in geothermal generation. 

Freightways' profit is up 12.9%. 

Chief executive Mark Troughear is putting it ...

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 18th of August, we've got conflicting reports on the cost of food at the supermarket - but none of it helps the fact our country's debt is nearing $1trillion.

The Prime Minister says whether or not he would appear at a Royal Commission if called upon and how close we are with a deal with Winston Peters about foreigners being able to buy a home.

Jason Pine and Andrew Sav...

Jason Pine and Andrew Saville join Mike Hosking this morning to discuss the weekend's sports.

On the table today: The Warriors defeated the dolphins 14-10, finishing off an impressive comeback from 0-10 down. 

The All-Blacks defeated Los Pumas in Argentina to secure a strong start in the Rugby Championships.

And Chris Wood starts the new season of the Premier League with a bang, netting multiple goals on opening day.

LISTEN AB...

You may have read a report commissioned by Radio NZ to look into why their operation has become such a dumpster fire.

It said a bunch of stuff that was obvious. One thing that surprised and saddened me though was that most people within that organisation thought radio was dying and audiences were bailing.

That's not true. In fact it’s the opposite. Radio is robust and, comparatively speaking, thriving.

So my question is, how is it ...

The Prime Minister says Auckland won't be getting a bed tax this parliamentary term,  despite a renewed call from the city's mayor. 

Last week Wayne Brown again called for a bed night levy, saying it wouldn't cost the Government anything. 

He claimed they were cheeky for not putting one in and believed they would eventually cave. 

Chris Luxon told Mike Hosking that now is not the time to be putting in another ta...

The All Blacks have defeated Argentina in the Rugby Championship. 

They dispatched a 24-41 victory over Los Pumas, who hosted the All Blacks at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba. 

Former All Blacks coach John Hart told Mike Hosking that the dominant display still needs improving, citing a lack of discipline.  

‘You wouldn’t want to be doing that against South Africa’ he said in regard to the All-Black’s big mat...

The government's debt has shot up as our collective total gets closer to one trillion dollars. 

The country's overall debt rose to $870billion dollars for the year to May, 5.4-percent higher than last year’s $830billion. 

Central Government debt sits at nearly $239billion, rising 11-percent on last year. 

ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner says it's worrying if it's getting frittered away, instead of going into key t...

The latest Stats NZ figures says food prices in our 15 main cities have increased five-percent in the past year -- with grocery prices rising much faster than restaurant and takeaway prices. 

But Foodstuffs says prices in its stores have only increased 3.4 percent. 

Foodstuffs North Island Managing Director Chris Quin told Mike Hosking that much of that rise is being driven by beef, lamb and butter. 

Quinn says consu...

New Zealand could secure a place in the global AI economy with a sustainable data centre

Research by the Maxim Institute has looked at leveraging the country's renewable energy, cool climate, and strong privacy laws to become a hub in the Asia–Pacific. 

Researcher Thomas Scrimgeour says high energy costs must be tackled in order to seize the opportunity. 

He told Mike Hosking AI servers use huge amounts of energy - but so...

It never takes long to find the bank of the taxpayer. 

The Green Building Council has lined the Government up for Lord knows how many millions so we can all ditch our gas heaters, buy heat pumps, and save money and the gas industry. 

We talked during the week with businesses who use gas. Some are looking to convert, and some want discretionary loans from you-know-who. 

Major gas users met the Minister last Friday to,...

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. 

Visas: 7/10 

One of the bright spots of the week. Two more visas and access to labour that solves problems. More please. 

Recognising Palestine as a state: 3/10 

Talk about angst for no result. Around and around we go. 

Disney Cruises: 4/10 

Can you blame them? Y...